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<div style="text-align: justify;">Cristiano Ronaldo will not be the only number seven hoping to redeem himself when his Portugal side meet Austria in their Euro 2016 group F match on Saturday. 
 
Ronaldo&#39;s less heralded opposite number for Austria, Marko Arnautovic, also came into the tournament with high hopes only to start with a below-par display made worse by a sulky attitude. 
 
Ronaldo missed a late chance, repeatedly wasted free kicks, protested to the referee and then made some unsporting comments about the opposition after Portugal drew 1-1 against rank outsiders Iceland. 
 
Arnautovic fared little better in Austria&#39;s 2-0 defeat by Hungary, losing heart as he was effectively marked out of the game. 
 
He went to ground far too easily, moaned at the match officials and his body language bore the hallmarks of a man who felt the world was against him. 
 
Arnautovic&#39;s temperament has often threatened to override his talent, with his career marked by some bizarre episodes. 
 
He famously borrowed a Bentley belonging to team mate Samuel Eto&#39;o at Inter Milan, only to have it stolen while he was eating at a restaurant. 
 
During a stint at Werder Bremen, he was pulled over for speeding in the early hours of the morning on the day of the game and he once injured his knee playing with his dog. 
 
But Austria coach Marcel Koller and his club coach Mark Hughes at Stoke City have between them managed to tame a man who was compared to a child by Jose Mourinho at Inter. 
 
Asked at a press conference earlier in the tournament how he had managed to curb Arnautovic&#39;s excesses, Koller said it was not an issue he could adequately explain &quot;in a few minutes&quot;. 
 
But he did give a feel for the efforts that have gone into keeping Arnautovic on the straight and narrow. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s always been important to look at his qualities as a footballer, he&#39;s always had ability from that perspective but he wasn&#39;t necessarily able to harness that ability on the pitch,&quot; said Koller. 
 
&quot;It is important that he has confidence even if he makes a mistake. Right from the outset, we knew we needed to support him, to try and talk to him, to try and help him to improve. 
 
&quot;I think he really has adapted very well. He has his own family, he has got a wife and two kids, he has calmed down and we are delighted he is finally able to harness his ability as a footballer on the field, and he can really help us.&quot; 
 
Koller will doubtless have his arm around Arnautovic&#39;s shoulder again in the run-up to Saturday&#39;s match.</div>

Portugal take on Austria on Saturday. Both their no. 7's have silky skills, but they haven't shown up as yet

Cristiano Ronaldo will not be the only number seven hoping to redeem himself when his Portugal side meet Austria in their Euro 2016 group F match on Saturday. Ronaldo's less heralded opposite number for Austria, Marko Arnautovic, also came into the tournament with high hopes only to start with a below-par display made worse by a sulky attitude. Ronaldo missed a late chance, repeatedly wasted free kicks, protested to the referee and then made some unsporting comments about the opposition after Portugal drew 1-1 against rank outsiders Iceland. Arnautovic fared little better in Austria's 2-0 defeat by Hungary, losing heart as he was effectively marked out of the game. He went to ground far too easily, moaned at the match officials and his body language bore the hallmarks of a man who felt the world was against him. Arnautovic's temperament has often threatened to override his talent, with his career marked by some bizarre episodes. He famously borrowed a Bentley belonging to team mate Samuel Eto'o at Inter Milan, only to have it stolen while he was eating at a restaurant. During a stint at Werder Bremen, he was pulled over for speeding in the early hours of the morning on the day of the game and he once injured his knee playing with his dog. But Austria coach Marcel Koller and his club coach Mark Hughes at Stoke City have between them managed to tame a man who was compared to a child by Jose Mourinho at Inter. Asked at a press conference earlier in the tournament how he had managed to curb Arnautovic's excesses, Koller said it was not an issue he could adequately explain "in a few minutes". But he did give a feel for the efforts that have gone into keeping Arnautovic on the straight and narrow. "It's always been important to look at his qualities as a footballer, he's always had ability from that perspective but he wasn't necessarily able to harness that ability on the pitch," said Koller. "It is important that he has confidence even if he makes a mistake. Right from the outset, we knew we needed to support him, to try and talk to him, to try and help him to improve. "I think he really has adapted very well. He has his own family, he has got a wife and two kids, he has calmed down and we are delighted he is finally able to harness his ability as a footballer on the field, and he can really help us." Koller will doubtless have his arm around Arnautovic's shoulder again in the run-up to Saturday's match.

Two sulky number sevens look for redemption

Atletico Madrid president, Enrique Cerezo, has ruled out Chelsea forward Diego Costa&#39;s possible return to the Vicente Calderon stadium this summer, despite reports suggesting otherwise. 
 
The arrival of Michy Batshuayi at Chelsea from Marseille has led to reports in England and Spain that Costa, who has scored 36 goals in 77 games since joining Chelsea in 2014, could move back to Atletico, a team he helped capture the La Liga title, a King&#39;s Cup and two Super Cups in his four years with the outfit. 
 
New Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has said the Spain international will stay put, describing him as a player of fundamental importance, and now Cerezo has ruled out his return.&nbsp;Costa is under contract at Chelsea until June 2019. 
 
&quot;He is a great player, who is very much loved, but he is a Chelsea player,&quot; Cerezo told reporters.&nbsp;&quot;The issue is as it was six months ago or even a year ago, he is a Chelsea player. I&#39;ve always said that Costa is a Chelsea player and has a contract with Chelsea. That&#39;s the end of this issue.&nbsp;The day we have a number nine we will announce it. We are looking for one and once we have him, we will announce it.&quot; 
 
The 27-year-old Costa was handed a start for Conte&#39;s first match in charge, a 2-0 pre-season defeat to Rapid Vienna on Saturday. 
 
(Reuters)

New Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has said the Spanish player will stay put, describing him as a player of fundamental importance

Atletico Madrid president, Enrique Cerezo, has ruled out Chelsea forward Diego Costa's possible return to the Vicente Calderon stadium this summer, despite reports suggesting otherwise. The arrival of Michy Batshuayi at Chelsea from Marseille has led to reports in England and Spain that Costa, who has scored 36 goals in 77 games since joining Chelsea in 2014, could move back to Atletico, a team he helped capture the La Liga title, a King's Cup and two Super Cups in his four years with the outfit. New Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has said the Spain international will stay put, describing him as a player of fundamental importance, and now Cerezo has ruled out his return. Costa is under contract at Chelsea until June 2019. "He is a great player, who is very much loved, but he is a Chelsea player," Cerezo told reporters. "The issue is as it was six months ago or even a year ago, he is a Chelsea player. I've always said that Costa is a Chelsea player and has a contract with Chelsea. That's the end of this issue. The day we have a number nine we will announce it. We are looking for one and once we have him, we will announce it." The 27-year-old Costa was handed a start for Conte's first match in charge, a 2-0 pre-season defeat to Rapid Vienna on Saturday. (Reuters)

Atletico Madrid president Cerezo rules out Costa's return this summer

Barcelona have launched a campaign in support of Lionel Messi and his father Jorge after the Argentine pair were sentenced to prison terms this week over tax fraud. 
 
The campaign, under the hashtag #WeAreAllLeoMessi, asks Barcelona fans to &quot;express their sympathy for the greatest footballer in the world by voicing their unconditional support on social networks.&quot; 
 
Messi, 29, has played his entire club career for Barcelona. 
 
&quot;We want Leo to know that he is not alone,&quot; the club said on their website (www.cfbarcelona.com). &quot;All members, supporters clubs, fans, athletes, media and everyone else are invited to participate.&quot; 
 
Club president Josep Maria Bartomeu also tweeted: &quot;Leo, those who attack you are attacking Barca and its history. We&rsquo;ll defend you to the end. Together forever!&quot; 
 
A Barcelona city court sentenced Messi and his father on Wednesday to prison terms of 21 months after they were found guilty of three counts of tax fraud, although it is unlikely they will spend time behind bars. 
 
Spanish law is such that any sentence under two years for a non-violent crime rarely requires a defendant without previous convictions to serve jail time and a spokeswoman for the court confirmed Messi was unlikely to be imprisoned. 
 
It is the second campaign in support of Messi in the last two weeks. 
 
Argentines have called on him to reverse his retirement from international football, a decision he took after his country&#39;s loss on penalties to Chile in the Copa America Centenario final in the United States on June 26. 
 
It was the fourth final in a major international tournament and third as Argentina captain that Messi has been on the losing side, including the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. 
 
(Reuters)

Under the hashtag #WeAreAllLeoMessi, the campaign asks Barcelona fans to voice their support 'for the greatest footballer in the world'

Barcelona have launched a campaign in support of Lionel Messi and his father Jorge after the Argentine pair were sentenced to prison terms this week over tax fraud. The campaign, under the hashtag #WeAreAllLeoMessi, asks Barcelona fans to "express their sympathy for the greatest footballer in the world by voicing their unconditional support on social networks." Messi, 29, has played his entire club career for Barcelona. "We want Leo to know that he is not alone," the club said on their website (www.cfbarcelona.com). "All members, supporters clubs, fans, athletes, media and everyone else are invited to participate." Club president Josep Maria Bartomeu also tweeted: "Leo, those who attack you are attacking Barca and its history. We’ll defend you to the end. Together forever!" A Barcelona city court sentenced Messi and his father on Wednesday to prison terms of 21 months after they were found guilty of three counts of tax fraud, although it is unlikely they will spend time behind bars. Spanish law is such that any sentence under two years for a non-violent crime rarely requires a defendant without previous convictions to serve jail time and a spokeswoman for the court confirmed Messi was unlikely to be imprisoned. It is the second campaign in support of Messi in the last two weeks. Argentines have called on him to reverse his retirement from international football, a decision he took after his country's loss on penalties to Chile in the Copa America Centenario final in the United States on June 26. It was the fourth final in a major international tournament and third as Argentina captain that Messi has been on the losing side, including the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. (Reuters)

Barcelona launch campaign backing sentenced Messi

Slovakia forward Vladimir Weiss is backing his country to beat England in their crucial Euro 2016 Group B game.&nbsp;The teams meet on Monday in Saint-Etienne with both sides looking to book a place in the last 16 of the competition. 
 
&quot;We have beaten big teams before and if we play at our best we can beat anyone, even England,&quot; said Weiss. 
 
England currently top the group with four points, one point ahead of third-placed Slovakia.&nbsp;A draw could be enough for both teams to progress but a defeat for either team in the high-stakes match could see one of them return home. 
 
The sides will approach the game with confidence having both won their second group matches 2-1 -- England against Wales and Weiss&#39;s Slovakia against Russia. 
 
&quot;The win against Russia gives us a lot of confidence going into the last game.&nbsp;We needed a win and we&#39;re very happy that we got it.&nbsp;I am sure England have seen our game against Russia and they know we will give it everything to get something from the final game to qualify,&quot; he told the website of Qatar&#39;s World Cup organising committee, the Supreme Committee for Delivery &amp; Legacy. 
 
