The verdict in former FIFA president  Sepp Blatter’s appeal against a six-year ban for unethical conduct will be announced today. The Court of Arbitration for Sport said on Friday it will publish the ruling at 3 p.m. Swiss  time. Blatter has repeatedly denied wrongdoing in authorizing a $2 million payment to Michel Platini in 2011. They claimed it was uncontracted salary for France great Platini advising Blatter from 1999 to 2002. FIFA’s ethics committee ruled the payment was a conflict of interest in 2011 — just as a
FIFA presidential election campaign was  starting — and banned both for eight years last December. FIFA’s appeal committee cut the bans to six years.

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Former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson has been appointed manager of Chinese second tier club Shenzhen FC. The 68-year-old Swede will replace former Netherlands midfielder Clarence Seedorf, who took over in July but failed to win promotion. Eriksson, who managed England between 2001 and 2006, left Chinese Super League team Shanghai SIPG in November after two years in charge. Shenzhen said they appointed Eriksson for his “rich coaching experience, advanced football philosophy and intimate knowledge of Chinese football”.

Former Chelsea striker Eidur Gudjohnsen is the latest player to offer his services to Chapecoense as the Brazilian club rebuild following the devastating plane crash in Colombia. Brazil’s leading football clubs have pledged to loan players to Chapecoense – who lost 19 players in the air disaster which killed 71 people – for free and asked for them to be safeguarded from relegation from the top flight for the next three seasons. Former Brazil forward Ronaldinho and ex-Argentina international Juan Roman Riquelme have reportedly offered to play for the club.

Saturday 3rd December, 2016:

Manchester City 1 – 3 Chelsea

Crystal Palace 3 – 0 Southampton

Stoke 2 – 0 Burnley

Sunderland 2 – 1 Leicester

Tottenham 5 – 0 Swansea

West Brom 3 – 1 Watford

West Ham 1 – 5 Arsenal

Sunday 4th December, 2016:

Bournemouth 4 – 3 Liverpool

Everton 1 – 1 Manchester United

Monday 5th December, 2016:

Middlesbrough 1 – 0 Hull City

Manchester City footballer Yaya Toure has been charged with drink driving, police have confirmed. Police said the 33-year-old of Macclesfield, Cheshire was driving in Dagenham in east London at the time of the alleged offence. Police said he was charged on Tuesday with driving while his alcohol level was above the legal limit . He has been bailed and is due to appear at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court on 13 December.

Nigeria won the women’s Africa Cup of Nations for an eighth time after a 1-0 win over hosts Cameroon in front of a capacity 40,000 crowd in Yaounde. A late goal from Desire Oparanozie was enough for Nigeria to retain the trophy they won in Namibia two years ago. The Super Falcons have dominated this competition, winning all but two of the ten editions played so far. In a repeat of the 2014 final, Cameroon finished as runners-up again despite enjoying massive home support.

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Watford boss Walter Mazzarri has insisted Odion Ighalo remains part of his plans despite the striker’s poor start to the season. Ighalo attracted the interest of a host of big clubs – and was the subject of a £37.5million bid from Chinese club Shanghai SIPG in the summer – after scoring 13 Premier League goals before the turn of the year last season. But the 27-year-old Nigeria international found the back of the net on just two occasions in the second half of Watford’s campaign, and he has scored just once in the league this term. Mazzarri said: “I speak about what I know and I speak about what I have seen so far this season. “He is a player that I like and I trust very much. “When he was in a good condition at the beginning of the year he played, and started the games. “Of course he is a player that we need.” Watford’s leading goalscorer this season is Etienne Capoue. The former Tottenham ace has scored five goals so far – three more than Ighalo and two more than Troy Deeney.

Leicester City are in advanced talks with Genk over a £14 million deal for Wilfred Ndidi, as Claudio Ranieri prepares to strengthen the struggling Premier League champions. Ranieri is close to completing a deal for the highly-rated teenager and expects to make Ndidi Leicester’s first capture of the January transfer window. Negotiations are ongoing but Leicester are confident of signing the 19-year-old in the New Year in a deal which could rise to £16 million after instalments.

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Gareth Southgate has been appointed as England manager on a four-year deal. Southgate, 46, stepped up from his role as England Under-21s manager in September following Sam Allardyce’s departure after only 67 days in charge. He oversaw two wins and two draws as interim boss and has signed a contract reportedly worth up to £2m a year. “I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the players over these past four games and I think there is huge potential,” said Southgate.

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Ghanaian Premier League campaigners Dreams FC have been demoted to Division One while Tema Youth are  promoted to the top-flight following the ruling by the Appeals Committee of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) on Wednesday. The Appeals Committee was forced by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to hear the case after Tema Youth petitioned  the Switzerland-based body claiming justice was not delivered in two previous hearings by the Disciplinary Committee of the GFA.

