Breaking News!

Everton have rejected Chelsea's latest £25million bid for John Stones.

Mata vows to hit goal trail

Juan Mata has vowed to hit the goal trail to ease the burden on Manchester
United's strikers this season.
Captain Wayne Rooney is expected to be utilised as United's primary
centre forward following the close-season departures of Robin van Persie
and Radamel Falcao.
And while Rooney has set his sights on a prolific campaign, attacking
midfielder Mata, who registered nine Premier League goals last term, is
confident he can chip in.
"I always try to score," Mata told reporters during United's pre-season
tour of United States.
"I've always done that. I used to play as a striker when I was a kid and
every team I played for I had a good goals record and it's the same at
United.
"This season I will aim again to score a good number and to help the team
with assists and goals.
"I had a 21-goal season at Chelsea and another with Valencia when I
scored 14, so I've always been lucky enough to score a good number for a
midfielder.
"I always try to score more than 10 goals in a season. I've nearly always
done that and I think that's a good number for a midfielder.
"Last season I tried to score as many as I could and it's always a big part
of my game. I will try again to be in and around the box and score again."

Mexican coach sacked for punching a journalist

Mexico coach Miguel Herrera has been sacked following allegations he
punched a journalist.
The incident is alleged to have happened at an airport in Philadelphia on
Monday as Herrera's side prepared to fly home from a successful
CONCACAF Gold Cup campaign.
It is claimed by Azteca's Christian Martinoli that Herrera struck him in the
neck.
The outgoing national boss has been quoted, likening the contact more to a
push.
"The Mexican fans deserve respect and upright figures," said Mexican
Football Federation president Decio de Maria. "The results cannot be above
our statutes, regulations and freedom of expression.
"We have decided to separate Miguel Herrera from the national squad. I
met with Miguel and, at the end of the day, this was the decision.
"I believe that Miguel perfectly understands the reasons for the decision.
"We will not rush [an appointment]. I cannot put a time on when we will
appoint a new national coach to achieve our objectives."
Mexico lifted the Gold Cup with a 3-1 final victory over Jamaica.

V Persie couldn't inspire Fenerbahce as they drew blank in UCL qualifying round

Robin van Persie could not inspire Fenerbahce to victory in the the UEFA
Champions League third qualifying round as Shakhtar Donetsk left Turkey
with a goalless draw.
Shakhtar made much of the early running, with Alex Teixeira flashing a
shot wide in the 16th minute, while Fernandao headed off target from
Nani's cross.
The home faithful had to wait until the 68th minute to see their other recruit
from Manchester United brough off the bench, and Van Persie inspired
sustained pressure during the closing stages, although he was unable to
make decisive contact with a volley two minutes from time.
Monaco were convincing 3-1 victors at Young Boys on what proved to be
a fruitful gameday for away sides.
All four goals in Bern arrived in a frantic 11-minute period during the
second half, with highly-rated left-back Layvin Kurzawa putting Monaco
ahead in the 64th minute.
Debutant Guido Carrillo doubled the lead and, although Raphael Nuzzolo
hit back for Young Boys, Mario Pasalic - also making his first Monaco
appearance - completed the scoring with 15 minutes remaining.
CSKA Moscow twice led against Sparta Prague but face an uphill task after
being held to a 2-2 draw.
Alan Dzagoev opened the scoring after 14 minutes before Kehinde Fatai
found an instant reply for the visitors.
Bebras Natcho then missed a penalty and Zoran Tosic restored CKSA's
advantage in the 53rd minute following an error from Lukas Vacha, but the
Sparta midfielder atoned for his mistake by crossing for Ladislav Krejci to
head home four minutes later.
APOEL and Viktoria Plzen secured 2-1 wins away from home against FC
Midtjylland and Maccabi Tel-Aviv respectively.
KF Skenderbeu of Albania were also winners on the road as Hamdi
Salihi's brace sealed a 2-0 triumph at Moldova's Milsami Orhei.
Panathinaikos came from behind to beat Club Brugge 2-1 in Athens as
Nikos Karelis' second-half penalty proved decisive. The hosts played the
second half with 10 men after Sergio Sanchez was sent off for a challenge
on Abdoulay Diaby
Paulo Vinicius' 89th-minute equaliser snatched a 1-1 draw for Hungary's
Videoton against BATE Borisov, while 10-man Dinamo Zagreb and
Molde shared the same scoreline in Croatia.

Platini to launch FIFA presidency bid

Michel Platini is expected to confirm his intention to run for the FIFA
presidency this week.
The former France and Juventus midfielder was appointed president of
UEFA in 2007, succeeding Lennart Johansson.
With current FIFA chief Sepp Blatter announcing last month that he will
step down from the role next year, speculation has been rife that Platini
will be first in line to replace the Swiss.
Reports on Tuesday emerged that Platini has gained the support of Europe,
South America (CONMEBOL), North, Central America and the Caribbean
(CONCACAF) and Asia (AFC), with the election date set for February 26.
Liberia Football Association chairman Musa Bility has also thrown his hat
into the ring for the post, claiming he is the favourite with the backing of the
African continent behind him.
Blatter, who has been in charge of the world game's governing body since
1998, opted to resign in the face of a damaging corruption scandal which
has engulfed FIFA.
No accusations of any wrongdoing have been made towards Blatter, but
the 79-year-old announced his intention to vacate the role in June, with
reports suggesting Platini could confirm his candidacy as early as
Wednesday.

Gerrard, Bradley and Keane pull out of MLS All Star game

Steven Gerrard, Robbie Keane and Michael Bradley have delivered a blow
to MLS All-Stars' chances against Tottenham by withdrawing from Pablo
Mastroeni's squad due to injury.
LA Galaxy duo Gerrard and Keane, along with Toronto FC captain
Bradley, were expected to be named in Mastroeni's starting XI for
Wednesday's match with the Premier League club in Denver.
However, MLS announced on Tuesday that the trio, plus New England
Revolution midfielder Chris Tierney, are now unavailable due to
unspecified injuries.
Along with Frank Lampard, Gerrard was named as MLS commissioner
Don Garber's pick for the All-Stars' annual friendly - but neither of the
former England team-mates will feature at Dick's Sporting Goods Park,
with Lampard suffering from a calf problem.
Reigning MLS MVP Keane spoke earlier this week of how much he was
looking forward to playing against Tottenham, for whom he scored 122
goals in 306 appearances across two spells at White Hart Lane, but he will
also not play.
Gerrard, Keane, Bradley and Tierney have been replaced in the All-Stars'
squad by Galaxy pair Juninho and Gyasi Zardes, Columbus Crew duo
Ethan Finley and Waylon Francis, and Sam Cronin of Colorado Rapids.

Frimpong banned for 2 games after insulting Spartak Moscow fans

Emmanuel Frimpong has been banned for two matches for gesturing
towards Spartak Moscow fans he accused of racially abusing him, though
the Russian Football Union (RFS) has found no evidence of misbehaviour
in the stands.
Frimpong was sent off while playing for Ufa against Spartak last Friday,
after raising his middle finger towards sections of the home support at the
Otkrytie Arena, seemingly reacting to something said off the pitch.
Spartak have been fined 20,000 rubles for fans throwing objects onto the
field, but have escaped any punishment in regards to Frimpong's
allegations.
"The match inspector and the match delegate did not note that there had
been any disciplinary violations by Spartak supporters towards Frimpong
in the match reports," the head of the RFS Disciplinary Committee said.
"There were no instances of racism. We have no grounds to take
disciplinary sanctions against Spartak. Frimpong has been banned for two
games for the offensive gesture he displayed towards the stands."
Reacting to the news on social networking site Twitter, Frimpong wrote:
"For the Russian FA to say they didn't hear or see any evidence of racism
is beyond a Joke ...Glad it's all over dough [sic] thanks for support.
"Must stressed [sic] not all Russians behave like that."

