Barcelona and Argentina striker Lionel Messi was crowned World Player of the Year by world football s ruling body FIFA on Monday.
Messi, whose goals this year helped Barcelona win the Champions League final and World Club Cup final, thus succeeds Real Madrid s Cristiano Ronaldo as the world s top player, as voted by national team captains and coaches.
Messi has played a huge role in the recent success of Spanish giants Barcelona, who have won a total of six trophies in the past season including the Champions League title and the World Club Cup trophy last week.
The Argentine forward s talents were given the ultimate thumbs-up earlier this month when he was voted the winner of the Ballon d Or for the European Footballer of the Year.
On Monday Messi, 22, h…
(GSM) English giants Manchester United s parent company overall debt has swelled to £716.5million, according to latest accounts.
The company, Red Football Joint Venture Ltd, owned by the Glazer family had filed accounts for the year ending June 30 2009 showing their overall debt has gone past the £700million mark for the first time, increasing by £17million from £699million.
The biggest rise has come in the payment in kind (PIK) loans, which typically have a higher interest rate, which show a £27million increase to £202million.
Bank loans, meanwhile, have dropped by £9million to £509million.
The overall debt figure, not contained in the prospectus for a £500million bond issue released last week, illustrate why the Glazers are so keen to raise…
Thomas Tuchel has proved a very good successor to Jurgen Klopp at Dortmund but the side have strugglesd this season.
Borussia Dortmund enjoyed a 3-0 win away to Freiburg in Saturday’s German Bundesliga meeting but still haven’t cemented their Champions League spot in the table as they approach the final third of the campaign.
The likes of Hoffenheim and Hertha Berlin can draw level on points with Thomas Tuchel’s side in the next round of games should results go their way, and the risk of Dortmund dropping out of the top-three is a very real possibility. So what’s gone wrong?
Poor results against fellow elite clubs
Borussia Dortmund’s biggest problem this season has been the most obvious – they’ve had an inability to best their opponents dir…
Former Italy and AC Milan head coach Arrigo Sacchi is certain Juventus have what it takes to win the Champions League this season.
Juventus have dominated Italian football, winning five successive Serie A crowns and they are on track for another Scudetto, but the Turin giants have set their sights on European glory.
Runners-up in 2014-15, Massimiliano Allegri s Juve will face Portuguese club Porto in the last 16 of the Champions League next month.
And iconic boss Sacchi who guided Milan to back-to-back European Cup titles in 1989 and 1990 believes it is Juve s time to shine in their quest for a third Champions League trophy and first since 1996.
I am certain this can be the right year for Juventus in Europe, Sacchi said in an interview with La Stampa.
Pep Guardiola s contract as the Manchester City manager expires at the end of the season and it s still uncertain of a new one will be offered, or if he ll sign it even if it is. But at the moment, the Catalan tactician isn t thinking about the future, preferring to stay focused on each day as it comes.
If I stay here, perfect. If I don t stay here, the club will be perfect too.
Pep Guardiola has no concerns about the position Manchester City will be in after he has left the club
— Football Daily (@footballdaily)
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Reading boss Kelly Chambers has challenged her players to leave everything on the pitch when they host Women’s Super League title chasers Chelsea looking to pull off a shock result to stay up.
The Royals remain bottom on the back of a 4-1 defeat by Tottenham, but still with a mathematical chance to retain their top-flight status after Leicester were beaten at home by West Ham.
It would take an unexpected victory at the Select Car Leasing Stadium over the Blues, who are out to clinch a fourth successive title, coupled with Leicester losing at Brighton for Reading to extend their eight-year stay in the WSL.
Chambers, though, maintains her squad simply have to produce the required performance against Chelsea on Saturday – which was distinctly lacking last weeken…
Poland have parted company with manager Waldemar Fornalik, after just 13 months in the role.
Fornalik was appointed in July 2012, after former incumbent Franciszek Smuda was dismissed on the back of a poor showing at UEFA Euro 2012 on home soil, which saw the Poles fail to get out of their group.
But Fornalik paid the price for failing to guide the team to the FIFA World Cup, with losses to Ukraine and England in Group H of the UEFA qualifying section consigning Poland to fourth place.
They suffered an inconsistent campaign, having taken 13 points from their 10 matches with three wins and as many losses, but the former Ruch Chorzow insisted he would hold fond memories of his time in charge.
It was a special time for me, Fornalik said.
Many thanks to all tho…
Wolverhampton Wanderers have completed the signing of Steven Mouyokolo for an undisclosed fee from Hull City. The highly rated French defender has signed a four year contract at Molineux, with an option for a twelve month extension. Media reports place the fee to be somewhere around the £2.5m mark.
Melun born Mouyokolo started off his career with LB Châteauroux and switched to Gueugnon in 2007. A year later, he signed for US Boulogne and his performances in defence for the club caught the eye of several English clubs. Hull City won the race for his signature and Mouyokolo arrived at the KC Stadium in the summer of 2009. He made 21 appearances for the Tigers but could not prevent their relegation to the Championship.
The 23 year old is Wolves third signing of the summe…
President Josep Maria Bartomeu has been accused of going into hiding following Barcelona s Champions League humiliation at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain by former chief Joan Laporta.
Barca were stunned at the Parc des Princes as Angel Di Maria and Julian Draxler inspired PSG to a 4-0 victory in the first leg of the last-16 tie.
Laporta says that Bartomeu should have fronted up after the defeat and accepted responsibility for Barca s humiliation and was generally scathing of his tenure as president.
Speaking to RAC, he said: You feel messed up [as president].
The first reaction that comes into your head is to go out, send a message of recognition, look forward and live from repentance.
It surprised me that Bartomeu didn t come out, the pre…
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says reaching the League Cup final is all that matters as he prepares for the second leg of the semi with Stoke City.
Klopp s side head into Tuesday s clash at Anfield with a 1-0 lead from the first leg, courtesy of Jordon Ibe s winner at the Britannia Stadium earlier this month.
And Klopp whose Borussia Dortmund side walked out at Wembley in the 2013 Champions League final says a return to play under the arch is the only thing that matters against Stoke.
We have time. Tomorrow is only one target go to the final, he said in Monday s media conference. Then celebrate in your mind, because we have the next game on Saturday.
It s football, and you should not waste opportunities to win something. For the players it is really …