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Everton look set to beat Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea to  the signing of teenage starlet Ademola Lookman, according to a report.  The 19-year-old has been high on the agenda of a number of top-flight clubs after starring for Charlton Athletic, scoring 11 goals from the left side of the Addicks attack in just 30 starts  since his debut in November 2015. It was gathered that the Toffees are set to close a deal to sign the Football League wonderkid in January, despite their  Premier League rivals’ interest.

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Everton youngster Gethin Jones is weighing up an offer to play  for Australia. The 21-year-old was born Down Under but has represented  Wales at youth level. But now Jones has been given the chance to pledge his senior international future to Australia. Football Federation Australia (FFA) want Jones to switch allegiance but Wales will be determined to keep hold of the  talented defender.

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Nigeria striker Desire Oparanozie scored the only goal against a disciplined South Africa to earn her side a place in the final of the African Women’s Cup of Nations against Cameroon. South Africa started brightly but the Desiree Ellis-led side failed to capitalise on their early dominance. Oparanozie and Ngozi Okobi both had chances to put seven-time champions Nigeria ahead in the 25th minute, but goalkeeper Andile Dlamini thwarted their shots. Seven minutes later, South Africa had the ball in the net but it was ruled out for offside.

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Isaac Success is set to return to training  this week and be in contention to face West Bromwich Albion in news that will help lift any lingering gloom following the defeat to Stoke City. Success has been out for five games and six weeks, much longer than anyone expected, after picking up a muscle injury  in the win over Middlesbrough. Two trips to Barcelona to see Dr Roman Cugat and daily work with club physio Oli Leaper and therapist Giorgio Gasparini have finally restored him to  full health and put him in line to return with the rest of the main training group.

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Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has been charged by the Football Association for kicking a bottle in frustration during the 1-1 draw against West Ham at Old Trafford on Sunday. Mourinho, 53, who was sent to the stands by referee Jon Moss, was charged with improper conduct on Monday. He has until 7pm on 1 December to respond. It is the second charge for the Portuguese in two months after he was sent off against Burnley on 29 October.

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Jose Mourinho is set to make a shock move to land former player John Mikel Obi from Chelsea. Mikel, 29, has not played under new Stamford Bridge manager Antonio Conte and there are no plans to renew his contract which runs out this season. Now the Manchester United boss is ready to take advantage with a cut-price New Year offer for the player the Red Devils thought they had signed ten years ago.

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A plane carrying 81 people, including a top Brazilian football team, has crashed on its approach to the city of Medellin in Colombia, officials say. Reports say there are 25 dead and six survivors. The chartered aircraft, flying from Bolivia, was carrying members of the Chapecoense football team, airport officials said. The team was due to play in the final of the Copa Sudamericana, against Medellin team Atletico Nacional. The first leg of the final of the cup, South America’s second most important club competition, was scheduled for Wednesday, but has now been suspended.

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Saturday 26th November, 2016:

Burnley 1 – 2 Manchester City

Hull City 1 – 1 West Brom

Leicester 2 – 2 Middlebrough

Liverpool 2 – 0 Sunderland

Swansea 5 – 4 Crystal Palace

Chelsea 2 – 1 Tottenham

Sunday 27th November, 2016:

Watford 0 – 1 Stoke City

Arsenal 3 – 1 Bournemouth

Manchester United 1 – 1 West Ham

Southampton 1 – 0 Everton

• Victor Moses started for Chelsea and scored the winner at they beat Tottenham 2 – 1 at home at the Stamford Bridge. He was replaced in the 81st minute by Ivanovic.
• Victor Anichebe started for Sunderland and played full time as lost away 2 – 0 to Liverpool at the Anfield.
• Kelechi Iheanacho was an unused substitute for Manchester City as they beat Burnley 2 – 1 away at the Turf Moor.
• Alex Iwobi was an unused substitute for Arsenal as they beat Bournemouth 3 – 1 at home at the Emirates Stadium.
• Ahmed Musa came in at the 78th minute for Leicester as they lost 2 – 1 away to Watford at the Vicarage Road.
• Odion Ighalo came on for Watford in the 56th minute as they lost 1 – 0 to Stoke City at home at the Vicarage Road.
• Isaac Success was not selected for Watford’s game against Stoke City while Mikel Obi was also not selected for Chelsea’s game against Tottenham.

Former Liverpool and England captain Steven Gerrard has retired, ending a 19-year playing career. Gerrard, 36, played 710 times for the Reds, winning nine trophies, but joined MLS side LA Galaxy in 2015. The midfielder is England’s fourth most-capped player with 114 appearances and captained the side at three of the six major tournaments he played at. “I feel lucky to have experienced so many wonderful highlights over the course of my career,” said Gerrard. “I have had an incredible career and am thankful for each and every moment of my time at Liverpool, England and LA Galaxy. “I fulfilled my childhood dream by pulling on the famous red shirt of Liverpool.” Gerrard said he will take time to consider his options before making an announcement on the next stage of his career “very soon”, adding: “I am excited about the future and feel I still have a lot to offer the game, in whatever capacity that may be.”