´What should we do?´ – Tuchel unsure whether players were protected after refused COVID-19 postponem

Thomas Tuchel was still seething with the Premier League s refusal to postpone Chelsea s visit to Wolves as he questioned whether the players were protected by the game going ahead.

Chelsea dropped points for the third time in four league games as they were held to a goalless draw by Bruno Lage s team on Sunday.

The Blues, despite topping the Premier League in the early stages, now sit six points behind leaders Manchester City, who cruised to a 4-0 victory at St. James Park over Newcastle United.

However, Tuchel was left exasperated by the decision for the clash at Molineux even going ahead, after the Premier League refused Chelsea s request for the postponement of the fixture amid a spate of absentees due to coronavirus and injuries.

The former Paris Sai…

Arteta insists Arsenal want to re-sign hat-trick hero Nketiah

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta insists he wants Tuesday s EFL Cup hat-trick hero Eddie Nketiah to stay with the club amid his contract stand-off.

Nketiah is believed to be frustrated by a lack of opportunities at Arsenal, with Tuesday s cup quarter-final appearance in Arsenal s 5-1 win over Sunderland marking only his sixth this season in all competitions.

The 22-year-old s current deal expires at the end of this season and he may leave on a free transfer after turning down a new contract offer earlier this month.

I tell you every day that we want to keep Eddie, Arteta said at the post-game news conference. We see how he trains, that’s what he does every day, he works so hard and puts the ball in the net every session.

I am really delighted with him. Ev…

Cuadrado keen on Fiorentina stay

Colombian full-back Juan Cuadrado is happy to remain at Fiorentina, his agent has suggested.

The 24-year-old is currently co-owned by Udinese and Viola, but he is attraction attention from elsewhere as well.

Cuadrado’s impressive showings at Artemio Franchi have seen his name linked with Europe’s high-profile clubs.

This means that the Colombian’s long-term future is in doubt, but the player’s representative says his client is happy to stay in Florence.

“He wants to continue wearing the Viola shirt,” agent Alessandro Lucci said to Radio Toscana. “He’s really happy in Florence, as is his family.

“He wants to keep playing in a top side like Fiorentina – an outfit that has all it needs to get back to the very highest level.

Jovetic: I want to leave Fiorentina

In-demand Fiorentina forward Stevan Jovetic has publicly stated he wants to leave the club in favour of a new challenge.

The Montenegrin striker has been linked with moves to Juventus and Arsenal after an impressive Serie A season in which he scored 13 goals in 31 appearances.
The 23-year-old has been at Fiorentina for five years, after signing from Partizan Belgrade in 2008, and feels the time is right for a switch away from the Stadio Artemio Franchi.
I ve been at Fiorentina in 2008, five very intense seasons, Jovetic told Gazzetta dello Sport.
I really feel like I ve given everything. I m young and ambitious and it is normal to feel the need to test myself elsewhere. I do not think there s anything wrong with desire.
Florence and la Viola (club s) fans have always asked …

Nice 3 Paris Saint-Germain 1: Advantage Monaco as nine-man champions implode

Nice landed a potentially critical blow to Paris Saint-Germain s title hopes as the nine-man defending champions went down 3-1 at the Allianz Riviera on Sunday to hand Monaco a huge advantage.

Unai Emery s men imploded in the final stages as Thiago Motta and Angel Di Maria saw red, ultimately succumbing to a result which leaves them trailing Monaco who have a game in hand by three points, with PSG having just three matches left.

Trailing 2-1 in the final minute, Motta was dismissed for a headbutt on Paul Baysse, before Anastasios Donis header made the game safe for Nice, Di Maria then earning a straight red for reckless lunge on Arnaud Souquet.

The breathless finish was in keeping with much of what had gone before, although the drama did not outweigh the qu…

Materazzi: Benitez always makes same mistakes

Marco Materazzi says Real Madrid s decision to fire Rafael Benitez did not come as a surprise to him as he feels his former coach always makes the same mistakes.

The Spaniard was dismissed on Monday, just eight months after being appointed as Carlo Ancelotti s successor. 

Ex-Italy international Materazzi has endured a difficult relationship with Benitez since their brief time together at Inter in 2010 and he believes the 55-year-old s poor man-management has cost him once more at the Santiago Bernabeu.

I had already predicted Benitez s exit. I was only wrong by a few days, Materazzi told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

You can be the best in the world, but you don t go far if you don t have a connection with the players. You cannot succeed if you cannot bond …

Ronaldo to Juventus: Real Madrid star back in top five record transfers

Cristiano Ronaldo has secured a second entry in the world s 10 most expensive transfers by agreeing a €112million move to Juventus from Real Madrid.

Ronaldo was the world s most expensive player when he joined Madrid from Manchester United nine years ago, a deal that remains one of the highest ever paid.

Juve will pay €100m for Ronaldo with a further €12m due to be laid out by the Serie A champions in additional costs putting the deal fourth in the all-time list.

Neymar is also in the top 10 twice, once for his switch from Santos to Barcelona, as well as topping the pile for his world-record switch to Paris Saint-Germain.

Ronaldo s move to Juve means Romelu Lukaku s €84.8million move from Everton to Manchester United drops out.

 

Gotze: World Cup winner raised the bar high

Living as the man who scored the winning goal in the World Cup final has been challenging for Mario Gotze.

Four years ago, the lavishly gifted forward was the toast of Germany after his expertly taken extra-time strike sunk Argentina 1-0 to give Die Mannschaft their fourth world title.

Gotze had just completed his debut season at Bayern Munich and won a domestic double but the intervening period has been tough.

Now back at Borussia Dortmund and having suffered the effects of a debilitating metabolic disorder, the 26-year-old was unable to secure a place in Joachim Low s talent-stacked squad for Russia 2018.

People think, It s over now, he will never make his level again , Gotze told DAZN as part of the Being Mario Gotze documentary.  

Then I a…

Lukasz Fabianski extends West Ham contract

It s been officially confirmed that Lukasz Fabianski has signed a new contract with West Ham United, extending his stay at the London Stadium until the end of 2021-22.

We are delighted to announce that has signed a one-year contract extension! ✍️

West Ham United (@WestHam)

The 35-year-old signed for the Hammers from Swansea City in the summer of 2018, for a reported fee of around £7 million. Since then, he has stood between the posts for the club on 90 occasions and kept 22 clean sheets, winning the Hammer of the Year award in his first season there. Of the 27 matches West Ham have played in the Premier League this term, he only missed two due to separate minor injury issues.

Speaking to the club s official website, the 55-time Poland i…

Clash with ultras, stripped of captaincy & frozen out – a timeline of Icardi´s Inter saga after PSG

After months of speculation and reports of legal action, Mauro Icardi s time at Inter is over… for the foreseeable future anyway.

Frozen out of the first team by head coach Antonio Conte, Icardi completed an initial loan move to Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain on deadline day.

PSG have the option to buy former Inter captain Icardi for a reported €70million at the end of 2019-20.

After Icardi was loaned to PSG, Omnisport looks at the timeline of events that transpired at Inter.

 Paris Saint-Germain is pleased to announce the signing of .

The 26-year-old Argentine striker joins the club on a one-season loan until 30 June 2020 with a purchase option.

He is the 16th player from Argentina in the history of the club.