Archive | July 2016

Marcelo Bielsa is Lazio’s new coach….

Marcelo Bielsa

Lazio have appointed former Argentina boss Marcelo Bielsa as manager. The 60-year-old Argentine, whose most recent managerial position was in France with Marseille, will start work on 9 July. Lazio finished eighth in Serie A last season, but had been without a permanent manager since Stefano Pioli was sacked in April. Bielsa led Argentina to an Olympic gold medal in 2004, before guiding Chile to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. He took Athletic Bilbao to the 2012 Europa League and Copa del Rey finals, but had been without a club since leaving Marseille in August 2015.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan joins Manchester United….

Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Jose Mourinho

Manchester United have signed Armenia midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan from German club Borussia Dortmund. The 27-year-old joins United for an undisclosed fee on a four-year deal, with the option of a further year. The Armenia captain was the 2015-16 Bundesliga player of the season and scored 23 goals in all competitions. “Henrikh is a real team player with great skill, vision and also has a good eye for goal,” manager Jose Mourinho told United’s official website. “I am delighted he has chosen to sign for United. “I believe he will make an impact on the team very quickly as his style of play is suited to the Premier League. “We are all looking forward to working with him.” Mkhitaryan said he is “very proud” to sign for Manchester United, adding: “This move is a dream come true for me. “I am excited to play for a club with such an illustrious history and hope to be part of it for a long time. “I thank the trust the club and Jose Mourinho have put in me. “Finally, I believe playing for such a great club honours my father’s memory, and the inspiration and drive he gave to me when I was young.” Mkhitaryan made 140 appearances and scored 41 goals for Dortmund after joining them for £23.5m in 2013. He is the son of one of Armenia’s most famous footballers, Hamlet Mkhitaryan, and won the first of his 59 caps for his country a week before his 18th birthday.

Anthony Ujah set to join Chinese side Liaoning FC….

Anthony Ujah

Nigerian striker Anthony Ujah is set to join Chinese first division club Liaoning FC from Werder Bremen. The German Bundesliga side said on its website that the clubs have agreed a fee for the 25-year-old, who is expected to have a medical imminently. Ujah joined Bremen from Cologne in May 2015 and scored 14 goals in 35 games. The forward, who has six Nigeria caps, courted controversy at Cologne when he pulled the horns of the club’s goat mascot after scoring a goal.

Oscar Pistorius sentenced to six years in jail….

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South African Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius has been sentenced to six years in prison for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2013. It comes after his initial five-year conviction for manslaughter was changed to murder last December on appeal. He was taken immediately to jail. Both the prosecution and defence can appeal, but his lawyers say they will not. Pistorius, 29, shot Reeva Steenkamp four times through a locked toilet door in February 2013. He admitted shooting her, but said he had mistaken Ms Steenkamp for an intruder and acted out of fear. In an hour-long session, Judge Thokozile Masipa said mitigating circumstances, such as rehabilitation and remorse, outweighed aggravating factors for deviating from the prescribed 15-year sentence.

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Messi given 21-month jail term….

Barcelona football player Lionel Messi is seen arriving at court to declare for tax fraud case on June 2, 2016 in Barcelona, Spain.

Barcelona soccer star Lionel Messi has been sentenced to 21 months in prison after a court in Barcelona found him guilty of three counts of tax fraud, a statement from the court said on Wednesday. The court also sentenced the Argentine soccer player’s father, Jorge, to 21 months in prison for the same three crimes. The sentence can be appealed through the Spanish supreme court, the statement said. However, under Spanish law a prison sentence under two years can be served under probation, meaning Messi and his father are unlikely to go to jail.The court ordered Messi to pay a fine of around 2 million euros and his father to pay 1.5 million euros for the crimes.

Martino quits as Argentina head coach….

