Torres: Spain have a great chance to win World Cup

Ross Barkley s reaction to a difficult 2019-20 season has been spot on , according to Chelsea head coach Frank Lampard.

England international Barkley made 27 Premier League appearances for Maurizio Sarri in the previous campaign but has featured in the top flight just seven times under Lampard.

The 26-year-old, who the Blues boss insisted will not be leaving Stamford Bridge in January amid reported interest from West Ham, sustained a foot injury in October that sidelined him for two months.

He was also criticised by Lampard after a pair of videos emerged – one of him arguing over spilt chips with a taxi driver in Liverpool and another of him dancing topless in a Dubai nightclub.

However, Barkley scored in the 2-0 FA Cup third-round win against Nottingha…

Andres Guardado cannot think of a better way for Mexico to end their last-16 hoodoo than against five-time World Cup winners Brazil.

The two nations meet in Samara on Monday as Mexico aim to finally rid themselves of the  curse of the fifth game an unwanted run that stretches back 24 years.

In each of the past six finals, El Tri have been dumped out in the second round, most painfully against Netherlands four years ago when they led with two minutes remaining only to lose 2-1 in stoppage time.

Brazil, by contrast, have reached at least the last eight in those six editions, advancing to three finals during that period and winning two of them.

Tite s side are being touted as favourites for a sixth world crown in Russia, but Guardado says the lofty expec…

Cash-strapped Portsmouth found themselves under attack from one of their former players on Wednesday when they confirmed they were being sued for over one million pounds by Sol Campbell.

The former England defender, now at Arsenal, has alleged he is owed 1.7 million pounds (2.8 million dollars) in unpaid image rights and bonuses by the club he captained to FA Cup glory in 2008.

A Portsmouth spokesman said on Wednesday: The matter is being dealt with by our lawyers.

Confirmation of Campbell s move came just a day after Premier League basement club Portsmouth s bid to have a winding up petition from British tax authorities struck out was rejected by a judge.

Portsmouth had argued the Value Added Tax portion of its huge tax bill was too high by as much as …

New Stoke City manager Mark Hughes says Charlie Adam will be a key part of his plans at the Britannia Stadium.

Adam – who moved from Liverpool to Stoke last season – made 27 Premier League appearances for the club before falling out of favour with former boss Tony Pulis.
He was dropped from Stoke s first team and lost his regular place with Scotland also, but Hughes is set on rejuvenating Adam s career.
And making the former Rangers midfielder comfortable in his set-up is one of Hughes first priorities at Stoke.
He said: I m looking forward to working with Charlie day in day out and it will be an exciting time.
We ll get to know each other on a number of levels. I know his quality and he can affect a game in all manner of ways by the strength of his ability.
It s about g…

Dimitri Payet wants to leave West Ham but the club will not sell him, manager Slaven Bilic says.

Bilic revealed the France international has expressed a desire to depart London Stadium, but insists West Ham will stand firm and refuse to let him go during the January transfer window.

I have a situation with a player. It is Dimitri Payet. He wants to leave, Bilic said ahead of Saturday s Premier League match at home to Crystal Palace.

We have said we don t want to sell our best players but Payet does not want to play for us.

It started 10 days ago when the window started. He is probably been tapped up by some clubs or whatever. That is usual at this time of year.

This team, the staff, we gave him everything, we were always there for him. I feel …

Atletico Madrid have confirmed they have agreed a deal with Inter that will see Sime Vrsaljko join the Serie A club.

Right-back Vrsaljko will head to Italy on an initial one-year loan but Inter have an option to complete a permanent deal for the 26-year-old.

Atleti have agreed a fee with PSV to sign Santiago Arias as a replacement on a five-year contract.

Vrsaljko started six games for Croatia in their surprise run to the World Cup final, though Zlatko Dalic s side were beaten 4-2 by France in Russia 2018 s showpiece.

The former Sassuolo man will move to San Siro upon the successful completion of a medical and the finalisation of terms with the club.

Vrsaljko made 54 appearances for Atleti following his move to Spain in 2016, winning the Europa…

Police are investigating allegations Birmingham’s Juninho Bacuna was racially abused by a fan during Saturday’s derby against West Brom at The Hawthorns.

The home club have confirmed they are supporting West Midlands Police after Curacao midfielder Bacuna reported the matter to the referee during the second half of the Sky Bet Championship encounter.

It was one of two such incidents on the same day in the English Football League as AFC Wimbledon manager Johnnie Jackson revealed his player Omar Bugiel had reported being racially abused at Bradford.

Club statement: Report of racism.

— West Bromwich Albion (@WBA)

A statement from West Brom read: “West Bromwich Albion can confirm Birmingham City player Juninho Bacuna reported an incident of r…

Sevilla have conveyed their “disgust” after winger Lucas Ocampos appeared to be touched in what the club described as an “obscene act” by a home supporter in their victory at Rayo Vallecano.

The Argentina international, who has called for LaLiga to take the incident seriously, appeared to be poked in the backside by a fan as he was preparing to take a throw-in in the 32nd minute of Monday’s contest.

His club released a statement expressing their support for the player and calling for LaLiga to take “appropriate measures” in response to the incident, while LaLiga has since confirmed police have identified the young fan involved, and the league will report the incident to the public prosecutor’s office for minors, given his age.

Comunicado oficial …

Rangers can still have success this season, manager Stuart McCall has claimed, but they must tighten up defensively as they enter the Scottish Premiership play-offs.

Queen of the South will host Rangers in the first leg of the first round of play-offs on Saturday, with the famous Glasgow-based club needing to subsequently overcome both Hibernian and Motherwell in two-legged ties if they are to earn promotion.

Outside the top tier of Scottish football for three years, following their liquidation in 2012, Rangers were reformed in the third division for the 2012-13 season and have worked their way to within six matches of a return to the Premiership.

McCall conceded on Friday that a play-offs campaign had not been expected by most Rangers fans but urged his players …

As Sebastian Kehl prepares for his retirement and farewell at Borussia Dortmund, the midfielder says he has no regrets over opting not to join Bayern Munich earlier in his career.

Kehl moved to Dortmund from Freiburg in 2001, and has picked up three Bundesliga titles and a DFB-Pokal in the intervening period.

Saturday s game at home to Werder Bremen marks his last appearance before retiring, as the 35-year-old calls time on a career that has been plagued by injuries in recent years.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Kehl was asked whether he regretted not moving to Bayern amid their interest back in 2002.

Well, nobody knows how it eventually would have wound up had I gone to Bayern back then, he said.  With hindsight I am really thankful for my time at…