Soccer

Hodgson starts England reign with Norway win

Oslo, Norway: Ashley Young gave Roy Hodgson a winning start as England coach on Saturday, clinching a 1-0 victory over Norway in the team's first European Championship warm-up match. Young combined with Andy Carroll after nine minutes, scoring in his fourth consecutive international to provide Hodgson with a potential striking partnership for the Euro 2012 opener against France on June 11 when Wayne Rooney is suspended. "I think he and...  

Early exit would be disaster for France: Mvila

Paris: A third consecutive early exit at a major tournament would be a "complete disaster" for France, midfielder Yann Mvila said on Friday. Two years after losing the 2006 World Cup final to Italy on penalties, France failed to reach the knock-out stages at the 2008 European Championship. They suffered the same blow at the 2010 World Cup, where the players shocked the world by boycotting training to support Nicolas...  

Suarez reopens racism row by criticising FA

Liverpool: Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has criticised the FA for the eight-match ban he was given after racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra. The 25-year-old was found guilty of racially abusing Evra last October by an independent panel appointed by the FA, and was subsequently handed an eight-game ban, but is yet to publicly apologise to the United defender, and the Uruguayan believes the punishment was wrong and that...  

Caceres signs permanent deal with Juventus

Turin: Uruguay defender Martin Caceres has signed a permanent deal with Juventus, tying him to the Serie A champions until 2016. Caceres joined Juventus for a second loan spell in January from Sevilla and the 25-year-old has impressed enough to earn a four-year contract, with the Italian club spending 8 million on the player. Caceres enjoyed his first spell at Juventus when he signed on a season-long loan deal from...  

Newcomer Nababkin in Russia squad for Euro 2012

Moscow: CSKA Moscow defender Kirill Nababkin was picked for the first time while Lokomotiv Moscow midfielder Magomed Ozdoyev and Spartak Moscow striker Artem Dzyuba were dropped for Russia's final squad for the European Championship on Friday. The 23-man squad was announced by coach Dick Advocaat for the tournament in Poland and Ukraine after Russia held Uruguay to a 1-1 draw in their first of three warm-ups. "The reason I've called...  

Juventus coach Conte signs new three-year deal

Turin: Juventus coach Antonio Conte has signed a new three-year deal with the Serie A champions that will keep him with the club until 2015. Conte, a former Juventus captain, took over last summer from Luigi Delneri, who failed to take Juventus into the Europa League with a seventh-place finish in the Italian league. The 42-year-old Conte led Juventus to the league title this season and reached the Italian Cup...  

Torres keen on Chelsea future after talks

Madrid: Chelsea striker Fernando Torres has put a difficult season behind him and is itching to be part of the European champions' future plans, the player said on Thursday following talks with the club's hierarchy. Torres voiced his concerns after being left out of Chelsea's starting line-up for last weekend's Champions League final victory over Bayern Munich, saying he had been close to throwing in the towel. "My goal was...  

Martinez in talks with Liverpool owners

London: Wigan Athletic's Roberto Martinez has flown to Miami to talk to the American owners of Liverpool about the vacant manager's job at Anfield, Wigan chairman Dave Whelan said on Thursday. Martinez is meeting with John W Henry after being granted permission to speak with the Reds' hierarchy. "Roberto is in Miami today [Thursday] and you can only assume what he's gone there for," Whelan told the BBC. "He is...  

Barton gets 12-match ban for violent conduct

London: Queens Park Rangers captain Joey Barton was banned for 12 matches by the English Football Association on Wednesday after being found guilty of repeated violent conduct in the last match of the Premier League season at Manchester City. The hot-headed midfielder was sent off for elbowing City's Carlos Tevez, and he was charged with violent conduct for then kicking Sergio Aguero and trying to head-butt Vincent Kompany before being...  

Drogba ends Chelsea career with dramatic flourish

London: After maddening and thrilling football fans in equal measures for eight years, Didier Drogba's combustible Chelsea career is over. And it was fitting that one of football's most theatrical characters went out with one final, dramatic flourish. With the last kick in his last game, the 34-year-old Drogba won the Champions League for Chelsea on Saturday, scoring the decisive penalty in the shoot-out against Bayern Munich. "Even the greatest...  