LeBron to sign 2 years with Cavaliers

LeBron James appears to be heading back to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
James opted out of his contract with the Cavaliers last month but is poised
to sign a new two-year deal with Cleveland with an option to opt out
again after next season, according to ESPN.
Four-time NBA MVP James' deal is reportedly valued at $22.97 million
in the first year - a raise of over $1m from the contract he opted out of.
James will net $24m should he choose to opt in for the second year.
The NBA salary cap for 2015-16 was set $70 million, but an influx of TV
money puts the 2016-17 salary cap at an estimate of $89 million.
That means James can take a substantially larger maximum salary. And,
with the cap expected to reach about $108 million for 2017-18, it seems
likely he will continue to opt out of the second year of each deal he signs.
In addition to James, the Cavaliers also confirmed they have re-signed
guard Iman Shumpert, terms of deal were not released.

West Ham reach europa league qualifying second round

West Ham academy manager Terry Westley praised his team after they
safely reached the UEFA Europa League qualifying second round.
A first-half goal from Elliot Lee helped the Premier League club to a 1-0
win at Lusitanos, completing a 4-0 aggregate victory over the Andorrans.
Westley, who was joined in the dugout by new West Ham manager Slaven
Bilic, was pleased with his how side performed throughout the tie.
"Mission accomplished, you would say, over the two legs," Westley said.
"We asked a group of players to return to work on 22 June and the
cohesion between the senior and younger players was absolutely first-
class.
"I've got total respect for the senior players and how they went about it in
both games. We kept two clean sheets and the way the two centre-halves
dealt with everything they threw at us, they were determined to keep the
ball out of the net.
"The second leg was made very different after ten minutes and we ended up
having to play with 10 men."
A 14th-minute red card to Diafra Sakho made things difficult for West
Ham, but Lee's goal ensured the tie was safe.
Westley said Bilic was also happy with his players, with his team to meet
Maltese club Birkirkara in the second round.
"Slaven thanked the players because it's not straightforward," he said.
"It's been a learning curve and this Europa League is giving the young
players an opportunity and something to play for. We need to keep working
hard and becoming better with the ball.
"We all come back together on Monday when the boys from Cork come
back and everyone is back at Chadwell. They will integrate and we're all
looking forward to it."

Fenerbahce confirms van Persie talks

Fenerbahce have confirmed they are in talks with Manchester United striker
Robin van Persie over a potential transfer.
The Netherlands international has been heavily linked with a move to the
Istanbul club, with reports suggesting that a £4.7million switch is on the
cards
And a post on Fenerbahce's Twitter account said: "Fenerbahce has begun
to transfer talks with Robin Van Persie and his club Manchester United."
Van Persie enjoyed a disappointing 2014-15 campaign for United, finding
the net just 10 times.
United have already boosted their forward line during the transfer window
with the signing of Memphis Depay from PSV.
Should he complete a move to Fenerbahce, Van Persie will join former
United team-mate Nani at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium following the
Portugal winger's transfer on Tuesday.

Transfer: Today's signings

8 JULY

Premier League

Toby Alderweireld [Atletico Madrid - Tottenham] Undisclosed

Football League
Eggert Jonsson [FC Vestsjælland - Fleetwood] Free
Filip Valencic [Monza - Notts County] Free

Premier League
Cuco Martina [FC Twente - Southampton] Undisclosed

Football League
Sammy Ameobi [Newcastle - Cardiff] Loan
Craig Davies [Bolton - Wigan] Free
Julian Jenner [Disogyor - Notts County] Free
Jamie O'Hara [Blackpool - Fulham] Free
Bryan Ruiz [Fulham - Sporting Lisbon] Undisclosed
Jayden Stockley [Bournemouth - Portsmouth] Loan
Jelle Vossen [Genk - Burnley] Undisclosed

Europe
Bryan Ruiz [Fulham - Sporting Lisbon] Undisclosed

Breaking news

Football
Javier Manquillo has returned to Atletico Madrid after his loan spell with
Liverpool was terminated by mutual consent.
The right-back joined Liverpool on a two-year loan deal last August but
was used sparingly by the Premier League club last season, making just 19
appearances in all competitions.
And his time at Anfield has been cut short after Manquillo and Atletico
determined that he had "not enjoyed all the desirable minutes for his
growth in football".
Manquillo will not link up with Atletico for pre-season training, with a
decision on where he will spend the 2015-16 season to be made in the
coming days.

Football
Real Madrid have confirmed right-back Dani Carvajal has signed a
contract extension committing him to the club until June 2020.
Carvajal made 43 appearances for Real in all competitions last term and
broke into Spain's national team for the first time.
A product of Real's youth system, Carvajal spent a season with Bayer
Leverkusen in 2012-13 before returning to secure regular action at the
Santiago Bernabeu.

Stoke still hopeful of Shaqiri deal

Stoke City assistant manager Mark Bowen has said the club remain hopeful
of signing Xherdan Shaqiri, but admitted "there is a limit to how long we
can wait".
Shaqiri appears surplus to requirements at Inter, who have reportedly
accepted a £12million bid from Stoke.
The Premier League side declared an interest in Shaqiri prior to his move
to Inter from Bayern Munich in January - and have not given up on
persuading the Swiss international his future lies at the Britannia Stadium.
Bowen is quoted as telling The Sentinel: "We are still waiting. There is a
limit to how long we can wait, but we are hopeful and still waiting, it's as
simple as that.
"We know the qualities he's got and maybe in January we got excited for a
few days thinking we could bring that kind of player to Stoke. It didn't
happen then, but maybe it will happen now.
"The lad left Basel, went to Munich, and two-and-a-half years later he
leaves there to go to Inter. Now it's only six months later. Maybe he's
thinking whether he wants to move again or put down roots and stay in one
place.
"That will be at the back of his mind, so you have to give a player like him
the time.
"You can push, push, push, but there is a balance between doing that and
giving him the time to make the right decision for himself. They have to
want to sign."
Inter coach Roberto Mancini conceded last week that Shaqiri and Davide
Santon were likely to leave the club.
"Shaqiri is a fantastic player but we have some problems with the squad
list," said Mancini.
"We have 25 players and we need to sell some but I think they are two
good players for [the] English championship."

Dos Santos confirms LA Galaxy and other European teams interest

Villarreal and Mexico striker Giovani dos Santos has confirmed MLS club
Los Angeles Galaxy are interested in signing him.
Dos Santos, who is in the United States for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, also
claimed MLS deserves respect, although he tempered his revelation
regarding Galaxy by declaring a number of clubs have inquired about his
services.
The 26-year-old has been linked with Galaxy for the past week, although
he has a contract with Villarreal until June 2017.
"Yes of course, it's [the Galaxy] one of the teams that wants me, just like
there's other teams in Europe that also want me," Dos Santos told
Univision.
"And of course I can't shut the doors to any team and as a soccer player
you never know where you will end up tomorrow."
Dos Santos has scored 12 goals in 57 La Liga matches for Villarreal over
the past two seasons, although the versatile forward only hit the back of the
net once in 2014-15 as his starting opportunities were limited.
The Mexico international insists the MLS is an attractive prospect for him,
with the likes of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Andrea Pirlo having
joined the league in 2015.
"The names speak for themselves. It's players that are stars worldwide and
it's a league that wants to continue to grow," he said.
"The few MLS games that I've been able to watch I think it's a league that
has grown a lot and it's a league that we need to respect and a league
that's generating attention."
Dos Santos and Mexico will begin their 2015 Gold Cup campaign against
Cuba on Thursday.

