Real Madrid Expelled from Copa Del Rey for Fielding Ineligible Player

Real Madrid have been expelled from the Copa del Rey after they fielded the ineligible Denis Cheryshev in Wednesday’s 3-1 win over Cadiz. The Russian winger picked up three yellow cards in the competition last season while on loan at Villarreal - the third in the semi-final defeat to Barcelona - and was supposed to be suspended for the first game of this season’s Copa.

Costa Has Been Very Good, He Trains Very Well

When asked on Friday during press conference about his relationship with Diego Costa, Mourinho said the whole squad had enjoyed a carefully arranged night out together on Wednesday and joked that the paparazzi who photographed only three players, including Diego Costa, must have had problems with their memory cards. The players trained excellently the next day, reported Mourinho, including Diego Costa who was the subject of some journalists’ questions having been an unused substitute at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

Defensive Solidity Has Been at the Heart of Our Good Recent Form - Morinho Praises Cahil

Following Chelsea's recent slight improvement in form, Morinho during his custom press conference was asked about the England vice-captain’s deal at his pre-match press conference today, Jose Mourinho explained what makes Cahill such an integral cog in the Chelsea defence.

‘He normally plays with such an amazing stability that it’s easy for me to have in my memory a couple of matches where he didn’t play so well,’ said Mourinho. ‘It’s so easy because it is a couple of matches and no more than that.

QPR Appoints Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink as New Manager

QPR have appointed Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink as their new manager on a rolling contract. The 43-year-old former Chelsea striker joins from League One side Burton Albion and has previously managed Royal Antwerp in Belgium. Hasselbaink has been in charge of Burton since November 2014 and guided them to the League Two title in his first season in charge.

Reading Sack Manager and His Assistant after Poor Run of Form

Championship side Reading have sacked manager Steve Clarke after a year in charge of the club. His departure follows Thursday's 1-0 home defeat by QPR and comes just two weeks after he held talks with Fulham over their managerial vacancy. Reading's board of directors met with Clarke in person early on Friday to confirm their decision to dismiss him.

West Ham Star Diafra Sakho Sidelined for Four to Eight Weeks

West Ham striker Diafra Sakho could be out for more than two months after injuring a thigh during Sunday's match against West Brom. The 25-year-old pulled up after taking a shot and was substituted in the 17th minute of the 1-1 draw at Upton Park.

Man Utd Suffer Injury Blow as Defender Dislocates Shoulder in Training

Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo is facing a period on the sidelines after dislocating his shoulder in training. The incident happened on Wednesday and is the same shoulder Rojo dislocated against Manchester City last season, but the 25-year old versitile defender did not have surgery then, though still missed four weeks.

Gervinho is the Most Skilful Team-mate I Ever Met - Hazard Reveals

Eden Hazard while answering questions during Chelsea's question hour, the former Lile player reveals that former Arsenal player Gervinho is the most skillful player he has ever played with. The Chelsea winger played alongside the Ivory Coast international at Lille, with Gervinho scoring 36 goals and providing 21 assists in 93 appearances for the club prior to his move to the Emirates Stadium.

QPR's Interim Coach, Neil Warnock Confirms Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink Will Become QPR's Manager

Warnock, who took charge after Chris Ramsey was sacked on 4 November, said after their victory against Reading on Tuesday that his temporary reign was over. Warnock said Thursday's match was his last in charge, with Burton Albion boss Hasselbaink his replacement.

United to Replace LVG with Carlo Ancelotti

Manchester United are in talk with former Chelsea and Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti over potentially replacing Louis van Gaal, according to reports spreading in Italy. According to Italian journalist Tancredi Palmeri, United have already approached Ancelotti over potentially replacing Van Gaal, and could install him as manager before the start of next season. United are looking at proven managers like Ancelotti to come in.

Thibaut Courtois set to Return agains Bournemouth

The Belgium international has not played for Chelsea since the end of August after undergoing knee surgery and has missed the majority of the club’s disastrous start to the season. Summer signing Begovic has performed well while Courtois has been sidelined, but that will not stop Chelsea manager Mourinho bringing the 23-year-old straight back if he is convinced he is ready and barring any setback. Courtois has trained fully with the Chelsea squad this week without feeling any significant pain and will be double-checked on Friday ahead of his planned return against Bournemouth. Do you think that would be too harsh on Begovic?

FIFA to Expand World Cup Teams to 40 Teams

 

World football governing body FIFA is planning to expand the tournament from 32 teams to 40 teams. Fifa’s executive committee discussed increasing the size of the tournament at its meeting in Zurich and deferred a final decision until next year. 

 

This is not the first time the expansion move would be discussed, and if it's approved this time around, it would add another 32 fixtures to the World Cup from the year 2026, taking the total number of games to 96. It is likely this would involve the size of groups being expanded from four to five teams, meaning the overall length of the tournament could increase by up to a week from the current 31 days.

Belgium Remain Number One on Latest FIFA Ranking as Germany Drop to Fourth Position

The Red Devils moved into first position for the first time in their history in November, and their fantastic performance during the last legs of euro qualifier with a 3-1 victory over Italy in Brussels saw them hold on to the coveted spot for the final ranking of the calendar year.

