Barcelona strike Estelades deal with UEFA, withdraw CAS appeal

Barcelona have agreed to drop their appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over their punishments for displaying Estelades flags during Champions League matches last year.

The Camp Nou club had been appealing to CAS having received fines totalling €70,000 for their supporters flying pro-Catalan independence flags in Champions League games, but have now withdrawn that action.

In return, UEFA will review its disciplinary rules and set up a working group in a bid to ensure any future punishments are more flexible and not perceived as unfair.

UEFA is happy to note that FC Barcelona has withdrawn its appeal to CAS regarding the financial sanction imposed on the club by UEFA s independent disciplinary bodies in connection with the display of Estelades at…

Lazio, Bologna linked with Alessio Cerci

Atletico Madrid winger Alessio Cerci has once again being linked with a return to Serie A and the player himself is keen to part ways with La Liga giants during the January transfer window, according to reports from the Italian media outlet .

Former Roma, Torino and Fiorentina winger in on road to full recovery from injury and appears to have already set his sights on a winter move with a couple of clubs already interested to sign him when transfer window reopens.

The 29-year-old Italy international was negotiating with Lazio and Genoa and the two Serie A rivals are reportedly eager to return for the winger.

Bologna medical team is believed to be closely monitoring Cerci’s recovery, while the player himself hopes that Lazio owner and president Claudio Lotito w…

Tottenham 1-0 Watford: Son free-kick sends Spurs top

Son Heung-min marked his 200th Premier League appearance with a goal as Tottenham beat Watford 1-0 to go top of the fledgling table.

South Korea forward Son was on target in the first half with a free-kick that he surely intended to be a cross at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.

Son s goal in his landmark top-flight game was enough for Spurs to go into the international break at the summit, with the only 100 per cent record after three matches.

Tottenham, who had Harry Kane in the starting line-up for the first time domestically this season after he opted to stay at the club, have not conceded a top-flight goal in 2021-22 amid a promising start to Nuno Espirito Santo s reign.

Watford fashioned a good chance to take an early lead in an entertai…

Free agent Linganzi joins Blackburn Rovers

(GSM) Premiership outfit Blackburn Rovers have signed Algerian-born midfielder Amine Linganzi, who arrives to Ewood Park as a free agent.

The 20-year-old, who is of Congolese origin, made his professional debut with French side Saint-Etienne in 2008 but made only two league appearances since doing so.

Rovers boss Sam Allardyce considers the youngster to be an investment for the future, likely directing him to a reserve team for the time being.

Linganzi signed a contract for three and a half years, tying him to Rovers until the summer of 2013.

Simeone hails maestro Koke ahead of Bayer Leverkusen clash

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has hailed Koke s influence on the club s midfield ahead of the crucial Round of 16 UEFA Champions League second-leg against Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday.

The Spain international, 23, did not feature as Bayer defeat Atletico 1-0 in the first-leg at the BayArena in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Atletico have scored just once in their last four matches in all competitions, and are currently nine points adrift of La Liga leaders Barcelona.

From a football point of view, Koke is possibly one of the midfielders that reads the game best, especially because he can play different positions in the midfield, Simeone said.

With a 360-degree vision that is great always, he always thinks in ways that help us control th…

Navas targets another Man City double

Jesus Navas says Manchester City are eager to match the success of their 2013-14 season, when they won two major trophies.

In the winger s first campaign in England – which was also Manuel Pellegrini s debut campaign at the helm – the club won the Premier League title and the League Cup.

Last term, however, they went without silverware, finishing second in the league and failing to make it into the last eight of the FA Cup, League Cup or Champions League.

Navas, 29, is desperate to secure silverware again this year.

So far, City are on track to achieve that aim, sitting top of the table going into the crucial derby against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.

He told Omnisport: It is going very well for me [with City in England], the t…

Cowboys have to pay Dak Prescott, says DeMarcus Lawrence

Dak Prescott holds all the chips as he bids for a lucrative long-term contract with the Dallas Cowboys, according to DeMarcus Lawrence.

Star quarterback Prescott turned down a new deal with the Cowboys last year to see out the final 12 months of his rookie contract.

The two-time Pro Bowler threw for a career-high 30 touchdowns last season, with a further three rushing scores, but is now set to play under the franchise tag in 2020.

Prescott has the backing of team-mate Lawrence as he reportedly looked for a four-year deal.

Dallas placed the tag on defensive end Lawrence in consecutive campaigns before he earned the richest contract in the NFL at his position in April 2019.

He believes Prescott is similarly capable of forcing the Cowboys hand.

Napoli don’t want permanent deal for Chelsea’s Tiemoue Bakayoko?

Napoli are unlikely to make Tiemoue Bakayoko’s loan move from Chelsea permanent in the summer of 2021, according to . It has been reported that Bakayoko has been inconsistent in his performances for the Italian club, who are unlikely to try to keep the defensive midfielder at the club beyond the end of the season.

Bakayoko joined Napoli on loan from Premier League club Chelsea in the summer of 2020. The 26-year-old has made 17 starts and five substitute appearances in the Premier League for the Neapolitican club so far this season, scoring one goal in the process, according to . The France international has also made five starts and two substitute appearances in the Europa League for the Serie A outfit this campaign, according to .

It is unlikely that Bakayoko has a f…

Arsene is definitely in the wrong

He can do it!

Arsene Wenger has won me over in the past couple of seasons. I have always admired his ability and watched with delight at the pure poetry his teams have produced on the pitch at times. However for many years I found him to be graceless in defeat and incredibly annoying with his condemnation of opposition players and blind to the wrong-doings of his own.

Graceless

I thought he was over all that but Wednesday evening showed that the graceless man I used to dislike is still in there somewhere.

Not for the first time, Wenger refused to shake hands with the opposition manager after he had seen his team defeated. Manchester City boss Mark Hughes and Wenger had been involved in a heated exchange in the first half of the game, and they have had a hi…

Victory sign Barbarouses for three seasons

Melbourne Victory have added to their attacking prowess by signing Kiwi international Kosta Barbarouses for the next three seasons.

After starting his career with the Wellington Phoenix, Barbarouses rose to prominence under the tutelage of current Victory coach Ange Postecoglou at Brisbane Roar during the 2010/11 A-League season.

The speedy forward scored 12 goals for the Roar during that Championship-winning campaign, before signing a lucrative three-year deal to play in Russia with FC Alania.

Barbarouses never really settled in Russia and was loaned out to Greek giants Panathinaikos last year, where he made 11 appearances in the Super League.

But Barbarouses is now back in the A-League after he signed a three-year contract with the Victory and Postecoglou is lo…