All player transfers from 1st July to date

JULY
Premier League
Cuco Martina [FC Twente - Southampton] Undisclosed
Football League
Sammy Ameobi [Newcastle - Cardiff] Loan
Craig Davies [Bolton - Wigan] Free
Julian Jenner [Disogyor - Notts County] Free
Jamie O'Hara [Blackpool - Fulham] Free
Jayden Stockley [Bournemouth - Portsmouth] Loan
Jelle Vossen [Genk - Burnley] Undisclosed
Scottish Premiership
None
Global
Bryan Ruiz [Fulham - Sporting Lisbon] Undisclosed

6 JULY
Premier League
Etienne Capoue [Tottenham - Watford] Undisclosed
Enes Unal [Bursaspor - Manchester City] Undisclosed
Football League
Alex Baptiste [Bolton - Middlesbrough] Undisclosed
Billy Bingham [Dagenham & Redbridge - Crewe] Free
Adam Campbell [Newcastle - Notts County] Free
Richard Chaplow [Millwall - Doncaster] Free
Kyle De Silva [Crystal Palace - Notts County] Free
Michael Doyle [Sheffield United - Portsmouth] Free
Joe Edwards [Yeovil - Colchester] Free
Greg Halford [Nottingham Forest - Rotherham] Free
Niki Maenpaa [VVV-Venlo - Brighton] Free
Remi Matthews [Norwich - Burton] Loan
Eddie Nolan [Scunthorpe - York] Free
Sanmi Odelusi [Bolton - Wigan] Undisclosed
Derik Osede [Real Madrid - Bolton] Free
Kudus Oyenuga [Dundee United - Hartlepool] Free
Ollie Palmer [Mansfield - Leyton Orient] Undisclosed
Sam Ricketts [Wolves - Coventry] Free
Josh Simpson [Crawley - Plymouth] Free
Genaro Snijders [FC Oss - Notts County] Free
Andrai Jones [Gateshead - Southport] Free
Scottish Premiership
None
Global
Nani [Manchester United - Fenerbahce] £4.25m
Andrea Pirlo [Juventus - New York City] Free
Arda Turan [Atletico Madrid - Barcelona] £24m

4 JULY
Premier League
None
Football League
Sam Beasant [Stevenage - Cambridge] Free
Jonathan Bond [Watford - Reading] Undisclosed
Tony Craig [Brentford - Millwall] Free
Danny Green [MK Dons - Luton] Free
Scottish Premiership
None
Global
Lukas Podolski [Arsenal - Galatasaray] £1.8m
3 JULY
Premier League
Radamel Falcao [Monaco - Chelsea] Loan
Football League
Mawouna Amevor [Go Ahead Eagles - Notts County] Free
Anthony Barry [Forest Green - Accrington] Free
Troy Brown [Cheltenham - Exeter] Free
Jamie Burrows [Rangers - Yeovil] Free
Graham Carey [Ross County - Plymouth] Free
Conor Coady [Huddersfield - Wolves] £2m
Danny Collins [Nottingham Forest - Rotherham] Free
Mark Duffy [Birmingham - Burton] Loan
George Elokobi [Oldham - Colchester] Free
Jack Hunt [Crystal Palace - Sheff Wednesday] Loan
Thomas Ince [Hull - Derby] £4.75m
Tony McMahon [Blackpool - Bradford] Free
Max Power [Tranmere - Wigan] Fee to be set by tribunal
Tom Thorpe [Manchester United - Rotherham] Free
Anthony Wordsworth [Ipswich - Southend] Free
Scottish Premiership
None
Global
Luiz Adriano [Shakhtar Donetsk - AC Milan] £5.7m
Mario Pasalic [Chelsea - Monaco] Loan

2 JULY
Premier League
Jose Holebas [Roma - Watford] £1.8m
Football League
Andreas Bjelland [FC Twente - Brentford] £2.1m
Gaetan Bong [Wigan - Brighton] Free
Ryan Clarke [Oxford - Northampton] Free
Max Ehmer [QPR - Gillingham] Free
Tom Elliott [Cambridge - AFC Wimbledon] Free
Neil Etheridge [Charlton - Walsall] Free
Emmanuel Ledesma [Middlesbrough - Rotherham] Free
Paul McShane [Hull - Reading] Free
Ainsley Maitland-Niles [Arsenal - Ipswich] Loan
Cristian Montano [Unattached - Bristol Rovers]
David Mooney [Leyton Orient - Southend] Free
Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill [Arsenal - Swindon] Free
Karleigh Osborne [Bristol City - AFC Wimbledon] Loan
Sebastian Polter [FSV Mainz - QPR] Undisclosed
Jazz Richards [Swansea - Fulham] Undisclosed
Jon Stead [Huddersfield - Notts County] Free
Jamie Ward [Derby - Nottingham Forest] Free
Luke Williams [Middlesbrough - Scunthorpe] Free
Scottish Premiership
None
Global
Carlos Bacca [Sevilla - AC Milan] £21m
Andy Delort [Wigan - Caen] Undisclosed

1 JULY
Premier League
Nathaniel Clyne [Southampton - Liverpool] £12.5m
Sebastian Coates [Liverpool - Sunderland] Undisclosed
Sylvain Distin [Everton - Bournemouth] Free
Eder [Sporting Braga - Swansea] Undisclosed
Matej Vydra [Udinese - Watford] Undisclosed

Football League
Ben Amos [Manchester United - Bolton] Free
Stephen Arthurworrey [Fulham - Yeovil] Loan
Andy Barcham [Portsmouth - AFC Wimbledon] Free
Jason Demetriou [Anorthosis Famagusta - Walsall] Free
Ryan Dickson [Crawley - Yeovil] Nominal
Konstantin Kerschbaumer [FC Admira Wacker Modling - Brentford]
Undisclosed
Tomasz Kuszczak [Wolves - Birmingham] Free
Gary Madine [Sheffield Wednesday - Bolton] Free
Simon Makienok [Palermo - Charlton] Loan
Paddy McCourt [Brighton - Luton] Free
Matt Mills [Bolton - Nottingham Forest] Free
Jason Mooney [York - Accrington] Free
Josh Morris [Blackburn - Bradford] Free
Magnus Okuonghae [Colchester - Luton] Free
Chris Wood [Leicester - Leeds] Undisclosed
Scottish Premiership
David Amoo [Carlisle - Partick Thistle] Free
Saidy Janko [Manchester United - Celtic] Compensation
Global
Benoit Assou-Ekotto [Unattached - St Etienne]
Douglas Costa [Shakhtar Donetsk - Bayern Munich] £21m
Samuel Eto'o [Sampdoria - Antalyaspor] Undisclosed
Lewis Holtby [Tottenham - Hamburg] Undisclosed
Miranda [Atletico Madrid - Inter Milan] Undisclosed

www.sportsquarters.blogspot.com

Pep Guardiola wanted to coach Brazil

Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola wanted to coach Brazil at last year's
World Cup, says defender Dani Alves.
The Barcelona full-back said his former boss at the Nou Camp had a plan
to make the hosts world champions again.
But Alves claimed Brazilian football officials were afraid of hiring a
foreign coach for the national side.
"Pep said he wanted to make Brazil a World Cup champion and had an
entire strategy to make us a world champion," the 32-year-old told ESPN
Brasil.
"They didn't want it, because they said that they didn't know if Brazil would accept a foreign coach."
Alves described the 44-year-old as the "best coach in the world".
He added: "He revolutionised football, revolutionised a team, and we had
the chance to have him with us.
"If you let an opportunity like this go by, then you are not really thinking
about the national team."
Under Guardiola, Barcelona established themselves as the dominant force
in club football, winning 14 trophies in four seasons including two
Champions League crowns.
He left in June 2012 and was appointed Bayern Munich coach the
following summer, leading the German side to back-to-back league titles.

