Germany centre-back Jerome Boateng considered leaving Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich during the close season.
Boateng, who joined Bayern from Manchester City in 2011, has been a key member of the Bayern side that are on a run of five consecutive Bundesliga titles.
But a thigh injury sustained at Euro 2016 preceded a campaign ravaged by fitness problems last time around, with the 29-year-old restricted to 13 Bundesliga appearances.
In an interview with Kicker, Boateng explained he was left pondering whether it was time for a fresh start and took his concerns to the Bayern board during Carlo Ancelotti s time in charge.
I had a conversation with the directors about how they see me in the summer, I said I was thinking about it [a transfer], he said.
…
Pele is receiving treatment for a urinary tract infection in a French hospital, the former Brazil star s advisors have confirmed to Omnisport.
It was reported early on Wednesday that the 78-year-old had been hospitalised after falling ill in the hours after attending a sponsor event with Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe.
It has been confirmed he is on a course of antibiotics and is not likely to be discharged until the infection has completely cleared up.
Pele, who was treated for a similar condition in a Sao Paulo hospital in 2014, is expected to be released in the next 24 to 48 hours.
The three-time World Cup winner, who spent his club career with Santos and New York Cosmos, is widely considered one of the greatest players in football history.…
Cristiano Ronaldo has insisted his time at Manchester United played a huge role in his development.
The Portugal international joined United from Sporting CP in 2003 and matured into one of the best players in the world at Old Trafford.
Ronaldo, who eventually left United for Real Madrid in 2009, has now revealed that the guidance of players such as Paul Scholes, Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs helped him become the player he is now.
Manchester was a huge education for me, Ronaldo told The Times. There were guys who always arrived for training one hour early. Scholes and Neville were incredible examples. Neville was the most professional player I saw. This is why these guys played in the top level for 10 years.
People like Giggsy, too. I learnt from them.…
With the FA Cup taking center stage this weekend, we should have what is a stacked schedule from across England on Saturday afternoon. So, for those of you who are looking to stick on a weekend acca, we have found a handful of helpful tips that are worth keeping an eye out for.
Saturday January 8th
BST 15:00 Leicester City vs Watford
Starting with Saturday s hosts, while Leicester might have shown some real inconsistencies so far this season, there is no doubt that the Foxes will be boosted by the way that they signed off 2021. Eventually managing to claim an eye-catching 1-0 win at home against former Premier League champions Liverpool, Brendan Rodgers men should be smelling another chance here. Looking to keep up their recent momentum when they turn their at…
Competition: International Friendly
Market: Both teams to score at Holland vs England
Odds:
After qualifying top of Group F without losing a single match, all eyes will once again be turned to Gareth Southgate s England side as the three lions once again put the final touches to their preparations. on Friday, England will travel to Holland to meet a Dutch side who have now missed out on a major tournament for the second time in a row.
For the Dutch, the former European giants have now turned to former Crystal Palace manager Frank De Bour in a hope their former captain can lead the new generation of Dutch talent. For the 2010 World Cup finalists this is now the second major tournament that the Oranges have missed out on after failing to make it to Eur…
Jurgen Klopp has described derby matches as the salt in the soup as he prepares to face Manchester United for the first time as Liverpool manager.
One of the Premier League s fiercest rivalries resumes on Sunday as Louis van Gaal s United who beat Liverpool 3-1 at Old Trafford in September aim to make it seven wins from their last nine league meetings with the Merseyside club.
Klopp, who celebrated 100 days in charge at Anfield on Friday, has won 10 of his 21 games at Liverpool so far, and is relishing the prospect of locking horns with their biggest rivals.
I love derbies. It s the salt in the soup. They are the best matches to perform, he said on Friday.
Klopp was delighted with the battling display his side produced in their 3-3 draw with Arsenal e…
An intriguing and rapidly growing segment of sports betting is player performance wagering, which provides a personalised and in-depth analysis of the dynamics of a match. With this kind of betting, sports fans may easily learn how to analyze player performance and statistics transforming every move and action on the pitch into a betting opportunity.
What is player performance?
A player s performance is an important metric that you can track that will eventually contribute to personal achievements during the game. Some examples of player performance statistics you need to bear in mind when you place a player s wager are:
the number of
the number of assists
the number of received
Although these are the main metrics regarding a player s on-field activity, there are m…
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said Manchester United face a battle to finish in the Premier League s top six next season, let alone challenge for the title, though the Red Devils manager is confident he will be granted time to lead the club back to the summit.
United have not won the Premier League since Alex Ferguson s final campaign in 2012-13 as the Manchester club languish in sixth position this term, 29 points adrift of leaders Liverpool heading into their remaining two matches.
Solskjaer was permanently appointed manager in March, having impressed during his interim spell following Jose Mourinho s December sacking, but United have only won two of their past 10 games in all competitions.
And Solskjaer does not think United will challenge for silverware next season, w…
Hakim Ziyech says Morocco believe they can progress from Group B ahead of their opening World Cup clash with Iran in St. Petersburg on Friday.
Both Morocco and Iran could be forgiven for feeling hard done by when they were pitted against 2010 winners Spain and reigning European champions Portugal in the group stage.
The turmoil in the Spain camp following the sacking of Julen Lopetegui on the eve of the tournament and Fernando Hierro s appointment for the duration of the event may give hope to both sides.
Morocco are playing in a World Cup for the first time since 1998, when Iran claimed their sole win in the history of the tournament, and Ziyech says confidence in the camp is high.
Ziyech told KweseESPN: If we don t believe that we can progress, what is …
Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez has been accused by the Barcelona public prosecutor of evading more than €900,000 in tax, according to a report in Spain.
Sanchez, who played for Barcelona for three years from 2011, is alleged to have defrauded the Spanish Treasury by an amount totalling €983,443 in 2012 and 2013.
According to El Peridodico de Catalunya, a criminal complaint has been raised against the 27-year-old by prosecutor Miguel Angel Perez de Gregorio over a failure to pay tax on image rights.
It is claimed that Sanchez simulated the transfer of those rights to Numidia Trading, a company listed as being based in Malta, and failed to declare his earnings in full.
According to the report, the prosecutor s official complaint accuses Sanchez of simu…