Inter Milan coach Andrea Stramaccioni has refused to be drawn on rumours the club may re-sign Mario Balotelli from Manchester City.
Balotelli left Inter for Eastlands in 2010 but his future in England is now in doubt after City manager Roberto Mancini said he will probably try to sell the volatile striker following his dismissal against Arsenal.
Mancini s comments have prompted immediate speculation of a return to San Siro, but caretaker coach Stramaccioni attempted to dodge the issue during his pre-game press conference ahead of a Serie A clash with Siena on Wednesday.
Balotelli? I ve already answered (this question), he said.
He s an asset to football but he s a Man City player. I want to talk about my own players.
Stramaccioni was also aske…
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew believes securing Champions League football for next season would be an astonishing achievement.
He even went as far to say it would be even bigger than Sir Bobby Robson s continental qualifications 10 years ago.
The Magpies were regular European contenders over a decade ago but a slow decline since Robson s departure resulted in relegation from the top flight three years ago.
Pardew s installation as manager in December 2010 was widely derided by the Newcastle support, but it has reaped rewards for the North East side, who will almost certainly have European football on Tyneside next season.
You are going from a different set of circumstances there, with all due respect to Sir Bobby Robson, Pardew told reporters on Friday.…
Erik ten Hag and Jurgen Klopp urged supporters to bring an end to tragedy chanting ahead of Sunday s Premier League clash.
Liverpool host their great rivals Manchester United at Anfield, with the hosts looking to boost their top-four hopes and United keen to build upon last weekend s EFL Cup victory.
In previous years, fixtures between the two sides have bear witness to chants and online abuse based around tragic events in the history of both clubs – Hillsborough, Heysel and Munich.
Looking to bring an end to those incidents, both managers have issued a plea to their supporters.
The rivalry between Manchester United and Liverpool is one of the greatest in world football. We all love the passion of the fans when our teams meet, but there are lines that …
Zenit St Petersburg reacted to the interest of several European top clubs in star player Andrei Arshavin, and gave the player a price tag of 25 million Euros.
Arshavin impressed this season with a good performance in the UEFA Cup won by Zenit and the 27-year-old formed an important part of Russia s squad at Euro 2008.
On the day of the semi finals, it was revealed that FC Barcelona submitted a bid for the player. It is expected that other top teams join the battle for the talented attacking midfielder.
Zenit manager Dick Advocaat tries to be realistic: We can t keep them if the right fee is offered. This has to be a fee between 25 and 30 million Euros.
…
Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo insists it is too early to know when forward Raul Jimenez will be able to play again but his progress has been positive .
Jimenez suffered a sickening injury in the fifth minute of Wolves 2-1 win over Arsenal in the Premier League at Emirates Stadium last Sunday.
The Mexico international was involved in an aerial duel with Arsenal defender David Luiz and the pair clashed heads.
Jimenez required around 10 minutes of medical attention on the field before he was eventually carried off on a stretcher and taken to hospital for checks.
It was discovered the 29-year-old had suffered a fracture to his skull, leading to an operation.
We have positive news. He is recovering well with his family, Nuno to…
Atletico Madrid did little to improve their underwhelming position in the league table as they were held to an entertaining 0-0 draw by Villarreal at Estadio de la Ceramica, making it three games without a win for Los Colchoneros.
Diego Simeone was looking for a response to the 1-0 defeat to Barcelona that left them trailing LaLiga s top three by five points, but a wasteful showing meant they were unsuccessful.
A rip-roaring opening 45 minutes produced chances aplenty at either end, but the post and poor finishing stopped Atletico from taking advantage, while Jan Oblak was in inspired form in the visitors net.
After the break there was initially a similar pattern to the contest, before Atletico upped the ante towards the end, but a woeful miss from Renan Lodi sum…
Tony Pulis has warned his arrival at West Brom does not guarantee Premier League survival despite his record of never being relegated.
The 56-year-old was confirmed as new head coach at the Hawthorns on Thursday, replacing Alan Irvine as chairman Jeremy Peace looks to revive the club s fortunes.
Much is expected of Pulis after his heroics last season at Crystal Palace, who finished 11th having been in the bottom three when the Welshman took over in November 2013.
However, he insists that his appointment provides no guarantees, and expects months of hard work from West Brom s players if they are to remain in Premier League.
I think it s the right club at the right time, he said on Friday.
I have got a decent record of going and helping tur…
Dinamo Zagreb have revealed that their leading scorer Duje Cop has agreed to join Serie A strugglers Cagliari.
Croatia international Cop has scored 15 goals in all competitons this season after finding the back of the net 33 times in the 2013-14 campaign.
The 24-year-old s outstanding form caught the attention of Cagliari, and Dinamo revealed on Sunday that Cop is set to link up with Gianfranco Zola s side.
Cop told Dinamo s official website: I have mixed feelings: I am happy and proud, but also a little sad.
I spent a wonderful two years here. I developed as a player and as a man, and I want to thank all the coaches and team-mates for beautiful experiences.
On the other hand, after two and a half years I wanted to try something new, an…
Best Odds: 2/5
Bookmaker:
Looking to book their Champions League quarter-final ticket on Tuesday night, Manchester City will welcome RB Leipzig to the Etihad for their second-leg meeting.
Manchester City
Starting with the hosts, while Manchester City might still be facing an uphill struggle if they re to defend their Premier League crown in 2023, Pep Guardiola s side are riding a recent wave of momentum. Last seen over the weekend eventually picking up a 1-0 victory away at Crystal Palace, the English heavyweights have now won each of their last four domestic matchups on the bounce. Although the former Barcelona boss might have been disappointed after his squad had to settle for a 1-1 draw out in Germany for their first-leg meeting on February 22nd, the Sky Blu…
Tottenham head coach Antonio Conte had particular praise for Dejan Kulusevski s big impact from following a dominant win over Southampton.
A 4-1 victory in north London on Saturday marked Spurs biggest opening-day victory since beating Aston Villa 3-0 in August 1986.
Kulusevski was the star of the show, assisting Ryan Sessegnon s equaliser before adding his own name to the scoresheet in the second half, taking his impressive Premier League record to six goals and nine assists in 17 matches.
He crafted three chances for team-mates and finished with a hugely impressive 92.1 per cent passing accuracy, while also making four tackles – proof of his ability to work back defensively.
Dejan made a big impact but also last season. He and Rodrigo [Bentancur]…