The ITF AGM today voted in favour of the ITF and Kosmos’ transformational reforms to the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas, which will secure the long-term status of the competition. From 2019, the competition will see 18 nations and the world’s best players compete in a week long season finale to be crowned Davis Cup […]
via HISTORIC DAVIS CUP REFORMS APPROVED AT AGM — newfanzoneblog
The ITF today announced plans for a 25-year, $3 billion partnership with investment group Kosmos that will transform Davis Cup by BNP Paribas and generate substantial revenues for global tennis development. The ITF Board of Directors unanimously endorsed a proposal to create a major new annual season-ending World Cup of Tennis Finals that will crown […]
Spanish defender, Gerard Pique has revealed he will retire from international football after the 2018 World Cup. The Barcelona defender announced his decision after Spain’s 2-0 World Cup qualifying win over Albania. He said: “The World Cup in Russia will be my last competition for Spain. “I’ve thought about it a lot. It’s not in […]
via Gerard Pique Announces Date For Retirement From International Football — newfanzoneblog
Done deals:
– Palermo have signed midfielder Bryan Cristante on loan from Benfica.
– Granada have completed the signing of Sergei Guardiola.
– Norwich have signed Portuguese right-back Ivo Pinto from Dinamo Zagreb.
– Boca Juniors have completed the signing of Dani Osvaldo from Porto.
– Dundee Utd sign forward Riku Riski in loan deal from Rosenborg.
– Sunderland have completed the signing of Jan Kirchhoff from Bayern Munich.
– Angers have completed the loan signing of Saïd Benrahma from OGC Nice.
Today’s reports and rumours:
– Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger hopes Mohamed Elneny’s transfer from Basel will be completed in the “next two or three days.
– According to Le Progrès, St Étienne are closing in on a fee agreement with Heracles for Oussama Tannane.
– Bournemouth are still in for Napoli midfielder Jonathan De Guzman, according to reports in Italy.
– Borussia Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel is keen for the club to bring in a replacement for the recently departed Adnan Januzaj.
– According to reports in England, Stuttgart are interested in signing Chelsea defender Papy Djilobodji.
– Eden Hazard’s father has denied that the Belgium international is seeking a move away from Chelsea and said his current injury problems are down to playing too many games.
– Arsenal are looking to bid for Schalke defender Benedikt Howedes, according to reports.
– Borussia Monchengladbach are set to sign RB Salzburg defender Martin Hinteregger, according to reports in Germany.
– Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic is keen on a move to Galatasaray, according to reports in Turkey.
– Caen defender Damien Da Silva has rejected an approach from Premier League side Sunderland this month, according to L’Équipe.
– Aston Villa defender Joleon Lescott is a target for Major League Soccer side LA Galaxy, according to ESPN Soccernet sources.
– Wolfsburg left back Ricardo Rodriquez says he has “not heard” anything about Real Madrid’s interest.
– Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has ruled out leaving Borussia Dortmund as the club announced that there were no plans for any January sales.
– Rayo Vallecano coach Paco Jemez has confirmed his interest in signing Ghanaian midfielder Thomas from Atletico Madrid.
– According to reports in Germany, Liverpool are interested in Bayern Munich attacking midfielder Mario Gotze.
– Bournemouth will complete a £10million deal to sign Benik Afobe from Wolves, this weekend, according to reports.
– Alan Pardew has denied Crystal Palace are interested in Emmanuel Adebayor.
– Slavisa Jokanovic has sworn to fight to keep Moussa Dembele at Fulham, according to reports.
– Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce has turned his attentions to bringing in a new striker and a right-back, according to reports.
– According to Le Parisien, AS Monaco are in active negotiations for the signing of Ajax’s 19 year old defender Jairo Riedewald.
– Sporting director Cristiano Giaretta warns Udinese have “no intention” of selling Silvan Widmer in January.
– Lorient defender Lamine Koné is the subject of two offers from Premier League sides, Norwich and Aston Villa, according to various reports in France.
– Felipe Melo’s agent rubbishes rumours of a January transfer – “he wants to win the Scudetto with Inter”.
– Reports in the United States claim Roma’s Ashley Cole is close to joining MLS side LA Galaxy.
– Napoli and Torino have reportedly agreed on the terms for the loan of defender Nikola Maksimovic.
– Mauricio Pochettino says Harry Kane will not leave Tottenham, despite reports linking the striker with a move to Real Madrid.
– Sevilla midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak has admitted he has heard of transfer speculation regarding Arsenal but insisted he will leave such matters in the hands of his agent.
– New Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane says there is no chance Cristiano Ronaldo will leave the club while he is in charge.
Football tit bits:
– Barcelona have confirmed that they will appeal Luis Suarez’s two-game Copa del Rey suspension after the Uruguayan’s alleged involvement in a tunnel bust-up with Espanyol’s players.
– UEFA Team of the Year: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich); David Alaba (Bayern Munich), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Dani Alves (Barcelona); James Rodriguez (Real Madrid), Paul Pogba (Juventus), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Neymar (Barcelona).
