Di Maria ´never spoke badly´ about Man United but expected jeers

Valencia have sacked Javi Gracia as coach.

His dismissal comes following a 3-2 loss to Barcelona that made it six games without a win in LaLiga.

Valencia took the lead in Sunday s game through Gabriel Paulista, only for a Lionel Messi double sandwiched by an Antoine Griezmann effort to put Barca in command before Carlos Soler replied.

They will likely avoid the drop, but still have work to do as Valencia sit just six points clear of the relegation zone with four games to go.

Voro will return for a third spell as interim boss, having also been in caretaker charge three times and held the position permanently once in 2016-17.

Gracia, who was only appointed last July, had a win percentage of 23.53 in the league, the lowest for a permanent Valencia co…

Arthur has bolstered his reputation as the heir to Xavi s Barcelona throne by setting a passing record for the last six years in LaLiga.

During Sunday s 1-1 LaLiga draw at Valencia, Arthur attempted 142 passes and completed 135 of them more than anyone in a league game this season.

The last time any LaLiga player attempted as many passes in an away LaLiga match was Xavi against Levante in November 2012.

Brazil midfielder Arthur, who moved to Camp Nou from Gremio earlier this year, has often been compared to Xavi despite wearing the number eight shirt for Barca, previously occupied by Andres Iniesta.

Despite Arthur s dominance of the ball, Barca could not find a winner at Mestalla on Sunday, with Ernesto Valverde s men now winless in four league games.

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Two MLS sides who find themselves seeking some stability this weekend, Houston will welcome Chicago to the PNC Stadium in the early hours of Sunday.

Houston Dynamo

Starting with the hosts, marking their return from June s international break with another worrying display, Houston really find themselves in the midst of another struggle. Although the Dynamo s might have shocked many across the MLS as they stormed their way to a 3-0 romp against LA Galaxy last month, it appears that was just a minor boost for Paulo Nagamura s side. Last seen getting hit with a deserved 2-1 defeat away at Orlando, El Naranja have now lost each of their last three domestic contests. Failing to build off of what was a much-needed bounce from last month, the…

Robert Lewandowski extended his latest Champions League scoring streak in stunning style as Bayern Munich clinched top spot in Group E with a 2-1 win at Dynamo Kiev.

Lewandowski netted for the ninth game running in Europe s elite club competition – becoming the only player to achieve such a streak twice – with a sensational overhead kick in the Olympic Stadium snow.

Bayern, needing only a point to secure first place, were far from comfortable, but Kingsley Coman doubled their lead before half-time to ensure Denys Harmash s belated response counted for little.

Difficult conditions under foot hindered the quality of the contest with one obvious exception. Lewandowski had plenty to do after the ball looped up off Illia Zabarnyi in the area, but his acrobatic f…

Filipe Luis will not decide his Atletico Madrid future until after the Copa America.

The left-back is part of Brazil s squad for the tournament having been selected ahead of Real Madrid s Marcelo.

Filipe Luis, who returned to Atletico in 2015 following a season at Chelsea, will be a free agent by the end of the Copa America as his contract is expiring.

Barcelona are reportedly keen on the 33-year-old but he wants to stay focused on helping his country triumph on home soil.

On the interest of other clubs, obviously my contract ends, Filipe Luis told reporters.  I have both the possibility of staying at Atletico and leaving.

And the doors are open but, as I have said, I already talked with the club and I have already said that I will not specul…

According to a recent report from Fabrizio Romano, Manchester City will open negotiations with Joao Cancelo over a new contract in the new year.

The 27-year-old full-back joined City from Juventus back in 2019 and has been one of their most influential figures ever since. It’s clear to see that Pep Guardiola has a lot of trust in him and while he’s believed to be riding a six-year deal, City want to tie him down with an even bigger contract that will deter some top clubs around Europe from going after him.

There are few defenders in the league, let alone in world football, who can do what he can do for City, and he s likely to prove that again when they take on Wolves this weekend.

With five wins in a row behind them, this is the kind of run that can be att…

Bordeaux have denied demanding a fee for missing striker Emiliano Sala following his move to Cardiff City.

Sala completed a club-record transfer to Premier League side Cardiff before the plane he was aboard went missing en route to the Welsh capital from Nantes on Monday.

The search for Sala – who had been back in France bidding farewell to his team-mates at Nantes – was ended by Guernsey Police on Thursday, though the 28-year-old s family are determined to resume the operation.

Amid the heartache, reports have emerged that Bordeaux asked for a fee from Sala s transfer, believed to be 50 per cent following his spell at the club from 2012 to 2015, though the Ligue 1 outfit dismissed those claims.

Communiqué du club
 

— FC Girondins de Bor…

Fabian Schar s fifth-minute header proved decisive as Switzerland edged out 10-man Albania 1-0 in their Euro 2016 opener at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis on Saturday.

Albania goalkeeper Etrit Berisha ventured off his line to try and claim Xherdan Shaqiri s corner but was beaten to the delivery by Schar, who got Switzerland s Group A campaign off to a winning start.

Gianni Di Biasi s team scored just 10 goals in eight games during qualifying and their task was made all the more difficult by the dismissal of captain Lorik Cana, earning his 91st cap.

The defender received a second booking for a handball on the edge of his own box, and the right-hand post stopped Blerim Dzemaili compounding their misery from the ensuing set-piece.

Despite being a man light Alb…

Liverpool have announced Trent Alexander-Arnold has signed a new long-term contract extension with the club.

Alexander-Arnold has made 179 appearances for the Reds and was a crucial part of Jurgen Klopp s squad that won the Premier League title in 2019-20, ending the 30-year wait to be crowned top-flight champions again.

The right-back – who made his first-team debut in a League Cup tie against Tottenham in August 2016 – has committed his future to Liverpool as he prepares for the new domestic season, having missed out on Euro 2020 with England due to a thigh injury.

I m honoured to be given the opportunity and to be shown the trust in the club to be given an extension, so it was a no-brainer for me, Alexander-Arnold told the club s official website after ag…

Giorgio Chiellini still holds Antonio Conte in high regard and the Juventus defender would hate to see his former club and international boss take charge at Inter.

Conte, out of work since leaving Premier League side Chelsea at the end of the 2017-18 campaign, has been tipped to take over from Luciano Spalletti at San Siro following the conclusion of the season.

The ex-Italy manager has not been in charge of a Serie A club since leaving Juve for the national team in 2014 after guiding the Bianconeri to three successive league titles.

Chiellini was a key part of those championship-winning teams and he is uncomfortable with the possibility of Conte coaching one of Juve s major rivals.

I would hate to see him there, but it s part of life, the defender …