Antoine Griezmann will quickly prove to be a very important player at Barcelona, according to ex-team-mate and former Real Madrid man Asier Illarramendi.
Griezmann, who played with Illarramendi at Real Sociedad, has left Atletico Madrid after five years in the capital to join Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez at Camp Nou.
The World Cup winner is the latest big-money Barca recruit since Neymar s sale to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, with Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho each bought for over €100million failing to sparkle so far.
But Illarramendi does not see Griezmann having any issues fitting in with the Blaugrana after his work rate was honed by Atleti coach Diego Simeone.
I think Griezmann has already shown what a good player he is, Illarramendi told …
Jurgen Klopp saluted Jordan Henderson s form and leadership after the Liverpool captain impressed again in the precious 2-0 win over Chelsea on Sunday.
Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah both scored in the space of three second-half minutes to send the Anfield club back to the top of the Premier League.
England midfielder Henderson forced the breakthrough as he teed up winger Mane s headed opener shortly half-time with a delicate cross to the far post.
The 28-year-old has thrived in a box-to-box role in recent matches and his assist further justified Klopp s decision to move him further upfield.
I ve said it since the first day I arrived and my opinion hasn t changed: he s a fantastic skipper for this team, Klopp told Sky Sports.
On and off the pitch,…
Erling Haaland will not return for Borussia Dortmund this weekend, with Marco Rose calling on the other attackers to start pulling their weight.
Dortmund have been without Haaland for their past three matches after the striker sustained a muscular injury in the 3-2 win over Hoffenheim on January 22.
In his absence, BVB suffered heavy 5-2 and 4-2 losses to Bayer Leverkusen and Rangers respectively either side of a 3-0 win at Union Berlin.
Rose revealed Haaland would not be ready to feature against the coach s former club Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga on Sunday.
He laid down the gauntlet to the other attackers in the team, despite Dortmund having scored 57 goals of which Haaland has contributed 16 after 22 games this season. The only ti…
UEFA s chief of football Zvonimir Boban said those in the game must fight FIFA s proposal to stage the World Cup every two years because if it succeeds it would hurt everybody.
FIFA held an online summit last month to discuss moving World Cups from occurring every four years to every two, which has already been met by strong opposition within UEFA.
Former Milan and Croatia star Boban said the idea was even worse than the Super League, which was foiled earlier this year by wide-ranging public backlash from fans and European clubs.
Every normal person who understand and respect football, cannot accept the biennial World Cup idea, Boban said via Gazzetta dello Sport. You would cancel 100 years of history of the World Cup, the best competition in the world.
Pep Guardiola and Manchester City broke yet more records as they took a step towards defending the Premier League title by winning 2-0 away to Manchester United.
Bernardo Silva and Leroy Sane scored second-half goals at Old Trafford on Wednesday to send City back above Liverpool to the top of the Premier League table.
They have now scored 157 goals in all competitions this season, which is more than any side in English top-flight history have managed in a single campaign.
City have broken their own record, which was set in the 2013-14 season, when Manuel Pellegrini led the club to Premier League and EFL Cup titles.
3 Pep Guardiola is the first manager to win three consecutive away Premier League matches at Old Trafford against Manchester United. Fearless…
Good luck Erik ten Hag.
When Manchester United announce – as expected – the Ajax boss as their next permanent manager, social media will be flooded with suggestions of what he needs to do or fix to get the club challenging for titles again, and it s going to be a long list.
On the evidence of United s performances against Liverpool – who will surely be one of the two teams to beat again in 2022-23 – this term, the chasm between the Old Trafford club and the best is at its widest in a generation.
Liverpool crushed them 5-0 at Old Trafford in November, though Tuesday s 4-0 loss at Anfield was arguably worse and probably even had interim manager Ralf Rangnick considering his own future.
9 Manchester United have lost 0-9 on aggregate in their Premier …
Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves has signed a five-year contract with the newly promoted Premier League side.
Neves was Wolves standout performer as they won the Championship last season, having joined from Porto in a surprise move reported to be worth £15.8million.
And the Portugal international s performances including six league goals had brought speculation that Liverpool and Manchester United could swoop.
The 21-year-old has pledged his future to the Molineux outfit, though, and will be a pivotal figure in their first season in the top flight since the 2011-12 campaign.
Wolves sporting director Kevin Thelwell said: It is no secret that there has been interest from other clubs, but Ruben is very mature for his age, incredibly level-headed, and loves be…
Poland have appointed former international Jerzy Brzeczek as their new head coach in the wake of a disappointing World Cup campaign.
The 47-year-old leaves his post with Wisla Plock to succeed Adam Nawalka, who ended a five-year stint at the helm after Poland finished bottom of Group H in Russia.
Brzeczek has extensive experience within the national team setup having won 42 caps during a playing career that included stints at Lech Poznan, Maccabi Haifa and Sturm Graz.
He took his first steps into management with Rakow Czestochowa in 2010 and later took charge of Lechia Gdansk and GKS Katowice.
The former midfielder guided Plock to fifth in the Ekstraklasa in his only season at the helm.
Brzeczek is also the uncle of Wolfsburg winger and curre…
Pep Guardiola admitted Everton should have had a penalty for handball against Rodri in Manchester City s win at Goodison Park on Saturday.
Phil Foden struck eight minutes from time to seal a 1-0 victory for the leaders that moved them six points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Everton were denied the chance for a late equaliser from the penalty spot when neither referee Paul Tierney nor VAR felt Rodri should be punished for the ball striking his arm in the City box.
After the match, Guardiola felt the decision likely went in his side s favour due to offside in the build-up, but the Premier League clarified that the penalty was not awarded simply because there was insufficient evidence to show the ball struck Rodri below the level of his armpit, which is u…
John Obi Mikel has announced his retirement from international football after helping Nigeria to third place in the Africa Cup of Nations.
The Super Eagles lost to Algeria in the last four in Egypt, but atoned for that disappointment to a degree with a 1-0 win over Tunisia in the third place play-off.
That game marked the last appearance in a Nigeria shirt for Mikel, who confirmed the end of his career for his country in a post on Instagram.
It read: Egypt is a country where I ve started and have finished my national career. In 2006 I played my first official championship for my country. [The] 2019 Africa Cup of Nations marks my last championship for national team with Super Eagles.
My national career started in 2003 [at the] under-17 World Cup and I m…