Correa seals Inter move

Champions League winner Virgil van Dijk is joined by Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi and Juventus Cristiano Ronaldo on the three-man shortlist for UEFA s Player of the Year award.

Van Dijk played a vital role in Liverpool s successful European campaign, playing 12 times en route to lifting the trophy.

As well as the UEFA recognition, he is also expected to be a major contender for the 2019 Ballon d Or, as is Messi.

Barcelona reached the semi-finals before being eliminated by Liverpool, but Messi still managed to enjoy a fine Champions League campaign.

NOMINEES: 2018/19 UEFA Men s Player of the Year

 Leo Messi
  Ronaldo
 

  winners announced at the , 29 August  

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague)

The Arge…

Former Juventus and Chelsea boss Claduio Ranieri is reportedly on the verge of taking over at Serie A side Roma after manager Luciano Spalletti resigned today.

Reports from Reuters go as far as to say that the Italian coach has taken over at the club already with a two-year deal agreed today according to Ranieri s lawyer.

Spalletti only resigned today following 2 defeats, no major signings in  the summer plus reported dressing room problems at the Stadio Olimpico and was linked with numerous jobs at clubs like Juventus and Zenit St. Petersburg his rumoured destination.

Ranieri, known as the Tinkerman from his time at Chelsea, was sacked from Juventus in May 2009 following a poor end to the season and may return to England with Roma in the same group as P…

PSV Eindhoven hotshot Jeremain Lens has revealed that he wants to continue his career in English Premier League.

The 25-year-old has enjoyed another very successful season in the Dutch Eredivisie, and it appears he is looking to leave his current employers in the summer transfer window.

Despite being followed by AC Milan and few other top European clubs, the talented forward has made it clear he wants to move to England.

“Given my style of play I would fit in well in England,” Lens .

Jeremain Lens began his professional career at AZ Alkmaar, and joined PSV Eindhoven in a €6 million move in the summer of 2010.

The striker has since clocked up 96 Eredivisie appearances for the Dutch giants, scoring 34 goals in the process.

After enjoy…

Mikel Merino has left Newcastle United for Real Sociedad after just one season at St James Park, the club have confirmed.

The midfielder arrived on loan from Borussia Dortmund ahead of the 2017-18 campaign, before the Magpies exercised a clause to make the move permanent on a five-year deal in October.

However, Merino found Premier League starts hard to come by in the second half of the campaign and just 14 of his 24 top-flight appearances were as part of the starting XI.

The 22-year-old now returns to Spain with Sociedad, a club based just over 50 miles from his home town of Pamplona, with reports suggesting he had a £10million release clause in his contract.

Thanks and good luck, Mikel.

— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC)

I m very happy…

Cristiano Ronaldo claims it was an easy decision for him to join Juventus from Real Madrid and took a thinly veiled swipe at his contemporaries who chase final paydays away from elite leagues.

The 33-year-old completed his stunning €105million move from Madrid to Juve last week and was greeted but a joyous band of supporters in Turin ahead of his medical and unveiling on Monday.

Speaking at a news conference, the five-time Ballon d Or winner insisted it was the challenge of performing for another European heavyweight that persuaded him to end nine years at the Santiago Bernabeu – a more attractive prospect than heading for the Chinese Super League or Qatar.

It was straightforward due to the power and the size of the club, said Ronaldo, who stated Juventus o…

He made his debut at just 15 years 175 days for Southampton and arrived at Arsenal as the most expensive teenage footballer in British football.

At just 16 Theo Walcott was the next big superstar. The little man who would be a future Premier League and England star.

He even went to the 2006 World Cup with England, despite having not actually played for the Gunners senior side. However in the years that have followed he has struggled for fitness and form.

Regular

His biggest moment in football so far was undoubtedly his hattrick for England in the 4-1 victory over Croatia in 2008. When he scored that hattrick I couldn’t help thinking here we go he will now grab a regular place in the England side.

Here is the answer to all England’s problems o…

A Chinese factory ordered to stop producing mascots for the World Cup due to allegations of sweatshop conditions defended itself Wednesday, saying its facilities were among the best in China.

Global Brands Group, the master licensee for all FIFA World Cup 2010 merchandise, said Tuesday it had withdrawn manufacturing approval for the Shanghai Fashion Plastic Products after an audit showed standards had been flouted.

The Global Brands Group investigated the factory, which produced figures of the tournament s dreadlocked leopard mascot Zakumi, following reports that it employed teenage workers, ran 13-hour shifts and paid just three dollars a day.

Considering China s actual conditions the environment in our factory, if not the best, is very good indeed, a company …

Real Madrid great Raul went out a winner as his New York Cosmos clinched the Soccer Bowl with a 3-2 win over the Ottawa Fury.

The 38-year-old, a multiple La Liga and Champions League winner with Real, played a full game in the Cosmos win.

Raul set up his side s third goal with a delicate flick as Gaston Cellerino completed his hat-trick and wrapped up the Cosmos win.

Victory marked the Cosmos second North American Soccer League (NASL) Soccer Bowl title, adding to their 2013 triumph.

While Raul was the man of the moment, Cellerino was the undoubted hero as he delivered for the Cosmos, who also sent out Marcos Senna a winner.

He opened the scoring in the eighth minute.

Cellerino kept his feet under pressure from the Ottawa defence and scored…

Steven Gerrard is heading back to Australia, headlining a star-studded Liverpool legends side to play a Socceroos legends outfit in Sydney in January next year.

Former Liverpool captain Gerrard, 35, will lead an all-stars squad featuring the likes of Jamie Carragher, Ian Rush, Dietmar Hamann and Luis Garcia for the clash at ANZ Stadium on January 7.

Gerrard, who made more than 500 appearances for Liverpool in a glittering Premier League career, is making a return Down Under after he was part of the Liverpool side that beat Melbourne Victory 2-0 at the MCG in 2013.

It will be great to play with the official Liverpool FC Legends, Gerrard, now an MLS star with LA Galaxy, said.

The squad looks like it’s a great set of lads, it ll be good to get on the pi…

Germany made a comfortable start to their World Cup qualifying campaign as early goals from Leon Goretzka and Kai Havertz paved the way for a 3-0 win over Iceland.

News of Joachim Low s upcoming departure after the Euros dominated the build-up to Germany s Group J opener, though a vibrant performance proved the quality the outgoing boss has at his disposal heading into his final tournament.

Goretzka and Havertz had Germany 2-0 up after just seven minutes – the quickest Die Mannschaft have been two goals ahead in a competitive match since May 1969, when Gerd Muller and Wolfang Overath struck against Cyprus.

In-form Ilkay Gundogan arrowed in his 13th goal of 2021 for club and country midway through the second half, wrapping up a convincing triumph.

A…