Villa defender Amavi out for rest of season

Aston Villa defender Jordan Amavi has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee ligament injury.

The defender ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee on Thursday while playing for France in a European Under-21 Championship qualifier against Northern Ireland

And he will now have to watch from the sidelines as Villa and new manager Remi Garde aim to turn around what has been a dismal Premier League season so far.

Amavi joined Villa from Ligue 1 side Nice in July and has become a regular for the Midlands club, making 12 appearances in all competitions.

Villa are bottom of the Premier League with five points from 12 games, although they did hold league leaders Manchester City to a 0-0 draw in Garde's first game in charge last Sunday.

Video: Douglas Costa embarrasses Brazil goalkeeper in training

Lmao

Video: Watch Ronaldinho's incredible no look pass

The goal was disallowed but Dinho still got it.

Cesc Fabregas Teases John Terry After Spain Beat England

The Chelsea captain shared on Instagram tonight that he was watching the action in Alicante from his home.

It was a disappointing night for Roy Hodgson’s men, as Mario Gaspar and Santi Cazorla hit the goals to give the Spanish champions an ideal start to their European Championship defence.

And, in the aftermath of Spain's 2-0 victory, Fabregas couldn't resist indulging in a spot of post-match trolling of his club captain:

Aston Villa's Jores Okore subjected to vile racial discrimination from Danish politician

Aston Villa defender Jores Okore has been subjected to racial discrimination on social media by a politician in his home country of Denmark.

Daniel Carlsen, leader of far-right 'The Danish Party', took to Twitter to make vile comments after Okore was snapped showing off the national team's new shirts.

Okore, who is battling back from a knee operation which has kept him sidelined for the whole of this season so far, was absent as Denmark lost 2-1 in Stockholm last night in the first leg of their Euro 2016 playoff against Sweden.

He has eight international caps, but Carlsen doesn't think Africans should be representing the country. Continue

PSG players David Luiz and Edinson Cavani 'don't want to go back to Paris'

 Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani has thrown his future into doubt, after reportedly saying he would rather not return to the French capital.

A series of coordinated attacks in the city on Friday evening took the lives of 129 people, seriously injuring many more. Terror organisation ISIS have formally claimed responsibility for the events.

Cavani is currently on international duty with Uruguay, with French newspaperL'Equipe saying he doesn't want to go back to PSG.

Ahead of Tuesday's World Cup qualifier against Chile, Cavani's international teammate Alvaro Gonzales also confirmed Cavani is unsure what the near future holds. Continue

Lassana Diarra confirms cousin was killed in Paris terror attacks

France midfielder Lassana Diarra has confirmed his cousin Asta Diakite was a victim of the Paris terror attacks.

Lassana Diarra's cousin was among the victims of Friday's terror attacks in Paris, the France midfielder has confirmed. Diarra played 80 minutes of France's 2-0 friendly win over Germany at the Stade de France and it later emerged that three people were killed following a bomb blast at the Gate J part of the stadium. Continue

Video: The moment bomb went off at Stade De France

The game continued because players were not aware of the situation. After the game fans were told to stay back until it was safe to go outside.

What a world we live in...

Three people confirmed dead as bomb explodes outside the Stade de France

An attack outside the Stade de France has killed three people.

Multiple attacks have taken place in the French capital, with 153 people thought to be dead.Continue

Victor Valdes' Latest Humiliation Is Very Harsh

 We all know Louis van Gaal's managerial methods are slightly 'different' but the way he has treated former Barcelona star Victor Valdes this season has been criticised by many fans and neutrals. 

The latest news surrounding the Valdes/van Gaal saga has certainly surprised us at TheSPORTBible, as the Manchester United manager has threatened to fine the Spanish goalkeeper if he arrives at the club's Carrington training base before the first team has left. Yes, you heard that correctly.

Valdes previously refused to play in the Manchester United Under-21 side at the end of last season and it seems van Gaal has yet to forgive the 33-year-old, with Sergio Romero and David de Gea ahead of Valdes.

This revelation with further spark the transfer rumours surrounding Valdes, who will surely look for a way out of Old Trafford in the near future. A move to Liverpool has been published but we will have to wait and see if the move materialises. 

FA asks Wenger to explain doping remarks

The Football Association has asked Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger to explain his recent comments on doping in football, Omnisport understands.

In a wide-ranging interview with L'Equipe, Wenger said his values meant he could never tell one of his players to take a performance-enhancing substance – but he was unsure over whether all opponents during his football career were operating with similar levels of integrity.

He said: "I try to be faithful to the values that I find important in life and to transmit them to others.

