Bayern Munich have reached a surprise deal to sign Real Madrid playmaker Xabi Alonso.
The German champions announced on Thursday that following negotiations with both Real and Alonso, the player will move to the Allianz Arena subject to a medical.
A statement published on Bayern s official Twitter feed read: #FCBayern confirms talks with Xabi Alonso and Real Madrid.
The Spaniard is now expected [in Germany] for a medical.
The 32-year-old Alonso, who announced his retirement from international football after winning 114 caps for Spain on Wednesday, signed a two-year extension to his Real contract back in January.
However, he has seemingly been pushed down the European champions midfield pecking order following the arrivals of Toni Kroos who joine…
Jose Gimenez has committed his future to Atletico Madrid by signing a new five-year contract, the club have announced.
The Uruguay international s contract was due to expire in June 2020, but he has finalised a deal that ties him to Atletico for a further three seasons.
Gimenez has made 134 appearances for Atletico since joining from Danubio in 2013, forming a strong defensive partnership with compatriot Diego Godin.
I m very happy. I m grateful for the confidence the club has put in me, Gimenez said in a statement.
Since I arrived the club has grown a lot. We have won titles, we have consolidated ourselves among the best in Europe, we have opened a spectacular stadium and it is an honour to continue contributing to this great project.
We have …
Julian Draxler warned that Schalke will only improve as they get to grips with Roberto Di Matteo s style, ahead of Sporting Lisbon s visit.
The former Chelsea and West Brom boss enjoyed a winning start to life as Schalke coach with a 2-0 success against Hertha Berlin on Saturday.
Draxler set up Klaas-Jan Huntelaar s 19th-minute opener before wrapping up the points midway through the second half with a goal of his own.
It gives Schalke an ideal boost ahead of their Group G home clash against the Primeira Liga outfit and 21-year-old Draxler feels there is much more to come from his team-mates.
It was important to start with three points under the new coach and we ve managed that, Draxler told Schalke s official website.
It s not easy when a new ma…
Belgium’s Euro 2024 qualifier against Sweden was abandoned at half-time after two people were shot dead in Brussels.
Following the shootings on Monday evening, which the authorities are treating as terrorism, with Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo later confirming the victims were Swedish, the decision was taken to call off the game at the King Baudouin Stadium.
“Due to the incidents in Brussels earlier tonight, play is suspended. Our thoughts are with all those affected,” a post from the Belgian national team read on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Due to the incidents in Brussels earlier tonight, play is suspended. Our thoughts are with all those affected.
— Belgian Red Devils (@BelRedDevils)
Reports have suggested players from bo…
Diego Maradona has thrown his backing behind the introduction of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) and conceded the system would have seen his Hand of God goal against England ruled out.
Maradona etched himself into the history of the World Cup at the tournament in Mexico in 1986.
As he rose to challenge England s Peter Shilton, the Argentina captain used his hand to flick the ball past the goalkeeper and give his side the lead.
The mercurial playmaker went on to score a sensational second that proved crucial in La Albiceleste s 2-1 quarter-final victory, Argentina going on to lift the title.
With the VAR system which was used during the Confederations Cup and will be available during the upcoming Bundesliga campaign Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser would …
Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain turn attention back to their defence of the French title following midweek heroics on the continent as they visit Bordeaux.
PSG secured a place in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday with a remarkable showing in their last-16 second leg against Chelsea.
The French capital club earned a 2-2 draw in extra time, levelling the tie at 3-3 and progressing on away goals despite seeing striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic sent off in the 31st minute at Stamford Bridge.
Laurent Blanc s men played a full 90 minutes with a numerical disadvantage but controlled the game for long periods and managed to come from behind twice, with Thiago Silva s 114th-minute header putting them through.
It remains to be seen how fresh PSG …
Midtjylland chairman Rasmus Ankersen hopes shrewd thinking can secure another Premier League scalp when the Danish champions take on Manchester United in the Europa League.
Monday s draw in Nyon handed Midtjylland a mouth-watering last-32 clash against Louis van Gaal s team, who drop down from the Champions League having lost out to Wolfsburg and PSV in Group B.
Midtjylland prevailed 2-1 on aggregate against Southampton during the preliminary stages of the Europa League this year and they took United s rivals Manchester City to a penalty shootout in 2008.
Ankersen is well-versed in English football from his other role as co-director of football at Championship side Brentford and he is realistic about the gulf in resources that the tie throws up.
We re…
Former Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson said he could not have wished for a better boss than late chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.
Pearson was in charge when Leicester earned promotion to the Premier League by winning the Championship in 2013-14 – less than four years after Srivaddhanaprabha purchased the club.
The 55-year-old was dismissed after masterminding a magnificent escape from relegation in the Foxes first season back in the top flight, with Claudio Ranieri guiding them to the title in astonishing fashion the following term.
However, in September 2017 Pearson was appointed as manager of second-tier Belgian side OH-Leuven, which was purchased by Srivaddhanaprabha s King Power International in May of that year.
Following the death of the Th…
It is one of the most iconic moments in the Premier League’s 25-year history, and Sergio Aguero s last-minute goal to seal the 2011-12 title for Manchester City still stirs the emotions for Kolo Toure and Mike Phelan.
May 13, 2012 will forever be etched in the memory of English football fans, as the destination of the trophy swung one way and then the other, eventually leaving one half of Manchester celebrating and the other in tears.
City and United went into the final weekend of the campaign level on points, with the former ahead on goal difference.
United did all they could with a 1-0 win at Sunderland thanks to a Wayne Rooney goal and the title appeared to be heading to Old Trafford.
However, City trailing 2-1 at home to QPR scored twice in sto…
Manchester United full-back Rafael is closing in on a move to Ligue 1 side Lyon, .
In seven seasons at Old Trafford, the twenty-five year old has racked up one hundred and sixty-nine appearances for the club, scoring five goals.
He has three Premier League winners medals, and has also tasted success in the League Cup while was part of the squads that were beaten finalists in the 2009 and 2011 Champions League.
Rafael , who has been capped just twice for Brazil, signed for United on the same day as his twin brother Fabio who left the club for Cardiff City eighteen months ago, after a loan spell with Queens Park Rangers.
Antonio Valencia was preferred at right-back by manager Louis van Gaal last season, and the addition of Matteo Darmian from Torino is…