Welcome to Sportspinions: 2016

Monday, 1 August 2016

Photos: Breathtaking £100,000-per-week island where Gareth Bale proposed to girlfriend

Gareth Bale recently proposed to his girlfriend - and it's fair to say the Welshman pushed the boat out.

The Real Madrid winger whisked his other half off to the island of Tagomago just off the coast of Spanish party resort Ibiza, report Wales Online.

Bale reportedly paid almost £100,000 to hire the private resort where he proposed to his high school sweetheart, Emma Rhys Jones.

She said yes!! This is a birthday weekend I won't forget for a long time 🎉💍 pic.twitter.com/FQWSiLbLGU
— Gareth Bale (@GarethBale11) July 17, 2016

While Mario Balotelli's Liverpool team-mates were working hard on their pre-season tour of the US, the Italian was enjoying a cigarette on a holiday of his own.

The controversial striker is currently searching for a new club, but rather than proving his fitness - looks to be living it up in Portofino on the Italian coast.

The £16million Anfield flop was training with the reserve team last week, posting a picture of himself "working hard". Continue to see photos

Furious Napoli fans will be salivating over the prospect of an injury to pantomime villain Gonzalo Higuain, but not for the reason you might think..

A restaurant owner in Naples has decided to channel his rage over the striker's departure into a sensational offer for cheap pizzas.

The striker's £74million move to Juventus ignited fury in Napoli fans and 'Show Pizza' will sell margherita's for 99 cents if the Argentinan gets injured.

The pizzeria situated in Vomero is owned by a huge Napoli fan who called Higuain a traitor and felt moved to act on his disgust according to GazzettaWorld.

Higuain was idolised as a hero in Naples but has quickly become the pantomime villain and if he suffers any form of injury related absence for Juventus, customers can tuck into some cheap pizza.

The offer is valid from September and no doubt the enraged fans from Southern Italy will be licking their lips at the idea of Higuain's misfortune.

Ilkay Gundogan's social media team makes huge error

Whoever runs Ilkay Gundogan's social media account made a huge mistake today after accidentally making a post with the pictures of Jack Wilshere, Mesut Ozil and Petr Cech with Ozil's trademark 'Ya Gunners Ya' hashtag. The tweet was immediately taken down but not before it was screengrabbed. See it after the cut

The news that Bastian Schweinsteiger has been made to train with Manchester United's u-23's is a sure fire sign that the former Germany captain is being forced out of Old Trafford by new manager Jose Mourinho. And it's not gone down well with the former Bayern Munich midfielder's brother, Tobi.

Tobi, who has constantly posted in support of his brother on social media and is a self confessed United fan, has just tweeted 'no respect', which it would appear is a message to Mourinho for having his brother train away from the first team. Continue

Lionel Messi is often held up as the gold standard for performances on the football pitch, but Argentine model Xoana Gonzalez has slammed his form in the sack.

Yes, Gonzalez hooked up with the five-time Balon d'Or winner several years ago and she's still keen to reveal what exactly happened between the pair.

However, Messi may want to give this particular review a miss as Gonzalez didn't hold back, despite calling the Barcelona star her "idol". Continue

Nicklas 'Lord' Bendtner has found a new club. After being released earlier this year by former club Wolfsburg, 'The Lord' has found himself a new club. He's signed for Danish giants FC Copenhagen.

👌🏻

A photo posted by Nicklas Bendtner (@bendtner3) on Jul 31, 2016 at 8:01am PDT

Sunday, 31 July 2016

Leicester 0-4 PSG - Claudio Ranieri's men handed pre-season thrashing by Champions League contenders in LA

Leicester were humbled 4-0 by Paris St-Germain in a clinical pre-season friendly performance from the French champions.

The Premier League winners beat Celtic on penalties last weekend - but it was no surprise that PSG were a tougher prospect on Saturday night at Los Angeles' StubHubCenter.

Juventus target Gabriel Barbosa and defender Marquinhos scored a goal each as Brazil defeated Japan 2-0 on Saturday in its final warm-up match ahead of the Rio Games at the Serra Dourada Stadium

Brazil, seeking their first gold medal in football, makes their Olympic debut on Thursday against South Africa in Brasilia. Iraq and Denmark are the other two teams in Group A.

