Fenerbahce close to signing Brazilian midfielder da Cunha

Ankara, May 20 (IANS) Turkish football club Fenerbahce have begun negotiations to sign Atletico Madrid’s Brazilian midfielder, Diego Ribas da Cunha. Fernerbahce Monday confirmed they are in talks with the newly-crowned Spanish league champions for the 29-year-old Brazilian midfielder, reports Xinhua. Initial report said that another Turkish team, Besiktas, had also shown interest in da Cunha […]

Berizzo fills in for Enrique as Celta coach

Madrid, May 20 (IANS) Spanish Primera Liga club Celta Vigo has offered former player Eduardo Berizzo a two-year deal as its new coach to replace Luis Enrique, who was named Barcelona coach. The Argentine manager arrives from coaching Chilean side O’Higgins. He served as Marcelo Bielsa’s assistant for Chile in the 2010 World Cup. Berizzo played […]

Valcke begins final FIFA World Cup venue tour

Rio de Janeiro, May 20 (IANS) FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke has started an all-stop tour of Brazil’s 12 World Cup venues as organizers race to ensure stadiums are ready for football’s showpiece event. The 53-year-old World Cup chief started his visit with Sao Paulo Monday to inspect the troubled Itaquerao stadium, which will host the […]

Dordrecht, Excelsior back in Eredivisie

The Hague, May 19 (IANS) FC Dordrecht and Excelsior won the finals of the promotion/relegation play-offs and returned to Dutch top flight soccer Eredivisie. In the meantime, FC Groningen won the European play-offs and claimed a spot in the Europa League, Sunday, reports Xinhua. Excelsior drew 2-2 at RKC Waalwijk and won the promotion 4-2 on […]

Ukraine’s Kuznetsov wins modern pentathlon gold

Budapest, May 19 (IANS) Ukraine’s Anton Kuznetsov won the boys’ individual title at the 2014 Modern Pentathlon Youth A World Championships here. Kuznetsov finished with an overall score of 1,139 points, earning 238 points in fencing for second place and 341 in swimming for seventh place. Despite his 21st place in the combined event, he won […]

Organizers upbeat after FIFA World Cup test events

Sao Paulo, May 19 (IANS) Organizers have hailed as a success the first official test event at the Itaquerao stadium, which will stage the FIFA World Cup opener between Brazil and Croatia next month. The venue in Sao Paulo and Arena Pantanal in Brazil’s western city of Cuiaba opened Sunday by hosting Brazilian Serie A matches, […]

Ganso disappointed over not being in World Cup squad

Rio de Janeiro, May 19 (IANS) Paulo Henrique Ganso expressed his disappointment at missing Brazil’s World Cup squad after scoring both goals in Sao Paulo’s 2-0 victory over Flamengo. “We have been playing well for a while but people only see that against opponents like Corinthians and Flamengo,” Xinhua quoted Ganso as saying after the match […]

Ex-players believe Argentina will reach World Cup final

Buenos Aires, May 19 (IANS) Former Argentine soccer players who played in several World Cups believed that Argentina’s national team will reach the final in Brazil seeking its third title. These former players during an interivew to Xinhua, agreed that Barcelona star Lionel Messi “will be in wonderful shape” for Argentina when the World Cup begins. […]

Parma win final Europa League spot in Serie A

Rome, May 19 (IANS) Parma grabbed the last UEFA Europa League spot in Serie A after they beat Livorno on a dramatic final day of the campaign, Xinhua reported. Parma headed into the game needing to move a spot up from their seventh position at the table in order to secure the qualification for next season’s […]

France World Cup squad after goalkeeper withdraws name

Paris, May 19 (IANS) Following is the revised France World Cup squad after Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda withdrew due to a neck injury Sunday and was replaced by Saint-Etienne’s Stephane Ruffier, Xinhua reported. Goalkeepers: Mickael Landreau (SC Bastia), Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur/England), Stephane Ruffier (Saint-Etienne) Defenders: Mathieu Debuchy (Newcastle United/England), Lucas Digne (Paris Saint-Germain), Patrice Evra […]