Weiss currently plays his team football in Qatar with Al-Gharafa.&nbsp;With the opening goal against Russia, Weiss made history by becoming the first-ever player based outside Europe to score at the championships since they were first contested in 1960. 
 
The 26-year-old former Rangers and Manchester City player said he knew was going to hit the net before he shot. 
 
&quot;Once I turned inside the two defenders, I knew I was going to score.&nbsp;I was already thinking where I would go to celebrate the goal and I went to my parents.&nbsp;I dedicated the goal to my mum, she knew I wasn&#39;t happy after the first game.&nbsp;She said my time will come, and it did,&quot; he said. 
(AFP)

The teams meet Monday in Saint-Etienne, with both sides looking to book a place in the last 16 of the competition

Slovakia forward Vladimir Weiss is backing his country to beat England in their crucial Euro 2016 Group B game. The teams meet on Monday in Saint-Etienne with both sides looking to book a place in the last 16 of the competition. "We have beaten big teams before and if we play at our best we can beat anyone, even England," said Weiss. England currently top the group with four points, one point ahead of third-placed Slovakia. A draw could be enough for both teams to progress but a defeat for either team in the high-stakes match could see one of them return home. The sides will approach the game with confidence having both won their second group matches 2-1 -- England against Wales and Weiss's Slovakia against Russia. "The win against Russia gives us a lot of confidence going into the last game. We needed a win and we're very happy that we got it. I am sure England have seen our game against Russia and they know we will give it everything to get something from the final game to qualify," he told the website of Qatar's World Cup organising committee, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy. Weiss currently plays his team football in Qatar with Al-Gharafa. With the opening goal against Russia, Weiss made history by becoming the first-ever player based outside Europe to score at the championships since they were first contested in 1960. The 26-year-old former Rangers and Manchester City player said he knew was going to hit the net before he shot. "Once I turned inside the two defenders, I knew I was going to score. I was already thinking where I would go to celebrate the goal and I went to my parents. I dedicated the goal to my mum, she knew I wasn't happy after the first game. She said my time will come, and it did," he said. (AFP)

Slovakia can beat England says goal scorer Weiss

Bayern Munich crushed Champions League newcomers Rostov 5-0 on Tuesday with two goals from youngster Joshua Kimmich to kick off their Group D campaign and set a competition record with their 13th consecutive home victory. 
 
The 21-year-old Germany international struck twice in the second half after striker Robert Lewandowski converted a 28th-minute penalty and Thomas Mueller added another goal on the stroke of half-time to kill off any chances of a Russian comeback. 
 
Kimmich&#39;s two goals in eight minutes confirmed his fine scoring form for club and country after he grabbed his first ever league goal last week and also netted in Germany&#39;s World Cup qualifier earlier this month. Juan Bernat swept home Bayern&#39;s fifth in the 90th minute. 
 
The Russians, making their first group stage appearance, defended well for the first 20 minutes but were eventually overrun by the Germans, who beat Manchester United&#39;s previous record of 12 consecutive home victories in the competition. 
 
Bayern, who gave new coach Carlo Ancelotti a winning start in the competition, next play Atletico Madrid, who beat them in last season&#39;s semi-finals. They also face PSV Eindhoven in their group. 
 
(Reuters)

21-year-old Joshua Kimmich struck twice in the second half confirming his fine scoring form for Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich crushed Champions League newcomers Rostov 5-0 on Tuesday with two goals from youngster Joshua Kimmich to kick off their Group D campaign and set a competition record with their 13th consecutive home victory. The 21-year-old Germany international struck twice in the second half after striker Robert Lewandowski converted a 28th-minute penalty and Thomas Mueller added another goal on the stroke of half-time to kill off any chances of a Russian comeback. Kimmich's two goals in eight minutes confirmed his fine scoring form for club and country after he grabbed his first ever league goal last week and also netted in Germany's World Cup qualifier earlier this month. Juan Bernat swept home Bayern's fifth in the 90th minute. The Russians, making their first group stage appearance, defended well for the first 20 minutes but were eventually overrun by the Germans, who beat Manchester United's previous record of 12 consecutive home victories in the competition. Bayern, who gave new coach Carlo Ancelotti a winning start in the competition, next play Atletico Madrid, who beat them in last season's semi-finals. They also face PSV Eindhoven in their group. (Reuters)

Bayern romp to 5-0 win over Champions League newcomers Rostov

Without the star names that have graced Italy sides in the past, coach Antonio Conte says the secret to their success at Euro 2016 has been to shun the mentality of a national team and behave like a club. 
 
Italy came into the European Championship with an ageing squad shorn of standout talents and with few tipping them for success. 
 
Their tournament performances, however, have confounded expectations and a 2-0 victory over Spain on Monday propelled them into the quarter-finals, where they will face Germany in Bordeaux on Saturday. 
 
Recent Italy teams went into major tournaments with individual talents such as Mario Balotelli or Andrea Pirlo, who attracted enormous amounts of media attention. 
 
For Conte, who has a notorious emphasis on the team ethic and industry over individuality, the way to achieve success is to mould the national team around the model of a club, where a well-drilled tactical system can stifle even the best opponents. 
 
&quot;I&#39;ve always said, right from the start of my work here with the national team, that the only road we can follow if we want a bit of success is to be like a club, to be like a team that play together every week - we cannot allow ourselves to be a selection,&quot; Conte told reporters following the victory over Spain at the Stade de France. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m happy above all for the players. It&#39;s more than a month that we&#39;ve been working tactically, technically, mentally and we&#39;ve been trying to surprise everybody and I think we&#39;ve succeeded to some extent.&quot; 
 
Spain were comprehensively snuffed out, barely posing a threat until the closing stages of the game. 
 
Conte feels next opponents Germany, however, could pose a greater challenge. 
 
The world champions cruised through the group stage and thumped Slovakia 3-0 to reach the last eight. 
 
&quot;We now face the best side at the European Championship next Saturday,&quot; Conte said. &quot;It&#39;s going to be very, very hard in all aspects. We&#39;ve got to do well to recover and prepare for Germany the best way we can. We are without Thiago Motta (suspended) and that&#39;s a big blow, also because (Daniele) De Rossi took a knock to his hip. But we know that in adversity, we give that little bit more.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The team has been winning games despite fielding an ageing squad lacking any big-name talent

Without the star names that have graced Italy sides in the past, coach Antonio Conte says the secret to their success at Euro 2016 has been to shun the mentality of a national team and behave like a club. Italy came into the European Championship with an ageing squad shorn of standout talents and with few tipping them for success. Their tournament performances, however, have confounded expectations and a 2-0 victory over Spain on Monday propelled them into the quarter-finals, where they will face Germany in Bordeaux on Saturday. Recent Italy teams went into major tournaments with individual talents such as Mario Balotelli or Andrea Pirlo, who attracted enormous amounts of media attention. For Conte, who has a notorious emphasis on the team ethic and industry over individuality, the way to achieve success is to mould the national team around the model of a club, where a well-drilled tactical system can stifle even the best opponents. "I've always said, right from the start of my work here with the national team, that the only road we can follow if we want a bit of success is to be like a club, to be like a team that play together every week - we cannot allow ourselves to be a selection," Conte told reporters following the victory over Spain at the Stade de France. "I'm happy above all for the players. It's more than a month that we've been working tactically, technically, mentally and we've been trying to surprise everybody and I think we've succeeded to some extent." Spain were comprehensively snuffed out, barely posing a threat until the closing stages of the game. Conte feels next opponents Germany, however, could pose a greater challenge. The world champions cruised through the group stage and thumped Slovakia 3-0 to reach the last eight. "We now face the best side at the European Championship next Saturday," Conte said. "It's going to be very, very hard in all aspects. We've got to do well to recover and prepare for Germany the best way we can. We are without Thiago Motta (suspended) and that's a big blow, also because (Daniele) De Rossi took a knock to his hip. But we know that in adversity, we give that little bit more." (Reuters)

Italy's Coach Conte says club mentality crucial to success

German football legend Franz Beckenbauer will be probed by Swiss prosecutors for alleged corruption during the bidding process to host the 2006 World Cup.&nbsp; 
 
The World Cup winner is suspected of money laundering and breach of trust, according to German news website Spiegel Online.&nbsp; 
 
But the&nbsp;Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) did not confirm whether they would investigate him for suspected money laundering.&nbsp; 
 
An OAG spokeswoman said more details will be divulged later in the day.&nbsp; 
 
Beckenbauer has maintained his innocence, although he admitted in 2015 that he made a mistake during the bidding process. But he said he didn&#39;t buy votes to help Germany host the 2006 World Cup. 
 
The 70-year-old was heading the organising committee responsible for Germany hosting the 2006 World Cup. 
 
In October 2016,&nbsp;Spiegel Online had alleged that German Football Association (DFB) had created a slush fund of 6.7 million Euros to buy votes during the bidding process. 
 
He is only one of two people in history to lift football World Cup as a player and a manager.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

A German news website had recently accused the football legend of money laundering during the country's bid to host the 2006 edition

German football legend Franz Beckenbauer will be probed by Swiss prosecutors for alleged corruption during the bidding process to host the 2006 World Cup. The World Cup winner is suspected of money laundering and breach of trust, according to German news website Spiegel Online. But the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) did not confirm whether they would investigate him for suspected money laundering. An OAG spokeswoman said more details will be divulged later in the day. Beckenbauer has maintained his innocence, although he admitted in 2015 that he made a mistake during the bidding process. But he said he didn't buy votes to help Germany host the 2006 World Cup. The 70-year-old was heading the organising committee responsible for Germany hosting the 2006 World Cup. In October 2016, Spiegel Online had alleged that German Football Association (DFB) had created a slush fund of 6.7 million Euros to buy votes during the bidding process. He is only one of two people in history to lift football World Cup as a player and a manager. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Beckenbauer to be probed for 2006 World Cup bid 'graft'

The Portuguese football team led by Cristiano Ronaldo returned home to a heroes welcome today after their upset triumph over France in the Euro 2016 final. 
 
Tens of thousands of fans waited for the team at Lisbon airport when their special flight arrived. There have been joyous nationwide celebrations since the 1-0 win at the Stade de France in Paris on Sunday night. 
 
Two airport fire trucks sprayed jets of water in the green and red national colours as the the plane taxied to the terminal. 
 
Ronaldo and coach Fernando Santos were first to emerge from the plane with the trophy. 
 
Man-of-the-match defender Pepe carried the prize down the steps, where the 23-man squad boarded an open-top bus to start a victory parade for the country&#39;s first major international football honour. 
 
After meeting President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the bus was to take Ronaldo and his fellow-conquerors on a tour of the capital. 
 
