AY'S SUPERSTORIES

West Ham boss, Sam Allardyce, has hit out at Louis van Gaal and claims Manchester United should have backed David Moyes like the Dutchman. United let slip a two-goal lead for the first time in Premier League when they lost 5-3 to Leicester and recorded the worst Premier League start with only five points in five games under Van Gaal. "A normal United would have regrouped and won 5-3 at Leicester, not lost. You don't expect them to go under like that. Apparently they are in transition," Allardyce told The Sun.

Frank Lampard scored another two goals for Manchester City as his new side disembowelled

Arturo Vidal struck twice as Juventus beat Cesena 3-0 to maintain their impressive start to the new Serie A campaign in a match played at the Juventus Stadium on Wednesday night .

Roma maintained their 100 percent win record in the Italian Serie A, but relinquished their place at the top of the table to Juventus on Wednesday night. It was a busy night in the Italian top flight with eight games and 24 goals scored as Roma, Juventus, Internazionale, Sampdoria and Torino all won.

It was a rather dull Wednesday night in the Spanish La Liga with only eight goals scored across six games that saw Atletico Madrid, Rayo Vallecano, Sevilla and Levante pick up wins.

Capital One Cup holders, Manchester City will play Newcastle United in an all-Premier League affair in the fourth round of this season’s League Cup.

Barcelona coach, Luis Enrique, has praised Malaga for isolating Lionel Messi after seeing his side drop points at La Rosaleda.

Real Madrid star, Cristiano Ronaldo, has dismissed reports linking him with a move to Manchester United and says his future is with Madrid.

    Hanks was puzzled at why Rita had to show up so unexpectedly with such so much lascivious presence. Like the seductress, Cleopatra, she stood there smiling as she lets the departments of her chest jiggle excitedly. ''Ah! Rita? What are you doing her?'' Hanks said. ''Hanks! Can't I come in again?'' She smiled invitingly. ''Come in then'' Hanks bolted the door, turned to sit on his bed but Rita had already sat down there. He then sat on a chair near his window from where he tried to start up a conversation. He chatted with Rita for sometime but he didn't make any successful gist with her. She seemed uninterested though she was excited. She told Hanks that she was returning from a friend's place and decided to salute him. Hanks was not fooled, he could sense what she wanted and from the look of things, the goods she brought were to be seriously consumed. They continued chatting and fantasizing as the g...

Goals from Nathan Dyer, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Marvin Emnes handed Swansea a 3-0 win over Everton to book a place in the fourth round of the Capital One Cup. Everton bossed the early stage of the match and looked very dangerous upfront, with Samuel Eto’o and Christian Atsu combining very well. With Everton struggling to get a goal, Swansea were able to regroup and gained control of the match. Gary Monk’s side moved the ball with more urgency and had Everton on the back foot, but Roberto Martinez’s team remained solid in defence. But it was not for long as a neat build-up from Swansea in the 28th minute saw them break the deadlock. Nathan Dyer scored from a well delivered Jefferson Montero’s ball, with a nice finish into the far post for the opener. Montero was causing all sorts of problems for Everton as Swansea looked for the second goal. The match went to the break with Swansea finishing the stronger side, having gone ahead in the 28th minute. Martinez made changes ve...

AC Milan fought back from two goals down to force a two-all draw against Empoli in the Serie A Match played at Stadio Carlo Castellani on Wednesday night. Milan, who handed Fernando Torres his first start for his new team, started the better of the two teams in the opening exchanges of the match. Jeremy Menez was the main threat for Milan, but much to the surprise of Milan, Empoli grabbed the lead as early as the 13th minute of the game. Lorenzo Tonelli was granted a free header from a corner kick to put his team ahead. Milan looked very shaky in defence and Empoli doubled the lead through Manuel Pucciarelli in the 21st minute as the Rossoneri once again conceded a goal from a set piece. Empoli continued to boss the game, but Milan managed to get back into the match towards the half time. Torres was very dangerous for Milan in attack as they search for a goal to get back into the game. The Spanish striker, finally lived up to expectations when he headed a good cross fro...

