Author: Brila

Champions Chelsea’s season got off to the worst possible start on Saturday as the Premier League champions were reduced to nine men and defeated 3-2 by relegation candidates Burnley. Those two red cards – to Gary Cahill and Cesc Fabregas – and subsequent suspensions mean Antonio Conte ’s already injury-ravaged squad is looking remarkably thin ahead of a crucial clash against Tottenham Hotspur next weekend. The Italian has been vocal about his dissatisfaction with Chelsea’s dealings in the summer transfer window and appears desperate to add depth before deadline day later this month. The Blues have brought in some players – Alvaro Morata, Tiemoue Bakayoko…

The stayaway Spain striker has been given an ultimatum by the Stamford Bridge club to return to this country, start training, get himself fit – and make himself available for selection. Costa has been absent from training at Chelsea for four weeks and has been fined £300,000 by the club after failing to return to pre-season training, after being given an extra week off. Costa gave an interview earlier this week saying that he is “not a criminal” and did not deserve to be treated as one by Chelsea. He said that he was prepared to spend a year at home in…

Jürgen Klopp has reiterated that the decision over Philippe Coutinho’s future is down to the Liverpool owners, not him. Coutinho will not play in the first leg of Liverpool’s Champions League playoff tie at Hoffenheim according to Manager, Klopp on Tuesday as he is suffering from a back complaint, but uncertainty over the Brazilian’s future has still dominated the build-up. Last Friday, Liverpool issued a strongly-worded statement insisting Coutinho would not be sold this summer, only for the player to submit a transfer request in a bid to force through a move to Barcelona. Klopp said after Saturday’s 3-3 draw…

Austria Wien Sport Director, Franz Wohlfahrt has confirmed the club is in advanced negotiation for the services of Striker, Kayode Olanrewaju to Manchester City.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been banned for five matches after pushing referee Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea during Real Madrid’s 3-1 Spanish Super Cup first-leg win at Barcelona on Sunday. Ronaldo’s 24 minutes as a substitute at the Camp Nou saw him score a superb goal, pick up a booking for removing his shirt during the celebration, and then quickly receive a second yellow after De Burgos Bengoetxea ruled the Portugal captain had dived to try to win a penalty. Ronaldo reacted to being sent off by pushing De Burgos Bengoetxea. The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) banned Ronaldo for one match for drawing the red…

The celebration in front of the Park End and the look on Wayne Rooney ’s face said it all. Passion, emotion, elation. Wayne Rooney Scoring on the stroke of half-time – in the same goal where it all started 15 years ago, with that spectacular strike against Arsenal – meant so much. It truly mattered. After Stoke had been beaten 1-0, there was ­almost a relief in the Everton striker’s words, and most ­certainly a quiet conviction that he has begun the process of proving himself to the Goodison supporters. That may sound crazy. This is Manchester United’s all-time top scorer, England’s record goal-scorer and, quite…

Jonjo Shelvey has admitted he is seeing a psychologist in a bid to curb the anger which is threatening to blight his career. The 25-year-old Newcastle midfielder, who served a five-match ban last season for allegedly racially abusing Wolves counterpart Romain Saiss, was sent off on his return to the Premier League on Sunday after stamping on Tottenham’s Dele Alli. Shelvey, who was also dismissed at Nottingham Forest last season for kicking out at Henri Lansbury only to have the red card rescinded later, apologised to his team-mates after the game as television pundits and fans queued up to condemn…

Roger Federer will consider his fitness before continuing his pursuit of history and a return to world number one at the Cincinnati Masters this week. The 19-time grand slam champion could become the oldest man ever to sit atop of the ATP standings if he wins the latest Masters 1000 event of the season but his run to the final of the Rogers Cup has potentially jeopardised his plans. Defeat to Alexander Zverev in Montreal denied Federer the chance to go above Rafael Nadal and gives the Spaniard the upper-hand in the race to replace Andy Murray at the summit of men’s tennis. Federer must…

Real Madrid will appeal Cristiano Ronaldo’s second yellow card for diving in the Spanish Super Cup first leg at Barcelona, coach Zinedine Zidane said after the Portuguese showed the best and worst side of his game in Real’s 3-1 win Cristiano Ronaldo spent 24 minutes on the pitch after not starting the game at the Nou Camp but still had the biggest impact. The 32-year-old, who was given a hostile reception by Barca fans as he warmed up before replacing Karim Benzema, hit back moments after Lionel Messi’s equaliser with a brilliant strike into the top corner to put Real 2-1 up in…

Muhammad Ali ‘s life is to be turned into a knockout stage musical. The Greatest is to be honoured by producer David Sonenberg with the show based on the legendary documentary When We Were Kings, which told the story of Ali against George Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle in 1974. The former world heavyweight champion of the world died in 2016 from Parkinson’s disease, aged 74, and Sonenberg is eager to pay tribute to the great man“We can’t wait to be doing it. We have no clue who will play Muhammad but it’s going to be great He told The Sun…