Champions League: Chelsea boss defends call to cull Costa September 17, 2014 CHELSEA 1 SCHALKE 04 1 CHELSEA manager Jose Mourinho last night revealed star striker Diego Costa will struggle to be part of their assault on both the Premier League and Champions League titles this term. The Spain striker has hit seven goals in four Premier League games so far, including a hat-trick against Swansea on [...]
Spurs spare Rose return to Serbia September 17, 2014 TOTTENHAM manager Mauricio Pochettino insists he omitted defender Danny Rose from tonight’s trip to Serbia purely with playing time in mind. The left-back was subjected to racist abuse while on duty for the England Under-21 side in the eastern European state two years ago and was sent off for his subsequent angry reaction. Spurs kick-off [...]
Wages increase hoped to lure England stars home September 17, 2014 PREMIERSHIP rugby chiefs hope a rise in team’s salary caps by £500,000 per season can end the exodus of English players to foreign climes. Potential England stars such as Steffon Armitage and Toby Flood are currently plying their trade in France and are consequently not eligible to play for the national team under its own [...]
Seven charged on race fixing allegations face 10-year bans September 17, 2014 THE BRITISH Horseracing Authority last night charged seven people, including Scottish Grand National winner Richie McGrath, with breaching betting regulations. The allegations relate to the use of inside information in order to predict the performance of horses that ran between October 2009 and April 2012. Ex-trainer Kate Walton, as well as Mark Aspey, Carl Flint, [...]
Champions League: Wenger left seething by flat Gunners September 16, 2014 BORUSSIA DORTMUND 2 ARSENAL 0 ANGRY Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger slammed his side’s abject performance as they got their Champions League campaign off to a losing start. Ciro Immobile and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang struck either side of half-time to earn Dortmund the points, though the margin of victory could have been far greater with the Germans [...]
Hazard poised to sign new long term contract at Stamford Bridge September 16, 2014 PLAYMAKER Eden Hazard is close to committing his long-term future to Chelsea, according to manager Jose Mourinho. The 23-year-old, who has scored 31 goals in 115 games for the Blues, has three years left to run on his current deal at Stamford Bridge. But Mourinho is keen to tie down his prized asset rather than [...]
Hamilton-Rosberg war expected to intensify September 16, 2014 MERCEDES team boss Toto Wolff expects the relationship between warring team-mates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg to become even more fractious as the Formula One season nears its finale. The top two in the World Championship standings renew hostilities in this week’s Singapore Grand Prix with Rosberg leading Hamilton by 22 points with six races [...]
Essex eye place in Division One September 16, 2014 ESSEX cranked up the pressure on County Championship Division Two promotion rivals Hampshire yesterday, with victory by an innings and 79 runs just two days into their match with Leicestershire. James Foster hit a stunning 132 as Essex posted 334 all out, in reply to the home side’s 138. And Leicestershire could manage just 117 [...]
Cardiff keen on completing shock return for Halfpenny September 16, 2014 CARDIFF Blues chief executive Richard Holland says he would jump at the chance to re-sign Leigh Halfpenny, with the No10’s future at Toulon in doubt. The British and Irish Lions fly-half switched from his native Wales to the back-to-back Heineken Cup champions in the summer, but is yet to make his debut in the Top [...]
Win the Champions League or we’ve failed, says Kompany September 16, 2014 MANCHESTER City captain Vincent Kompany says his side will be deemed to have failed if they do not win the Champions League this season. City head to the Allianz Arena tonight, to take on Group E rivals Bayern Munich for the fifth time in four seasons. After an initial bout of stage fright in the [...]