World Cup holders Germany have dropped from second to fourth place in the latest Fifa world rankings, while Belgium end the year in top spot. Joachim Low's side slipped from second to fourth following their 2-0 friendly defeat at the hands of France last month, while Belgium ended in first to earn Fifa's Team of the Year award for 2015.

LEAGUE CUP DRAW - Manchester City to Face Everton in League Cup Semi-finals

Manchester City have been drawn with Everton in the League Cup semi-finals, while Liverpool will take on Stoke. Everton will welcome City to Goodison Park in first leg, while Stoke are at home first against Liverpool. The first legs will be played over 5 and 6 January, with the return matches played on 26 and 27 January. Liverpool won 6-1 at Southampton in Wednesday's only quarter-final, while City beat Hull 4-1 on Tuesday.

FIFA Corruption Saga Continues as Two High-ranking Officials Arrested at Zurich Hotel

Two "high-ranking" Fifa officials have been arrested in dawn raids at a Swiss hotel on suspicion of accepting millions of dollars of bribes. Police swooped on the luxury Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich, where several Fifa officials were arrested in May. "Fifa became aware of the actions taken today by the US Department of Justice," football's world governing body said.

Gary Cahill Signed New Four-year Contract, Keeping Him at Stamford Bridge Until 2019

Chelsea Football Club announce Gary Cahill has signed a new four-year contract, keeping him at Stamford Bridge until 2019. The 29-year-old has become a key figure in the team since arriving from Bolton Wanderers in early 2012, lifting every major club honour in that time.

Cahill said: ‘I’m really pleased to commit my future to Chelsea and it’s great the club has put their faith in me. ‘I have achieved a lot here and I hope I can keep on learning, helping the team and lifting trophies over the next four years.’

Atletico Madrid Ready to Trigger Diego Costa’s Release Clause

Atletico Madrid are reportedly considering triggering a release clause in Diego Costa’s contract to re-sign him for £28million. It would be little surprise to see the Spain international look to leave Chelsea after this nightmarish season and he previously hit the form of his career with Atletico. 

 

There's a wide spreading rumour that Ibrahimovic would be plying his trade in Chelsea shirt com this January transfer market. Signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic would be a temporary replacement if Athletico resigns Costa.

TRANSFER RUMOUR - Arsenal to Storm January Transfer Market as Wenger Set to Sign Three Stars

Arsenal's recent injuries have killed their impressive fine form to the season and led to an awful run of form in November, with the likes of Sanchez, Carzola and Coquelin injured, Gunners are in serious need of more depth in their struggling squad. Midfielders seem to be a priority for Arsene Wenger, with three big names linked with moves to the Emirates Stadium in today’s gossip.

Arsenal could make a shock raid on their rivals Manchester City for the transfer of Spanish winger Jesus Navas. According to reports, the Gunners are making Navas one of their top targets to replace the injured Alexis Sanchez out wide. Although it seems unlikely that City will sell to a fellow title challenger, the 30-year-old may feel a move would be good for his chances of playing more and making Spain’s Euro 2016 squad.

ARSENAL'S INJURY WOES CONTINUES - Santi Cazorla to Miss at Least Three Months with Knee Injury

Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla is the latest to join the list of key players that will miss Arsenal's crucial last Champions League group game against Olympiakos as he faces at least three months out with the knee ligament injury he suffered in the 1-1 draw at Norwich City and there are fears he could even be out for longer period.

Arsenal are still assessing the injury but are resigned to losing the Spaniard until at least March as Arsène Wenger continues to be hit by fitness problems for key players.

ANOTHER BLOW FOR BENITEZ - Real Madrid to be Kicked Out of Copa del Rey for Fielding Ineligible Player

Madrid could face disqualification from the Copa del Rey after appearing to field an ineligible player in their 3-1 fourth-round victory over Cadiz on Wednesday night. Denis Cheryshev had given Rafael Benítez’s side the lead at the Ramón de Carranza but the Russia international had a one-game ban hanging over his head.

The 24-year-old had picked up three yellow cards during the competition with former club Villarreal last season and this was the first opportunity the winger had to serve the accompanying ban.

Confidence Restored Ahead of Qualifying ‘blockbuster’ - Stajcic

Sydney: Australia coach Alen Stajcic has said his side will continue their build up to the 2016 Olympic qualifiers with renewed confidence following their recent victory over fellow Rio hopefuls Korea Republic.

Kyah Simon’s 15th international goal secured the Matildas a 1-0 win in Incheon in a dominant display that saw Australia return to form after a disappointing showing at the three-team Dewellbon Cup invitational tournament in Chongqing, where Stajic’s side lost 1-0 to England and drew 1-1 with China, who are also taking part in the final round of the Olympic qualifiers next year.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink to Become QPR Manager

QPR have opened talks with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink about the Burton manager becoming their new boss. Burton have accepted an approach from the Championship club for the 43-year-old ex-Leeds and Chelsea striker, and negotiations with him are under way.