The Olympic gold medal is the only trophy Brazil have never won in football. They finished runner-up three times, including in London four years ago after a team led by Neymar lost 2-1 in the final to Mexico. They had to settle for the silver medal.

Paul Pogba has dropped the biggest hint yet that his eagerly-anticipated £100million move back to Manchester United is on the verge of completion - by signing a lucky fan's shirt.

United fan Jonathan Perkins was celebrating his 18th birthday on holiday in Los Angeles and presumptuously wearing his new 'Pogba 6' shirt.

Then, to the teenage fan's astonishment, he bumped into the French superstar - coming to the end of his own summer holiday - walking along a Californian street.

Pogba, who is in LA for a medical after personal terms and a contract worth £290,000-a-week were agreed this week, was all-too-happy to sign the shirt and pose for a photograph, even giving a thumbs up to the camera.

Naturally, Perkins shared the incredible moment on his Instagram account, writing: 'So this just happened! (Probably the first United jersey he has signed since the impending transfer) Thanks @paulpogba for making my 18th birthday a little more special!'

Video: 38 year old Frank Lampard nets historic hattrick for NYC

Frank Lampard could not hide his delight after becoming the first New York City player to score a hat-trick in MLS.

Lampard etched his name into the history books after scoring three goals in New York City's 5-1 rout of Colorado Rapids on Saturday.

It has been a long and hard road for Lampard in New York, battling fitness and injury concerns, while attempting to win over fans in the Big Apple.

But the 38-year-old former England international seems to have finally gained the approval of fans after improving his tally to eight goals in eight games. Continue to see the goals

Chelsea have reached a deal to sign 16-year-old Polish goalkeeper Marcin Bulka.

The teenager is already 6ft 5ins in height and plays for FCB Escola, who announced on their website he had reached an agreement with the Blues.

He was also wanted by Barcelona but had impressed Chelsea staff after a trial at Cobham in April. Continue

In case you missed it... #ZlatanTime https://t.co/HWOM9MaEu0
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 30, 2016

If i weren't already a Chelsea fan, i'd be jumping ship simply because of Zlatan.

Mourinho hints at United future for Mata and Fellaini

Manager Jose Mourinho has insisted that all the players in his Manchester United squad have a future at Old Trafford.

United's 5-2 friendly victory over Galatasaray in Gothenburg included second-half goals from Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini, both of whom have been strongly linked with imminent moves away from the club.

But Mourinho was adamant that each and every player remains a part of his plans for the forthcoming campaign.

After 31 league appearances for Barcelona last year, Sergi Roberto looks set to reclaim a number of important roles for the LaLiga champions as coach Luis Enrique lavished the versatile defender in praise following their 3-1 win over Celtic.

The International Champions Cup clash was Barcelona's first of the pre-season and Roberto was one to impress, proving his versatility once again performing a number of roles on Saturday.

Goals from Arda Turan, Munir El Haddadi and an own goal from Celtic's Efe Ambrose was enough to seal the win for Luis Enrique's men, but it was Roberto who he gave particular mention to.

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has no intention of allowing Alvaro Morata to leave the European champions amid reported interest from the Premier League.

Morata is back in the Spanish capital after Madrid activated their €30million buy-back option to lure the 23-year-old back from Juventus.

Despite returning to the Santiago Bernabeu, Morata has been linked with a subsequent transfer to Chelsea.

Zidane, however, intends to keep hold of the Spain international, who started and played 64 minutes in Madrid's 3-2 win over Chelsea in Saturday's International Champions Cup clash.

Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte admitted he is unsure whether striker Diego Costa will remain at the Premier League club when the transfer window closes.

Costa has been heavily linked with a return to Atletico Madrid, who have since signed Kevin Gameiro from Sevilla.

The 27-year-old Spain international's future remains uncertain after sitting out Saturday's 3-2 loss to Real Madrid in the International Champions Cup in Michigan.

Asked about Costa following the pre-season defeat in front of 105,000 fans, Conte told reporters: "Today Costa is Chelsea's player.

"He didn't play because he was injured. If I see him improving in training he might play in the other games."

Pressed on Costa's future, Conte said: "This is a situation of the transfer market. I speak for today and today he is Chelsea's player.

