Roma sporting director Monchi has no desire to leave for Barcelona and is eager for rumours of a potential departure to stop.
The highly respected executive has been linked with a move to both Barca and Manchester United, having joined Roma from Sevilla in 2017 after helping the Spanish club win 11 trophies in his tenure.
Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid have also been mentioned in connection with Monchi, who saw Roma reach the semi-finals of the Champions League in his first full season in the job.
However, speaking before Roma s win over Sampdoria, Monchi told Sky Sport Italia: I m happy to work here and I want to stay for many years because I have a lot of confidence in the club.
I hope the rumours of my departure stop. I don t want to leave, …
Brest midfielder Ibrahima Diallo has no intention of moving to the King Power Stadium this January, according to the L Equipe.
The French publication claims that the 20-year-old is not interested in joining Leicester mid-season despite the club s recent Premier League success. Instead, Diallo will finish the season with Brest before considering his future options in the summer.
The youngster arrived in Brest on loan in August 2018 and appeared in altogether 26 games during the 2018/2019 season for his club, which then played in Ligue 2. This season Brest are playing in Ligue 1 and so far the Frenchman has appeared in 13 games, but has yet to score his first goal. The youth product of Monaco Academy, Diallo has made a good impression since joining the team, especially wi…
Deep in thought
There has long been a belief that great players will go on to make great managers. It is perhaps even more probable that great captains will go on to be great managers. However, we have all come to realise over the years that neither of them things happen to be true all the time.
Career
The likes of Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho have shown that you do not have to have had a particularly auspicious career on the field to go on to greatness in the technical area. One manager once famously said ‘you don’t have to have been a horse to become a great jockey’!
Roy Keane was a great player. The thirty-nine year old Irishman spent twelve years at Manchester United where he won seven Premier League titles, four FA Cups and a Champions Leagu…
Football penalty shoot-outs give an unfair psychological advantage to the team that shoots first according to new research from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) published Thursday.
Now Professor Ignacio Palacios-Huerta, from the LSE s department of management, has suggested football chiefs switch to a tennis style tie-break system, during which players can have two consecutive serves, in a bid to make shoot-outs fairer.
Palacios-Huerta and co-author Jose Apesteguia, an associate professor at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, studied 2,820 kicks from shoot-outs in major national and international competitions between 1970-2008.
They found that the team that takes the first kick wins 60 percent of the time and the team that takes the …
Outgoing Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini insists he has no problem with the club s announcement that Pep Guardiola will replace him at the helm from the start of next season.
City confirmed on Monday that Guardiola would begin a three-year contract from 2016-17, in the immediate aftermath of Pellegrini stunning a pre-match news conference ahead of the midweek win at Sunderland by announcing the current campaign would be his last at the Etihad Stadium.
In their statement, City revealed they first made overtures to Guardiola in 2012 with Pellegrini not appointed until the following year and the 62-year-old was at pains to point out his bosses kept him fully informed.
Addressing the assembled media before Saturday s top-of-the-table Premier League cla…
QPR have completed the signing of striker Eduardo Vargas on a season-long loan from Napoli.
The Chile international moved to Napoli from Universidad in 2011, but failed to hold down a regular starting spot while in Italy.
After a loan spell at Brazilian outfit Gremio in 2013, Vargas made a temporary switch to Valencia for the second half of last season, scoring five times in 25 appearances in all competition.
Vargas featured for Chile at the World Cup, scoring once in four matches as Jorge Sampaoli s side bowed out in the last 16 after a penalty-shootout defeat to hosts Brazil.
QPR confirmed on Thursday that the 24-year-old has joined until the end of 2014-15, with manager Harry Redknapp eulogising over the player s all-round qualities.
Eduardo i…
Benfica teenage star Joao Felix is said to be a person of interest for a line of Europe’s top clubs.
Spanish news outlet Diario AS claims are currently leading the chase to sign the highly-rated 19-year-old who has risen to prominence after netting five goals in last seven appearances for the Portuguese powerhouse.
The attacking midfielder has already been compared to Cristiano Ronaldo due to his playing style and is tipped to reach stardom in near future. Felix is a versatile footballer who can operate in a number of positions in the final third.
He was the star performer of the UEFA Youth League in the 2016/17 season against Real Madrid where scouts of the European champions took notice of his presence in the first place.
The likes of Juventus, Atle…
First-half goals from Kyle Lafferty and Conor Washington and a late strike from Will Grigg helped steer Northern Ireland to a comfortable 3-0 friendly victory over Belarus at Windsor Park.
The win extended the hosts unbeaten run to 11 games and provided a further confidence boost for Michael O Neill s side ahead of their upcoming Euro 2016 campaign.
Lafferty s goal came on the occasion of his 50th cap, while Washington nettedd his second in as many friendlies and both strikers are set to be included in O Neill s finalised squad which is due to be announced on Saturday.
In-form Wigan Athletic star Grigg may also have booked his place in the squad as he opened his international account with a well-taken effort two minutes from time.
Northern Ireland had h…
Reece James has signed a new contract at Chelsea to remain at Stamford Bridge until 2025, the Premier League club have confirmed.
James has enjoyed a breakthrough season with his boyhood club this term, following a successful 2018-19 on loan at Wigan Athletic in the Championship.
The 20-year-old has made 18 appearances across all competitions for Frank Lampard s side – scoring on his debut against Grimsby Town in the EFL Cup and in the thrilling 4-4 Champions League draw at home to Ajax.
A fixture at right-back over recent weeks, James reward for his impressive development is a new five-and-a-half-year deal.
It has been my dream to be here at Chelsea and play week in week out and to have a contract for another five-and-a-half years is living the dream …
Marko Arnautovic will not be distracted by rumours of a potential move to China as West Ham prepare to face Arsenal, according to Manuel Pellegrini.
Speculation has emerged this week suggesting that Arnautovic has been the subject of a £35million bid from a Chinese Super League club.
The Austrian has been a key performer under Pellegrini this season, scoring seven times in 15 Premier League appearances, the forward enjoying a fine second campaign having signed a five-year deal in a £20m switch from Stoke City in July 2017.
And Pellegrini had little by way of an update regarding Arnautovic s future when he faced the media on Thursday ahead of Arsenal s trip to London Stadium this weekend.
I answer the same with other names, coming or going, Pellegrin…