Wednesday May 22 2013

Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri gave few details away after holding a meeting with Vice-President Adriano Galliani this morning.

Allegri arrived at Via Turati at 9.30am and left at 11.15am. It is believed that he was told that he had been sacked.

“I’ve got nothing to say,” he told journalists as he left the HQ. “I just enjoyed a long good coffee with Galliani…”

When asked whether he was still the Diavolo Coach, Allegri simply carried on walking without giving an answer.

Milan President Silvio Berlusconi is understood to have told Galliani to replace the former Cagliari man who is still tied to the club until June 2014.

As he is on a €2.8m annual salary, reports suggest that Allegri is now negotiating a severance package.

Allegri and Galliani also spoke at length last night at the Giannino restaurant in the city.

Clarence Seedorf is currently the favourite to replace Allegri at San Siro, while the latter is expected to be named as the new Roma boss next week.

Wednesday May 22 2013

Italian Serie A outfit Roma have today unveiled their new club logo.

The updated design maintains the shape and proportions of the original Roma crest, represented in art and sculpture throughout the city.

The additional black line in the middle provides a stable base for La LupaCapitolina and her twins.

The classic color palette of red and yellow, which evokes the colors of Rome, remains and will continue to pay tribute to the community that the club represents.

La Lupa Capitolina with twins Romulus and Remus is also still the main feature of the new brand identity.

Roma have opted to replace the ‘ASR’ initials with ‘Roma 1927’ in the lower half of the emblem.

Wednesday May 22 2013

Fiorentina have announced the capture of Ukrainian forward Oleksandr Iakovenko from Anderlecht.

The Viola have handed the 25-year-old recruit a contract until June 2016 at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.

The player started his career with Metalist Kharkiv, before spells at Lierse,Genk, Westerlo and Leuven.

Wednesday May 22 2013

Napoli chief Aurelio De Laurentiis has revealed the names of a number of tacticians he has spoken to about replacing Walter Mazzarri.

The latter confirmed at the end of the Serie A season that he would be leaving the outfit and the Azzurri supremo admits he’s been looking for a new Coach for some time.

“I offered Mazzarri a two-year deal, but I immediately started evaluating my options,” De Laurentiis stated on Wednesday.

“I’ve been looking into this for months because I knew that Mazzarri would leave.

“I have spoken to Rafael Benitez [Chelsea], Manuel Pellegrini [Malaga], Roberto Di Matteo, Jurgen Klopp [Borussia Dortmund] who told me he was unavailable until 2016, Laurent Blanc and Didier Deschamps [France].

“I also spoke to all of the available Italians, I even thought of Diego Lopez but I didn’t want to be rude to [Cagliari President] Massimo Cellino…

“I’ve contacted a lot of Coaches because I wanted to understand the feeling between ourselves. Anyway, the Coach only makes 15 per cent of the difference.”

De Laurentiis last night claimed that the new tactician’s name begins with the letter M, today he spoke of the characteristics needed.

“The new Coach has to love Neapolitan-ness, he has to start speaking in Napolitano,” the movie mogul continued.

“I’m going to London tomorrow and I’ll return to Italy on June 16, but it won’t take long to announce the new Coach.”

May 22, 2013

By Dermot Corrigan, Spain Correspondent   ESPN

Manuel Pellegrini says he is leaving Malaga at the end of the season to take charge of a club where he can ‘fulfil his sporting ambitions’.

GettyImagesManuel Pellegrini led Malaga to the Champions League quarter-finals this season

Pellegrini is widely expected to be named the new Manchester City manager in the coming weeks, but neither he nor the Premier League side have yet confirmed this.

The Chilean coach was speaking at a civil ceremony on Wednesday morning where he was awarded a gold medal for his services to province of Malaga. These services have included qualifying Los Boquerones for a first ever Champions League campaign, and also maintaining his dignity when financial and moral support from the club’s erratic Qatari owner Abdullah Al-Thani dried up.

Sunday’s Primera Division game at home to Deportivo la Coruna would therefore be a chance for him to say goodbye to the club’s fans after almost three rollercoaster seasons in charge, Pellegrini said.