AC Milan to build new 48,000 seater stadium

Milan receive new stadium go-ahead

Milan are set to build their new stadium at the northern Italian city's old
trade fair grounds, after the club announced their bid was successful.
An elongated tender process was finally completed on Tuesday, with Milan
winning the right to develop the city-based venue ahead of construction
company Vitali SpA.
Milan CEO Barbara Berlusconi hailed the decision, with the club planning
to build a new 48,000-seat stadium approximately 2.5 kilometres
towards the centre of the city from their current San Siro home.
"Today, with the decision of the Fair Foundation, officially starts the path
that, at least in our intentions, will lead to a new stage," Berlusconi said in
a statement on Milan's website.
"It's a first step because it will have to submit the entire project to approval
of the institutions. Today, however, is a historic day."
Milan plan to make the stadium public-transport friendly, while Berlusconi
claimed it will bring in €50-80million per year in revenue "that will be
used for the purchase of new players".
The decision means Milan will join fellow Serie A clubs Juventus and Udinese in building new stadiums since the 1990 World Cup in Italy, while
Roma have also released plans for a new home.
Milan are expected to move into the new stadium for the 2018-19 Serie A
season, while Inter will take over San Siro completely, allowing them to
redevelop the currently shared venue into their own exclusive home.

MLS all star 11 and formation

They share 26 European trophies between them and now Steven Gerrard
and Andrea Pirlo have joined the growing list of global stars to make the
switch to MLS, following in the footsteps of Frank Lampard, Kaka, David
Villa and Sebastian Giovinco.
With that in mind, we put together a MLS All-Star XI in a 3-5-2
formation:

GK - Bill Hamid (DC United)
The 24-year-old United States international - voted Goalkeeper of the
Year last season - has been a rock for United since debuting six years ago.
In 2015, Hamid has kept six clean sheets in 16 appearances for the Eastern
Conference leaders, conceding 12 goals in total. Those shutouts have
helped the capital club ship just 18 in 21 matches to date and only Sporting
Kansas City and San Jose Earthquakes have conceded fewer goals in MLS.

DF- Omar Gonzalez (Los Angeles Galaxy)
In a team headlined by attacking firepower, Gonzalez, another USA
international, is an unsung hero in some parts. But the 26-year-old, who
is the only centre-back to receive a Designated Player contract in MLS,
played a key role as the Galaxy emerged triumphant in 2014. This season,
Gonzalez has already amassed 19 appearances, with the defending
champions just one point off top spot in the Western Conference.

DF - Jermaine Jones (New England Revolution)
The Revolution pulled off a coup when they lured Jones to New England
and it has worked well for both parties. The former Eintracht Frankfurt,
Bayer Leverkusen and Schalke utility said he would lead the Revs to the MLS Cup final and he delivered on that promise in his first season. Now
the 33-year-old USA international wants to go one step further and you
can count on the veteran, who has not let muscle injuries affect his
performances in 2015.

DF - Chad Marshall (Seattle Sounders)
Marshall, 30, was voted Defender of the Year as the Sounders won the
Supporters' Shield in 2014, following his arrival from Columbus Crew. In
a short space of time, the defender has quickly become a mainstay for Sigi
Schmid's team, who have only conceded 18 goals to top the standings in
the West.

MF - Andrea Pirlo (New York City FC)
They say no Pirlo, no party. Well it is time to party in New York after the
35-year-old Italian completed his move to the Big Apple on Monday.
World Cup-winning midfielder Pirlo, whose trophy cabinet includes 16
club trophies - heads to New York fresh from guiding Juventus to a fourth
consecutive Serie A crown. He also played a starring role as the Italian
giants reached the UEFA Champions League final last month.

MF - Steven Gerrard (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Gerrard - the heart and soul of Liverpool - will attempt to match the on-
field impact of former Galaxy star David Beckham as he prepares for a
new challenge. The ex-England international ended a 26-year association
with his boyhood club in order to link up with Bruce Arena and Co, who
are bidding to claim back-to-back titles.

MF - Sebastian Giovinco (Toronto FC)
Giovinco is the highest-paid player in MLS, with his salary eclipsing that
of Kaka and even Gerrard. And it is has proven money well spent for
Toronto, even at such an early stage of the season. The former Juventus
forward has scored eight goals and assisted seven in 16 matches, making
an incredible start to life in MLS. At 28, the 21-time Italy international has
joined at a good time – and he is showing it.

MF - Frank Lampard (New York City FC)
A 106-time England international, Lampard was for so long the main man
at Chelsea, for whom he made over 400 Premier League appearances. He
was among the world's best midfielders – and, at times, the number one.
His 13-season stay at Chelsea was ended with a move to New York City,
and a stint on loan at Manchester City.

MF - Kaka (Orlando City)
The Brazilian showcased himself as arguably the world's best number 10 at times while at Milan, a club with whom he won the Serie A and UEFA
Champions League. Kaka spent four seasons with Real Madrid before a
return to Milan and switch to Orlando City. This season, he has scored nine
goals and contributed two assists in 18 outings.

FW - David Villa (New York City FC)
Spain's all-time leading goalscorer has, as expected, settled relatively
quickly in United States. Villa has featured 15 times for New York City and
scored eight goals while contributing three assists. He caught the spotlight
during his time at Valencia, having scored regularly for Sporting Gijon and
Real Zaragoza before that. He spent time at Barcelona and Atletico Madrid
before a guest spell in Melbourne.

FW - Robbie Keane (Los Angeles Galaxy)
The Republic of Ireland's impact on MLS has been enormous. Keane's stats
tell an incredible story, and he is a three-time MLS Cup winner with the
Galaxy. He has played 95 games and his contribution reads a total of 59
goals and 39 assists. The former Tottenham and Liverpool striker has stepped up whenever the Galaxy have needed him, and he now has Gerrard alongside him.


Courtesy: opera sports

Italy coach Conte to stand for a match fixing trial

A court in Italy has ordered Antonio Conte to stand trial to answer
accusations of sporting fraud as part of a wider investigation into match-
fixing.
The Italy head coach was hit with a four-month ban in 2012 after failing
to report alleged manipulating of results in two matches during his time as
Siena coach in the 2010-11 season.
The Court of Cremona has now requested the 45-year-old take the stand
as part of a match-fixing probe, a spokesperson for the Italian FA (FIGC)
confirmed to Perform.
Reports in Italy suggested Conte would be asked to stand trial, and that he
could even resign as Italy boss in an attempt to clear his name, although
FIGC president Carlo Tavecchio denied those claims last week.
During his time as Juventus coach, Conte steered the club to three
consecutive Serie A titles between 2012 and 2014.
Conte resigned his position at Juventus Stadium in July 2014, and was
appointed Italy coach a month later.

Juventus sign another striker

Juventus have completed the €18million signing of Sassuolo striker
Simone Zaza on a five-year deal.
Italy international Zaza was formerly co-owned by Juve until Sassuolo
bought out the Serie A champions' share in June 2014.
However, Juve inserted a buy-back clause as part of the deal and they will
pay the transfer fee instalments over the next three years.
Zaza pens a five-year contract at the Juventus Stadium and he joins
fellow striker Mario Mandzukic in moving to the Turin club during the
close-season.
Head coach Massimiliano Allegri - who signed a one-year contract
extension on Monday - has been busy reshaping his forward line to offset
the loss of Carlos Tevez, who has returned to Boca Juniors.
Zaza, who has won five international caps, impressed in Serie A last
season, scoring 11 goals in 31 appearances for a Sassuolo side that finished
12th.

