Fenerbahce cleared to play in Champions League

Atletico Madrid travel to Real Sociedad in a buoyant frame of mind after five successive victories.

The Liga champions are in superb touch and have won eight of their last nine in all competitions.

That form has lifted them to third in the table and just one point adrift of leaders and cross-town rivals Real Madrid.

Atletico s latest success was a 2-0 UEFA Champions League win at Malmo on Tuesday, a result that put them three points clear at the top of Group A.

Koke and Raul Garcia scored for Atletico in a professional road win and defender Guilherme Siqueira says the feel-good factor among the squad is high ahead of Sunday s clash.

We keep growing during the matches, Siqueira told Atletico s official website.

There has been much discuss…

Turin-based newspaper that Napoli are considering a January bid for Sevilla winger Vitolo.

The Azzurri are in the market for attacking reinforcements as Lorenzo Insigne was ruled out for the season and they have so far been linked with quite a few high-profile players.

Ivan Perisic, Andre Ayew, Emanuele Giaccherini and Paul-Jose M Poku have all been mentioned as possible targets, with Sevilla winger Vitolo the latest footballer to be linked with a move to Stadio San Paolo.

Napoli boss Rafael Benitez has been impressed with the 25-year-old and he likes the fact that Vitolo can play on either side of attack.

Sevilla are believed to be holding out for €8 million, while the Azzurri aim to start the bidding at €6 million, meaning an agreement could be re…

Former Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar says he feels confident with David de Gea as the club s number one shot-stopper.

In a six-year career at Old Trafford, van der Sar won four English Premier League titles, three League Cups and one UEFA Champions League medal.

And the Dutch keeper – w
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ho is now retired and 42 years old – thinks de Gea can follow in his footsteps and cement himself as Sir Alex Ferguson s first choice.

I think it s tight at the moment (between David de Gea and number two Anders Lindegaard), van der Sar said.

In their first year (in 2011/12) and even in the first half of this year also, (Alex) Ferguson has changed his goalkeepers. Sometimes de Gea plays up to five or six games then Anders has a chance. <…

Mario Balotelli has made it clear that he has no intention of returning to Liverpool once his loan spell with Milan comes to an end this June.

The Italy international joined Liverpool from Milan in August 2014 but failed to make an impact at Anfield and returned to the Serie A after just one season.

Balotelli is due to return to Liverpool again at the end of the 2015-16 campaign, but he is adamant he does not want to move back to the Premier League side.

I want to stay at Milan, the 25-year-old told Mediaset Premium.

I do not want to return to Liverpool. I was never happy at Liverpool.

Plus Milan have the money.

Balotelli has scored just once in 17 league games this season partially due to physical problems but he believes he is slowly…

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech expressed delight on Monday after signing a new five-year deal that will keep him with the club until 2013.

I m really happy with the fact that I can stay at Chelsea for many more years, said the Czech international.

During my first years at Chelsea I had a fantastic time with support from people at the club, my team-mates and the fans. I m really happy that I can still be a part of this great club.

Cech, 26, who is here on a pre-season tour, has kept 90 clean sheets in 166 appearances for Chelsea since arriving in 2004.

He said he was hoping to banish memories of Euro 2008, when his slip allowed Turkey to rally from two goals down to reach the quarter-finals.

Mistakes can happen to everyone, Cech said. It s imp…

German veteran keeper Jens Lehmann conceded three second half goals as former club Arsenal beat his new side Stuttgart in a pre-season friendly late Wednesday.

Lehmann, 38, saw goals from fringe Gunners players Carlos Vela and Jack Wilshere, plus another from Nicklas Bendtner secure the win for the English Premiership side, for whom the keeper starred for five seasons prior to a summer move.

Last season, Lehmann fell out with Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger, who benched him for much of the campaign, preferring Spaniard Manuel Almunia.

But Lehmann still starred for Germany as Die Mannschaft reached the final at Euro 2008 before bowing to Spain.

Before joining Arsenal he played for Schalke 04, with whom he won the UEFA Cup, and then starred in a Bundesliga…

Antoine Griezmann announced his intention to leave Atletico Madrid on Tuesday after five years at the club, surprising few who had seen reports of Barcelona s interest resurface in recent weeks.

It comes less than 12 months after the Frenchman committed his future in Atletico in a documentary, rebuffing Barca and signing a new five-year contract at the time.

But with Atletico s season fading away and Barca going for a domestic double, Griezmann and his club published a video to Twitter in which the forward confirmed he is seeking a move.

Griezmann s contract has a €120million release clause in it, meaning Atletico will expect to be heavily compensated should a transfer go through, and Barca are firm favourites to bring him in following their long-held admiratio…

Manchester City clinched an unprecedented domestic treble by winning the FA Cup thanks to a Raheem Sterling-inspired 6-0 hammering of Watford at Wembley, equalling the record for the biggest win in the competition s final.

Pep Guardiola s men needed penalties to beat Chelsea in the EFL Cup final and were run extremely close by Liverpool in the Premier League, but Saturday s triumph was a procession as City rounded off an historic campaign in incredible fashion.

Although the first big chance of the game was created by Watford, a dominant City made them pay just before the half-hour with David Silva s first goal since December and Gabriel Jesus doubled their advantage with 38 minutes on the clock.

Watford s positive start to the second period was futile and ruthl…

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger claims he is unaware of any potential bid from a Middle Eastern consortium to take control of the club.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger claims he is unaware of any potential bid from a Middle Eastern consortium to take control of the club.

Reports emerged on Sunday that the Gunners were set to be the subject of an imminent takeover bid from a combined Qatari and Abu Dhabi-based group that would offer around 1.73 billion euros for the club at approximately 23,000 euros per share.

The consortium are reportedly prepared to make huge funds available to Wenger to spend on new players in the transfer market, as well as lower season ticket prices for supporters in an attempt to improve the atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium.

Howeve…

Giovanni van Bronckhorst was overjoyed by the memorable comeback instigated by Rangers on Tuesday that set up a Champions League qualification play-off against PSV.

Rangers lost 2-0 to Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium last week, a result that Van Bronckhorst even felt flattered his team.

But just as Ibrox proved a dependable fortress en route to the Europa League final last season, home advantage helped Rangers over the line again.

James Tavernier s penalty on the stroke of half-time was added to by Antonio Colak s close-range header near the hour mark.

Bayern Munich loanee Malik Tillman then nodded in the crucial goal 12 minutes from time, and Van Bronckhorst – who will go up against his former Netherlands team-mate Ruud van Nistelrooy in the next round…