Former Real Madrid star Guti has slammed Jose Mourinho for selling Esteban Granero and signing Michael Essien on loan.

Guti, who played over 350 La Liga games for Real Madrid between 1995 and 2010, is upset Real coach Mourinho replaced a young Spanish player for a foreigner in Chelsea s Essien, who is in the later stages of his career.

There are some things I can’t understand in football and one of those is that Granero is leaving so that Essien can arrive. Granero is a much better player and he is Spanish, Guti told Marca.

Right now the best players are Spanish, and what happens is that you spend a lot more money if you buy foreigners, which annoys me greatly.

Granero has signed for English Premier League side Queens Park Rangers and made his debut…

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson wants to avoid another embarrassing early Champions League exit starting on Wednesday.

The Red Devils take on Turkish champions Galatasaray at Old Trafford first up in Group H but will be on notice after failing to make it out of a relatively soft group last year that included Benfica, Basel and Otelul Galati.

Ferguson has been handed a similarly weak group in comparison to others with Braga, CFR Cluj-Napoca and Galatasaray their opponents.

United were dealt a considerably better hand than their Manchester City rivals, who are paired with Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Ajax, and Ferguson knows there will be little margin for error this time round.

If we don t go through, we quite rightly will be criticised…

Shakhtar Donetsk have filed a complaint against FIFA to the European Commission, claiming a ruling allowing their foreign players to suspend their contracts has cost them €40million.

After Russia s invasion of Ukraine last year, FIFA permitted foreign players based in the country to suspend their contracts until June 2023, allowing them to seal short-term moves elsewhere.

Claiming those measures will likely be extended through to June 2024, Shakhtar – who have previously seen an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed – pledged to continue to fight the ruling.

A statement from the club s chief executive Serhiy Palkin said: Action has been taken to file this complaint to the European Commission, given the importance of Shakhtar undertaking tra…

The Football Association has condemned a section of Manchester City s supporters after chants about the Hillsborough disaster during Saturday s win over Liverpool.

Pep Guardiola s side recovered from an early deficit to run out comfortable 4-1 winners against Jurgen Klopp s Reds at the Etihad Stadium.

But the game was marred by the conduct of some fans.

City issued their own apology after the match over damage to the Liverpool team bus as it left the stadium.

They also referred to inappropriate chants , and now the FA has weighed in on a matter that is becoming a recurring source of anger.

We are very concerned about the rise of abhorrent chants in stadiums that are related to the Hillsborough disaster and other football-related tragedies, read a…

Jurgen Klopp acknowledged Liverpool rarely do it the easy way after a late rally at Anfield kept Roma alive in their Champions League semi-final.

Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino both scored twice, while Sadio Mane was also on target, as Liverpool raced into a 5-0 lead after 68 minutes of the first leg.

Yet Roma who rallied from a 4-1 first-leg defeat to knock Barcelona out on away goals in the previous round of the competition gave themselves a lifeline with two goals of their own before the final whistle.

Diego Perotti made it 5-2 from the spot after James Milner was penalised for handball, though Klopp felt the decision was harsh.

Still, with a healthy lead to take into the return fixture at the Stadio Olimpico, Liverpool s manager praised his players…

Central Coast Mariners climbed off the foot of the A-League table with a deserved 2-1 home win over Adelaide United on Sunday.

Kye Rowles and Milan Duric scored first-half goals to lift Alen Stajcic s side above Brisbane Roar and bitter rivals Newcastle Jets, who will spend Christmas Day in last place.

Centre-back Rowles swept Central Coast into a surprise fourth-minute lead after Adelaide, aiming to avoid a second defeat in three games, failed to clear a free-kick.

Serbian midfielder Duric doubled the margin with a thumping low strike shortly before the break, the goal his fourth in eight appearances.

Ben Halloran curled a delightful left-footed finish inside the far post to halve the deficit just 36 seconds after the restart, but that proved a mere cons…

Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte said his future will be more clear in the next week, with the Italian boss uncertain about the club s post-season plans.

Conte s future is in doubt amid growing speculation Chelsea will sack the 2016-17 Premier League-winning coach, who has been reportedly unhappy over the team s transfer policy.

Countrymen Massimiliano Allegri and Maurizio Sarri have emerged as possible replacements following Chelsea s struggles this season with the Blues in danger of missing out on the final Champions League qualification spot – Liverpool two points clear heading into Sunday s season finale.

Chelsea s campaign ends with a FA Cup final showdown against Manchester United on May 19 and asked about his plans post-season, Conte – whose contract e…

Everton have appointed PSV s Marcel Brands as the club s new director of football, replacing Steve Walsh.

Walsh was recruited from Leicester City in 2016 but came under pressure after a £150million splurge on players such as Gylfi Sigurdsson, Michael Keane and Jordan Pickford failed to propel Everton into the Premier League s top six.

The Toffees struggled early in the season before Sam Allardyce appointed following the sacking of Ronald Koeman salvaged an eighth-place finish.

And Walsh has now, like Allardyce, been relieved of his duties, with Brands given the role following success with RKC Waalwijk, AZ and PSV in the Eredivisie.

Brands helped AZ win the Dutch top flight before playing a key role in PSV s three titles in the last four years.

I…

Swansea City midfielder Jonjo Shelvey has agreed a new four-year contract at the Liberty Stadium.

Shelvey helped Swansea to a record Premier League points total of 56 last season scoring three goals in 35 appearances in all competitions.

The 23-year-old former Liverpool man will now remain under contract with the Welsh club until 2019, having had two years left on his original deal.

It s been on the cards for a few weeks and I m glad to get the papers signed so I can now concentrate on my football, Shelvey told the club s official website.

When my agent mentioned it to me I said when can we get it signed?

It s an honour and privilege to sign for another four years at Swansea City and give the fans back the support they ve shown in me. 

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Watford striker Odion Ighalo has committed his future to the club after signing a new five-year contract at Vicarage Road.

The 27-year-old played a starring role for Watford last season, scoring 17 goals in 42 appearances in all competitions, helping the club to finish 13th in the Premier League.

The Nigerian joined the club in 2014, following a successful spell on loan from Udinese, and Watford owner Giampolo Pozzo resisted approaches from Chinese side Shanghai SIPG in order to retain Ighalo s services.

OFFICIAL: Odion Ighalo has signed a new five-year contract with . Congratulations !

— Watford FC (@WatfordFC)

The new contract extends Ighalo s previous contract by a year, and the striker s commitment to the cause comes as a boost to new mana…