"In 30 years of my coaching career, I never got one of my players injected to be more efficient. I never gave them a product that can improve performance.

"It is about pride. I've played against a lot of teams that were not in this state of mind."

The FA does not wish to punish Wenger over the comments, but they will seek talks with the 66-year-old to determine whether he has any further information on the subject that could be of use.

Dinamo Zagreb player Arijan Ademi is having his B sample investigated after failing a drug test when the Croatian side beat Arsenal 2-0 in the Champions League in September.

The issue of drugs in sport has come into sharp focus this week after the World Anti-Doping Agency published a report accusing Russia's national athletics federation of operating a systematic doping programme.

Cristiano Ronaldo pays tribute to Raul ahead of his final professional game

Cristiano Ronaldo and Rafa Benitez are among the stars to have paid tribute to Raul ahead of his retirement.

The Real Madrid legend and New York Cosmos striker will play his final professional match this weekend when his NASL side take on Ottawa Fury.

And in a video message, recorded by the Cosmos, Ronaldo said: "Raul, I wanted to congratulate you on the noble career you have had.

"For me, you've been an example as a player and as a person.

"I wish we could have played together for a longer period of time because, to me, you were the best.

"Thank you. I wish you nothing but the best. Enjoy yourself, your family and your kids."

Raul scored 323 times in 741 games for Real Madrid and was until, Ronaldo overtook him this season, the club's record goal scorer.

Crystal Palace close to agreeing deal with billionaire American investors

 Crystal Palace have nearly sealed an agreement for a cash injection from billionaire American investors, with the two sides close to agreeing a deal in principle.

Mirror Football revealed this week that private equity investors were back at the negotiating table with the Eagles as chairman Steve Parish looks to fund stadium redevelopment at Selhurst Park. Continue

Jose Mourinho admits similarities with legendary Nottingham Forest boss Brian Clough

Under-pressure Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has revealed his admiration for legendary Nottingham Forest manager Brian Clough - and believes there are similarities between them.

Writing in the foreword for a new book on Clough called I Believe in Miracles,Mourinho says that he sees a lot of similarities in himself and Clough.

He also revealed that during his time with Barcelona in 1996, he took a trip to Nottingham to see the place where Clough became a success - and was surprised about the small size of the location.

Mourinho said: "I walked all the way (around the city) and when I saw the stadium I thought: 'Are you kidding me - this club won the European Cup? Twice?'

"It was a nice stadium and a nice city, but it was a small place. It was the size of the stadium that really took me aback. Continue

Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly acquires new private jet

As we all know, Cristiano Ronaldo is a very, very rich man. As well as his earnings from Real Madrid, the Portuguese international has numerous brands sponsor him, including the likes of sportswear giants Nike.

According to TheRichest.com, Ronaldo has a net worth of £205 million and while the forward is on over £300,000-per-week in wages from his club alone, we doubt he’ll be worrying about his bank balance any time soon.

And while the money is rolling in, Ronaldo, according to reports from Correio da Manha, has spent €19 million on a brand new private jet. The Portuguese tabloid claim he has purchased the Gulfstream G2000 twin-engine business jet, which is designed to carry between 8 and 10 people. Continue 

Ex-Sunderland and Ipswich keeper Marton Fulop dies aged 32

 Former Sunderland goalkeeper Marton Fulop has died at the age of 32 after a battle with cancer. 

Fulop played for nine English clubs after joining Tottenham from MTK Budapest in 2004 and also represented Hungary on 24 occasions.

He had a tumour removed from his arm in 2013 but never played professional football again. Continue

Diego Costa abuse gets Ryan Shawcross a year's supply of free deodorant

Even by the aggressive, provocative standards of Diego Costa , the Chelsea striker's on-pitch behaviour against Stoke City was particularly bizarre.

The Premier League's most popular man (*sarcasm*) had little impact on the actual game, barely threatening the Stoke goal during his side's 1-0 defeat. That was largely because he spent most of the match having one of his trademark running battles with a big centre-back - this time with Ryan Shawcross.

The Stoke captain isn't exactly shy about physical confrontation with opponents, so gave as good as got.

Even so, Costa reached new levels of childishness when he was caught on camera pointing at his armpit, making a funny face - and clearly suggesting that Shawcross has something of a body odour problem.

Very sensibly, the Stoke man simply smiled and walked away. In fact, it was left to his wife Kath to make an "official" response to Costa's bizarre accusation. Continue

Sergio Aguero fulfills his promise to Manchester City fans

Sergio Aguero may be stuck on the sidelines nursing an injury but it doesn't seem to have affected his mood as the Argentine beamed for the cameras while he signed Manchester City shirts for fans.

