London: Roberto Martinez is a strong manager who can keep Wigan Athletic in the Premier League, Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini said on the eve of Saturday's FA Cup final against the Spaniard's struggling team. Wigan's place in the top flight is under threat as they are three points from safety with two matches to play but Mancini believes Martinez can keep them afloat. "Martinez is a strong manager and...
11:25 PM, May 10, 2013
London: Manchester United manager in waiting David Moyes said he had not expected to be leaving Everton after 11 years in charge and had already begin planning for next season when the Old Trafford giants came calling this week. In a whirlwind few days for the landscape of British football, Alex Ferguson announced that he was to retire as United's manager after 27 trophy-laden years on Wednesday and the following...
10:32 PM, May 10, 2013
London: Lionel Messi's life story is set to hit the movie screens in time for the 2014 World Cup. Epic Pictures Group says it is financing and developing a Rocky-style film after buying the rights to dramatize a biography about the Barcelona soccer star. The Beverly Hills-based company says the biopic will chart Messi's rise from a modest background in Argentina and how he "overcame his physical shortcomings to become...
06:48 PM, May 10, 2013
London: For almost 27 years, Old Trafford has witnessed Alex Ferguson venting his anger from the dugout, berating officials, anxiously checking his watch and making celebratory jigs down the touchline. On Sunday, 76,000 fans have one final chance to witness - and savor - the most successful manager in British football history taking charge of Manchester United on home soil. With the 13th Premier League of Ferguson's reign wrapped up...
06:29 PM, May 10, 2013
Madrid: Real Madrid decided against holding their traditional pre-match news conference on Friday in an apparent attempt to defuse the war of words between coach Jose Mourinho and members of his squad. The nine-times European champions visit Espanyol on Saturday when a failure to win would gift leaders Barcelona their fourth La Liga title in five years. Even if they do triumph, Barca only need two more points to secure...
06:19 PM, May 10, 2013
London: The appointment of David Moyes as Alex Ferguson's successor at Manchester United gives hope to all young British soccer managers, Queens Park Rangers boss Harry Redknapp believes. Moyes, who will leave Everton after 11 years to take over the Old Trafford hot seat at the end of the season, was given the nod ahead of candidates such as Real Madrid's former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho and Borussia Dortmund's Juergen...
06:14 PM, May 10, 2013
London: Everton manager David Moyes will not answer questions about his new appointment at Manchester United when he speaks to journalists at his regular Friday news briefing, the club said. Moyes, named as Alex Ferguson's successor at Old Trafford on Thursday, would take questions only about Sunday's Premier League game against West Ham, the club said. Everton said Moyes would hold a media conference at 1230 GMT but added in...
03:25 PM, May 10, 2013
Rome: With Juventus already having won Serie A and Napoli assured of finishing second, AC Milan's battle with Fiorentina for third is the last key item to be determined in the Italian league. Milan will be hoping to secure a place in the Champions League playoff with a win against Roma on Sunday, although the Giallorossi are still attempting to clinch a Europa League spot. Fiorentina host Palermo, who are...
10:34 AM, May 10, 2013
Madrid: Real Madrid have stubbornly refused to capitulate in recent weeks but La Liga leaders Barcelona finally have their fate in their own hands and can secure a 22nd La Liga crown with victory at Atletico Madrid on Sunday. Barca need two points from their remaining four matches to wrest the title back from their arch rivals, who have played a game more and need to win at Espanyol on...
10:21 AM, May 10, 2013
London: Chelsea's 8-0 thrashing of Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge in December will have no bearing on Saturday's Premier League return fixture, the London club's interim manager Rafael Benitez said on Thursday. Victory will all but clinch Chelsea's place in next season's Champions League but Benitez believes improving Villa will provide a stern test especially as the home team's relegation fears have not yet been completely dispelled. "I don't think...
