La Liga : Barcelona - Malaga
Barcelona will bid an emotional farewell to defender Eric Abidal after their clash with Malaga at Camp Nou on Saturday.
The 33-year-old joined Barca from Lyon in 2007, and has endured a tumultuous couple of years as health scares threatened to end his career prematurely.
The Frenchman was diagnosed with a tumour in his liver in March 2011, and he underwent surgery to remove it before recovering to play a full game in Barca's 3-1 win over Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League final that year.
In March last year it was announced Abidal would need to undergo a liver transplant, which took place in April, and again the gritty defender fought back to play again, making his c
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Category: News
Views: 951
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Date: 31.05.2013 - 18:58
La Liga : Real Madrid - Osasuna
Real Madrid will say adios to Jose Mourinho on Saturday after their La Liga match with Osasuna at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The Portuguese tactician's spell in charge has been a rollercoaster ride in the Spanish capital - successfully breaking Barcelona's stranglehold on the Liga title last term but ultimately falling short of his aim of bringing the club their first UEFA Champions League success since 2002.
Along the way there was an eye-gouging controversy with then-Barcelona assistant Tito Vilanova, and highly publicised spats with big-name stars in his own squad such as Iker Casillas, Pepe and Sergio Ramos.
Most recently, he was sent to the stands as his team lost the Copa del
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Category: News
Views: 942
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Date: 31.05.2013 - 18:57
International Friendly : Republic of Ireland - Georgia
Georgia will be looking for their first win this year when they take on the Republic of Ireland in a friendly international on Sunday.
In five matches in 2013, Georgia have scored just two goals, losing to Spain, Belarus and France, while claiming draws versus Finland and Egypt.
Georgia's head coach Temuri Ketsbaia will be hoping he can lead his team to their first win since a 1-0 victory over Belarus in September last year, but the 45-year-old former midfielder will need to fix his side's attack if they are to overcome Giovanni Trapattoni's Ireland.
Category: News
Views: 1024
Added: Sky
Date: 31.05.2013 - 18:55
International Friendly : United States - Germany
Germany's head coach Joachim Loew is likely to make a raft of changes when his team takes on the United States in Washington.
The USA will host Germany for the first time since 1999 on Sunday having lost 4-2 to Belgium on Monday, while on Tuesday, German overcame Ecuador by the same scoreline.
But USA head coach Juergen Klinsmann can expect to see a significantly different line-up from his countrymen at the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
Loew picked Lars Bender and Roman Neustaedter as screening midfielders against Ecuador, with Lukas Podolski, Julian Draxler and Sidne
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Category: News
Views: 1003
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Date: 31.05.2013 - 18:53
International Friendly : Brazil - England
Hulk, Fred and Leandro Damiao are set to fight it out for the centre-forward position in Brazil's starting line-up to play England.Brazil are set to host Roy Hodgson's at the Maracana on Sunday in the first international match at the famous Rio de Janeiro venue since its renovation and the hosts' head coach Luiz Felipe Scolari will have to make at least two changes to team which took on England in February.
Barcelona's left-back Adriano and Sao Paulo striker Luis Fabiano both played in February's 2-1 loss at Wembley but have been left out of Scolari's squad for the England friendly and the Confederations Cup in June.
Category: News
Views: 795
Added: Sky
Date: 31.05.2013 - 18:51
West Brom refute Yacob deal claims
West Brom have strongly denied suggestions of any wrongdoing in their signing of midfielder Claudio Yacob.
The Argentina international arrived in the Premier League at the start of the 2012-13 season from Racing Club, joining West Brom on a free transfer.
However, reports emerged this week alleging that two 'unlicensed' Argentine agents had been used to help broker the deal, with both said to be claiming that they were subsequently not paid for their services.
The club have since denied those claims, insisting that the representatives involved in the transfer were registered with governing body FIFA, and that the transfer was entirely above board.
Category: News
Views: 695
Added: Sky
Date: 31.05.2013 - 18:47
We will look to overthrow Bayern
Stuttgart sporting director Fredi Bobic says his side will use Wigan's FA Cup win as motivation ahead of Saturday's DFB-Pokal final.
Stuttgart are rank underdogs against Bavarian giants Bayern Munich, who on Saturday added the UEFA Champions League title to their Bundesliga success this season.
Bayern finished 48 points ahead of the 12th-placed Stuttgart in the Bundesliga and won both league fixtures against them 8-1 on aggregate during the recently completed campaign.
But Bobic is still hopeful his side can cause an upset in Berlin, and says Wigan's shock FA Cup success against Manchester City at Wembley can be used as inspiration.
Category: News
Views: 737
Added: Sky
Date: 31.05.2013 - 18:45
Karanka hints Mourinho deal is done
Real Madrid assistant Aitor Karanka claims Jose Mourinho has already accepted an offer to manage Chelsea and wants him at Stamford Bridge.
Saturday's clash with Osasuna will be Mourinho's last game in charge at the Bernabeu after it was announced that he will be leaving the club at the end of the current campaign.
It is widely expected that the Portuguese will head back to Stamford Bridge for next term to take charge of Chelsea once again, where he won two Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006.
Karanka, a former Real and Spain international defender, was appointed as Mourinho's right-hand man in Madrid in 2010 and admitted that he could well be working with the 'Special One' once again in London soon.
Category: News
Views: 657
Added: Sky
Date: 31.05.2013 - 18:43
Neymar jury still out for Guti
Former Real Madrid midfielder Guti is reserving judgement on Barcelona signing Neymar until he reproduces his Santos form in Europe.
All eyes have been firmly focused on the 21-year-old in recent days after sealing his long-awaited switch to Camp Nou, with the youngster set to be unveiled to the public on Monday.
Following the news of Neymar's imminent arrival, a series of players and personalities within the game have predicted future success for the star, but Guti wants to wait until the youngster justifies his reputation.
"He is a great signing, but you have to wait and see how he adapts to the European game," he told Sport ES.
Category: News
Views: 633
Added: Sky
Date: 31.05.2013 - 18:41