Liverpool advanced to the next  round of the Capital One Cup after beating Middlesbrough 14-13 on penalties, after it ended 2-2 after 120 minutes. Brendan Rodgers gave Rickie Lamber his first start for Liverpool, while Raheem Sterling, Luis Enrique and Kolo Toure were also included the starting line-up. Middlesbrough were presented with first chance of the game in the ninth minute, as Grant Leadbitter picked out Daniel Ayala, who could only header straight at Simon Mignolet. A minute later and Liverpool went ahead, as 17-year-old Jordan Rossiter fired home with an effort from 35-yards out on Reds' debut. Adam Lallana came close in the 25th, the midfielder did well to create space for himself before firing a long range effort just wide of the upright. Tomlin nearly brought Boro level just before the halftime break with a long range effort that forced Mignolet into a low save. The Championship outfit then leveled matters in the 62nd minute, as Adam Reach rose highest to...

Bayern Munich were in a rampant mood, as they thrashed Paderborn 4-0 in a Bundesliga clash at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday night. Pep Guardiola's side took the lead as early as the eighth minute, as some great play Thomas Muller set up Mario Gotze, who made no mistake from close range. The lead was doubled in the 14th minute thanks to a sublime strike from under-fire striker, Robert Lewandowski, only his second competitive goal for the defending champions. Paderborn almost reduced the deficit in the 24th minute, as Ouali was played through on goal but failed to beat Manuel Neuer. Arjen Robben came close just before the halftime break, the Dutchman cut in from the right before curling an effort inches wide of the upright. Paderborn had a chance to pull one back on in the 58th minute, but a last ditch tackle from Xabi Alonso denied the visitors a clear effort on goal. Manuel Neuer was called into in the 70th minute, as the German shot-stopper pulled off a fine save to k...

Arsenal were dumped out of the Capital One Cup, after losing 2-1 to Southampton at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night. Arsene Wenger started with the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Jack Wilshere, Abou Diaby and Tomas Rosicky amongst a few young players. David Opsina was called into action in the 10th minute on his Gunners debut, as he pulled off a fine save to deny Sean Davis from close range. The home side took the lead four minutes later, as Alexis Sanchez curled home a brilliant free-kick into the top corner from 25-yards out. However, the Saints managed to level matters in the 20th minute thanks to a calmly dispatched penalty by Dusan Tadic, after Sadio Mane was brought down by Tomas Rosicky. Southampton then took the lead in the 39th minute in spectacular fashion, as defender Nathaniel Clyne rifled one into the back of the net from 35-yards out. Tadic came close to adding a third for Southampton after the 60th minute, but the winger's powerful free-kick was palmed a...

Cristiano Ronaldo bagged four goals as Real Madrid defeated Elche 5-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday night. Carlo Ancelotti decided to leave Karim Benzema and Javier Hernandez on the bench, as Isco started alongside Gareth Bale, Ronaldo and James Rodriguez. Elche took a surprising lead in the 15th through Albacar's penalty, after Cristiano Ronaldo had committed a foul in the box. It didn't take long for the hosts to respond, as Gareth Bale headed home James Rodriguez's in-swinging cross to level matters. Madrid then went ahead in the 27th minute, this time Ronaldo scoring from the penalty spot, after Marcelo had been brought down in the area. Ronaldo then extended the home side's lead minutes later with a fine header into the bottom corner, after being picked out by Marcelo. The second half proved to be a dull affair, with neither side showing any urgency, until a late surge from the hosts. Ronaldo completed his hat-trick in the 80th minute from the...

The Israeli military has shot down a Syrian aircraft that it said had infiltrated it airspace over the Golan Heights. Tuesday's incident was the most serious incident to take place on the strategic plateau since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011. Army radio said it was apparently a MiG-21 fighter jet which was shot down by a surface-to-air Patriot missile, with the wreckage landing on the Syrian-controlled side of the plateau. There was no official confirmation over the type of the aircraft. Israel has largely stayed on the sidelines of Syria's civil war raging across the border, but its leaders appear increasingly nervous about the possibility of al-Qaeda-linked fighters occupying the Golan's high ground over northern Israel. Syrian state TV quoted a military source saying the downing of the plane, which coincided with US-led air strikes against the Islamic State in Syria(ISIL), came "in the framework of [Israel's] support for the terrorist ...

