Brisbane coach Rado Vidosic believes his side s strong record in Wellington may come down to the Phoenix respecting them too much.

Since Wellington joined the Hyundai A-League for the 2007/08 season the Roar have typically not left the New Zealand capital empty-handed and that form continued on Sunday when they claimed a point with a 1-1 draw at Westpac Stadium.

Brisbane s 2-0 defeat in New Zealand last season was played in Dunedin and the only other time the Roar have failed to earn at least a point from the away fixture was back in the 2009/10 campaign.

I think maybe they respect us too much, said Roar coach Rado Vidosic of his side s record in Wellington – a venue most other Australian sides struggle in.

You saw the way they played against Sydney.…

Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas believes Pep Guardiola has left a lasting legacy for football.

Guardiola led Barcelona to unprecedented levels of success after taking charge in 2008, steering the Catalan side to 14 trophies in four years.

And the Portuguese manager was quick to acknowledge the lasting impression left by the former Spain international, praising his work as revolutionary.

Guardiola set the standard. People respect the style of play, football philosophy and values he created, Villas-Boas told Portuguese magazine Expresso.

Barcelona play fast football that can be slow at the same time. The players always make the right decisions when on the ball.

Villas-Boas was part of Jose Mourinho s backroom staff during their stint togethe…

Asamoah Gyan has been found guilty of having unethical hair under United Arab Emirates Football Association rules.

The former Sunderland striker is on loan at Al Ahli from Chinese side Shanghai SIPG.

Gyan s current mohawk style, which he sported while captaining Ghana at the Africa Cup of Nations, has been found not to meet the guidelines of the UAE FA, with reports suggesting over 40 other players have fallen foul of the rules.

Some Islamic teachings ban Qaza hairstyles including mohawks as only part of the head is shaved.

In 2012, Waleed Abdullah was forced to alter his hair before playing for Al Shabab because his cut was deemed un-Islamic .

…

French sports minister Patrick Kanner has questioned whether Michel Platini was granted a fair hearing by FIFA before being hit with an eight-year ban from football-related activities.

UEFA president Platini was handed his suspension along with FIFA counterpart Sepp Blatter on Monday following an investigation by the Independent Ethics Committee of world football s governing body.

Blatter and Platini s lengthy punishments relate to a payment of two million Swiss francs made by FIFA, and authorised by the 79-year-old Swiss, to the former France captain in February 2011.

The duo cited a gentleman s agreement for a transaction concerned with work carried out for FIFA by Platini between 1999 and 2002, but this explanation was rejected by the adjudicatory chamber of …

A sliding doors moment kept Mauricio Pochettino and Lionel Messi apart in 2005. But 15 years later, their paths could well realign at Paris Saint-Germain.

Back when Messi was in the embryonic stages of a Barcelona career that has seen him win six Ballons d Or, 34 trophies and score a world record 644 goals for a single club, a temporary switch to cross-town rivals Espanyol was mooted.

There he would have linked up with an uncompromising defender by the name of Pochettino, and the subsequent decade and a half could have turned out very differently.

I remember that summer, he was so close to moving to Espanyol, Pochettino said ahead of Tottenham facing Messi s Barcelona at Wembley in a Champions League clash in October 2018.

If he did, maybe he could have…

Marko Grujic has set himself a target of playing 34 very good games while on loan at Hertha Berlin this season in order win a place in Jurgen Klopp s Liverpool team.

Serbia international Grujic agreed to spend a second season with the Bundesliga club after meeting with Klopp to discuss his future prospects, but he has not given up hope of becoming a star at Anfield.

The 23-year-old midfielder made five Premier League appearances in his first season at Liverpool after his reported €7million transfer from Red Star Belgrade, followed by three more in 2017-18 before spells on loan at Cardiff City and Hertha.

He started 20 of Hertha s Bundesliga matches last season as the club finished 11th, despite spells out due to injury, and he believes another successful campa…

Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr faces a spell on the sidelines after damaging a hamstring.

Vinicius came off injured after 18 minutes of Real’s 1-0 LaLiga win at Celta Vigo on Friday.

“After the tests carried out on our player Vini. Jr, by the Real Madrid medical services, (he) has been diagnosed with an injury to the right biceps femoris muscle,” read a club statement.

Vini Jr. medical report.

— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden)

“His progress will be monitored.”

The 23-year-old Brazilian is set to miss Real’s final game before the international break at home to Getafe.

There also fears Vinicius could now be absent for Real’s league games against Real Sociedad and city rivals Atletico after the international break,…

Phil Foden s first-half strike was enough as Manchester City beat Brentford 1-0 to extend their winning Premier League run to 10 matches and move eight points clear at the top.

The Citizens had scored 17 goals in their previous three league games but were made to work hard at the Brentford Community Stadium in their final game of 2021.

Kevin De Bruyne played in a teasing delivery for Foden to drill in the game s only goal after 16 minutes, with that match-winning moment arriving 56 seconds after Yoane Wissa had a header cleared off the line at the other end.

City had a couple of goals disallowed in the second half but moved further clear at the summit following Liverpool s loss to Leicester City on Tuesday and Chelsea s home draw with Brighton and Hove Albion …

Fulham are on the verge of completing a deal for completing a loan deal for Queens Park Rangers midfielder Adel Taarabt, .

Hoops’ manager Harry Redknapp will not stand in the way of the Morocco international, who was one of a number of want-away players left out the match day squad for the season opener against Sheffield Wednesday at the weekend.

The 24 year old has a reputation of being a trouble maker, and was reportedly fine for refusing to take part in a weight check and turning up late for training back in May though his ability on the pitch has caught the attention of Cottagers manager Martin Jol.

He moved to Loftus Road on loan from Tottenham Hotspur for the end of the 2008/09 season and then again for the entirety of the following campaign before ma…

Newcastle United earned their first point of the new Premier League season as they were held to a 0-0 draw by West Ham.

Alan Pardew who enjoyed a three-year spell as West Ham boss headed into the game under significant pressure following Newcastle s 4-0 loss to Manchester City, while Sam Allardyce sacked by Newcastle in 2008 was hoping to guide his side to a second successive win.

It was the latter who will have been the happier of the two managers, though, as his charges produced a professional defensive display to claim a point.

Newcastle made four changes to the team that was dismantled by City on Monday, Davide Santon, Vurnon Anita, Sylvain Marveaux and Shola Ameobi coming into the side, with Yohan Cabaye again left out as speculation over his future at the club co…