Новости за 30.12.2018

Susanna Dinnage has decided not to take up her prospective role as the Premier League's new chief executive.  England's leading football division will now search again to find a replacement for Richard Scudamore, who confirmed in June his intention to step down after 19 years at the helm.  "Despite her commitment to the Premier League in early November, Susanna Dinnage has now advised the Nominations Committee that she will not be taking up the position of chief executive," a Premier League statement read. Читать дальше...

Manchester United caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer saluted Marcus Rashford as "class" after he produced another eye-catching display in Sunday's 4-1 win over Bournemouth. Rashford has been in excellent form of late, scoring four times in his last six appearances across all competitions, including one against Eddie Howe's side. But it was his overall contribution against Bournemouth that will draw acclaim, as the England international held the ball up well, linked expertly with his team-mates... Читать дальше...

Paul Pogba believes the biggest difference between life under Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Manchester United is they are now playing a style of football that suits the players. Following Sunday's 4-1 win over Bournemouth, United have won three games in a row under Solskjaer since Mourinho's final game in charge – the 3-1 defeat to Liverpool. United have scored 12 goals in Solskjaer's three games and have generally impressed with attack-minded, free-flowing football. The style of play... Читать дальше...

Diego Maradona has shown support for Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly on social media while revealing he was also subjected to racist chants during his time in Italy. Racist abuse was directed at Koulibaly during Inter's 1-0 win over Napoli at San Siro on Wednesday, with the Nerazzurri receiving a two-game stadium ban following the taunts. A number of high-profile players, including Juventus' Cristiano Ronaldo and Inter captain Mauro Icardi, have posted messages of support for Koulibaly while also condemning racism. Читать дальше...

Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba were the stars of the show once again as they led the way in Manchester United's 4-1 win over Bournemouth, securing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a third successive win since taking charge.  United continued to play with the freedom and zip which has so far characterised the post-Jose Mourinho era, with Pogba and Rashford - who have impressed under caretaker boss Solskjaer - key components as the Red Devils wrapped up 2018 by closing to within three points of fifth-placed Arsenal. Читать дальше...

Hannover have signed Hoffenheim centre-back Kevin Akpoguma on loan until the end of the season, subject to a medical on January 2.  The 23-year-old defender has made eight Bundesliga appearances for Hoffenheim this season, the last of them coming in a 3-3 draw against Hertha Berlin on November 24.  Akpoguma will join a Hannover side level with Nuremberg on 11 points at the bottom of the Bundesliga table.  Hannover general manager Horst Heldt said: "Kevin brings a lot of speed, he has a good touch and has a good heading game... Читать дальше...

Burnley boss Sean Dyche admitted dropping Joe Hart for the game against West Ham was a difficult decision, but hailed Tom Heaton's professionalism after he came in and kept a clean sheet in a much-needed 2-0 win. The Clarets had conceded 41 times in their 19 Premier League games heading into Sunday's encounter at Turf Moor, and Dyche responded by dropping former England international Hart. Long-serving Burnley stopper Heaton was drafted in for a league game for the first time since September 2017... Читать дальше...

Pep Guardiola does not know whether Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne will be fit to face Liverpool on Thursday. City trimmed the Reds' advantage at the top of the table to seven points with a restorative 3-1 win at Southampton on Sunday – David Silva and Sergio Aguero on target either side of a James Ward-Prowse own-goal. De Bruyne made his first Premier League start of the season in the Boxing Day loss at Leicester City following a pair of medial knee ligament injuries but he was absent from Guardiola's matchday squad at St Mary's.

Vincent Kompany admitted Manchester City had their pride hit by recent defeats to Crystal Palace and Leicester City but promised "to pull everything out of the locker" against Liverpool.   A 3-2 reverse at home against Palace was followed by a 2-1 defeat at the King Power Stadium, though the reigning Premier League champions returned to winning ways with a 3-1 result at Southampton on Sunday.   The three points picked up on the road lift Pep Guardiola's men back up to second place in the Premier... Читать дальше...

Manchester City returned to winning ways ahead of their blockbuster showdown against Premier League leaders Liverpool with a 3-1 win at Southampton. The defending champions ceded ground to Jurgen Klopp's side with back-to-back defeats versus Crystal Palace and Leicester City, and they once again let an early lead slip as Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – later sent off for a reckless lunge on Fernandinho – cancelled out David Silva's 10th-minute opener. A James Ward-Prowse own-goal on the stroke of half-time... Читать дальше...

Roy Hodgson is hopeful Crystal Palace can secure a loan for Liverpool's Dominic Solanke as he looks to bolster his side's attack. Palace were beaten 1-0 by Chelsea on Sunday, failing to score for the second successive match, and Hodgson's men have now found the net just 17 times across their opening 20 league fixtures. The former England boss has identified Solanke as a man who could improve their fortunes at the top end of the pitch, with a number of other Premier League clubs linked to a January loan move for the 21-year-old. Читать дальше...

Burnley claimed a vital win in their bid to escape the Premier League relegation zone as goals from Chris Wood and Dwight McNeil saw off West Ham 2-0. Following three successive defeats, including a 5-1 loss to Everton last time out, goalkeeper Joe Hart took the hit for Burnley's torrid form, with Tom Heaton coming in for a first Premier League start since September 2017. And that change paid dividends, with Burnley's solid foundation setting the stage for Wood to open the scoring 15 minutes in... Читать дальше...

Maurizio Sarri said he felt luck was against Chelsea after Olivier Giroud limped out of their 1-0 win over Crystal Palace just a day after the Blues lost three other players to injuries. Giroud twisted his ankle in the process of scoring from an offside position for a second time in the game, prompting Sarri to send on Alvaro Morata as a 76th-minute replacement. After seeing his side move five points clear of fifth-placed Arsenal in the Premier League table, Sarri revealed Cesc Fabregas, Ruben... Читать дальше...