"Tomorrow if you ask if Costa remains with us, I don't know."

"All 29 players are Chelsea's. After this period, I speak very clear with my club and there are players who will stay and the others will leave. This is football," Conte added when asked about Oscar's future.

"I'm very happy with these players. Their commitment and attitude is very good.

"But after this period, I take the decision with the club."

Ibrahimovic says something big is going on as he awaits Pogba

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is following Paul Pogba's proposed move to his new club Manchester United with keen interest and hopes a deal can be done soon.

Ibrahimovic has already endeared himself to the United faithful by scoring an acrobatic bicycle kick just four minutes into his non-competitive debut against Galatasaray – which Jose Mourinho's men went on to win 5-2 on Saturday – and will have curried further favour with his new fans by showing he is following the Pogba saga with keen interest.

Pogba is reportedly set to swap Italian champions Juventus for a return to Old Trafford in a record-breaking deal. Continue

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger defended the club's transfer policy, insisting he has no plans to buy for the sake of it.

The Frenchman intends to sign a defender to replace the injured Per Mertesacker, but it has been another relatively quiet off-season for the Premier League giants.

Wenger said he would only make signings if required, with Granit Xhaka headlining his three additions this off-season.

France international Kevin Gameiro says he expects to score plenty of goals with new team-mate and compatriot Antoine Griezmann after joining Atletico Madrid.

The former Sevilla star is the latest addition to Diego Simeone's squad and arrives at his new club having scored 30 goals in all competitions last season.

And Gameiro fully expects the goals to keep flowing alongside Griezmann as he hopes to help Atletico to a LaLiga title and a maiden Champions League trophy.

"[Griezmann] is a great French player like myself and I am sure we will make a lot of goals together," he told reporters.

"Though has not called me yet, he is on vacation," he joked.

Gameiro said he was delighted to join Atletico, despite reported interest from Barcelona, saying that the mentality and style of Simeone suited him better.

"I am very happy to be here and to play in a big club like Atletico," he said.

"I talked to [Simeone] on the phone and he told me he loved me and that we will have a great season.

"I like the Atletico team and mentality. I think I can do many things here this year. I did not hesitate to come, had everything clear."

James Milner willing to cover at full-back

Liverpool vice-captain James Milner is ready to step up as a full-back for the club this season, although he said he preferred playing elsewhere.

Jurgen Klopp has been unable to sign a full-back in the off-season, and allowed Brad Smith to leave for Bournemouth.

The German may opt against signing cover for Alberto Moreno, with the versatile Milner open to playing there if needed.

However, Milner said his preference was midfield, and the 30-year-old enjoyed a decent Premier League campaign last season with five goals and 11 assists.

Marcus Rashford says he has plenty to learn after seeing new Manchester United team-mate Zlatan Ibrahimovic up close and personal for the first time.

The United academy graduate shot to prominence under Louis van Gaal last season when he scored twice on debut in the Europa League before netting a double on his Premier League debut against Arsenal as well as scoring a match-winner against cross-town rivals Manchester City, even earning a spot in England’s Euro 2016 squad.

But the teenager says he is looking forward to taking his game to another level alongside Ibrahimovic.

The Swede started his first game in United colours on Saturday in a friendly against Galatasaray, scoring his first goal within four minutes with an acrobatic bicycle kick.

Rashford did not play with Ibrahimovic, replacing him at half-time, but said it was still great watching the striker.

"It's amazing. There's a possibility that we can all learn from him while he's here so we all need to take the chance," Rashford told MUTV after the 5-2 win.

"It's a massive help, just being with him day in, day out. It's helping me just seeing what he's like overall. Not just on the pitch, off the pitch as well.

"So, there's a lot to learn from him, so hopefully I can bring some of what he does into my own game."

Conte: Chelsea will struggle again if there's no improvement

Chelsea risk enduring another "bad season" if they do not improve defensively, head coach Antonio Conte has warned.

Conte was not particularly happy after watching Chelsea lose 3-2 to European champions Real Madrid in Saturday's International Champions Cup match in Michigan.

Chelsea struggled early against Madrid, trailing 3-0 at half-time before Eden Hazard's late brace reduced the deficit in front of 105,000 supporters.

