Werder Bremen have reached an agreement with Juventus to sign the Dutch forward Eljero Elia back to the Bundesliga for a reported €5.5million fee. The Dutchman was …
Chelsea captain John Terry has been cleared of racially abusing QPR player Anton Ferdinand.
The Chelsea and England defender had denied making the comments to the Queens Park Rangers player during a match at Loftus Road last October.
The case led to Terry being stripped of the England captaincy by the English Football Association ahead of the European Championship and the departure of coach Fabio Capello who disagreed with the decision.
Terry was charged after he was seen mouthing the words ‘f****** black c***’ in Ferdinand’s direction during Chelsea’s defeat against QPR at Loftus Road on October 23 last year.
Former and Chelsea star Gianfranco Zola has signed a two-year contract to take over as manager of Championship club Watford. “Everyone knows how Gianfranco Zola …
France have hired former France captain Didier Deschamps as their new head coach.
Deschamps, 43-year-old, left his job at Marseille last week and replaces Laurent Blanc who resigned after France’s loss to Spain in the quarter-finals of Euro 2012.
The former Chelsea midfielder won the World Cup and Euro 2000 as a player.
Deschamps’ first game in charge is set to be against South American champions Uruguay in Le Havre on 15 August.
Borussia M’gladbach midfielder Granit Xhaka has been withdrawn from the Switzerland squad for the Olympic Games after talks between his new club and national association.
The 19-year-old, who joins the Foals from Basel this summer, was initially nominated in the Switzerland squad.
However, Gladbach have requested he be released to allow him to focus on affairs at his new club ahead of the 2012/13 season.
Swiss midfielder Tranquillo Barnetta has joined FC Schalke 04 after the expiry of his Bayer 04 Leverkusen contract.
“We’re delighted that Tranquillo has opted to join our club,” said Schalke’s director of sport Horst Heldt.
“He has an enormous quality and is very versatile, which he has already proven for Leverkusen as well as the Swiss national team. Furthermore we had the opportunity to sign him on a free transfer.”
Barnetta moved to Leverkusen from St Gallen in 2004, going out on loan before making an impression in the Bayer first-team. However, with no new deal offered, the 59-cap international has found alternative employment for the next campaign.
Paris Saint-Germain have completed the signing of Argentine striker Ezequiel Lavezzi from Napoli on a four-year deal after he completed a medical yesterday, the French outfit have announced.
No fee has been revealed, but reports say that PSG will pay in the region of €30 million for Lavezzi, making him the third most expensive player in their history behind Javier Pastore and Nicolas Anelka.
Lavezzi, 27-year-old, began his career with Estudiantes de La Plata and also played for San Lorenzo before moving to Napoli in 2007.
Former Mannschaft captain Matthias Sammer has been appointed sporting director of Bayern Munich in place of Christian Nerlinger.
The latter’s exit follows two seasons without a title for the Bavarians who finished second last term behind B. Dortmund.
“On behalf of the club I would like to thank Christian Nerlinger for his work at FC Bayern in the last four years,” said president Uli Hoeneß. “I hope that our good personal relationship will remain.”
Nerlinger himself said of his departure: “I wish FC Bayern all the best for the future. I had a very good and intensive time here and will continue to have a personal connection to the club.”
Italy’s Mario Balotelli dedicated his match-winning performance in Euro 2012 semi-final against Germany to his adoptive mother.
At the final whistle, the Italy striker embraced Silvia Balotelli, who brought him up from the age of two after he was born in Italy to Ghanaian immigrants.
“After the game, when I went to my mum I said ‘these goals are for you‘,” he said. “I waited for this moment for so long and I wanted to make my mum happy.Tonight was the most beautiful of my life – but I hope that this Sunday is even better.”
Bayern Munich striker Nils Petersen will join Werder Bremen on a one-year loan deal that will run until 30th June 2013.
Bremen executive director Klaus Allofs confirmed the deal on Friday: “We’ve waited a long time to complete this transfer and are pleased that the deal is now signed and sealed.”
Petersen won the Golden Boot in Germany’s second division during the 2010/2011 season, having found the net 25 times. His form in front of goal soon earned the former U-21 player a move to the Bavarian giants.