(AFP)

Tens of thousands of fans waited for the team at Lisbon airport, the city was one huge party pad

The Portuguese football team led by Cristiano Ronaldo returned home to a heroes welcome today after their upset triumph over France in the Euro 2016 final. Tens of thousands of fans waited for the team at Lisbon airport when their special flight arrived. There have been joyous nationwide celebrations since the 1-0 win at the Stade de France in Paris on Sunday night. Two airport fire trucks sprayed jets of water in the green and red national colours as the the plane taxied to the terminal. Ronaldo and coach Fernando Santos were first to emerge from the plane with the trophy. Man-of-the-match defender Pepe carried the prize down the steps, where the 23-man squad boarded an open-top bus to start a victory parade for the country's first major international football honour. After meeting President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the bus was to take Ronaldo and his fellow-conquerors on a tour of the capital. (AFP)

Lisbon welcomes its Europe-conquering heroes in style

Manchester United are closing in on the signing of Borussia Dortmund&#39;s Henrikh Mkhitaryan after making an &quot;improved offer&quot; for the midfielder, the Bundesliga club&#39;s CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has said. 
 
The Armenia international has been linked by British media with a move to Old Trafford under new manager Jose Mourinho. 
 
&quot;The situation is now different. Manchester have made a much improved offer,&quot; Watzke told Sport Bild magazine. 
 
&quot;In situations like this there are always a lot of different things to consider and in the end at one point we have to make a decision. 
 
&quot;As we are back in training on Monday we will decide at the weekend. I have contacted the relevant people and we will weigh things up ...then the board will make the decision.&quot; 
 
The 27-year-old scored 11 goals in 31 league games as Dortmund finished second last season and could be Mourinho&#39;s second signing at United after defender Eric Bailly&#39;s arrival from Villarreal. 
 
(Reuters)

The midfielder displayed good form for the German club which finished second in the Bundesliga last season

Manchester United are closing in on the signing of Borussia Dortmund's Henrikh Mkhitaryan after making an "improved offer" for the midfielder, the Bundesliga club's CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has said. The Armenia international has been linked by British media with a move to Old Trafford under new manager Jose Mourinho. "The situation is now different. Manchester have made a much improved offer," Watzke told Sport Bild magazine. "In situations like this there are always a lot of different things to consider and in the end at one point we have to make a decision. "As we are back in training on Monday we will decide at the weekend. I have contacted the relevant people and we will weigh things up ...then the board will make the decision." The 27-year-old scored 11 goals in 31 league games as Dortmund finished second last season and could be Mourinho's second signing at United after defender Eric Bailly's arrival from Villarreal. (Reuters)

United make 'improved offer' for Dortmund's Mkhitaryan

Juventus have signed Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain from Napoli for 90 million euros ($98.89 million), the third highest transfer fee ever paid. 
 
&quot;I can confirm that the contract has been deposited with the League and the deal has been done,&quot; Napoli spokesman Nicola Lombardi told Reuters on Tuesday, adding that the fee will be paid in two installments. 
 
The Turin-based club triggered the release clause for the 28-year-old, who still had two years to run on his contract, Napoli added later on Tuesday in a statement. 
 
Higuain&#39;s transfer fee is the third highest paid, after Gareth Bale moved to Real Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur for 100 million euros in 2013 and Cristiano Ronaldo joined the Spaniards from Manchester United for 94 million euros in 2009. 
 
Last season Higuain scored a record 36 Serie A goals in 35 games for Napoli, who finished runners-up as Juventus won a fifth consecutive title. He joined Napoli in 2013 after spending six years at Real. 
 
The news that he was poised to join Juventus caused anguish among Napoli fans, who gathered in Naples city centre on Saturday to tear up pictures of the Argentine and set fire to replicas of his number nine shirt. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Higuain's transfer fee is the third highest fee ever paid, after those of Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo

Juventus have signed Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain from Napoli for 90 million euros ($98.89 million), the third highest transfer fee ever paid. "I can confirm that the contract has been deposited with the League and the deal has been done," Napoli spokesman Nicola Lombardi told Reuters on Tuesday, adding that the fee will be paid in two installments. The Turin-based club triggered the release clause for the 28-year-old, who still had two years to run on his contract, Napoli added later on Tuesday in a statement. Higuain's transfer fee is the third highest paid, after Gareth Bale moved to Real Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur for 100 million euros in 2013 and Cristiano Ronaldo joined the Spaniards from Manchester United for 94 million euros in 2009. Last season Higuain scored a record 36 Serie A goals in 35 games for Napoli, who finished runners-up as Juventus won a fifth consecutive title. He joined Napoli in 2013 after spending six years at Real. The news that he was poised to join Juventus caused anguish among Napoli fans, who gathered in Naples city centre on Saturday to tear up pictures of the Argentine and set fire to replicas of his number nine shirt. (Reuters)

Juventus sign Argentina striker Higuain from Napoli for 90 million euros

Teams progressing to the latter stages of the FA Cup next season will be allowed to field a fourth substitute in extra time, the English Football Association (FA) announced today. 
 
The International Football Association Board (IFAB), the game&#39;s law-making body, is carrying out a global study into a proposal for teams to make a fourth replacement during extra time.&nbsp;The FA said as a trial for the study it would introduce the innovation for the quarter finals, semi-finals and final of the FA Cup, subject to IFAB approval. 
 
If the FA gets the go-ahead from the IFAB, clubs that have used three substitutes from the seven players named on their bench during the tournament&#39;s final three rounds will be allowed to introduce a fourth player in extra time. The format was first used in this year&#39;s Copa America. 
 
&quot;With the cup now adopting a straight knockout format from the quarter-finals onwards, the introduction of a fourth substitute in extra time will bring extra intrigue and interest,&quot; FA chief executive Martin Glenn told the governing body&#39;s website. 
 
&quot;Also, from a technical point of view, it will be interesting to see how managers use the chance to make an additional substitution in such high-profile games and the impact it has on the final result. Player welfare and being mindful of the number of games people play at the elite level has also been a consideration.&quot; 
 
The FA Cup begins on August 5, with the final at Wembley in May 2017. 
 
(Reuters)

As a trial, the innovation would be introduced for quarter finals, semi-finals and FA Cup final, subject to IFAB approval

Teams progressing to the latter stages of the FA Cup next season will be allowed to field a fourth substitute in extra time, the English Football Association (FA) announced today. The International Football Association Board (IFAB), the game's law-making body, is carrying out a global study into a proposal for teams to make a fourth replacement during extra time. The FA said as a trial for the study it would introduce the innovation for the quarter finals, semi-finals and final of the FA Cup, subject to IFAB approval. If the FA gets the go-ahead from the IFAB, clubs that have used three substitutes from the seven players named on their bench during the tournament's final three rounds will be allowed to introduce a fourth player in extra time. The format was first used in this year's Copa America. "With the cup now adopting a straight knockout format from the quarter-finals onwards, the introduction of a fourth substitute in extra time will bring extra intrigue and interest," FA chief executive Martin Glenn told the governing body's website. "Also, from a technical point of view, it will be interesting to see how managers use the chance to make an additional substitution in such high-profile games and the impact it has on the final result. Player welfare and being mindful of the number of games people play at the elite level has also been a consideration." The FA Cup begins on August 5, with the final at Wembley in May 2017. (Reuters)

FA Cup to allow fourth substitute in extra time to bring 'extra intrigue'

France midfielder Paul Pogba has rejoined Manchester United from Italian champions Juventus on a five-year contract, with the option to extend for a further year, the Premier League club said in a statement on Monday. 
 
British media said United splashed out a world record fee of 89 million pounds ($115.98 million) on the 23--year-old, eclipsing the 100 million euros ($110.84 million) Real Madrid paid for Welshman Gareth Bale from Tottenham Hotspur in 2013. 
 
&ldquo;I am delighted to rejoin United. It has always been a club with a special place in my heart and I am really looking forward to working with (manager) Jose Mourinho,&quot; Pogba said in a statement on United&#39;s official wesbite (www.manutd.com). 
 
&quot;I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Juventus and have some fantastic memories of a great club with players that I count as friends. But I feel the time is right to go back to Old Trafford. 
 
&quot;I always enjoyed playing in front of the fans and can&rsquo;t wait to make my contribution to the team. This is the right club for me to achieve everything I hope to in the game.&rdquo; 
 
Pogba is the latest of Mourinho&#39;s new signings following defender Eric Bailly, striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan as the Portuguese coach revamps the under-performing squad he inherited from Louis van Gaal. 
 
&quot;Paul is one of the best players in the world and will be a key part of the United team I want to build here for the future,&quot; added Mourinho. 
 
&quot;He is quick, strong, scores goals and reads the game better than many players much older than he is. 
 
&quot;At 23, he has the chance to make that position his own here over many years. He is young and will continue to improve; he has the chance to be at the heart of this club for the next decade and beyond.&quot; 
 
Great footballer 
 
The France midfielder, whose strength and range of passing should allow United to play a more expansive game than the limited style adopted by Dutchman Van Gaal, has been a hot property all summer with Real Madrid also hovering. 
 
&quot;Everyone is interested in Pogba. He is a great footballer and when you are Madrid you always want the best,&quot; Real coach Zinedine Zidane had said before United wrapped up the deal for a player who scored 34 goals in 178 games for Juventus. 
 
Pogba joined Juventus in 2012, having come through Le Havre&#39;s youth system before moving to United&#39;s academy in 2009. 
 
He won four Serie A titles and two Coppa Italia trophies in a successful spell with the Turin club but was criticised after failing to shine in the 2015 Champions League final defeat by Barcelona and France&#39;s Euro 2016 loss to Portugal on home soil. 
 
Pogba had signed for United on a three-year deal with a one-year renewal option which then United manager Alex Ferguson was keen to activate but the 18-year-old was frustrated by a lack of first-team opportunities at the club and decided to leave. 
 
The Frenchman made just seven first-team appearances for United, all off the bench. &quot;Ferguson came to my place. We talked. It did make me think. He wanted to keep me, but I&#39;d made my decision to leave,&quot; Pogba has said. 
 
He will now be reacquainted with Ferguson, who is a global ambassador at the club, but will take his orders from the uncompromising Mourinho who will demand a significant return on the club&#39;s world record investment in the Frenchman. 
 
United have not challenged strongly for the Premier League title since Ferguson led them to the trophy in 2013 before ending his glittering 26-year reign as manager at Old Trafford. 
 