Mourinho extends contract with Real Madrid

Madrid: Jose Mourinho agreed to extend his contract with Real Madrid for two years on Tuesday, tying him to the club until the end of the 2015-16 season. The 49-year-old Portuguese coach led Madrid to their first Spanish league title in four years this season to add to the Copa del Rey trophy he won during his first campaign at the Santiago Bernabeu, after joining from Inter Milan in 2010...  

Drogba leaving Chelsea; club, player confirm exit

London: Didier Drogba's Champions League-winning penalty kick was his last contribution to Chelsea, with the striker announcing on Tuesday that he was leaving the club after eight years. The 34-year-old Ivory Coast international clinched Chelsea's first European title with the final kick in a shoot-out against Bayern Munich on Saturday after producing the equalizer that forced the final into extra time. The goals took the talisman's tally to 157 in...  

Torres going nowhere, Chelsea dismiss exit talk

London: Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay has played down reports linking Fernando Torres with an exit from Stamford Bridge this summer. The Spanish striker, who has notched up only 12 goals since his 50-million move from Liverpool last year, had to settle for a place on the bench during Saturday night's Champions League victory over Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. The Blues prevailed 4-3 on penalties after the match...  

Drogba's agent denies Chelsea exit reports

London: Didier Drogba's representatives have denied reports which suggested that the striker had announced that he will leave Chelsea when his contract ends next month. The striker was quoted by France Football magazine as saying that he had already informed his team-mates of his decision to quit Stamford Bridge this summer after playing a leading role in their Champions League triumph against Bayern Munich on Saturday. "We [Drogba and his...  

Koevermans set to be new India football coach

New Delhi: Former Dutch international Wim Koevermans is all set to take over as the chief coach of the Indian football team for a two-year term, ending a more than a year's search for a full-fledged occupant for the top job. Following All India Football Federation's sacking of Englishman Bob Houghton early last year, Armando Colaco and Savio Medeira - whose contract expires on May 31 - were given short...  

Striker Drogba to visit India next month

New Delhi: Ivory Coast and Chelsea striker Didier Drogba will visit India next month for the grand finale of the Pepsi T20 Football event. The final-winning team will get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be coached by Drogba, before they face the Indian cricketing stars in a fast-paced game of Pepsi T20 Football, a statement from the organisers said. Drogba, who has been a Pepsi brand ambassador since 2009, played a...  

Didier Drogba set for Chelsea exit: Report

Paris: Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba is leaving Chelsea after playing a leading role in their Champions League triumph, according to a report to be published in French magazine France Football on Tuesday. Drogba, who scored the winning penalty in the shoot-out against Bayern Munich on Saturday after cancelling out Thomas Mueller's opener, has reportedly told his teammates that "we will not be together next season" during the parade to...  

Out-of-favour Berbatov seeks Man United exit

Manchester: Striker Dimitar Berbatov wants to leave Manchester United because he feels he has fallen out of favour with manager Alex Ferguson. "My time at Manchester United is running out," the 31-year-old Bulgarian told bTV on Sunday. "I no longer feel like a valuable part of this team." The Premier League club took up an extra year's option on the former Bulgaria captain's contract in March despite him slipping down...  

Balotelli vows to behave at Euro 2012

Milan: Mario Balotelli has assured Italy coach Cesare Prandelli that he will be on his best behaviour for the duration of the Azzurri's Euro 2012 campaign. The Manchester City forward's antics have dominated the headlines in Britain throughout the season, leading to speculation that he would not be trusted to lead the line at Euro 2012. However, Balotelli has stated that he is ready to curtail his erratic behaviour in...  

Spain recall Torres for Euro 2012 warm-ups

Madrid: Coach Vicente del Bosque recalled Fernando Torres along with fellow Chelsea teammate Juan Mata for Spain's warm-up matches ahead of the upcoming European Championship. The struggling Torres had been dropped for Spain's most recent friendly, but the striker managed to make the squad after Chelsea won the Champions League on Saturday. Torres said on Sunday that he had had the worst moments of his career with Chelsea this season...