Fabio Capello has left his post as Russia coach.
The Russia Football Union (RFS) confirmed on Tuesday that it had come to a mutual agreement with Capello to terminate his contract.
Capello s deal had been due to run until the end of the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia, but ends with the national team struggling to qualify for Euro 2016 and the RFS having found it difficult to pay his wages in recent times.
It was reported in February that Arsenal shareholder Alisher Usmanov had stepped in with an emergency loan to enable the RFS to pay Capello 400million roubles (£3.9m) in backdated wages. However, the RFS confirmed in April that there were still ongoing issues regarding the Italian s salary.
Russia are third in their Euro 2016 qualifying group after a …
Luis Enrique has confirmed Aleix Vidal and Arda Turan will make their Barcelona debuts in Wednesday s Copa del Rey match against Espanyol.
Arda joined Barca from Atletico Madrid ahead of the 2015-16 campaign, while Vidal made his way to Camp Nou from Sevilla, but the Catalans transfer ban has prevented either from playing so far this season.
The duo were registered on Monday, though, and are now raring to go after spending the first half of the season on the sidelines.
Arda and Vidal will both be involved on Wednesday, Luis Enrique said at a news conference. I do not know yet how many minutes they will play, but they are both in great shape and excited to make their debut.
They are both very versatile players who could play in a number of positions. Ale…
Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata says Antonio Conte s tactics were part of the reason he suffered in his first season in the Premier League.
Morata made an explosive start to his Stamford Bridge career, scoring six goals in six league appearances at the start of 2017-18, but things quickly soured for the Spain international.
A mysterious back problem blighted much of the campaign and he only scored a further five goals in the top flight and four in cup competitions.
Morata has shown encouraging signs of a return to form since Maurizio Sarri replaced Conte as head coach, however, scoring his first goal of the season in last month s 3-2 win over Arsenal, and the thinks he is better suited to the new system.
When asked if he feels more comfortable with Sarri in…
Zlatko Dalic has told Croatia to forget Mario Mandzukic as he works to uncover a replacement for the Juventus striker.
Mandzukic retired following his country s run to the World Cup final and Croatia have scored just one goal in three matches since, the latest of which was a 0-0 draw against England on Friday.
That result followed a 6-0 drubbing at the hands of Spain but coach Dalic is focusing on the future, rather than dwelling on the past.
It is not like us not to be able to score two matches in a row, he said. But we have to forget Mandzukic, it is over, he is not with us anymore.
He made his decision and we have to respect that and look for other solutions.
Croatia rode their luck at times in a match that was played behind closed doors a…
Leeds struck three late goals at a bouncing Elland Road to beat Leicester 3-1 and throw the Sky Bet Championship title race wide open.
Leicester appeared to be tightening their grip on top spot after Wout Faes’ first-half header, but Leeds hit back in a roaring finish with goals from Connor Roberts, Archie Gray and Patrick Bamford.
Daniel Farke’s side equalled a club-record nine straight league wins – set in 1931 – extending their unbeaten start to the year and closing the gap on leaders Leicester to six points.
The Foxes, who had been 17 points ahead of Leeds at the start of 2024, had been good value for their slender lead, but were punished for some glaring misses as they slipped to back-to-back league defeats.
Leicester were first to threaten t…
Sheffield Wednesday are heading back to the Championship following a two-year absence after they sealed the most dramatic of 1-0 victories over Barnsley in the League One play-off final.
Josh Windass was the Owls hero – following in the footsteps of play-off final winning dad Dean – with the last action of extra-time as he dived in to breath-takingly head home Lee Gregory’s pinpoint cross.
More than 40,000 ecstatic Owls celebrated wildly at the death after their team had finally seen off a gutsy Barnsley side who had played with 10 men following Adam Phillips’ 49th minute red card.
WE VE DONE IT! WE ARE GOING UP!!!!!!
— Sheffield Wednesday (@swfc)
Wembley was again bathed in sunshine as the Owls made the more purposeful start.
…
Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta completed the formalities of signing a new deal until June 2018 on Monday afternoon.
The Catalan giants confirmed last week that the Spain international had agreed terms on a contract extension, with his previous deal due to expire in June 2015.
And the 29-year-old, who has played in 480 matches for Barcelona, has now put pen to paper to end talk of a move away from the Nou Camp.
The Spanish champions have revealed that Iniesta s new contract will be automatically extended from the 2017/18 campaign provided he makes a certain number of appearances.
The gifted playmaker joined the Spanish champions at the age of 12 in 1996 and has gone on to establish himself as one of the best players in the world.
Iniesta has won six La …
Star-studded champions Barcelona slumped to an embarrassing 2-0 home defeat at the hands of minnows Hercules on Saturday while Jose Mourinho savoured his first win in charge of Real Madrid.
Paraguayan forward Nelson Haedo Valdez, signed from Borussia Dortmund, had a day to treasure scoring his first Hercules goal on 26 minutes and then another on 58 minutes as Barcelona crashed to a shock defeat against a side who have returned to the top flight after a 13-year absence.
Barcelona went the whole season unbeaten at home in the last campaign and this was their first home defeat in the league since May 23, 2009 when they lost to Osasuna having already won the title.
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola, who must pick his side up for Tuesday s Champions League opener agains…
Netherlands international Jeffrey Bruma has extended his contract with Eredivisie champions PSV for a further year to 2018.
Centre-back Bruma arrived in Eindhoven in 2013 from Chelsea with the Premier League club reportedly having placed a buyback clause in the initial deal.
The 24-year-old has since won the Eredivisie title and become a regular for Danny Blind s Netherlands, and he signed a one-year extension at the Philips Stadion on Monday.
It is clear that we have a mutual confidence in one another, Bruma told PSV s official website.
This is my third season. On my arrival we expressed goals together, all of which have come true so far. We have become champions and I have become an international.
With this new contract I m showing that I m h…
Uruguay forward Luis Suarez said he wants to alter his public image, after several reputation-tarnishing incidents.
At the top of the pile for the Liverpool superstar was an alleged racist remark towards Manchester United s Patrice Evra in October 2011.
Following that, Suarez bit Chelsea s Branislav Ivanovic in April 2013, which saw him banned for 10 matches.
Suarez s suspension extended into the 2013-14 Premier League season, but it did not stop him topping the golden boot standings with 31 goals in 33 games.
The 27-year-old said he wants his performances to represent him more than his indiscretions.
I want to change the bad boy image that has stuck for a bit because I don t think I am at all how I have been portrayed, Suarez told Sports Illustrated.
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