– Argentina and Uruguay will form a joint bid to co-host the 2030 World Cup, the presidents of the two South American countries said on Thursday.
– Spanish prosecutors have reportedly requested that Neymar be charged on two counts of fraud and corruption relating to his move to Barcelona during the summer of 2013.
– Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has reacted angrily to losing out on the CAF African Footballer of the Year award, saying the decision is “pathetic”, “indecent” and “brings shame to Africa”.
Glasgow Celtic are the first team in Europe to complete a “Champions League” treble. This feat happened way back in 1967 managed by Jock Stein, Ajax Amsterdam Achieved same five years later in led by Ștefan Kovács in 1972 but the Football world had to wait sixteen years before the next treble happened when PSV Eindhoven under the guidance of Guus Hiddink Completed the treble in 1988.
Manchester United Became the first and only English Side to Complete the “treble” In 1999 managed by Alex Ferguson who’s later knighted by the Queen of England for his service to British Football. 2009 was the year Barcelona won what was termed an historic treble under the watchful eyes of Pep Guardiola, then this was followed by Italian Giants Inter Milan a year after in 2010 Led By Jose Mourinho.
2013 saw Bayern Munich join this elite group of clubs with “trebles” when the German team also pulled of the treble with Jupp Heynckes at the helm of affairs in the dug-out.
But No team has ever won the treble twice until last night in Berlin when the Catalan Side managed by Luis Enrique defeated the “Old Lady of Turin” by 3 goals to one to complete the “Treble”.
Juventus were also gunning for their first treble but this was not to be as a Superb performance by Barca ensured that the Spanish Giants Win their 5th Champions League trophy.
Treble winning teams:
The teams to have won the continental title and their domestic league and cup double in the same season are:
· Glasgow Celtic (1967) – managed by Jock Stein
· Ajax Amsterdam (1972) – managed by Ștefan Kovács.
· PSV Eindhoven (1988) – managed by Guus Hiddink
· Manchester United (1999) – managed by Alex Ferguson
. FC Barcelona (2009) – managed by Pep Guardiola
· Inter Milan (2010) – managed by Jose Mourinho
· Bayern Munich (2013) – managed by Jupp Heynckes
. FC Barcelona (2015) – managed by Luis Enrique
Xavi Hernández, Andrés Iniesta, Leo Messi, Gerard Piqué, Dani Alves, Sergio Busquets and Pedro Rodríguez will also go into the history books as the first players to be part of this unprecedented “Double Treble” the above listed players were part of Guardiola’s treble winning team and were also an integral role in Luis Enrique’s treble last night at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany.
Xavi Hernández as also set a new UEFA Champions League appearance record, his half appearance makes it a total of 151 matches that he has played in the Champions League.
The January transfer window is winding up but some leagues would still have their windows for a few more days while some its “transfer deadline day” tomorrow but are are some of the latest transfer gist spiced with some AFCON Updates and other titbits as compiled by our man Paul Ayorinde.
you can follow Paul on twitter: @El_Pauleta on twitter and also follow @NewFanzone and we will follow you right back, lets keep the discussion going
Our Twitter handle will tweet regular news breaks and this is also available on our Facebook page
Done Deals:
– Roma have completed the signing of Seydou Doumbia from CSKA Moscow for a fee of €14.4million.
– Palermo have signed Paraguayan defender Danilo Ortiz from Cerro Porteno.
– Sampdoria have confirmed the signing of Alfred Duncan from Inter Milan
– AS Monaco have completed the loan signing of forward Matheus Thiago De Carvalho from Brazilian side Fluminense.
– Levante have announced the signing of Fulham forward Bryan Ruiz on loan for the remainder of the season
– Malaga have completed the signing of Chidebere Nwakali from Manchester City on a two and a half year loan deal.
– Monaco have completed the signing of Burkina Faso international Alain Traore on loan from Lorient, with an option to buy the striker permanently at the end of the season.
– Genoa have sent Ioannis Fetfatzidis on loan to Chievo for the rest of the season
Today’s football reports and transfer rumours:
– According to reports, West Brom have rejected a bid from Qatar’s Al Gharafa for Ideye Brown
– West Ham boss Sam Allardyce has said the club’s move to sign Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher appears to be off, the Man Utd player is now being linked with West Brom.
– According to reports, West Ham midfielder Mark Noble is attracting interest from Queens Park Rangers
– Parma are hoping to conclude a deal to sign Marko Livaja from Rubin Kazan in Russia.
– According to reports in France, Arsenal are interested in signing Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris
– Valencia are set to offer defender Nicolas Otamendi a deal that would see his wages double after confirming that they received a 27 million pound bid for the defender.
– According to reports, West Brom striker Georgios Samaras is free to leave the Hawthorns this month
– Al Gharafa and Al Nasr are both interested in QPR forward Adel Taarabt.
– According to reports, Manchester United’s defender Marnick Vermijl is closing in on a move to Lokeren
– Hull are in talks to sign Aaron Lennon on loan from Tottenham until the end of the season.
