More Football News
Makelele named Monaco technical director
PARIS (Reuters) – Former France international and Real Madrid midfielder Claude Makelele has been appointed Monaco’s technical director, the Ligue 1 club said on Thursday. Makelele, 42, who won the Champions League with Real in 2002, made over 600 appearances in spells with Nantes, Olympique Marseille, Celta Vigo, Real, Chelsea and Paris St Germain. He […]
IFAB to recommend video technology trials
By Mike Collett LONDON (Reuters) – Soccer’s rule makers have decided to recommend trialling video replays next season to help referees with questionable goals, penalties, red cards and cases of mistaken identity. The International Football Association Board (IFAB) decided at their preliminary meeting on Thursday to recommend to their AGM in March that trials are […]
Sunderland sign Bayern defender Kirchhoff
(Reuters) – Premier League strugglers Sunderland have signed defender Jan Kirchhoff from Bayern Munich for an undisclosed fee, the club said on Thursday. The towering centre back, 25, began his career at Mainz before joining Bayern in 2013. He also played on loan at Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga. “Jan has a very good pedigree […]
Osvaldo returns to Boca to link up with Tevez again
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Italy striker Dani Osvaldo has returned to Argentina looking for a second shot at helping his favourite club Boca Juniors win a record-equalling seventh Copa Libertadores this year. Argentine-born Osvaldo, who spent the first half of 2015 at Boca before moving to Porto, began pre-season training with the Argentine team on […]
Argentina, Uruguay want to co-host 2030 World Cup
COLONIA, Uruguay (Reuters) – Argentina and neighbouring Uruguay will bid to co-host the 2030 World Cup, Argentine President Mauricio Macri said at a joint news conference on Thursday with Uruguayan leader Tabare Vazquez. “We have decided that our best opportunity is to jointly nominate ourselves as candidates,” Macri said during a visit to Colonia, Uruguay. […]
Curtis staying in charge of Swansea for rest of season
LONDON (Reuters) – Caretaker manager Alan Curtis will remain in charge of Swansea City for the rest of the Premier League season, the club said on Thursday. The former Wales and Swansea forward assumed control when Garry Monk was sacked last month. “Curtis took over the managerial duties on December 11 and has picked up […]
Sammer issues warning to Bayern squad
BERLIN (Reuters) – German champions Bayern Munich must hit top form when the season resumes this month after a winter break and avoid the “catastrophic consequences” that could be caused by a lack of focus, sports director Matthias Sammer said on Thursday. Bayern, eight points clear at the top of the table and eyeing a […]
Liverpool trio Coutinho, Lovren, Toure to miss big games
REUTERS – Liverpool will be without Dejan Lovren, Kolo Toure and Philippe Coutinho for Friday’s FA Cup third-round match at fourth-tier Exeter City. All three picked up injuries in the 1-0 win over Stoke City in the first leg of their Capital One (League) Cup semi-final on Tuesday. Croatia defender Lovren and Brazil playmaker Coutinho […]
Preview – Pressure on for both coaches as Roma face Milan
MILAN (Reuters) – The pressure will be on for both coaches when AS Roma and AC Milan meet on Saturday with the two sides stuck in a mid-season rut (Saturday 1945 GMT). Italian media say that Sinisa Mihajlovic has been given two games to avoid becoming the fourth Milan coach to be fired in the […]
Messi double as Barca beat nine-man Espanyol in Cup
By Tim Hanlon BARCELONA (Reuters) – Lionel Messi struck a spectacular free kick, scored another goal and set up two more in a 4-1 victory for Barcelona over nine-man city rivals Espanyol in the first leg of their King’s Cup last-16 clash on Wednesday. A second-string Atletico Madrid side secured a 1-1 draw at neighbours […]
Martinez hails ‘perfect’ Lukaku for Everton
LONDON (Reuters) – Manager Roberto Martinez described Romelu Lukaku as the perfect striker for Everton after the Belgian bagged his 19th goal of the season to secure a 2-1 win over Manchester City on Wednesday. Lukaku, a 28 million-pound ($40.9 million) signing from Chelsea in 2014, has been in excellent form this season and his […]
Januzaj poised for Man United return – reports
LONDON (Reuters) – Belgian winger Adnan Januzaj is poised to return to Manchester United after a disappointing loan spell at Borussia Dortmund, British media reported on Wednesday. The 20-year-old left Old Trafford last year in a bid to get more regular first-team opportunities but he has started only three matches for the Bundesliga side and […]
