French sports minister endorses Domenech´s sacking

Filipe Luis is hoping Diego Costa will return to Atletico Madrid, insisting the Chelsea forward would be very happy with the Champions League finalists.

Like Costa, the Brazilian defender left Atleti for Stamford Bridge in 2014, winning the Premier League together in their first season in England.

However, while Filipe Luis immediately returned to Spain, the 27-year-old front man endured an arduous second season at Chelsea, as the club finished 10th.

But the Brazil international has declared his adoration for Costa, encouraging him to come back to Vicente Calderon.

[Costa] is the player who gave me the most advice in my career, and I love him like a brother, Filipe Luis told Marca.

We both know that our mutual love for Atletico is a common them…

Queens Park Rangers have completed the signing of Charlie Austin from Burnley, .

The 24 year old has signed a three-year contact with the London club, after the two clubs agreed an undisclosed fee, thought to be around £4m for the prolific goalscorer.

Hoops boss Harry Redknapp, who recently failed in an attempt to sign former Celtic striker Gary Hooper, has spoken of his delight of completing the deal.

He said: ‘Charlie’s an out-and-out goalscorer and we are delighted to have him here.

He’s scored goals wherever he’s played throughout his career and I’m very confident he’ll take his game to the next level with us.’

The former Swindon Town man, who has scored forty-five goals in ninety appearances since moving to Turf Moor in…

Inter Milan captain Mauro Icardi has once again emerged as one of the hottest transfer targets in Italy.

After another highly prolific season during which he bagged 30 goals across all competitions for Nerazzurri the 25-year-old Argentina international is being chased by some of Europe’s top clubs.

It is being reported that Premier League giants Chelsea have emerged as frontrunners for his signature but Corriere dello Sport claims that Serie A champions Juventus have also prepared a plan for Inter Milan forward.

Bianconeri are reportedly ready to offer €50 million plus Gonzalo Higuain in effort to persuade Inter Milan to consider selling their most prized asset.

Mauro Icardi is set for crunch contract talks with his club but has already expressed his…

Leonardo Bonucci says it is time to reduce the focus on Italy striker Mario Balotelli after the Azzurri fell to the first defeat of Roberto Mancini s reign against France.

Goals from Samuel Umtiti, Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele earned Les Bleus a 3-1 win in Nice on Friday, Bonucci s reply a mere consolation.

Balotelli struck on his return from four years in international exile in Mancini s maiden match in charge against Saudi Arabia, but only hit the target with two of his six shots at his home ground, Nice s Allianz Riviera.

And Bonucci, who captained Italy despite Mancini suggesting the armband could go to Balotelli, is fed up with the media s focus on the former AC Milan and Manchester City forward.

Enough questions about Balotelli, enough! …

Manchester United, Chelsea and Real Madrid kept up their 100 percent start in the Champions League on Wednesday but the English pair both had to scrap for narrow wins over Wolfsburg and Apoel Nicosia.

Michael Carrick secured a 2-1 win for United as the English Premier League champions came back from a goal down to edge their German opponents at Old Trafford.

Carrick swept home a fine strike 12 minutes from the end, after Ryan Giggs s deflected free-kick had cancelled out Edin Dzeko s shock 57th-minute opener for the visitors.

United coach Sir Alex Ferguson, chasing his third triumph in the event after successes in 1999 and 2008, paid tribute to his side, and Giggs in particular, after the Welsh winger scored his 150th goal for the club.

I thought it was…

Derby boss Nigel Clough is weighing up a January move for Crewe frontman Calvin Zola.

Clough has been keeping tabs on the player and he was a spectator at Valley Parade on Saturday as Zola blasted two goals in Crewe’s 3-2 success over Bradford City to improve their .

Zola was a livewire all afternoon and Clough cannot have failed to have been impressed by the Zaire-born hitman.

The 24-year-old hammered home a superb half-volley from an almost impossible angle to put Dario Gradi’s men ahead before rattling home a 20-yard shot after some hesitant Bradford defending to take his season s tally to nine goals.

Clough is chasing more firepower for his Championship side who have netted 15 times in 11 league games and he sees Zol…

Sporting Lisbon have announced that they have terminated the contract of Bulgarian striker Valeri Bojinov.

The Estadio Jose Alvalade outfit released a statement to Portugal s Securities and Exchange Commission to confirm the player s contract was no longer valid.

The 27-year-old had no less than three years left on his deal with the Lions, but he was allowed to leave on a free transfer having seen little playing time since signing a five-year contract back in 2011.

Valeri Bojinov spent his early career in Italy, playing for Lecce, Fiorentina, Juventus and Parma, while also appearing in 11 Premier League games for Manchester City.

The Bulgarian joined Sporting in the summer of 2011 from Parma, but has since made just 8 league appearances for the club.

…

Inter Milan goalkeeper Samir Handanovic insists a top-three finish means everything to the club this season.

The 2010 European champions are sixth in Serie A, seven points off third-placed AC Milan in the final Champions League place, but Handanovic has urged his side to keep the faith that they can overhaul their rivals.

Absolutely not, the 28-year-old told Gazetta dello Sport when asked if his side are out of the running.

There are three to four teams fighting for that goal, and I really believe it can happen. Sports people like me and my team-mates do not consider pessimism.

Inter face Juventus in the Derby d Italia on Saturday, and Handanovic said victory could be crucial for their top-three push.

Let s try to win, and then we ll see, he s…

Lucas Torreira has edged closer to a reported move to Arsenal with Sampdoria president Massimo Ferrero announcing the Uruguay midfielder has left for €30million.

Torreira, who was a second-half substitute in Uruguay s World Cup Group A opener against Egypt, would become the third signing under new Arsenal head coach Unai Emery following the arrival of Stephan Lichtsteiner and Bernd Leno at Emirates Stadium.

The 22-year-old played 36 times for Sampdoria in 2017-18, scoring four goals as the club finished 10th in Serie A, and Ferrero picked him out when explaining how the club makes money by developing players.

Torreira has left for €30million, Ferrera told Tuttomercatoweb. I bought him from Pescara when no one believed.

— Lucas Torreira 34…

Former Saudi Arabia star Mohammed Noor has been banned for four years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport over a doping offence.

The 38-year-old tested positive for banned substance Amphetamine in a routine in-competition doping control exam in November 2015.

Noor was given a four-year ban by the Saudi anti-doping authorities but was allowed to resume playing football in April this year after an appeal panel accepted his claim that he had served a sufficient punishment.

However, an appeal from FIFA to CAS to have his full four-year ban reinstated was upheld following proceedings in Lausanne on Thursday.

The Panel found that the player failed to identify any basis for impugning the reliability or accuracy of the testing laboratory s analysis of his A an…