“Professionally, I am living my final hours in Malaga,” he said. “On Sunday I will take charge of my last game as Malaga coach at La Rosaleda. It will be very emotional, and we expect to leave the club qualified for Europe, with the mission completed and with the misfortune that the project changed.”

The former Villarreal and Real Madrid boss did not say what his next step in football would be, but suggested he had already agreed to take charge of a new club where he would have to deal with less off-field strife.

“The agreement with the club has been satisfactory and is appreciated,” Pellegrini said. “Each person has the right to keep to his own path. I am not leaving for financial reasons, but to a sporting project which allows me to feel fulfilled.”

An eventful morning on the Costa del Sol also saw Malaga receive confirmation from UEFA that the second suspended year of the club’s European ban had been lifted, leading director general Vicente Casado to predict the entire suspension will be thrown out by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) next month.

May 21, 2013

By ESPN staff

Anzhi Makhachkala beat Lokomotiv Moscow 2-1 on Monday following two bomb blasts which killed three people and injured dozens more.

GettyImagesAnzhi have enjoyed a watershed season

The match went ahead just hours after car bombs exploded in the Dagestan capital, and Anzhi sealed third place in the Russian Premier League - their best finish in the league to date - with one game remaining this season.

Alexander Samedov put Lokomotiv ahead in the first half, but Anzhi put an horrific day behind them with goals from Vedran Corluka and Samuel Eto’o

Russia international Alexander Samedov fired the visitors ahead midway through the first half, but Anzhi equalised when Lokomotiv’s Croatian defender Vedran Corluka put the ball in his own goal five minutes before the break.

Cameroon striker and club captain Samuel Eto’o then headed in from close range 16 minutes from time to the delight of a jubilant home crowd.

“I have to give this team a lot of credit,” manager Guus Hiddink told NTV Plus.

“We were 1-0 down but we reacted in the second half. We have been in the top three all season and today we made sure we finish third. This team deserves a big, big compliment.”

Anzhi will take on league champions CSKA Moscow in the Russian Cup final on June 1.

May 22, 2013

By David Instone  ESPN

Gareth McAuley believes West Bromwich Albion’s targets will be higher for the 2013-14 season after a disappointing end to the campaign.

GettyImagesGareth McAuley has enjoyed a fine 2012-13 season

The Northern Ireland international ended his second season at The Hawthorns by dominating the club’s Player of the Year awards and signing a new two-year contract but wants the team to maintain their form throughout the whole campaign next time around..

“Hopefully we can keep it going through the whole of the season next time rather than just the first half or two-thirds,” he told the club’s official website.

“We have not been as good in the second half of this season and we could have finished higher. We’ve had a few injuries but we’ll probably set the same target when we come back for training.

“I just want to progress…that’s my target; to do better. It seems like an eternity since we got to 40 points and we’re kicking ourselves for not reaching 50.”

McAuley turns 34 at the end of this year and insists he never seriously considered moving on, although his negotiations over a new deal dragged on until a happy conclusion was announced last Friday.

“The talks were progressing all along and I’m delighted it has all been put to bed now,” he added. “I really had no thoughts of going anywhere else.

“I had next year on my contract anyway, so there wasn’t much pressure, but now I’m looking forward to coming in fresh pre-season.

“I started later than most in the game and didn’t have the rigours of academy football, thinking about the game 24/7, so I might have been lucky that way.

“I possibly had a greater appreciation for the game and have been able to use that to my advantage.”

Romelu Lukaku’s continued success, culminating in his hat-trick in the 5-5 drawagainst Manchester United, has increased the chances of McAuley having to play against him rather than with him next term.

It seems inconceivable that Chelsea, under new management, will not at least take a good look at the Belgian striker before deciding whether to let him out on loan again.

But McAuley has not given up hope on the Baggies benefiting from him a while longer.

“He likes it here and if Chelsea don’t want him (yet), he will come here and score 20-plus [goals],” he said. “He has been a force for us, a great talent. Everyone will be after him next season.”