– According to reports in Italy, QPR have made an offer to sign veteran Roma striker Marco Borriello
– West Ham are reportedly interested in signing Valenciennes forward Opa Nguette
– Queens Park Rangers boss Harry Redknapp is hoping to push through a £3million deal for Wolves winger Bakary Sako before the transfer window closes.
– Roma have reportedly agreed terms with Vlad Chiriches and are close to a loan deal with Tottenham.
– AC Milan Channel confirmed Genoa winger Luca Antonelli will undergo a medical tomorrow morning.
– Crystal Palace striker Fraizer Campbell has told boss Alan Pardew he does not want to leave the club in the transfer window and plans to fight for his place. Palace also look set to seal the permanent signing of Man Utd Loanee Wilfred Zaha.
– Roberto Mancini insists Inter “never discussed” Antonio Cassano, but did not close the door to signing him.
– Liverpool and Arsenal are set to go head-to-head over the signing of Marseille striker Andre-Pierre Gignac.
– Pablo Armero’s agent says there is ‘no deal’ yet for the Milan player’s transfer to Genoa
– Liverpool are monitoring Hannover midfielder Lars Stindl as they seek a replacement for Steven Gerrard
– Manchester United target Aleksandar Dragovic is in talks with Inter Milan
– According to reports, Manchester City are ready to table a world-record bid to sign Cristiano Ronaldo if he decides to return to England.
– PSG defender Marquinhos is rumoured to be on Louis Van Gaal’s raider despite the Man Utd boss claiming he wasn’t doing any business this winter window
Football tit bits:
– West Ham boss Sam Allardyce says he has been advised not to play Diafra Sakho until a row with Senegal is resolved. “It is not conducive for us to be putting him on the field until it is resolved, sadly. We have covered all the rules and regulations but at this moment in time it is sensible to do the right thing and not get involved any more – that is what I was told yesterday.” Allardyce said
– Frank Lampard enjoyed the opportunity to say farewell to Chelsea’s supporters after he featured in Manchester City’s 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge. “I was excited about the day but obviously a bit nervous,I enjoyed it. I was delighted with the reception from both [sets of] fans.” Lampard said
– Manuel Pellegrini criticised Chelsea’s style after their 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge. “Both teams have a clear style of play. Everyone wants to play in the way they think is better. He has a style. You analyse the style of Chelsea. I analyse just the style of my team. Our team tried to win the game from the first minute till the end. I’m very proud about that.” Pellegrini said
AFCON 2015 Quarter final results:
Congo 2-4 DR Congo
Tunisia 1-2 Equatorial Guinea
AFCON 2015 Quarter final fixtures:
Ghana V Guinea
Cote d’Ivoire V Algeria
The January transfer window is yet to pick up steam but like every other window its not devoid of the drama and rumours our man Paul Ayorinde serves you a complete dish of transfer gist spiced with some AFCON Updates and other titbits.
you can follow Paul on twitter: @El_Pauleta on twitter and also follow @NewFanzone and we will follow you right back, lets keep the discussion going
Done Deals:
– Hamburg have completed the signing of Ivica Olic from Wolfsburg on an 18-month contract.
– Valencia have announced on their official website that they have released Portugal international Joao Pereira and he has signed for Bundesliga club Hannover.
– Swansea have completed the signing of Jack cork from Southampton on a three-and-a-half year deal
– Bordeaux have officially announced the signing of French midfielder Clément Chantôme from PSG on a three-and-a-half year deal
– Crystal Palace signs left-back Pape Souare from Lille
Today’s football reports and transfer rumours:
– According to Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Montella, Colombia winger Juan Cuadrado will be joining Chelsea.
– According to reports, Hull City are in talks with Tottenham Hotspur over a possible loan deal for Aaron Lennon
– Burnley have ruled out selling reported Liverpool target Danny Ings during the January transfer window.
– Louis van Gaal has ruled out any further signings for Manchester United in the January transfer window, while Darren Fletcher looks set to exit the club for West Ham.
– Shakhtar Donetsk CEO Sergei Palkin has said Roma’s offer for Luiz Adriano is “not satisfactory,”
– Reports indicate that Milan have reached a deal for Genoa’s Luca Antonelli.
– Juventus have confirmed that Paolo De Ceglie has ended his loan spell with Parma and that he will return to training in Turin tomorrow.
– According to reports, Fiorentina are interested in Barcelona defender Martin Montoya.
– Roma Coach Rudi Garcia reveals Roma will bring in a striker before the deadline day.
– Manchester United are ready to bid €40million for Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan, according to reports in Italy.
– Luca Marrone’s loan move from Juventus to Cordoba appears to have fallen through, after the player reportedly failed a medical.
– Manchester City midfielder Bruno Zuculini will head back to the Etihad Stadium after Valencia decided to end his season-long loan.
– According to reports in France, AS Monaco have opened talks with Tottenham over the possible transfer of Aaron Lennon.
– Arsene Wenger claims Arsenal are unlikely to make any further signings this month after completing the capture of defender Gabriel Paulista from Villarreal and teenage midfielder Krystian Bielik.
– Harry Redknapp admitted QPR have enquired about Wolves winger Bakary Sako
– Swansea City are working on a summer deal for Anderlecht striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, according to reports in Belgium.
