Thomas Tuchel believes he would probably still be Borussia Dortmund coach if not for the bomb attack on the team coach last April.
Dortmund were travelling to a Champions League quarter-final tie against Monaco at Signal Iduna Park when their vehicle was damaged by three explosions.
Defender Marc Bartra was injured during the incident and underwent surgery on a broken wrist.
The match against Monaco was rescheduled for the following day, with the visitors claiming a 3-2 victory that they would duly close out with a 3-1 win in the return leg.
After the rearranged game, Tuchel claimed neither he nor his players had been consulted over playing 24 hours on from ordeal – something Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke denied.
Although Tuchel l…
Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova says he will definitely be in charge of the team next season despite calls for him to resign.
Barca legend Johan Cruyff had told the media that Vilanova should step down and focus on his health.
The 44-year-old had a tumour removed in 2011, but suffered a relapse in December 2012 and consequently missed several months of the 2012/13 campaign to undergo treatment.
But Vilanova said he had no intention of relinquishing his post.
Well, I don t have anything to say because I ve already told you. I can say it louder but not clearer. I will be here at Barcelona next season, Vilanova said.
It is true there have been people talking, like Johan Cruyff.
I appreciate the concern about my health and I appreciate his c…
Nigel Pearson sees Saturday s trip to Chelsea as a good chance for his Leicester City side to test their progress.
Leicester waltzed to the Championship title last term and made an encouraging start on their Premier League return last weekend.
The club s first top-flight match in more than 10 years saw them snatch a 2-2 home draw against Everton thanks to Chris Wood s late leveller.
Visiting title favourites Chelsea is another matter altogether, but Pearson – whose side realistically have little to lose – has urged his players to take the game to their opponents.
Pearson said on Thursday: We ve got to get our preparation right and it ll be a good opportunity to test ourselves.
We need to do as well as we can.
They have real pedigree …
Alan Shearer has been given eight games to save Newcastle from relegation after the Premier League strugglers confirmed Wednesday his appointment as manager until the end of the season.
The former Newcastle striker will become the north-east side s fourth manager of the season as he bids to save his home town club from the drop.
Shearer, 38, a hero to the Magpies fans for his exploits on the pitch, had long been tipped as a future manager but he could never have envisaged taking over in such difficult circumstances.
Newcastle are currently third from bottom of the Premier League, two points adrift of Blackburn, the club currently occupying the last survival spot.
Despite having no coaching experience, Shearer has been given the task of saving the club fr…
Gaffe-prone former top Asian Football Confederation official Peter Velappan was forced to apologise after telling the AFC president to go home to the desert.
The remark at a press conference, in which Velappan was critical of Qatari AFC chief Mohamed bin Hammam, drew the ire of Arab journalists, who condemned it as racist.
Velappan, who was the AFC s secretary-general for 30 years, was asked to retract the comment, with former AFC official Mohamed Awada leading the demands.
I come from the desert and that is an insult to us, said Lebanon s Awada, the organisation s former press officer.
Velappan issued a statement of apology.
I also want to express my most heartfelt regret to all member associations of the AFC as well, said the Malaysian, who …
All indications are Raphael Varane is set to move on from Real Madrid.
The France international appears locked in on one destination.
Manchester United are said to be close to a deal for the defender.
TOP STORY – UNITED CLOSE TO VARANE MOVE
Manchester United have been linked to Raphael Varane in transfer rumours for months.
Now it appears the move could come to fruition, as Marca reports United and Real Madrid are close to a €50million (£42m) agreement.
Though the Mirror reports some at the Premier League club are worried the 28-year-old is merely using them to get a better deal out of Madrid, Fabrizio Romano says United are confident a deal is close and that no other clubs are involved.
El Real Madrid…
A stoppage-time goal from Hassani Dotson gave Minnesota United a 2-2 draw at Los Angeles FC in MLS action Wednesday.
Dotson s right-footed strike from the top of the 18 in the fifth minute of added time stunned LAFC and drew Minnesota within a point of Bob Bradley s side in the Western Conference table.
After losing their first four games of the season, Minnesota are unbeaten in 10 of their last 11.
Carlos Vela opened the scoring for LAFC in the 40th minute with his team-high fifth goal of the season, but Emanuel Reynoso equalised for Minnesota four minutes into the second half.
It appeared Tristan Blackmon s 77th-minute header would be enough to take the three points for the home side, but Dotson had other ideas.
His drive past goalkeep…
Tanguy Ndombele has arrived to England in order to undergo a medical ahead of a proposed move from Olympique Lyon to Tottenham Hotspur, according to .
Spurs were long pursuing the 22-year-old midfielder and reportedly had several attempts rebuffed by the French club, but last week they finally managed to agree a deal in the region of £65 million.
The north London club had a long dry spell in terms of incoming transfer, with their last acquisition being Lucas Moura who arrived in January 2018. Despite that, manager Mauricio Pochettino has built a team that reached the Champions League final this year. In the meantime, they have completed their new stadium, and now they are ready to spend in the market again. Should this deal be completed, Ndombele will become their rec…
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has promised most of his players will have a chance to show they deserve to play a big part in Manchester United s future.
The Red Devils boss is rebuilding his squad and has already brought Daniel James and Aaron Wan-Bissaka to the club as his first major signings.
In the closing weeks of the 2018-19 season, Solskjaer promised there would be changes in the ranks and warned consistently under-performing players they would play no part in his revolution.
Ahead of a new campaign, Solskjaer this week welcomed the majority of his players back from holiday, and on Sunday they head to Australia at the outset of a pre-season tour.
Solskjaer, asked if every player would begin with a clean slate and an opportunity to impress, said: Yeah, th…
Former Real Madrid and Barcelona midfielder Robert Prosinecki says he was shocked to see Gonzalo Higuain make his Juventus debut looking even more fat than me .
The Argentina international, who scored 38 times in 42 appearances for Napoli last season, joined the Serie A champions for a club record fee of €90million last month.
The 28-year-old looked overweight when he played his first game for the club in last week s friendly win over West Ham, prompting criticism from some fans on social media, as well as Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis.
Prosinecki admitted he was amazed by his fellow former Madrid man s questionable physique, but has backed Massimiliano Allegri to get him fit and firing in time for the season opener against Fiorentina on August 20.
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