Manchester City interested in Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz

Manchester City are interested in re-signing Douglas Luiz from Aston Villa, according to . It has been reported that the former Premier League champions want to reinforce their central midfield position and have set their sights on Luiz, who has done well for the Villans.

Luiz has played seven times in the Premier League for Villa so far this season, providing one assist in the process, according to During the 2019-20 campaign, the 22-year-old Brazil international central midfielder made 28 starts and eight substitute appearances in the league for Dean Smith’s side, scoring three goals and providing two assists in the process, according to .

Villa signed Luiz from Premier League rivals City in the summer of 2019 for a transfer fee reported by to be worth £15 millio…

Prediction: Belarus vs Germany

Prediction: Germany win

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International football is back in our lives as the qualification period for UEFA Euro 2020 continues. Teams up and down the continent of Europe are attempting to progress into the tournament, which is set to take place in just over a year. One of the games that we ve going to be taking a look at today comes from Group C, as Belarus prepares to host Germany. A few years ago this would ve been considered a David vs Goliath type of encounter but that doesn t quite feel like the case this time around.

Belarus

After ensuring that they will be playing in the play-offs one way or another, there probably isn t going to be all too much concern from Belarus regarding their bottom place standing in the Group C tabl…

Premier League future ´bright´ despite managerial sacking record, says LMA chief Bevan

The Premier League has a bright future despite a record-breaking season for managerial departures, according to the League Managers Association chief executive Richard Bevan.

The 2022-23 season has seen 14 managerial changes – four more than any other previous Premier League campaign – after Javi Gracia parted ways with Leeds United just 70 days into his Elland Road tenure.

Graham Potter was also dismissed with little time to impress after replacing Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea, with only eight of the 20 top-flight clubs going through the entire campaign without a change in the dugout.

Bevan understands the brutal nature of the business and suggested managers acknowledge the pressure to provide instant success for their respective sides.

Fighting Premier …

Jurgen Klopp proven right as Liverpool call on quality, mentality and luck to see off Inter

In the build-up to Liverpool s clash with Inter at Anfield, Jurgen Klopp went to great lengths to spell out the fact that he and his team were taking nothing for granted.

Leading 2-0 from the first leg in Milan, the Reds were the clear favourites for progression in the Champions League last 16.

But, at his pre-match press conference, their manager warned: The danger everybody knows about. It s 2-0, the lead I think which got turned over most often in the history of football.

And he struck a similar chord in his programme notes, telling supporters: If anyone has even a tiny percentage of complacency or entitlement, please stay away.

Of course, Klopp would have loved nothing more than for Liverpool to have produced a vintage performance that made his caut…

Griezmann to Barcelona: Past his peak? The France star´s Atletico career in Opta numbers

Barcelona have signed Antoine Griezmann after the France international announced he would leave Atletico Madrid despite having signed a new five-year contract last June.

The 28-year-old, who joined Atleti from Real Sociedad for approximately €30million in July 2014, has been the club s top goalscorer across all competitions in each of his five seasons in the capital.

His exploits took him to fifth in the club s list of all-time leading scorers with 133 in all competitions, but the World Cup-winning forward brought much more than just goals to the Rojiblancos.

A detailed look at his season-by-season statistics underline his huge importance to Diego Simeone s team over the past five years, but do they also indicate his best football may be behind him?
 

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Jude Bellingham prefers Real Madrid transfer

Jude Bellingham would prefer to move to Real Madrid if he leaves Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2023, according to . The report has claimed that Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City all are keen on signing Bellingham from Dortmund next summer. However, the England international midfielder would prefer to move to last season’s La Liga and UEFA Champions League winners.

Bellingham has been on the books of Dortmund since 2020 when he joined from Birmingham City. The 19-year-old midfielder has been superb for the German club and has done well for them in the Bundesliga and in the UEFA Champions League.

The English teenager is one of the best young players in the world, and he would be a brilliant signing for Real Madrid next summer. Dortmund do te…

Australia to face familiar foes as Iran draw Iraq in World Cup qualifying

Australia will battle old demons after being thrust into the same group as Jordan in the second round of AFC qualifying for the 2022 World Cup.

The draw took place in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday and put the Socceroos on a collision course with a team that has had their measure in recent years.

Jordan have won three of five meetings since 2012, among them a 1-0 victory at the Asian Cup in January.

Chinese Taipei, Kuwait and Nepal round out Group B.

Asia s top-ranked team, Iran, are to face Bahrain, Cambodia, Hong Kong and the tricky Iraq in Group C.

 We’re definitely in for a treat. Here’s the Round 2 draw results.

Tell us your thoughts! 

— AFC (@theafcdotcom)

Continental champions Qatar, heavyweights Japan, and Sou…

Vidal signing would put Inter on par with Juve – Berti

Nicola Berti believes Inter will be at the same level as Serie A champions Juventus if they complete a reported swoop for ex-Bianconeri star Arturo Vidal.

Inter have already brought in Radja Nainggolan this off-season, but they continue to be linked with other elite midfielders including World Cup Golden Ball winner Luka Modric and a deal for Bayern Munich s Vidal is said to be close.

Juventus have bolstered their own squad with the sensational signing of Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid, but former Inter man Berti claims Vidal s arrival would put the Nerazzurri on par with Massimiliano Allegri s side.

Vidal at Inter would be super, Berti told La Tercera. If we sign him, I will be very excited.

35 410 Arturo scored 35 goals and won 410 tackles between…

World Cup to feature female referees for first time

The 2022 men s World Cup will feature female referees for the first time in the competition s history.

FIFA announced on Thursday the list of 36 referees, 69 assistant referees and 24 video match officials that have been chosen for the tournament, which is to be held in Qatar in November and December.

Three female referees, Stephanie Frappart, Salima Mukansanga and Yoshimi Yamashita, and three assistant referees, Neuza Back, Kathryn Nesbitt and Karen Diaz Medina, have been included.

Frappart has experience in top-level European football, becoming the first female to referee a Champions League match and European Championship qualifiers, while she has also taken charge of Ligue 1 games.

Mukansanga became the first woman to referee a match at the Africa …

Liverpool in advanced talks over Minamino

Liverpool have surprised everyone! After almost doing no business in the summer of 2019, they are now on the verge of making an unexpected deal with Takumi Minamino. The Japanese forward plays for Red Bull Salzburg and Liverpool are now in advanced talks with his club to make the deal happen. It should be worth 7.25 million pounds, as that is reportedly Minamino s release clause.

The deal has been apparently agreed on and he is expected to join Liverpool on 1 January 2020. The 24-year-old impressed everyone at Liverpool during the two matches Salzburg played against the champions of Europe this autumn.

The media have been caught surprised by this move, as Minamino was never really linked with the Reds. He joined Salzburg in 2015, coming from Cerezo Osaka, the J-League s…