Rangers and Napoli s Champions League tie has been delayed by a day over limited police resources following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, UEFA has confirmed.
The pair were set to play their second group stage encounter on September 13, having got their campaigns underway last week with defeat to Ajax and victory over Liverpool respectively.
But now the duo will see their game postponed by 24 hours in order to facilitate a lack of officers amid a nationwide shuffle following the monarch s passing, aged 96, at her Balmoral home on September 8.
In addition, Napoli fans will not be allowed to travel to the match, while Rangers supporters in turn will be barred from making the trip to Italy for the return fixture later this year.
The UEFA Champions League …
A call to discuss Raymond Domenech s future as coach of France at Friday s French Football Federation (FFF) executive meeting has been described as ill-timed and counter-productive .
The demand was made by FFF board member Guy Chambily, who told France Football magazine that he wanted the controversial national manager sacked, despite France qualifying for the 2010 World Cup via the play-offs.
Reaction to Chambily s comments was swift, and dismissive.
The president (of the FFF, Jean-Pierre Escalettes) considers that such a debate would be ill-timed and counter-productive, both for the Federation and the French team, FFF assistant managing director Jean-Louis Valentin told AFP on Tuesday.
Valentin added: We shouldn t dramatise Monsieur Chambily s comment…
(GSM) France legend Zinedine Zidane has revealed that he would one day like to manage Real Madrid, and has also praised the impact of the club s current star, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Zidane, now working as an advisor to Real president Florentino Perez, admitted in an interview with Iznews in China that he has enjoyed life back at the Bernabeu since re-joining the club seven months ago.
It is a great pleasure to work alongside Florentino Perez, who wants to make another team make history, Zidane said. Right now, I am learning and Florentino has given me great freedom to learn all the aspects of Madrid. My dream, some day, is to be manager of the club.
The 1998 World Cup winner hailed the impact of world record signing, a tag the Frenchman garnered himself after movi…
International newcomer Graeme Shinnie insists there is a strong belief that Scotland can upset the odds and claim a Euro 2016 place ahead of Thursday s pivotal qualifier against Poland at Hampden Park.
Scotland are six points adrift of their second-placed opponents and four shy of the Republic of Ireland in Group D s play-off place, meaning defeat in Glasgow would end their hopes of reaching next year s finals in France.
Gordon Strachan s side claimed a 2-2 draw in Warsaw last October but now face the daunting prospect of Poland s star striker Robert Lewandowski entering the return clash in scintillating form.
Lewandowski has scored a remarkable 12 goals in his past four games for Bayern Munich and the 27-year-old certainly appears to be in the mood to add to his…
Renato Sanches is pushing for more Bayern Munich game time after failing to make an impact in his two years at the club, says new coach Niko Kovac.
Sanches flopped on loan at Swansea City as the Welsh club were relegated from the Premier League last term.
The Portugal international has struggled since joining Bayern for €35milllion from Benfica before Euro 2016, where he was crowned Young Player of the Tournament.
But the 20-year-old impressed in Kovac s first game in charge of Bayern, scoring a fine free-kick as the Bundesliga side came from behind to beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 in the International Champions Cup on Saturday.
You have to keep in mind that when a player comes from a foreign country, you can not simply expect him to establish himself…
Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic warned there can be no more excuses after defeat at Augsburg heaped pressure on head coach Julian Nagelsmann.
After three consecutive Bundesliga draws, Bayern were looking to get back on track in Saturday s Bavarian derby, but a 1-0 loss has compounded the team s domestic troubles.
It was only a first league loss of the season, but Bayern have now gone four games without winning in the competition, and the team that last season clinched a 10th consecutive title are in a mini-crisis.
It remains to be seen whether it escalates beyond that, or whether Nagelsmann succeeds in getting the team back to form, but Salihamidzic tellingly questioned the performance as much as the result.
His verdict was that Bayern …
Lyon are confident FIFA will authorise the loan signing of West Ham’s Said Benrahma after a deadline-day move appeared to have fallen through.
The 28-year-old underwent a medical in France on Thursday afternoon ahead of a proposed loan switch leading to a permanent move from the east Londoners this summer.
But the deal collapsed late on deadline day and Lyon accused West Ham of a “lack of respect” and “incomprehensible behaviour” in strongly-worded statement.
Laurent Prud Homme a annoncé que la FIFA vient de valider la demande de certificat international de transfert pour Saïd Benrahma.
Retrouvez la conférence de presse en direct
— Olympique Lyonnais (@OL)
However, the Algeria international could yet move to …
Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng has put pen to paper on a three-year contract extension at the Allianz Arena, according to the club s official website, .
Boateng, whose deal was set to expire after next season, is now under contract at Bayern until the summer of 2018.
The Germany international, 25, has started the 2013/14 campaign on sensational form for the European champions, having tallied one goal and one assist in 20 appearances in all competitions.
I am very happy, said Boateng. Bayern are one of the biggest football clubs in the world.
I enjoy every day working with the team.
Bayern sporting director Matthias Sammer added: The club are very pleased with Jerome. We know how much he has developed and the part he has played …
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has insisted reports that Hugo Lloris could leave the club for Manchester United this summer are merely rumours.
The France international, who joined Spurs from French Ligue 1 giants Olympique Lyonnais for an initial fee of €10 million in the summer of 2012, wants to play UEFA Champions League football, and Tottenham are extremely unlikely to be involved in the competition next season.
I think [the report about Lloris] is a rumour and I do not have any comment, Pochettino said.
I do not want to speak about rumours, about Hugo or other players. We are focused and we try to finish the season as best as possible. That rumour is impossible to stop but we need to accept it is part of the game.
In footba…
Kevin De Bruyne has revealed he plans to join former Manchester City team-mate Vincent Kompany at Anderlecht.
Kompany left City at the end of the 2018-19 season, in which he led them to a domestic clean sweep, to take up a player-manager role in his native Belgium.
He has endured a stumbling start to life back at Anderlecht, though, and has already stepped back from managerial duties on matchdays.
De Bruyne has backed his compatriot to turn things around, however, with the City playmaker even offering to join Kompany s squad in the future.
I hope his career will be just as amazing at Anderlecht as it was at City, De Bruyne told The Sun of international colleague Kompany.
I ve told him to keep a place in his team for me in a year, or seven, when …