Spain squad are an “example for the country”, says De la Fuente

Ezequiel Schelotto is keen to link up with Claudio Ranieri at Premier League high-flyers Leicester City.

Schelotto is a free-agent after his Inter contract ran out at the end of the 2014-15 season. 

Leicester manager Ranieri denied Schelotto was going to sign for the club, but the 26-year-old is adamant a move is close to happening. 

I d like to play there and I m ready to get back into action, Schelotto told Gazzetta dello Sport.

I don t know what stage the negotiations are at with Leicester, but if [Esteban] Cambiasso can do well there, then I m sure I can too.

Schelotto was born in Argentina but has lived in Italy since 2008, even making his international debut for the Azzurri in 2012.

He added: I would never have imagined I d fin…

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has called for a minimum percentage of away supporters to be enshrined in league rules as he prepares to take his team to what will be an even more hostile atmosphere inside Tynecastle.

Celtic will have 576 fans in attendance for Sunday’s game against Hearts with the home club keen to get more of their own supporters inside the ground following rising demand for tickets in recent years.

The allocation is less than half of what Celtic received in their previous visit and a continuation of a trend.

Rodgers was used to seeing the Roseburn Stand half full of Celtic supporters in his first spell in charge, which included his first domestic game as manager and the game where his side clinched his first title. But previously Celtic fans …

After years of silence, former Barcelona presidential candidate Lluis Bassat has spoken out against Joan Laporta and the direction of the financially embattled club.

After losing the 2000 election to Joan Gaspart, Bassat lost again in 2003 to then-outsider Laporta, whose tenure oversaw Barcelona s transformation, before his return in 2021 with the club on the brink of bankruptcy.

While the 80-year-old advertising pioneer concedes his window to be Barcelona s president has closed, he believes the club s financial direction to balance the books has prompted him to come out in public.

Speaking in an interview with La Vanguardia, Bassat believes Barcelona must not try match financial powers like Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City at the expense of their identi…

Manchester City moved two points clear at the top of the Premier League with a 7-2 thrashing of Stoke City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

Manchester United s 0-0 draw with Liverpool had temporarily lifted them to the summit but City took full advantage of their rivals dropped points with a rampant display against a dismal Stoke side.

Gabriel Jesus, Raheem Sterling and David Silva had them 3-0 up in less than half an hour as a ragged visiting defence made life easy for Pep Guardiola s front three.

Stoke did threaten a comeback either side of half-time, with Mame Diouf firing home before his header deflected in off Kyle Walker to make it 3-2, but hope of a shock result did not last long.

Jesus scored his second and Leroy Sane his first from two exceptio…

Lee Cattermole has signed a new five-year contract extension at Sunderland, .

The 27 year old moved to the Stadium of Light from Wigan Athletic in the summer of 2009, while he began his career in the north east with Middlesbrough.

In six years with the Black Cats, Cattermole has racked up almost one hundred and fifty appearances in all competitions, scoring twice while he was part of the squad that lost to Manchester City in the 2013/14 League Cup final.

He has been sent of six times for Sunderland, and only Patrick Vieira, Richard Dunne and Duncan Ferguson have been dismissed more times in England’s top flight.

Internationally, he has been capped sixteen times for England’s U21s but is yet to receive a call-up to the senior squad.

Sund…

Rafael Benitez will look to continue his impressive start to life at Real Madrid when they face the tough trip to Athletic Bilbao in La Liga.

While some questioned Benitez s appointment at Santiago Bernabeu, he has enjoyed one of the best starts at the club in recent years, matching the records of Carlo Ancelotti and Jose Mourinho

Madrid have won three and drawn one of Benitez s opening four league matches in charge and are yet to concede a goal, a record only bettered in recent times by Manuel Pellegrini s four wins from four at the start of 2009-10.

A trip to San Mames is a real test, though, with Athletic having won the corresponding fixture 1-0 last season.

Benitez faces an anxious wait on the fitness of Sergio Ramos (shoulder) ahead of Wednesday…

Manchester United have put Brighton and Hove Albion midfielders Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister on their transfer shortlist ahead of the summer window, according to .

Both players were heavily linked with departure from the Amex Stadium in January, particularly Caicedo, who was reportedly targeted by Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool. Meanwhile, Mac Allister attracted a lot of attention with brilliant displays for Argentina as his nation won the 2022 World Cup. But having been resigned to parting ways with rebel Leandro Trossard, Brighton refused to sell any other important players for any money as they target a strong finish to the season. Trossard went to Arsenal and Chelsea paid a Premier League record fee for Enzo Fernandez.

Caicedo and Mac Allister stayed put, …

Jurgen Klopp confirmed teenage forward Rhian Brewster would be part of Liverpool s squad for their Champions League semi-final second leg against Barcelona.

Brewster, 19, is set to make his debut as Liverpool try to overturn a 3-0 first-leg deficit without injured stars Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino.

Klopp said the England youth international, who arrived at the club from Chelsea in 2014, was ready for senior football.

He s ready, he said.

The situations are always like this. In an ideal world, in a season you always have much more players than you can involve in a squad.

Rhian has now arrived with us after being heavily injured. Day by day, he has got better and better.

Join us LIVE from Anfield. 

Jürgen Klopp provides fi…

The Football Association is seeking observations from Luton over chants heard at their match against Liverpool on Sunday which indirectly referenced the Hillsborough disaster.

The taunts were sung by some home fans during the second half of the 1-1 Premier League draw at Kenilworth Road, and the FA says it is now looking for information from Luton as well as further detail from the police.

“We strongly condemn chanting of this nature and will continue to work closely with our stakeholders across the game, including the clubs, leagues, fan groups and the relevant authorities to proactively address this issue,” an FA statement said.

— FA Spokesperson (@FAspokesperson)

Ninety-seven football fans died as a result of a crush at an FA Cup semi-f…

Manchester United’s Champions League hopes received a huge blow as Erik ten Hag’s side twice blew a lead following Marcus Rashford’s red card before super sub Roony Bardghji sealed a bonkers 4-3 win for Copenhagen.

A fortnight on from injecting hope into a faltering continent campaign by narrowly beating the Danish champions, Parken witnessed a scarcely believable comeback that leaves the Red Devils bottom of Group A.

Rasmus Hojlund’s brace had put United in control against his former club, but Rashford’s red card sparked an incredible turnaround as Copenhagen’s pre-match tifo reading “your theatre of nightmares” proved prescient.

This first half was as dramatic as it was action-packed. Hojlund’s third minute opener at the end of a fine team mov…