While acknowledging the tiresome travel across the United States, Conte called on his players to improve their work without the ball as a unit if Chelsea want to return to the Premier League summit, having finished 10th last season.

"After this game, it's clear we have to always work together, without the ball and with the ball," Conte told reporters as he reinforced his message. Continue

Inter coach Roberto Mancini does not know what the future holds but knows Napoli target Mauro Icardi is the team's captain.

Icardi has been linked with a move to Serie A rivals Napoli as a replacement for Gonzalo Higuain, though Inter are holding out for in excess of €60million.

Despite the uncertainty, Icardi came off the bench and scored a late consolation goal in Inter's 4-1 loss to Bayern Munich in the International Champions Cup on Saturday.

When asked about Icardi post-match in Charlotte, Manini told reporters: "Mauro is our captain.

"I don't know what can happen in the future, but he is the captain." Continue

Besiktas coach Senol Gunes has no interest in signing Mario Balotelli despite reports linking the Liverpool forward with a move.

The Turkish giants surprisingly emerged as a potential home for the 25-year-old, who has been deemed surplus to requirements at Anfield.

Besiktas chairman Fikret Orman said he wanted Balotelli and that the 33-time Italy international was keen to join.

However, Gunes shut down those suggestions, saying he had no desire to bring the former AC Milan and Manchester City forward to the club.

"There were also rumours about Aleksandar Kolarov but he wasn't in my plans," he said on Saturday.

"Balotelli isn't in my plans either. I don't have a favourable view of Mario Balotelli. I have never expressed a positive insight on him."

Balotelli, who scored three goals in 23 games on loan at AC Milan last season, has also been linked to Ajax.

Lucescu: Witsel wants to leave

Axel Witsel could be on his way to Juventus after Zenit coach Mircea Lucescu said the Belgium international had asked to leave the club.

The midfielder has been linked with the Italian giants, after a potential move to Everton reportedly fell through earlier this month.

Speaking after the Russian Premier League opener against Lokomotiv Moscow, Lucescu admitted that Witsel was keen to leave.

Witsel did not start the game, which ended as a 0-0 draw, entering the fray after 59 minutes in what could prove his last appearance for the club.

"Axel asked to leave," Lucescu was quoted as saying by GazzaMercato.

"I at one point had to add that I needed his experience, but I repeat, Witsel wants to leave."

Now, the imposing midfielder looks set to become the latest addition to an already impressive squad at Juventus.

Paul Pogba might be headed for the exit in Turin, but Massimiliano Allegri has already added Miralem Pjanic to his midfield stocks, while Witsel would further improve Juventus’ options.

However, Juventus do face some competition for the midfielder's signature, with Roma also said to be interested.

Liverpool 2 AC Milan 0: Origi stars for Klopp's men

Divock Origi had an instant impact in his first game of pre-season for Liverpool, scoring in a 2-0 victory over AC Milan at the International Champions Cup.

The Belgium international came on at half-time and netted just before the hour-mark at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California on Saturday.

Origi, who had been away at Euro 2016, produced a sublime finish into the bottom corner, before fellow substitute Roberto Firmino also struck. Continue

Here is the round up of all the done deals of 30th July.

Big news in Spain where Atletico Madrid completed the signing of French striker Kevin Gameiro from Sevilla

#WELCOMEGAMEIRO. @kevingameiro9 will wear read and white for the next four seasons! https://t.co/EXEAZmBbr0 pic.twitter.com/cHn1hvjFNd
— Atleti English (@atletienglish) July 30, 2016

Video: Arsenal fan begging Wenger to sign Mahrez

An Arsenal fan has gone to extreme lengths to relay a message about signing Riyad Mahrez.

Despite Foxes boss Claudio Ranieri claiming Mahrez will indeed spend next season at the King Power, his name continues to do the rounds in the rumour mills.

The PFA Player of the Year has been strongly linked with a move to Arsenal, as a fan has pleaded the Gunners manager to sign the talented winger while cycling along a beach.

Check out the short clip after the cut

Adnan Januzaj wants to leave Manchester United on a permanent transfer.

The 21-year-old was one of a number of United players to discuss their future with manager Jose Mourinho on Thursday and was told he was free to go out on loan and find regular football.

