I put France on the world map, boasts Ibrahimovic

Australian international striker Nikita Rukavytsya has signed a three-year contract with Hertha Berlin, the German second division side announced on Wednesday.

Nikita is very quick and very adaptable up front, said Hertha s sporting director Michael Preetz.

The 23-year-old, who was born in Ukraine but moved to Australia aged 14, was out of contract at Dutch side FC Twente. He spent last season on loan at Belgian side KSV Roulers who were relegated from the top flight.

Rukavytsya played for Australia at the 2008 Olympics an under 23 side and has since played six times for the Socceroos. He was a member of the World Cup squad in South Africa, making two appearances off the bench.

Hertha finished bottom of the Bundesliga last season, winning just five time…

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) on Tuesday elected not to renew Diego Maradona s contract as national team coach, a spokesman said.

Doubts had surrounded the 49-year-old s future ever since a tense meeting with AFA head Julio Grondona on Monday and newspapers had spent the day speculating on who would succeed the man who led the team to victory as star player at the 1986 World Cup.

As an inexperienced coach, Maradona s record over 18 months was less than stellar and the team only qualified for the World Cup finals by the skin of their teeth.

Although several players had spoken up for him after a run to the quarter-finals of the World Cup, where Germany proved toostrong, the AFA decided it was time to give the job to someone else.

One name in the…

Italy international midfielder Andrea Pirlo intends to continue his career at the Juventus Stadium, insisting he plans to stay in Turin for a few more years.

Pirlo, 34, joined Juventus via free transfer from Italian rivals AC Milan in the summer of 2011 and has lead the Bianconeri to three straight Serie A titles.

Recent reports have suggested the 34-year-old, whose current contract is due to expire at the end of the season, will be offered a new deal by Juventus and the player has confirmed his desire to stay at the club.

I am training every day as well as any other player, . I need that.

My motivation to go on is very strong, simply because I love playing football and having fun on the pitch.

I have always had fun every day on the …

Nicolas Burdisso has stated his desire to leave Roma this month in order to boost his FIFA World Cup ambitions.

The 32-year-old defender has fallen down the pecking order at the Stadio Olimpico this season, with Mehdi Benatia and Leandro Castan preferred in the centre of defence.

Burdisso has made just six appearances for Rudi Garcia s side so far in 2013-14 and the Argentina international is keen to exit the club as he seeks first-team football ahead of the World Cup in June.

Genoa have been linked with a move for the former Inter man, who joined Roma permanently in 2010 following a successful loan spell with the capital club.

And Burdisso confirmed that he will remain at a European club, rather than returning to South America.

I have decided to leave Roma…

Germany coach Joachim Low believes Bastian Schweinteiger could have been more effectively used at Manchester United.

Schweinsteiger ended an underwhelming stay at Old Trafford on Tuesday by confirming a switch to Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire.

Having struggled for form and fitness after joining United from Bayern Munich in July 2015, the 32-year-old found himself frozen out of the first-team when Jose Mourinho replaced Louis van Gaal as manager for this season.

The 2014 World Cup winner battled back to a place on the fringes of Mourinho s squad, making four appearances across all competitions from November onwards before long-time admirers Chicago made their move.

He told me that he did all he could to get into the Man United team. He could have…

Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne was forced off in the second half of the Champions League final with a head injury after a worrying collision with Antonio Rudiger.

De Bruyne collided with Chelsea defender Rudiger in the 56th minute as the Blues led 1-0 through Kai Havertz s goal, resulting in an elongated break in play on Saturday.

City playmaker De Bruyne received lengthy treatment from the team s medical staff but was deemed unable to continue.

Visibly upset as he was helped from the field, De Bruyne endured a frustrating evening as his influence was limited by Chelsea s defence.

De Bruyne played one key pass but completed only half of his passes in the Chelsea half.

The scenes that brought about the end of his involvement will be of concer…

Tottenham Hotspur are in pole position to sign Joachim Andersen from Lyon in the summer transfer window, according to . It has been reported that Spurs are in the driving seat to secure the services of the central defender, who spent the 2020-21 campaign on loan at Fulham from Lyon.

Andersen played well for Fulham this past season despite the Cottagers getting relegated to the Championship. The 25-year-old Denmark international central defender made 30 starts and one substitute appearance in the Premier League for the Cottagers, scoring one goal and providing one assist in the process, according to .

Tottenham could do with a couple of central defenders who would be able to make an immediate impact on the team. Spurs failed to qualify for the Champions League or the Eur…

Diego Forlan offered to Real Madrid

Diego Forlan has reportedly been made available for sale by Atletico Madrid and he has been offered to none other than Real Madrid.

Atletico are prepared to sell the Uruguayan in January for €18 million, which is exactly the half of his release clause.

Los Rojiblancos have also offered Forlan to Real Madrid through an authorized intermediary, and this will alert Juventus and Tottenham, who are also keen.

Coach Quique Sanchez Flores doesn’t hold Forlan in such high regard, especially after the Uruguayan failed to find the net in last 13 games, and with Brazilian Diego Costa in such a good form, he seems to have made his mind about selling the World Cup star.

Forlan has not been himself after returning from t…

According to , Manchester City are considering a move for Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Pedro Neto. The Portugal winger has already attracted interest from City s Premier League title rivals Liverpool and Arsenal, but the defending champions entering the race would obviously complicate matters for the latter two.

For their part, Wolves have no intention to sell the 24-year-old, being in a very strong position after he signed a new contract devised to keep him at the Molineux until the summer of 2027. It is believed that it would take an offer upwards of £60 million to tempt them into any kind of talks about it.

Liverpool s pursuit of Neto is apparently complicated further by the fact that they re in the process of getting their club hierarchy in order, not to mention …

Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink has told his players ahead of the visit of Everton they cannot afford to drop more points at home if they are to have any chance of finishing in the Premier League s top four. 

The champions are unbeaten in the league since Jose Mourinho s sacking last month, but only two of those five matches have been wins, with the other three draws, including Wednesday s feisty contest at home to West Brom, which ended 2-2.

As a consequence Chelsea remain 14th in the table and are 12 points adrift of fourth-placed Tottenham going into the clash with Everton at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Hiddink has continued to state Champions League qualification is the club s goal as long as it remains mathematically possible, but the interim coach knows his …