(Reuters)

According to British media, Manchester United splashed out a record fee of 89 million pounds on Paul Pogba

France midfielder Paul Pogba has rejoined Manchester United from Italian champions Juventus on a five-year contract, with the option to extend for a further year, the Premier League club said in a statement on Monday. British media said United splashed out a world record fee of 89 million pounds ($115.98 million) on the 23--year-old, eclipsing the 100 million euros ($110.84 million) Real Madrid paid for Welshman Gareth Bale from Tottenham Hotspur in 2013. “I am delighted to rejoin United. It has always been a club with a special place in my heart and I am really looking forward to working with (manager) Jose Mourinho," Pogba said in a statement on United's official wesbite (www.manutd.com). "I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Juventus and have some fantastic memories of a great club with players that I count as friends. But I feel the time is right to go back to Old Trafford. "I always enjoyed playing in front of the fans and can’t wait to make my contribution to the team. This is the right club for me to achieve everything I hope to in the game.” Pogba is the latest of Mourinho's new signings following defender Eric Bailly, striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan as the Portuguese coach revamps the under-performing squad he inherited from Louis van Gaal. "Paul is one of the best players in the world and will be a key part of the United team I want to build here for the future," added Mourinho. "He is quick, strong, scores goals and reads the game better than many players much older than he is. "At 23, he has the chance to make that position his own here over many years. He is young and will continue to improve; he has the chance to be at the heart of this club for the next decade and beyond." Great footballer The France midfielder, whose strength and range of passing should allow United to play a more expansive game than the limited style adopted by Dutchman Van Gaal, has been a hot property all summer with Real Madrid also hovering. "Everyone is interested in Pogba. He is a great footballer and when you are Madrid you always want the best," Real coach Zinedine Zidane had said before United wrapped up the deal for a player who scored 34 goals in 178 games for Juventus. Pogba joined Juventus in 2012, having come through Le Havre's youth system before moving to United's academy in 2009. He won four Serie A titles and two Coppa Italia trophies in a successful spell with the Turin club but was criticised after failing to shine in the 2015 Champions League final defeat by Barcelona and France's Euro 2016 loss to Portugal on home soil. Pogba had signed for United on a three-year deal with a one-year renewal option which then United manager Alex Ferguson was keen to activate but the 18-year-old was frustrated by a lack of first-team opportunities at the club and decided to leave. The Frenchman made just seven first-team appearances for United, all off the bench. "Ferguson came to my place. We talked. It did make me think. He wanted to keep me, but I'd made my decision to leave," Pogba has said. He will now be reacquainted with Ferguson, who is a global ambassador at the club, but will take his orders from the uncompromising Mourinho who will demand a significant return on the club's world record investment in the Frenchman. United have not challenged strongly for the Premier League title since Ferguson led them to the trophy in 2013 before ending his glittering 26-year reign as manager at Old Trafford. (Reuters)

Pogba joins United from Juventus for world record fee

AS Roma suffered another European humiliation on Tuesday when they had two players sent off, lost 3-0 at home to Porto and missed out on the Champions League group stage. 
 
After drawing 1-1 in Portugal in the first leg of the playoff tie, Roma started as favourites but never recovered after Felipe gave the visitors an eighth-minute lead. 
 
They imploded completely when Daniele De Rossi and his replacement Emerson Palmieri were shown straight red cards either side of halftime. 
 
Monaco joined Porto when they beat Villarreal 1-0 after a late penalty by Fabinho sealed a 3-1 aggregate win, and Legia Warsaw, Celtic and Ludogorets Razgrad also qualified, although none of them won on the night. 
 
Ten-man Legia drew 1-1 at home with Irish part-timers Dundalk, but progressed 3-1 on aggregate to become the first Polish side to reach the group stage of Europe&#39;s premier club competition for 20 years. 
 
Former European champions Celtic squeezed past Hapoel Beer Sheva 5-4 on aggregate despite a 2-0 loss in Israel and Ludogorets held Viktoria Plzen 2-2 away to secure a 4-2 aggregate win. 
 
Roma became the third successive Serie A team, and the sixth in the last eight seasons, to lose in the playoff round, leaving Italy with only two representatives - Juventus and Napoli - in Thursday&#39;s group-stage draw. 
 
Roma have had their fair share of recent European disasters after losing 6-1 to Barcelona last season and 7-1 at home to Bayern Munich two years ago, but not even they could not have imagined how Tuesday&#39;s game would unfold. 
 
Their initial confidence was shattered when Felipe headed Porto in front from Otavio&#39;s cross but the real trouble began in the 39th minute when midfielder De Rossi was sent off for a high tackle on Maxi Pereira. 
 
Amid angry Roma protests, he was replaced by Palmieri who lasted only 11 minutes before he was dismissed for a shocking lunge. 
 
Roma goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny booked his place in rogue&#39;s gallery with a reckless charge out of his goal which allowed Miguel Layun to slot Porto&#39;s second into an empty net. 
 
Almost immediately, Jesus Corona turned his marker inside out before scoring the third. 
 
Dundalk, beaten 2-0 at home, made a brave effort in Poland and went ahead when Robert Benson thundered home an unstoppable volley in the 19th minute. 
 
The Irish side were given further hope when Legia&#39;s Adam Hlousek was sent off in the 67th minute, but they were caught on the break as Michal Kucharczyk levelled in stoppage time, ending their dream. 
 
(Reuters)

Roma suffered another European humiliation when they had two players sent off

AS Roma suffered another European humiliation on Tuesday when they had two players sent off, lost 3-0 at home to Porto and missed out on the Champions League group stage. After drawing 1-1 in Portugal in the first leg of the playoff tie, Roma started as favourites but never recovered after Felipe gave the visitors an eighth-minute lead. They imploded completely when Daniele De Rossi and his replacement Emerson Palmieri were shown straight red cards either side of halftime. Monaco joined Porto when they beat Villarreal 1-0 after a late penalty by Fabinho sealed a 3-1 aggregate win, and Legia Warsaw, Celtic and Ludogorets Razgrad also qualified, although none of them won on the night. Ten-man Legia drew 1-1 at home with Irish part-timers Dundalk, but progressed 3-1 on aggregate to become the first Polish side to reach the group stage of Europe's premier club competition for 20 years. Former European champions Celtic squeezed past Hapoel Beer Sheva 5-4 on aggregate despite a 2-0 loss in Israel and Ludogorets held Viktoria Plzen 2-2 away to secure a 4-2 aggregate win. Roma became the third successive Serie A team, and the sixth in the last eight seasons, to lose in the playoff round, leaving Italy with only two representatives - Juventus and Napoli - in Thursday's group-stage draw. Roma have had their fair share of recent European disasters after losing 6-1 to Barcelona last season and 7-1 at home to Bayern Munich two years ago, but not even they could not have imagined how Tuesday's game would unfold. Their initial confidence was shattered when Felipe headed Porto in front from Otavio's cross but the real trouble began in the 39th minute when midfielder De Rossi was sent off for a high tackle on Maxi Pereira. Amid angry Roma protests, he was replaced by Palmieri who lasted only 11 minutes before he was dismissed for a shocking lunge. Roma goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny booked his place in rogue's gallery with a reckless charge out of his goal which allowed Miguel Layun to slot Porto's second into an empty net. Almost immediately, Jesus Corona turned his marker inside out before scoring the third. Dundalk, beaten 2-0 at home, made a brave effort in Poland and went ahead when Robert Benson thundered home an unstoppable volley in the 19th minute. The Irish side were given further hope when Legia's Adam Hlousek was sent off in the 67th minute, but they were caught on the break as Michal Kucharczyk levelled in stoppage time, ending their dream. (Reuters)

Champions League: Roma loses 0-3 to Porto, miss group stage

Daniel Sturridge scored twice as Liverpool strolled into the League Cup third round with a 5-0 win at Burton Albion yesterday, while Chelsea edged third-tier Bristol Rovers 3-2. 
 
Divock Origi, Roberto Firmino and Sturridge all scored as Liverpool, last season&#39;s beaten finalists, crushed Championship side Burton, who are managed by ex-Liverpool midfielder Nigel Clough. 
 
Michy Batshuayi marked his full Chelsea debut with a brace against Bristol Rovers, while Victor Moses was also on target as manager Antonio Conte enjoyed a third straight competitive win. 
 
&quot;This was a very serious, professional display from our side,&quot; Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp told Sky Sports. 
 
&quot;There were nice goals, nothing to criticise. It was humid today, not easy for either team. We gave a few players match-time because that&#39;s important. Some only got minutes in pre-season.&quot; 
 
Premier League teams Crystal Palace, Everton, Hull City, Swansea City and Stoke City also went through, Peter Crouch scoring a hat-trick for Stoke in a 4-0 win at Stevenage. But Watford lost 2-1 at home to third-tier Gillingham after extra time and West Bromwich Albion were beaten 4-3 on penalties by League One side Northampton Town following a 2-2 draw. 
 
Klopp handed a debut to Cameroonian centre-back Joel Matip and welcomed back Senegalese winger Sadio Mane following a shoulder injury at Burton&#39;s Pirelli Stadium. 
 
Mane teed up Origi to break the deadlock with a clever back-heel in the 15th minute before Nathaniel Clyne crossed for Firmino to head in the visitors&#39; second goal. 
 
A Tom Naylor own goal just after the hour made it 3-0 and Sturridge came off the bench to complete the rout with a late brace, tapping in James Milner&#39;s cross and slamming home from Mane&#39;s pass. 
 
At Stamford Bridge, Batshuayi put Chelsea ahead in the 29th minute by sweeping in Nemanja Matic&#39;s cross and two minutes later Pedro Rodriguez set up Moses for a tap-in. 
 
Batshuayi claimed a second from Ruben Loftus-Cheek&#39;s cross, but Bristol Rovers scored either side through Peter Hartley and Ellis Harrison to keep Conte&#39;s men on their toes until the final whistle. 
 
Liverpool and Chelsea, League Cup winners in 2015, both entered the tournament in the second round because they are not involved in European competition this season. 
 
Manchester United, holders Manchester City, Arsenal, Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton and West Ham United will all enter the competition in round three. 
 
(AFP)

Premier League teams Crystal Palace, Everton, Hull City, Swansea City and Stoke City also went through

Daniel Sturridge scored twice as Liverpool strolled into the League Cup third round with a 5-0 win at Burton Albion yesterday, while Chelsea edged third-tier Bristol Rovers 3-2. Divock Origi, Roberto Firmino and Sturridge all scored as Liverpool, last season's beaten finalists, crushed Championship side Burton, who are managed by ex-Liverpool midfielder Nigel Clough. Michy Batshuayi marked his full Chelsea debut with a brace against Bristol Rovers, while Victor Moses was also on target as manager Antonio Conte enjoyed a third straight competitive win. "This was a very serious, professional display from our side," Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp told Sky Sports. "There were nice goals, nothing to criticise. It was humid today, not easy for either team. We gave a few players match-time because that's important. Some only got minutes in pre-season." Premier League teams Crystal Palace, Everton, Hull City, Swansea City and Stoke City also went through, Peter Crouch scoring a hat-trick for Stoke in a 4-0 win at Stevenage. But Watford lost 2-1 at home to third-tier Gillingham after extra time and West Bromwich Albion were beaten 4-3 on penalties by League One side Northampton Town following a 2-2 draw. Klopp handed a debut to Cameroonian centre-back Joel Matip and welcomed back Senegalese winger Sadio Mane following a shoulder injury at Burton's Pirelli Stadium. Mane teed up Origi to break the deadlock with a clever back-heel in the 15th minute before Nathaniel Clyne crossed for Firmino to head in the visitors' second goal. A Tom Naylor own goal just after the hour made it 3-0 and Sturridge came off the bench to complete the rout with a late brace, tapping in James Milner's cross and slamming home from Mane's pass. At Stamford Bridge, Batshuayi put Chelsea ahead in the 29th minute by sweeping in Nemanja Matic's cross and two minutes later Pedro Rodriguez set up Moses for a tap-in. Batshuayi claimed a second from Ruben Loftus-Cheek's cross, but Bristol Rovers scored either side through Peter Hartley and Ellis Harrison to keep Conte's men on their toes until the final whistle. Liverpool and Chelsea, League Cup winners in 2015, both entered the tournament in the second round because they are not involved in European competition this season. Manchester United, holders Manchester City, Arsenal, Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton and West Ham United will all enter the competition in round three. (AFP)

Liverpool cruise, Chelsea squeeze in League Cup

England&#39;s under-21 football coach Gareth Southgate looks likely to be put in temporary charge of the national team after the resignation of Roy Hodgson following the side&#39;s Euro 2016 exit, British media reported on Wednesday. 
 
