Manchester United closing in on Real Madrid star

The rumours of James Rodriguez departure are close to becoming reality, and Manchester United are first in line to land the Colombia international next summer.

Through the past few months, Spanish media have been reporting that the 24-year-old is not happy at Real Madrid and might seek for a move out. The critics from the fans and the lack of trust from the coach have annoyed the playmaker.

Florentino Perez is not happy with the Colombian’s scandals outside the field either, and sources from the Santiago Bernabeu have suggested the president is only willing to keep him for the income he generates in shirt sales.

However, as the planning of the squad for next season has advanced, Real have realized that there won’t be room for James in the starting eleven. Zinedine Zidane is planning the squad for next season and one of his priorities is bringing a creative midfielder, thus making it impossible for both James and Isco to remain in the team.

With the player determined to leave, Real will be ready to accept offers. The main candidates are Manchester United and Paris Saint Germain. However, according to the latest transfer rumours , the French champions are planning a crazy bid for Paul Pogba and it seems highly unlikely that they will have anything left to offer Los Blancos without breaking the financial fair play rules.

Thus, Manchester United are in the best position to sign the Colombian. Spanish sports newspaper AS recently revealed that United were planning a 45-million-euro offer. At first, Perez was not willing to accept less than 80 million, but given this situation, he will agree to negotiate.

Emmanuel Eboué to serve ban

Emmanuel Eboué, who has represented Côte d’Ivoire and is currently registered for the English club Sunderland A.F.C., is to serve a ban on taking part in any football- related activity that will last for one year or until he pays the total outstanding amount owed to his former agent if this occurs before the one-year ban has elapsed.

The origins of the case involve a decision passed by the single judge of the FIFA Players’ Status Committee in July 2013 regarding a contractual dispute according to which Mr Eboué was ordered to pay the players’ agent Mr Sébastien Boisseau an amount owed to him based on the representation agreement between the two parties. The decision was taken on the basis of the FIFA Players’ Agents Regulations in force at the time (2008 edition).*

On 9 September 2014, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee decided to sanction Mr Eboué with a fine of CHF 30,000 for failing to comply with the decision of the single judge of the Players’ Status Committee on the basis of art. 64 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. The player was also granted a final period of grace of 120 days to settle his debt, upon failure of which the creditor– Mr Boisseau – would be entitled to request that a one-year ban on taking part in any football-related activity be imposed on Mr Eboué.

Mr Eboué appealed to CAS against the FIFA Disciplinary Committee’s decision, but the appeal was dismissed and the decision of the Disciplinary Committee confirmed in full.

Following the expiry of the final deadline granted, Mr Boisseau requested that the one-year ban be imposed on Mr Eboué in accordance with the decision of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee. The relevant parties, including The Football Association which has been requested to implement said ban, have been informed accordingly.

Man City On the verge of £20m deal for German Star

MANCHESTER CITY are close to a deal for Liverpool target Marc-Andre ter Stegen, according to reports.

Ter Stegen has attracted interest from a host of top clubs after it was revealed the goalkeeper is unhappy at playing second fiddle to Claudio Bravo at Barcelona.

The 23-year-old has made just four appearances in La Liga this term and admitted this month he would consider an exit if he didn't get more game time.

"I want to take the next step and to play more, so the situation is clear - if nothing changes, we have to talk," he told German outlet TZ.

Liverpool were said to be leading the charge, with Jurgen Klopp keen to bring in competition for Simon Mignolet next season.
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However, according to The Telegraph , City are 'on the verge' of completing a deal for the Germany international.

The report claims the former Borussia Mochengladbach man favours a move to the Etihad to team up with incoming boss Pep Guardiola.

It is said City will pay in the region of £20million to secure the German and will offload current No2 Willy Caballero over the summer.

Ter Stegen has made 20 appearances in all competitions this term for Barca, with 14 coming in the Champions League and Copa Del Rey.

Jose Mourinho to Valencia

The Sun today claim Mourinho, 53, is in line to take over as Valencia manager .

Valencia yesterday sacked their boss Gary Neville after less than four months in charge of the Spanish outfit.

And there are claims that Mourinho's agent, Jorge Mendes, has thrashed out a deal for the Portuguese to take the Mestalla helm.

It is also claimed that Mourinho favours a move to United.
But the Red Devils' reluctance to formally approach the former Chelsea boss has reportedly pushed Mourinho to seek other options.

It is thought informal discussions with Mourinho's representatives were concluded earlier this year but that United want to keep Dutchman Louis van Gaal as manager until the end of the season before appointing a successor.

They are yet to make a written offer to Mourinho and that is proving a problem for the two-time Champions League winner.

