Former Chelsea player-manager Gianluca Vialli has been impressed with the way Antonio Conte has started life at Stamford Bridge.
Conte, who took charge in July after leaving his post as Italy head coach following Euro 2016, has claimed three wins and a draw from his first four Premier League matches.
Vialli, who won the domestic double and the Champions League alongside Conte at Juventus, says the signs are encouraging for Chelsea following their dismal campaign in 2015-16.
I think Conte is already doing a great job at Chelsea, said Vialli. He arrived at the right moment after a disappointing season. He has had a very good team in his hands and he tried to bring in more quality players.
I think players have no choice but to follow him. They are used to …
James Rodriguez wants to continue his stay at Bayern Munich after his loan from Real Madrid ends and admits the Bundesliga has surpassed his expectations.
The Colombia international has impressed at the Allianz Arena since joining on a two-year loan deal last July.
Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge confirmed last month that they have the option to sign James on a permanent deal for €42million, although he stressed there was no rush over triggering the clause.
James himself admits he would be delighted to stay in the Bundesliga, telling reporters after Bayern s 3-1 win over Cologne on Saturday: I m doing very well.
It s a good league here in Germany, the stadiums are full. I came here with a different perception.
I m fine, I hope I stay h…
Barcelona keen on Di Maria
Champions League winners Barcelona are considering an ambitious bid for Manchester United midfielder Angel Di Maria, .
The Catalans aim to recruit a creative central midfielder who can be effective in the final third and the Argentina star is one of the players they are looking at.
Barcelona have not been put off by Di Maria s poor performances in English Premier League and they could come forward with an official proposal in the coming weeks.
The Argentine has largely struggled for form and playing time in the second part of last season and it is believed he plans to leave Old Trafford this summer.
Di Maria, 27, did manage 3 goals and 10 assists in 27 Premier League outings, but he hasn t quite managed to justify the h…
Nigel Pearson has been sacked as boss of Leicester
Premier League Leicester City have dispensed with the services of boss Nigel Pearson, who guided the Foxes to an extraordinary great escape from relegation last season.
The decision has shocked the football world, especially after the Foxes performances at the end of last season.
Breakdown
The reason cited for his sacking was the breakdown of the working relationship with the clubs owners. The Foxes issued a statement explaining the Pearson’s exit. Here is an extract of that statement:
The board of directors recognises the success Nigel has helped to bring to Leicester City during his two spells in charge of the club, particularly during the last three and a half years.
However, it ha…
Crystal Palace s Wilfried Zaha wants move to the Premier League in the January transfer window.
The 20-year-old England international has attracted interest from a number of leading clubs, including Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United, and has revealed if a Premier League club made an offer for him in the transfer window, then he would leave.
I want to establish myself in the Premier League and in international football, he told the Mail on Sunday.
I m not a teenager any more, I ve played more than 100 first-team games and this year is crucial to develop my football career.
I ve played a lot in the Championship so having that new challenge in the Premier League, where everyone wants to be, would be great.
To be honest, if I had the chance…
Bayern Munich youngster Joshua Kimmich has revealed he drew inspiration from Barcelona legend Xavi growing up and has nothing but praise for the for the iconic ex-Spain midfielder.
Kimmich, 21, has developed into an important first-team player at Bayern since joining the club from Stuttgart in 2015 and has already netted seven goals in 12 appearances this term.
Xavi was my role model growing up, Kimmich told the official UEFA website.
He was a very, very good footballer, technically very good, a leader. He can lead a team and he is an absolute team player.
He knows exactly how to combine with his team-mates and always puts himself at the service of them.
And I also see him as a role model because he did not have the same physical presence as…
Stoke City manager Mark Hughes insisted he never doubted Wilfried Bony after the on-loan striker scored his first goals for the Premier League club.
Without a goal since making the temporary move from Manchester City for the 2016-17 season, Bony finally opened his account with a brace in Monday s 3-1 win over Swansea City.
Bony came back to haunt his former club, whom he left for City in 2015, scoring in each half to lead Stoke to a third consecutive victory.
Speaking in a news conference post-match, Hughes praised the 27-year-old Ivorian.
I think his general play has been really good over the past few weeks, and all his game was missing was a goal or two to his name, Hughes said.
Thankfully he is up and running now, and, if my memory serves me …
Nantes head coach Antoine Kombouare labelled his players a sh***y team on Sunday as he took a dramatic swipe at the group two weeks ahead of the Coupe de France final.
There will be glory in their sights at the Stade de France on April 29 when Nantes tackle Toulouse for cup honours.
However, former Paris Saint-Germain boss Kombouare tore into his side in a television interview after the 2-1 loss at Auxerre on Ligue 1 duty that left Nantes 15th in the table.
The 59-year-old told Prime Video: Today the players aren t concerned by survival because, up to now imagine, you got to the 16th finals of the Europa League, you re going to the Stade de France in two weeks.
But apparently they would prefer for us to be up the creek and find ourselves 17th to be able …
What the papers say
Tottenham will have to battle Bayern Munich to sign their top defensive target Radu Dragusin from Romania after the German giants tabled a late offer, the Telegraph reports. The 21-year-old defender plays for Genoa in the Serie A and has scored two goals and added an assist in 19 games in the competition this year.
The Mirror says Jadon Sancho, who was confirmed to be in negotiations with Borussia Dortmund, will return to Manchester United after a loan deal with the German club as they can not afford the transfer fee. The 23-year-old has only played three games this year for Erik ten Hag’s side.
Newcastle United will staunchly reject any offer from Paris St Germain for their Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, the i reports.
Tottenham wil…
Manchester United have made a check on Sporting Lisbon hotshot Eric Dier, according to Portuguese daily Record.
The Red Devils have long ago been alerted of the player’s potential and they are closely monitoring his progress.
Record understands that Manchester United scouts watched the England Under-19 defender as he starred in Sporting’s 2-1 win over Academica.
The 19-year-old has broken into the first team set up at Estadio Jose Alvalade and has already made 11 league appearances for the Lions this term.
Dier is regarded as one of England’s hottest prospects and he has spent six months on loan at Everton last season as Sporting officials believed such a move would benefit his development.
The talented stopper has been at Sporting since 20…