Martinez apologises for Valladolid relegation

Out-of-form striker Fernando Torres wants to stay at Chelsea and lead the line, setting his sights on Club World Cup glory.

Torres has struggled for form and goals following his 50 million-pound transfer from Liverpool in January 2011, but is known to be a favourite of club owner Roman Abramovich.

Atletico Madrid forward Radamel Falcao has been linked with a big-money move to Chelsea, but Torres has no intention of surrendering his centre-forward s berth.

I m very happy (as the main striker) because it s what I have been doing in the past and the role I like to get, he told the FIFA website.

Hopefully it can be like this until the end of the season.

In my first full season (at Chelsea) we won the FA Cup and Champions League, what more can you…

Roberto Mancini has insisted his Manchester City side are still better than Manchester United despite falling to a 3-2 loss on Sunday.

Mancini watched his team fall at home to a last-minute Robin van Persie free-kick, which completed a dismal week for the Etihad faithful as they also crashed out of Europe, finishing bottom of their Champions League group.

Nevertheless, Mancini has claimed City s first home defeat for two years in the Premier League is a mere setback and he believes there is still plenty to play for this season.

Things aren t going well but I know we will still have a great year, he told reporters.

United have more experience but we have a much better team and play much better football. Six points is not a big difference with 24 games s…

Spanish coach Luis Aragones has signed a pre-contract with Turkey s Fenerbahce and was expected in Istanbul late on Thursday, the club said.

Aragones, who led champions Spain in Euro 2008, was to join the team on Sunday when it is due to fly to Austria for a training camp, a statement on Fenerbahce s web site said.

A date for the signing ceremony of the final contract will be announced later, it said, without disclosing financial terms.

Fenerbahce had first announced a two-year pre-contract with Aragones on June 25, but the coach then still at the helm of Spain in the eve of their Euro 2008 semi-final against Russia had denied the deal.

Approaching his 70th birthday, Aragones became the oldest coach to win the European title when Spain beat Germany 1…

Chelsea are interested in signing Juan Musso from Udinese, according to . It has been reported by the Italian news outlet that Chelsea have tested the waters regarding the goalkeeper, with Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain also interested in securing the services of the 26-year-old.

It has been claimed that Udinese are planning for life without Musso and are looking at Samuele Perisan of Pordenone to replace him. The Italian club will probably sell Musso at the end of the season and will want €30 million as transfer fee for the Argentina international.

Chelsea signed Edouard Mendy from Rennes in the summer of 2020, and the 28-year-old has established himself as the first-choice goalkeeper for Frank Lampard’s side. The Blues are third in the Premier League table at…

World Cup winner Olivier Giroud was left out of Chelsea s matchday squad to face Everton on Saturday.

The Blues were unchanged for the clash at Goodison Park but France international Giroud, an unused substitute against Aston Villa in midweek having started the previous game against West Ham, was not among the replacements.

Giroud s place on the bench went to Ross Barkley, who has recovered from illness and could feature against his former club.

With Chelsea now able to sign players in January after their transfer ban was halved on Friday, Giroud appears to be heading closer to the exit door.

Duncan Ferguson, appointed as Everton s caretaker manager following the sacking of Marco Silva on Thursday, made two changes to the Toffees starting XI as Theo W…

The experienced 34-year-old Italy striker Marco Borriello is on the move once again, with former Milan, AS Roma, Juventus and West Ham striker on verge of securing a summer move to Palermo, which will become his 17th club since 2001-02 season.

Currently an Atalanta player, Marco Borriello is nearing the end of his contract and in two weeks’ time he will be free to sign a proposed two-year with Palermo worth €600,000 per season, .

Rosanero will first cut ties with another experienced Italian international Alberto Guilardino, who has been Palermo since 2015.

Guilardino scored 10 goals in 33 Serie A appearances but will leave the club during summer to make way for Marco Borriello.

It is understood that Marco Borriello has already gave a nod to Palermo p…

Granada attacker Isaac Cuenca is keen to end Barcelona s La Liga title hopes when he takes on his former team on Saturday.

The 25-year-old came through the ranks of the Barca youth academy, but eventually left the Catalans on a permanent basis in July 2014.

Cuenca has since worn the jerseys of Deportivo La Coruna and Bursaspor before joining Granada in February, and he is desperate to play a role in the title race.

Luis Enrique s men sit atop of the table heading into their final league game of the season, holding a one-point lead over arch-rivals Real Madrid.

A win over Granada would guarantee their 24th La Liga title in history, but Cuenca hopes to avoid a title party at Los Carmenes.

To score the winning goal in the last minute would be perfec…

Prediction: Belgium to win 3-1

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Belgium and Austria will lock horns with each other in UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Group F this weekend. The match between Domenico Tedesco’s side and Ralf Rangnick’s team will be held at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels and is scheduled to kick off at 7:45pm UK time on Saturday.

Belgium

Belgium have established themselves as a major power in European and world football in recent years and have done pretty well in recent major competitions. True, the Red Devils have not won a major international competition in the last few years, as then manager Roberto Martinez simply could not get the team over the line. The nation will hope for something more and better under now head coach Domenico Tedes…

Bukayo Saka scored a jaw-dropping first career hat-trick as rampant England roared to a 7-0 victory against North Macedonia in Monday’s memorable Euro 2024 qualifier.

Gareth Southgate’s side are all but assured of making it to Germany having reached the halfway point of qualification with four wins from their four Group C games.

Harry Kane struck twice in an Old Trafford annihilation that also saw Marcus Rashford and Kalvin Phillips get in on the act, but ever-improving talent Saka was the star of the show with his tremendous treble.

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They might have given us a lovers tiff or two on the pitch but, as a key Valentine s Day engagement arrives, Paris Saint-Germain forwards Neymar and Edinson Cavani have shown themselves to be the hottest couple in Europe.

Neymar and Cavani can spearhead PSG s bid to unseat Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday knowing no two players in Europe s top five leagues this season have combined more often for goals than the seven their partnership has yielded.

Cavani surpassed PSG s all-time scoring record with the help of five Neymar assists, while also laying on a couple of goals for the Brazilian. Perhaps tellingly, no Madrid duo make the rundown.

The next most prolific pairings on the continent have produced six goals in tandem, including Lionel Messi …