Three Napoli players have been handed suspensions in the wake of Saturday’s heated Italian Super Cup against Juventus in China. Goran Pandev and Andrea Dossena have both been given two-match bans while their team-mate Juan Zuniga will serve a one-match suspension, the Italian football league (Lega Calcio) announced on Tuesday. Pandev and Zuniga were both […]
The president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has responded angrily to claims suspended Juventus coach Antonio Conte has not been treated severely enough. Last week the manager of the current Serie A champions and his assistant Angelo Alessio were handed 10-month bans for failing to report two incidents of match-fixing during their time in […]
Cesare Prandelli insisted there were “good indications” from Italy’s friendly defeat to England after giving six players their debuts. The squad had an average age of under 25 and 12 of the players called up were uncapped for today’s 2-1 loss in Switzerland. “Defeats are still defeats, even if they are friendlies, but they are useful because we are planning […]
Italy’s experimental young side lost 2-1 to England tonight in Switzerland. It’s the first time the Three Lions got the better of the Nazionale in 15 years, as they fought back from a Daniele De Rossi opener. Cesare Prandelli gave first caps to Stephan El Shaarawy and Mattia Destro from the Under-21 side, while Davide […]
A wonderful strike from substitute Jermain Defoe has given England a 2-1 victory over Italy in their friendly international in Berne. England are still unbeaten in 90 minutes under Roh Hodgson and he was happy with his sides performance tonight, especially coming back from Daniele De Rossi’s 15th minute header. “I don’t think there was […]
It has dragged on all summer, but it appears that the Luka Modric transfer from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid is finally going to happen. Reports in Spain say that Real Madrid President Florentino Pérez has raised his offer for Modric to €32 million plus a series of performance-related payments which would be for between […]
I was really surprised to read that Real Madrid’s Xabi Alonso has turned down a two-year contract extension at the club. A move that should see the Spanish midfielder leave the Bernabeu next summer. The decorated veteran, he has won the World Cup, European Championship, La Liga and the Champions League, has only two years […]
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will go up against each other again for Uefa’s Best Player in Europe award. Last year’s winner Messi is joined in the final three by Barcelona team-mate Andres Iniesta, while Real Madrid’s Ronaldo makes it two years in a row on the shortlist. The winner will be announced on 30 […]
According to the German newspaper Bild, Bayern Munich have signed Javi Martinez from Spanish club Athletic Bilbao. The transfer was triggered after Bayern activated a €40m buy-out clause in Martinez’s contract. The size of the deal is a record for a German club. The 23-year-old Martinez signed for Bilbao from fellow La Liga side CA […]