The Sun add that Mendes has outlined possible terms that could see Mourinho paid as much as £20million a season at Valencia.

He will also be handed a £100m transfer kitty as club owner Peter Lim seeks to rival La Liga giants Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid for titles.

Sergio Ramos a doubt for Clasico

Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos is a doubt for Saturday’s clash against Barcelona at the Camp Nou.

The World Cup and European Championship winner was withdrawn at half time in Spain’s draw with Italy last week and sat out the stalemate with Romania altogether with a back problem.

With many of the internationals now back in Madrid, the club gave an update on training ahead of the game against the La Liga champions, revealing Ramos participated in some group work but completed his session in the gym as he faces a race against time to be fit.

The statement on the official website read:
“The team completed the second training session of the week at the Real Madrid City. They continue to prepare for the match against Barcelona on Saturday. Sergio Ramos completed the first part of the session with the group before continuing to work indoors.”

Having travelled and played in matches across the globe for their countries, players such as Luka Modric, Isco, Mateo Kovacic and Nacho Fernandez were given a rest day on Monday.

In good news, attacking duo Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema should be 100% ready to take on the Catalan outfit having not been selected by Wales or France respectively, allowing them to remain in Madrid and focus on their fitness.

Gary Neville sacked by Valencia after less than four months

Gary Neville has been sacked as
Valencia’s head coach after less than
four months. The club announced on
Wednesday that the former Manchester
United defender was leaving with
immediate effect.

Neville was appointed in early
December on a contract until the end of
this season, with a view to reassessing
his position in the summer, but results
have failed to match expectations and
the fans have turned against him in
growing numbers.

Mestalla crowd turn on Gary Neville
after Valencia lose to Celta Vigo
Valencia are 14th in La Liga, six points
above the relegation zone, having won
only three of 16 league matches under
Neville. The club went out of the
Champions League, Europa League and
Copa del Rey on his watch.

“Valencia Football Club have today
parted company with Gary Neville as
Head Coach,” the club said in a
statement. “After careful consideration,
the Club have decided to make a change
with the best interests of the Valencia CF
moving forward this season. We thank
Gary for his work at Valencia and wish
him the best in the future. The Club
have, today, appointed Pako Ayestaran
as Head Coach until the end of the
season.”

The most recent defeat, by Celta Vigo,
prompted chants of “Gary, vete
ya!” (Gary, go now!) in significant
numbers for the first time. Neville said
he would not resign but delayed his
departure to join the England coaching
team for the friendlies against Germany
and Holland.

He was due to resume club duties with a
match against Las Palmas, the team
immediately below Valencia, on
Saturday.

Neville was a shock appointment by
Valencia, whose owner, Peter Lim, is a
friend and business partner of the
former England international. Neville
stepped down from his role as a pundit
to take his first job as a No1 there.
Neville had privately accepted recently
that he would not continue as Valencia
coach next season, aware that he had not done enough to merit a new contract, but had expected to see out this campaign. Valencia have eight
games remaining.

JUVENTUS - € 95m rejected from Chelsea for the transfer of Paul Pogba

Chelsea have offered 95 million euros last summer for Paul Pogba, according to the newspaper 'L'Equipe'. The French medium reveals that the Blues tried to convince Juventus this tempting offer but the Italians ended up rejecting it.

The reasons why they have rejected the offer, like complete 'El Mundo Deportivo', would pass through an alleged agreement that would come from Ariedo Braida, technical director of Barcelona, ​​with the 'Vecchia Signora' to stop his departure to another club that it had not been FC Barcelona.

In addition, Juventus would not have wished to transfer their star last summer because they wanted to have him at least one more year. Thus, Juventus would have flatly rejected any offer, including millionaire Chelsea.

From Italy indicate the interest also from Manchester City, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain in addition to Barcelona and Chelsea. The largest in Europe would be almost entirely in the footsteps of Pogba, who could star, after the European Cup to be held in his country, the drama of the summer.

BLIND: NETHERLANDS CAN LEARN FROM ENGLAND

Netherlands will travel to Wembley to face a
rejuvenated England side in an international friendly on Tuesday.

Coach Danny Blind admitted Netherlands
has struggled to produce enough good footballers in recent years as he talked up England's development.

Netherlands failed to qualify for Euro 2016 and the pressure is now on the likes of Memphis Depay (22), Riechedly Bazoer (19) and Jetro Willems (21) to lead the new generation to the World Cup in two years' time.

Whether the talented trio will be consistently good enough to get the Dutch to Russia 2018 remains to be seen as a country renowned for its development attempts to rebuild, but Blind is hoping to take a leaf out of England's book.

