Ronald Koeman insists his work has been paramount in saving Barcelona, but his relationship with club president Joan Laporta is yet to fully recover.

The Catalan club underwhelmed in Koeman s first term last campaign, finishing third – seven points behind champions Atletico Madrid – in LaLiga and exiting at the Champions League s last-16 stage to Paris Saint-Germain.

Barca s problems were further compounded in August, amid financial difficulties and complications with LaLiga, when Blaugrana legend Lionel Messi departed on a free and several players had to take pay cuts to allow registration of new signings.

However, despite Koeman s seemingly fragile relationship with Laporta, who went on an unsuccessful managerial replacement search in June, the Dutchman i…

Steve Clarke believes there is more to come from his Scotland team after they earned promotion to the top tier of the Nations League via a 0-0 draw with Ukraine, leapfrogging rivals England following their relegation.

Scotland approached Tuesday s match – played in Krakow, Poland – needing just a point to top Group B1 following home wins over Ukraine and the Republic of Ireland last week.

Although they managed just one shot on target against Oleksandr Petrakov s team, Scotland produced a fine rearguard action to cling on for the result they craved – also earning a spot in pot two for October s Euro 2024 qualification draw.

Topping the table means Clarke s men are already assured of a play-off place for the next European Championship.

And with Englan…

that Arsenal are considering a move for Southampton’s Calum Chambers as they prepare for life without Bacary Sagna, who looks increasingly like leaving the Emirates at the end of the season.

The 19 year old is one of a number of youth products from the Saints acclaimed academy to have broken into the first team this season.

He made his Premier League debut in the 1-0 win at West Bromwich Albion on the opening day of the season, and has gone on to make sixteen appearances in all competitions.

Should Chambers, who has been capped for England at under 19 level, make the switch he would be the third player from the South Coast club to move to the Gunners as a teenager in the past decade, with Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain transferring in 2006 and 20…

A Turkish court Friday charged nine more people in connection with a match-fixing probe, bringing to 13 the total number of suspects jailed pending trial, Anatolia news agency reported.

Among the nine men were a coach and six footballers from Turkey s second and third divisions as well as a manager and a retired player, Anatolia said.

The detailed charges against the suspects will become known when prosecutors draw up their indictment.

Another seven people were released after questioning, Anatolia said.

The authorities have imposed a media blackout on the probe, handled by prosecutors in Istanbul, Turkey s biggest city and football centre.

The operation began Wednesday as police rounded up 46 suspects across Turkey, including players from the cou…

Juventus reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League for only the second time in four years after a 1-0 win over 10-man Porto gave them a 3-0 aggregate victory.

The Italian champions 2-0 win in Portugal three weeks earlier ensured they went into the second leg in a comfortable position, and there was to be no miraculous fightback from Porto when Maxi Pereira was sent-off for deliberate handball after 40 minutes.

His indiscretion allowed Paulo Dybala to score from the penalty spot and Juventus went on to keep their sixth clean sheet in eight Champions League matches, extending an unbeaten run of home games that reaches back to August 2015.

Beaten finalists in 2015, Juventus have failed to win Europe s top competition since 1996 but Massimiliano Allegri s si…

Cristiano Ronaldo has been left out of Portugal s first squad since the World Cup.

The Portugal captain will not be available for their Nations League match against Italy on September 10.

Ronaldo, who joined Juventus from Real Madrid in July, was not expected to be in the squad.

Coach Fernando Santos previously indicated he hoped Ronaldo would opt to play on, however.

I am convinced that he has a lot to give in football, Santos said after Portugal s World Cup exit. There is a tournament in September, the Nations League, and we hope that he is with us so that he can help the young players who will need their captain s example.

Ronaldo s agent Jorge Mendes described the decision to name Luka Modric as the Champions League s best player in 2017-18,…

Erling Haaland feels like he belongs to the Premier League as much as he does Manchester City, believes Jamie Carragher.

The Norway international continued his stunning start to life in the English top flight with another hat-trick in Sunday s 6-3 derby demolition job against Manchester United.

It was the Leeds-born attacker s third consecutive three-goal haul in a home league game – a competition first – and furthers his tally for the season to 14 in eight games.

Now, former Liverpool defender Carragher, speaking as a Sky Sports pundit, feels the 22-year-old s talents are something to be savoured by fans up and down the country rather than just at one club.

He s not just City s, he s the Premier League s [player], Carragher said on Monday Night Foot…

The Premier League has confirmed away fans will not be allowed to attend fixtures staged in the final two rounds of the 2020-21 season.

With a further relaxing of coronavirus restrictions scheduled in the United Kingdom on May 17, up to 10,000 supporters will be allowed inside grounds to watch games again.

The penultimate set of top-flight fixtures had been pushed back to midweek dates as a result, thereby making sure all clubs have one home outing under the new guidelines.

However, visiting fans will not be permitted inside the stadiums, a decision taken to make sure there is consistency across the board for all 20 teams.

The Premier League last week confirmed fixtures have been rescheduled to provide an opportunity for each club to host one home ga…

Owner Flavio Augusto da Silva has tipped Orlando City to become the next success story in MLS ahead of the franchise s 2015 debut.

The Florida side became the 21st MLS franchise when it was confirmed on Tuesday that City will join in two years time in what will be the league s 20th season.

City, founded in 2010, were crowned USL Pro League champions for a second time in three years in September and will move into a new stadium in readiness for joining the MLS.

Da Silva is confident City can make the step up and is thrilled at the prospect of becoming part of the MLS.

Orlando is a special city with amazing fans that have embraced the beautiful game and we have no doubt that Orlando City will become the next success story in MLS, he said.

We would like to t…

Palermo have officially completed the signing of young defender Ezequiel Munoz from Argentine giants Boca Juniors. The 19 year old centre half has joined the Sicilian outfit on a five year contract. Munoz has been linked with several big European clubs in the past, most notably Palermo s Serie A rivals Fiorentina and big spending English outfit Man City.

Munoz made his debut for Boca Juniors against Estudiantes de La Plata in the 2009 Clausura. He was in line to make his maiden appearance for the Argentine national team in a friendly against Panama last year, but had to pull out due to injury.

[Source:- Palermo]

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