Bayern Munich set to go back to the future for next boss

According to , Bayern Munich are set to reappoint former boss Jupp Heynckes after the exit of Carlo Ancelotti. The 72-year-old is, of course, familiar to the German giants, as he has managed the Bavarians on three occasions with major success.

Heynckes retired from football management in 2013 having won the treble of Bundesliga, German Cup and Champions League. The veteran boss gave replacement Pep Guardiola major shoes to fill at the German club and the Catalan boss failed to live up to expectations at times.

A short-term appointment

The Sky Sports report suggests that Heynckes will sign a deal until the end of the current season. At 72 years old he is not exactly a long-term appointment. The likes of former Dortmund bosses Thomas Tuchel and Jurgen Klopp, as w…

Bellerin not interested in rumours of Barcelona move

Hector Bellerin says he is happy to be linked with a transfer to one of Europe s biggest clubs, but the Arsenal right-back is focusing on his international future.

The 21-year-old left Barcelona for London in 2011, but has been linked with a return to La Liga champions after a fine season in the Premier League.

However, Bellerin shrugged off reports he is being targeted by Barca as a replacement for Dani Alves.

Well, the truth is that right now this does not interest me, because I am focused on the national team,  he told Cadena Cope. 

For those things I have an agent who deals with off-the-field issues. When you have a good season, news like this always emerges.

I am very misinformed about it, these are questions for my agent, but I am…

Mojica completes permanent move to Girona

As confirmed by , the club have completed the permanent signing of Johan Mojica in a deal that will keep him there until at least 2022. The 25-year-old plays predominantly as a left back but can also double up as a winger and is currently over in Russia with the Colombian national team at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Mojica has been on the books with Rayo Vallecano since 2014 but has only made a handful of appearances for them. He joined Girona on loan at the start of 2017 and became an instant hit, and after securing promotion, his loan was extended for another season. Now, he s an official Girona player and will continue to help the club push up through the ranks of La Liga.

He started off his career with Academia before bouncing around a series of teams on loan, but now,…

Should Andy Carroll be considered for England’s World Cup squad?

I have to admit I am really on the fence when it comes to the merits of West Ham striker Andy Carroll. Earlier his career he looked like the sort of fearsome centre-forward in the Duncan Ferguson mould, to use the cliché ‘an old-fashioned English centre-forward’.

The sort of striker that on his day was simply unplayable. However, too many injuries have ravaged his career and it always only seems a matter of time before his body breaks down again and he suffers another injury setback.

Cresswell championing his cause

Hammers teammate Aaron Cresswell has been championing his cause of late. Asked if Carroll can make the England squad for next year’s World Cup, the full-back told : Of course he can. Everyone knows what Andy is capable of, especially in the air…

Inter 5 Chievo 0: Spalletti´s men go top of Serie A for first time in nearly two years

Ivan Perisic grabbed a hat-trick as Inter crushed Chievo 5-0 to move to the top of Serie A for the first time since January 2016.

Luciano Spalletti s men were hoping to take full advantage of Napoli s slip-up at home to Juventus on Saturday and did so in style, cruising to a third successive league victory.

Although the home side wasted several good chances early on, they never looked back after taking the lead through Perisic s 23rd-minute strike.

Mauro Icardi effectively put the game beyond Chievo with a powerful finish seven minutes before half-time, taking his tally to 16 in 15 league appearances this season.

The hosts were far from done, however, with a quick-fire double early in the second half giving the scoreline a rather more impressive look, P…

Manchester United eye Fonte move

Manchester United are eyeing a move for Southampton defender Jose Fonte, .

The Portugal international was one of the star performers as his side clinched the European Championships last month, helping them keep clean sheets in three of the four games in which he played including the final victory over France.

At club level, he has been at St. Mary’s Stadium since signing from Crystal Palace in January 2010 and was part of the squads that won back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League.

In total he has racked up two hundred and sixty-seven appearances for the Saints in all competitions, scoring fifteen goals while in 2014 he was installed as the club’s captain.

His current deal runs until 2017 though he has emerged as a target fo…

Retiring Montolivo ´disrespected´ but holds no grudge with AC Milan

Riccardo Montolivo insists he holds no grudge with AC Milan even as he retires 18 months on from his final Serie A appearance.

The 34-year-old has been without a club since his Milan contract ran out at the end of the 2018-19 season and has now decided to call a halt to his career.

However, Montolivo had not played a professional match since a 1-1 draw at Atalanta on May 13, 2018, being named on the bench 17 times in Serie A last term without making a single appearance.

Discussing his retirement with Corriere dello Sport, Montolivo revealed he had accepted a fringe role for his final campaign at the club but was disappointed not to feature at all.

I last played in May 2018, at Atleti Azzurri d Italia, the same stadium where I had started sixteen year…

Klopp hits 50 Premier League wins but where does the Liverpool boss rank?

Liverpool s 2-0 victory at Southampton took Jurgen Klopp to 50 Premier League wins – making him the ninth-fastest manager to the landmark.

The former Borussia Dortmund boss has brought up his half-century in 95 matches, incidentally the same amount of Liverpool games it took Brendan Rodgers during his Anfield tenure.

Rodgers spell at Swansea City means he does not make an overall top 10 headed by his old mentor Jose Mourinho.

The Manchester United manager s sensational initial tenure at Chelsea saw him race to 50 wins in an astonishing 63 games. Ex-Manchester City Manuel Pellegrini, a Premier League champion in 2013-14, comes in next best with 50 in 75 outings.

Pellegrini s predecessor Roberto Mancini chalked up 50 wins in 83 attempts – one game fewer…

RFEF insists security not its responsibility ahead of pre-Clasico political protests

The Royal Spanish Football Federation says it is not responsible for security during El Clasico and warned it could impose sporting sanctions if political demonstrations lead to trouble at next week s Camp Nou match.

Barcelona are due to host bitter rivals Real Madrid on December 18 in the fixture that was initially due to take place in October.

The original contest was postponed due to political tension that led to violent scenes in Catalonia after nine Catalan political leaders received long prison sentences for their roles in the region s 2017 referendum and subsequent unilateral declaration of independence.

A rally had been called for October 26 – the first date set for the Clasico – and it was decided to rearrange the match for security reasons.

Mario Balotelli scores four minutes into Monza debut

Mario Balotelli made a flying start to life in Serie B with a debut strike after just four minutes for Monza against Salernitana.

Former Milan and Manchester City forward Balotelli signed for Monza owned by ex-Rossoneri chief Silvio Berlusconi earlier this month until the end of the season.

The 30-year-old made his second-tier bow on Wednesday, lining up alongside Kevin-Prince Boateng, another former Milan man, from the start at home to the league leaders.

And Balotelli needed just three minutes and 53 seconds to get on the scoresheet as he turned in Carlos Augusto s cross with the first shot of the match and his first touch.

Balotelli has played in the top flight in Italy, England and France but only in Ligue 1, with Nice in 2016, had he previously nette…