Messi could´ve avoided Barca crisis – Crespo

Tite says Neymar s apparent emotional fragility is of no concern to Brazil as they prepare for a crunch World Cup encounter against Serbia.

The Paris Saint-Germain striker burst into tears at the end of Friday s 2-0 win over Costa Rica, after he and Philippe Coutinho had netted in second-half stoppage time to avoid what would have been a damaging draw.

Brazil head into Wednesday s clash with Serbia as Group E leaders, needing a point to be sure of a place in the last 16.

But Tite says such displays of emotion are customary, and revealed how he was in a similar state following his first match in charge, against Ecuador in September 2016.

I d like to say to the whole Brazilian nation, after Ecuador, Tite cried, the head coach told a news conference. I was…

The former head of German football Wolfgang Niersbach s one-year ban from football activities has been upheld after his appeal was rejected by the FIFA Appeal Committee

Niersbach resigned as president of the German Football Association (DFB) in November 2015 after investigators searched the premises of the organisation;s headquarters in Frankfurt, as well as his home, and those of predecessor Theo Zwanziger and former general secretary Horst Schmidt amid allegations that the hosting rights for World Cup 2006 had been secured by corrupt means.

A member of the FIFA Council, Niersbach claimed his resignation was to protect the DFB and maintained his innocence.

However, a FIFA probe found him guilty of failing to report findings about possible misconduct concerning …

Lyon have agreed a deal in principle to sign attacking midfielder Jeff Reine-Adelaide from Ligue 1 rivals Angers.

The 21-year-old will undergo a medical before finalising a move reportedly worth around €30million.

Arsenal, Reine-Adelaide s former club, have the opportunity to hijack the deal by submitting an equivalent bid.

The Gunners inserted the clause as part of the France Under-21 international s departure in 2018 but are not expected to match Lyon s offer.

Reine-Adelaide made 35 top-flight appearances last season, scoring three times, and could make his Les Gones debut against Angers on Friday.

Elsewhere in France, Montpellier have acquired goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli on a season-long loan from Real Sociedad.

The deal includes an op…

Jurgen Klopp defended his decision to rest players and not take charge of Liverpool s upcoming FA Cup fourth-round replay with Shrewsbury Town, insisting he is taking a stand for the good of English football.

Liverpool were held to a 2-2 draw by Shrewsbury at the New Meadow on Sunday, meaning the League One side will play a lucrative replay at Anfield next week.

But that match is due to fall within the Premier League s inaugural mid-season break, when Klopp had promised his senior players they would be afforded time off to recover before the campaign s final push.

Klopp received criticism for his decision, with some suggesting he was disrespecting the FA Cup and others calling him lazy , but the German will not renege on his promises.

Speaking ahead of We…

Cameroon striker Samuel Eto o is demanding three million euros from Barcelona after his transfer from the Spanish club to Inter Milan, the Spanish club said Tuesday.

The amount represents 15 percent of the 20 million euro (29 million dollar) fee which the Italian side paid Barcelona during the summer, a club official told AFP.

The deal also saw Inter s Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic join European champions Barcelona for 46 million euros.

If the two parties fail to reach a settlement the matter could end up in court.

Eto o bases his demand on a Spanish footballer s association rule that a player has the right to 15 percent of the amount of his transfer fee to another Spanish club, the official said.

But Barcelona argues it does not owe Eto o a…

Ukraine are on the verge of qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup after a surprise 2-0 win in their play-off first leg against France.

Mikhail Fomenko s men went into the game having never beaten France before, but having secured their place in the play-offs after finishing just a point behind England in Group H.

Only world and European champions Spain prevented France from automatically qualifying for next year s showpiece in Brazil.

However, it was the supposed underdogs Ukraine who dictated play in a tight encounter, with striker Roman Zozulya giving them the lead midway through the second half.

And the hosts wrapped up the win with a penalty from Andriy Yarmolenko seven minutes from time, before Laurent Koscielny and Olexandr Kucher both saw red as the two s…

The unfortunate Rudy Gestede set an unwanted Premier League record during his Middlesbrough debut on Saturday, coming on as a second-half substitute in the 0-0 draw with Watford at Vicarage Road.

Replacing Cristhian Stuani in the 65th minute, the former Aston Villa and Cardiff City forward never threatened to make his mark on proceedings.

And although Aitor Karanka s side managed to hold on for a share of the spoils, with Watford s latest signing Tom Cleverley hitting the post late on, the draw marks a remarkable, unhappy milestone for Gestede.

The French-born Benin striker joined Villa in July 2015 in a reported £6million move from Blackburn Rovers, but Gestede managed just five league goals as his side were relegated from the Premier League.

One of tho…

Kevin De Bruyne accepts it will be a blow for Manchester City if Aymeric Laporte s knee injury is serious.

The defender was carried off on a stretcher during Saturday s 4-0 Premier League win at home to Brighton and Hove Albion after hurting his right knee in a challenge with Adam Webster.

Laporte was booked for the tackle to add insult to injury, with City boss Pep Guardiola saying after the game the centre-back  does not look good .

The 25-year-old has already been replaced in the France squad by Barcelona s Samuel Umtiti for upcoming Euro 2020 qualifiers against Albania and Andorra having received a long-awaited call-up by Didier Deschamps this week.

Fernandinho filled in for City against Brighton but Guardiola s options are limited after no centra…

The scale of the hangover from Chelsea s traumatic defeat by Manchester City will become apparent when the FA Cup holders entertain Stoke in the last eight of this season s competition this weekend.

Carlo Ancelotti s squad remain on track for a league, cup and Champions League treble but the 4-2 home defeat by City has been interpreted by some as heralding the imminent collapse of their challenge on all three fronts.

Ill-discipline, ragged defending and poor goalkeeping all contributed to Chelsea s first home defeat since November 2008 and Ancelotti will expect an immediate response from his players when Stoke visit Stamford Bridge on Sunday in the last of the quarter-final ties.

Reading, the only survivors from outside the Premier League, entertain Aston Villa …

(GSM) Owen Hargreaves still holds the dream of making England s World Cup squad but the Manchester United midfielder admits he needs to make quick progress if he is to achieve his dream.

Hargreaves has not played a first-team game since September 2008, but he is nearing a return from a long-term knee problem.

The former Bayern München man had to pull out of a match with the reserves last week, but may feature for United s second string against their Burnley counterparts on Thursday.

And, with time running out to prove his fitness ahead of the World Cup in June, the 29-year-old accepts he must soon be back in the United first team to have any chance of being picked by Fabio Capello.

The World Cup is an incentive. Absolutely, Hargreaves told the Daily T…