– Tottenham are reportedly the favourites to sign Yehven Konoplyanka from Dnipro
– Southampton manager Ronald Koeman has identified Feyenoord’s Tonny Vilhena as his first-choice replacement for Jack Cork plenty of attacking options.
– Reports suggest Bayern are no longer eager to sign Marco Reus as they have plenty of attacking options.
– Milan’s joint-CEO Adriano Galliani will reportedly meet full-back Pablo Armero to discuss the player’s possible transfer to Genoa.
– Chelsea’s Andre Schurrle is edging closing to signing for Wolfsburg, with the Bundesliga side’s director of sport saying only signatures are missing.
– Turkish club Trabzonspor are favourites to sign Real Madrid’s Germany international midfielder Sami Khedira.
– West Brom have been offered the chance to sign former Manchester United striker Diego Forlan on loan from Japanese club Cerezo Osaka.
– Juventus have reportedly reached an agreement with Fiorentina goalkeeper Neto. He will sign on a free in the summer.
– QPR are targeting a move for West Ham midfielder Mark Noble.
– Arsenal are ready to launch a last-gasp bid for Atletico Madrid striker Mario Mandzukic.
Football tit bits:
– Algeria forward Islam Slimani will miss the rest of the tournament due to a muscle injury that kept him out of their last group match against Senegal.
– Guinea striker Mohamed Yattara believes luck played a big role as they managed to advance to the knockout stages of the Africa Cup of Nations after playing draws in all three group matches. “It is a huge joy. We didn’t have our fate into our own hands anymore. Thanks God, luck was on our side. Now, we are all happy.” Yattara said
– Midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa is not allowed to play for Nice this season, after FIFA ruled a Newcastle Under-21 game counted as a competitive match.
– David Ginola has withdrawn his controversial candidacy in the race to be the next FIFA president.
– Chelsea striker Diego Costa should change his game after picking up a three-match ban for stamping, says Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini. “It will be a good thing for him to change a little bit in the future. He doesn’t need to play in that way because he’s a very good player.” Pellegrini said
– Louis van Gaal has confirmed that Michael Carrick will miss up to a month of action for Manchester United after rupturing a muscle.
Here are the top transfer rumours, done deals and football transfer gist and some results making the rounds as compiled by our man Paul Ayorinde.
you can follow Paul on twitter: @El_Pauleta on twitter and also follow @NewFanzone and we will follow you right back, lets keep the discussion going
Done Deals:
– Peter Crouch have signed a two-year contract extension with Stoke City
– Scott Sinclair has completed a loan move to Aston Villa from Manchester City.
– Crystal Palace have completed the signing of Shola Ameobi on a free transfer.
– Striker Mattia Destro has moved to AC Milan on loan from Roma in a move that could become permanent in the summer.
– Caen have completed the signing of Emiliano Sala from Bordeaux on loan until the end of the season.
– Crystal Palace have completed the signing of Jordan Mutch from QPR on a four-and-a-half year deal for a fee of £4.75 million.
– Levante have completed the signing of Nigerian forward Kalu Uche on a free transfer.
Today’s football reports and transfer rumours:
– According to reports in Germany, Chelsea forward Andre Schurrle’s move to Wolfsburg is “imminent.”
– Chelsea are set to complete the transfer of Fiorentina’s Juan Cuadrado “within the next 48 hours,” with Mohamed Salah potentially going the other way on loan
– Swansea are closing on a move for Southampton’s Jack Cork, according to the BBC.
– According to Skysports, Stoke have given Leicester City permission to speak to Robert Huth about a possible loan move.
– Ivica Olic says he is happy to stay at Wolfsburg after the Bundesliga side blocked his return to Hamburg.
– Roberto Mancini has said he wants to sign Yaya Toure to help turn Inter Milan into a Scudetto-winning side.
– Borussia Monchengladbach are reportedly interested in signing QPR midfielder Junior Hoilett.
– Lazio are reportedly interested in signing Manchester United’s Javier Hernandez in this winter window.
– Juventus midfielder Luca Marrone is on the verge of securing a loan move to Spanish side Cordoba.
– AC Milan are reportedly close to signing Ezequiel Munoz from Palermo, with just a €500,000 difference between offer and asking price.
– According to reports in Germany, Manchester United are readying a £37.5 million bid for Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels.
– Hull City manager Steve Bruce is considering a move for Manchester United midfielder Nick Powell.
– West Ham are keen on a move for Swansea City striker Bafetimbi Gomis.
– Alan Pardew confirmed Lille’s left-back Papa Souare is travelling to London for a medical at Crystal Palace.
– Manchester United youngster Andreas Pereira’s agent has denied any contact with PSG over a possible move.
– West Ham manager Sam Allardyce says he could still sign Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher in this transfer window.
– According to reports, Roma open talks to sign CSKA Moscow striker Seydou Doumbia, with Coach Rudi Garcia apparently calling the player in person.
Football tit bits:
– England Football Association has formally nominated Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein as a candidate to stand against Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency.
– Diego Costa will contest his FA violent conduct charge with the full support of Chelsea.
