Transfer bans for three clubs December 15, 2014 LEEDS, Nottingham Forest and Blackburn have all been handed transfer embargoes for breaching the Football League’s financial fair play rules. The Championship clubs are banned from signing players, with the exception of certain emergency free transfers and loans, until at least the end of the season after exceeding a loss cap of £8m last season. [...]
Paris Saint-Germain confident of avenging elimination by Chelsea December 15, 2014 PARIS Saint-Germain president Nasser Al Khelaifi has warned Chelsea that he expects his team to fare better than last season and knock the Blues out of the Champions League when they resume hostilities in February. The two teams were yesterday drawn together in the last 16 of the competition in a repeat of a quarter-final [...]
Mourinho eyes full-throttle approach in bid for quadruple December 15, 2014 CHELSEA boss Jose Mourinho signalled his intentions to land the quadruple by vowing a full-throttle approach against Championship high-flyers Derby County in the Capital One Cup quarter-final tonight. Midfielder Cesc Fabregas is available following suspension while Mourinho has confirmed France Under-21 defender Kurt Zouma will replace Gary Cahill, who was accused of diving by Hull [...]
Besiktas vow to settle score with Liverpool December 15, 2014 BESIKTAS chiefs have sworn to avenge one of the most humiliating defeats in their history after being drawn to face Liverpool in the Europa League. The Reds thumped the Turkish side 8-0 the last time the two sides met, and director Ahmet Nur Cebi is adamant Besiktas will make amends in the last 32 tie [...]
Man City draw is one of toughest, says Barca boss December 15, 2014 BARCELONA coach Luis Enrique admits Manchester City were among the teams he had hoped to avoid after being pitted against them in the Champions League last 16 for successive years. The Catalan club beat City 4-1 on aggregate at the same stage last season, though this time Barca have the distraction of a domestic showdown [...]
Johnson return hands England an injury boost December 15, 2014 ENGLAND head coach Stuart Lancaster received a welcome boost yesterday ahead of the Six Nations as Exeter Chiefs flanker Tom Johnson is set to return to competitive action following a long-term neck injury. Lancaster had to contend with a multitude of injuries during the autumn internationals, particularly in the forwards, after British and Irish Lions [...]
Pietersen departs third team in a year after Delhi Daredevils exit December 15, 2014 FORMER England skipper Kevin Pietersen has been released by Indian Premier League outfit Delhi Daredevils as part of a major overhaul of their playing staff before the new campaign. The 34-year-old captained Delhi last season but failed to prevent his side finishing bottom of the table after recording just two victories from 14 matches, and [...]
Never down and out: Thor Bjorgolfsson is the Rocky of the business world December 14, 2014 After losing a billion dollar empire and rebuilding it again, Thor Bjorgolfsson shares some of the lessons he learnt. “All of my greatest opportunities have come in the middle of a crisis,” says Icelandic billionaire Thor Bjorgolfsson. “Only the brave and bold go into chaos. International corporations can’t take such risk – I go in [...]
Premier League: Dogged Spurs show guts for top-four fight December 14, 2014 SWANSEA CITY 1 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 2 TOTTENHAM boss Mauricio Pochettino lauded his side’s character after they scored a last-gasp winner for the third time in four away matches to snatch victory over Swansea at the Liberty Stadium yesterday. The late heroics of Denmark playmaker Christian Eriksen proved to be the match-winning contribution after the prolific [...]
Hamilton pips McIlory to Sports Personality accolade December 14, 2014 REIGNING Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton was last night crowned Sports Personality of the Year ahead of world No1 golfer and bookmakers’ favourite Rory McIlroy. The 29-year-old Mercedes driver secured his second world title last month after winning 11 races over the course of the season, becoming only the fourth Briton to bag the drivers’ [...]