The new English generation of Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Eric Dier and Nathaniel Clyne helped overturn a two- goal deficit in the stunning 3-2 win over Germany last week.

Speaking ahead of Tuesday's showdown at Wembley, Blind said: "It's always difficult to find one special reason for what has happened. There were periods in the 1980s when we did not qualify [1982 and 1986 World Cup finals]. That’s football. We had great players with [Arjen] Robben, [Robin] van Persie,

[Klaas-Jan] Huntelaar, [Nigel] de Jong, [Wesley] Sneijder. The players aged 25-28, they are not around. We have to deal with that. The only thing we can do is bring in young players for games like this one.

"It is currently very difficult because Holland was second at the 2010 World Cup and third in 2014 so people expect a lot from our team and it is very disappointing we did not qualify for the Euro 2016 tournament. Especially because the third place in the group would have been good enough to get to France. It's very disappointing … it's going to be a tough summer."

Of England, which will feature at Euro 2016 in France, Blind added: "[They] have big players with big clubs. They used to have a lot of foreign players at the clubs. Now it appears they have more home-based English players in their league so they can build a good national team. That is in contrast to us, we are now rebuilding our team with extremely young players. It's a good team with young and promising players. It's more difficult to beat England than it used to be.

"Holland have had good results against England but they appear to play more modern, less predictable football now. Maybe a bit more European style [has been] influenced by all the coaches and players in the Premier League."

Djokovic marches into Miami last 16

World No 1 Novak Djokovic advanced to the fourth round of the ATP and WTA Miami Open on Sunday, defeating Portugal's 38th-ranked Joao Sousa 6-4, 6-1.

Two-time defending champion Djokovic, trying to match Andre Agassi's record of six career Miami titles, needed only 78 minutes to win his 12th match in a row at the hardcourt event and 26th in his past 27 Miami starts.

"That first set could have gone either way," Djokovic said. "I managed to hit the right balls at the right moment and make it to the finish."

The 28-year-old Serbian, who won his 11th Grand Slam crown at the Australian Open two months ago, also has crowns at Doha and Indian Wells this year and hopes to complete the Miami-Indian Wells sweep for the third consecutive year.

Sousa fell to 0-3 against Djokovic and 1-21 against top-10 foes with his 19th such loss in a row since beating David Ferrer in Kuala Lumpur in 2013.

Djokovic's next foe will be Austrian 14th seed Dominic Thiem, who dispatched 124th-ranked Japanese qualifier Yoshihito Nishioka 6-2, 6-2 in 64 minutes.

Thiem captured his fifth career ATP title last month by beating Australia's Bernard Tomic in the Acapulco final.

FEDERER FILL-IN WINS AGAIN

Argentina's Horacio Zeballos, a lucky loser who replaced Roger Federer in the draw when the 17-time Grand Slam champion withdrew due to illness, advanced to the fourth round, rallying to beat Spain's Fernando Verdasco 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4).

Zeballos, ranked 112th, had not won a match since last July before beating countryman Juan Martin Del Potro in the second round. After winning two in a row for the first time in more than two years, he will face Belgian 15th seed David Goffin on Tuesday for a quarterfinal berth.

"Life changed for me a lot here," Zeballos said. "Beating 'DelPo' and Verdasco, two better players than me, I greatly improved both the ranking and economically."

The South American is assured $67 590, which will help since his wife is due to give birth to their first child on April 10. "I am living happy moments," he said.

Czech seventh seed Tomas Berdych reached the last 16, firing 16 aces in downing US 31st seed Steve Johnson 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3. He faces French 10th seed Richard Gasquet next.

DIEGO COSTA GOES BACK TO BRAZIL AFTER SPAIN SNUB

The Chelsea striker - who saw red in his last outing - was left out of Vicente del Bosque's latest squad and has spent the international break in his hometown instead

Chelsea and Spain striker Diego Costa has returned to Brazil as he gets over the disappointment of being left out of Vicente del Bosque's latest squad.

The volatile forward was dismissed in his last appearance, appearing to nibble on Gareth Barry's neck before being sent off in the FA Cup quarter-final against Everton, with reports suggesting Del Bosque has been put off the forward due to his hot- headed nature.

The veteran manager insists, however, that Costa was omitted purely because he is still carrying a knock, though injury has not stopped the Brazil-born attacker from returning to his homeland.

Costa, given time off by Blues boss Guus Hiddink, shared an Instagram selfie while posing with a large group of friends and family in Lagarto City, the Brazilian municipality in the north of the country where he was born.