May 22, 2013

By Ricahrd Jolly   ESPN

Sir Alex Ferguson is expected to reveal many insights into his 26-year reign as manager of Manchester United when he publishes his second autobiography in October.

PA PhotosSir Alex Ferguson celebrates his final Premier League title win with Manchester United

The 71-year-old, who retired after Sunday’s 5-5 draw against West Bromwich Albion, has signed a lucrative deal with publishers Hodder & Stoughton.

It will be Ferguson’s first book since Managing My Life, his 1999 account of his career that ended with United’s treble-winning season.

It was a bestseller that also attracted headlines because of Ferguson’s criticisms of Brian Kidd, his former assistant at Old Trafford, and Gordon Strachan, who played under him at both Aberdeen and United.

Managing My Life was ghost-written by Hugh McIlvanney. Paul Hayward, the Daily Telegraph’s chief sportswriter, will work with Ferguson on his next book.

Hayward said: “It’s a privilege for me to help him describe how he managed such huge change at Manchester United, and to lay out his countless insights and anecdotes stretching back to his roots in Glasgow.”

During his 26 years at United, Ferguson won 13 Premier League titles and the Champions League twice. He retired having won 49 trophies in his 39-year managerial career.

May 21, 2013

By ESPN staff

Frank de Boer has ended speculation about his future by penning a new four-year contract with Eredivisie champions Ajax.

GettyImagesFrank de Boer has won the Dutch title with Ajax for the last three seasons

De Boer had been linked with the vacant manager’s job at Manchester City, which seems certain to go to Manuel Pellegrini, and is viewed as one of the most promising young coaches in Europe.

The 43-year-old moved up from being head of the Ajax Academy in 2010 to manage the first team, and has won the Dutch title in each of the three seasons he has been in charge.

He also turned down the chance of talks over the Liverpool job before Brendan Rodgers was installed as their coach.

The former Netherlands international told the club’s official website: “This new contract is exactly what I wanted. I’m here enjoying myself and my family is happy here. I see enough challenges here.

“We reached an agreement quickly, because of both sides, we are very satisfied. Now I can follow up on where we are with each other and I have started looking forward to it.”

Ajax director of football Marc Overmars added: “It’s no surprise that we wanted to extend Frank’s contract. That we have come to an agreement after a conversation says it all. It is good for Ajax that Frank remains connected to the club.”

The defender rose through the Ajax youth ranks before making 400 appearances for the first team. He also played for Rangers, Galatasaray and Al-Rayyan, won five Eredivisie titles, two KNVB Cups, the Champions League and UEFA Cup and also a La Liga title with Barcelona.

De Boer won 112 caps for Netherlands, playing both in the World Cup and European Championships.

He was also assistant to Bert van Marwijk when Netherlands finished runners-up in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, losing 1-0 to Spain in the final.

Information from the Press Association was used in this report

May 22, 2013

By ESPN staff

Nigeria forward Victor Moses will miss this summer’s Confederations Cup through injury, while his Chelsea team-mate John Obi Mikel has asked to be rested for an upcoming international friendly against Mexico.

GettyImagesVictor Moses will play no part for Nigeria, but Chelsea team-mate John Obi Mikel Nigeria will be involved in June

Moses, 22, starred for the Super Eagles as they won the African Nations Cup in February but will not feature at this summer’s Confederations Cup in Brazil as he needs treatment on recurring hamstring and ankle injuries.

He will also miss crucial World Cup qualifiers against Kenya on June 5 and Namibia on June 12.

The former Wigan star’s absence leaves Nigeria worryingly short in attack, with African Nations Cup Golden Boot winner Emmanuel Emenike and Kasimpasa striker Kalu Uche - second on the Turkish Super Lig’s goalscoring charts this season - also sidelined through injury.

Super Eagles boss Stephen Keshi will, however, be able to call on experienced Chelsea midfielder Mikel, who has requested a break from international duty for a friendly against Mexico next week but will be available for the World Cup qualifiers and Confederations Cup.

Both Moses and Mikel are in Chelsea’s travelling party for post-season friendlies against Manchester City in the United States.