&quot;Southgate is believed to have already been asked whether he is prepared to take over on a temporary basis and has indicated that he is,&quot; the Daily Telegraph said. 
 
A three-man Football Association (FA) panel has begun the job of finding a successor to Hodgson, who resigned in the wake of England&#39;s humiliating 2-1 defeat by Iceland in the last 16 of the European Championship on Monday. 
 
FA chief executive Martin Glenn has suggested that England might wait to fill the post because it is &quot;such an important decision&quot;, meaning it is unlikely they will have a new man permanently in place before their first World Cup qualifier away to Slovakia on Sept. 4. 
 
British media said that opened the way for former England centre-half Southgate. 
 
The prospect of a delay has intensified speculation that Frenchman Arsene Wenger could take the post in the long term. 
 
Wenger is the final year of his contract with Arsenal and was reported to be open to the idea of talking to England&#39;s football authorities about the job, but the FA may be unwilling to wait a year for the 66-year-old who has always maintained that he would never break a contract. 
 
Other names linked with the job include Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe, possibly in tandem with former England international Steven Gerrard, Hull City&#39;s Steve Bruce, former England manager Glenn Hoddle and Italian Claudio Ranieri, who won many admirers by steering Leicester City to their first Premier League title last month. 
 
The FA would have to move quickly to secure Ranieri, who is expected to sign an improved contract with Leicester next month. 
 
Glenn told a news conference on Tuesday: &quot;We clearly need an inspirational manager who can harness all of the resources that the English game... has got, everything we have now got at (the national football centre) St George&#39;s Park, to make us more resilient in tournaments. 
 
&quot;That I think is the brief... it is for an inspirational manager and management team to get the best out of a squad which has got high potential.&rdquo; 
 
(Reuters)

It is unlikely that the Football Association will have a new man in place before their first World Cup qualifier away to Slovakia

England's under-21 football coach Gareth Southgate looks likely to be put in temporary charge of the national team after the resignation of Roy Hodgson following the side's Euro 2016 exit, British media reported on Wednesday. "Southgate is believed to have already been asked whether he is prepared to take over on a temporary basis and has indicated that he is," the Daily Telegraph said. A three-man Football Association (FA) panel has begun the job of finding a successor to Hodgson, who resigned in the wake of England's humiliating 2-1 defeat by Iceland in the last 16 of the European Championship on Monday. FA chief executive Martin Glenn has suggested that England might wait to fill the post because it is "such an important decision", meaning it is unlikely they will have a new man permanently in place before their first World Cup qualifier away to Slovakia on Sept. 4. British media said that opened the way for former England centre-half Southgate. The prospect of a delay has intensified speculation that Frenchman Arsene Wenger could take the post in the long term. Wenger is the final year of his contract with Arsenal and was reported to be open to the idea of talking to England's football authorities about the job, but the FA may be unwilling to wait a year for the 66-year-old who has always maintained that he would never break a contract. Other names linked with the job include Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe, possibly in tandem with former England international Steven Gerrard, Hull City's Steve Bruce, former England manager Glenn Hoddle and Italian Claudio Ranieri, who won many admirers by steering Leicester City to their first Premier League title last month. The FA would have to move quickly to secure Ranieri, who is expected to sign an improved contract with Leicester next month. Glenn told a news conference on Tuesday: "We clearly need an inspirational manager who can harness all of the resources that the English game... has got, everything we have now got at (the national football centre) St George's Park, to make us more resilient in tournaments. "That I think is the brief... it is for an inspirational manager and management team to get the best out of a squad which has got high potential.” (Reuters)

Reports say Southgate may be England's temporary manager

Premier League giants Liverpool are the target of an 800 million pound ($1 billion) takeover bid backed by the Chinese government, British newspaper the Sunday Times reported. 
 
China Everbright, a state-backed financial firm, are leading the bid, backed by the country&#39;s main sovereign wealth fund, the China Investment Corporation (CIC), the paper said. 
 
Talks between the Chinese group and Liverpool&#39;s American owners, the Fenway Sports Group (FSG), are ongoing, the Sunday Times said. 
 
But a senior Liverpool source told AFP that although the club was open to outside investment, FSG was not in talks and the club was not the subject of a bid. 
 
On Friday, Liverpool chairman Tom Werner said the club was &quot;not for sale&quot;, but admitted FSG were open to the idea of selling a stake. 
 
FSG bought Liverpool for around 300 million pounds in 2010. 
 
China has been making inroads in English football in recent months. 
 
Earlier this month, Liverpool&#39;s Premier League rivals West Bromwich Albion announced a deal to sell the club to a Chinese investment group headed by entrepreneur Guochuan Lai. 
 
Second-tier clubs Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers, both of whom play in the same Midlands region as West Brom, have both been taken over by Chinese investors. 
 
Wolves were bought by Fosun International, while Chinese businessman Tony Xia took charge of Villa. 
 
Birmingham City, another Midlands clubs, are currently in talks with Asian investors seeking to buy the club from Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung, who was jailed for money-laundering in 2014. 
 
Meanwhile, Manchester City announced a 265 million pounds investment deal with Chinese consortium CMC last December. 
 
Liverpool, managed by Jurgen Klopp, were beaten 2-0 at Burnley in their second league game of the season on Saturday, having won 4-3 at Arsenal in their opening fixture. 
 
(AFP)

State-backed financial firm China Everbright is leading the bid, the Sunday Times reported

Premier League giants Liverpool are the target of an 800 million pound ($1 billion) takeover bid backed by the Chinese government, British newspaper the Sunday Times reported. China Everbright, a state-backed financial firm, are leading the bid, backed by the country's main sovereign wealth fund, the China Investment Corporation (CIC), the paper said. Talks between the Chinese group and Liverpool's American owners, the Fenway Sports Group (FSG), are ongoing, the Sunday Times said. But a senior Liverpool source told AFP that although the club was open to outside investment, FSG was not in talks and the club was not the subject of a bid. On Friday, Liverpool chairman Tom Werner said the club was "not for sale", but admitted FSG were open to the idea of selling a stake. FSG bought Liverpool for around 300 million pounds in 2010. China has been making inroads in English football in recent months. Earlier this month, Liverpool's Premier League rivals West Bromwich Albion announced a deal to sell the club to a Chinese investment group headed by entrepreneur Guochuan Lai. Second-tier clubs Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers, both of whom play in the same Midlands region as West Brom, have both been taken over by Chinese investors. Wolves were bought by Fosun International, while Chinese businessman Tony Xia took charge of Villa. Birmingham City, another Midlands clubs, are currently in talks with Asian investors seeking to buy the club from Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung, who was jailed for money-laundering in 2014. Meanwhile, Manchester City announced a 265 million pounds investment deal with Chinese consortium CMC last December. Liverpool, managed by Jurgen Klopp, were beaten 2-0 at Burnley in their second league game of the season on Saturday, having won 4-3 at Arsenal in their opening fixture. (AFP)

Liverpool target of $1 billion takeover bid backed by Chinese govt: Report

Wales manager Chris Coleman has rewarded Hal Robson-Kanu for coming on and scoring the winner against Slovakia with a place in the starting lineup against an unchanged England side in their Group B clash at Euro 2016. 
 
Coleman has made three changes to the side that started against the Slovaks, with Wayne Hennessey starting in goal instead of Danny Ward and Joe Ledley replacing David Edwards, while Robson-Kanu takes the place of Jonathan Williams. 
 
Currently without a club, Robson-Kanu came off the bench to net the winner in the 2-1 victory over Slovakia, while England drew their first game 1-1 after conceding a late goal to Russia. 
 
Wales currently top Group B by three points and can secure their passage to the knockout stages with a win over England in Lens. 
 
England manager Roy Hodgson resisted the temptation to make changes to his side after a lively display against Russia, which means striker Harry Kane and winger Raheem Sterling retain their places despite disappointing in the opener. 
(Reuters)

Wales currently top Group B by three points and can secure their passage to the knockout stages with a win over England in Lens

Wales manager Chris Coleman has rewarded Hal Robson-Kanu for coming on and scoring the winner against Slovakia with a place in the starting lineup against an unchanged England side in their Group B clash at Euro 2016. Coleman has made three changes to the side that started against the Slovaks, with Wayne Hennessey starting in goal instead of Danny Ward and Joe Ledley replacing David Edwards, while Robson-Kanu takes the place of Jonathan Williams. Currently without a club, Robson-Kanu came off the bench to net the winner in the 2-1 victory over Slovakia, while England drew their first game 1-1 after conceding a late goal to Russia. Wales currently top Group B by three points and can secure their passage to the knockout stages with a win over England in Lens. England manager Roy Hodgson resisted the temptation to make changes to his side after a lively display against Russia, which means striker Harry Kane and winger Raheem Sterling retain their places despite disappointing in the opener. (Reuters)

Robson-Kanu starts as Wales make three changes for England clash

&nbsp;FIFA has reduced the ban on two senior officials, including its former secretary general, who were barred from soccer-related activities following a corruption probe, the global soccer body said today. 
 
The FIFA Appeal Committee, chaired by Larry Mussenden, has partially confirmed the decisions taken by the adjudicatory chamber of the ethics committee regarding Jerome Valcke, but reduced his ban from 12 to 10 years. 
 
Chung Mong-joon, another official, had his ban reduced from six to five years. 
 
The pair had been banned from soccer by Zurich-based FIFA after being found guilty of breaching its code of conduct. 
 
(Reuters)

Jerome Valcke and Chung Mong-joon had been banned from soccer by Zurich-based FIFA following a corruption probe

FIFA has reduced the ban on two senior officials, including its former secretary general, who were barred from soccer-related activities following a corruption probe, the global soccer body said today. The FIFA Appeal Committee, chaired by Larry Mussenden, has partially confirmed the decisions taken by the adjudicatory chamber of the ethics committee regarding Jerome Valcke, but reduced his ban from 12 to 10 years. Chung Mong-joon, another official, had his ban reduced from six to five years. The pair had been banned from soccer by Zurich-based FIFA after being found guilty of breaching its code of conduct. (Reuters)

FIFA appeal committee reduces Valcke ban from 12 to 10 years

Lionel Messi has announced that he will play on for Argentina, reversing his decision in June to retire from international football. 
 
The Barcelona forward said he would not play for Argentina again after the team lost to Chile in the final of the Copa America in the United States. 
 
However, in a statement on Friday, Messi explained that he wanted to continue representing his country as he preferred &quot;to help from within&quot;. 
 
