Juventus coach Ciro Ferrara said he wants his team to be stubborn when they face AC Milan at Turin s Stadio Olimpico on Sunday in a win-at-all-costs clash.
Juve trail champions and Serie A leaders Inter Milan by nine points having ended 2009 with five defeats from their last six matches in all competitions, including a 2-1 home defeat to then rock-bottom Catania.
And despite beginning 2010 with a stuttering 2-1 win at Parma, defeat at home to Milan would almost certainly signal the end of their interest in the scudetto race.
Worse still, Milan are in a fine run of form despite a home blip against Palermo at the end of last year a 2-0 defeat they came into that match on the back of a five-game winning run in the league and started the new year with a 5-2 thrashin…
(GSM) Boca Juniors manager Alfio Basile has announced his immediate departure from the Buenos Aires outfit following a humiliating 3-1 defeat by arch rivals River Plate on Thursday.
At a press conference called on Saturday, Boca president Jorge Amor Ameal confirmed that Basile is no longer coach of the team.
Amor added that Abel Alvez and Carlos Borzi were appointed as caretakers while the board looks for a new manager, and added that Carlos Bianchi as manager is a constant wish .
Basile, nicknamed Coco , has an impressive palmares that includes stints at some of Argentina s most important club sides, as well as the national team. In 2009, the now 66-year-old returned to Boca but the club failed to impress with a 14th and 11th position in the year s respective t…
Verdict: Man Utd to win to nil
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Manchester United are very much back in the top 4 chase after yet another impressive triumph and the Boxing Day clash against Sunderland will be a perfect opportunity to further improve their league position. The Black Cats did well to end a barren run of results by defeating Watford, but they now face a tough task of avoiding defeat at Old Trafford.
Manchester United
Manchester United have experienced all sorts of problems under Jose Mourinho, who has spent last six months searching for his best starting XI, but even though the Special One made quite a few mistakes during his early days at Old Trafford, he did well to correct some of those. Michael Carrick, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Marcos Rojo are so…
Following his move to Arsenal, goalkeeper Petr Cech has set his sights on claiming both domestic and European titles at the Emirates Stadium.
The Czech Republic international ended his 11-year spell with Chelsea to make the move across London on Monday penning a long-term contract at Arsenal.
And after securing a trophy haul at Stamford Bridge that included four Premier League titles, four FA Cups and the 2012 UEFA Champions League, Cech is eager to enjoy further success with his new employers.
I am as hungry as ever and have the same motivation and commitment to win trophies as I had 10 or 15 years ago and as a kid, Cech told Arsenal s official website.
Having spoken to [manager Arsene Wenger], I believe I will find a team that wants to be success…
Harry Kane continues to be linked with a move away from Tottenham and, after last week s defeat to Manchester United, his Spurs future looks little brighter.
Still, the England star has rarely allowed off-field rumours to influence his form, and he happens to be preparing to face one of his favourite opponents in Everton.
Liverpool forward Diogo Jota is another forward we are encouraging Fantasy Football players to select for this week, as the champions get ready for a tricky test at Leeds United.
Is there anyone else who offers good value for this week, we hear you ask? Read on for a handful of suggested picks, as powered by Opta data
RUI PATRICIO
Wolves goalkeeper Rui Patricio has kept five clean sheets in his most recent 13 Premier …
Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan has alleged he was subject to racial abuse during Sunday s 1-1 draw away to Juventus and has called for change and comprehensive action .
The 26-year-old French goalkeeper stood up to the abuse in a social media post but demanded action, with AFP reporting that Juventus have launched an investigation into the alleged incident.
Video on social media showed fans directing a torrent of abuse at Maignan as he warmed up prior to Sunday s game at Turin s Allianz Stadium.
The incident is the second in Serie A this season after grounds were re-opened to fans, with alleged racist chants from Lazio supporters towards Milan midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko earlier this month.
Maignan posted on Twitter saying it was time for change and callin…
Al Qadsia set up an all-Kuwaiti AFC Cup final with a 1-0 second-leg victory over Al Faisaly in Amman on Tuesday.
Saleh Al Sheikh scored the only goal of the game to secure a 3-1 aggregate win and make sure of their second appearance in the final, where they will face defending champions Al Kuwait.
Both sides had their chances before midfielder Al Sheikh silenced the home supporters with a clinical finish after great work from Saif Al Hashan.
And there was no way back for Al Faisaly, who have not reached the AFC Cup final since 2007.
The visitors were without leading scorer Bader Al Mutwa after he sustained a foot injury playing for Kuwait against Jordan earlier this month.
And Omar Al Suma failed to show the sort of composure that Al Mutwa has displayed whe…
Olympique Marseille coach Didier Deschamps has signed a one year extension to his contract at the French club. The announcement comes days after newspaper reports linking Deschamps with the vacant manager s post at English giants Liverpool FC. Deschamps is now contracted to L OM till June 2012.
Deschamps arrived at Marseille in 2009 and guided the south east outfit to Ligue 1 glory in his first season at the club. Prior to Marseille, he also had coaching stints at AS Monaco and Juventus.
Deschamps also represented Marseille as a player. He played for them between 1989 and 1994 and was part of their famous Champions League winning squad of 1993.
[Source:- Olympique Marseille]
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Danny Graham s Sunderland career appears to be over after the striker completed a loan move to Blackburn Rovers for the remainder of the season.
Graham, 30, moved to the Stadium of Light from Swansea City in January 2013 but has made just 42 appearances since arriving – scoring only once – and sees his contract expire in June.
Loan spells at Hull City, Middlesbrough and Watford punctured a relatively disappointing time on Wearside for Graham who follows Costel Pantilimon out of Sunderland this week.
Graham has made only six starts in all competitions this season, including during Saturday s 4-1 defeat at Tottenham, but will be tasked with helping 18th-placed Blackburn pull further clear of the drop zone.
Blackburn emerged from a transfer embargo in De…
Atletico Madrid captain Gabi insists his team-mates have no time to feel sorry for themselves after crashing out of the Copa del Rey as they prepare to play champions Barcelona in a crucial La Liga clash at Camp Nou.
Wednesday s 3-2 second-leg defeat at home to Celta Vigo saw Diego Simeone s men crash out at the quarter-final stage for the second straight season three days after a frustrating 0-0 league draw at home to Sevilla.
With Real Madrid already expelled, Saturday s opponents Barcelona are left as overwhelming favourites to win the competition after they battled past Athletic Bilbao with a 3-1 second-leg win and 5-2 aggregate triumph, although a tense tie was still level going into the second half.
Both sides, who between them have won six of the last sev…