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Gerardo Martino has resigned as head coach of Argentina. The 53-year-old departs just days after Argentina lost on penalties to Chile in the Copa America final. In a statement Martino indicated he quit because of a “lack of decisions” at the head of the Argentine FA (AFA) and “serious problems” in selecting a squad for the Olympics. The Argentine managed his country from August 2014, after previously coaching Barcelona. Last month’s Copa America defeat was the second time Argentina finished runner-up to Chile in the competition during Martino’s reign. Star player Lionel Messi – who missed a penalty in the final shootout – retired following the match, saying it “hurt not to be a champion”. A host of other leading Argentina players are reportedly close to quitting the national team, although there has been no confirmation of further retirements. Martino has also struggled to choose an 18-man squad for the Olympic football tournament in Rio, which starts on 3 August – two days before the Games formally commence.

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Venus & Serena Williams through to Wimbledon 2016 semi-finals….

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Five-time champion Venus Williams reached the Wimbledon semi-finals for the first time since 2009 with victory over Kazakhstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova. Eighth seed Williams – at 36 the oldest Grand Slam semi-finalist for 22 years – beat unseeded Shvedova 7-6 (7-5) 6-3. An all-Williams final remains possible after top seed Serena beat Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4 6-4. In Thursday’s semis, Serena will play Russia’s Elena Vesnina and Venus will take on Germany’s Angelique Kerber. “We don’t really talk too much about it but we are playing doubles later, so we are just happy to be in the semi-finals,” Serena said. Asked about a potential final meeting, she added: “It will be great. Venus is such a tough opponent I want her to win so bad – not in the final if I am there, but if I’m not, I do.” Kerber, the fourth seed, beat Romanian fifth seed Simona Halep 7-5 7-6 (7-2) in the opening match on Centre Court. Unseeded Russian Vesnina thrashed Slovakian 19th seed Cibulkova 6-2 6-2 in the remaining quarter-final on court one.

AC Milan sold to Chinese consortium….

A supporter of the AC Milan football club wears a jersey of the honorary president of the club Silvio Berlusconi

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi says he has sold the soccer club AC Milan to a Chinese consortium. Berlusconi, who owns the Serie A team, made the remarks to local newspapers on Tuesday. He said they will be paying at least €400m over the next two years, which may value the club at up to €750m including debt. “Milan has now embarked on this path towards China,” he said without disclosing the identity of the buyers. However other media outlets, citing their own sources, said the terms of the deal are still being finalised. Berlusconi, 79, has served as prime minister four times but was convicted of tax fraud and bribery. His family holding company Fininvest reportedly entered into exclusive talks with the Chinese investor group in May. The consortium is looking to buy 80% of the club immediately before eventually taking over the remainder. The deal could even result in the soccer club being listed in China, according to Reuters news agency.

Torres signs new Atletico deal….

Fernando Torres

Atletico Madrid have announced that striker Fernando Torres has signed a new one-year contract at the Liga club. Torres, 32, was a free agent after his contract expired in the summer, but it had been suggested he would prolong his stay at his boyhood club. The Spain international returned to Atletico on a two-year loan deal from AC Milan in 2014 and last season he helped the club finish third in La Liga and reach the final of the Champions League, which they lost on penalties to Real Madrid. Last season, Torres scored 11 league goals in 30 appearances and netted once in Europe. He said on the club’s official website: “I am happy to be here. I never had any doubts about where I wanted to be during the course of this process — even though we didn’t know what was going to happen. In the end, the important thing is that I got what I had hoped for.”

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Schweinsteiger injury blow….

Bastian Schweinsteiger

Manchester United’s Bastian Schweinsteiger is a major doubt for Germany’s Euro 2016 semi-final against France on Thursday after sustaining a knee injury. Schweinsteiger replaced Sami Khedira during the first half of the quarter-final victory over Italy and played on despite taking a heavy knock. “It’s a really bitter blow when important players are sidelined at the crucial stage of the tournament,” said Germany boss Joachim Low. “It was clear we would need Bastian over the course of the tournament. He did well, he worked hard and it was important to have his experience on the pitch. You need different players in such a tournament.”

Leicester agree Musa deal….