&quot;I consider there to be a lot of problems in Argentine football and it&#39;s not my intention to create another one,&quot; the 29-year-old said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;There are a lot of issues that need to be resolved in Argentine football but I prefer to help from within and not to criticise from the outside. 
 
&quot;A lot of things went through my mind on the night of the final and I gave serious thought to quitting but my love for my country and this shirt is too great,&quot; the player said. 
 
A few hours later Messi was named in new coach Edgardo Bauza`s squad to face Uruguay and Venezuela in 2018 World Cup, South American qualifiers to be held in the first week of September. 
 
Bauza, who replaced Gerardo Martino after he quit in July over the FA`s failure to prepare a strong under-23 team for the Rio Olympics, was in Barcelona on Thursday for a meeting with his team captain. 
 
Messi, who has scored a national record 55 goals in 113 appearances, has lost four major finals with Argentina, three in the last two years including the 2014 World Cup final to Germany in Brazil. 
 
The June reverse in New Jersey was the second successive Copa America penalty shootout defeat by Chile in 12 months. 
 
Messi, unhappy with the Argentine FA`s running of the team, planned to speak out after the Copa final but felt he could not after they were beaten. 
 
His return will be a relief for the FA, mired in an economic and management crisis and administered by a so-called regularisation committee appointed by world football`s governing body FIFA. 
 
Messi`s decision in June sparked demonstrations in Buenos Aires and calls for him to change his mind. 
 
Something to cheer 
 
&quot;I send my thanks to all who want me to continue playing for Argentina, I hope we`ll be able to give them something to cheer about soon&quot;, he said.&nbsp; 
 
Argentina are third in the 10-nation South American qualifying group with 11 points from six matches, two behind Uruguay and Ecuador. 
 
The top four after 18 games advance to the Russia finals while the fifth-placed team goes into an intercontinental playoff for one more berth. 
 
Bauza included two uncapped strikers in a 27-man squad, Lucas Alario of River Plate and Lucas Pratto of Brazil`s Atletico Mineiro. 
 
He surprisingly omitted Gonzalo Higuain, a player he praised at the beginning of the month for his club form in Italy but who missed chances in Argentina`s last three final defeats. 
 
Squad: 
 
Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero (Manchester United), Mariano Andujar (Estudiantes), Nahuel Guzman (UANL Tigres)&nbsp; 
 
Defenders: Facundo Roncaglia (Celta Vigo), Mateo Musacchio (Villarreal), Ramiro Funes Mori (Everton), Emmanuel Mas (San Lorenzo), Marcos Rojo (Manchester United), Martin Demichelis (Espanyol), Pablo Zabaleta, Nicolas Otamendi (both Manchester City), Gabriel Mercado (Sevilla) 
 
Midfielders: Matias Kranevitter (Sevilla), Javier Mascherano (Barcelona), Lucas Biglia (Lazio), Augusto Fernandez, Nicolas Gaitan (both Atletico Madrid), Ever Banega (Inter Milan), Javier Pastore, Angel Di Maria (both Paris St Germain), Erik Lamela (Tottenham Hotspur) 
 
Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Angel Correa (Atletico Madrid), Lucas Pratto (Atletico Mineiro), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City), Paulo Dybala (Juventus), Lucas Alario (River Plate). 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

'My love for country and shirt is too great,' says Barcelona forward on his comeback

Lionel Messi has announced that he will play on for Argentina, reversing his decision in June to retire from international football. The Barcelona forward said he would not play for Argentina again after the team lost to Chile in the final of the Copa America in the United States. However, in a statement on Friday, Messi explained that he wanted to continue representing his country as he preferred "to help from within". "I consider there to be a lot of problems in Argentine football and it's not my intention to create another one," the 29-year-old said. "There are a lot of issues that need to be resolved in Argentine football but I prefer to help from within and not to criticise from the outside. "A lot of things went through my mind on the night of the final and I gave serious thought to quitting but my love for my country and this shirt is too great," the player said. A few hours later Messi was named in new coach Edgardo Bauza`s squad to face Uruguay and Venezuela in 2018 World Cup, South American qualifiers to be held in the first week of September. Bauza, who replaced Gerardo Martino after he quit in July over the FA`s failure to prepare a strong under-23 team for the Rio Olympics, was in Barcelona on Thursday for a meeting with his team captain. Messi, who has scored a national record 55 goals in 113 appearances, has lost four major finals with Argentina, three in the last two years including the 2014 World Cup final to Germany in Brazil. The June reverse in New Jersey was the second successive Copa America penalty shootout defeat by Chile in 12 months. Messi, unhappy with the Argentine FA`s running of the team, planned to speak out after the Copa final but felt he could not after they were beaten. His return will be a relief for the FA, mired in an economic and management crisis and administered by a so-called regularisation committee appointed by world football`s governing body FIFA. Messi`s decision in June sparked demonstrations in Buenos Aires and calls for him to change his mind. Something to cheer "I send my thanks to all who want me to continue playing for Argentina, I hope we`ll be able to give them something to cheer about soon", he said. Argentina are third in the 10-nation South American qualifying group with 11 points from six matches, two behind Uruguay and Ecuador. The top four after 18 games advance to the Russia finals while the fifth-placed team goes into an intercontinental playoff for one more berth. Bauza included two uncapped strikers in a 27-man squad, Lucas Alario of River Plate and Lucas Pratto of Brazil`s Atletico Mineiro. He surprisingly omitted Gonzalo Higuain, a player he praised at the beginning of the month for his club form in Italy but who missed chances in Argentina`s last three final defeats. Squad: Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero (Manchester United), Mariano Andujar (Estudiantes), Nahuel Guzman (UANL Tigres) Defenders: Facundo Roncaglia (Celta Vigo), Mateo Musacchio (Villarreal), Ramiro Funes Mori (Everton), Emmanuel Mas (San Lorenzo), Marcos Rojo (Manchester United), Martin Demichelis (Espanyol), Pablo Zabaleta, Nicolas Otamendi (both Manchester City), Gabriel Mercado (Sevilla) Midfielders: Matias Kranevitter (Sevilla), Javier Mascherano (Barcelona), Lucas Biglia (Lazio), Augusto Fernandez, Nicolas Gaitan (both Atletico Madrid), Ever Banega (Inter Milan), Javier Pastore, Angel Di Maria (both Paris St Germain), Erik Lamela (Tottenham Hotspur) Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Angel Correa (Atletico Madrid), Lucas Pratto (Atletico Mineiro), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City), Paulo Dybala (Juventus), Lucas Alario (River Plate). (Reuters)

Lionel Messi? ?reverses decision to retire from Argentina national football team?

Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international football here on Sunday after Argentina crashed to an upset defeat against Chile in the final of the Copa America. 
 
&quot;For me the national team is over. I&#39;ve done all I can, it hurts not to be a champion,&quot; the 29-year-old Barcelona superstar told reporters after his fourth defeat in a major final with Argentina. 
 
Lionel&#39;s Messi`s apparent last act in international soccer was to blast his penalty over the bar as Chile won the Copa America for the second successive year following a 4-2 penalty shootout victory over Argentina on Sunday. 
 
It was the second successive year Chile had beaten Argentina on penalties in the final. Last year&#39;s Copa America title was their first. 
Messi cut a dejected figure after Argentina&#39;s trophy drought at senior level was extended to 23 years. It was the fourth final he had lost with his country and he said later he was retiring from international soccer.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;It&#39;s tough, it`s not the time for analysis,&quot; he said. &quot;In the dressing room, I thought that this is the end for me with the national team, it&#39;s not for me. I tried so hard to be champion with Argentina. Now I am leaving without having managed it.&quot; 
 
The two sides were deadlocked 0-0 after 90 minutes and also after another half an hour of extra time in a match where both teams were reduced to 10 men in the first half. 
 
Chilean substitute Francisco Silva placed his penalty low and to the right of Sergio Romero to score the decider after Messi and Lucas Biglia missed for Argentina and Arturo Vidal missed for Chile. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s not easy to explain what happened,&quot; said Argentina coach Gerardo Martino. &quot;Argentina should have won that game. It hurts.&quot; 
 
Disappointing final 
The tension of the penalty shootout barely made up for a disappointing game with few memorable moments for the announced sellout 82,000 crowd. 
 
The bulk of first half action involved referee Heber Lopes, who sent off Chile&#39;s Marcelo Diaz on 27 minutes for a second crude challenge on Messi, before Argentina&#39;s Marcos Rojo was given a straight red for a rough tackle on Vidal about 15 minutes later. 
 
Three others were booked, including Messi for diving, in a first half that had as many cards as shots on goal. 
 
The second half provided more of the same and although Chile, who have never beaten Argentina in open play in 26 previous Copa America encounters, at least managed to call Romero into action, neither side created any clear cut chances. 
 
The 30 minutes of extra time was similar, though Vargas came close for Chile and substitute Sergio Aguero had a header tipped over by Claudio Bravo. 
 
Messi, who surpassed Gabriel Batistuta as Argentina&#39;s top scorer in the semi-final against the United States, was heavily marked and had few chances to show his brilliance. 
 
The tournament was played in the US for the first time to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the inaugural competition and expanded to include six teams from North and Central America along with the 10 from South America. 
 
(AFP and Reuters)

Lionel announces he's leaving after losing to Chile in the Copa final, his fourth defeat in a major final with Argentina

Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international football here on Sunday after Argentina crashed to an upset defeat against Chile in the final of the Copa America. "For me the national team is over. I've done all I can, it hurts not to be a champion," the 29-year-old Barcelona superstar told reporters after his fourth defeat in a major final with Argentina. Lionel's Messi`s apparent last act in international soccer was to blast his penalty over the bar as Chile won the Copa America for the second successive year following a 4-2 penalty shootout victory over Argentina on Sunday. It was the second successive year Chile had beaten Argentina on penalties in the final. Last year's Copa America title was their first. Messi cut a dejected figure after Argentina's trophy drought at senior level was extended to 23 years. It was the fourth final he had lost with his country and he said later he was retiring from international soccer. "It's tough, it`s not the time for analysis," he said. "In the dressing room, I thought that this is the end for me with the national team, it's not for me. I tried so hard to be champion with Argentina. Now I am leaving without having managed it." The two sides were deadlocked 0-0 after 90 minutes and also after another half an hour of extra time in a match where both teams were reduced to 10 men in the first half. Chilean substitute Francisco Silva placed his penalty low and to the right of Sergio Romero to score the decider after Messi and Lucas Biglia missed for Argentina and Arturo Vidal missed for Chile. "It's not easy to explain what happened," said Argentina coach Gerardo Martino. "Argentina should have won that game. It hurts." Disappointing final The tension of the penalty shootout barely made up for a disappointing game with few memorable moments for the announced sellout 82,000 crowd. The bulk of first half action involved referee Heber Lopes, who sent off Chile's Marcelo Diaz on 27 minutes for a second crude challenge on Messi, before Argentina's Marcos Rojo was given a straight red for a rough tackle on Vidal about 15 minutes later. Three others were booked, including Messi for diving, in a first half that had as many cards as shots on goal. The second half provided more of the same and although Chile, who have never beaten Argentina in open play in 26 previous Copa America encounters, at least managed to call Romero into action, neither side created any clear cut chances. The 30 minutes of extra time was similar, though Vargas came close for Chile and substitute Sergio Aguero had a header tipped over by Claudio Bravo. Messi, who surpassed Gabriel Batistuta as Argentina's top scorer in the semi-final against the United States, was heavily marked and had few chances to show his brilliance. The tournament was played in the US for the first time to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the inaugural competition and expanded to include six teams from North and Central America along with the 10 from South America. (AFP and Reuters)

Messi says it's over, retires from international football

Born June 24, 1987 in Rosario, Argentina. 
 