The 27-year-old, who has not featured for the Premier League leaders since sticking five past Newcastle at the start of October, was putting his signature on No 16 replica tops bought by supporters before Aguero changed his number at the start of the season.

The former Atletico Madrid forward was due to wear No 16 again this season before the club loaned striker Edin Dzeko to Roma in August and Aguero opted to take No 10, previously worn by the Bosnian.

In an incredible gesture Aguero said he would personally sign any shirts purchased before the swap with No 10 on the back, and true to their word their star striker followed through with the promise on Tuesday.

At the time Aguero told the club's website: 'The No. 10 shirt means a lot to me. When I arrived at City, Edin had it - he wore it very well, and of course, I respected it.   Continue

Beautiful bride! Eva Carneiro gets married in London but no Chelsea player present

Chelsea's beautiful former team doctor Eva Carneiro has married her partner Jason De Carteret in London on Wednesday.

Ms Carneiro, who is suing Chelsea and team manager Jose Mourinho for constructive dismissal, looked radiant in a sleeveless wedding dress with lace detailing and a train.

The 42-year-old Gibraltar-born sports physician carried a bouquet of white roses and wore her hair in a classic bridal up-do with a long veil. 

As the couple left the church, Mr De Carteret, whose mint-green waistcoat matched the dresses of Ms Carneiro's bridesmaids, could not keep his eyes off his stunning bride.

Both Mr and Mrs beamed as they exited the St Patrick’s Church, in London’s Soho after the private service, and kissed for the cameras. Continue

Boateng urges Guardiola to stay at Bayern

All of the Bayern Munich squad want Pep Guardiola to put pen to paper and extend his stay with the Bundesliga champions, according to defender Jerome Boateng.

Guardiola's contract is up at the end of the season with talks over an extension due to take place in December amid continued rumours of interest from Premier League sides Chelsea and Manchester City.

And Germany international Boateng reiterated his desire, along with his Bayern team-mates, to see the former Barcelona coach continue at the Allianz Arena. Continue

Zidane unveils 'Beau Jeu': Official Adidas EURO 2016 match ball

Adidas have unveiled their official match ball for Euro 2016 – the Beau Jeu.

Zinedine Zidane was the first to show Europe what they’ll be playing with when the competition kicks off in France next summer.

The French legend posted a picture of the ball to Instagram and wrote:

I am proud to unveil ‘Beau Jeu’, the official match ball of Euro 2016 from @adidasfootball. #BeTheDifference ZZ.

 Beau Jeu translates to “the beautiful game” in English and the design incorporates the blue, white and red of the France national flag.

As can be seen with the pictures of the ball, the letters E U R O and the figures 2 0 1 6 are also evident through the blocking design of the ball.

 Glorious!

Argentina and Brazil set to face-off in enticing fixture

Gerardo Martino is under pressure. Dunga is under pressure. Argentina and Brazil are both under pressure. The Pacific half of Conmebol, the South American confederation, is rising, and the result is that both Argentina and Brazil suddenly find themselves in a battle to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. When they meet on Thursday at el Monumental in Buenos Aires, it's likely to be grim, nervous and fascinating. Continue

Monk hits out at international break

Swansea City manager Garry Monk has blasted the upcoming international break, labelling the fixtures as "farcical".

The under pressure boss has won just one of his last nine matches, resulting in his job security being put under the spotlight with Swansea dropping to 14th in the Premier League.

Swansea host struggling AFC Bournemouth when domestic football resumes next week and Monk is furious he will be without 10 key players due to international commitments. Continue

Gerard Pique names his World XI

 Gerard Pique has named his current perfect World XI and, although many of the choices are predictable, with the team being dominated by his Barcelona teammates, there's one selection that immediately jumps off the team sheet. Continue

Eva Carneiro Could Use Chelsea Star As Witness In Her Case Against The Club

In yet another dramatic twist in the Eva Carneiro vs Chelsea saga, it is being reported that the former Blues physio could ask Eden Hazard to come forward as a witness when her claim against the Premier League champions goes to court, next year.

Carneiro left her position at Stamford Bridge after being publicly chastised, alongside colleague Jon Fearn, by Jose Mourinho for being "impulsive and naive" during Chelsea's 2-2 draw with Swansea on the opening day of the season. Continue

Ex-England And Premier League Player Charged For Raiding Betting Shop

He may not be a household name, but Nathan Ashton not only represented at every level from U16 to U19, he also turned out in the Premier League for Fulham in 2007 after moving to Craven Cottage from Crystal Palace. Eight years later, though, and things have taken a sour turn for the 28 year old.