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Premier League champions Leicester City have agreed a deal with CSKA Moscow to sign Nigeria forward Ahmed Musa, according to the player’s agent. The 23-year-old, who joined CSKA in 2012 and scored 54 goals in 168 games, is set to sign for what could be a Foxes club-record fee. “Everything has been finalised and Musa will be in England for his medical on Wednesday,” Tony Harris said. Musa is believed to have turned down Southampton, Everton and West Ham. CSKA Moscow coach Leonid Slutsky admitted the Nigerian, who can play as winger or striker, is on his way out of the club. “He’ll be leaving on Tuesday,” Slutsky told the Russian media. “And if you look at the way things are done over there you’ll see he is a player just made for English football.” Musa, Nigeria’s Vice Captain, made his international debut against Madagascar in September 2010 and has scored 11 times in 58 appearances for the Super Eagles. He scored twice in Nigeria’s 3-2 loss to Argentina at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. In doing so he became the first Nigerian to score twice at a finals match and his first goal was his country’s fastest goal at the tournament, coming after only four minutes.

Mourinho starts first official day at Man U….

Jose Mourinho

Jose Mourinho has started his first official day as Manchester United boss. According to the Manchester Evening News, the former Chelsea manager arrived at Manchester Piccadilly on Sunday and stayed in a city centre hotel before setting off for United’s Carrington training base this morning. Mourinho posted a picture of him arriving in Manchester on his Instagram account.

Mikel Arteta to join Guardiola at Manchester City….

Mikel Arteta is to join Manchester City in a coaching role and confirmed he had retiring from playing. “Following recent media speculation surrounding my future I can confirm that I will be leaving Arsenal and retiring from playing to take up a coaching position at Manchester City,” the 34-year-old wrote on Twitter. “I’ve enjoyed an amazing five years at Arsenal and it’s been an honour and a privilege to captain such a great club. “I am now looking forward to the challenge ahead at Manchester City. The opportunity to join Pep Guardiola and his team was an amazing opportunity for me and I am incredibly excited for the future.” The former Rangers and Everton midfielder was at Barcelona when the City manager, Guardiola, was in the first team and the two have reunited at the Etihad Stadium.

Takuma Asano joins Arsenal….

Takuma Asano

Arsenal are to sign the Japan striker Takuma Asano from the J-League club Sanfrecce Hiroshima. The 21-year-old made his international debut in August last year and has made five appearances. The forward is expected to be named in Japan’s squad for the Olympic Games in Rio. “Takuma is a talented young striker and very much one for the future,” Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, said. “He has had an impressive start to his career in Japan and we look forward to him developing over the next couple of years.” The forward boosts Arsenal’s attacking options after their pursuit of Jamie Vardy ended in failure. “Vardy has decided to stay at Leicester and good luck to him,” Wenger said. “He came late to the game and in fairness Leicester bought him from Fleetwood and he has been successful. He is 29 and he has chosen to stay at Leicester. You have to respect that.” Asano, whose transfer is subject to a medical, is expected to train with the first‑team squad. He becomes the third Japanese player to play under Wenger at Arsenal, following the midfielders Junichi Inamoto and Ryo Miyaichi. He joins Granit Xhaka in signing for Arsenal this summer.

Nampalys Mendy joins Leicester City….

Nampalys Mendy

Leicester City have signed Nampalys Mendy from Nice on a four-year contract. The 24-year-old becomes the Premier League champions’ third summer signing, following Ron-Robert Zieler and Luis Hernández. Although the fee is undisclosed, Leicester are understood to have paid around £10m for the midfielder, who said: “I am very happy to come to Leicester. The team have just enjoyed a great season and it’s excellent to be here. For me I want to play at this level. I like the Premier League and I follow every match. It’s fast and physical and I want to impose myself on the league. “I know the coach [Claudio Ranieri], I know his mentality and I know his philosophy. When he speaks it’s direct and clear and I like this.” Mendy began his career with Monaco, where he played every game under Ranieri during the 2012-13 season en route to winning the Ligue 2 title. Mendy is regarded as a similar player to N’Golo Kanté, who has a £20m release clause in his contract and has attracted interest from Chelsea and Paris-Saint Germain. The central midfielder, who has been capped by France at under-21 level, helped Nice to fourth in Ligue 1 last season and played in every match for Claude Puel’s side.