Alongside the snap, he also posted a caption that translates as: "My beloved home !!!!!!!! #lagarto city"

Eagle-eyed readers might notice that the building in the background appears to be painted in the Spanish colours of yellow and red, the nation for whom Costa now plays after controversially turning his back on Brazil.

But Costa could miss out on a spot in Spain's squad should Del Bosque deem him too much of a risk, especially after replacement Aritz Aduriz netted against Italy. La Roja take on Romania in their next friendly.

See pix below

Mikel emerges Super Eagles captain

Chelsea star, Mikel Obi, has been named the new Super Eagles captain barely 24 hours to the crucial games against the Pharaohs of Egypt in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying series.

While Mikel had been one of the most senior players in the national team, he was overlooked by former coach, Sunday Oliseh, who instead opted for Ahmed Musa as replacement for Vincent Enyeama as the Eagles skipper.

However, interim boss, Samson Siasia, at a press conference in Kaduna on Thursday, upturned the table for Mikel to get the captain’s armband.

Mikel represented Nigeria at the U-17 and U-20 levels at the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship and won the Silver Ball for the second-best player at the tournament, behind Lionel Messi, as Nigeria finished runner-up to Argentina.

He made his debut for the Super Eagles on August 17, 2005, when he came on as a second-half substitute in a 1–0 friendly win over Libya.

He did not play for the national team again prior to being named in the squad for the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations.

Mikel made his FIFA World Cup debut during the 2014 tournament in Brazil, winning a Man-of-the-Match award in the Super Eagles’ opening game against Iran and helping the team to reach the knockout stage for the first time since 1998.

Personally I think he deserves it and I believe he will do well as captain of the team.

Bastian Schweinsteiger joins lengthy injury list at Manchester United following medial ligament issue

Manchester United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger could be out for the rest of the season having suffered an injury during Germany training.

The 31-year-old has already missed a two month spell this season, and he only just returned to action with the Red Devils earlier in March.

However, United are set to be without the experienced German again after he suffered a partial tear of the medial collateral ligament in his right knee , which could rule him out for the remainder of the Premier League season.

Schweinsteiger could also miss out on heading to the European Championship this summer, with the injury potential ruling him out of a call-up to Joachim Low’s squad.

A statement published by the German FA read: "World Champion Bastian Schweinsteiger has been ruled out of the friendlies against England on Saturday in Berlin (20:45 CET) and Italy on Tuesday in Munich (20:45 CET).

"The 31-year-old captain suffered a partial tear of the medial collateral ligament in his right knee following a challenge at the end of training on Tuesday afternoon.

"The diagnosis was confirmed following an MRI scan at the practice of team doctor Dr. Hans-Wilhelm Muller- Wohlfahrt in Munich earlier today.

"Treatment will be carried out by the medical team at his club Manchester United, in coordination with the Germany national team's doctors."

Losing Schweinsteiger is a severe blow to United as they fight to finish in the top four over the final weeks of the season.

Louis van Gaal is already without the likes of Wayne Rooney, Luke Shaw, Ander Herrera, Ashley Young and Phil Jones , and he would have wanted to call upon the experienced Schweinsteiger if he could have for the remaining eight games of the campaign.

RUMORS: CHELSEA BEGIN TALKS WITH HUMMELS

The Blues are keen to replace John Terry this summer with the former England captain set to depart, though Dortmund would want $40 million for the star center back.

Chelsea has begun talks with Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels regarding a summer move to Stamford Bridge, according to Sport Bild.

The Blues are looking to replace departing captain John Terry and see Hummels as the kind of player who could step into the former England international's shoes.

The west London outfit has made contact with the player, though Dotmund is likely to want around $40 million for the 27-year-old center back.

Leicester star Danny Drinkwater determined to take England chance

Danny Drinkwater is aiming to stake his claim for a spot in Roy Hodgson’s Euro 2016 side as he prepares to make his England senior debut in friendlies against Germany and Holland.

The 26-year-old earned his first international call-up last week as a reward for his fine form for high-flying Leicester, who have a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League table.

He is expected to get game time in games against world champions Germany in Berlin on Saturday and then against Holland at Wembley next week.
And Drinkwater is chomping on the bit to show the Three Lions boss what he can add to the team.

"I have been given a small chance here to show what I am capable of and it is up to me to take it,” he told a press conference ahead of the team’s trip to Berlin.

“If I do, I'll be hoping that if I can stake my claim for that position, then perfect.

"It is about doing your job, really, screening the defence. Obviously international football is going to be different, I understand that.

"Maybe as the ball turns over, you have look to keep it but I am looking forward to the challenge.

"I don't think England have been short of having a quality midfield but I guess having competition for places, it always helps push yourself in a way. It can only benefit us.