Ashton, who's last appearance in the Football League came for Wycombe Wanderers in the 2008/2009 season, before moving onto AFC Wimbledon and several non-league clubs, is now being charged following a raid on the Coral bookmaker in Cressex Road, High Wycombe, Bucks., on October 30, a spokesman for Thames Valley Police said.

The former England youth international was remanded in custody by magistrates and is due to appear before a crown court judge next month.

The former Fulham man is currently the assistant manager of Marlow and is due to appear at Aylesbury Crown Court after being charged with one count of robbery.

Team Offers Free Season Ticket to First Fan Who Wins League with Them on Football Manager

Cabinteely FC may just be a small, relatively newly formed League of Ireland team but their PR and media team have got their game very much on point.

We say that because of their latest promotion to offer one lucky supporter a free season ticket – if they’re the first to win the league with them on Football Manager. Having only gone pro this year, the Dublin-based club just finished their first season in Ireland’s second tier and will appear in a Football Manager game for the first time when the latest edition – FM16 – is released on Friday… Continue

Belgium unveil New Kit For Euro 2016

Belgium are among the first teams to showcase their new home kit ahead of Euro 2016.

Eden Hazard, Vincent Kompany, Kevin De Bruyne, Nacer Chadli and Axel Witsel were chosen to model the new red, black and yellow adidas kit which they will don in France next summer.  And it could be the strip they wear as they win their first international tournament – with Marc Wilmots’ team one of the favourites going into the competition.

Belgium rose to become the world’s number one team in the latest FIFA rankings after winning their last four games on the bounce to finish top of their qualifying group last month. See it after the cut

Is this the worst penalty ever?

If FIFA decided to have a Worst Penalty of the Year award, Steven MacKay would win it this year, and maybe for the next 25.

In the Scottish Highland League match between Vale and Brora Rangers, the Brora Rangers striker was tackled in the box by Vale’s goalkeeper, winning a penalty. McKay felt he deserved to kick it himself. Watch after the cut

Cocaine seized from buses carrying Colombian soccer fans

A throng of Colombian soccer fans traveling to Chile unexpectedly found themselves in a real-life episode of the hit Netflix series Narcos this weekend.

Colombian police seized more than half a ton of cocaine – 1,265 pounds, to be exact – found on two buses carrying fans on a 2,500-mile trek to watch Thursday’s World Cup qualifier in Santiago.

“These drugs, hidden inside these buses, were bound for Santiago de Chile and the method of doing it was by transporting it through some tourists who were going to see the Colombia-Chile match,” Major General Rodrigo Gonzalez, Commander of the Region Four National Police of Colombia, told reporters.

The cocaine was hidden in compartments under the bus floors and under the seats of both drivers, who were arrested.

Pornhub To Sponsor An Italian Team

Tired of the same old, boring kit sponsors in soccer? Wish your team promoted something a bit peppier than “Fly Emirates” on their chests?

Well, good news! Potentially. Continue

Herrera: Van Gaal not as tough as he looks

Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera has hailed his relationship with Louis van Gaal and claims the Dutchman is not as tough as he appears.

Van Gaal has received plenty of criticism in recent weeks, with several former United players claiming the team are too defensive under the former Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach.

Nevertheless, Herrera is adamant Van Gaal only wants what is best for the club and believes he is the right man for the job. Continue

Japan's oldest player signs new contract aged 48

Veteran Japanese striker Kazuyoshi Miura has signed a new one-year contract with Yokohama FC at the age of 48.

Miura, who extended his own record as the oldest scorer in the Japanese leagues in June, has agreed a new contract with the J2 League club for next season.

The former Japan international, dubbed 'King Kazu', will be 49 when the new deal expires. Continue

WATCH: Lionel Messi Playing Keepy-Ups With Orange Is Outrageous

This man is a genius.
Messi now has his own verified Twitter account 'Team Messi', giving fans regular updates of his incredible lifestyle.

Donnarumma inspired to emulate Buffon

Rising AC MIlan star Gianluigi Donnarumma says he wants to emulate the career of Italy great Gianluigi Buffon.

The 16-year-old has earned his first call-up to the Italy Under-21 squad after impressing since being thrust into the first team at San Siro in recent weeks.

Donnarumma has earned widespread praise for his performances, not least in the 0-0 draw with Atalanta at the weekend, when he made a string of superb saves in the second half to safeguard a point for his side. Continue

Mirallas hints at Everton exit in January

Kevin Mirallas will reassess his future at Everton in January if he is not getting regular first-team football under Roberto Martinez.