– Guinea have reached the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals at the expense of Mali after the drawing of lots.
– Sheffield Wednesday have been taken over by a Thai consortium led by businessman Dejphon Chansiri.
– Sam Allardyce does not expect Diafra Sakho to be banned for playing for West Ham after withdrawing from Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations squad. “I’m not worried that Sakho will face a ban whatsoever. We have stuck by every rule and regulation in the book.”
Here are the top transfer rumours, done deals and football transfer gist and some results making the rounds as compiled by our man Paul Ayorinde.
you can follow Paul on twitter: @El_Pauleta on twitter and also follow @NewFanzone and we will follow you right back, lets keep the discussion going
Done Deals:
– Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa has made permanent his loan move from Newcastle to Roma.
– Valencia have confirmed that striker Paco Alcacer has signed a contract extension until 2020.
– Werder Bremen have confirmed the signing of Jannik Vestergaard from Hoffenheim.
– Everton striker Samuel Eto’o has joined Italian Serie A side Sampdoria, signing a deal with the club until 2018.
– Villarreal have completed the signing of Joel Campbell from Arsenal on loan
Today’s football reports and transfer rumours:
– According to reports,Hamburg want to sign Ivica Olic before Saturday’s Bundesliga match at Cologne, with Wolfsburg already searching for a replacement for the 35-year-old.
– According to reports,Roma are set to launch a late bid for Tottenham defender Vlad Chiriches
– According to reports, the hierarchy at Old Trafford have informed manager Louis van Gaal that, if they cannot get the club’s main targets immediately, they now intend to wait until the summer rather than going for stop-gaps.
– Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke has rubbished speculation linking him with a move away from the Spanish champions to the Premier League.
– Mark Hughes has played down speculation he will be making a bid for Barcelona starlet Adama Traore after travelling to Spain to watch Barca’s B team.
– Mats Hummels has once again dismissed rumours linking him with a switch away from Borussia Dortmund, and said that they will not distract him from the task of helping BVB stay in the Bundesliga.
– According to reports, Manchester United have told Darren Fletcher he can leave on a free transfer
– Wolfsburg sporting executive Klaus Allofs, asked whether his club were interested in the Chelsea forward Andre Schurrle. “A very clear no. We’ll have more on that one in a little while.”
– According to reports, Nathaniel Clyne is stalling on signing a new deal at Southampton amid interest from Manchester United.
– Arsenal are reportedly interested in Valencia right-back Joel Pereira and AC Milan centre-back Adil Rami
– Salvatore Bocchetti is believed to be on the verge of joining the AC Milan from Spartak Moscow, with an initial loan deal to be followed up by a permanent move in the summer.
– Sampdoria have reportedly agreed to sign Italy defender Gabriel Paletta from Parma.
– Brazilian forward Douglas Costa, has asked his Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk not to price him out of a move to Chelsea this January.
– Southampton are considering making a move for Netherlands midfielder Jordy Clasie from Feyenoord
– According to reports, AC Milan are in advanced talks with Palermo for Ezequiel Munoz.
– Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas, 33, has revealed he would like to move to the United States and play in Major League Soccer.
– Reports in Ukraine suggest Dnipro midfielder Yevhen Konoplaynka will fly out for a Roma medical tomorrow.
– Andrea Pirlo believes that Paul Pogba will never return to Manchester United and that the English club have missed their chance to have the player.
– Newcastle midfielder Moussa Sissoko has refused to rule out a departure during this transfer window, but admitted that there has been no contact with clubs.
– Partizan Belgrade youngster Danilo Pantic claims he will join Chelsea before the end of the January transfer window.
– According to reports, Liverpool are close to agreeing a £14 million deal with Paris Saint-Germain for Ezequiel Lavezzi.
– West Ham are hoping to complete a deal for Hamilton left-back Stephen Hendrie.
– Crystal Palace are reportedly on the verge of completing a £4 million deal for QPR midfielder Jordan Mutch.
– Athletic Bilbao will only allowed defender Aymeric Laporte to leave the club if his full buy-out clause of £32million is met.
– According to reports, Everton are in talks to sign Brazil international Alexandre Pato.
Football tit bits:
– Stoke City have confirmed that Bojan will miss the rest of the season after sustaining a knee ligament injury in the FA Cup win over Rochdale.
– Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu says he does not want to see Real Madrid punished in the same way as his club over allegations of irregular dealings in the transfer market.
– Mino Raiola has decided to pull out of the race for the Fifa presidency after Dutch FA (KNVB) chief Michael Van Praag announced that he will challenge Sepp Blatter for the position. “Running for the Fifa presidency was not about me, but about having a good candidate to challenge Blatter. We have a good candidate now. Van Praag is someone with a better network, with more patience and who is a bit more of a natural when it comes to politics.” Raiola said
– According to reports, England Football Association will back Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein’s bid to become FIFA president.
