Manuel Pellegrini has warned Manchester City not to expect uncertainty over the future of Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal to play into their hands in this weekend s derby match.
Fourth-placed City host United with a four-point advantage over their neighbours in six, with both clubs surprisingly distant from the Premier League title race.
Pellegrini has already announced he will make way for Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola at the end of this season and there is an increasing sense Van Gaal is also coming towards the end of a chapter in his own esteemed career.
United were knocked out of the Europa League by Liverpool on Thursday having salvaged an FA Cup quarter-final replay against West Ham last weekend and there is a growing frustration among the club…
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The upcoming match between Bulgaria and Hungary within the Euro 2024 qualifications features a clash between the bottom-ranked and top-ranked teams in Group G.
Originally planned to occur at Stadion Hristo Botev in Plovdiv on Thursday, a late change in the venue has shifted the fixture to the Vasil Levski National Stadium in Sofia. The decision, prompted by ongoing construction work, has sparked criticism from the Hungarian federation, deeming it unsportsmanlike.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria are heading into their final two fixtures of 2023 under new management following the departure of former coach Mladen Krstajic. Krstajic s dismissal was prompted by a string of unsatisfactory results, including a nine-game winless streak dating bac…
Dejan Kulusevski has completed a permanent transfer to Tottenham from Juventus.
The Sweden international arrived in north London on an 18-month loan in January 2022 and has been influential during what has been a difficult period for Spurs.
He scored and registered an assist on his first start, a 3-2 victory against Manchester City at the Etihad in February last year, and has gone on to net seven goals in 57 appearances for the club.
Deki is here to stay
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Liverpool are interested in signing Jeremy Doku from Rennes in the January transfer window, according to . The report has claimed that former Premier League and UEFA Champions League winners Liverpool are among five clubs who are keen on securing the services of the 20-year-old winger.
Doku has been on the books of Rennes since 2020 when he moved from Anderlecht for €26 million. The winger has established himself as one of the best young players in his position in France and has been doing well for Rennes. Doku has made one start and five substitute appearances in Ligue 1 so far this season. The youngster has also played 12 minutes in the UEFA Europa League this campaign.
Last season, Doku made four starts and 10 substitute appearances in Ligue 1 for Rennes, scoring o…
“It doesn’t matter how well you are playing, obviously in the end you are taking the results and we are talking about the results.
“Yeah, we created chances, good, very good. The way we are playing, I am very pleased and happy but it hurts when you lose a game, especially at home.
“We had such amazing support again and losing this game hurts.”
All the focus at Tottenham now turns to Sunday’s daunting trip to champions Manchester City and Rodrigo Bentancur is an early doubt after he sustained an ankle injury against Villa.
Bentancur made his first start since he suffered a serious knee injury in February and impressed before he was caught by a poor challenge from Matty Cash.
Spurs will have Yves Bissouma back from suspension and will ch…
Leroy Sane s proposed switch to Bayern Munich would give the Bundesliga a welcome boost, according to Germany head coach Joachim Low.
Bayern went public with their interest in the Manchester City winger prior to the season starting.
The Bavarian giants shelved their transfer plans when Sane suffered a serious knee injury in August, but a new report claims the Schalke product has his heart set on joining Bayern.
According to Bild, Sane wants the move to go ahead in January as he steps up his recovery.
Low told the newspaper: When a player like Sane returns to the Bundesliga, it is very enjoyable for everyone.
He has many special features, his own style of play. He would be an attraction for the Bundesliga. Sane would keep the Bundesliga attractiv…
Dani Alves wants to stay at Barcelona past the end of this season but acknowledges the club will decide his future.
Having left the Blaugrana to join Juventus in June 2016, Alves announced his return to Camp Nou in November 2021, though he had to wait until January to be eligible to feature for the Catalan giants.
The 39-year-old has contributed one goal and three assists in 13 appearances since then, 12 of them starts, as Barca look to ensure a top-four finish in LaLiga after improving since Xavi s arrival as head coach in November.
After making a positive impact since returning, Alves is hoping to extend his long association with Los Cules past the expiration of his deal at the end of the campaign.
While pledging to always give 200 per cent for the club…
Tom Cleverley has agreed to join Watford on a permanent deal from Everton on July 1.
The former Manchester United midfielder has been on loan at Walter Mazzarri s side this season, making 20 appearances in all competitions.
And the 27-year-old is thrilled to have secured a permanent move to Vicarage Road on a five-year deal after the club exercised an option on a transfer.
I m delighted, he told Watford s official website. I think I made it clear I had feelings for the club when I came down here on loan and it was always the view to sign a permanent deal, so I m over the moon.
I felt part of the club from day one of the loan but now I really feel this is home and hopefully it is for a very long time.
Watford CEO Scott Duxbury said: We re very…
According to a recent report from Mundo Deportivo, Chelsea star Willian has put his contract talks on hold ahead of a potential move to Barcelona. All parties involved are said to be discussing the potential deal at length, with Willian still deciding whether or not he wants to remain at Stamford Bridge.
The same can be said for Fabian Ruiz of Napoli who has also been linked with a move to the Nou Camp, but in regards to Willian, this is a deal that has been in the pipeline for quite some time.
The rumour mill often generates a series of different stories, many feasible and many not, but when it comes to this deal it just doesn’t seem to be going away.
One thing is for sure – Chelsea boss Frank Lampard will be doing all that he can to ensure he keeps…
In a competition like the UEFA Champions League, you can t rely on your reputation alone to get you through. The very best clubs across European football compete in the UCL every single year, and one mistake can completely throw you off the track. Over the course of two legs, Borussia Dortmund probably would ve been expected to have dispatched of Tottenham Hotspur but in the end, the Premier League side were able to put in two superb performances to book their place in the quarter finals.
Pushing through
Spurs were carrying over a dominant 3-0 lead from the first leg as they prepared for the game in Germany, and while they would ve been confident of avoiding elimination, this is Spurs we re talking about here. Plus, they happened to be going up against the team that many fans …