The world’s highest paid football player, Samuel Eto’o, may be facing up to five years in a Spanish prison over tax fraud allegations.
According to Spanish newspaper AS, Eto’o allegedly concealed over €3.5 million from the country’s treasury, while he was playing for FC Barcelona between 2006 and 2009.
The Cameroonian received the money from the Catalan club and major German sportswear manufacturer, Puma, but reportedly declared different sources of income – from firms in Spain and Hungary – in order to reduce tax payments.
If the 31-year-old is found guilty he’s at risk of spending from one to five years in prison and paying a fine more than six times higher than the sum he allegedly tried to hide.
Eto’o joined Anzhi Makhachkala from Inter Milan last summer, becoming the highest paid footballer on the planet.
The striker is being paid over €20 million annually by the side from Russia’s republic of Dagestan in a three year deal.
Rafa Benitez is in talks with Serie A side Sampdoria to become their new manager, club owner Riccardo Garrone revealed.
Samploria are looking to replace coach Giuseppe Iachini this summer and the former Inter tactician is the number one candidate to take his place.
“There have been contacts with Benitez. But it’s a work in progress,” Garrone said.
Barcelona president Sandro Rosell yesterday confirmed that the Catalans are in negotiations to sign Spain left-back Jordi Alba from Valencia, but dismissed that Didier Drogba is on his way to the Camp Nou.
“I don’t like these negotiations being made public, but they have been,” Rosell said.
Rosell added that no price had yet been agreed for the 23-year-old Alba, who is currently with the Spain squad at Euro 2012.
“How much we pay for Alba will depend on the negotiations. Everything is worth what you are willing to pay or how much you are willing to sell for.”
Rosell’s comments come a day after Valencia’s director of communications, Damia Vidagany, claimed that his club had asked Barcelona for a transfer fee of €15 million.
AS Roma have bought the remaining 50 percent of former Chelsea striker Fabio Borini’s contract and now own the player outright, the club said on Saturday.
Roma formerly part-owned him with Serie A rivals Parma but an offer of €4.9 millions ($6.14 million) in a sealed envelope bid proved enough to ensure that Borini would stay at the Stadio Olimpico.
There had been media speculation in Italy and England that the ex-Swansea City player could link up again with former coach Brendan Rodgers who is now in charge at Liverpool.
Borini, a member of the Italian squad at the European Championship, spent last season on loan at Roma.
Valencia have agreed a three-year contract extension with Spain striker Roberto Soldado that will keep him at the club until 2017.
The 27-year-old club captain has scored 35 league goals since joining from Getafe two seasons ago. He just missed out on a place in the Euro 2012 squad.
“His contribution has been fantastic, everyone has seen it,” said Valencia president Manuel Llorente in a statement on Saturday.
“His winning character makes him a key figure for the team and a reference for the fans.”
Soldado’s original contract was due to run out in 2014.
Valencia finished third in La Liga, behind Real Madrid and Barcelona, last month to qualify for the Champions League group stages next season.
Czech Republic defender Theodor Gebre Selassie has agreed to move from Czech champion Liberec to Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga.
Both clubs have approved the move and Werder will sign Gebre Selassie to a 4-year contract after he undergoes a medical in Germany.
The 25-year-old has been a regular starter since he joined the national team last year for a 0-0 draw against Peru in a friendly.
He helped the Czechs qualify for the Euros and was one of their best players at the tournament.
Juventus announces that it has terminated in its favour the current player sharing agreement with Parma concerning the registration rights of the player Sebastian Giovinco.
The sum for the termination has been set at € 11 million that will be paid by Juventus in the next three football seasons.
The contract of employment signed by the player will last until 30 June 2015.
Wolfsburg have signed Austrian defender Emanuel Pogatetz from Bundesliga rivals Hannover for an undisclosed fee.
Felix Magath, head coach at Wolfsburg, had this to say about the latest addition to his squad: “Emanuel Pogatetz is a robust defender, who is uncompromising in the challenge, , and will help strengthen our defence. I’m delighted to be able to welcome him into our squad ahead of next season.”
Pogatetz played 29 times for Hannover in the Bundesliga last season, totalling 57 appearances since arriving from Middlesbrough in 2010.
