Aston Villa stadium could be renamed to “Lotus Villa Park” suggests prospective owner Chinese Tony Xia May 21, 2016 Incoming Aston Villa owner Tony Jiantong Xia has suggested he will alter the name of the club's stadium to feature his Lotus Health food business once his £60m takeover is completed. The Chinese businessman agreed a deal to buy the club from current owner Randy Lerner earlier this week, but is still waiting for ratification [...]
Walter Mazzarri: Watford appoint former Napoli boss as head coach on a three-year deal May 21, 2016 Watford have appointed Italian Walter Mazzarri as their new head coach to replace the outgoing Quique Sanchez Flores. The 54-year-old Mazzarri has signed a three-year deal with the Hornets following spells with Inter Milan and Napoli, who he guided into the Champions League for the first time in 21 years. Despite securing a second consecutive [...]
Major League Soccer salaries revealed: Chelsea legend Frank Lampard paid $6m, dwarfing former team mate Ashley Cole’s $300,000 salary May 20, 2016 Former England midfield partners Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard will be the fourth and fifth best-paid football players respectively in America next season. Gerrard, at LA Galaxy, will earn $6.1m and New York City's Lampard is in line for $6m but it is AC Milan and Real Madrid's former Brazilian forward Kaka who tops the [...]
Pardew aiming to land a blow for English managers by guiding Palace to first major trophy May 19, 2016 Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew is desperate to make it third time lucky in the FA Cup final and land a blow for English managers in the increasingly cosmopolitan upper reaches of the domestic game. Pardew has tasted defeat in the Wembley showpiece twice before: as a player against Manchester United in a 1990 prequel to [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]