Lewandowski: Bayern must learn from last season's mistakes

The Poland international insists his side know where they went wrong in the second half of last season and can mount a serious challenge for the treble

Robert Lewandowski is confident Bayern Munich will make a strong challenge for the treble, insisting they know what went wrong in the second half of last season.

At the winter break last term, Pep Guardiola's men were still in the running for all three major trophies, but ended up only retaining the Bundesliga title.

Bayern suffered semi-final defeats to Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League and DFB-Pokal respectively, but Lewandowski is hopeful that will not happen again.

"We know what we did wrong last year and I hope we do a better job of it this year," he told the Bundesliga's official website.
"It doesn't matter if we have a five-point or eight-point lead in the Bundesliga because that is two, three games - everything can change.
"In the second half of the season, we cannot allow ourselves to make so many mistakes if we want to win the title.

"We have to give it everything right until the end, regardless of how many points clear we are. Right now the gap is eight points, but we are not champions yet.

"It is important that we give our all in the Champions League as well as the DFB-Pokal, regardless of who we are playing."
Lewandowski praised the challenge being posed from former club Dortmund under Thomas Tuchel this season and suggested a tight title battle with them could actually help Bayern in their other competitions.
"I am still in touch with people at BVB," added the 27-year-old. "They are playing really well this season, in the Europa League as well.

"Last season was verging on the catastrophic and I don't really know why. They are a quality side with a lot of good players.
"They are playing a bit differently compared to last season. They have not just shown how many goals they can score and have got a lot of potential - in defence as well as attack.

"We will be fighting with BVB up until the final game. That is good for us, too."

Real Madrid and Atletico given transfer bans

The two Spanish giants have been found guilty of the same irregularities as Barcelona and, after the current window closes, will then be unable to sign new players until 2017

Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have been handed transfer bans for the next two transfer windows for breaching rules regarding players under the age of 18, Fifa have confirmed.

The two clubs will be able to register players during the current January transfer window but will then be unable to make signings for the two subsequent transfer windows due to irregularities over the "international transfers of minors".

Barcelona were handed the same punishment for a similar breach, with their ban lifted this month, and neither of the Madrid-based clubs will be able to make another signing until the summer of 2017.

Real have been linked with a host of elite players, such as David de Gea and Eden Hazard, but will need to act now or wait 18 months in order to sign them.
A statement released by Fifa on Thursday confirmed the sanctions: "The Fifa Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned Spanish clubs Atletico de Madrid and Real Madrid for breaches relating to the international transfer and registration of players under the age of 18.

"The two clubs were found to have violated several provisions concerning the international transfer and first registration of minor players as well as other relevant provisions with regard to the registration and participation of certain players in competitions.

"Both clubs are to serve a transfer ban that prevents them from registering any players at national and international level for the next two complete and consecutive registration periods for breaching articles 5, 9, 19 and 19bis as well as annexes 2 and 3 of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (the "Regulations").

"The transfer ban, which does not affect the current registration period at all, given that it opened before the decisions were notified, applies to each club as a whole – with the exception of the women’s, futsal and beach soccer teams – and does not prevent the release of players.

"Additionally, Atletico de Madrid and Real Madrid have been fined CHF 900,000 and CHF 360,000 respectively, while both clubs have been issued with a reprimand and given 90 days in which to regularise the situation of all minor players concerned."

The ruling, which is likely to be appealed by both clubs, means Madrid and Atletico face a race against time to strengthen their squads before it is imposed.

Atletico have already snapped up Augusto Fernandez from Celta Vigo in this window while Matias Kranevitter is now available to coach Diego Simeone after a loan spell at River Plate expired.

Madrid are yet to enter the transfer market, with new coach Zinedine Zidane still assessing his squad after succeeding Rafael Benitez last week.

Bale can win Ballon d'Or - Modric

The Real Madrid midfielder has tipped his team-mate to be crowned the best player in the world in the future - and he also gave English football a reality check

Luka Modric believes Real Madrid team-mate Gareth Bale has what it takes to win the FIFA Ballon d'Or in the future.

The Wales international had to settle for 16th place in this year's edition of the prestigious individual award and also missed out on a place in the FIFPro World XI.

However, Modric has little doubt Bale will make it to the Ballon d'Or ceremony at some stage.
"I told him that if he keeps playing like this then I do not see any reason why he can't make it into the World XI and then go on to win the Ballon d'Or," Modric was quoted as saying by The Telegraph.

"He has all the possibilities. He is a great player. Powerful, quality, everything. I hope in the future he will be there."
This year's FIFPro World XI consisted of eight players from La Liga as well as one apiece from Serie A, the Bundesliga and Ligue 1 as the Premier League stars were snubbed. Modric believes England's top flight is no longer the promised land.
"When you look at the world XI, it seems there has been a shift in power," he added.
"The best players are now playing in Spain. England has so many great players but La Liga is now number one.
"It is probably a little bit of everything really, the weather, the glamour, those two clubs.

Gonzalez: Messi thought I would hurt him and called me bad

The Espanyol defender revealed what was said on the pitch between him and the Barcelona star during Wednesday's Copa del Rey second-leg

Alvaro Gonzalez has revealed that Lionel Messi told him he thought the Espanyol defender would hurt him during Wednesday's Copa del Rey game.

Barcelona beat their Catalan rivals 2-0 in the second leg of their round-of-16 tie in a match which saw seven yellow cards given out.
The return leg was a much tamer affair compared to the first instalment between the two rivals, in which Espanyol had two men sent off in a 4-1 loss.
However, after Gonzalez had fouled Messi in the second leg, the two exchanged insults and laughed about it.

"Leo was criticising me for some things, and I some others," he told reporters. "I asked him if he thinks I will hurt him, and he said yes.
"He told me that I was bad, and I told him he was short. But both accepted it, laughed, and left it at that.
"There's no need to make a big deal of anything. What happens on the pitch stays there and that's it.

"The best thing about these derbies is the healthy rivalry we have."