Month: December 2024

The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) has searched the offices of the French Football Federation (FFF) in connection with the criminal proceedings against former FIFA president Sepp Blatter.

The OAG opened an investigation into Blatter in September last year on suspicion of criminal mismanagement and alternatively misappropriation following a suspected payment of CHF 2 million to ex-UEFA president Michel Platini.

Both Blatter and Platini have since been banned from all football-related activities, although the former is also facing criminal charges.

As part of that investigation, the French Financial Prosecution Office searched the FFF s offices in Paris on Tuesday, with documents relating to the suspected payment from Blatter to Platini in 20…

Borussia Dortmund midfielder Mario Gotze looks set to leave the Bundesliga outfit this summer.

The German international has already expressed his willingness to reunite with former coach Jurgen Klopp but it appears that he will not lack any interest from a number of other Premier League sides.

Sky Sports UK understands that the likes of Arsenal, Everton and West Ham United have all stepped in the race for the 26-year-old. Additionally, Marseille and Valencia are also said to be keen on his services.

Gotze endured a difficult spell at Dortmund ever since he returned from Bayern Munich in 2016. The scorer of Germany’s winning goal in the 2014 World Cup final has struggled to restore his form due to numerous injury issues but now seems to be fully fit and read…

Kingsley Coman will spend several weeks on the sidelines with an ankle ligament tear as the Bayern Munich winger s injury woes continue.

Coman – who was forced to miss France s triumphant World Cup campaign – has been plagued by injuries and the 22-year-old is set for another spell away from the pitch after Bayern confirmed a syndesmosis ligament tear in his left ankle, which requires surgery.

Making his first Bundesliga appearance since undergoing surgery on the same ankle in February, Coman had to be helped from the field late in the opening half of Bayern s 3-1 win over Hoffenheim on Friday.

Coman was on the receiving end of a crude challenge from Hoffenheim s Nico Schulz in the Bundesliga opener at Allianz Arena.

Kingsley Coman has suffered a syn…

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Riccardo Sottil of Fiorentina, according to .

Apparently, the north Londoners are sending scouts ti Italy to report on the young winger, but they will have been disappointed over the weekend as the young winger remained on the bench for the entire game which Fiorentina drew away to Atalanta. Nonetheless, they remain keen and are preparing to step up their interest.

Sottil joined the youth ranks at his current club in 2016, and was initially called into the first team in 2017/18. Having made his senior debut in the Serie A against Sampdoria a year ago, he made only three appearances for the Viola before he joined Pescara on loan in January. He is now back at the Artemio Franchi Stadium, and despite playing so little, he has cau…

Mikel Arteta praised unique teenager Bukayo Saka after Arsenal ended a miserable week by relegating West Brom with a 3-1 Premier League victory on Sunday.

The Gunners are facing the prospect of missing out on European football for the first time in 25 years next season after they were knocked out of the Europa League at the semi-final stage by Villarreal on Thursday.

A drab goalless draw against the Spanish side – coached by former Gunners boss Unai Emery – was a new low for Arsenal and piled more pressure on Arteta, but they responded with a first home win in seven games.

Emile Smith Rowe scored his maiden Premier League goal before Nicolas Pepe added a second with a sublime finish to put Arsenal in command.

Matheus Pereira pulled a goal back mid…

Moise Kean has completed a season-long loan move to Paris Saint-Germain from Everton. 

The Italy international makes the temporary switch until June 2021 to the Ligue 1 champions, who confirmed they do not have a purchase option on the 20-year-old striker. 

Kean joined Everton from Juventus ahead of the 2019-20 campaign but managed just two goals in 31 Premier League matches. 

I am particularly proud and happy to become a Paris Saint-Germain player. They are one of the best clubs in the world as demonstrated by their recent participation in the Champions League final, Kean told PSG s official website. 

I am delighted to join such an ambitious club whose reputation is very important in my country. I can t wait to evolve alongside some of the best pla…

Former Sweden internatonal Olof Mellberg announced his retirement from club football on Thursday.

Centre-back Mellberg, 36, ended his career at Copenhagen after playing in the top flights in England, Italy and Spain.

The 117-time Sweden international s stint at Aston Villa stretched from 2001-08 and saw him feature 232 times in the Premier League for eight goals.

The defender also featured in two World Cups with Sweden in 2002 and 2006, and remains third in the list of most caps for his country.

Mellberg confirmed he had called time on his well-travelled career.

Today I ended my contract with FC Copenhagen, which will be the last in my football career, Mellberg said via a statement.

Thanks to all the fans, players, coaches and others who…

The Ukrainian Premier League (UPL) season has been declared over as it could not be completed due to Russia s invasion of Ukraine.

There have been no matches in Ukraine s top flight since February 12, while the campaign was suspended on February 24 after martial law was imposed.

That status has been extended, and a videoconference between UPL members has been held to decide the outcome of the 2021-22 season.

The table as of February 24 will be the final standings , the league said, but no winners are to be awarded .

Shakhtar Donetsk had held a two-point lead over defending champions Dynamo Kyiv after 18 matches.

…

Berti Vogts has resigned from his role as the head coach of the Azerbaijan national team after six years at the helm.

The German took over in 2008, but has failed to guide the side to qualification for any of the three major tournaments since then, falling well short on each occasion.

Azerbaijan s Euro 2016 qualifying campaign has got off to a dismal start, with 2-1 defeats to Bulgaria and Italy followed up by a 6-0 hammering at the hands of Croatia last time out.

It was announced on Friday that Vogts would not longer continue in his position, with the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA) releasing a statement.

AFFA President Rovnag Abdullayev met Azerbaijan national team coach Berti Vogts yesterday in Zurich, Switzerland, it read.