Clubs divided over plans for a fifth division of the Football League May 19, 2016 English league football could get a fifth division under sweeping changes being considered for introduction in 2019-20. The current 92-club, four-division system would become five tiers of 20 teams, in a move designed to ease fixture congestion. If approved, the plans could pave the way for a long-discussed winter break and for many FA Cup [...]
Van Gaal: Winning FA Cup would make up for missing out on Champions League May 19, 2016 They may have suffered the ignominy of failing to qualify for the Champions League, but manager Louis van Gaal believes Manchester United can salve that disappointment by winning the FA Cup on Saturday. Beating Crystal Palace would secure not only the first silverware of the under-fire Dutchman’s two-year reign at Old Trafford, but also the [...]
Football betting: Experimental Roy knows his opponents are no Turkeys May 19, 2016 No sooner has the domestic season finished than the countdown to Euro 2016 starts, with England hosting Turkey at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday. After naming a 26-man squad on Monday, Roy Hodgson has this friendly, plus two more against Portugal and Australia, to trim his squad and decide on the starting XI for the first group game against [...]
FA Cup final betting: Pardew plotting Palace’s revenge but United will nick it May 19, 2016 The oldest cup competition in the world reaches its climax on Saturday when Crystal Palace and Manchester United meet at Wembley in the FA Cup final. Forget those who put a downer on the tournament, the magic will well and truly be alive for the thousands of fans who walk down Wembley Way dreaming of their [...]
Euro 2016: French intelligence chief warns of Islamic State attacks May 19, 2016 Security fears over Euro 2016 have been raised after the country's spy chief warned that Islamic State terrorists are planning a series of bomb attacks on large crowds. The Euro 2016 football tournament kicks-off in France next month amid fears of a possible terror attack first triggered when an international friendly was targeted by suicide [...]
Liverpool 1, Sevilla 3: Klopp criticises side’s “loss of faith” as Reds boss loses fifth successive final to leave Anfield club with no European football next season May 19, 2016 Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp lambasted his side’s “loss of faith” after a second-half collapse handed Sevilla an unprecedented third successive Europa League crown and denied the Reds a place in next season’s Champions League. A second-half blitz, consisting of an equaliser from prolific marksman Kevin Gameiro and captain Coke’s double, saw Sevilla destroy a previously [...]
Chinese businessman Tony Jiantong Xia buys Aston Villa for £60m May 18, 2016 Aston Villa are set to become the first major English club to fall into Chinese ownership after the club confirmed a takeover by businessman Tony Jiantong Xia. The deal, which still has to be ratified by the Premier League and Football League, is thought to be for £60m – roughly the same price current owner [...]
Terry assured of key role after signing new Chelsea deal May 18, 2016 Chelsea captain John Terry has been reassured by Blues directors that he will remain a key figure at the club despite his advancing years after signing a new 12-month contract. Terry, 35, has had to accept an increasingly peripheral role as injuries and age have caught up with the former England skipper, and looked destined [...]
Chelsea’s £60m kit sponsorship with Nike trumps Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham deals but falls behind United’s £75m Adidas partnership May 18, 2016 Chelsea and Nike are believed to be on the verge of signing the Premier League's second-biggest kit partnership deal, worth £60m per year. The agreement would mean the Blues double the revenue currently generated by the £30m per season deal with Adidas that both club and manufacturer agreed to terminate six years early last week. Read [...]
Five from West Ham and three from Sunderland: my alternative team of the season May 18, 2016 You could make a case for including every Leicester player in a Premier League team of the year but away from them – and other stars who have also already been recognised – other less celebrated figures have made significant contributions too. Here is my unsung XI. Goalkeeper: Adrian, West Ham Fraser Forster had a [...]