Mourinho happy to persist with 'disgraceful' handshakes

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho reacted sarcastically to accusations from Aston Villa assistant manager Roy Keane that his early handshakes were a 'disgrace'.

Mourinho insists he won't change his ways despite the angry response from Keane, saying: "First of all I want to say I appreciate the comments," Mourinho told reporters.

"I think they are both great examples of polite and well educated people, and because I’m a humble guy who tries to learn every day and with every experience, I appreciate the comments."

Sunday, October 19, 2014 17:27

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‘Why always me?’ – Thiago injured again

Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago Alcantara faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after picking up a knee ligament injury in training, with the Spaniard to undergo surgery to repair the tear.

The former Barcelona man has barely featured for the Bundesliga champions since swapping Camp Nou for the Allianz Arena, with his latest setback making a return to action this season unlikely.

Thiago was understandably distraught at the news: “What can I say?” he told the club's official website. “Of course, I am profoundly disappointed and desperate at the moment.

“Why always me? But I will not give up. I will fight again. I'm going to get close again. And I will celebrate my comeback at Bayern.”

Thursday, October 16, 2014 11:20

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Hero O'Shea the toast of world's elite

In a week of international football which boasted drama, goals and even a brawl, John O’Shea’s stoppage-time leveller against Germany in his 100th appearance for the Republic of Ireland was a fitting finale.

The Sunderland centre-back, having defended resolutely for much of the encounter in Gelsenkirchen, expertly guided the ball beyond Manuel Neuer to salvage a 1-1 draw and heap more misery on the World Cup winners.

O’Shea was not the only player to enjoy a stellar Tuesday, with Cristiano Ronaldo bagging a last-minute winner against Denmark, Lionel Messi striking twice in Hong Kong and Neymar claiming four (yes, four) goals against Japan.

Ronaldo also celebrated reaching a 100 million fans on facebook.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014 12:30

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Ronaldo & Messi have Raul in their sights

The conclusion of the international break means Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi can get back to domestic duty, and both will have Raul’s Champions League record at the top of their agenda.

The Real Madrid and Barcelona stars have 70 and 69 goals respectively in Europe’s premier club competition, just short of Los Blancos and Spain legend Raul who notched an incredible 71 times in his storied career.

Ronaldo, who has already claimed a La Liga record for hat-tricks recently, faces a tough double header against last season’s Premier League runners-up Liverpool, while Messi has a more favourable tie against Ajax. Who will break the record first?

Friday, October 17, 2014 12:00

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Dutch blown away by Icelandic volcano

Iceland pulled off one of the shocks of this week’s round of Euro 2016 qualifiers as a Gylfi Sigurdsson double inspired the Norse side to a 2-0 victory over the Netherlands.

The Swansea City playmaker opened the scoring from the spot on Monday night before doubling his tally midway through the first half with a brilliant, instinctive volley that the dour Dutch were unable to recover from.

The result leaves the Oranje in third place in Group A, behind both leaders Iceland and second-place Czech Republic, while the pressure is ramping up on Guus Hiddink, who has suffered defeat in three of his four matches since taking over from Louis van Gaal.

Tuesday, October 14, 2014 12:00

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