Month: January 2025

Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo will improve the more he plays after the coronavirus-enforced break, according to head coach Maurizio Sarri.

Ronaldo converted a penalty as Serie A leaders Juve routed 10-man Lecce 4-0 in Turin on Friday – the defending champions opening a seven-point advantage over scudetto challengers Lazio.

The five-time Ballon d Or winner took his tally to 23 goals in Serie A this season, though Ronaldo has been in the headlines for his lack of form since the 2019-20 campaign restarted earlier this month following the COVID-19 crisis.

Asked about Ronaldo post-match, Sarri told reporters: Cristiano now can play with a good fit. He needs to improve after the break and he is doing match after match.

He needs to play a lot. In the f…

Real Madrid spent in excess of 250 million euros on new talent in the summer with the target of dethroning Barcelona in La Liga and re-establishing themselves in Europe by winning the Champions League at their Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

But the Spanish giants failed on both counts with a last 16 exit to Lyon ending their hopes of a dream European final at their Bernabeu stadium as the nine-time champions have failed to get past the first knockout stage for six successive seasons.

Defeats to Barcelona in both Clasicos meaning they have lost the last four were pivotal in the title race as Barcelona notched a record 99 points to retain their crown and Real s own points record of 96 was not enough.

After watching arch rivals Barcelona win an historic League, King s …

Burnley have completed the signing of Joey Barton,.

The midfielder was available on a free transfer after leaving Queens Park Rangers at the end of last season and had been linked with West Ham United and Nottingham Forest.

However, he has penned a one-year deal with Sean Dyche’s side, who are looking to secure an immediate return to the Premier League following their relegation back in May.

Barton made eighty-six appearances for QPR, scoring six goals while he spent the 2012/13 campaign on loan at Marseille in France’s Ligue One.

Prior to his move to Loftus Road, he spent four years with Newcastle United, having begun his career with Manchester City while internationally he has one senior cap for England.

Burnley, who have taken five po…

Could Paulo Dybala swap Italy for Spain?

The Juventus attacker was close to leaving Juventus for either Manchester United or Tottenham prior to the 2019-20 season, while Paris Saint-Germain were also linked.

Now, Real Madrid are reportedly targeting the 26-year-old.

TOP STORY – KROOS OUT, DYBALA IN?

Real Madrid are set to offer Toni Kroos or Isco as part of a deal to bring Juventus star Paulo Dybala to the Santiago Bernabeu, according to SportMediaset.

LaLiga champions Madrid are eyeing a move for Dybala, who has been in negotiations with Serie A titleholders Juve over a new contract amid reported interest from Paris Saint-Germain.

However, Juve are unwilling to part with the Argentina international – who enjoyed a fine S…

Edin Dzeko has scored six goals in his first seven Inter league appearances, matching Ronaldo s haul from the 1997-98 season, and the striker is brimming with confidence after his fine start.

The 35-year-old came off the bench in the second half of the Nerazzurri s 2-1 Serie A away victory over Sassuolo on Saturday.

Inter were trailing, but Dzeko equalised less than a minute after his introduction and then earned the penalty that Lautaro Martinez converted to win the game.

Dzeko joined Inter in August to replace star striker Romelu Lukaku, who left to join Chelsea, but has more than made up for the Belgian s absence so far.

Six goals after seven games, I know Ronaldo was the last to do it, Dzeko said after the game. Inter signed me for this, I know what …

(GSM) Real Madrid skipper Iker Casillas feels that Barcelona s recent dominance is a passing fad , while predicting coach Jose Mourinho will inspire a new period of supremacy at the Santiago Bernabéu.

The Catalan giants have romped to claim the last two Primera Division crowns and the 2009 Champions League in fluid passing style which has won them a new army of admirers.

But Casillas believes otherwise and feels that Mourinho s more pragmatic approach will pay dividends in the long term.

We are able to stand up to them, he told Marca. We compare favourably with them and we are only a couple of months, perhaps a season, away from them.

This is the best Barca in history and they have been in fashion but this is just a passing fad.

Mourinho is a…

Jaap Stam is hoping he can one day fill the role of Manchester United manager.

The Dutchman, 43, played at Old Trafford between 1998 and 2001, winning the Premier League in each of his three full seasons.

The retired centre-back has been involved with the coaching teams of Ajax s first and second sides since 2013.

But Stam will leave Ajax at the end of the season and believes he is ready to become number one at a club, with the United job a future dream as he sets out on his managerial career.

First it would be for me to work as a manager in England, but eventually, if I develop and do well, hopefully I can get back in a role for United, Stam told the Daily Mail.

I finished my coaching badges last season and I want to manage in Holland or Englan…

Lionel Messi will play for Argentina again in 2019, according to the national team s general manager Jorge Burruchaga.

Messi has not represented his country since the World Cup, where Argentina were beaten in the last 16 by eventual winners France.

Coach Jorge Sampaoli departed after a chaotic campaign, with Messi s stunning goal against Nigeria helping drag them through the group stage.

The Barcelona superstar s phenomenal hat-trick in a decisive qualifying win over Ecuador secured Argentina s place at Russia 2018 but the captain, who has lost four finals with his country, has yet to comment on when he might return to the fold.

Burruchaga is confident, though, that Messi will be back in the Argentina team in time for their Copa America campaign in Brazil…

Scotland manager Steve Clarke stressed the need to focus on “Norway the team” rather than become obsessed with trying to stop Erling Haaland.

Haaland goes into Saturday’s Euro 2024 qualifier in Oslo on the back of a 52-goal, treble-winning season with Manchester City and is set to make his first international appearance since September in front of an expectant crowd at the Ullevaal Stadium.

Much of the build-up to the game has been dominated by talk of the 22-year-old striker’s threat, but Clarke and defender Liam Cooper were careful not to overlook the rest of the Norway team – or give them any cause to feel under-appreciated.

Final prep before Norway.

— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT)

Asked about trying stop Haaland, Clarke s…

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli has signed a new contract that will see him remain in charge until after the 2016 UEFA European Championships.

Former Roma and Fiorentina boss Prandelli took the Azzurri reins immediately after the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

And the 56-year-old announced on Monday that he has put pen to paper on a fresh deal that will extend his stay in the national team hotseat to six years.

Sorry for the delay, Prandelli said at a press conference. But it was precisely due to the fact that we were just signing the contract.

Yes, yes, it is official. Until the European Championships.

Now we will not go into the details, we currently have an objective that is too important. From September we will talk about projects and programs.

The availabili…