– Coach of the DR Congo national team Florent Ibenge says facing Congo in the Afcon 2015 quarterfinals is more than just a derby. “We want to act first. It will be more than a derby, it will be a family match which is going to be very tight, and we hope that it will be even tighter for them.” Ibenge said
AFCON 2015 Group C Results:
Ghana 2-1 South Africa
Senegal 0-2 Algeria
AFCON 2015 Group D fixtures:
Cote d’Ivoire V Cameroon
Mali V Guinea
The January transfer window is yet to pick up steam but like every other window its not devoid of the drama and rumours our man Paul Ayorinde serves you a complete dish of transfer gist spiced with some AFCON Updates and other titbits.
you can follow Paul on twitter: @El_Pauleta on twitter and also follow @NewFanzone and we will follow you right back, lets keep the discussion going
Today’s Football Reports And Transfer Rumours:
– According to reports, Manchester United scouting delegation watched Nathaniel Clyne in southampton’s match at Newcastle last weekend with a view to a 20-million-pound January move.
– The Press Association is reporting that Newcastle forward Shola Ameobi has agreed a deal with West Bromwich Albion.
– Swansea have not agreed a deal with Norwich for defender Martin Olsson, says Canaries boss Alex Neil.
– Callum McManaman is reportedly close to completing a move from Wigan Athletic to West Bromwich Albion.
– Sam Allardyce has told reporters he is “not sure” whether West Ham’s move for Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher will come off
– Tottenham are planning to make an offer of around seven million pounds for Burnley striker Danny Ings.
– Lucas Silva has told Marca he waived his right to 10 percent of his transfer fee to secure his move from Cruzeiro to Real Madrid.
– According to reports, Manchester United will go head to head with Tottenham over a 15-million-pound deal for PSV winger Memphis Depay
– According to reports,Southampton boss Ronald Koeman will launch a double raid on Feyenoord this summer for defensive duo Terence Kongolo and Sven van Beek.
– According to reports, Everton have opened talks with Molde’s Norway international goalkeeper Orjan Nyland
– Queens Park Rangers are keen to bring in Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov in the January transfer window amid rumours the 33-year-old wants a return to London from AS Monaco.
– Swansea striker Bafetimbi Gomis has been looking at property in London as rumours of a £9m move to Crystal Palace continue
– According to reports,England international Raheem Sterling has rejected a second contract offer from Liverpool to extend his current deal, which still has more than two years to run.
– Swansea boss Garry Monk has dismissed speculation that he wants to sign Blackburn Rovers striker Jordan Rhodes
– According to reports, Liverpool would sell the Mario Balotelli this month if they can find a buyer.
– Real Sociedad are closing in on the signing of Everton forward Steven Pienaar.
– According to reports, Wigan are set to make a move for Burnley’s Lukas Jutkiewicz
– Liverpool defender Glen Johnson is set to commit his future to Liverpool and turn down a move to Serie A side Roma.
Football Tit Bits:
– Zambia’s striker Emmanuel Mayuka is set to return to Southampton this week after a double groin injury effectively ruled him out of the African Nations Cup.
– Ghana defender Harrison Afful expects a tough battle against Bafana Bafana. “This game is going to be an interesting game and it is not going to be easy for us,they also play good football, just like us, so they will be a very tough side.” Afful said
– An appeal launched by Iran to overturn their Asian Cup quarter-final defeat to Iraq has been rejected. Iran launched an appeal with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), claiming that Iraqi midfielder Alaa Abdul Zahrah Khashen Al-Azzawi was ineligible for selection. An AFC Disciplinary Committee subsequently decided that the evidence put forward by Iranian officials was unfounded.
FA Cup results:
Bristol City 0-1 West Ham United
Aston Villa 2-1 Bournemouth
Brighton & Hove Albion 2-3 Arsenal
AFCON Group A results:
Gabon 0-2 Equatorial Guinea
Congo 2-1 Burkina Faso
AFCON 2015 Group B fixtures:
Tunisia V DR Congo
Zambia V Cape Verde
Here are the top transfer rumours, done deals and football transfer gist and some results making the rounds as compiled by our man Paul Ayorinde.
you can follow Paul on twitter: @El_Pauleta on twitter and also follow @NewFanzone and we will follow you right back, lets keep the discussion going
Done Deals:
– Real Madrid have completed the signing of Lucas Silva from Cruzeiro on a five and a half year deal for €14million.
– Fiorentina have completed the loan signing of Alberto Gilardino from Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande.
– Villarreal confirm Gabriel Paulista will sign for Arsenal with Joel Campbell going the other way on loan.
Today’s football reports and transfer rumours:
– Shakhtar Donetsk striker Luiz Adriano confirmed interest from Roma. “It’s a good club and would be an interesting adventure.”
– According to reports, Arsenal forward Joel Campbell is set for a loan move to La Liga club Villarreal.
– There are reports Ravel Morrison has agreed a free transfer to Lazio in July after his contract with West Ham expires.
– According to reports, Shanghai SIPG are readying a bid for Newcastle striker Papiss Cisse.
– Dries Mertens says he has “really no reason” to leave Napoli and understands Rafa Benitez’s squad rotation.
– Juventus target Rolando is reportedly being pressed to renew his Porto contract before having any chance of joining the Bianconeri on loan.
