Chelsea have signed a 15-year kit deal with Nike worth £60m a season. Adidas was paying Chelsea £30m a season, but it will be replaced by Nike from next season. In May, Chelsea told Adidas they would be terminating their deal six years early in 2017. The west London club paid Adidas a £40m fee in order to curtail the agreement. Chelsea wanted to leave Adidas because the club were unhappy that they were receiving less than half of the £75m per year that Manchester United were receiving from the German multinational.

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Everton boss Ronald Koeman has spoken of the time he spent with Pep Guardiola when the two were at Barcelona during their playing days, saying how he taught the then young Spaniard everything he knows. Speaking to the Mirror, Koeman recalled his time with Guardiola and paid tribute to the Manchester City boss’ eagerness to learn and develop in his playing days. The two men will face off as managers this weekend when Koeman’s Everton side travel to the Etihad Stadium to take on the league leaders. The two managers are believed to be good friends, having met at the Nou Camp over 20 years ago and Koeman revealed how their paths had first crossed. He said: “[Then-Barcelona boss Johan] Cruyff had seen this young player in the academy, seen him develop into a decent player in the reserves and he thought the time was there to draft him into the first-team squad.  According to Cruyff this boy was very bright, he had a quick brain and he needed a more experienced player to look after him. I told him it was fine (to have him as my new roommate).”

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Milovan Rajevac has resigned as coach of Algeria after only two matches in charge of the Desert Foxes. His decision follows a 1-1 draw at home to Cameroon on Sunday in Group B of 2018 World Cup qualifying. The 62-year-old Serb met with the Algeria Football Federation president Mohamed Raouraoua on Tuesday to discuss the result, and his departure was announced shortly afterwards. Rajevac replaced Frenchman Christian Gourcuff, who left the job in April. Algeria’s next 2018 World Cup qualifier is away to Nigeria on 12 November. Only the group winners will qualify for the tournament in Russia.

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Tyson Fury has vacated his WBO and WBA world heavyweight titles to deal with his “medical treatment and recovery”. The Briton, 28, has admitted taking cocaine to deal with depression and looked set to lose his boxing licence. He has not fought since beating Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015 and has twice withdrawn from scheduled rematches. “I now enter another big challenge in my life which I know, like against Klitschko, I will conquer,” Fury said. “I feel that it is only fair and right and for the good of boxing to keep the titles active.

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Aston Villa have named former Hull City and Birmingham City boss Steve Bruce as their new manager. Former Manchester United captain Bruce, 55, who left Hull in July, succeeds Roberto di Matteo, who was sacked on 3 October, at Villa Park. Bruce, who has lived in the Midlands since first joining Birmingham as a player in 1996, takes over with Villa 19th in the Championship table. His first game in charge is at home to local rivals Wolves on Saturday. Bruce will become the sixth man to pick the Villa team inside the last 12 months. He then has matches against Reading and Fulham before returning to St Andrew’s for the Blues-Villa derby on Sunday, 30 October in only his second away match. “It is one of the big clubs of this country,” said Bruce. “To be given the opportunity to manage it is terrific. “I relish the challenge of trying to take the club where it wants to go and needs to be – and try to turn around the misfortune we seem to have had over the past few years.” Villa will begin life under Bruce 10 points behind Birmingham, the team occupying the last of the four play-off places in sixth.

Steve McClaren is confirmed as Derby County’s new head coach, just 17 months after he was sacked by the Championship club. “I am excited to be back at Derby County as the club’s manager and I have a great affiliation with the club, having been here on three previous occasions,” McClaren told Derby’s official website. “I’m really delighted at the prospect of finishing what we started back in September 2013. I regret how my time at Derby ended back in 2015 and am very motivated to put things right for the club and our supporters. “My ultimate aspiration remains exactly what it was before, to take Derby County back to the Premier League.”

A power cut interrupted the World Cup qualifying match between Venezuela and Brazil in the Venezuelan city of Merida on Tuesday night. Brazil were leading 2-0 when the floodlights suddenly went dark in the 74th minute of play. The match had to be stopped for 22 minutes until some of the lighting went back on. During the blackout, some Venezuelan fans chanted anti-government slogans and called for a recall referendum.

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1860 Munich forward Ivica Olic has been suspended for two games and fined £18,000 for gambling on matches, including in the league he plays in. The German Football Association (DFB) said there was “no evidence of betting manipulation” and the 37-year-old had not bet on his own side’s matches. But its rules do not allow players to gamble, or use a third party to do so. The DFB said the bets, made between 26 August and 11 September, included nine on games in the German second division.

Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos has extended his contract until 2022. The 26-year-old, who arrived at the Bernabeu from Bayern Munich for a reported £24m in 2014, has scored four goals in 108 games for Real. Spanish newspaper AS claims Kroos’ new deal will earn him £346,000 a week.

Former referee’s chief Keith Hackett has criticised the appointment of Manchester-based referee Anthony Taylor for Monday’s meeting of Manchester United and Liverpool. Taylor lives six miles from Old Trafford, which Hackett believes could lead to allegations of partiality. “No-one is questioning his integrity,” Hackett said. “But what if something goes wrong? It would be intolerable.” Taylor has no United ties and supports National League North side Altrincham.

Romania players said cash and personal items were stolen from their hotel rooms while they were training for their World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan on Tuesday. An adviser to Romanian Football Federation told DolceSport TV: “We didn’t find out who stole the money and all the objects.” At least 12 players had cash stolen while the team masseur said his tablet had also been taken. Romania are third in the group with five points from three games, two points behind leaders Montenegro. Kazakhstan are fifth with two points.