However, the Belgium international would prefer to start his career afresh and make a permanent move away from Old Trafford. Continue

The Bundesliga outfit are reported to have broken their transfer record when signing Andre Schurrle while also resigning Mario Gotze among others.

Even though they've lost the likes of Mat Hummels and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Dortmund have re-invested with the aforementioned talent as well as budding prospects Emre Mor and Ousmane Dembele, constructing a stellar squad for the new season.

Here's a look at their squad courtesy of Football Funnys:

Borussia Dortmund's squad depth for this season. 🙌🏼🇩🇪 pic.twitter.com/6U8KlbScVs
— Football Funnys (@FootballFunnys) July 29, 2016

Wow!

Thomas Tuchel has quite the side at his disposal. Bayern are under transition with new boss Carlo Ancelotti, and clearly Dortmund have a team capable of pushing them all the way.

Not long to find out now.

Video: Jurgen Klopp tries Sturridge's Wobbly arm dance

This is unreal. Klopp doing Sturridge's dance. 😂
pic.twitter.com/L5skrVdv9i
— Dave O’Connell (@DaveOCKOP) July 30, 2016

Lol, Fail

Walter Zenga appointed new Wolves boss

Walter Zenga has been announced as the next head coach of Wolves, the Championship club have confirmed.

The former Italy international will succeed Kenny Jackett, who was dismissed on Friday following a takeover by Chinese conglomerate Fosun International.

Zenga, who will officially assume the role on Monday after Saturday's friendly with Swansea City, has managed the likes Sampdoria, Steaua Bucharest and Red Star Belgrade, while he was most recently at Al-Shaab in the United Arab Emirates.

Paris Saint-Germain coach Unai Emery confirmed his interest in Real Madrid forward Jese Rodriguez, saying a move is possible.

Jese, 23, has struggled to break in with the La Liga giants, with only seven of his 28 league appearances last season starts.

With the abundance of attacking talent at Madrid, the Spaniard has been linked with a move away from his boyhood club.

Emery said there was a chance for Jese to join PSG, who are looking for a forward after Zlatan Ibrahimovic's exit.

"It's a possibility, as others during this transfer window," he said.

"I know him well, the club also. He's a good player, it's a possibility."

Jese scored five league goals last season, but is competing with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema for a starting spot.

Wijnaldum: I'm happy to play anywhere

Liverpool recruit Georginio Wijnaldum is open to playing anywhere at his new club as he looks ahead to his non-competitive debut.

The 25-year-old joined Liverpool in a reported £23million move from Newcastle United earlier in July.

Wijnaldum is versatile in midfield, with former manager Rafael Benitez saying he was "so good, he can play everywhere and do well".

The 30-time Netherlands international, however, said he would feature wherever needed by manager Jurgen Klopp.

📽 🔝 😂 😂 😂 https://t.co/3Da0D9wEP4
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 29, 2016

Never seen this one before. Lol

Anything could happen before transfer window shuts - Zidane

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane insisted he has the best squad in the world but acknowledged there still might be transfer activity before August 31.

Madrid have been linked with in-demand Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba, though the European champions and LaLiga giants are reportedly set to lose out to Manchester United in the race for the France international.

At the other end of the spectrum, Madrid duo James Rodriguez and Isco are apparently facing uncertain futures before the transfer window closes.

But Zidane refused to give too much away as Madrid prepare to face Chelsea in the International Champions Cup on Saturday.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has revealed he had no interest in signing Henrikh Mkhitaryan before the attacker joined Manchester United.

Mkhitaryan and Klopp were together at Borussia Dortmund, but they will be opponents in the Premier League this season after the former joined United.

The 59-time Armenia international starred in the Bundesliga after being bought by Klopp from Shakhtar Donetsk.

However, the German had no desire to reunite with Mkhitaryan at Anfield as the 27-year-old instead completed a £26million move to United.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic says Manchester United fans are every bit as excited as he is for his debut ahead of his first appearance for the club against Galatasaray in his native Sweden.

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain man has been the biggest acquisition of the transfer window thus far for United, who signed the classy striker on a free transfer from the French champions at the start of July.

