Juventus-linked Rakitic out of Croatia squad as Kovacic suffers injury

New Hamburg head coach Markus Gisdol has backed Alen Halilovic to shine under his tutelage providing he is afforded the necessary time and space.

Halilovic – dubbed the Balkan Messi after coming through the ranks at Dinamo Zagreb and sealing a switch to Barca in 2014 – moved to Bundesliga club Hamburg after a fruitful loan spell at Sporting Gijon last term, but struggled for game-time under Gisdol s predecessor Bruno Labbadia.

But Gisdol, who oversaw the development of Roberto Firmino, Kevin Volland and Sebastian Rudy during his tenure at Hoffenheim, is confident he can get the best out of the 20-year-old.

We will all do incredibly well if we take the pressure off Halilovic. The expectations of him are totally inappropriate. He is now very specifically set u…

Napoli have released a statement denying striker Gonzalo Higuain made controversial comments about former Real Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo.

Quotes emerged on Sunday of Higuain reportedly branding three-time Ballon d Or winner Ronaldo over-rated and egotistical in an apparent interview with Spanish magazine Don Balon.

However, Napoli insisted the Argentina international never made those comments.

Napoli and Higuain categorically deny ever he has been granted an interview with Don Balon , the statement read.

Therefore the sentences attributed to Higuain are considered false and without any foundation.

Higuain, who played alongside Ronaldo at the Santiago Bernabeu before moving to Napoli in 2013, made headlines when he was quoted as saying…

Lionel Messi made his Paris Saint-Germain debut as a second-half substitute as Kylian Mbappe scored potentially his final goals for the club in a 2-0 victory at Reims on Sunday.

Messi was introduced in the 66th minute at the Stade Auguste Delaune, just after Real Madrid target Mbappe had doubled both his and PSG’s tally in the contest with a first-time finish.

The France striker, who had headed his team in front in the first half, helped PSG make it four straight wins at the start of a Ligue 1 campaign for the sixth time in their history as they bid to regain the title.

Mauricio Pochettino resisted the temptation to select Messi from the outset – meaning he joined fellow new recruit Gianluigi Donnarumma on the bench – but the wantaway Mbappe was part of …

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has urged everyone to stay calm when it comes to handling the futures of some of their biggest stars.

Virgil van Dijk, who along with Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold has 18 months left on his contract, has said he was curious to see where the club was heading with Klopp’s departure pending and admitted he did not know whether he would be part of a new era at Anfield.

That has sparked concerns a period of inertia – Liverpool currently do not have a sporting director in place after Jorg Schmadtke’s short-term appointment was ended – until the identity of the new manager is known could lead to the break up of a squad which Klopp believes has been rebuilt sufficiently to continue challenging after he has gone.

Asked whe…

Gareth Bale has endured arguably the toughest spell of his career in recent weeks but has the perfect opportunity to silence his critics when Real Madrid face Barcelona in Sunday s Clasico at Camp Nou.

Having adapted well since his mega-money move from Tottenham winning the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League in his debut season a recent lean spell has attracted fierce criticism.

Spanish media have questioned his commitment to the side both on and off the field, while Real fans have made their feelings clear inside the Bernabeu.

So strong has the criticism been that club president Florentino Perez, coach Carlo Ancelotti and Ballon d Or holder Cristiano Ronaldo have all been moved to back the winger of late.

Bale s form despite having been part of a…

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini does not believe Sunday s derby against Manchester United will have a decisive impact on the Premier League title race.

City make the short journey to Old Trafford for the 170th edition of the fixture with a slender two-point advantage over their rivals at the summit, with United behind Arsenal on goal difference.

While Pellegrini appreciates the importance of the game in terms of tackling a close rival with local passions running high, he is more interested in proving that the club he led to the league title in 2013-14 are the best in England over the long haul.

It s an important three points and I always say it s a six-pointer because you re playing the team behind you,  he told a news conference. But it will not be a…

On Monday, the Daily Mail reported that the Premier League have ambitious plans to finish the 2019/20 season at the beginning of May and finish by mid-July. Some have slammed the plans and called them dangerous with the coronavirus still spreading throughout the UK, despite most citizens obeying the government’s social distancing policies.

An unpredictable situation

It would be a risky strategy for the league to recommence in May. The world is in an unprecedented situation in peacetime. Although there are estimates from some very intelligent experts, nobody really knows how the virus will ultimately affect the population.

Like everything else in the world, the plan to recommence the Premier League is Coronavirus-dependent. If the country is still in any state of lock…

Arsenal losing striker Robin Van Persie was a disaster for the club. The Dutchman is a touch above all the other strikers in Arsene Wenger s squad.

Lack of options

Arsenal really don t have that many other options up front. They have Eduardo, who I think still hasn t got back to his best since his awful injury. He is still decent but isn t quite performing at the top of his game.

Then there is highly rated youngster Carlos Vela. The Mexican ace is already an international but only seems to play in the Carling Cup and FA Cup. He hasn t been given many chances in the Premier League to prove his worth.

Then there is Danish striker Nicklas Bendtner. However the 21 year-old has been playing as a winger this season. There are big doubts whether he is good enou…

There is a common factor at Liverpool, Portsmouth and West Ham. That common factor is that foreign investors have put the clubs in major financial trouble.

Money men

Don t get me wrong I don t think that major foreign investment is a bad thing but the people investing in English clubs seem to only have their own interests at heart.

At the end the day football has became a business but to us football fans its about more than just money. We love our clubs whether we are the richest in the league or the poorest.

Unfortunately for most of us fans we don t have the financial clout of some of these businessmen. They see a chance to make money and they take advantage. In the process sometimes putting the future of their new toy in jeopardy.

American dre…

The 24-year-old centre-back Norbert Gyomber returned to after his Pescara spell was cut short, but Giallorossi have once again loaned out the Slovakia defender, who has officially sealed Terek Grozny move.

The Russian club have confirmed that Norbert Gyomber has joined for the rest of the current season via their twitter account, although there is no information as to whether the club will be looking to buy out the defender’s contract once the loan spell expires.

The Slovakia international will be looking to get his career back on track after falling out of favour with Massimo Odd last week, after a reported ugly confrontation.

Norbert Gyomber was promptly dropped from the team and was forced to find the new club quickly as he is not in Luciano Spalletti’s …