Paris Saint-Germain and Ivory Coast defender Serge Aurier has been praised after “saving the life” of Mali forward Moussa Doumbia on Saturday.  After Doumbia was knocked unconscious in a challenge with Sunderland’s Lamine Kone, Aurier intervened to stop the Rostov player swallowing his tongue. Mali’s manager Alain Giresse added that he spoke to Aurier after the game to thank him for his “superb reactions”. Ivory Coast went on to win the home 2018 World Cup qualifier 3-1 in Bouake. “All the players realised that Doumbia was choking and was about to swallow his tongue,” Giresse told French radio station RMC. “That’s when Aurier, with one of our players, quickly put him on his side and pulled out his tongue, because he was about to lose his life.” However, Aurier later caused controversy by making a throat-slit gesture towards the crowd after his side’s third goal.

Former Manchester United great Eric Cantona has backed Jose Mourinho’s squad to get back to challenging for top honours, three years since they last won the Premier League. “It’s just the beginning. Manchester can still be champions. Jose Mourinho is a successful manager at a successful club which this year has successful players,” the former French international told Portuguese daily newspaper, Publico. “But this is an extremely difficult championship, full of great teams and great managers like Pep Guardiola,” he added.

Former Arsenal striker Marouane Chamakh has become Cardiff’s City third free-transfer signing in the past 24 hours. Chamakh, who was released by Crystal Palace at the end of last season, had previously attracted interest from Bluebirds boss Neil Warnock. The Moroccan, 32, has signed a deal until January to reunite with Warnock, who managed him at Selhurst Park. “I’m so happy to be here and work with the manager again,” Chamakh said. “I’m happy and proud to work with him here.” Chamakh joins Sol Bamba and Junior Hoilett as Warnock bolsters a squad second bottom of the Championship. The ex-Bordeaux striker thinks Cardiff can improve quickly under their new manager. “Cardiff are a side that should be on top and I think we can improve going forward,” he said. “I’m looking forward to meeting with my new team-mates and getting started. I can’t wait to score for my new team.” Warnock added: “We’ve signed Marouane on a short-term deal until January to assess his fitness. “He’s a versatile player with pedigree and somebody who impressed me during my time at Crystal Palace.” Chamakh, who has made 65 international appearances for Morocco, had a trial this summer with West Brom. Bamba, 31, has signed until 2018 and joins ex-QPR winger Hoilett at the Bluebirds.

Tyson Fury could potentially be stripped of his boxing licence at a meeting of the British Boxing Board of Control on Wednesday. Fury’s case will be discussed by officials after a reported failed drugs test in the United States and his admission in Rolling Stone magazine that he has “done lots of cocaine”. A ban is likely to expedite confirmation of a fight between Wladimir Klitschko and Anthony Joshua for the newly-vacant world heavyweight titles.

Former Nigerian and Premier League striker Yakubu is paying for entry to Boreham Wood matches this season, but still will not commit to joining the National League club. The 33-year-old ex-Everton and Nigeria forward has been training with his local club since the summer. “Yak is courteous, he comes and watches the games, he pays entrance. He’s fully on board with what I’m doing and what the club are doing,” boss Luke Garrard said. “I’m trying my hardest to get him to sign a contract. But as it stands I don’t know his current situation in terms of where he’s going or what he has planned.”

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) and Total reached an agreement today under which the Group will become the official sponsor of African football for the next eight years. Total will support CAF’s ten principal competitions, starting with the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which has a global audience. Renamed the Total Africa Cup of Nations, the tournament will be held in Gabon from January 14th to February 5th, 2017. “This partnership is a major milestone in our ongoing search for additional resources to accelerate African football’s development, bring its governance up to date, upgrade its sports infrastructure and advance its performance globally,” commented Issa Hayatou, President of the Confederation of African Football. “As a leading multinational in its field, with strong ties to Africa, Total will make a significant contribution to CAF’s initiatives to foster personal and professional growth for young Africans.”

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Tiger Woods has withdrawn from this week’s Safeway Open, saying his game is “vulnerable”. The 14-time major champion will not take part in the event, which would have been his return to competitive action after more than a year out. The American, 40, last competed in August 2015, since when he has twice had surgery on his back. Woods is planning to return in early December at the Hero World Challenge, which he hosts in the Bahamas. The former world number one, now ranked 786, said he had come to his decision after “a lot of soul searching and honest reflection”. In early September Woods had announced he would make his comeback at the Safeway Open before competing at the Turkish Airlines Open in November.

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England captain Wayne Rooney says he “understands and respects” Gareth Southgate’s decision to drop him and accepts he is no longer the first name on the team sheet. Rooney, the country’s all-time leading scorer, will hand the skipper’s armband to Jordan Henderson for Tuesday night’s World Cup Qualifier in Slovenia and be replaced in midfield by Eric Dier. With conflict and indecision over his best position, the 30-year-old has also been dropped to the bench by Jose Mourinho at Manchester United and Rooney admits he is in a “difficult” period in his career. “I’ve played 13 years non-stop for England and given everything, and the time comes when you are not the first name on the team sheet,” he said. “It is a chance for other players. I’m not denying my game in a difficult period. I’ve been on the bench the last few games for Manchester United but that’s part of football.

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Chelsea star Diego Costa was sitting down for dinner with his Spain teammates on his 28th birthday when a surprise cake was wheeled out to brighten up his international break. The pantomime villain’s usually surly features transformed themselves into an elated grin when he saw the flamboyant sparkly candle, and he gave a brief speech of gratitude before resuming his place at the table. But that wasn’t all. Slighty oddly, the squad seemingly had a whip around and decided to buy Costa, who earns a reported £185,000 a week, an LG gram ultra-thin laptop. And, judging from the striker’s delighted face, it’s just what he always wanted.