Anthony Martial has returned to the Manchester United starting XI to face Bournemouth on Sunday after recovering from an illness, while Romelu Lukaku has been named on the bench. France international Martial has been in particularly impressive form in recent months, having scored five of his eight Premier League goals this term since October 28. Martial, United's top scorer in the league, was unable to feature in the comfortable 3-1 Boxing Day win at Huddersfield Town after suffering from an illness over Christmas. Читать дальше...

Barcelona have denied reaching an agreement to sign Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Adrien Rabiot and dismissed allegations of impropriety in their transfer dealings. Barca have been extensively linked with a move for Rabiot, whose contract at the Parc des Princes expires at the end of this season. The 23-year-old withdrew from talks over an extension and has not started for the runaway Ligue 1 leaders since December 5, although head coach Thomas Tuchel insists that is a footballing decision. PSG... Читать дальше...

Luciano Spalletti has called on Inter midfielder Radja Nainggolan to stop being distracted by matters outside of football. Nainggolan returned to action as a second-half substitute in Saturday's 1-0 win at Empoli, having missed the Serie A victory against Napoli by the same scoreline for disciplinary reasons. Spalletti also coached the 30-year-old Belgian midfielder at Roma and brought him to San Siro this year. Nevertheless, that close bond does not prevent him from taking a strict approach when the combative Nainggolan steps out of line. Читать дальше...

Fernandinho is back in the Manchester City starting line-up as Pep Guardiola's side look to get their Premier League title defence back on track at Southampton. Back-to-back losses to Crystal Palace and Leicester City either side of Christmas Day handed the initiative to Liverpool, who are 10 points better off than the third-placed champions ahead of kick-off at St Mary's. Injury ruled Fernandinho out of both those matches and the 33-year-old Brazilian's absence was cited as a key reason for City's collapse... Читать дальше...

All it took was two words. Our taxi driver has just launched into a 15-minute diatribe berating all and sundry, triggered by a simple request. “Ibrox, please.”It’s bright and early on a Saturday morning, and FourFourTwo is embarking upon a bumper day of Scottish football: Rangers versus Celtic at 12.30pm, then Hibernian versus Hearts at 5.30pm.There’s no such thing as a quiet, relaxing drive to the stadium on the day of an Old Firm game, though: within seconds of leaving the hotel and climbing into a taxi... Читать дальше...

Kalidou Koulibaly sent a heartfelt thank you to Napoli's players and supporters following the club's show of support in the wake of the racist abuse directed at him during the Partenopei's 1-0 defeat to Inter.   Fans held up pictures of Koulibaly in a show of solidarity at Stadio San Paolo as Napoli beat Bologna 3-2 in a match that the Senegal defender was suspended after being sent-off against the Nerazzurri.   Inter were given a two-game stadium ban following the racist taunts aimed at Koulibaly... Читать дальше...

Nicolas Pepe insists he has no intention of leaving Lille during the January transfer window. Arsenal have been linked to an €80million swoop for the 23-year-old, who has scored 12 times and supplied five assists over the course of 19 games in the French top flight this season. The Ivory Coast international is under contract at Stade Pierre-Mauroy until June 2022 and, in and interview with La Voix du Nord, he reported himself to be happy with the current state of affairs. "To end the season with LOSC, for me that's for sure," Pepe said. Читать дальше...

Andrew Robertson has urged Liverpool to make the most of a superb 2018 and bring home trophies in the new year. Jurgen Klopp's side opened up a nine-point lead at the top of the Premier League with a resounding 5-1 win over Arsenal on Saturday – a triumph that came after second-placed Tottenham were stunned 3-1 at home by Wolves. A trip to champions Manchester City on January 3 could see Liverpool further strengthen their hand but, after the near miss of a 3-1 loss to Real Madrid in May's Champions League final... Читать дальше...

Craig Goodwin scored a dramatic stoppage-time penalty to clinch a first win in four A-League matches for Adelaide United as they beat Newcastle Jets 2-1 at McDonald Jones Stadium. Nikola Mileusnic scored a first-half tap-in to put the visitors on course to allay the frustration of being held to a 2-2 draw by Western Sydney Wanderers on Wednesday. But Marco Kurz's men were undone by Jets substitute Kaine Sheppard's expert cross from which Roy O'Donovan crashed a downwards header into the net to put the hosts back on terms after 75 minutes. Читать дальше...

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said he is "sure" he would agree to take the Manchester United manager's job on a permanent basis if the club offer it to him at the end of the season. The former United striker is in temporary charge of the Red Devils following the sacking of Jose Mourinho and he has made a successful start, winning his first two Premier League matches. Solskjaer guided United to victories over Cardiff City, who he managed for nine months in 2014, and Huddersfield Town, to sit sixth in the... Читать дальше...

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hopes David de Gea and Anthony Martial re-sign with Manchester United and become part of history with the Premier League club. United have reportedly triggered extensions for Martial, 23, and De Gea, 28, to keep the pair at the club until 2020. Solskjaer, the interim manager at Old Trafford, wants to convince the duo to remain at United, saying it was the best place for them. "I know the club want them to sign, of course, because they are top-quality players," the Norwegian told UK newspapers. Читать дальше...

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has no plans to change his style after back-to-back losses in the Premier League. Ahead of a trip to Southampton on Sunday, City are 10 points behind league leaders Liverpool after suffering shock defeats against Crystal Palace and Leicester City. But Guardiola said that was not enough to force him to change his attacking approach as City look for a return to form. "That is not going to happen. It has not happened in the first years and it is not going to happen," he said. Читать дальше...