Sassuolo Striker Simone Zaza Officially Joins Juventus on 5-Year Deal for €18M Fee to Be Paid over 3 Years - http://teamstre.am/1bVwGTt (via http://ble.ac/teamstream-)

Touré to bounce back from a disappointing season with City

Manchester City's players are desperate to bring success back to the club
after last season's frustrations, says Yaya Toure.
Toure has rejected speculation he will leave City during the close-season,
despite Inter - managed by former City boss Roberto Mancini - expressing
their interest in his services.
The Ivorian returned to pre-season training on Tuesday and reiterated his
desire to remain at the Etihad Stadium, with silverware firmly on his mind.
"I'm just really looking forward to next season and it feels great to be
back," Toure told City's official website.
"I'm going to work as hard as I can in pre-season and we're already
looking forward to playing in front of our own fans again in six weeks or
so.
"I've had a good summer with plenty of rest and I've just relaxed as much
as possible so I can be ready for the new season. I've had two or three
years full of competition and constant playing and it was a break I really
needed.
"I'm not the biggest fan of pre-season if I'm honest, but we all know we
have to prepare well and eat properly so we're good to go at the start of
the season.
"As for predictions, I don't want to say we'll do this or that - just that we
have our targets and we want to make the fans and this club proud. Last
season was disappointing by our own standards because we know we
could have done better.
"We are looking forward to welcoming some new players as well which
will strengthen the team and together we want to achieve something really
big this year.
"We are looking forward to bouncing back very strongly."

Pogba not part of Barca plans this year - Bartomeu

Barcelona have called a halt to their pursuit of Paul Pogba, with
presidential candidate Josep Maria Bartomeu insisting the Juventus
midfielder is not part of the club's plans for the 2015-16 season.
The Champions League winners, who beat Juventus in last month's final,
had an €80million bid for the France international rejected last week and
Bartomeu - campaigning to be re-elected as president - revealed that the
club had no intention of making an improved offer in this transfer window.
"We will not buy Pogba this year," he told reporters.
"We are not planning with him for next season. He is not part of our
sporting plans for 2015-16 at this stage."
The news is unlikely to end speculation over Pogba's future and may alert
other clubs to make a move for the 22-year-old.
Barcelona have strengthened since securing the treble in Luis Enrique's
first campaign at the helm, with Ardu Turan's signing from Atletico Madrid
on Monday coming after the announcement of Aleix Vidal's capture from
Sevilla.
The new arrivals will not be able to feature until January under the terms
of Barca's transfer ban.

Transfers and pre season news

De Gea set to return to training
Football

Goalkeeper David de Gea is expected to return for pre-season training
with Manchester United this morning.
The 24-year-old's future has been the subject of intense speculation this
summer.
Real Madrid are known to be keen on the Spaniard but are yet to make a
formal bid for the player.


Former Manchester United and England defender Phil Neville has begun his role as Valencia assistant manager.
The La Liga club, who are in this season's Champions League qualifying,
announced the appointment of the 38-year-old a week ago, but he told BBC Sport the deal was not yet finalised.
However he has now started his job replacing another Briton, Ian Cathro, who has joined Steve McClaren's backroom staff at Newcastle.

The Independent reports that Liverpool striker Raheem Sterling will report for pre-season training with the club on Monday - why wouldn't he? - but the England forward's participation in the club's pre-season tour of Bangkok is in serious doubt.
The Telegraph reports that the 20-year-old could be in line for a £4m cut of his agent's fee if Manchester City meet Liverpool's £50m asking price.

The big transfer news on the back of the Daily Mirror is that Southampton may take legal action to block Tottenham's bid to sign defender Toby Alderweireld.

Monday's football gossip
In Monday's football gossip , the Daily Express reports that Liverpool will
continue their summer spending spree by matching the £32.5m buy-out
clause in Christian Benteke's contract to bring Aston Villa's 24-year-old
Belgium forward to Anfield.

Courtesy of #BBC SPORTS

Fiji Islands beat Micronesia 38 - 0

When Micronesia lost the opening match of the Pacific Games 30-0 to
Tahiti, they probably thought it could not get any worse than that. They
were wrong.
In a scoreline tournament organisers claim is a world record, Fiji beat them
38-0 on Sunday.
However Micronesia are likely to escape their place in the record books as
they are not affiliated to world football's governing body Fifa, and the
squads at the Pacific Games are Under-23s because it doubles as Olympic
qualifying.
Micronesia put an outfield player in goal at half-time with the score
21-0. Midfielder Dominic Gadad conceded 17 more
Antonio Tuivana scored 10 goals for Fiji; Christopher Wasasala hit seven
Fiji failed to score between 12th and 22nd minute
Micronesia's final group game is against Vanuatu, who drew with Fiji
Minnows only have 18-man squad, rather than 23
The official world record remains Australia's 31-0 win over American
Samoa in a World Cup qualifier back in 2001.
What is Micronesia?
The Federated States of Micronesia, in the western Pacific, consists of
about 600 islands grouped into four states: Kosrae, Pohnpei, Chuuk
(Truk) and Yap.
Occupying a very small total land mass, it is scattered over an ocean
expanse five times the size of France and has a population of about
100,000.
Though formally independent, in 1986 Micronesia signed a "Compact of
Free Association" with the US. Under this, Washington took on
responsibility for defence and gained the right to set up military bases and
deny other nations access to Micronesia.

Micronesia now has a total of 68 goals against on the table

Political interventions caused Qatar hosting the 2018 World Cup - Blatter

French and German presidents applied political pressure prior to the 2018
and 2022 World Cup votes, according to Fifa president Sepp Blatter.
He alleges ex-French president Nicolas Sarkozy and his German
counterpart Christian Wulff sought to influence voting before Qatar and
Russia were chosen as respective hosts in 2010.
Blatter, 79, said: "That is the reason why we now have a World Cup in
Qatar."
The voting process is now under investigation by the Swiss prosecutors.
He added: "Those who decided this should also take the responsibility."
Blatter announced on 2 June he would step down from the presidency at
world football's governing body at an extraordinary congress to be held
between December and March.
His decision followed an investigation into alleged corruption at Fifa
which has seen 18 people indicted in the United States. Blatter said he has
"nothing to fear" on a personal level.
Speaking to Germany's Welt am Sonntag newspaper, Blatter said: "Before
the World Cups were awarded to Russia and Qatar, there were two
political interventions. Messrs Sarkozy and Wulff tried to influence their
vote-makers.
Blatter also claimed that the German football association (DFB) "also
received such a recommendation that Germany should vote for Qatar due
to economic interests."
He added: "Just look at all the German companies. The Deutsche Bahn
(German railways) Hochtief (construction) and many more already had
projects in Qatar before the World Cup was awarded there.
"I act on the leadership principle. If a majority of the executive committee
wants a World Cup in Qatar then I have to accept that."
Former DFB president Theo Zwanziger had previously written that Wulff
had asked about Qatar's chances but he denied it had had any influence.
Blatter has also confirmed that he does not intend to stand for a sixth term
in office at Fifa.

United States win women's world cup against Japan(full details)

USA celebrate as they win their 3rd world cup

Women's World Cup Final, Canada
Date: Sunday, 5th July
Kick off: 11:00 GMT
Venue: BC Place

United States 5 Vrs 2 Japan

GOAL UPDATES :
USA Women
Goal
Lloyd 3'
USA Women
Goal
Lloyd 5'
USA Women
Goal
Holiday 14'
USA Women
Goal
Lloyd 16'
Japan Women
Goal
Ogimi 27'
Japan Women
Goal
Johnston 52' (og)
USA Women
Goal
Heath 54'

Facts:
▪ United States first to win 3 world cups.

Carli Lloyd scored a 13th minute hat-trick.

Defending champions Japan, won over United States in 2011 to clinch the trophy on penalties.

