IMG-Reliance are all set to launch an IPL-style football tournament involving city-based teams run by corporate franchises to popularise and promote the game throughout India - from grassroots to the professional level. But it faces many hardships before coming to fruition. The joint venture, which has the backing of All Indian Football Federation (AIFF), was agreed upon in December 2012, but with the I-League in place and well established in...
11:05 AM, Jun 06, 2013
Real Madrid's start Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo has rejected a whopping 118-million-euro offer from Paris St. Germain (PSG), according to media reports. Ronaldo was reportedly offered a four-year contract worth 68 million euros with a signing-on bonus of 20 million euros besides 100 percent of image rights if he were to join the club next summer. In case the former Manchester United striker agreed to join in 2015, when his...
10:43 AM, Jun 06, 2013
Montevideo: Substitute Luis Suarez scored after less than five minutes on the pitch to give Uruguay a 1-0 win over France in an international friendly at the Centenario on Wednesday. Suarez, who came on for the second half in place of Diego Forlan, scored with a diagonal shot into the bottom corner in the 49th minute after evading defender Eliaquim Mangala to take a pass from Maxi Pereira. The striker...
08:55 AM, Jun 06, 2013
Berlin: Former Germany captain Michael Ballack's farewell match in Leipzig on Wednesday was overshadowed by the potential transfer of Andre Schuerrle to Chelsea with German media reporting a deal has been agreed. New Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, who coached Ballack at the English club, was in Leipzig and the long-speculated transfer of Bayer Leverkusen winger Schuerrle to the Premier League club looked to be heading towards completion. Mourinho himself refused...
08:27 AM, Jun 06, 2013
London: Manchester United striker Robin van Persie believes his club are capable of achieving more success even without Alex Ferguson as manager. "I have a feeling we can do much more and that we can win many more trophies. I've had a year to work with everyone and now the whole (coaching) staff is changing which makes it a new challenge," Van Persie said on Wednesday. "I've got to know...
11:20 PM, Jun 05, 2013
New Delhi: Veteran goalkeeper Sandip Nandy on Wednesday signed a one-year deal with Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan after he was released by I-League winners Churchill Brothers of Goa. The 38-year-old Nandy, who returned to Kolkata after a gap of one year, had a brilliant I-League season with Churchill which earned him a recall to India team in the international friendly against Palestine in February. "We are extremely pleased with the...
08:33 PM, Jun 05, 2013
London: Roberto Martinez has been named Everton manager after leaving Wigan Athletic where the Spaniard forged a reputation for making the best of limited resources and playing attractive football. Martinez has signed a four-year contract at Goodison Park, Everton said on their website (www.evertonfc.com) on Wednesday. He guided Wigan to FA Cup success in May when they upset Manchester City in the final but could not prevent the club being...
07:39 PM, Jun 05, 2013
Mumbai: The I-League clubs are up in arms against the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and have decided not to release players for the new league that will be promoted by IMG-Reliance. The Indian Professional Football Clubs Association (IPFCA), the union of I-League clubs, met here to discuss a range of issues and said that the clubs will neither release players nor sign any player who has a contract with...
07:13 PM, Jun 05, 2013
Madrid: Jose Mourinho's return to Chelsea is a chance for him to reverse some of the damage inflicted on his brand by an unsuccessful and controversy-plagued stint at Real Madrid, according to marketing research firm REPUCOM. The Portuguese manager quit Real, where he alienated a significant section of the fans, three years before the end of his contract following a season without major silverware and will begin a second term...
06:51 PM, Jun 05, 2013
Valencia: Valencia have appointed former defender Miroslav Djukic as their new coach through 2014. The club said in a statement on Wednesday that the 47-year-old Serbian replaces Ernesto Valverde, who left the club after they narrowly missed out on a Champions League berth on the last day of the Spanish league season. Djukic played at Valencia from 1997-2003, making 157 appearances. The club, which finished fifth, said "Welcome home, Miroslav...
