Bologna star Alessandro Diamanti has moved to rubbish speculations linking him with a summer exit from Renato Dall Ara.
The experienced midfielder has seen his stock rise a great deal over the last year or so, having impressed playing for Bologna and Italy national team.
Diamanti has in turn been linked with Juventus and AC Milan, but he has now reassured club fans by saying that he plans to remain at Renato Dall Ara.
“I read many invented stories about me recently,” he said to Il Corriere di Bologna.
“I have found a fantastic squad, spoke to my family and returned from vacation a few days early because I want to be ready for the start of the new season.
“I am the leader and captain of Bologna, so I have to be in the best shape.”
<…
Wales started the Euro 2024 qualifications well enough, earning a difficult draw away to Croatia and booking all three points at home against Latvia.However, consecutive disappointing results that followed, a 2-4 defeat at home to Armenia and 2-0 away to Turkey, have put their chances of qualifying for the tournament, as well as the future of manager Rob Page, in doubt.
But Page has no intention of throwing the towel in just yet.
“I just have to be true to myself and do what I think is right, that’s why I’ve got the job.”
Rob Page says he wants to be the Wales manager until the end of his current deal.
— Football Daily (@footballdaily)
…
Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert has backed midfielder Fabian Delph to win a place in the England squad.
Delph has started each of Villa s three games this season, having forced his way into Lambert s plans during the last campaign.
The former Leeds United man made 24 appearances for Villa in 2012-13 after struggling with injuries following his move from Elland Road in 2009.
With Delph having played a part in Villa s late-season flourish last time out, and then retaining a starting spot, Lambert feels he can make the step up to international level.
I’ll let England worry about England, my job is to worry about Fabian and Aston Villa, but the way he’s playing you just don’t know, he told The Birmingham Mail.
I m pretty sure there’s more to come f…
Alessandro Del Piero will line up against former side Juventus when he captains the A-League All Stars against the Italian giants in August.
Del Piero confirmed on Tuesday that he will lead the Australian league s All Star side for the match at ANZ Stadium on August 10.
His decision to play in the clash also suggests that he will continue his career at Sydney FC, despite constant rumours of a move at the end of the season.
The 39-year-old spent 19 years at Juventus, captaining them for 11 seasons, scoring a record 290 goals from 705 matches.
The match will mark the third trip to Australia for the Italian giants, following previous tours in 1984 and in 2008, when they defeated Melbourne Victory 4-1.
To have a club of the calibre of Juventus FC come to Sydney…
Sol Campbell has defended Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and credited the under-fire Frenchman with transforming the club.
Arsenal missed out on the Premier League title for a 12th season running as sections of the Emirates Stadium faithful turned on the club s long-serving boss.
Campbell was part of the last Gunners side to be crowned champions when they went the whole of the 2003-04 top-flight campaign unbeaten.
And he called for Wenger to be given more time, which looks inevitable after the 66-year-old got the backing of chief executive Ivan Gazidis this week.
Everyone s got to realise how much he s done for Arsenal, Campbell, who played for the London club from 2001 to 2006 and then again briefly in 2010, told The Guardian. He revolutionised the c…
Inverness Caledonian Thistle have denied reports that manager Terry Butcher has agreed to take over at Hibernian.
Pat Fenlon resigned from his post at the Edinburgh outfit on Friday, after a Scottish League Cup defeat to city rivals Hearts.
Hibs currently sit seventh in the Scottish Premiership, seven points and five places behind Inverness, who are second to champions Celtic.
Butcher led his side to fourth last season, narrowly missing out on a place in the UEFA Europa League, while the Highland club also reached top spot in Scotland s top flight for the first time in their history this term, remaining at the summit for the first eight rounds of the campaign.
Butcher turned down a chance to manage English Championship side Barnsley last season, and Inverness hav…
Brendan Rodgers and Roberto Martinez will meet for the first time as respective bosses of Merseyside giants Liverpool and Everton this Saturday
This season’s first Merseyside derby of the season takes place on Saturday lunchtime and it could be rather different from derbies of recent seasons.
Everton boss Roberto Martinez and Liverpool’s Brendan Rodgers both come from the same school of football philosophies.
Trailblazers
Everton boss Roberto Martinez blazed a trail at Swansea in installing possession based, passing football at the Welsh club in his stint at the club between 2007 and 2009.
Everybody at the Welsh club bought into the philosophy and the Swans still play a similar style under Danish boss Michael Laudrup.
Ironically, it w…
Jeremy Menez looks set to join Milan from French champions Paris Saint-Germain, and has spoken of his excitement at the move.
The 27-year-old found playing time hard to come by in the French capital last season, starting just seven matches as PSG romped to a second straight Ligue 1 title.
The France international revealed in March that it was unlikely he would stay in Paris, and he now appears on the verge of moving to San Siro as Milan aim to rebuild after the appointment of Filippo Inzaghi as head coach.
It will be Menez s second stint in Serie A, after three years spent in the Italian capital with Roma between 2008 and 2011, and he will arrive as a free agent with his PSG contract set to expire.
I am very happy and I want to win as always, as I did with PSG, h…
Brazil winger Bernard has joined Everton on a four-year contract, the Premier League club have confirmed.
The 25-year-old moves to Goodison Park on a free transfer after his terms expired at Shakhtar Donetsk.
Bernard won three league championships and as many domestic cups over the course of five seasons with the Ukrainian giants.
Capped 14 times by Brazil, although not since playing in the 7-1 World Cup semi-final humiliation against Germany in 2014, Bernard cited Everton boss Marco Silva as a key factor in his decision to move to Merseyside.
| Bernard signs a four-year contract with the Blues!
Bem vinda, !
More:
— Everton (@Everton)
I chose Everton because of all the things I had heard about Marco Silva and after…
The 30-man shortlist to win the 2016 Ballon d Or was revealed over the course of Monday, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi both included.
After the Ballon d Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year awards merged in 2010 to become the FIFA Ballon d Or, that partnership came to an end this year, allowing both prizes to return to their original formats.
Messi was last year s Ballon d Or winner and Ronaldo is the odds-on favourite to pick up this year s crown, with Kaka s 2007 win the last time either of the Barcelona and Real Madrid stars did not emerge victorious.
The 30-man shortlist will be the only group of nominations announced and a final three will not emerge prior to the announcement of the winner.
Here is the final list of 30 players nominated…