Slaven Bilic looks a good West Ham hire but I have doubts over Steve McClaren at Newcastle June 11, 2015 Appointing a new manager is a gamble, and West Ham and Newcastle became the latest Premier League clubs to roll the dice when they respectively hired Slaven Bilic and Steve McClaren this week. In the case of Bilic, he is well travelled, experienced and, as a former Hammers player, familiar with both the club [...]
Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney named Europe’s second most marketable footballer after Cristiano Ronaldo June 11, 2015 Cristiano Ronaldo has been named Europe's most marketable footballer in a new study measuring players' reputation across the globe – with Wayne Rooney following relatively close behind. The Real Madrid star, who will earn $27m from endorsements this year according to Forbes, enjoys fame and acclaim around the world encouraging sponsors to attach his famous [...]
Newcastle to pay McClaren trophy bonus June 10, 2015 FORMER England manager Steve McClaren stands to pocket a significant bonus if he ends Newcastle’s 46–year wait for a major trophy, Magpies managing director Lee Charnley has revealed. McClaren completed a return to the Premier League yesterday by signing a three-year contract and, in an unusual move, taking up a seat on the board at [...]
Midfielder Obiang becomes first signing for West Ham under Bilic June 10, 2015 WEST Ham have followed up the appointment of Slaven Bilic as manager with their first major signing of the summer, luring Spain Under-21 midfielder Pedro Obiang to Upton Park from Sampdoria. Tough-tackling Obiang, 23, came through Atletico Madrid’s youth system but left for Italy aged 16 and established himself in the first team at the [...]
Mike Ashley steps down from Newcastle board after demanding Rangers repay £5m loan June 10, 2015 Mike Ashley has stepped down from the Newcastle United board of directors and will be replaced by newly appointed head coach Steve McClaren. Former England manager McClaren has signed an initial three-year deal with the Tyneside club, after being sacked as Derby County manager last month. By combining coaching duties with boardroom duties, McClaren will [...]
Liverpool spend more per goal than any other Premier League club June 10, 2015 If goals and entertainment is what Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) want from their team, they won't be happy with the output from Brendan Rodgers' men last season. In terms of goals scored, Liverpool spent more than the rest of the Premier League last season – despite the fact they only had the fifth-largest [...]
Barcelona star Lionel Messi to face trial for alleged €4.1m tax fraud June 10, 2015 Four days after winning the Champions League, Barcelona star Lionel Messi was brought back down to earth as a Barcelona court ruled he must face trial for alleged tax fraud. Messi and his father Jorge are accused of evading €4.1m (£2.99m) of income tax in Spain through shell companies in Uruguay and Belize. Both men [...]
I want to take West Ham to Champions League, says Bilic June 9, 2015 WEST Ham’s new manager Slaven Bilic has been set the target of finishing in the top half of the Premier League in his first season – but the Croatian is already dreaming of Champions League qualification. The former Hammers defender was yesterday confirmed as the successor to Sam Allardyce and the man to lead the [...]
Barcelona forecast €600m income from treble-winning season June 9, 2015 Barcelona expect the income from their treble-winning season to reach €600m (£440.3m), president Josep Maria Bartomeu revealed today. In a press conference, Bartomeu heralded the club's head coach Luis Enrique's triumphs in La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League in his first year in the role and announced he would be extending [...]
Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling is the world’s sixth most valuable player and fourth most likely to be sold this transfer window says new study June 9, 2015 Liverpool's Raheem Sterling has been named as the sixth most valuable player in the world in a new study that also ranks him the fourth most-likely top European player to be transferred this summer. The young winger is ranked the most valuable under 21-year-old player in world football and worth more than Luis Suarez, Diego [...]