Prandelli: Italy not considering leaving Brazil Cesare Prandelli insists that the civil unrest in Brazil has not made him consider withdrawing Italy from the FIFA Confederations Cup.
Italy have recorded two victories in their opening two matches of the tournament, but protests all over Brazil have raised some concerns about player safety for the remaining matches. Squads have been advised not to leave their hotels and have received police escorts to the stadiums for their fixtures.
Prandelli's side have played in Rio de Janeiro and Recife so far and face the home nation in Salvador on Saturday, where there were clashes before the Group B match between Uruguay and Nigeria.
However, the Italy coach has no intention of taking his side back to Europe early.
"No, we absolutely aren't thinking about go
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Category: News Views: 723 Added: SkyDate: 22.06.2013 - 23:37
Napoli set to complete Mertens deal Dries Mertens set to be unveiled as the first signing of Rafael Benitez's reign at Napoli after he passed his medical.
The Serie A club announced on Saturday that there had been no problems with the winger's medical ahead of his move from PSV Eindhoven.
Mertens, 26, had been with the Eredivisie club since 2011 having moved there from Utrecht and he delivered consistent performances that earned him international honours and attention from abroad.
He made 34 appearances for PSV last season, scoring 17 goals including four in his last six games, and did enough to convince Napoli and Benitez to take him to Serie A as the Spaniard prepares to build on their second-place finish last season.
Category: News Views: 638 Added: SkyDate: 22.06.2013 - 23:35
Arnold signs on at Wolfsburg The 19-year-old midfielder, who has played nine matches for Wolfsburg, became the club's youngest ever player in 2011.
And he also became their youngest ever goalscorer this year, with a strike in a 2-2 draw against Hoffenheim in April.
Arnold, who has represented Germany at youth team level, is very highly rated and he was delighted to have extended his stay at the Volkswagen Arena.
"It all feels a bit like a dream," he told the club's official website.
"I always dreamed of becoming a professional since I was a young boy
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Category: News Views: 686 Added: SkyDate: 22.06.2013 - 23:34
West Brom open to Rosenberg offers West Brom are willing to listen to offers for Swedish striker Markus Rosenberg.
Rosenberg, 30, signed for the Premier League outfit in August 2012 on a free transfer from Werder Bremen.
But after scoring regularly in both Germany and Spain in recent years, Sweden international Rosenberg struggled in the English top flight last season, failing to score in his 27 appearances in all competitions.
West Brom's sporting and technical director Richard Garlick said that Rosenberg is contracted until 2015, but that if a move was right for both parties, they would not stand in his way.
"It's been frustrating for him and it's been frustrating for us in terms of how it panned
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Category: News Views: 653 Added: SkyDate: 22.06.2013 - 23:33
Lee: Newcastle are a laughing stock Former Newcastle midfielder Rob Lee has dubbed the club a "laughing stock" after Joe Kinnear was appointed as their director of football.
Kinnear, who spent a chunk of the unsuccessful 2008-09 campaign in charge of Newcastle before leaving the club after a health scare, returned to St James' Park last week in a shock move.
Fans were stunned when told club manager Alan Pardew and chief scout Graham Carr would report into Kinnear, and that the 66-year-old would have the final say on transfers.
A disastrous radio interview, in which Kinnear insulted the club's fans and pronounced the names of several players wrong, only served to deepen the anger of supporters,
And Lee, who made over 300 appearances for Newcas
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Category: News Views: 730 Added: SkyDate: 22.06.2013 - 23:32
Brazilian president insists World Cup spending is under control Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff has defended the amount of public money spent on preparing the country for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
The level of spending ahead of the tournament has been one of many issues that have seen protests across the country in recent days, causing security concerns for the FIFA Confederations Cup as well as next year's showpiece event.
Squads currently in Brazil have been told not to leave their hotels and have received police escorts to and from the grounds for training and matches. Around one million people reportedly took to the streets of Rio, where next year's World Cup final is due to be held, to protest at the amount of money being put aside to ensure they are ready for the tournament.
FIFA have insisted they have no intention of stopping the cur
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Category: News Views: 726 Added: SkyDate: 22.06.2013 - 23:29
Liverpool confirm Alberto signing Liverpool have confirmed the signing of Spanish forward Luis Alberto from Sevilla, subject to international clearance.
The 20-year-old has signed a long-term contract after completing his medical at the club's Melwood training base on Saturday.
The forward, who has represented Spain at youth level, has made just nine appearances for Sevilla's first team in all competitions.
But a superb loan spell at Barcelona B, the Spanish club's second side, brought him to Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers' attention.
In his time with the Catalan giants' res
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Category: News Views: 742 Added: SkyDate: 22.06.2013 - 23:28
Tottenham close on Paulinho signing Premier League outfit Tottenham are on the verge of signing Corinthians midfielder Paulinho, it has been confirmed.
The 24-year-old midfielder, who is currently at the FIFA Confederations Cup with Brazil, is said to be one of Tottenham's key transfer targets.
And the box-to-box midfielder has a reported release clause of £17 million, which the White Hart Lane club appear willing to meet.
Corinthians director of football Edu, a former Arsenal midfielder, said that a deal was close to being sealed.
When quizzed about Tottenham's interest in
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Category: News Views: 674 Added: SkyDate: 22.06.2013 - 23:26