Guardiola optimistic as he is unveiled at Etihad Stadium….

New Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says he moved to the Premier League to prove himself in England. Around 7,000 fans turned up at Etihad Stadium to hear the 45-year-old speak for the first time as City manager. “That is why I am here. I proved myself in Barcelona and after I proved myself in Germany I wanted to prove myself in England,” he said. “I cannot do that alone. I need the players, the staff. We need our fans. Without that, it is impossible.” The Spaniard joins City after three years at Bayern Munich where he won a hat-trick of Bundesliga titles but failed to reach a Champions League final. However, the former Spain international midfielder did win that tournament twice during his four years as Barcelona boss. He believes that a strong team spirit will be integral to City’s success. “I like the players who don’t just think for themselves but think about Manchester City,” said Guardiola. “We are all the people who are working here. The reason we are here is thinking ‘what can we do to make this club a better club’. “I don’t want the guys to think about what the club can do for them. We are here to make Manchester City a better club in the next three, four, five years.” He added: “One of the reasons I decided to come to Manchester City is I know from (sporting director) Txiki Begiristain how good they are working with the young players – 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, they grow and grow and imagine they can join us in the first team.”

Michy Batshuayi joins Chelsea….

Chelsea have signed Belgium striker Michy Batshuayi from Marseille on a five-year contract. The 22-year-old is new manager Antonio Conte’s first signing at Stamford Bridge. The fee was not disclosed by Chelsea but is believed to be 40m euros. The forward, who scored 23 goals for Marseille last season, scored in Belgium’s last-16 win over Hungary at Euro 2016 and also came on in their quarter-final exit to Wales. “I am delighted to sign for one of the biggest clubs in Europe,” said Batshuayi. “[My Belgium team-mates] Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois have told me many good things about the club, and with Antonio Conte coming in, it’s an exciting time to become a Chelsea player.” Batshuayi signed for Marseille from Standard Liege in 2014 and made his international debut in March 2015 in a 5-0 Euro 2016 qualifying win against Cyprus. Against Hungary, he scored with his first touch after coming on as a substitute, converting a cross from his new club team-mate Eden Hazard.

Iheanacho talks about Rio Olympics and Guardiola….

Kelechi Iheanacho will not take part in the Rio Olympics with Nigeria, after leaving it up to Manchester City to make the final decision on his participation. Iheanacho, 20, was named in Nigeria’s 35-man provisional squad for the 2016 Games, but, unlike at previous tournaments, clubs are not obliged to release players to take part. The striker has been informed by City that he will join up with the first team for preseason training ahead of this summer’s tour to China instead. Iheanacho told reporters: “It’s up to the club and country to decide. If your country wants you to play, you really want to go and play as well. It’s not my intention to decide. As I said it’s not my opinion.” The decision to miss out on the Olympics means the forward, who scored 12 goals for City last season, will get the chance to impress new boss Pep Guardiola in preseason. Iheanacho is yet to meet Guardiola but admits he is excited by his arrival and will be working hard to make an impression on his new boss.

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Deeney signs new five-year deal at Watford….

Troy Deeney

Watford captain Troy Deeney has signed a new five-year contract. The striker, who scored 13 league goals last season, had been linked with a move to Premier League champions Leicester City. “This club really means business and I want to be part of this,” said Deeney, who joined the Hornets from Walsall in a £500,000 deal in 2010. Watford have also signed Genk defender Christian Kabasele on a five-year deal for a fee believed to be about £6m. The 25-year-old is part of Belgium’s squad at Euro 2016, but has yet to make his international debut. Last season, Kabasele was the only outfield player in the Belgian Pro League to play every minute in both the regular season and play-offs. In total, the 6ft 1ins centre-back played 81 times for Genk after joining on a free from KAS Eupen in 2014. Meanwhile, Hornets defender Gabriele Angella has joined Udinese on a permanent transfer, having failed to appear in the Premier League last season and instead going on loan to Championship side QPR. The 27-year-old joined Watford in 2013 and made 82 appearances, scoring 10 goals, and helping them win promotion to the top flight in 2015.