Manchester City defender Kolo Toure has spoken of his frustration at his current status in the champions squad.
The former captain, who signed from Arsenal in 2009 and has made 75 first-team appearances, has found himself increasingly marginalised, starting just one Premier League game so far this season.
Despite this, Toure has been philosophical about his current situation and is determined not to let himself become demoralised.
I want to stay, I want to fight for my place, he told BBC Sport.
It s difficult, I was a key player. I ve done everything but that will not change the manager s decision.
I like City and this season I started every game pre-season. But when the season started I ve been kicked out again from the team. It was difficult…
Juventus will be hoping they can bounce back to winning ways in Serie A, as the league leaders host local rivals Torino at the weekend.
The Italian champions have now gone two games without a league win, failing to score at home to Lazio before slumping to a 1-0 loss away to AC Milan.
In their promotion season, Torino have been more than impressive in the top flight, losing just one of seven away games their trip to Roma earlier in November.
But away score draws to Lazio and Napoli both sides that occupy the top-six will give Giampiero Ventura s men confidence of matching it with Juve in Turin on Saturday.
What won t give the visitors confidence is the fact they have not toppled their rivals since 1995 with the powerhouses failing to lose their past 12 h…
Mauricio Pochettino has suggested any decision over keeping Kyle Walker at Tottenham will be taken out of his hands.
The full-back has reportedly grown unsettled at White Hart Lane as he seeks an improvement on estimated £70,000-a-week wages, with Pochettino opting to play Kieran Trippier ahead of Walker at right-back in recent crunch matches against Chelsea and Arsenal.
Pochettino confirmed that Walker is available to face West Ham on Friday, as Spurs seek a 10th Premier League win in a row.
But, amid reports that a bid of £35million with Manchester City interested could be enough to take Walker away from the club, Pochettino confirmed he will not stand in the England full-back s way.
All the players, we will decide which players will leave and which …
Sergio Ramos so crucial for Madrid. Image via Marca
Real Madrid are safely into the draw for the Champions League, still but if they claim any silverware this season they will have one man to thank more than most, Sergio Ramos.
The captain has already scored more goals this season than Mesut Ozil, Isco and Anthony Martial and was at it again in Naples on Tuesday night as the Serie A side gave los Blancos an almighty fright in the Champions League.
Ramos to the rescue again
Leading 3-1 from the first leg at the Bernabeu, Madrid were confident of securing a last eight berth with relatively little fuss but Dries Mertens’ goal after 24 minutes sent nerves jangling throughout the Spanish capital.
However, with Madrid wobbling up stepped Ramos yet again to…
Santiago Solari has taken on his first coaching role since his unsuccessful Real Madrid stint as the new boss of Club America.
A statement on Tuesday confirmed Solari s appointment for the 2021 Liga MX Clausura, this year renamed the Torneo Guard1anes 2021.
America president Santiago Banos said: We recognised that Solari has an ideal profile for our sports project.
Throughout his career as a footballer and manager, he has been able to successfully meet the demands and objectives of teams like Club America, whose only goal is the title.
Solari replaced Julen Lopetegui at the Santiago Bernabeu in the tumultuous 2018-19 campaign that followed Madrid s most recent Champions League triumph and Zinedine Zidane s subsequent departure.
Former Argentina …
Atletico Madrid have signed Serbia Under-21 striker Ivan Saponjic from Benfica on a three-year contract.
Neither club disclosed the fee paid for the 21-year-old but the deal is reported to be worth in the region of €8million.
A physically imposing forward, Saponjic will provide an extra attacking option for coach Diego Simeone alongside Diego Costa, Alvaro Morata and record signing Joao Felix, who also arrived from Benfica for €126m.
But while the Portugal international starred in the club s Primeira Liga triumph in the 2018-19 season, Saponjic played for Benfica B after joining from Partizan Belgrade in January 2016 and spent the 2017-18 campaign on loan with Belgian club Zulte Waregem.
He joins fellow new faces Marcos Llorente, Hector Herrera, Feli…
Trent Alexander-Arnold saluted one of the best performances of manager Jurgen Klopp’s reign after helping Liverpool clinch a “very, very special” victory at Newcastle.
The Reds looked dead and buried at St James’ Park when skipper Virgil van Dijk was sent off three minutes after Anthony Gordon had fired the home side into a 25th-minute lead.
However, they escaped further punishment to make it to the latter stages of the game still only one goal in deficit, and ultimately emerged with three points after substitute Darwin Nunez scored an unlikely late double.
DARWINNN
The moment Nunez secured all three points at St James Park
— Liverpool FC (@LFC)
Alexander-Arnold told the club’s official website: “It’s unbelievable, to b…
Breel Embolo hailed Cristiano Ronaldo as an inspiration and Kylian Mbappe as a role model ahead of Switzerland s World Cup last-16 tie against Portugal.
Embolo has impressed for the Swiss in Qatar, scoring twice in the group stage.
That is one more goal than Ronaldo has managed, with the Portugal captain netting only in their opening win over Ghana, with the goal coming from the penalty spot.
It did, however, make Ronaldo the first man to score at five different World Cups, and Embolo is honoured to get the chance to go up against the 37-year-old on the biggest stage.
I think Cristiano, not just for forwards, but for all athletes, is a great inspiration and is enriching for our time, he said in a press conference.
You can only learn from someone…
David Moyes is preparing to smash Manchester United’s transfer record with a third bid for Cesc Fabregas, .
The Premier League champions’ previous two bids for the 26 year old, though to be around the £25m and £30m mark were dismissed out of hand by the Catalan club.
However, the United manageriIs determined to land the former Arsenal captain and, according to the Manchester Evening News, will break the club s transfer record that currently stands at £30.8m, which they paid to Tottenham Hotspur for Bulgarian forward Dimitar Berbatov in 2008.
Fabregas has returned to training with the La Liga champions, but is said to be considering his options, while new Barcelona boss Gerardo Martino has insisted that the club would reject any improved bid from United sh…
Newcastle United are looking for a swift response to their 4-0 drubbing at Manchester City when they host West Ham on Saturday.
Alan Pardew s side were completely overrun at the Etihad Stadium last Monday, as goals from David Silva, Sergio Aguero, Yaya Toure and Samir Nasri consigned them to a heavy loss in their opening Premier League game of the new season.
But Pardew has urged supporters not to overreact to the result against Manuel Pellegrini s side, asking the St James Park faithful to judge his team after home matches with West Ham and Fulham on August 31.
Really and truly it is about the next 37 games particularly the two at home. We need points on the board, he said.
It will be a better measure for us after West Ham and Fulham. Judge us on that. Going for…