Newcastle United linked with former Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen

Pierluigi Collina has stepped down as the chief refereeing officer of UEFA, European football s governing body has confirmed.

Collina will be replaced by Roberto Rosetti after opting to leave the role due to personal reasons.

Rosetti, who also becomes chairman of UEFA s referees committee, takes over having been responsible for implementing the VAR system at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Roberto was the natural choice for the job, said UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin. His experience, knowledge and standing in the game are outstanding and I know he will chair the committee with passion and enthusiasm.

Collina s eight-year spell in the position saw the 58-year-old oversee the establishment of the Centre of Refereeing Excellence.

Pierluigi b…

Cucho Hernandez is proud to have helped Columbus Crew create history as they beat Los Angeles FC 3-1 to win the Leagues Cup for the first time.

Cucho opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time with a towering header past Hugo Lloris before Olivier Giroud netted his first goal for LAFC in the 57th minute.

When the game looked to be heading to penalties, Cucho stepped up again in stoppage time, curling a stunning effort in from the left wing before setting up Jacen Russell-Rowe for their third two minutes later.

Cucho, who scored four goals in the last three games on Columbus run to the title, was delighted to play such a big role in their success.

No words about that, no words. I m so happy for making history here, Cucho said. I m so happy for my famil…

Denis Suarez claimed he did not receive any messages from Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde following his move to Celta Vigo.

The 25-year-old joined Celta during the close season in a deal potentially worth a reported €16million after struggling to hold down a starting spot in his three years at Camp Nou.

Suarez was offered the chance to link up with Marcelino at Valencia but instead opted for a return to Celta, where he started his career before heading to Manchester City in 2011.

Marcelino was constantly calling me to tell me how the situation was, he told Cadena SER. I was willing to give up many things to go to Valencia, but I rejected his offer because they wanted me to give up many more things.

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¡Fantástico ambiente en la ses…

Jan Vertonghen said Tottenham deserve so many trophies and added it would be a big shame if Spurs squad do not claim silverware.

Tottenham has not won a trophy since claiming the 2008 EFL Cup – a tournament it was knocked out of by Chelsea in the semi-finals this season.

Spurs – third in the Premier League and preparing for the Champions League last 16 – face Crystal Palace in the FA Cup fourth round Sunday.

Tottenham defender Vertonghen understands the significance of the FA Cup following the club s EFL Cup exit.

It s very important, said Vertonghen of the FA Cup. This team deserves so much more, so many trophies.

Over the last five years, we haven t had a lot of luck. We ve been so good. It would be a big shame if we don t reward ourselv…

Oliver Bierhoff insists Germany are not in a doomsday scenario as a new era begins following the controversial omissions of Mats Hummels, Jerome Boateng and Thomas Muller.

The Bayern Munich trio, who all played a key role in Germany s World Cup triumph in 2014, have been left out by head coach Joachim Low for the start of the Euro 2020 qualifying campaign.

Team manager Bierhoff suggested after relegation in the Nations League last year Germany should keep faith with their experienced players, but there appears to have been a change of heart.

Muller reacted angrily to being dropped while Bayern complained at the timing of the announcement, made just days before their Champions League last-16 second leg at home to Liverpool, and former coach Jurgen Klinsmann cr…

Jurgen Klopp admits Liverpool cannot hope to retain their Premier League crown after a late collapse condemned them to a 3-1 defeat at Leicester City.  

Mohamed Salah opened the scoring at the King Power Stadium on Saturday, but the Reds conceded three times in the space of seven crazy minutes. 

The result means Liverpool have lost three in a row in the league for the first time since November 2014 – when current Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers was in charge –and face a real fight to finish in the top four.  

Klopp was not happy with the VAR decision to award the home side’s equaliser, with the direct free-kick from James Maddison initially ruled out for offside, as he acknowledged any title challenge is now over. 

I don t think…

Prediction: Both Teams to Score and Dortmund to Win

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A monumental battle in the fight for the Bundesliga crown is in the offing on Tuesday evening as Der Klassiker takes place at the Signal Iduna Park.

Dortmund host their great rivals Bayern Munich in what looks like a key clash in the title race following the resumption of the league.

Borussia Dortmund

Despite the coronavirus pandemic pausing German football for a few months, Lucien Favre s Dortmund have picked up exactly where they left off in their last two matches. They at first secured a big 4-0 victory against rivals Schalke 04 before following that up with a 2-0 success against Wolfsburg. That means that they have won their last six matches in the league, securing clean …

Best Odds: 5/4

Bookmaker:

Looking to open the New Year with another Serie A statement, Fiorentina will travel to the Mapei Stadium when they meet Sassuolo on Saturday night.

Sassuolo

Starting with the hosts, crashing out of the Coppa Italia earlier in the week thanks to a routine 3-1 loss at the hands of Atalanta, it is no secret that Sassuolo find themselves at the heart of a major domestic struggle. Although Alessio Dionisi’s men might have eventually cruised their way to Serie A safety last season, the Neroverdi are looking over their shoulder at a looming relegation scarp and they have continued to come under some mounting scrutiny. Signing off 2023 with a toothless performance as they suffered a 1-0 loss away at AC Milan, Sassuolo have collected just a s…

Alvaro Morata may not have been prolific in terms of goals at Euro 2020 but his selfless work for the team is vital for Spain, according to Gaizka Mendieta.

Striker Morata has scored twice to help Luis Enrique s side reach the semi-finals of the tournament, though his failure to capitalise on the opportunities that have come his way has led to criticism.

Indeed, the 28-year-old has been booed by his own fans both before and during the European Championship, while his family have been targeted for abuse too.

Yet former Spain international Mendieta feels Morata s team-mates appreciate all he does for the cause, even if his finishing has let him down at times. From 15 attempts, he has a shot conversion rate of 13.33 per cent.

An expected goals total of 3…

Danny Rose would love the opportunity to play in front of Tottenham s fans one more time and would happily see out the remainder of his contract in north London.

England left-back Rose spent the second half of the 2019-20 Premier League season on loan at Newcastle United after falling out of favour when Jose Mourinho replaced Mauricio Pochettino as head coach last November.

The 30-year-old told BBC Radio 5 Live he felt he wasn t given as much of a chance as everybody else in the backline by Mourinho.

Rose is contracted to Spurs until June 2021 and he told The Second Captains podcast he has not entirely given up hope of resurrecting his career at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

I m very happy to stay at Tottenham and see my last 10, 11 months out. I d love…