"With a potential Premier League winners medal beckoning and a place in England's European-Championships squad now in his grasp, many would expect Drinkwater's impending international debut to be the icing on the cake, but he is remaining level-headed for now.
"We have still got quite a bit to go in the season so the cake isn't really made yet," he said.

"But we are getting there definitely. My concentration is with England and it will be until the games finish on Tuesday and then we'll focus back on Leicester.

"Everything back at Leicester is good. We left it in a good place but we focus on the Three Lions. It [having two Leicester players in the squad] is a good time for the club and reflects well on how we are doing this season.

"It is a good reflection on what the club is achieving right now."

Suarez reveals friendly bet with Neymar ahead of Brazil Uruguay clash

Luis Suarez has revealed that he and Barcelona teammate have a culinary wager riding on their imminent match up, as Brazil face Uruguay in Recife On Friday evening. The club teammates will face off for their countries, with Suarez representing his country for the first time since the 2014 World Cup after serving a ten match ban for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini.

In a press conference on Tuesday, Suarez revealed that he and Neymar have made a friendly bet on the outcome, “I have a bet with Neymar. The winner gets a burger. He is a great team-mate and we always make jokes at Barcelona.

“But whoever will win this game will be enjoying himself and he who loses will be hearing it from the other. Above all, we are team-mates and friends.”

Uruguay sit in second place in CONMEBOL qualifying, with Brazil back in 4 having already played tough away games in Chile and Argentina, Ecuador are the surprise pace setters in first place. The top 4 qualify for the World Cup in CONMEBOL qualifying.

Spurs boss set for new deal

Spurs are set to offer the Argentine a new and improved contract to make sure he stays at White Hart Lane amidst rumours of some of the biggest clubs in the world taking an interest.

According to The Sun, Spurs already have a clause in Pochettino's current deal which means anyone wanting to poach him away would have to stump up £10m to land him.

The 44-year-old is set to land a bumper new deal as he has masterminded Spurs' assault on the title which could yet prove to be successful, so chairman Daniel Levy will have to stump up the cash to ensure he is not poached away.

NFF Appeals To Super Eagles Fans: Do Not Come With Any Weapon To Stadium

The Nigeria Football Federation has appealed to spectators who are interested in watching the AFCON qualifier between Nigeria and Egypt not to bring any weapon to the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna on Friday, March 25.

The Federation also made a heartfelt request to fans, urging them to play a part in the Super Eagles march to victory by wearing green and white on match day.

“We are specially appealing to our football fans not to come with any item that might be seen as a weapon, because security will be very tight on the day,” said NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi.

“We also appeal passionately to the fans to co- operate fully with the security agents to make for hitch –free entry into the venue.

“Similarly, we are appealing to the fans to come to the stadium wearing green and white colours. We want the venue proudly adorned in our national colours.”

The kickoff time for the AFCON qualifier versus Egypt is 1700 hours Nigerian time.

Nigeria: Pharaohs Storm Kaduna Today

After securing the green light to land in Kaduna, the Egyptian national team, the Pharaohs will arrive Kaduna today in their chartered plane, direct from Cairo.

An official source said yesterday that the Egyptians have informed the NFF of their arrival plans, but did not give details of the number of the contingent on the trip.

"We are making arrangement to welcome them in Kaduna and provide them with the necessary things they need to prepare for the match. We shall make them comfortable in Nigeria as good host," the source stated.

REPORT: NEW DEAL LINED UP FOR IWOBI

According to The Times, Arsenal will reward Alex Iwobi’s first team breakthrough with an improved contract just six months after the Nigerian international committed his future to the club.

The 19-year-old signed a new deal in October after impressing during pre-season friendlies and has since made 14 appearances in all competitions this season.

It’s claimed that the Nigerian international, who scored his first Premier League goal in a man-of-the-match performance against Everton on Saturday, could see his pay packet rise to £10,000 a week.

Arseblog News is slightly skeptical about the detail in The Times report – not because we think improved terms aren’t a real possibility – but because it neglects to mention the contract penned in October and claims the Gunners academy graduate is currently on £750 a week; a figure that seems very low given he was elevated to the first team at the start of the season.

It wouldn’t be the first time Arsene Wenger has quickly nailed down the future of a flourishing talent. In 2013, Serge Gnabry was handed a five-year deal – reportedly worth £20,000 a week – just a month after opening his account at Swansea. The German under-21 international has struggled ever since with injuries stunting his development.

Belgium national team cancel training session after Brussels explosions

The Belgium national team have cancelled their scheduled training session following explosions at Brussels airport and on the city's metro network on Tuesday morning, the country's football federation has confirmed.
At least 26 people have been killed in explosions in the departure hall at the Brussels airport, police said.