Ibrahimovic missed the first part of United's pre-season – a trip to China in which they only played one game in a 4-1 loss to Borussia Dortmund as inclement weather saw the cancellation of their second against cross-town rivals Manchester City – but was included in Jose Mourinho's squad for Saturday's hit-out against Turkish giants Galatasaray.

And with United fans starved of regular action thus far this pre-season and yet to see their new striker in action, Ibrahimovic said he can sense the excitement ahead of his non-competitive debut.

Jurgen Klopp has stressed he is happy with his current squad at Liverpool as it feels like his own team and he is adamant there are no longer any unwanted players around.

The German coach took charge at Anfield last October and has chopped and changed personnel in order to challenge for silverware in 2016-17.

"This is my squad now, after all the transfers, this time it is my team," Klopp was quoted as saying by the Daily Mirror.

"There are probably no players here anymore I don't want. There are no signings I didn't want, we have not sold anyone I didn't want to.

"And if you have seen them in training, there is a special quality that we did not have last year.

"I'm not afraid of making decisions, it's part of the job. I am pretty sure I cannot make all the decisions everyone likes, but I have to be convinced about it.

"I am happy with my team now, and I can say is we will be a challenger, we will fight for everything, for every cup and what will happen in the end we will see. Certainly at the moment we should not look for excuses and say things like 'I need another year' or things like that.

"We will give 100 per cent and see what happens. We built this team to be successful."

Wolverhampton Wanderers sack Head Coach Kenny Jackett

English club Wolves have announced that Head Coach Kenny Jackett has left his position at the club after his contract was terminated. A statement on the club website read:

"Wolves have announced that Kenny Jackett’s contract has been terminated with immediate effect.

Following discussions over the last few days, Main Wolves Director, Jeff Shi, has made the decision to relieve Kenny Jackett of his duties.

An announcement regarding a new Head Coach will be made in due course.

Kenny Jackett joined Wolves at the beginning of the 2013/14 League One season, regaining promotion to the Championship at the first attempt, with a record total of 103 points.

In the following season, Wolves finished in seventh position, missing out on the play-offs on goal difference.

Jeff Shi, Main Wolves Director, said, “I would like to sincerely thank Kenny for everything he’s done for Wolves over the last three years.

“He’s shown true professionalism during his tenure and over the course of the transition to new ownership. I would like to wish him all the very best for the future.” "

Transfer Window Done deals - 29th July

Here's the round up of all the deals completed yesterday.

Olympique Marseille completed the signing of Swansea striker Bafetimbi Gomis on a season long loan deal.

OFFICIAL: @BafGomis signs for OM. Welcome! pic.twitter.com/JlHxSkz5rG
— Olympique Marseille (@OM_English) July 29, 2016

'Transfer market has gone crazy'- Thomas Tuchel

Borussia Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel feels the transfer market has gone "crazy" and has lamented the inflated fees in the modern game.

Juventus this week secured the services of Gonzalo Higuain from Napoli for €90 million, while Manchester United are believed to be willing to pay €120m to re-sign Paul Pogba.

Tuchel believes recent developments are damaging for football and thinks the sport is at risk of alienating supporters if things do not change.

"The transfer market has gone crazy," Tuchel told reporters. "The transfer fees that are being paid are out of control.

"The people who come to the stadiums to watch a game can no longer relate to it. We have to be very careful not to lose touch with the fans. We will lose the fans if football is all about the money. Football should be a show for normal people and for children.

"There is too much money around in the game. It's only a matter of time before things really get out of control.

"Dortmund are keeping both feet on the ground and we are following our own path. We will not try to control what we cannot influence."

'There is no deal done for Pogba'- Mino Raiola

Paul Pogba's agent has announced that no deal has been done yet between United and Juventus for the transfer of Paul Pogba. He made the announcement today on his twitter handle. Continue

.@Ibra_official to return to Sweden as part of our 23-man squad to face Galatasaray... #MUTOUR pic.twitter.com/txRy3GiO9N
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 29, 2016

Manchester United released their 23 man squad to face Galatasaray in Sweden tomorrow and a notable absentee was midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger along with 8 other players who were told they can leave the club this summer. See here.
Bastian's United career looks like its over.

