Charlton fans convince energy drink Coco5 to rule out making commercial deal with the club as part of protests against owner Roland Duchatelet February 23, 2016 Charlton have missed out on a potential commercial deal after their own fans persuaded a possible partner not to work with the Championship club. Energy drink brand Coco5 ruled out a financial arrangement with Charlton after being bombarded with social media messages from Addicks fans upset at the way their club is being run. Supporters [...]
Fifa elections 2016 candidates: Everything you need to know about Sheikh Salman, Gianni Infantino, Prince Ali, Tokyo Sexwale and Jerome Champagne February 23, 2016 Now the disgraced Sepp Blatter has finally been given the boot, Fifa will elect its first new president since 1998 next week with five candidates in the running for football's top job. The diverse ballot list features a former anti-apartheid campaigner, two members of gulf state royal families, a former French diplomat and a bilingual [...]
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino should follow Manchester City manager Mauricio Pellegrini’s lead and prioritise the biggest competitions February 23, 2016 Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino cannot have failed to notice the furore that greeted Manchester City’s rotation policy as the Argentinian ponders team selection for Thursday's match against Fiorentina. Read more: Chelsea dump much-changed Man City out of FA Cup City boss Manuel Pellegrini has been pilloried this week after his experiment of fielding six teenagers [...]
Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu wants Europe’s biggest clubs to be given wildcard entry into the Champions League February 23, 2016 Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has backed the idea of the Champions League offering wildcard entries to elite European clubs who fail to qualify for the competition. Members of the European Club Association (ECA), the representative group of the continent's biggest clubs, tabled the idea of offering wildcards as a way of ensuring well-supported teams [...]
Former Manchester United man signs huge Adidas sponsorship deal worth £31m over 10 years February 23, 2016 Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba is set to sign a 10-year sponsorship deal with Adidas worth an eye-watering £31m, after spending years resisting being tied down to a particular sportswear brand. The Juventus star has so far not been affiliated to any one brand and has been happy to sport an assortment of different [...]
Fifa election: Vast majority of fans “have no confidence” in scandal-ridden governing body but would prefer Gianni Infantino over Prince Ali or Sheikh Salman as new president February 23, 2016 Less than a quarter of football fans retain any confidence in Fifa, according to a new poll conducted ahead of this week's vote to elect Sepp Blatter's successor as president. In a poll of over 25,000 fans from 28 countries, 69 per cent said they did not have confidence in Fifa, 12 per cent were [...]
Fifa election 2016 candidate Prince Ali’s lawyers attempt to suspend Friday’s vote with request to CAS February 23, 2016 Lawyers representing Prince Ali bin al Hussein, a candidate in Friday's election for Fifa president, are attempting to have the vote suspended. The Jordanian prince's lawyers have submitted an official request to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to suspend the election after his request for transparent voting booths was rejected by Fifa. Prince [...]
Shrewsbury Town 0, Manchester United 3: We needed help from Europa League conquerors FC Midtjylland to make FA Cup progress, admits Van Gaal February 22, 2016 Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal admitted that playmaker Juan Mata’s contentious free-kick was stolen from Europa League conquerors FC Midtjylland after the 11-time FA Cup winners cruised past League One strugglers Shrewsbury Town. A second-half strike from Jesse Lingard complemented goals in the opening period by Chris Smalling and Mata as United set up [...]
All I say is ‘abracadabra’ and Messi, Suarez and Neymar conjure magic, says Enrique as Barcelona bid to outgun Arsenal February 22, 2016 Barcelona boss Luis Enrique revelled in the ease of conjuring magic from his aces in the pack Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar as the lethal striking trident bid to outgun Arsenal. Messi, Suarez and Neymar have netted an astonishing 91 goals between them this season, while reigning European champions and La Liga leaders Barcelona [...]
Arsenal v Barcelona: Arsene Wenger admits Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez-inspired Catalan giants are almost perfect but insists the Gunners can cause a Champions League upset February 22, 2016 Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admits his team must rediscover their ruthless streak if they are to pull off a Champions League upset on Tuesday against a Barcelona team he rates as “not far from perfect”. Barca, propelled by the free-scoring triumvirate of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez, are strongly fancied to condemn the Gunners [...]