There have been 2 explosions at the airport. Building is being evacuated. Don't come to the airport area.

All flights have been cancelled, while arriving planes have been diverted and Belgium's terror alert level raised to maximum. Security also has been tightened at all Paris airports.

The Royal Belgian Football Federation (KBVB) said via its Twitter account for the national team that "football is not important today" and that their thoughts were with the victims as they cancelled their training session ahead of the friendly with Portugal on March 29.
#tousensemble, our thoughts are with the victims. Football is not important today. Training cancelled.

Later, Norwich City released a statement confirming that striker Dieumerci Mbokani was at Zaventem Airport during the explosions but was "unharmed but shaken."

The Canaries said the 30-year-old Congo international Mbokani was "unharmed but shaken" and had returned home to be with his family.

The explosions happened only days after Sarah Abdeslam, the prime suspect in the Nov. 13 Paris attacks that killed 130 people, was arrested in Brussels. Days after those attacks, Belgium cancelled their planned friendly with Spain.

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve called the deadly explosions a reminder that a "very high security level" will be required during this year's European Championship in France.

On Tuesday, Cazeneuve told media in Paris that everything will be put in place during the tournament from June 10-July 10 to guarantee "collective security."

Tournament organisers had already strengthened security measures and made changes to fan zones.

Cazeneuve said the state will contribute up to €2 million ($1.1m) for video surveillance in the designated areas for the public.
Cazeneuve said Euro 2016 should bring "sportsmanship, festivities and security for teams, accompanying staff and spectators."

UEFA have said it will take "all necessary measures" to ensure Euro 2016 is a safe and secure tournament.

"Following today's events in Brussels UEFA wishes to reaffirm its commitment in placing safety and security at the centre of its organisational plans for UEFA Euro 2016," said a statement. "EURO 2016 SAS and all stakeholders involved in the organisation of the tournament will continue their joint work and will regularly monitor the level of risk for the tournament and their respective organisational plans.

"For over three years now EURO 2016 SAS has been working closely with the relevant authorities to develop the most appropriate mechanisms in order to guarantee a safe and secure tournament and all necessary measures are being taken to ensure that is the case for all involved."

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

Watford looking to sign Chelsea defender

Watford are hoping to sign Chelsea star Nathan Ake on a permanent basis after the youngster impressed while on loan this season, according to reports from the Mirror.

Ake left Stamford Bridge on loan at the beginning of the campaign in order to play more first team football, and has been a revelation for manager Quique Sanchez Flores ever since joining the Hornets.

Now the Watford boss is hoping to sign Ake on a permanent contract at the end of the season after the 20-year-old replaced Jose Holebas as the club’s number one left back.

However, Ake is keen on making a return to Chelsea in the future, but if he is still not guaranteed regular playing time, he will consider a transfer to Vicarage Road.

Watford had a brilliant first half of the season, but has been on poor form recently with just one win in their last seven games.

Ake, 21, has made 23 appearances in all competitions this term, scoring one goal.

Mario Gotze to Liverpool Talk Continues to Heat Up

Bayern Munich attacker Mario Gotze, who made his name under now Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp during his time with Borussia
Dortmund, ratcheted up rumours of an impending departure from the Allianz Arena this summer when he revealed that he still talks to his former boss time again. While that’s a bit of a reach, talk hasn’t slowed
one bit and comments from Bayern manager Pep Guardiola and CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge will do noting to put a halt to it.

“It was my decision and it was the best solution for Bayern Munich,” Guardiola told the press when asked about Gotze, who was sat firmly on the bench during the 1-0 win over Cologne at the weekend despite
being fully fit. “If we win, I’ve made the right call,” said the Spaniard with Rummenigge echoing a similar sentiment. “We’ve got a lot of top players in our attacking department,” he told German media outlet Kicker when asked about the
23-year old. “Not everyone can play.”

While that’s absolutely true, Gotze can certainly feel hard done by having seen his club career stall after making the move to the Bavarian giants back in 2013. Proving he’s no slouch, the fleet footed attacker came off the bench to score the winning goal in the 2014 World Cup, but he may need to make a move if he wants to find the minutes on the pitch he deserves
to be playing — which he’ll consider this summer after Carlo Ancelotti takes over for the Premier League bound Guardiola.

“We are texting now and again,” Gotze told ZDF TV when asked about Klopp, though he was quick to play down the link. “He was my coach at Borussia Dortmund, but there is nothing special” he continued,
adding an emphatic “No” when asked if they’d been in discussions over a move to Merseyside, but admitting that his future “hinges on many factors.”

