Market: Middlesbrough win
Odds: 6/5 @
Looking to lay down another Championship marker on Saturday afternoon, a high-flying Middlesbrough will make the trip to a struggling Swansea.
Starting with the hosts, while Swansea might have managed to claim a much-needed 2-1 victory against Blackpool last month, it appears that was nothing more than a minor boost. Last seen over the weekend putting in yet another downbeat display as they were hit with a 1-0 loss at the hands of Luton, Russell Martin s side are in the midst of another extended rut. Although the Swans might essentially find themselves sat in Championship limbo this year, the former MK Dons boss has seen his side win just one of their previous nine matchups across all formats. With that run stemming all the …
Former Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flaimini is nearing a switch to Spanish La Liga, Marca has quoted French media as saying.
The 33-year-old has been a free agent since he was released from his contract at Crystal Palace last summer, and he appears to have finally found a new club.
According to reports, La Liga side Getafe are set to offer Flamini a contract having chosen the Frenchman as the man expected to bring improvement in the middle of the park.
Back in November, the holding midfielder was linked with a move to Rayo Vallecano, but he now looks set to join another Madrid outfit.
Flamini had made just 10 Premier League appearances during the 2016/2017 season at Crystal Palace.
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Jorge Sampaoli says he is ready to match Sevilla s passion as he takes charge of the Europa League winners.
The 56-year-old s first foray into European football was confirmed on Monday when he signed a two-year deal with the Liga club.
He has previously enjoyed a successful career in his native South America, including a three-year spell as Chile boss, winning the Copa America in 2015.
But Sampaoli is now focused on retaining Sevilla s high standards, particularly in European competition.
I am very much looking forward to leading this club with the passion it has, he told the club s official website.
Undoubtedly, I am also a person tremendously passionate about attacking football. They will see me as a coach who will never attempt to avoid the s…
Adelaide United have ruled out bringing Argentine midfielder Marcos Flores back to the club due to a lack of room under the salary cap.
Flores played for Adelaide in the 2010/11 A-League season before leaving for Henan Jianye in the Chinese Super League, but his contract was terminated by mutual consent on Thursday.
The Argentine playmaker struggled for regular games with Henan and with the CSL club keen to pursue a more defensive style of play in a bid to stave off relegation, Flores was not considered worth an import spot.
But while Flores would be an incredibly popular signing with Adelaide fans, the A-League club quickly released a statement saying they do not have enough salary cap space to recruit the 26-year-old.
The stumbling block here is that …
Striker Roberto Soldado has extended his contract with Spanish club Valencia.
The Spain international has inked a new deal with the La Liga side until the summer of 2017.
Soldado joined Valencia from Getafe in 2010 and has since developed into a key player at Los Che.
The 27-year-old was the club s leading goal-scorer in the past two seasons, and club president Manuel Llorente was over the moon with the striker s contract renewal.
Roberto Soldado s performances have been fantastic that is something that everyone has seen, he said.
However, his dedication, desire to take Valencia forward and his winning character make him a cornerstone of the team and an emblem for Valencianistas.
Soldado was a surprise omission from Spain s Euro 2012 …
Frank Lampard will remain patient with Kai Havertz and insists any critics must give the Chelsea forward time to adapt to the Premier League.
Up against a resilient Everton on Saturday, Lampard s side slipped to their first defeat since a penalty shoot-out loss to Tottenham in the EFL Cup on September 29.
It ended an unbeaten run of 14 games in all competitions, with the Blues missing the chance to go top of the table.
Havertz, who started on the right of a front three which also included Timo Werner and Olivier Giroud, put in a particularly frustrating showing.
The Germany international, signed from Bayer Leverkusen this year, was kept under wraps by Ben Godfrey, who played out of position at left-back in an Everton defence comprising four centre-backs.<…
Marouane Fellaini has revealed he is still in contact with special Tottenham head coach Jose Mourinho but ruled out a January reunion.
The 32-year-old played under Mourinho at Manchester United and has been touted as a target for Spurs ahead of next month s transfer window.
But while having a lasting relationship with his former boss, who was appointed by Tottenham in November, Fellaini is happy in the Chinese Super League with Shandong Luneng.
Jose is special for me. We text each other, we call each other from time to time, he told Eleven Sports.
Not a bad start
— Marouane Fellaini (@Fellaini)
He s taken over at Spurs and he s doing well. I wish him all the best. But I am good where I am now.
Fellaini moved to China in F…
Despite being regarded as the heir to Lionel Messi s throne, legendary footballer Pele believes Neymar does not have the quality of his Barcelona team-mate or Cristiano Ronaldo.
Neymar forms a key part of Barcelona s formidable front three labelled MSN alongside five-time Ballon d Or winner Messi and Luis Suarez, while he is the face of Brazil s new generation as captain.
The 24-year-old, who scored 31 goals in all competitions last season, finished third behind Messi and Ronaldo in Ballon d Or voting after helping Barca to the treble in 2014-15.
But countryman Pele arguably the greatest player of all time insisted Neymar is not in the same bracket as Messi and Ronaldo.
I ve known Neymar since he was little and many years ago his coaches told me he was v…
Atletico Madrid midfielder Joshua Guilavogui has made it clear that he plans to remain with Wolfsburg beyond the current campaign.
The 24-year-old joined the Wolves on loan in the summer having failed to prove his worth at Vicente Calderon and he has since got his career back on track.
Guilavogui started a total of 16 Bundesliga matches this season, while making another three substitute appearances, and he hopes he has done enough to earn a long-term deal at Volkswagen Arena.
The Frenchman has no plans to return to Atletico Madrid and is eager to sign a permanent deal with Wolfsburg at the earliest opportunity.
“Coach Diego Simeone spoke with me two times in five months. With Dieter Hecking, we are talking constantly,” Guilavogui told Kicker.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic believes Antonio Conte is being made to pay by Tottenham for being himself .
Conte is widely expected to be sacked in the coming days following his outburst after Spurs let a two-goal lead slip in last weekend s 3-3 Premier League draw at Southampton.
The Italian accused his players of being selfish and playing with no heart , with that draw following swiftly on from Tottenham s FA Cup and Champions League exits.
But Ibrahimovic, who has never previously played under Conte, has defended the multi-title-winning coach for speaking his mind in public.
Every single person works in his own way. Somebody tries to be an actor, pretend. Somebody is being himself, somebody is trying to be perfect, he told Sky Sports.
I believe in being…