West Ham v Arsenal: Arsene Wenger defends Jack Wilshere’s dedication following nightclub controversy April 7, 2016 Aresnal manager Arsene Wenger has defended Jack Wilshere’s dedication after the injury-plagued England midfielder was caught up in an apparent row at a West End nightspot last weekend. Wilshere, 24, is yet to play this season after fracturing his calf bone in August but is set to make his comeback for the club’s under-21s on [...]
Paris Saint-Germain 2, Manchester City 2: Shaky City ride luck as Pellegrini demands end to mistakes April 7, 2016 Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini insists a second-leg repeat of the defensive mistakes on show at the Parc des Princes last night will scupper his side’s hope of making further history and reaching a first Champions League semi-final. A second-half Fernandinho strike drew City level after goal-machine Zlatan Ibrahimovic and midfielder Adrien Rabiot turned the [...]
Gianni Infantino caught in Panama Papers storm as Swiss police raid Uefa for contracts signed by new Fifa president April 6, 2016 Storm clouds gathering over new Fifa president Gianni Infantino have darkened after Swiss police raided European governing body Uefa in relation to the Panama Papers leak. Former Uefa secretary general Infantino, who succeeded tarnished Fifa kingpin Sepp Blatter in February, co-signed a contract with two Argentinian businessmen in 2006 who have since been accused of bribery by the FBI. [...]
Newcastle financial results: Magpies enjoy £32m profit but chiefs admit fans won’t care April 6, 2016 Newcastle chiefs have conceded that an increase in profits to £32.4m is likely to be of little comfort to supporters contemplating possible relegation from the Premier League. The Magpies – second bottom of the table and six points from safety with seven games remaining – enjoyed a 73 per cent rise in profit for the [...]
Pellegrini vows to attack in Champions League battle of continent’s big spenders April 5, 2016 Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini shrugged off suggestions that Paris Saint-Germain have underestimated his side, while insisting the Citizens will go for the jugular in Wednesday's battle of the continent’s big spenders. PSG counterpart Laurent Blanc had earlier admitted his relief that the French champions had avoided “ogres of European football” Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Real [...]
Chelsea will be Antonio Conte’s toughest job yet but winning is in Italian’s blood April 5, 2016 Antonio Conte, the new broom set to sweep through Chelsea this summer, is no stranger to big jobs, but at Stamford Bridge the current Italy coach and former Juventus manager is surely facing his toughest assignment yet. Something in the Blues’ squad seems to have become infected during this traumatic season. Conte’s task is nothing [...]
English football clubs have never been in better financial health, says study April 4, 2016 English football clubs have left their overspending days behind them and have never been in better financial shape, according to a new study by insolvency firm Begbies Traynor. Increasing revenues from television contracts allied with so-called financial fair play rules, which have forced clubs to live within their means, have slashed the number of teams [...]
Clubs, stats and controversies: Who is Chelsea’s manager in waiting Antonio Conte April 4, 2016 Conte started his playing career with hometown club Lecce before making his Serie A debut in 1985. The central midfielder was signed by Juventus boss Giovanni Trapattoni in 1991 and went on to make more than 400 appearances for The Old Lady, winning five Serie A titles and the Champions League. He began his coaching career [...]
Italy boss Conte plots Juventus-style domination at Chelsea after appointment confirmed April 4, 2016 Newly-appointed Antonio Conte has set his sights on creating a Juventus-like dynasty at Stamford Bridge after being announced as Jose Mourinho’s permanent successor as manager of Chelsea yesterday. The 46-year-old has signed a three-year contract and will start work in west London after this summer’s European Championship in France, which will be his last act in [...]
Manchester United 1, Everton 0: Anthony Martial keeps Louis van Gaal’s men on tails of Manchester City April 3, 2016 Manchester United 1, Everton 0 Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal diverted praise to teenager substitute Timothy Fosu-Mensah after his introduction helped inspire a win over Everton that boosted his team’s Champions League prospects. Van Gaal threw on the 18-year-old left-back for struggling Argentina defender Marcos Rojo at half-time and the switch paid off as [...]