The Belgium international is desperate to keep his place in Marc Wilmots' thoughts ahead of Euro 2016, and knows he must be play on a regular basis to ensure he earns a spot in his final squad. Continue

Northern Ireland fans are not happy about their Euro 2016 kits

The euphoria that swept up Northern Ireland after its football team qualified for their first major tournament since 1986 is quickly dissipating thanks to – of all things – the release of the Green and White Army’s new kits.

Adidas unveiled Northern Ireland’s Euro 2016 strips a few days ago, and reaction has been so poor, an online petition to come up with an alternate design has already collected over 5,000 signatures in a day.

“We qualify for our first tournament in 30 years and they go and produce something like this – it’s horrendous,” Ian McKinney, who set up the petition, told the Belfast Telegraph. 

“Kits that have divided opinion in the past have either not been the traditional color or messy – this is both. It’s a perfect storm of rubbish.”

Tough to argue with poor McKinney here. Those are pretty dreadful. 

Benzema suing for breach of confidentiality in sex tape case

Karim Benzema's lawyer will take legal action against a radio station that published a transcript of a conversation between the France striker and a friend which was recorded as part of the investigation into a sex tape involving national teammate Mathieu Valbuena.

French radio Europe 1 violated the confidentiality of an official investigation, Sylvain Cormier told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The extracts published on Monday tend to give credence to the claim that Benzema, who was charged last week with conspiracy to blackmail and participation to a criminal group, took an active role in the extortion scam. Continue

US Soccer Have Banned Children From Heading The Ball For 'Safety Reasons'

Throwing yourself into heading a size 5 Mitre on a soggy ash pitch could finally about to become a thing of the past for young aspiring footballers.

Well, for American kids at least. Continue

Comparing Leo Messi's Football Manager stats since 2005

Imagine yourself 10 years ago; there's a good chance you weren't as good at some things as you're now. Equally, depending on age, there's probably a few parts of your life where your attributes have fallen. 

We live in an age where we can feel genuinely privileged that we've been able to watch Lionel Messi go from  up and coming teen sensation to perhaps the world's greatest ever player and man of the most annoying Facebook comment on the planet! But of course whilst Messi has been achieving ridiculous amounts in the last 10 years he wasn't always so great.

A decade ago Messi nearly signed for Rangers on loan after Alex McLeish's son saw the brilliance of the Argentine on Football Manager but on the game with Barcelona starlet didn't start with great stats;

 As you can see back then the 17 year-old didn't even hit the high of double figures for his passing, technique, flair, influence, positioning or composure!

That's in comparison to how he started last year's game;

How times have changed ey...

                                                       source: theSportsbible

WATCH: Cristiano Ronaldo's Son Meeting Lionel Messi Is A Priceless Moment

Being the son of one of the world’s best footballers, you’d expect that when they meet another star, they’d be perfectly fine. But for Cristiano Ronaldo’s son, he was shy. Very, very shy. He just can't quite believe it...

To this little boy, his father is a perfectly normal human being while Messi is the demi-god...

Photo: Every Chelsea fan's logic right now

I believe in miracles...do you???

Mario Balotelli caught sending messages to a guy's girlfriend on Instagram

Since moving to AC Milan, we haven’t heard much of Mario Balotelli. The Italian striker struggled with life in the Premier League with Liverpool, and return to Serie A in the summer on a season-long loan. But he’s back on the scene again after a guy called him out for messaging his girlfriend.

According to Instagram user benmdub, Balotelli messaged his girlfriend ‘chatting her up’. After seeing the text from the AC Milan striker, Ben posted a screen shot on Instagram telling him that she doesn’t want to talk to him ‘because he has more money’. See it after the cut

Turkish Media Claim Mesut Ozil Is Engaged To Miss Turkey 2014, Amine Gülşe

Earlier this year, Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil was pictured with Miss Turkey 2014, Amine Gülşe, and it was reported that the two were dating. A relationship between the two was denied but it is now being reported by Turkish media that the couple could be engaged.

The engagement could definitely be why the German international is currently enjoying some fantastic form, assisting 10 and scoring one goal in 11 Premier League appearances. 

Only time will tell if it's official. See pictures of Amine after the cut

Kaka wary of motivated Argentina

Kaka is expecting Argentina to display an even greater desire to beat Brazil on Thursday given their poor start to World Cup qualifying.

Gerardo Martino's men have claimed just one point from games with Ecuador and Paraguay and require a win in Buenos Aires to kick-start their bid to reach Russia in three years.

The home side will be without talisman Lionel Messi, while Carlos Tevez is also unlikely to be passed fit.

But their troubles make them more dangerous opponents, according to Orlando City's Kaka. Continue