Bolt confirms Rio Olympics will be his last

Usain Bolt has confirmed this year's Olympics will be his last, snuffing out the possibility of extending his career to
the 2020 games in Tokyo.

The Jamaican sprint king had raised the prospect of prolonging his Olympic career in January after revealing that his coach Glen Mills had suggested his fitness would
carry him through to Japan.

However Bolt told AFP subsidiary SID in an interview that the curtain would come down on his Olympic career in this year's games in Rio de Janeiro, where he is targeting three more gold medals.

"It'll definitely be my last Olympics," Bolt said. "It's going to be hard to go four more years for me, to keep the motivation that I want, especially if I accomplish what I want to in Rio.

"It's going to be hard to keep the motivation to go on for four more years so it'll definitely be my last one."

Bolt, who already has six gold medals from his stunning performances in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, has repeatedly said he plans to hang up his spikes for good
after the 2017 World Championships in London.

He hopes to have taken his tally to nine golds by the time competition in Rio has concluded in August.

"My biggest dream at the Olympics is to win three gold medals again. That's my focus, that's what I want. And that's what I'm aiming for because that's my goal and
that's my dream," Bolt said.

Bolt meanwhile reiterated his desire to make more record- breaking history before he retires, saying that he is determined to become the first man to go below 19
seconds for the 200 metres.

"I've said the only big thing, big time I want to run is the 200 metres," said Bolt, who holds the world record of 19.19sec for the 200m, set in Berlin in 2009.

"I'd love to try to go sub-19. That's the only thing I would really, really want because that's one of my goals.

"I've always talked about and always wanted it so for me, that's something I look forward to."

Reliable source says Jose Mourinho will be Manchester United’s next manager

Manchester United have been linked with a hatful of new managers since December, particularly when Louis van Gaal’s side weren’t playing the most attractive style of football. The club could well have a new manager come the summer, with Jose Mourinho at the top of that list.

According to the extremely reliable Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, Manchester United’s next manager will be Mourinho.

The self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ has been out of work since his time at Chelsea came to an end not that long ago, and its clear he is keen on having some time off before returning to football this summer.

It certainly looks as though Mourinho has been craving the Manchester United job over the last few years, and he finally could be about to get his wish this summer if this latest rumour is to be believed.

Manchester United ready to splash £115m on superstar duo - they both want to move

MANCHESTER UNITED are preparing a staggering £115m Real Madrid raid.

The Red Devils are desperate to secure a string of superstar signings this summer as they look to mount a serious Premier League title challenge next term.

The club have a vast amount of funds at their disposal and hope to complete a double swoop for two top Madrid stars. Spanish outlet Sport reported yesterday that Sergio Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo are up for grabs this summer.

They reportedly both told Real president Florentino Perez that they want to leave the club as soon as the transfer market reopens.
United tried and failed to land 29-year-old defender Ramos last summer while they have been linked bringing 31-year-old striker Ronaldo back to Old Trafford for some time.

According to reports the club will now offer Real a huge deal to get both transfers over the line.

They claim the Red Devils are willing to offer over £115m to land the two world stars.

Antonio Conte to Chelsea: Abramovich has told Blues squad he’s ‘signed Conte’, claims Italian press

Roman Abramovich has told Chelsea’ s players that Antonio Conte will be their new manager, according to reports in Italy.

Conte’s appointment has been expected after a series of talks with the Italy coach being offered a three-year contract worth £4.75million a year after tax. Corriere dello Sport reported today that Chelsea owner Abramovich gathered his players at their Cobham training ground last weekend and told them: “I’ve signed Conte.”

Meanwhile, Paris St Germain fear Blaise Matuidi could miss the second leg of their Champions League tie against Chelsea on Wednesday.

Matuidi was having tests today on a suspected hamstring injury after limping off during the 3-1 win over St Etienne in the quarter‑finals of the French Cup last night.

The France international is a key part of the PSG midfield and his absence would be a big boost for Chelsea, who are seeking to overturn a 2-1 deficit from the away leg of their last-16 tie.

PSG manager Laurent Blanc said: “I took him off as a precaution. When a player leaves the pitch with
an injury, I’m always worried.”

Man United injury news: Van Gaal confirms that Valencia trained with the squad

Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal has confirmed that Antonio Valencia trained with the squad today as he closes in on a return from a long-term injury.

Valencia has made just six Premier League appearances this season and hasn’t featured since October because of an ankle problem that required surgery.

Van Gaal is hopeful, though, that Valencia will soon be available to return to competitive action. The manager told the club’s official website: “Fellaini and Valencia are the next ones to come back, I think. Fellaini shall come into the last step of the process, team training, and also Valencia today has trained with the group, so they are coming back.”

