Saint Etienne ended their three-year losing French Cup record on Saturday with a 1-0 win over Bordeaux to reach the last 32 and keep coach Alain Perrin on course for an unprecedented Cup treble.
Bafetimbi Gomis grabbed the only goal of the game in the 76th minute on a treacherous and slippy surface at Bordeaux s Jacques-Chaban-Delmas stadium.
Bordeaux, coached by former Manchester United defender Laurent Blanc, were missing a host of their South American stars who had been given permission to stay on their Christmas vacation.
That would have delighted Perrin who coached Sochaux to the 2007 French Cup title and Lyon in 2008.
Meanwhile, Lyon s march to a possible second successive league and cup double was put on hold when their tie at fourth division …
Treating Barcelona captain Lionel Messi like a normal opponent will only end in El Clasico misery for Real Madrid, Raphael Varane has warned.
France international Varane and his fellow Madrid defenders will have their hands full when they square off against Barca s expensively assembled front three for the first time on Wednesday.
Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann have already scored four goals between them in December and will hope to help fire the champions three points clear of their LaLiga title rivals at Camp Nou.
Barca captain Messi remains the most obvious danger to the visitors 11-game undefeated streak and, though the Ballon d Or winner has failed to score in his past three Clasico appearances, centre-back Varane insisted every single Madrid player wou…
Ernesto Valverde explained Sergio Busquets was a late omission from Barcelona s Clasico line-up against Real Madrid due to a fever.
The Spain international was originally named among Barca s starting XI but was a late withdrawal with Ivan Rakitic taking his place.
Confusion reigned with some reports suggesting Busquets was going to be among the substitutes instead, but head coach Valverde confirmed it was illness that meant he missed the goalless draw at Camp Nou.
It is true that Busquets was feeling bad, he had a fever, before the game, Valverde told Movistar.
We thought we could have used him in the second half but not in the end. The coach makes the decision based on what he sees.
FORÇA BARÇA!
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona)
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Bayern Munich are going down the right path if they do choose to hire Niko Kovac as Jupp Heynckes successor, according to the club s former defender Olaf Thon.
Speculation surfaced on Thursday that Bayern had struck an agreement with Eintracht Frankfurt coach Kovac, with a view to him taking over for next season.
Kovac has done a sterling job at Frankfurt and taken them up to fifth in the Bundesliga this term, giving them a strong possibility of securing European football for the 2018-19 campaign.
Thon feels the 46-year-old Croatian, who played for Bayern for two years from 2001, would be a popular choice, particularly given his existing relationships within the club.
At first I was a bit surprised, Thon, who played for Bayern from 1988 until 1994, told…
Crystal Palace are leading the chase to sign Jack Wilshere on loan from Arsenal, .
Not less than twenty-two clubs across England and further afield have registered an interest in securing a deal for the England international, though it looks likely that he will be staying in London with Palace the front runners.
Wilshere has made just two substitute appearances for the Gunners so far this season, and played in just three Premier League games in the entire 2015./16 campaign.
Aside from a loan spell with Bolton Wanderers early in his career the twenty-four year old has spent his entire career with Arsene Wenger’s side, racking up one hundred and fifty-seven games in all competitions in total, scoring twelve times.
He has been capped thirty-four time…
Brendan Rodgers is wary of the threat posed by Aston Villa ahead of injury-hit Liverpool s clash with Paul Lambert s side on Saturday.
Villa are unbeaten in their last three trips to Anfield; drawing 2-2 in the Premier League last season after securing a shock 3-1 win during the 2012-13 campaign.
The West Midlands club have picked up seven points from their first three Premier League matches this season, conceding only one goal in the process.
Liverpool will be expected to secure all three points on Merseyside this weekend, despite being hampered by injuries, but Rodgers will not be taking Villa lightly.
He said: They ve started well. I m pleased for Paul because he s gone in and looked to bring in young players.
The first season was difficult bu…
Man City have bid rejected for Sterling
that Liverpool have rejected an official proposal from Manchester City for star forward Raheem Sterling.
It is no secret that the England hotshot hopes to leave the Reds this summer, but the club chiefs have no intention to sell just yet.
Manchester City tested Liverpool s resolve with a £25 million bid for the player s services, but it is believed the Anfield outfit are holding out for £50 million.
Sterling has another two years left on his current contract, while he recently turned down a £100,000 per week deal.
With Frank Lampard and James Milner leaving, Manchester City are desperate to sign English players, having UEFA s home-grown quota in mind.
The Citizens are expected to return with an …
Hull City are closing in on a deal to sign former Newcastle United goalkeeper Steve Harper, according to the Daily Star.
The 38 year old was not offered a new contact after twenty-years at St. James Park, but has been keen to continue his playing career.
In his two decades in the North-East, Harper racked up just 157 appearances, with the veteran holding the record for the most appearances as an unused substitute.
During the 1990’s he had loan spells at Bradford City, Gateshead, Stockport County, Hartlepool United and Huddersfield Town, while his most recent spell away from Newcastle came at Brighton and Hove Albion for a month late 2011.
Should he put pen to paper on a deal with the Tigers, he will become their sixth summer signing after the ar…
Hamburg have confirmed they are interested in signing Everton s Croatian forward Nikica Jelavic.
The Bundesliga outfit – who scored fewer goals than any other side in the top half of the table last term – are keen to bolster their attacking stocks with the 27-year-old.
Jelavic arrived at Goodison Park from Rangers in January 2012 and was an immediate hit, scoring 11 goals in 16 appearances to finish the 2011-12 season.
He was not as prolific last term however, scoring just eight times in 43 games, and the close-season arrivals of Barcelona loanee Gerard Deulofeu and Ivorian Arouna Kone have put Jelavic s Everton future in doubt.
Hamburg are keen to seize the opportunity and sporting director Oliver Kreuzer has been a keen admirer of the striker for some time.…
Everton hopes to obtain a work permit for Valencia-midfielder Ever Banega. The Toffees want to loan him for one season with an option for a permanent transfer. However, the deal is complicated because the Argentine didn`t play 75 percent of Argentina games in the last two years.
The 21-year old Banega was former Valencia-coach Ronald Koeman`s major signing. The Spanish side signed him from Boca Juniors for about £ 15,000,000 in January 2008. Last season he played on a loan-base for Atletico Madrid.
Meanwhile, Everton denies that they`ve had further contact with Manchester City over Joleon Lescott although there have been rumors that City-captain Richard Dunne could be offered in part-exchange.
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