Yemeni President Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi has vowed to restore state authority and warned of a "civil war" in the Sunni-majority country as Shia rebels were seen in near-total control of the capital, Sanaa. "Sanaa is facing a conspiracy that will lead towards civil war," Hadi said in a speech at the presidential palace on Tuesday, two days after the rebels took control of all other key state institutions in the capital, overshadowing a UN-brokered peace deal. "Many powers came together, either those who lost their interests in yemen or those pushed by their personal grievances to take their revenge on their country rather than on individual, or the opportunistic who take advantage of any disaster to attack the country," said Hadi. Al Jazeera's Mohamed Vall, reporting from Sanaa, said that the president's comments had created a lot of confusion in the country. "It's not clear to many people here. They don't know what he ...

US President Barack Obama has said that the participation of five Arab nations in Syria airstrikes against Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) fighters "makes it clear to the world this is not America's fight alone". In a short statement on Tuesday, hours after the first US-led airstrikes hit the group's headquarters in eastern Syria, Obama vowed to continue the fight, which he said was vital to the security of the United States, the Middle East and the world. "Once again, it must be clear to anyone who would plot against America and do Americans harm that we will not tolerate safe havens for terrorists who threaten our people," Obama said on Tuesday before leaving the White House for the United Nations in New York. He said the joint fight against ISIL would take time, pledging to build more international support for the effort. He added that the US was proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the Un...

Liverpool boss, Brendan Rodgers, has insisted Mario Balotelli is not complicated to work with. The Reds signed the 24-year-old from AC Milan last month, but Balotelli has only scored one goal in his first four games for the Reds. Then on Sunday, the Italian striker was the victim of racial abuse on Twitter after he mocked Manchester United’s shock defeat to Leicester and Rodgers defended his player. "Every player is different and individual, and I have really enjoyed working with him so far,” he told SkySports. "He is a good guy, he wants to do well for the club and he has shown me that he cares enough about the club (for me) to devote that time to him. "For me, he is not complicated - he is a football player who wants to do well in his life and his career, and if he continues to give everything and work tirelessly for the cause, then there will always be an opportunity here for him." Liverpool have three of their first six games and host Middlesbrough...

The coach has taken a swipe at the fixture congestion so early in the Bavarians' season, while he is refusing to read too much into the table at the moment Pep Guardiola has slammed the fixture congestion that is set to see Bayern Munich play their third game in seven days when they take on Paderborn on Tuesday. Bayern beat Manchester City at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday before their 0-0 draw with Hamburg on Saturday and are set to take on the newly promoted Paderborn in Munich. The Bavarians have been struggling to find their best form in the opening weeks of the 2014-15 campaign and Guardiola feels the hectic schedule of modern day football is hurting the players' health. "We're killing the players," he added. "We're asking too much of them. The players need time to rest. "This is true not only for Bayern, but for Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen. It is impossible to play every three days and keep the same players." Two wins and t...

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has admitted that the constant tinkering with the clubs system has been the main reason behind their slow start to the campaign as they continue to adjust to life without the controversial Uruguayan, the Daily Star reports. The Anfield chief is still trying to find the best system to use for his side amid the ongoing injury crisis that has recently hit the club. Striker Daniel Sturridge has not played for the Reds since the win over Tottenham before the international break while Joe Allen, Glen Johnson and Emre Can have also been ruled out. And now Rodgers is calling for his players to return to basics as they look to progress through to the next round of the Capital One Cup on Tuesday night. “We need to get back to doing what we do best. With the injured players we have, I need to retain a system for a longer period,” he said. “The 4-4-2 diamond worked really well but it worked well with certain players and not at the weekend. “Until I get...

The former Chelsea star scored a vital equaliser against his old club at the Etihad Stadium to earn the champions a point and the Belgium international has hailed the goal Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany believes Frank Lampard's equaliser against Chelsea could kick-start the club's season. Facing his former club for the first time, Lampard earned a point for 10-man City with a superb 85th-minute equaliser in the 1-1 draw at Etihad Stadium. It meant Premier League leaders Chelsea failed to take full points for the first time this season, though they stayed three points clear at the top. However, despite the points difference, Kompnay believes Lampard's goal could have a huge impact on the title race. "Ever since I've been at this club, seasons and big moments have been decided on small events like this, so I will never underestimate what it could mean to our season," he said. "Frank has brought experience - experience is not just a wo...

