Juventus have made a new bid for Atalanta midfielder Teun Koopmeiners, according to Fabrizio Romano. The well-known and well-respected Italian journalist has claimed that Juventus’s fresh offer for the 26-year-old Netherlands international midfielder is worth €55 million, add-ons included.
Romano wrote on : “EXCLUSIVE: Juventus already sent new bid to Atalanta for Teun Koopmeiners this week, €55m package add-ons included.
“It’d be highest fee ever for a midfielder in Serie A. Direct contact between clubs expected soon as Koopmeiners wants Juventus.”
Koopmeiners has been on the books of Atalanta since 2021 when he joined from AZ. The Dutchman scored 12 goals and gave five assists in 29 starts and five substitute appearances in Serie A and gave two…
John Toshack signed a five-year contract to become the new manager of Wales on this day in 2004.
Former Liverpool striker Toshack, then 55, took the helm for the second time 10 years after lasting just a single game in his first spell.
He had been appointed on a part-time basis in 1994, combining his duties with his role as manager at Real Sociedad, but resigned to concentrate on his club responsibilities following a 3-1 defeat by Norway.
The Football Association of Wales turned to a man who had won 40 caps for his country for a second time a decade later having drawn up a three-man shortlist which also included Dean Saunders and Philippe Troussier after Gerard Houllier had declined an interview.
Toshack, who had been outspokenly critical of predecessor M…
Russia on Friday pulled out of the race for the right to host the 2022 World Cup in order to concentrate on their bid for 2018.
Russia s pull out was purely a formality as FIFA had already designated Europe for the 2018 edition after the United States dropped out of contention to concentrate on 2022.
Russia are now in the running for 2018 along with England, and the joint bids from Spain-Portugal and Netherlands-Belgium.
Australia, Japan, South Korea, Quatar and the United States are facing off for the right to host the 2022 World Cup.
FIFA will name the hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in Zurich, Switzerland, on December 2.
Russia s decision to pull out was announced by the country s football union on Friday.
…
Alastair Johnston has become “more and more convinced” about Philippe Clement since the Belgian came through a Rangers interrogation to become manager.
The 49-year-old former Genk, Club Brugge and Monaco boss was one of several potential candidates who threw their hats in the ring last October when Michael Beale departed the Govan club.
After impressing the Ibrox board to earn a deal until the summer of 2027, Clement has rejuvenated the Light Blues and their supporters.
The Viaplay Cup returned to Ibrox for the first time since 2011 with a 1-0 win over Aberdeen in the Hampden Park final in December, a place in the last 16 of the Europa League was secured and the Gers continue to chase down cinch Premiership leaders Celtic, currently sitting five points behind…
Wojciech Szczesny has left Juventus after reaching a mutual agreement to terminate his contract, the Serie A club said on Wednesday.
The 34-year-old, who spent seven seasons at Juventus, had one year left on his contract but is now available as a free agent.
He made 252 appearances for Juve after joining in July 2017, keeping 103 clean sheets in all competitions. He won three Serie A titles and the Coppa Italia three times during his stay.
In an instant, Tek conquered the Juventus fans of the world and we are sure that we will all always carry in our hearts the man and the professional who wore our jersey with pride and commitment, Juventus said in a statement.
Many memories made together! All the best for the future, !
— JuventusFC
…
Niclas Fullkrug fired home a first-half winner as Borussia Dortmund claimed a 1-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final tie in Germany.
Nico Schlotterbeck floated a pass into Fullkrug s path and the Germany international brought the ball under his spell with a wonderful touch before drilling a low shot past Gianluigi Donnarumma in the 36th minute.
PSG, fresh from being crowned Ligue 1 champions and desperate to win their first ever Champions League trophy, found it hard going against a disciplined German defence, especially in the first half with forward Kylian Mbappe largely neutralised.
Luis Enrique s men improved after the break, though, and they struck the woodwork twice in a matter of moments in the 51st minut…
The United Arab Emirates kick off the 2019 Asian Cup against Bahrain on home turf this weekend.
The hosts will be expected to progress from a Group A completed by Thailand, India and Bahrain but serious contenders for the overall crown are set to come from elsewhere.
South Korea suffered final heartache against Australia four years ago but head into this tournament on an impressive run of form and able to call upon the continent s outstanding player.
Much has changed for the Socceroos since their moment of glory in Sydney four years ago, while four-time winners Japan are also undergoing a transitional period.
Iran are the highest-placed side in the FIFA rankings and their formidable defence will be the bedrock of a title tilt, while Saudi Arabia have als…
Rico Lewis admitted he could not fully savour his first Premier League goal after the 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace he said had left Manchester City “very disappointed”.
The 19-year-old’s milestone moment came in the 54th minute at the Etihad Stadium as his finish put City 2-0 up, adding to Jack Grealish’s first-half strike.
At that point the hosts had dominated possession and appeared to be cruising to victory, but they ended up with only a point after Jean-Philippe Mateta pulled a 76th-minute goal back for Palace and Michael Olise then equalised with a penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
Scoring his first goal in the !
— Manchester City (@ManCity)
Lewis told City’s official website: “We are very disappointed with the res…
Market: Lazio draw no bet
Odds: 7/10 @
Looking to make it back-to-back Serie A victories on Saturday evening, Lazio will travel to the Bluenergy Stadium when they meet Udinese.
Starting with the hosts, spending large spells of last season looking over their shoulder at a looming relegation scrap, Udinese could be set for another struggle this time around. While the Little Zebras might have opened proceedings with a 1-1 stalemate away at Bologna last weekend, Kosta Runjaic’s men will be bracing themselves for a stern challenge when they return to the Bluenergy Stadium on Saturday evening. Hit with a 2-1 defeat when they last welcomed Lazio to town back on January 7th, Udinese gained an unwanted reputation for their issues on home soil last season. In fact, the …
The top organiser of the Qatar 2022 World Cup has hit back at the Norway Football Association following damning criticism by the latter during FIFA s Congress in Doha on Thursday.
Hassan Al Thawadi accused Norwegian FA President Lise Klaveness of inflammatory comments over the country s human rights record ahead of the tournament, which begins in November.
This year s World Cup has been the subject of criticism since it was awarded to Qatar in 2010, with issues ranging from the treatment of migrant workers to the safety of the LGBTQ+ community.
During the 72nd FIFA congress, Klaveness – whose nation failed to qualify last year and had mooted plans to boycott if they did so – launched a blistering argument against its organisers.
In 2010, the Wor…