Match details :
Carli Lloyd scored an incredible 13-minute hat-trick as the United States
thrashed Japan to win their third Women's World Cup title.
In a repeat of the 2011 final, which Japan won on penalties, the Nadeshiko
could not live with their stronger and quicker opponents, who were 4-0
up by the time Lloyd scored an astonishing third from the half-way line.
The American midfielder put the 1991 and 1999 champions two goals up
within five minutes in a stunning start to the match.
Lauren Holiday volleyed in after Azusa Iwashimizu's woeful header and
Lloyd then caused pandemonium among the huge contingent of US
supporters inside BC Place when she lobbed Japan goalkeeper Ayumi
Kaihori.
The 2011 winners clawed their way back into the game thanks to a Yuki
Ogimi strike and a Julie Johnston own goal, but Tobin Heath made it 5-2
before 60 minutes had elapsed and despite further pressure, English coach
Jill Ellis's USA side held on.
The majority of the 53,341 fans inside BC Place erupted in joyous
celebration at the final whistle before Caf president Issa Hayatou, standing
in at the final for Fifa president Sepp Blatter, presented the World Cup
trophy to former captain Christie Rampone and veteran striker Abby
Wambach.
Chants of "U-S-A" reverberated around the ground when they lifted
trophy.
The pulsating finale to an entertaining tournament was the highest-scoring
final in the tournament's history, and matched the highest scoring men's
final, when Brazil defeated Sweden by the same scoreline in 1958.
Japan, who made it to the final after beating England courtesy of Laura
Bassett's own goal, were outclassed from the start and could not cope with
the USA's set-pieces.
But they also suffered from a familiar foe as Lloyd added to the two goals
she scored against Japan in the 2012 Olympic final between the two teams.
Her third-minute opener was the quickest goal in a Women's World Cup
final as she latched onto Megan Rapinoe's perfectly directed corner. The
32-year-old added another after Japan failed to clear a free-kick.
It got worse for Norio Sasaki's side when Iwashimizu gifted Holiday a
goal when her clearance header merely looped up in the air and the USA
midfielder took advantage.
Lloyd's wonder goal, which completed a first Women's World Cup final
hat-trick and made her the tournament's joint top scorer along with
Germany's Celia Sasic, appeared to have ended the game as a contest.
Such was the manner of Iwashimizu's display that the Japan defender she
was withdrawn after 33 minutes to be replaced by former captain Homare
Sawa, who was competing in her sixth World Cup.
Although former Chelsea forward Ogimi turned and fired in before the
break and Johnstone's second-half own goal gave Japan hope, Heath
took advantage from more poor Japanese defending to score the USA's
fifth.
Japan were determined not to give up as substitute Mana Iwabuchi caused
problems for the US defence. But they could find no way past a resolute US
side, who became the first team to win the Women's World Cup for a third
time.


Lineups
USA Women starting eleven
1
Solo
11
Krieger
19
Johnston
4
Sauerbrunn
22
Klingenberg
17
Heath (substituted for Wambach at 79 minutes')
12
Holiday
14
Brian
15
Rapinoe (substituted for O'Hara at 61 minutes')
10
Lloyd
13
Morgan (substituted for Rampone at 86 minutes')
Japan Women starting eleven
18
Kaihori
19
Ariyoshi
3
Iwashimizu (substituted for Sawa at 33 minutes'
who was booked at 82 minutes)
4
Kumagai
5
Sameshima
9
Kawasumi (substituted for Sugasawa at 39 minutes')
6
Sakaguchi
13
Utsugi
8
Miyama
11
Ohno (substituted for Iwabuchi at 60 minutes'
who was booked at 85 minutes)
17
Ogimi

United States thrash Japan in world cup final

Carli Lloyd led United States to their first Women's World Cup title in 16
years, scoring a hat-trick in a 5-2 thrashing of Japan on Sunday.
Lloyd netted a first-half hat-trick at BC Place in Vancouver as USA
clinched their third World Cup title.
It included a remarkable goal from the halfway line as Jill Ellis' team
dominated, with Lauren Holiday also scoring as they went 4-0 up inside
16 minutes.
Lloyd joined England hero Geoff Hurst (1966) as the only players to net
trebles in World Cup finals.
A Yuki Ogimi goal and Julie Johnston own gave Japan hope, but Tobin
Heath netted to seal USA's win.
Reigning world champions Japan were left to rue their defending from
set-pieces, and USA made them pay early on.
Lloyd led the way and her team were irresistible in the opening stages in
Vancouver.
They made an incredible start with four goals in the first 16 minutes,
including her hat-trick.
Lloyd struck in the third minute, meeting a Megan Rapinoe corner with a
powerful side-footed effort.
It was 2-0 moments later and again from a set-piece, this time Lloyd
scrambling in from close range.
USA's impeccable start continued when Holiday volleyed in expertly after a
poor clearance in the 14th minute.
Lloyd provided the highlight to complete her hat-trick two minutes later.
Preparing to launch a counter-attack, the midfielder instead opted to shoot
from halfway after spotting Ayumi Kaihori off her line.
The goalkeeper scrambled desperately but, as she fell, Kaihori could only
get a hand on the shot and see it go in off the post.
If Japan had any hopes of a comeback, they needed to strike at least once
before half-time.
They pulled a goal back in the 27th minute through Ogimi, who took a pass
from Nahomi Kawasumi before curling a fine effort past Hope Solo.
The comeback continued with Japan's second goal seven minutes into the
second half, as Johnston headed past her own keeper Solo to make it 4-2.
But a set-piece would prove to be Japan's undoing once more soon after.
Kaihori could only punch a corner to the back post and Morgan Brian
cutback for Heath to strike and seal the win and the title.

Dunga blocked Neymar's Coppa America suspension appeal

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has claimed national team
coach Dunga asked them not to appeal Neymar's suspension at the 2015
Copa America.
Neymar was handed a four-match ban for his involvement in a melee at
the end of Brazil's group-stage clash with Colombia, and although CBF
initially looked to appeal, they eventually accepted the penalty.
According to CBF general secretary Walter Feldman, Dunga told the
national governing body that "it was best" Neymar withdrew from the
tournament.
"These are difficult moments in which you have to make a firm decision
and only time will tell if you made the right one or not," Feldman told
Esporte Espetacular on Sunday.
"The coaching staff didn't hesitate in asking us not to appeal against the
punishment because it would be better if Neymar were to leave."
Brazil were eventually eliminated in the quarter-finals by Paraguay,
meaning Neymar still has two games left of his suspension to serve in
World Cup qualifying.
But Feldman hopes CBF can convince South America's football governing
body CONMEBOL to allow the Barcelona forward to serve the penalty in
the next Copa America.
"At this stage, we haven't got a lot of options open to us regarding an
appeal but independently of the outcome, we have the right to request that
the remainder of the sanction can be postponed," he said.

Gerrard set for LA Galaxy debut

Steven Gerrard may not put on a Los Angeles Galaxy shirt until later this
month, but he already has the club's most ardent fans on his side.
The Liverpool legend bought several cases of beer for each of the Galaxy's
three official supporters' groups ahead of Saturday night's 4-0 win over
Toronto FC, writing in an accompanying note that he wanted to provide
"some refreshments for the 4th of July."
Gerrard was introduced to the crowd at the StubHub Center during the
game and told fans: "Thank you very much for a fantastic welcome.
"Thanks for making myself and my family feel at home here in LA.
"It feels great to be here. I'm excited and I can't wait to get my boots on
and play in front of you guys.
"Hopefully, we can have some good times together and it can be a
successful future.
"Happy 4th of July, all the best."
Gerrard will begin training with the Galaxy on Tuesday. He is expected to
make his MLS debut on July 17 against San Jose Earthquakes.