John Terry has hailed the ‘big impression’ Cesc Fabregas has made back in the Premier League, insisting he is ‘part of the Chelsea family’. Fabregas spent eight years with the Blues’ rivals Arsenal before switching back to boyhood club Barcelona in 2011. But the Spanish ace made a return to England this summer and has played a key part in the Blues’ unbeaten start to the Premier League campaign which sees Jose Mourinho’s men sit three points clear at the top of the table. Hailing the influence of the Spaniard, Chelsea skipper Terry told Sport magazine: ''Obviously we were always competitive when we played against each other, and we had a little laugh about that. But that's what football is all about – the rivalry. 'But now he is one of us; part of the Chelsea family, and he is playing great. In the short time he has been here, he has made a big impression. 'He has a long contract, and we all hope he can bring great success to Chelsea for years to come....

The England star was handed the club captaincy in the summer but the Dutchman has now cast doubt on his future at Old Trafford, following the loan signing of Radamel Falcao Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal believes captain Wayne Rooney is under-performing for the club. Rooney, 28, was handed the armband at United when Van Gaal took the reins in the close-season though the club's fortunes have yet to change dramatically following last season's flop under David Moyes.  scorerMoyes led United to a seventh-placed finish in 2013-14 but was sacked before the end of his first season at Old Trafford, while Van Gaal has managed just one win in five league matches this campaign. And Van Gaal has now cast doubt on Rooney's future at the club, despite the striker scoring two goals so far this season, and has admitted that deadline day loan signing Radamel Falcao is more likely to lead the line in future. "We have played well, but can improve, and I was not so s...

Robin van Persie was the Manchester United player who was upset the most by the news of Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement, according to former team-mate Rio Ferdinand. The Dutchman spent a solitary season playing for the Scot but they established a close rapport as Van Persie scored 30 goals and United won their 13th league title under Ferguson. And Ferdinand, a member of Ferguson's teams for 11 of his 12 years at Old Trafford, felt Van Persie was devastated to hear the manager was leaving. "It took the wind out of everyone's sails," Ferdinand told MUTV. "The person it hit more than anyone was Robin. He'd come the year before, tasted that success and wanted more. Visually, you could see it hit him harder than anyone else at the time. "Everyone was really appreciative for what he'd done for our careers." Ferguson bought Van Persie for 24 million pounds from Arsenal in 2012 and the striker was the Premier League's top scorer as Un...

In what could be yet another topical discussion in Nigerian football, out of contract Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi has effectively ruled out the chances of having Seattle Sounders of America striker, Obafemi Martins and Manchester City wonder kid Kelechi Iheanacho called up to the Eagles in the nearest future. There have been calls from different quarters for the inclusion of the 17-year-old prodigy (Iheanacho), who shone brightly at the last FIFA U17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, to the Super Eagles, but Keshi, whose future with the team remains uncertain at the moment, has killed whatever hopes Nigerians had of seeing Iheanacho in the next qualifiers for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. “Iheanacho hasn’t been playing in the premier league and it simply tells you that Manchester City wants him to get more experience,” said Keshi. “He is not part of the team (City) at the moment and he has to get more experience and maybe see if he has what it takes to be there.” ...

Millions of Sierra Leoneans emerged from their homes on Monday after a controversial nationwide lockdown during which scores of dead bodies and new cases of Ebola infections were uncovered. The west African country had confined its six million people to their homes for 72 hours in a bid to stem a deadly outbreak which has claimed more than 2,600 lives there and in neighbouring Liberia and Guinea this year. “We have an overflow of bodies which we still need to bury but this has been an everyday occurence since the Ebola outbreak… Now at least we have about 150 new cases,” Steven Gaojia, head of the country’s emergency operation centre, said late Sunday. The country’s chief medical officer earlier said up to 70 bodies had been uncovered, but these were in and around the capital, and results for the whole country are likely to push up the figures significantly. Only essential workers such as health professionals were exempt from the shutdown, and some 30,000 volunteers who went ...