Early Career 
 
* Joined Barcelona as a 13-year-old in 2000 and shone in the youth ranks before then-coach Frank Rijkaard gave him his senior debut at the age of 16 in a friendly against Porto in 2003.&nbsp; 
 
* Made his La Liga debut in October 2004 and scored his first La Liga goal the following May in a match against Albacete at the Nou Camp.&nbsp; 
 
* Scored six goals in 17 appearances in 2005-06 as Barca won La Liga for the second year in a row but did not feature in their 2-1 victory over Arsenal in the Champions League final.&nbsp; 
 
* Messi played a key role as Barca claimed six trophies in the calendar year of 2009 including the Champions League, La Liga, the King`s Cup and the Club World Cup.&nbsp; 
 
* Won the first of four consecutive World Player of the Year awards.&nbsp; 
 
* Won La Liga again in 2010 and retained the World Player award, beating shortlisted Spanish World Cup winners and Barca team mates Andres Iniesta and Xavi.&nbsp; 
 
* Inspired Barcelona to a 3-1 win against Manchester United in the 2011 Champions League final, scoring one goal and creating another.&nbsp; 
 
* Helped Barca to a third consecutive La Liga title in 2010-11 and was on the scoresheet as they beat Santos 4-0 to win the Club World Cup.&nbsp; 
 
* While Barcelona failed to retain either La Liga or the Champions League, Messi completed 2012 with an extraordinary total of 91 goals in all competitions, a record for a calendar year.&nbsp; 
 
* He smashed the La Liga scoring record for one season in 2011-12 with 50 goals.&nbsp; 
 
* Equalled the Champions League scoring record of 71 goals set by former Real Madrid and Schalke 04 forward Raul when he struck twice against Ajax Amsterdam at the end of 2014. Has since been overtaken by current Real forward Cristiano Ronaldo.&nbsp; 
 
* Turned in a series of scintillating performances in 2014-15 as Barca romped to a treble of Champions League, La Liga and King`s Cup titles.&nbsp; 
 
* Won his eighth La Liga title and fourth Spanish Cup with Barcelona in 2015-16&nbsp; 
 
Argentina 
 
* Led Argentina to the title at the 2005 World Youth Championship, scoring two penalties in a 2-1 victory over Nigeria in the final.&nbsp; 
 
* Made his debut for the senior side in a friendly against Hungary in August 2005 but was sent off less than a minute after coming on as a substitute for elbowing an opponent who had pulled his shirt.&nbsp; 
 
* Played only a bit-part role at the 2006 World Cup. Argentina were knocked out in the quarter-finals by hosts Germany after a penalty shootout.&nbsp; 
 
* Led Argentina to &nbsp;Gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. 
 
* Part of the Argentina side coached by Diego Maradona at the 2010 World Cup that was beaten 4-0 by Germany in the quarter-finals. Messi failed to score and struggled to find his best form at the tournament in South Africa.&nbsp; 
 
* After a season disrupted by injury, captained Argentina to the final of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where they lost 1-0 to Germany. Messi, who scored four goals at the finals, won the Golden Ball award for the tournament`s best player. 
 
* Played his second Copa America final for Argentina in Chile in 2015, losing the final on penalties to the host nation. 
 
* Scored a hat-trick in 18 minutes after coming off the bench in Argentina`s 5-0 win over Panama in the 2016 Centenary Copa America in 
Chicago. 
 
* Set a record of 55 goals for Argentina when he scored in the 4-0 win over the United States in the semi-finals. 
 
* Was on the losing side again after a penalty shootout defeat by Chile in the centenary final and said he was retiring from internationals. 
 
(Reuters)

Messi led Argentina to Gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games

Born June 24, 1987 in Rosario, Argentina. Early Career * Joined Barcelona as a 13-year-old in 2000 and shone in the youth ranks before then-coach Frank Rijkaard gave him his senior debut at the age of 16 in a friendly against Porto in 2003. * Made his La Liga debut in October 2004 and scored his first La Liga goal the following May in a match against Albacete at the Nou Camp. * Scored six goals in 17 appearances in 2005-06 as Barca won La Liga for the second year in a row but did not feature in their 2-1 victory over Arsenal in the Champions League final. * Messi played a key role as Barca claimed six trophies in the calendar year of 2009 including the Champions League, La Liga, the King`s Cup and the Club World Cup. * Won the first of four consecutive World Player of the Year awards. * Won La Liga again in 2010 and retained the World Player award, beating shortlisted Spanish World Cup winners and Barca team mates Andres Iniesta and Xavi. * Inspired Barcelona to a 3-1 win against Manchester United in the 2011 Champions League final, scoring one goal and creating another. * Helped Barca to a third consecutive La Liga title in 2010-11 and was on the scoresheet as they beat Santos 4-0 to win the Club World Cup. * While Barcelona failed to retain either La Liga or the Champions League, Messi completed 2012 with an extraordinary total of 91 goals in all competitions, a record for a calendar year. * He smashed the La Liga scoring record for one season in 2011-12 with 50 goals. * Equalled the Champions League scoring record of 71 goals set by former Real Madrid and Schalke 04 forward Raul when he struck twice against Ajax Amsterdam at the end of 2014. Has since been overtaken by current Real forward Cristiano Ronaldo. * Turned in a series of scintillating performances in 2014-15 as Barca romped to a treble of Champions League, La Liga and King`s Cup titles. * Won his eighth La Liga title and fourth Spanish Cup with Barcelona in 2015-16 Argentina * Led Argentina to the title at the 2005 World Youth Championship, scoring two penalties in a 2-1 victory over Nigeria in the final. * Made his debut for the senior side in a friendly against Hungary in August 2005 but was sent off less than a minute after coming on as a substitute for elbowing an opponent who had pulled his shirt. * Played only a bit-part role at the 2006 World Cup. Argentina were knocked out in the quarter-finals by hosts Germany after a penalty shootout. * Led Argentina to Gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. * Part of the Argentina side coached by Diego Maradona at the 2010 World Cup that was beaten 4-0 by Germany in the quarter-finals. Messi failed to score and struggled to find his best form at the tournament in South Africa. * After a season disrupted by injury, captained Argentina to the final of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where they lost 1-0 to Germany. Messi, who scored four goals at the finals, won the Golden Ball award for the tournament`s best player. * Played his second Copa America final for Argentina in Chile in 2015, losing the final on penalties to the host nation. * Scored a hat-trick in 18 minutes after coming off the bench in Argentina`s 5-0 win over Panama in the 2016 Centenary Copa America in Chicago. * Set a record of 55 goals for Argentina when he scored in the 4-0 win over the United States in the semi-finals. * Was on the losing side again after a penalty shootout defeat by Chile in the centenary final and said he was retiring from internationals. (Reuters)

Lionel Messi: A peek into the career of La Pulga

Premier&nbsp;League&nbsp;champions Leicester City and last season&#39;s runners-up Arsenal remain without a win this season after a slow-burning 0-0 draw at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.

Beaten 2-1 at promoted Hull City last weekend, Leicester avoided the ignominy of becoming the first English champions to lose their first two games since Aston Villa in 1981.

But Claudio Ranieri&#39;s side were frustrated by two unsuccessful penalty shouts -- one in each half -- and also lost full debutant Nampalys Mendy to an apparent ankle injury.

Arsenal looked far more robust than the team beaten 4-3 by Liverpool a week ago and were able to welcome back Laurent Koscielny, Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud from their post-Euro 2016 breaks.

But with the season only two games old, both Arsene Wenger&#39;s men and Leicester are already five points off the pace set by Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Hull.

Ranieri had given starts to Demarai Gray and new signings Luis Hernandez and Ahmed Musa at Hull, but he reverted to last season&#39;s formula for the visit of Arsenal, three months on from his side&#39;s title coronation.

Robert Huth returned from suspension in place of Hernandez, along with Marc Albrighton and Shinji Okazaki, and Mendy stepped into the midfield hole created by N&#39;Golo Kante&#39;s move to Chelsea.

With Arsenal dominating possession on a blustery East Midlands afternoon, it also allowed Leicester to adopt the counter-attacking formula that saw them storm the table in the first half of last season.

Arsenal were reduced to potshots, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, in for the injured Alex Iwobi, curling wide and Santi Cazorla, who replaced the hamstrung Aaron Ramsey, shooting straight at Kasper Schmeichel. 
 
The first moment of contention in the Arsenal box occurred late in the half, after Petr Cech had saved at the feet of Jamie Vardy. 
 
Musa penalty appeal&nbsp; 
 
Danny Drinkwater, following up, tumbled over Koscielny&#39;s outstretched leg, but referee Mark Clattenburg played on and despite the home fans&#39; boos, television replays vindicated his call.

Leicester suffered a setback early in the second half when Mendy had to go off after seeming to injure his right ankle, with Andy King taking his place.

But the hosts began to show greater enterprise in attack, Riyad Mahrez drawing an untidy foul from Francis Coquelin and then whipping a shot narrowly over the bar from the free-kick that followed.

With the game becoming scrappy, Ranieri introduced Leonardo Ulloa to the mix and with 20 minutes to play Vardy spurned a gilt-edged chance to break the deadlock.

Albrighton caught Granit Xhaka dawdling and sent the ball skidding into Vardy&#39;s path, but with Koscielny sliding in to close him down, the England man skewed his shot wide.

Wenger sent on Jack Wilshere, Ozil and Giroud from the bench and the visitors began to make inroads.

Theo Walcott threatened twice, forcing a save from Schmeichel and a fine, stretching block from Wes Morgan, while Alexis Sanchez teed up Ozil for an effort that drew Schmeichel racing from his line to block.

But Leicester saw a strong penalty appeal turned away late on when Hector Bellerin appeared to trip substitute Musa in a tangle of legs just inside the box, only for Clattenburg to shake his head once more. 
 
There was time for one last scare in the Arsenal box as Mahrez left Koscielny on the deck before taking aim, but Cech parried to extend his side&#39;s unbeaten run against Leicester to 22 games. 
 