12:03 AM, May 10, 2013
Manchester: David Moyes, who was appointed the Manchester United manager Thursday, said it was a great honour to be the next manager at Old Trafford and was also delighted that it was outgoing manager Alex Ferguson, who recommended him for the job. "It's a great honour to be asked to be the next manager of Manchester United. I am delighted that Sir Alex saw fit to recommend me for the...
11:16 PM, May 09, 2013
David Moyes, who spent 11 years keeping a reliable old family saloon roadworthy with spare parts and loose change, is poised to get the keys to a huge red Rolls Royce loaded with cash. The 50-year-old's imminent appointment as Alex Ferguson's successor as Manchester United manager represents a gargantuan step for the plain-talking Scot who failed to win any silverware for Everton in more than a decade of hard graft...
09:03 PM, May 09, 2013
Manchester: Manchester United on Thursday handed David Moyes one of the toughest and most coveted jobs in soccer - succeeding Alex Ferguson as manager of the 20-time English champions. Moyes is leaving Everton to replace Ferguson, who announced on Wednesday he is retiring after nearly 27 years at Old Trafford. United said Moyes received a six-year deal and will take charge of the newly crowned Premier League champions on July...
08:36 PM, May 09, 2013
Paris: Paris St Germain duo Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva have been named on a four-man short-list for the French Ligue 1 player of the year award alongside team mate Blaise Matuidi, the players union UNFP said on Thursday. St Etienne striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the league's second top-scorer behind Ibrahimovic, is also in contention to succeed Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard who won the award the last two seasons when playing...
08:27 PM, May 09, 2013
New Delhi: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has extended the deadline for submitting bids to buy two new I-League clubs ahead of the next season to May 15, even as six companies have bought the Request for Proposal (ROP). The earlier deadline was Friday. GMR Group, UAE-based Indian company Dodsal Group, Jindal Steel West Holdings, Eagles FC, Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services and Trans Stadia were the six business...
08:06 PM, May 09, 2013
London: David Moyes will leave Everton at the end of the season and has confirmed his desire to succeed Alex Ferguson as Manchester United manager, Everton said on Thursday. Moyes, who has been at Everton since 2002, is favourite to become United's new manager following Ferguson's decision to retire at the end of the season after winning 13 league titles, five FA Cups and two Champions Leagues. "The manager met...
07:48 PM, May 09, 2013
Paris: Former England captain David Beckham hailed Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson as a "father figure" after the Scot announced his retirement on Wednesday. The 38-year-old Beckham joined Manchester United's academy and spent 17 years at the club, playing 394 games with the first team and winning six Premier League titles and the 1999 Champions League under Ferguson. "As I have said many times before, the boss wasn't just the...
03:39 PM, May 09, 2013
Madrid: Real Madrid are waiting to discover the extent of an ankle injury suffered by playmaker Mesut Ozil in Wednesday's 6-2 La Liga win at home to Malaga. The Germany international, who scored Real's third goal, was carried off on a stretcher after landing awkwardly late in the second half and may be a doubt for the King's Cup final against Atletico Madrid on May 17. "He has an ankle...
03:39 PM, May 09, 2013
Fuelling speculations that he has handed a transfer request, Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has changed his Twitter credentials to '@NikeUK athlete' from 'Manchester United footballer'. In a move that will surely irk Manchester United fans, Rooney took an unusual step when he removed the name of 'Manchester United' from his official Twitter account, indicating that he indeed has handed a transfer request. Late on Wednesday, it emerged that Rooney...
11:50 AM, May 09, 2013
Turin: Napoli qualified for the Champions League group stage by winning 3-0 at Bologna on Wednesday and two goals from Mario Balotelli kept AC Milan on course for the qualifying round with a 4-0 victory at Pescara. Juventus, crowned Serie A champions on Sunday, won 1-0 at Atalanta in a match interrupted for 10 minutes in the first half as rival fans aimed fireworks at each other. Inter Milan's accident-prone...
08:22 AM, May 09, 2013