– According to reports in France, Ezequiel Lavezzi will not be leaving Paris Saint-Germain this month, despite reported interest from clubs in Italy.
– Arsenal have reportedly launched a £3.7 million bid for Borussia Dortmund’s Kevin Grosskreutz.
– Manchester United are interested in signing PSG defender Marquinhos, according to the player’s agent
– Paul Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola says that the midfielder will be staying in Turin until the summer.
– Manchester United are reportedly keen on signing AC Milan’s highly-rated youngster Hachim Mastour.
– PSG boss Laurent Blanc insists he want to keep midfielder Adrien Rabiot at the club despite interest from Tottenham.
– David Moyes has admitted he would love to bring Real Madrid midfielder Asier Illarramendi back to Real Sociedad.
– Vincenzo Montella said Chelsea can only sign Juan Cuadrado from Fiorentina by paying his release clause. “The issue around Cuadrado is very simple: he has a buy-out clause, which was written into his contract along with the club. If a team comes along and pays it, and the player wants to leave, then he can go. This clause expires during the last few days of the transfer window, but as far as we are concerned the player is not for sale.” Montella said
– Aston Villa are reportedly willing to sell Fabian Delph this month, but only if they receive £4million.
– Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has hinted that defender Sergio Ramos is on the verge of signing a new deal at the Bernabeu.
– According to reports, Serie A side Inter Milan have approached PSG in recent days about a possible exchange deal involving Ezequiel Lavezzi and Fredy Guarin.
– Parma confirmed they are “seriously thinking about” signing Argentine striker Lisandro Lopez.
Football tit bits:
– Jose Mourinho said he was “ashamed” by Chelsea’s “unacceptable” FA Cup fourth-round exit, but praised Bradford for their giant-killing act in a 4-2 win at Stamford Bridge. After Chelsea’s hopes of challenging for an unprecedented quadruple were ended, he said: “In this moment I feel happy for them. I could find in my bad feeling with the game and with the result space to feel happy for them. I’m honest. By another side I feel ashamed and I think the players should feel exactly the same as I feel. By one side this is the beauty of football, the beauty of the FA Cup. It happens more in the FA Cup than any other country. [But] I repeat the word that I used yesterday in case we lost — it’s a disgrace. A sporting disgrace, but it’s a disgrace. I know in the history of this competition it happens to every team now and again. For me it’s the first time and I think it’s unacceptable to lose against a team from a lower league.” Mourinho said
– Cristiano Ronaldo has issued an apology after his sending off in the 2-1 win for Real Madrid over Cordoba. “I apologise to everyone and especially Edimar for my thoughtless action in today’s game,” the tweet said.
– Brendan Rodgers admits he overlooked Mario Balotelli for Liverpool’s FA Cup fourth round 0-0 draw with Bolton Wanderers at Anfield because the Italian striker is not working well enough in training and does not fit into his current style of play.
– Algerian football legend Rabah Madjer berated Fennecs head coach Christian Gourcuff, saying he does not have any experience in African football. “Gourcuff doesn’t have any experience in African gootball because this is the first time he is taking the charge of a team in Africa. The players lost their way and failed to play as a team so they became less dangerous against Ghana. The Algerian team have very good players, but they could not play as a team and that’s a big problem.” Madjer said
– Democratic Republic of Congo captain Youssouf Mulumbu will undergo a scan on a hamstring injury that threatens his further participation in the African Nations Cup.
AFCON 2015 Group D results:
Cote d’Ivorie 1-1 Mali
Cameroon 1-1 Guinea
AFCON 2015 Group A fixtures:
Congo V Burkina Faso
Equatorial Guinea V Gabon
FA Cup Saturday results:
Blackburn Rovers 3-1 Swansea City
Birmingham City 1-2 West Bromwich Albion
Cardiff City 1-2 Reading
Chelsea 2-4 Bradford City
Derby County 2-0 Chesterfield
Manchester City 0-2 Middlesbrough
Preston North End 1-1 Sheffield United
Southampton 2-3 Crystal Palace
Sunderland 0-0 Fulham
Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 Leicester City
Liverpool 0-0 Bolton Wanderers
FA Cup fixtures(January 25th):
Bristol City V West Ham United
Aston Villa V AFC Bournemouth
Brighton & Hove Albion V Arsenal
Here are the top transfer rumours, done deals and football transfer gist making the rounds as compiled by our man Paul Ayorinde. We also got AFCON 2015 Daily results and fixtures plus FA CUP Round Fixtures and results
you can follow Paul on twitter: @El_Pauleta on twitter and also follow @NewFanzone and we will follow you right back, lets keep the discussion going
Done Deal:
– Karim Rossi has left Hull to join Belgian Pro League side Zulte Waregem on a free transfer.
– Leeds have completed the signing of Sol Bamba from Palermo until the end of the season.
– Watford have announced they have completed a deal for Wigan’s Ben Watson.
– Liverpool Ladies have completed signing of Asisat Oshoala from Nigerian Women Premier League side Rivers Angels.
