Uefa stun the world with shock Best Player in Europe Award nominee

 

Things just keep getting better for Fernando Torres, with the Chelsea striker a shock member of Uefa's 32-man shortlist for the European Player of the Year Award.
After another campaign filled with stutters, the Spaniard rounded off the footballing year by enjoying Champions League glory with the Blues before helping Spain to Euro 2012 success, in turn grabbing the top goalscorer award in Poland and Ukraine.

Yet despite the 28-year-old's turnaround in form towards the end of the season, his inclusion amongst Europe’s top players comes as something of a surprise…

Tweet Follow @omomani

Zlatanocchio

Tweet Follow @omomani

Can Totti's dog save Serie A?

 

Francesco Totti just can't do anything wrong - a skill that appears to have translated to his pets, past and present.

Ariel, a labrador whom Totti donated at a young age to be trained as a professional sea rescue dog, made headlines on Sunday when it emerged that she had saved an eight-year-old girl and 64-year-old man from drowning in the Sant'Agosto area.
With the animal's life-saving abilities now proven, the young mutt may now want to help by bailing out some of Italy's biggest clubs to help make a real game of it in Serie A...

Tweet Follow @omomani

Happy Bastille Day as Thiago Silva continues French revolution

 

Paris Saint-Germain's summer revamp continued on Saturday after the Ligue 1 club confirmed the signing of AC Milan defender Thiago Silva.

The Brazil international moved to Carlo Ancelotti's side for a fee in the region of €42 million and penned a five-year deal with the French club.

With Ancelotti already having bolstered his attacking options with the signing of Ezequiel Lavezzi from Napoli this summer, the Italian is likely to strengthen his squad further by completing a move for Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
 

Tweet Follow @omomani

Carroll forced out by Borini and beaming Rodgers

 

Andy Carroll's future at Liverpool looks increasingly uncertain following the signing of Fabio Borini from Roma on Friday.

The England international's form improved towards the end of last season but new Reds boss Brendan Rodgers revealed earlier this week that he would consider sending the striker out on loan.

West Ham have already expressed an interest, while former club Newcastle United have been linked with a loan move, so could Borini's arrival force the £35 million man out of the Anfield exit door?

Tweet Follow @omomani

Money talks as Zlatan & Thiago head for Paris

 

The news that AC Milan have accepted a €60 million (£47m) offer from Paris Saint-Germain for star duo Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva sent eyebrows skyward this week.

Yet the Serie A giants' well-documented financial problems means that offloading the pair can save the club a sizeable chunk of money in salaries as well as wiping off a significant slice of the club's mounting debt.

With PSG now backed by big-spending Qatari owners, money appears to be no object for the Ligue 1 side, and simply irresistible for AC Milan.

Tweet Follow @omomani

And the Oscar goes to ... Chelsea!

 

Brazilian starlet Oscar is hot property at the moment and Chelsea look to have gazumped Premier League rivals Tottenham with a £20 million bid for the talented teenager, as exclusively revealed by Goal.com.
Andre Villas-Boas had hoped to tempt the Internacional man to White Hart Lane with a £15m bid but their London rivals are now in advanced negotiations with the South American side ahead of a summer move.

The youngster has already been likened to compatriot and Real Madrid man Kaka, a man who has often been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge, but this time it seems that the Blues have got their man

Tweet Follow @omomani

Russia manager candidates get all dolled up

 

Following Dick Advocaat's resignation from his post as coach after Euro 2012, Russia have revealed their short-list for his replacement with some familiar names at the top of the list.

Pep Guardiola, Fabio Capello and Harry Redknapp have all been tipped to take over the job and take charge of the side that failed to make it out of their group in Poland and Ukraine.

One man, who seems to have ruled himself out of the running though is Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini after he signed a new deal with the Premier League champions, leaving the path clear for the other contenders.
Tweet Follow @omomani

Moneybags Mancini leaves Russia in the cold

 

Roberto Mancini's new Manchester City contract has kept Russia from luring him away from the Premier League champions.

The World Cup 2018 hosts are currently looking for a top-class manager to take over from Dick Advocaat, who parted ways with the nation after their group stage exit at Euro 2012.

Mancini was rumoured to be top of their list, alongside the likes of Fabio Capello and Pep Guardiola, after the Italian took the Blues to their first league title in over 40 years last season.

The Italian's side beat Manchester United on goal difference in the end after two dramatic stoppage-time goals allowed them to beat QPR and snatch the title from the Red Devils' grasp, something that City are keen to build on with the Italian manager...

Tweet Follow @omomani

Deschamps calls on old friends as Ribery, Nasri et al get binned

 

 He was, then he wasn't, but now he definitely is. On Sunday it was announced that Didier Deschamps had officially become national team coach of France.

The former Les Bleus midfielder will have to get the side's house in order after a tumultuous Euro 2012 campaign that saw bust-ups involving Hatem Ben Arfa, Alou Diarra and, most explosively, Samir Nasri.
The France campaign at World Cup 2010 was also marred by internal strife and Deschamps will be keen to instill the kind of discipline and harmony that saw France win world football's biggest prize on home soil in 1998 before further triumph at Euro 2000.

Under pressure to weed out the trouble-makers and bring glory back to Les Bleus, could Deschamps turn to the successful class of '98 in order to get the job done?
Tweet Follow @omomani