Although he seems far better suited to operating as a winger, Valencia has often featured at right-back for United in recent seasons and will represent a useful squad option for van Gaal, who has been forced to field several youngsters in defence recently.

Even when he plays at right-back, Valencia is capable of providing a regular attacking threat for United, as demonstrated by the fact that he created 26 chances in the Premier League last season.

The Ecuador international is also a fine distributor of the ball, and registered a hugely impressive average pass accuracy of 89% in the top flight last campaign.

Today's game at home to Watford will come too soon for the midfielder, but the 30-year-old will hope to play a prominent part in the closing stages of the campaign.

Van Gaal will be hopeful that United’s overall injury situation will soon start to improve, with several senior players closing in on a return to action. Matteo Darmian, Chris Smalling and Anthony Martial could all feature against Watford, while Marouane Fellaini should also be back soon.

However, Wayne Rooney is expected to be out for rather longer and Phil Jones is also still sidelined.

Leicester held, Chelsea moves up to eighth

Craig Gardner's sublime free kick prevented Leicester City going five points clear in the Premier League as West Bromwich Albion held the leaders to a 2-2 draw on Tuesday.

After Salomon Rondon put West Brom ahead, Leicester hit back through Danny Drinkwater and Andy King, only for Gardner to earn the visitors a point by arcing a free kick into the top-left corner in the 50th minute.

Tottenham Hotspur can go above Leicester on goal difference if they win at West Ham United on Wednesday, while Arsenal will be just three points behind them if they overcome Swansea City.

"We made a lot of chances, but the ball didn't want to go inside. This is football," Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri told Sky Sports.

"But I'm more happy now than after the match against Norwich. Tonight we played much, much, much better.

"We believe in ourselves and we continue to fight. Until the end, every match is important to us."

Ranieri made two changes to the team that had edged Norwich City 1-0 at the weekend, Danny Simpson and King replacing Daniel Amartey and the injured N'Golo Kante, and saw his side fall behind in the 11th minute.

Darren Fletcher's through-ball released Rondon and the Venezuelan striker shrugged Robert Huth to the ground before steering a shot beneath Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.

Drinkwater equalised on the half-hour with a shot that deflected off Jonas Olsson and looped over Ben Foster and after Jamie Vardy had headed against the bar, Leicester went ahead in first-half stoppage time.

Marc Albrighton's crossfield pass from the left was audaciously back-heeled into King's path by Riyad Mahrez and the Welsh midfielder swept home.

But five minutes into the second half Gardner levelled after Mahrez had been penalised for handball, caressing the ball over the wall and past a flat-footed Schmeichel from around 22 yards.

Leicester piled on the pressure in the latter stages, Shinji Okazaki heading against the bar and Foster thwarting substitute Jeff Schlupp, Vardy and Wes Morgan, but they could not find a way through.

BORINI STUNNER

Chelsea extended their unbeaten run to 12 league games with a 2-1 win at Norwich City that saw them climb from 11th place to eighth, five points below the European berths.

Kenedy put the visitors ahead after just 39 seconds, the Brazilian wide man drilling home left-footed from outside the box to register the fastest goal of the season to date.

Bertrand Traore freed Diego Costa to lob Norwich goalkeeper John Ruddy from what looked like an offside position in first-half stoppage time, with Nathan Redmond reducing the arrears in the 68th minute.

"We didn't want to go into a battle, but they forced us into a battle," said Chelsea interim manager Guus Hiddink.

"We could have finished it off earlier in the first half. We were a little complacent. At the end they made our life very difficult.

"Everyone knows how we started in December. We were almost in the relegation zone. Now we're winning and that's encouraging."

Fabio Borini struck a stunning last-minute equaliser to earn Sunderland a 2-2 draw at home to Crystal Palace that lifted Sam Allardyce's side out of the relegation zone.

After Dame N'Doye's deflected shot put Sunderland ahead, Connor Wickham struck twice against his former club to put Palace in front, only for Borini to smash home from a seemingly impossible angle at the death.

Everton ushered bottom club Aston Villa a step closer to relegation with a 3-1 win at Villa Park that left Remi Garde's side eight points from safety.

Goals from Ramiro Funes Mori, Aaron Lennon and Romelu Lukaku put Everton in control, before Rudy Gestede headed in a 79th-minute consolation.

Meanwhile, seventh-placed Southampton squandered an opportunity to close on the teams above them in a 2-0 loss at south-coast rivals Bournemouth, who prevailed through goals in each half from Steve Cook and Benik Afobe.