Leverkusen suffered a surprise defeat

Bayer Leverkusen made a stuttering start to their Bundesliga preparations
as they fell to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of third-tier outfit Sonnenhof
Grossaspach.
Roger Schmidt's side were unable to find a way through in high
temperatures on Sunday as Pascal Breier's strike just before the half-hour
mark settled the match.
The striker capitalised after Leverkusen lost possession in midfield, the
hosts subsequently breaking before Breier fired past Dario Kresic.
Stuttgart had no such problems against Viktoria Plzen as they ran out 6-3
winners in their friendly in Austria, Martin Harnik grabbing two in the first
half for the Bundesliga side.
Harnik's strikes added to Jerome Kieswetter's opener before Arianit Ferati,
Carlos Gruezo and Jan Kliment completed an emphatic win for Alexander
Zorniger's side.
Meanwhile, Hannover needed spot kicks to separate themselves and Lekia
Gdansk, the visitors winning 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in Ludlin.
Gdansk duo Damian Garbacik and Jerome Gierszewski both missed from
the spot to hand Hannover victory, after Kenan Karaman had levelled in
the final minute of normal time for the German side.

I didn't want to be alive again after career ending tackle, McKinnon

Former Newcastle Knights man Alex McKinnon says he did not want to live
at times in the aftermath of the tackle that put him in a coma and ended his
career.
McKinnon landed head first following a three-man tackle involving
Jordan McLean and Australia captain Cameron Smith during an NRL
match with Melbourne Storm in March 2014.
While McKinnon ultimately left hospital, he is yet to walk independently
and spoke for the first time on Sunday about the tackle and the impact on
his life.
The 23-year-old hit out at Smith's behaviour in the immediate aftermath
of the incident and explained he did not want to be alive at times following
the tackle.
"I didn't want to be alive, I honestly didn't," he told Channel Nine's 60
Minutes programme.
"I had that many thoughts going through my head and I just felt it was
unfair for me to be alive [like that], I honestly did.
"I just kept thinking about my pop. My pop died a year before I debuted.
"Coincidentally he died just after I met [fiance] Teigan and that was just the
thoughts that were going through my head.
"I just wanted to die, I honestly didn’t want to be alive. I just felt like it
was torture ... that’s just the way I felt."
McKinnon was shown the tackle for the first time during the programme
and reserved criticism for Smith, who was heard saying "if he doesn't duck
his head, that doesn't happen" following the incident.
While Smith's club defended him, stating no-one knew the severity of the
situation at the time and that Smith requested to visit, McKinnon was
angered by the comments.
When shown the video, McKinnon stated: "He's still debating? Is he f
serious? Wouldn't you just shut up?
"That's the Australian captain there, well done. That’s f ridiculous.
"I don't know if [Smith's] tried to get in contact through the club but I'm
sure if Jordan McLean could make contact, [Smith] probably could."

De Gea calm over his future

David de Gea has confirmed he will return to Manchester United for pre-
season training in response to continued speculation linking him with a
move to Real Madrid.
The Spain international goalkeeper won United's player of the year award
for the second consecutive season last term and his dazzling displays are
widely reported to have caught the attention of the Liga giants.
De Gea, formerly of Atletico Madrid, spent his summer holiday in the
Spanish capital but was coy when asked about the prospect of joining Real
by Spanish television channel Cuatro.
"Real Madrid? I have to return to Manchester for pre-season," he said, as
quoted by AS.
The 24-year-old refused to entertain further questions about the mooted
switch, adding that he was "calm" over his future.

Cuadrado going nowhere - agent plays down rumours

Juan Cuadrado remains part of Jose Mourinho's plans at Chelsea and is
likely to stay at Stamford Bridge.
That is the view of the winger's agent after a low-key start to Cuadrado's
Chelsea career sparked speculation regarding his future.
The Colombia international started four Premier League games and failed
to complete 90 minutes in any of them following his February switch from
Fiorentina.
Serie A trio Juventus, Roma and Inter have been linked with the 27-year-
old, but Cuadrado appears set to battle for a regular first-team place with
the Premier League champions.
"I read with amazement in some English and Italian newspapers about
imaginary figures and agents associated with Cuadrado, so I think it is
right to clarify the situation," Alessandro Lucci, Cuadrado's representative,
told TuttoMercato.
"Cuadrado is a Chelsea player, strongly backed by Mourinho who believes
in him.
"Juan is fine in London and is very likely to remain at Chelsea."

I'd be supporting Venus, says Serena Williams

Serena Williams expects Venus to be the crowd favourite when the sisters
clash in the fourth round of Wimbledon on Monday.
World number one Serena, who has already collected the Australian and
French Open titles this year, survived a third-round scare as Britain's
Heather Watson served for the match with the backing of some boisterous
Centre Court support.
The 33-year-old acknowledges that a victory for her elder sibling, the
16th seed, would be popular in light of the latter's battle back towards the
summit of the women's game after being diagnosed with Sjogren's
syndrome in 2011.
The autoimmune disease, which can cause fatigue and joint pain, forced
Venus onto the sidelines and her ranking plummeted to 103 in the world
before a sustained effort hauled her back into the top 20 last year.
"I expect more people to be rooting for Venus," said Serena. "I would be
rooting for Venus.
"She's been through so much. She's had a wonderful story. She's been so
inspiring to me.
"You know, she's just an incredible individual. She's just so amazing.
She's been so inspiring to a lot of people with the same things that she goes
through, too."
Ahead of their first grand slam meeting for six years - the previous
encounter coming in the 2009 Wimbledon final when Serena triumphed -
the younger Williams holds an overall career head-to-head advantage of
14 wins to 11.
"You just have to be focused - there's no easy points against Serena,"
said Venus.
"I think no matter how Serena's playing, she knows how to win."

Inter Milan and Fiorentina fights over Slaha

Inter have hit back strongly at Paolo Panerai over a series of Twitter posts
apparently from the Fiorentina vice-president claiming that the San Siro
club should be relegated for allegedly breaching transfer regulations in
their reported pursuit of Chelsea's Mohamed Salah.
Fiorentina are considering legal action against Salah as the winger is
refusing to return for a second loan spell with the club, who have an option
to keep him for the 2015-16 campaign as part of the deal that saw Juan
Cuadrado head to Stamford Bridge in February.
A Fiorentina statement on Friday stated that Salah has "expressed his
desire to join another club" - reported to be Inter - and Panerai has
courted social media controversy that has prompted dismay at their Serie A
rivals.
An unverified account claiming to be Panerai tweeted on Sunday: "Dear
Giovanni [Malago, president of the Italian Olympic Committee], Salah is the
final straw. We can no longer tolerate that signatures and rules are worth
less than zero.
"If football clubs were to respect transparency rules, then Inter would
already have been relegated. Whose money is it being used, is it starting
from the Cayman Islands?
"[UEFA president] Michel Platini knows that Inter have broken the Uefa
Fair Play rules. For Salah and other players who cost millions. This is the
chance to make an example of them."
However, Inter issued a strong response via a statement that read: "F.C.
Internazionale announces that it has read with great astonishment the
comments made by the Fiorentina vice president on his personal Twitter
account.
"It is not acceptable for anybody to talk out of turn about our club, casting
doubt over its solidity and transparency.
"It is not acceptable for anybody to offend our club and, as a consequence,
our fans, with comments that are utterly lacking in foundation.
"F.C. Internazionale is dismayed by the request for exemplary sporting
action to be taken against the club, given that it and many other clubs has
just signed a public agreement with UEFA to respect the FFP regulations.
"Given that Fiorentina is clearly attempting to involve Inter in a matter that
doesn't concern it, in order to cover up a problem between Fiorentina and
the player Mohamed Salah, F.C. Internazionale will make recourse to any
authority necessary in order to protect its image and integrity."