(AFP)

The slow-burning match featuring last year's top two sides had two penalty shouts, both from Leicester, but both were waved off

Premier League champions Leicester City and last season's runners-up Arsenal remain without a win this season after a slow-burning 0-0 draw at the King Power Stadium on Saturday. Beaten 2-1 at promoted Hull City last weekend, Leicester avoided the ignominy of becoming the first English champions to lose their first two games since Aston Villa in 1981. But Claudio Ranieri's side were frustrated by two unsuccessful penalty shouts -- one in each half -- and also lost full debutant Nampalys Mendy to an apparent ankle injury. Arsenal looked far more robust than the team beaten 4-3 by Liverpool a week ago and were able to welcome back Laurent Koscielny, Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud from their post-Euro 2016 breaks. But with the season only two games old, both Arsene Wenger's men and Leicester are already five points off the pace set by Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Hull. Ranieri had given starts to Demarai Gray and new signings Luis Hernandez and Ahmed Musa at Hull, but he reverted to last season's formula for the visit of Arsenal, three months on from his side's title coronation. Robert Huth returned from suspension in place of Hernandez, along with Marc Albrighton and Shinji Okazaki, and Mendy stepped into the midfield hole created by N'Golo Kante's move to Chelsea. With Arsenal dominating possession on a blustery East Midlands afternoon, it also allowed Leicester to adopt the counter-attacking formula that saw them storm the table in the first half of last season. Arsenal were reduced to potshots, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, in for the injured Alex Iwobi, curling wide and Santi Cazorla, who replaced the hamstrung Aaron Ramsey, shooting straight at Kasper Schmeichel. The first moment of contention in the Arsenal box occurred late in the half, after Petr Cech had saved at the feet of Jamie Vardy. Musa penalty appeal Danny Drinkwater, following up, tumbled over Koscielny's outstretched leg, but referee Mark Clattenburg played on and despite the home fans' boos, television replays vindicated his call. Leicester suffered a setback early in the second half when Mendy had to go off after seeming to injure his right ankle, with Andy King taking his place. But the hosts began to show greater enterprise in attack, Riyad Mahrez drawing an untidy foul from Francis Coquelin and then whipping a shot narrowly over the bar from the free-kick that followed. With the game becoming scrappy, Ranieri introduced Leonardo Ulloa to the mix and with 20 minutes to play Vardy spurned a gilt-edged chance to break the deadlock. Albrighton caught Granit Xhaka dawdling and sent the ball skidding into Vardy's path, but with Koscielny sliding in to close him down, the England man skewed his shot wide. Wenger sent on Jack Wilshere, Ozil and Giroud from the bench and the visitors began to make inroads. Theo Walcott threatened twice, forcing a save from Schmeichel and a fine, stretching block from Wes Morgan, while Alexis Sanchez teed up Ozil for an effort that drew Schmeichel racing from his line to block. But Leicester saw a strong penalty appeal turned away late on when Hector Bellerin appeared to trip substitute Musa in a tangle of legs just inside the box, only for Clattenburg to shake his head once more. There was time for one last scare in the Arsenal box as Mahrez left Koscielny on the deck before taking aim, but Cech parried to extend his side's unbeaten run against Leicester to 22 games. (AFP)

Premier League: Leicester, Arsenal share spoils to open account

Inter Milan said on Monday its coach Roberto Mancini is leaving, citing a &quot;mutual agreement&quot; amid media reports the Serie A club&#39;s new Chinese owners decided fresh blood is needed to rejuvenate the team. 
 
&quot;FC Internazionale Milano confirms that it has parted company with head coach Roberto Mancini by mutual agreement,&quot; the club said in a statement 
 
Mancini is tipped in the media to be replaced by Dutch coach Frank de Boer. 
 
Corriere dello Sport and Gazzetta dello Sport reported there was a contract dispute with Mancini and that the Chinese owners, the Suning group, were furious after Inter lost 6-1 to Tottenham Hotspur in a friendly in Oslo on Thursday. 
 
Mancini had been a&nbsp;coach for two years and was under contract until 2017. He was given severance pay of 2.5 million Euros ($2.8 million) net, and will take his entire staff with him, Corriere dello Sport said. De Boer left Ajax Amsterdam at the end of last season. 
 
&quot;Inter would like to place on record its thanks to Roberto for the work carried out with the team since joining in November 2014,&quot; the club said. 
 
(AFP)

Media reports however said the Serie A club's new Chinese owners decided fresh blood was needed to rejuvenate the team

Inter Milan said on Monday its coach Roberto Mancini is leaving, citing a "mutual agreement" amid media reports the Serie A club's new Chinese owners decided fresh blood is needed to rejuvenate the team. "FC Internazionale Milano confirms that it has parted company with head coach Roberto Mancini by mutual agreement," the club said in a statement Mancini is tipped in the media to be replaced by Dutch coach Frank de Boer. Corriere dello Sport and Gazzetta dello Sport reported there was a contract dispute with Mancini and that the Chinese owners, the Suning group, were furious after Inter lost 6-1 to Tottenham Hotspur in a friendly in Oslo on Thursday. Mancini had been a coach for two years and was under contract until 2017. He was given severance pay of 2.5 million Euros ($2.8 million) net, and will take his entire staff with him, Corriere dello Sport said. De Boer left Ajax Amsterdam at the end of last season. "Inter would like to place on record its thanks to Roberto for the work carried out with the team since joining in November 2014," the club said. (AFP)

Inter Milan says coach Roberto Mancini is leaving by 'mutual agreement'

Seven&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;football&nbsp;fans&nbsp;beat up three Spanish tourists outside Cologne&#39;s landmark cathedral on Thursday, a police spokesman said. Six of them have been detained, he added.&nbsp;

German media said the&nbsp;Russians were returning to Moscow from the European Championship in France and that two of the Spaniards were seriously injured. 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Two of the three Spaniards are 'seriously injured'

Seven Russian football fans beat up three Spanish tourists outside Cologne's landmark cathedral on Thursday, a police spokesman said. Six of them have been detained, he added. German media said the Russians were returning to Moscow from the European Championship in France and that two of the Spaniards were seriously injured. (Reuters)

At it again, this time Russian fans attack Spanish tourists in Colonge

Leicester City&#39;s Premier League title defence got off to a terrible start as they were beaten 2-1 at promoted Hull City, who shrugged off an injury crisis to shock the champions on the opening day of the new season today. 
 
Robert Snodgrass thumped home a left-footed winner in the 57th minute after Leicester, who lost only three games last season, failed to clear their lines. Riyad Mahrez&#39;s second-half penalty for Leicester had earlier cancelled out Adama Diomande&#39;s acrobatic overhead kick. 
 
Diomande gave Hull the lead against the run of play in the first minute of first-half stoppage time, leaping in tandem with Abel Hernandez to meet Kasper Schmeichel&#39;s punched clearance from a Curtis Davies header. 
 
Mahrez responded from the penalty spot two minutes into the second half after Tom Huddlestone had clipped Demarai Gray on the edge of the area, before Snodgrass slammed home the winner, providing some respite for Hull, who had only 13 fit first-team players available. 
 
(Reuters)

Leicester City, who lost only three games last season, were beaten 2-1 by Hull City today

Leicester City's Premier League title defence got off to a terrible start as they were beaten 2-1 at promoted Hull City, who shrugged off an injury crisis to shock the champions on the opening day of the new season today. Robert Snodgrass thumped home a left-footed winner in the 57th minute after Leicester, who lost only three games last season, failed to clear their lines. Riyad Mahrez's second-half penalty for Leicester had earlier cancelled out Adama Diomande's acrobatic overhead kick. Diomande gave Hull the lead against the run of play in the first minute of first-half stoppage time, leaping in tandem with Abel Hernandez to meet Kasper Schmeichel's punched clearance from a Curtis Davies header. Mahrez responded from the penalty spot two minutes into the second half after Tom Huddlestone had clipped Demarai Gray on the edge of the area, before Snodgrass slammed home the winner, providing some respite for Hull, who had only 13 fit first-team players available. (Reuters)

Premier League: Champions Leicester stunned by Hull in season opener

The sight of Welsh players bringing kids on to the pitch after their quarter-final victory over Belgium at the European Championship last week may have warmed the hearts of millions around the world, but for the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) it appears to have been a step too far. 
 
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, tournament director Martin Kallen sought to bring a bit of harsh reality to the elite tournament.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;This is not about pitch condition, the question is how far do you go with having other people on the pitch?&quot;, he said. 
 
&quot;We are not 100 per cent against it but we are cautious. It&#39;s nice pictures, it&#39;s always cute but a stadium is not the safest place for small kids.&quot; 
 
The Welsh team, who play Portugal on Wednesday in Lyon for a place in the final, have been built on their own tournament motto &quot;Together. Stronger&quot; - playing like it on the pitch and enjoying themselves with their families off it at their Brittany training camp.&nbsp; 
 
The scenes of talisman Gareth Bale lifting his daughter Alba Violet at the Parc des Princes after the Northern Ireland match, or full back Neil Taylor grasping his children&#39;s soft toys following the 3-1 victory over Belgium in Lille, have brought a touch of humanity to the sometimes too serious world of soccer. 
 
&quot;UEFA&#39;s frowning on it unfortunately because it&#39;s encroachment on the pitch,&quot; David Griffiths, the president of the Welsh Football Association, was quoted as saying in British media. &quot;But the team is run like a family and the boys have been together for so long.&quot; 
 
Officially, only people with specific accreditation can join the players on the grass, but with a place in the final at stake there is no guarantee UEFA will be able to stop any of the winning teams&#39; families from again breaking the taboo.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;It is getting more and more a habit that entire family members would like to go on the pitch or into the technical area,&quot; Kallen told reporters.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

Association opposes families celebrating on the field, what others see as a touch of humanity in the sometimes too serious world of soccer

The sight of Welsh players bringing kids on to the pitch after their quarter-final victory over Belgium at the European Championship last week may have warmed the hearts of millions around the world, but for the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) it appears to have been a step too far. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, tournament director Martin Kallen sought to bring a bit of harsh reality to the elite tournament. "This is not about pitch condition, the question is how far do you go with having other people on the pitch?", he said. "We are not 100 per cent against it but we are cautious. It's nice pictures, it's always cute but a stadium is not the safest place for small kids." The Welsh team, who play Portugal on Wednesday in Lyon for a place in the final, have been built on their own tournament motto "Together. Stronger" - playing like it on the pitch and enjoying themselves with their families off it at their Brittany training camp. The scenes of talisman Gareth Bale lifting his daughter Alba Violet at the Parc des Princes after the Northern Ireland match, or full back Neil Taylor grasping his children's soft toys following the 3-1 victory over Belgium in Lille, have brought a touch of humanity to the sometimes too serious world of soccer. "UEFA's frowning on it unfortunately because it's encroachment on the pitch," David Griffiths, the president of the Welsh Football Association, was quoted as saying in British media. "But the team is run like a family and the boys have been together for so long." Officially, only people with specific accreditation can join the players on the grass, but with a place in the final at stake there is no guarantee UEFA will be able to stop any of the winning teams' families from again breaking the taboo. "It is getting more and more a habit that entire family members would like to go on the pitch or into the technical area," Kallen told reporters. (Reuters)

UEFA tells Wales to keep their children off the pitch

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