05:14 PM, Jun 05, 2013
Tokyo: A Japan squad without any surprises was chosen for the Confederations Cup on Wednesday, a day after the team secured a fifth straight World Cup appearance. Keisuke Honda, whose goal in stoppage time allowed Japan to draw 1-1 with Australia and qualify for the World Cup on Tuesday, and Manchester United midfielder Shinji Kagawa were among the 23 named by coach Alberto Zaccheroni. Japan are the first team to...
04:34 PM, Jun 05, 2013
New Delhi: Some of the world's top football stars David Beckham, Thierry Henry, Michael Owen and Raul Gonzalez could soon be seen in action during a franchise-based tournament to be launched by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its commercial partner IMG-Reliance early next year. Beckham, Henry and Raul are closely working with IMG in different projects to promote the game and the sports management group is pursuing them...
03:08 PM, Jun 05, 2013
Madrid: Self-proclaimed 'Special One' Jose Mourinho had only one problem with Cristiano Ronaldo when he coached him at Real Madrid -- he thought the world's most expensive player was a bit of a know-it-all. Ronaldo joined Real from Manchester United for around 90 million euros in 2009 and took his goalscoring exploits to new heights under Mourinho, who left Real Madrid to rejoin Chelsea as manager earlier this week. Asked...
02:23 PM, Jun 05, 2013
Montevideo: Liverpool's Luis Suarez and Napoli's Edinson Cavani will lead a star-studded attack for Uruguay during this month's Confederations Cup in Brazil. The 23-man squad will also play the friendly against France in Montevideo Wednesday and a World Cup qualifier against Venezuela in Puerto Ordaz, June 11, reports Xinhua. La Celeste's coach Oscar Tabarez Tuesday cut five names from his preliminary list announced last month. Those to miss out were...
01:19 PM, Jun 05, 2013
Rome: Palermo club president Maurizio Zamparini confirmed that Gennaro Gattuso has been appointed as the club's head coach. Gattuso left AC Milan last summer and joined Sion of Switzerland where he had 10-game coaching experience before he decided to join Palermo, reports Xinhua. "I can confirm officially that Gattuso is our coach for next season," said Zamparini. "A club statement will soon be released on the matter." "We are happy...
12:19 PM, Jun 05, 2013
Rio de Janeiro: Daniel Alves is adamant Brazil are on track to recapture their status as a football power ahead of the FIFA Confederations Cup later this month. Brazil have won just one match - a 4-0 victory over Bolivia in April - since Luiz Felipe Scolari took over from Mano Menezes as coach in November last year, reports Xinhua. "We are the first to realize the importance of winning...
11:57 AM, Jun 05, 2013
Lisbon: Cristiano Ronaldo and his Portugal team mates must avoid going into holiday mode too soon as they round off a long season with a tricky World Cup qualifier against European Group F leaders Russia on Friday. Sitting third in the group, level on 11 points with second-placed Israel and a point behind this week's visitors who have played two games fewer, Portugal cannot afford another below-par performance like last...
08:49 AM, Jun 05, 2013
Japan became the first team to qualify for the 2014 World Cup finals after a last-gasp home draw against Australia on Tuesday, while arch-rivals South Korea also conjured up a late equaliser in Beirut to inch closer to a spot in Brazil. The 62,000-plus crowd at Saitama stadium survived anxious moments before playmaker Keisuke Honda converted an injury-time penalty as Japan salvaged a draw to grab one of the two...
08:27 AM, Jun 05, 2013
London: Tottenham winger Andros Townsend has been banned from football for four months for violating betting rules. The Football Association announced the sanction on Tuesday, saying three months of the ban have been suspended until July 2016. The sanction was backdated to May 23 when Townsend withdrew from the England under-21 squad. The FA says the player was also fined 18,000 pounds ($27,000). Townsend was charged with breaches "in relation...
07:27 PM, Jun 04, 2013
Saitama: Japan became the first team to qualify for the 2014 World Cup, tying Australia 1-1 on Tuesday night on Keisuke Honda's penalty kick in the first minute of second-half stoppage time. Tommy Oar put Australia ahead in the 82nd minute. But Matthew McKay's hand ball set up the penalty kick for Honda, who beat goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer with a left-footed shot to the top corner. One year and eight...
06:41 PM, Jun 04, 2013