Neil Warnock has been in interim charge at Loftus Road since Chris Ramsey was sacked on 4 November. Hasselbaink won League Two with Burton last season and the Brewers are two points clear at the top of League One.

Real Madrid to Seal £84.2million Hazard

Real Madrid are still interested in signing Eden Hazard in next summer’s transfer window, and it has now emerged that Chelsea would be ready to sell if their asking price is met. In what would be close to a world-record move, the Blues are reportedly willing to let the Belgian leave if they receive an offer in the region of £84.2million, according to Fichajes.net.

Valencia Named Gary Neville Head Coach

Former Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville has been named as Valencia's head coach until the end of the season. The 40-year-old, who will take charge officially on Sunday, will remain part of the England coaching set-up.

Peter Lim, Valencia's Singaporean owner, has a stake in Salford City, the non-league club co-owned by Neville. His brother Phil, who joined the Spanish club as assistant manager in July, will stay on the coaching staff.

Chelsea Submit Plan for the Expansion and Reconstruction of Stamford Bridge

Chelsea have submitted a planning application for a new stadium at Stamford Bridge which will have an expanded seating capacity of 60,000. The application will be now considered by Hammersmith and Fulham Council, who are asking for comments on the scheme to be received by Friday January 8. Read the statement from Chelsea's website below:

A planning application for a new stadium at Stamford Bridge with an expanded seating capacity has been submitted. This follows a successful consultation process during which we received very helpful feedback.

Venezuelan National Football Team Threatens to Quit Unless the Coaching Staff are Fired

Some 15 members of the squad are unhappy about recent criticism aimed in their direction after Laureano Gonzalez, head of the federation, accused the squad of conspiring to work together in a bid to have head coach Noel Sanvicente fired.

‘A movement came together there [inside the team] to throw out the coach, who is our best national coach,’ Gonzalez said.

Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla to Miss Olympiakos Champions League Decider

The full results of scans on the two players are due on Wednesday but Sanchez is expected to be out for around a month with a hamstring strain.

Arsenal are almost certain to be without both Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla for their decisive Champions League group match against Olympiakos in Athens next Wednesday. The full results of scans on the two players are due over the next 48 hours but the fear is that Sanchez will be out for around a month with a hamstring tear and that Cazorla has suffered knee ligament damage.

Messi Named La Liga Best Player of the Year as James Roriguez Wins Best Midfielder

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has been named La Liga's best player of 2014-15 at the annual award ceremony on Monday. The 28-year-old, who was named Goal 50 winner last week, saw off competition from Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo to be crowned the best overall player in addition to the top forward in Spain.

Atletico Madrid's star player Antoine Griezmann and Barcelona veteran Andres Iniesta were pipped to the best midfielder award by James Rodriguez after he starred for Madrid following his 2014 move from Monaco.

Nigeria Professional Football League Table as it Stands at the End of just Concluded Season

As Eyimba International Fc secured a record seventh title to be become the most successful team in Nigeria Professional League, let's take a look at the relegated teams and the teams that will be plying their trades in CAF champions league next season. Warri Wolves secure champions spot as Kwara United relegated.

FIFA Congratulate Enyimba for a Record Seventh Time Title

Acting FIFA president Issa Hayatou has congratulated Enyimba Football Club for winning the 2014/2015 Glo Premier League title. The message was contained in a letter from the world football governing body to the Nigeria Football Federation and signed by Hayatou.

"It gives me great pleasure to send my heartfelt congratulations to Enyimba and their indomitable team on this great achievement," the letter read.

Liverpool Spent more Than £14m on Agents' Fees to Lead the Latest Premier League list of Clubs That Pay Most on Agents

Liverpool spent more than £14m on agents' fees to lead the latest Premier League list which shows total payments at £129.86m - up £15m from last year. Manchester United's fees nearly doubled to just under £14m while Arsenal's almost tripled to around £12m.

The Football League also published its agents' fees list with Cardiff City the biggest spenders in the Championship. The Bluebirds spent £2,828,133, with the total outlay by Championship clubs amounting to £26,124,044.

Two Goals from Gonzalo Higuain Send Napoli to the top of Serie A

Argentina forward Higuain opened the scoring after just 64 seconds with a thumping effort before Inter had Yuto Nagatomo sent off for two yellow cards. Napoli, chasing their first Serie A title since 1990, extended their lead after another fine Higuain finish.

Adem Ljajic made it 2-1 before Stevan Jovetic headed against a post. In a dramatic finish, Inter were again denied an equaliser when Napoli goalkeeper Pepe Reina deflected a header from Miranda onto the post.

Former Ballon d'Or winner, Andre Shevchenko to Turn to Coaching

Former Ac Milan and Chelsea forward, Andre Shevchenko is set to go into coaching career after three years he retired from football. Ukraine are looking forward to Euro 2016, and could have their greatest player back on board for the finals - as a coach. 

That man is former Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko - surely the only man whose life achievements include both opening a boutique with Giorgio Armani and scoring in the League Cup against Wycombe.