Newcastle hold talks with Northampton youngster

Newcastle United have held talks with Northampton Town over the
possibility of signing teenage striker Ivan Toney.
The 19-year-old scored eight goals in 40 League Two appearances last
season as Northampton successful preserved their Football League status
and media speculation suggests he could join Newcastle for £300,000.
Northampton boss Chris Wilder confirmed the two clubs have been in
negotiations and told the Northampton Chronicle: "There has been
speculation, and maybe it is one for the chairman to answer.
"There has been discussions, we can’t get away from that, and as I have
said before, Ivan is a very, very good young player that will attract
interest.
"I will know more where we are after I have had discussions with the
chairman [on Sunday and Monday]."
Newcastle head coach Steve McClaren also continues to be heavily linked
with QPR striker Charlie Austin, who netted 18 times in his debut Premier
League season last term.

Signing Falcao not a risk

The signing of Radamel Falcao does not represent a risk for Chelsea,
according to former Stamford Bridge star Clive Walker.
Falcao became one of the most feared strikers in world football due to his
goalscoring exploits at Porto and Atletico Madrid, but a serious knee
injury ended a promising debut season at Monaco in the 2013-14
campaign in which he scored nine goals in 17 Ligue 1 appearances.
Having recovered from that setback, Manchester United brought the
Colombia international to Old Trafford last season, but Louis van Gaal's
move failed to yield reward as he scored just four Premier League goals in
a disappointing and expensive loan spell.
Despite his struggles in England, Jose Mourinho has long been an admirer
of Falcao and, after weeks of speculation, the Portuguese finally got his
man after it was confirmed the 29-year-old would move to Chelsea for
the upcoming season.
And Walker - who made over 200 appearances for Chelsea between 1976
and 1984 - believes that Falcao could prove a shrewd signing if he can
rediscover the form that made him hot property throughout Europe.
"I don't think it's a risk for Chelsea. There's no signing fee so there's no
weight as there was on, for example, Fernando Torres because there was a
£50million weight when we purchased him," Walker told Perform.
"I think in this situation, with a loan, I don't think it's a risk for Chelsea. I'd
like to think Falcao will improve on the season he had last year, maybe he's
got used to the Premier League a little bit more.
"Also, Chelsea play a different style to Manchester United and Jose sees
that as a situation where Falcao will be a better player in the Premier
League because of the style Chelsea play.
"I think it's a good move for Chelsea and I think it's also going to be a big
season for Falcao. He needs to get himself back on track and what a
wonderful player he's been in the past.
"I just think over the last couple of seasons he's probably lost his way a
little bit. He had the injury and maybe Monaco wasn't the right place to go
to and he didn't really perform at United so it's a big, big season for him."
Walker also believes that Mourinho is the right man to instill the confidence
back in Falcao, adding: "I know Jose has admired him from his time in
Spain and Portugal.
"He knows what he's doing when he's buying players Jose Mourinho, and
he certainly feels he can be a big asset this season.
"I think when Jose Mourinho makes a decision - and we're talking about a
world-class player now - and okay it's a season-long loan, but I'm sure
the wages are quite high. So when paying quite a bit of money for
someone Jose Mourinho likes to get it right."

Murillo joins Inter as Obi and kuzmanovic depart

Inter have completed the signing of Colombia defender Jeison Murillo,
while Zdravko Kuzmanovic and Joel Obi have joined Basel and Torino
respectively.
Murillo joins from Granada on a five-year contract after a two-season
spell with the Spanish club.
The 23-year-old joins Geoffrey Kondogbia and Miranda in moving to
San Siro during the close-season, while Barcelona full-back Martin
Montoya is expected to join on loan.
"Jeison Murillo has determination and talent. He's a quality young player,
we are pleased to announce his arrival," president Erick Thohir said.
"Roberto Mancini will get the best out of him and the fans will love his
never-say-die attitude."
Murillo signs on after representing Colombia at the Copa America, where
he was involved in an incident with Neymar in the group stages that saw
the Brazil captain suspended for the rest of the tournament.
While Murillo joins, Kuzmanovic has left for Swiss champions Basel after
the Serbian midfielder struggled to nail down a regular starting berth
during his three years at the club.
Obi has risen through the ranks with Inter and won the Coppa Italia in
2011. He has now opted for a new challenge with fellow Serie A

Inter signs Montoya from Barca

Barcelona defender Martin Montoya has joined Inter on loan with a view
to a permanent move.
The full-back arrived in Milan on Thursday for his medical ahead of the
move, and has now completed the temporary switch to San Siro.
A statement on Barca's official website confirmed that Montoya will join
on an initial season-long loan and will stay for a further 12 months if he
makes a certain number of appearances. At the end of the second season
Inter have the option to complete a full transfer.
Montoya is the latest arrival during a busy close-season for Inter, with
Geoffrey Kondogbia, Miranda and Jeison Murillo signing on for Roberto
Mancini's side.
After rising through the ranks at Camp Nou and breaking into the first-
team in February 2011, Montoya has failed to nail down a regular starting
berth for the Spanish champions and has largely played second fiddle to
Dani Alves.
With Alves having signed a new two-year contract last month and Aleix
Vidal joining from Sevilla, Montoya's chances of first-team football
appeared even more limited, prompting his move to Italy.
During his time at Barca, Montoya won La Liga three times and the Copa
del Rey twice, and he also has a winners' medal from last season's UEFA
Champions League.

Chile Vs Argentina - History beckons as Coppa America heads to final

Argentina and Chile will relish the chance to end long waits for major
international trophies on Sunday in the final of the Copa America.
Tournament hosts Chile came through a close-fought semi-final with
Peru to move within one win of their first Copa success while Argentina
thrashed Paraguay 6-1 and inched closer to their first major title since
1993.
Gerardo Martino saw Lionel Messi shine in their dismantling of Paraguay
last week with this weekend's clash offering the four-time world player of
the year the chance to seal his first international honours.
Despite winning a host of titles with Barcelona, Messi's international career
has not yet reached the same heights, although victory in Santiago would
go a long way to silencing any remaining detractors.
Sergio Aguero - another component of Martino's impressive forward line
- was on target against Paraguay and talked up the quality Argentina
possess with the likes of Carlos Tevez and Gonzalo Higuain lurking on the
bench.
"I just try to do my job. Behind me I have Carlitos and I have Pipita
[Higuain], they are very good players and that motivates you," Aguero told
La Nacion.
"It is good if your place is in demand. We [Aguero and Messi] know that
sometimes we will generate, but above all we have to aim not to fail.
"They are one of the best teams in the tournament and it will be a good
final.
"It is the second major challenge facing us after Uruguay and they will look
to impose on us."
For Chile and their Argentine coach Jorge Sampaoli, Sunday represents the
chance for a first Copa title, having again impressed with a high-energy,
pressing game that also gained praise at last year's World Cup.
Argentina have dominated the sides' recent meetings but, with Chile
looking for a repeat of their 1-0 victory in World Cup qualifying of
2008, captain Claudio Bravo is hopeful the underdog tag can serve his
side well.
"We have never been favourites in any tournament and often is good for us
to feel that, because we are full of energy and enthusiasm," he told
reporters.
"The word fear has not been referred to by anyone in the team, but we have
the utmost respect for all the teams. The headline of fear or that we were
scared was established by the press and not from us.
"I think we have to do the same thing that we did in the match in the
qualifiers for Brazil, which was a very seasoned Chile, a Chile that wanted
to play on equal terms.
"This is something we have been doing since long ago, and the truth is that
we have a great chance, playing at home, with our fans, which increases
our chances of playing a good game and brings us closer to the title."