Queiroz set to sign up for Portugal: reports

Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini believes Gian Piero Gasperini was forcefully driven out of Inter Milan.

The coach had a brief and largely unsuccessful stint with Inter in 2011, and is now in charge of Palermo as they prepare to face his former club on Sunday.

Zamparini said Gasperini was never given a fair chance at the San Siro.

There is a clan of senators who decide things at Inter, he said.

I think they got Gasperini out. (Andrea) Stramaccioni has been smart and if a coach has support, he can train without any problems.

Zamparini praised Inter s most potent attacking weapons, singling out Diego Milito and Rodrigo Palacio for praise.

Milito and Palacio are Inter s strengths, especially Palacio – a player Gasperini knows very…

Belgium international midfielder Kevin De Bruyne will spend the pre-season with Chelsea, following his season-long loan at Werder Bremen, with the 21-year-old having already set his sights on winning a place in the Blues starting XI alongside compatriot Eden Hazard, .

Chelsea signed De Bruyne from Belgian Pro League side K.R.C. Genk on five-and-a-half-year contract in January 2011 after the two sides agreed a fee in the region of £7 million for the midfielder.

De Bruyne stayed at Genk for the remainder of the 2011-12 campaign, and was shipped out on loan by Roberto Di Matteo prior to the start of this season.

As a result, he has yet to make a professional appearance for Chelsea, with Eden Hazard, Juan Mata, Oscar, Victor Moses and former Bremen st…

Competition: Premier League
Market: Pochettino to be next Tottenham manager
Odds:

With Ajax manager Frank de Boer recently suggesting he’s happy to have at least another season with the Eredivisie holders, Southampton’s Mauricio Pochettino is now the overwhelming bookies’ favourite to be next Tottenham manager.

Napoli’s Rafael Benitez and former Everton Manchester United manager David Moyes are also high on the list of potential candidates.

Southampton finished in a record-high 8th place in the league this season, with 56 points. Considering they amassed just 41 in 2012/13, their sharp rise up the table has been clear for all to see. And it’s that rise coupled with his favoured style of play that has attracted Tottenham owner Daniel Levy to…

Napoli s stadium has officially been renamed in honour of Diego Maradona, the Municipality of Naples announced on Friday. 

The sporting world was shaken last week when Argentina great Maradona – widely considered to be one of football s greatest ever players – died at the age of 60 after suffering heart failure.

A World Cup winner with Argentina, Maradona enjoyed stunning success in Naples, where he guided Napoli to unprecedented Serie A glory in 1986-87, and then again in 1989-90. The Partenopei are yet to add to their only two Scudetto honours.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis said last week it would be right to rename Stadio San Paolo after the Argentinian and the Naples city council on Friday unanimously approved a resolution that will change its …

Liverpool forward Sadio Mane set his sights on winning the Ballon d Or after finishing fourth in the voting in 2019.

Barcelona captain Lionel Messi claimed the award for a record sixth time at Monday s ceremony in Paris.

Mane s club team-mate Virgil van Dijk was named runner-up and Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo ranked third, some 210 points behind his Argentine rival.

Mane was further back but the Senegal international suggested more success with European champions Liverpool could help him compete for France Football s prestigious prize.

The Reds, now a force at home and abroad, had four players in the top 10 and six in the top 20.

That means we are a great team with great players and great quality, Mane told his club s website.

The bo…

Chile have the chance to claim back-to-back Copa America titles after sealing their passage to the decider of the Centenario tournament with a 2-0 win over a 10-man Colombia.

The defending champions raced out into a 2-0 lead after 11 minutes in Chicago courtesy of early goals from Charles Aranguiz and Jose Fuenzalida.

Colombia winger Juan Cuadrado headed a cross down to Aranguiz, who had the simple task of slotting it past David Ospina, before Fuenzalida tapped home from close range after an Alexis Sanchez shot came off the post. 

However, as a severe storm made its way to Soldier Field, the second half of the contest was delayed for over two hours due to the threat of lightning.  

The skies finally cleared and action resumed at almost 22:30 local t…

Dani Alves is aiming to bring Champions League glory to Juventus after completing his switch from Barcelona.

Alves free transfer from Camp Nou to Turin on a two-year deal was completed on Monday, with the Brazilian opting against renewing his Barca contract.

The right-back was part of the Barca side that denied Juve a treble by beating them in the 2015 Champions League final in Berlin.

However, Alves is hoping to help bring the European trophy back to Turin for the first time since 1995-96.

It s a great honour to be her. Juve have a great dream and I want to make it a reality, said the Brazilian when presented to the media.

The club s dream is to win the Champions League and I hope to help them achieve this.

I can t say exactly what Juv…

England boss Gareth Southgate confirmed Manchester City’s treble winners are available to face Malta, but he is yet to decide if they will play.

Jack Grealish, Phil Foden, Kyle Walker, John Stones and Kalvin Phillips only linked up with the squad on Tuesday after Manchester City completed the treble by beating Inter Milan 1-0 in the Champions League final on Saturday.

Grealish’s celebrations have made the headlines, but Southgate is happy to consider the group for selection for Friday’s Euro 2024 qualifier.

“We are going to have to take it bit by bit and see how they are,” he said. “They are all available for tomorrow but I’ve yet to decide if that’s a good decision.

“I spoke to them when they arrived, firstly to say what an incredible a…

Prediction: England to win 5-0

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England and North Macedonia will face each other in UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Group C this week. The match between the Three Lions and the Risovi will be played at Old Trafford in Manchester and is scheduled to kick off at 7:45pm UK time on Monday.

England

England are one of best and strongest teams in world football and have been doing extremity well under head coach Gareth Southgate. While the Three Lions have not won the World Cup or the European Championship under Southgate, the team have progressed a lot and are clearly getting better under him.

The Three Lions are expected to qualify for the UEFA Euro 2024 finals with ease. England will be expected to be one of the favourite to win th…

A knockout tie in the Champions League, in front of a packed house at the Santiago Bernabeu, pitting Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale against Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, is an occasion the football world is relishing.

But it is easy to see how Wednesday s last-16 first leg between Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain may fill coaching counterparts Zinedine Zidane and Unai Emery with a degree of dread, as both head into the Valentine s Day clash knowing the tie could serve as their last act for the respective clubs on the European stage.

It was tough to envision Zidane being in such a position when Madrid cantered to a third Champions League triumph in four seasons, becoming the first team to successfully defend the title in its current guise, with a 4-1 win over Juventus i…