Liverpool complete Aspas signing

Australia goalkeeper Mat Ryan, a reported target of Liverpool, is keen on a move to Anfield but not until the end of the season.

Liverpool target Mat Ryan will consider his options in the summer but is unlikely to make the move to Anfield in January, according to his agent.

The Merseyside club are thought to have targeted a move for highly rated Club Brugge goalkeeper as they eye a long-term solution to their goalkeeping problems, with Brendan Rodgers having dropped Simon Mignolet earlier this season.

Rodgers was forced to restore Mignolet to his starting XI in recent weeks after understudy goalkeeper Brad Jones picked up a thigh injury, but a new shot-stopper is a priority for the Anfield outfit.

Ryan, who is away on international duty with Australia a…

Cristiano Ronaldo scored the only goal of the game as Portugal triumphed over Iceland in Reykjavik in the qualifications for next year s European Championship.

It was a fine way for the 38-year-old five-time Ballon d Or winner to mark the milestone of becoming the first player ever to make 200 senior appearances for his country.

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Italy s next head coach will be Luigi Di Biagio, Antonio Conte or Roberto Mancini, according to the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) vice-commissioner Alessandro Costacurta.

Gian Piero Ventura was sacked as Azzurri boss following November s play-off defeat to Sweden, a loss that saw the four-time world champions miss out on World Cup qualification for the first time in 60 years.

Former Roma and Inter midfielder Di Biagio will step up from his role as Italy s Under-21 coach to take charge of the senior side on a caretaker basis in next month s friendly matches against Argentina and England.

Di Biagio is apparently firmly in the running for the full-time post, along with ex-Manchester City and current Zenit boss Mancini, but Costacurta once again naming Conte amo…

Hull City manager Steve Bruce hailed rivals Watford after pipping them to Premier League promotion on Saturday.

Bruce was forced to endure an agonising wait after his side gifted champions Cardiff a last-gasp equaliser in their final Championship match.
However, the 2-2 draw at the KC Stadium was enough for them to finish ahead of Watford after Gianfranco Zola s 10-man team fell to a delayed 2-1 defeat at home to Leeds.
Bruce told Sky Sports: I ve been around for a long, long time but I don t think I ve ever witnessed anything like that final 10 minutes.
I suppose it s wonderful entertainment for the viewers but, Jesus Christ, it s put us through the ringer. To be fair I thought, overall, we deserved it.
The referee for me has given an unbelievable decision for the penalty, b…

Barcelona are in danger of losing one of their highest-rated academy prospects at the moment, Ilaix Moriba, according to .

At the age of 18, Ilaix has 18 first-team appearances under his belt so far, together with one goal and three assists. He clearly stands out from the rest of the boys of his age at the club, and following the club s failure to land Georginio Wijnaldum this summer, it was expected he would be given a relatively prominent role in 2021-22, and a contract to reflect his progress.

However, Barcelona are in a difficult financial situation. They need to cut down their wage bill as much as possible to be able to re-sign Lionel Messi and register the players they ve already acquired. Therefore, the contract they offered Ilaix was the same as that given to th…

Roma are putting no pressure on Patrik Schick despite his goal drought, according to coach Eusebio di Francesco.

Schick was signed from Sampdoria on an inital loan last year ahead of a reported €37million switch, but a series of injuries have prevented the Czech Republic international from finding his rhythm at Stadio Olimpico, starting just six Serie A games this season and failing to appear in the Champions League.

The 22-year-old has scored only once for Roma in the Coppa Italia back in December but Di Francesco is keen to ease him into the team, allowing him time to express himself .

We just have to let Schick get on with things without putting any pressure on him, the coach told a pre-match news conference ahead of the clash with Fiorentina.

Be…

DC United midfielder Branko Boskovic will depart the MLS side, after club and player decided to part company.

Boskovic, 32, revealed personal reasons were behind his decision to leave RFK Stadium, after helping United to the Eastern Conference finals this season.

I have had some private family matters for several months now, Boskovic said.

It s a difficult decision for me after a very good season here. I think that we will get better and better, but now I must leave. I wish all the best to this team and this club. This city is going to be my heart in the future.

Boskovic originally signed with United as a Designated Player in June 2010.

The Montenegrin midfielder suffered a torn ACL early in the 2011 season, wiping out the rest of his campa…

There were several controversial moments of the match between Liverpool and Arsenal at Anfield on Sunday which ended with a 2-2 draw, but rarely has been anything as controversial as this in the game.

Players have often been criticized of late for the way they interact with the officials, but this is surely unacceptable from assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis, regardless of the context. A player who does this would surely be sent off and face a lengthy ban.

The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the body responsible for appointing officials in English football, issued a statement after the game, saying they were aware of the incident and that it would be investigated.

this angle is HORRIBLE for the ref. there’s no justification, he’s ju…

Organisers of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa insisted Wednesday preparations remain on track after the city of Port Elizabeth was stripped of the right to stage matches for the dress rehearsal.

The decision on Tuesday to drop the southern coastal city from the line-up for the 2009 Confederations Cup means none of the five stadia being built from scratch will be showcased for the traditional warm-up event.

However FIFA secretary-general Jerome Valcke told reporters Wednesday the move should not be seen as a vote of no confidence in South Africa s ability to have everything ready for the kick-off in just under two years time.

Nothing is ready (yet) but everything has to be ready and will be ready for the World Cup, said Valcke.

There was a red ligh…

The unifying afterglow of Portugal s Euro 2016 triumph will turn somewhat cooler on Sunday when two of the country s traditional heavyweights ready themselves for a first battle of the new season.

Sporting CP host Porto in Lisbon, with both sides occupying the top two positions in the Primeira Liga at the start of this weekend thanks to two wins from two matches.

Reigning champions Benfica, who are gunning for a fourth straight title, are the only side who will upset that pairing over the coming months.

Such is the dominance of Os Tres Grandes  in Portuguese football – only twice in the history of the top flight has the winner come from outside the triumvirate – that it is only fair to see the national team s moment of euphoria in France as a collective o…