Arsenal boss, Arsene Wenger, has confirmed Mathieu Debuchy will be side-lined for three months after having undergone an ankle surgery. Debuchy was carried off on a stretcher in Arsenal’s recent 2-2 draw with Manchester City and Wenger said the right-back will out of action until the New Year. "He (Debuchy) had surgery on Friday and will be out for three months," Wenger told media. "A reasonable delay is three months. All went well, but it can be a week or two earlier or a week or two later, but it will be around three months. "It is a blow of course, how big it will be we will only know afterwards because it will be down to how well we replace him. We bought (Calum) Chambers for that.” Debuchy is the latest addition to Arsenal’s long-standing injury crisis, with Olivier Giroud also being side-lined until 2014. Wenger also confirmed that Theo Walcott, Serge Gnabry, Nacho Monreal and Yaya Sanogo will all return next month only. Following Debuchy’s and...

Real Madrid legend, Hugo Sanchez, has insisted Angel Di Maria is irreplaceable for his former club. Sanchez has scored 164 goals in 207 games for Los Blancos and believes Carlo Ancelotti didn’t have much to say in the departures of Di Maria and Xabi Alonso. "It's very hard to tell from the outside how Di Maria and Alonso's departures went down within the club," he told AS. "The approach can be very contrasting for a coach than for others in more managerial roles. "If the accounts are not balanced though, it is very difficult to spend, spend and spend without selling. If you spend you will have to sell. It is a maths game and it all depends on the management. "I guess as a coach Ancelotti would have liked Di Maria and Xabi Alonso to stay. But above all Di Maria, because there are several players who can replace Xabi. "Di Maria was one of the best players in the world and was helping Madrid a lot, but the accounts have to be done. ...

Chelsea midfielder, Cesc Fabregas, has revealed that Arsenal didn’t want him back because they had signed Mesut Ozil. The 27-year-old started his life at Chelsea with six assists in five games and explained it’s not his fault that he didn’t return to the Gunners. "Changing clubs is part of the game and people must remember it was Arsenal who didn't take up the buy-back option for me," he said as quoted by ESPN. "I can understand some people at Arsenal are sad, some people are upset, some people are even angry. But I have to look after myself. I had to make a decision. "I wanted to keep playing football, enjoying myself and my career and I felt that joining Chelsea was the best option for me. There would have been a reaction wherever I had gone. "If I had moved to Manchester United they would say, 'He's gone to a club that have been our big rivals for such a long time.' If it had been Manchester City they would have complained, too.” ...

Manchester United captain, Wayne Rooney, has spoken out against his team’s poor defensive performance in the 5-3 defeat to Leicester. United squandered a 3-1 lead to suffer their second Premier League defeat of the season in a dramatic encounter at the King Power Stadium. “It’s really disappointing,” Rooney told Sky Sports. “Going 3-1 up especially and then losing the game, it’s hard to take. “We should have done better as a team, seen the game out and won it from the position we were in. (There were) some mistakes and we didn’t do well enough as a team to stop their goals. “It’s not nice when you concede goals when you know we can prevent them. “They had the momentum with them in the last twenty minutes and we had to somehow try and find our composure and see the game out, but we failed to do that.” Rooney continued by questioning Mark Clattenburg’s decision to award Leicester two penalties, including a particularly harsh decision against Rafael, which led to the momentu...

Chelsea boss, Jose Mourinho, has hit back at Manuel Pellgrini after the Manchester City manager had labelled his side ‘a small team’. The Portuguese twice named his counterpart ‘Mr Pellegrino’ in a seemingly deliberate slip and accused the City boss of double standards in his comments about opponents. "Pellegrino many times says he never speaks about me and my team but he keeps doing the same thing," Mourinho told a news conference. "I am the one that does as he says. I don't comment on his words. Don't ask me about his words, I am not interested in that." Mourinho used his argument to decline to discuss Frank Lampard’s equaliser against his former club. "I don't speak about players from other teams, I am sorry," Mourinho added. "I don't speak about Frank. To speak about Frank is to speak about my past with Frank, the player he was for what he means in my career. "I will never tire of speaking about this. But the m...