Neymar fan arrested after sneaking into Brazil Olympic team hotel laundry room

A football fan has been arrested after breaking into the Brazil Olympic team hotel in a bid to meet his hero, Neymar.

The determined supporter was found by authorities in the laundry room of the squad's base in the central city of Goiania.

ESPN Brazil claim that the intruder was a 21-year-old sports student, who managed to gain access to the hotel with a fake Brazil FA (CBF) pass.

The rumours of Pogba's move away from Juventus have been doing the rounds for months and it's now time to finally sort an outcome. It is being widely reported that the player has now passed a medical in Los Angeles and is ready to signed a five-year-deal.

But how much will it actually cost Manchester United?

Manchester United have allegedly agreed to pay £112 million (including bonuses) with Juventus for Pogba and his agent Mino Raiola is also expected to receive £16m. Add this to his wages of around £275,000-per-week, which totals £66m over the five years, it's a whole lot.

194 million pounds.

Photos: Manchester United release official third kit

Manchester United's new third kit will see them play in a changed white strip for their first campaign under Jose Mourinho.

United, who have already released their red home and blue away kits, wore a black shirt as their alternative option last year.

But with marquee summer signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic showing off the new design, United have returned to their past with a pure white shirt with black trim. Continue

Pep Guardiola says he still loves Franck Ribery despite criticism from the Bayern Munich winger over his coaching methods.
Guardiola departed Bayern at the end of last season to take over at Manchester City having led the Bavarians to three consecutive Bundesliga titles.
However, his exit was not met with despair in all quarters, with Ribery claiming the former Barcelona boss lacked experience.
"Pep didn't have a long career as manager. He is a young coach," Ribery told Bild this week.
"He lacks experience. Sometimes he talks too much. Football is very simple."
Ribery has also said he feels more trusted by new Bayern head coach Carlo Ancelotti, but Guardiola took the comments on the chin and insists he holds no ill will towards the former France international.
"About Ribery I must say I love him very much," he told a news conference.
"It's good that Ribery says I'm young. I'm here to learn."

Tottenham 0 Atletico Madrid 1: Godin grabs the winner

Tottenham suffered their second International Champions Cup defeat of the week as they went down 1-0 to Atletico Madrid in Melbourne.

Mauricio Pochettino's side, beaten 2-1 by Juventus on Tuesday, lost to last season's Champions League finalists by virtue of a first-half goal from Diego Godin.

Bastian Schweinsteiger has retired from international duty after Germany's semi-final elimination at Euro 2016.
The Manchester United midfielder made his international debut against Hungary in June 2004 and has since gone on to become an influential member of the international team, earning 120 caps.
Schweinsteiger's crowning moment in a Germany shirt came at the 2014 World Cup when Die Mannschaft were 1-0 victors after extra-time in the final against Argentina in Brazil.

Manchester City target Gabriel Jesus says his future is decided

Manchester City target Gabriel Jesus is on the verge of completing a transfer out of Palmeiras - but has not confirmed his destination.

The 19-year-old forward, currently with Brazil's Olympic squad, has also been linked with Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus.

While his focus now is on his country's home Games, he promised his destination will be known 'before long'.

West Ham captain Mark Noble refused to blame the absence of star Dimitri Payet for his side's shock Europa League loss to Domzale.
A Matic Crnic brace saw the Slovenians to a shock 2-1 victory in Ljubljana on Thursday in the first leg of the third qualifying round.
Payet is still on extended leave after helping France reach the Euro 2016 final, and the star midfielder was missed.
But Noble, who had cancelled out Crnic's penalty with one of his own, called for improvement from his team in the return leg.
"We lost 2-1, I don't think it was a penalty in the first half but you've got to get on with it, but we ended up losing the game," he told BT Sport.
"It's something to look forward to [the first game at the Olympic Stadium]. It's not the ideal result but we've got to go there positive, I'm sure the fans will be behind us."
"You're going to miss a player like Dimi, of course. But that's no excuse. We had a good enough team to come here and win, but we didn't do that.
"Obviously these games are tough but we didn't play well tonight. We better play well on Thursday."

Monday, 1 August 2016

Sunday, 31 July 2016

Saturday, 30 July 2016

Friday, 29 July 2016