Today’s football reports and transfer rumours:
– According to reports,Crystal Palace are nearing a deal to sign Senegal left-back Pape Souare from Lille
– Aston Villa have ended their attempts to sign Manchester City’s Scott Sinclair as manager Paul Lambert admitted he won’t be buying the winger in this transfer window.
– Shakhtar Donetsk are demanding 30 million pounds from Chelsea for midfielder Douglas Costa
– Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti says he has full confidence in Asier Illarramendi and wants to keep him at the club, despite reports the midfielder is set to move during the January transfer window.
– According to reports,Wojciech Szczesny’s position has been cast into doubt after it emerged that Arsenal are monitoring Norberto Neto.
– West Ham manager Sam Allardyce have confirmed his interest in signing Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher
– According to reports, Lokomotiv Moscow striker Dame N’Doye is attracting the interest of Hull, and has been the subject of a three million euro bid.
– Hannover 96 are reportedly interested in signing Maribor defender Petar Stojanovic
– According to reports,Fiorentina are close to signing Guangzhou Evergrande striker Alberto Gilardino.
– Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho denies the club are interested in signing Juan Cuadrado. “I think he fits well in the Fiorentina squad, and the Colombia squad, [but] not in the Chelsea squad.” Mourinho said
– According to reports in the Austrian media, Manchester United will complete a £15million deal for Dynamo Kiev centre-back, Aleksandar Dragovic in the next few days.
– Reports suggest that Inter Milan have agreed a deal to sign Marcelo Brozovic
– Kingsley Coman could be key to any deal to bring Sassuolo’s Simone Zaza to Juventus, according to reports.
– Lille have abandoned their pursuit of Icelandic striker Kolbeinn Sighortsson after a bid was rejected by Ajax.
– According to reports,West Brom are in talks with Shola Ameobi over a short-term contract until the end of the season.
– AC Milan have reportedly offered €8million for Cruzeiro midfielder Everton Ribeiro.
– Dnipro insist Tottenham and Liverpool target Yevhen Konoplyanka will not leave the club this month.
– According to reports, Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher is set to make a decision on his future next week with West Ham, West Brom and Valencia all keen on signing him
– West Brom are reportedly eyeing a move for Wolves winger Bakary Sako.
– According to reports, Samuel Eto’o will have a medical with Sampdoria on Saturday in Roma before flying to Genoa to complete a move to the Serie A side.
– According to reports, Arsenal have had an offer rejected for Valencia’s Jose Luis Gaya.
– Reports suggest that Roma have agreed deal with Chelsea for Mohamed Salah, on a loan basis with an option to buy for €17million
Football tit bits:
– Football “super agent” Mino Raiola has announced his intention to challenge Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency this year. campaign. “It makes me deeply sick just to think about Blatter being re-elected. Do you want a dictator as president of FIFA or a democracy? Even a 15-year-old kid knows that the only good thing about FIFA is the video game. They need more transparency. FIFA should be for the fans, the professional and amateur footballers, but they don’t do anything for these groups. I’ll find five FAs to back me,it’s incomprehensible that some FAs still vote for Blatter. If people vote Blatter, they are voting North Korea, if they vote me, they are voting South Korea.” He said
– AC Milan players will be foaming at the mouth when they take to the field against Lazio on Saturday, according to coach Filippo Inzaghi. “Going by the physical tests, we’re in the same condition as when we beat Napoli. We know what we have to rediscover. Tomorrow you’ll see a team that will be foaming at the mouth. I don’t know if that will be enough, but we’ll try.” Inzaghi said
– Stephane M’Bia is set to make his return from injury and suspension as Cameroon bid to qualify from Group D at the Africa Cup of Nations.
– Colombia boss Jose Pekerman is confident Radamel Falcao will overcome a difficult start to life at Manchester United. “It’s a difficult period for him, but he’s a proven player with regard to his mentality and he’ll keep on working hard. I’m sure that this [difficult period] will just be temporary and he will come through it, I don’t have any doubt. The most important thing is that he is well [after his injuries]. Sometimes these situations are not easy… it’s a shame because he’s a lad we want to be playing regularly as he’s a great player, but I expect it will sort itself out soon.” Pekerman said
AFCON 2015 Group C results:
Ghana 1-0 Algeria
Senegal 1-1 South Africa
AFCON 2015 Group D fixtures:
Cote d’Ivoire V Mali
Cameroon V Guinea
THE FA CUP – FOURTH ROUND RESULTS AND FIXTURES
Friday 23rd January 2015
Cambridge 0-0 Man Utd Full time
Saturday 24th January 2015
Blackburn v Swansea 12:45
Birmingham v West Brom 15:00
Cardiff v Reading 15:00
Chelsea v Bradford 15:00
Derby v Chesterfield 15:00
Man City v Middlesbrough 15:00
Preston v Sheff Utd 15:00
Southampton v Crystal Palace 15:00
Sunderland v Fulham 15:00
Tottenham v Leicester 15:00
Liverpool v Bolton 17:30
Sunday 25th January 2015
Bristol City v West Ham 14:00
Aston Villa v Bournemouth 15:00
Brighton v Arsenal 16:00
Monday 26th January 2015
Rochdale v Stoke 20:00
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