Manchester City manager, Manuel Pellegrini, has accused Chelsea of playing like ‘a small team’ and compared Jose Mourinho’s defensive tactics to Stoke. Pellegrini blasted Mourinho for his negative tactics after the Blues' left the Etihad stadium with a 1-1 draw on Sunday. "I think we played during 90 minutes against a small team trying to defend, trying to keep 10 players in front of their goal and (City were) a team that wanted to win from the beginning," Pellegrini told a news conference. "We had two or three clear chances to score at the start of the second half and after with 10 players, we continued trying to win. I am satisfied with the performance of my team but I am not satisfied with the score. "I think we played against exactly the same team we played against Stoke here.” Chelsea took the lead through Andre Schuerrle after City's Pablo Zabaleta was sent off before Frank Lampard – Chelsea's record all-time scorer – levelled for the c...

Liverpool forward, Mario Balotelli, was racially abused on Twitter after mocking Manchester United for their 5-3 defeat to Leicester. The 24-year-old was bombarded with abusive messages after he tweeted “Man Utd…LOL” and anti-discrimination campaigners, Kick It Out, have contacted the police to look into the incidents. "We extend our support to Mario Balotelli after the appalling racist abuse directed at him on Twitter earlier today,” said a spokesperson as quoted by SkySports. "A large number of social media users alerted us to the messages by tweeting our official account and we have since reported this via True Vision – the Police's online reporting facility. "During the 2013/14 season, 50% of all complaints submitted to us from across the game related to social media abuse. "The issue has been escalating and we urge fellow social media users to assist in bringing this type of abuse to the attention of the authorities by reporting directly to True...

I couldnt help but kept staring at him the stranger right before me holding his camera and sure he was staring at me too and we were like two aliens from another world. 'you might want to keep the rest of the stare for another day'that was his first words to me as he moved closer. I couldnot stop my heartbeat were so loud now and i feel so strange like something wasn't really missing anymore. Oh God he was so handsome  if i had my chance i d have fainted too.he was huge tall with his muscular arms and broad chest.His eyeballs were brown and his skin was dark and smooth i could remember clearly he was on short and singlet. Lost in my thoughts i was when this stranger snapped his fingers right at my face and i snapped out of my deep thought I was right there but i just felt dumb my first encounter with a man at my early twenties not just a guy but a prince charming just like in stories have read. What you doing all alone here?he asked.i wanted to answer but that moment i coul...

Tottenham Hotspur started their UEFA Europa League campaign with 0-0 draw against FK Partizan at the Partizan Stadium. Mauricio Pochettino gave debuts to defenders, Fazio and Benjamin Stambouli, while Harry Kane started upfront ahead of Roberto Soldado. Harry Kane almost gave Spurs the lead as early as the first minute but the striker's effort from a tight angle was kept out by the crossbar. Partizan almost broke the deadlock in the 24th minute, as Lazovic got on the end of a long-throw-in, turned his marker but saw his eventual effort blocked by Spurs defender, Fazio. The home side had a chance to take the lead minutes after the halftime break, as Lazovic broke clear on the left to tee up Petar Grbic, who fired a tame effort straight at Hugo Lloris. Lloris was proving to be the busier of the two goalkeepers, this time keeping out Lakovic's in-swinging effort from 25-yards out in the 61st minute. Grbic should have opened the scoring in the 77th minute, as he was p...

Everton started their Europa League campaign with an impressive 4-1 win over Vfl Wolfsburg at Goodison Park on Thursday night. Roberto Martinez kept the same starting line-up that defeated West Bromwich Albion at the weekend, while Luis Gustavo was fit enough to start for the Bundesliga outfit. Everton took the lead with their first effort on target in the 14th minute, as Steven Naismith's effort deflected in off Wolfsburg's Ricardo Rodriguez, after some great build-up play. Romelu Lukaku came close to doubling Everton's lead in the 41st minute, but his curling free-kick from 25-yards out was palmed away by Benaglio. However, just before the halftime break the Toffees extended their lead thanks to a close range header from defender, Seamus Coleman, after Leighton Baines did well to pick out the defender. Two minutes after the restart and the home side added a third thanks to a calmly converted penalty from Baines, after Aiden McGeady was brought down in the box....

Argentina legend, Diego Maradona, says he regrets his drug addiction, without which he would have been an even better player. Maradona won the 1988 World Cup and is regarded as one of the best players to have played football, but was suspended for 15 months from football for failing a drug test for cocaine in 1991. "I gave my opponents the upper hand because of my illness. Do you know how good I would have been if I'd never taken drugs? I'd have been the dog's bollocks,” he said in the teaser for an interview with TV channel TyC Sports, the full version of which will air next month. "European players were tough, but I knew with my technical ability I would skin them. I kept telling myself that there is only one ball and they weren't going to be able to stop me. “And every time I got it, I would cause havoc. And I'll keep believing I can do that until my last breath." Maradona was also sent home from the 1994 World Cup after testing positiv...

Manchester United legend, Paul Scholes, has hit out at Yaya Toure, saying the Ivorian’s lack of defensive work will cause Manchester City problems. Scholes describes Toure as a ‘passenger’ and insists the Citizens will struggle in the Champions League as shown in the game against Bayern. “Watching Manchester City against Bayern Munich on Wednesday night, I felt that it was the same old story in the Champions League for Manuel Pellegrini’s team. Yaya Touré’s lack of defensive work in midfield has become a major problem for them,” Scholes wrote in his Express column. “He just did not look interested. Alongside him, Fernandinho is having to do the work of two players defensively and against Bayern that was always going to cause City problems. “City could have been three or four goals down within the first half an hour had it not been for their keeper Joe Hart. They cannot afford any passengers in Europe. “Touré just seems to amble about. He might get away with that in the Prem...

Barcelona sensation, Lionel Messi, has sent out a message to club fans to thank them on the 14th anniversary of his arrival at the club. The Argentine has been incredibly successful at the club, claiming six La Liga titles and three Champions League winner’s medals during his time in Catalonia. “On 17th of September 2000, I arrived at FC Barcelona. It’s my 14th anniversary at the club,” the 27-year-old said on Facebook. “I’d like to say thanks to all my teammates, managers, fans, board directors and the staff I’ve had the pleasure of working with and the amazing support they have always given me. Hugs!” Messi has also broken numerous records at the club, including being the first man to win four Ballon D’Or titles and scoring the most league goals in the club’s history. He arrived at the club at the age of 13 after the management offered to pay for his treatment for a growth hormone deficiency that he suffers from. Messi has scored 245 times in La Liga for his club in onl...

Didier Drogba says Frank Lampard still belongs to Chelsea and has urged the Blues’ fans to show their club legend respect during Sunday’s clash with Manchester City. Lampard joined New York City, which is owned by City, and was loaned to Manuel Pellegrini’s side after a 13-year spell at Stamford Bridge. "It doesn't matter the team where he is playing, I think he still belongs to us," Drogba said as quoted by ESPN. "He is a Chelsea player, for what he did. For me, he is part of the history of the club. "I can't wait to see him, my partner in crime. It is a pity that I came back and he's not here any more, but I will be happy to see him. "He's part of the history of this club and the fans know what he gave for the club. They know what he did. So I know the reaction will be good. I know that, for sure." Drogba knows how it feels to line-up against his former club after featuring against Chelsea in the Champions League last year. ...

Arsenal boss, Arsene Wenger, has defended ‘scapegoat’ Mesut Ozil and claims the criticism of his record-signing is unfair. The German World Cup winner, who joined the Gunners for £42.5 million last summer, has been struggling with form since returning from Brazil, but Wenger insists that’s nothing unsual. "It's a bit unfair because I believe the offensive talents on Tuesday night were not in best condition to express that talent,” he said in his pre-match press conference. "On the other hand it is post-World Cup and he came back on August 11 and it takes a few months to get back to your best. "Many of the World Cup stars don't even play at the moment. It's natural. I've seen it before. It is more mental than physical.” Wenger says supporters need to be patient with Ozil and Arsenal, and highlighted that the Gunners have only lost one game since April. "They (the supporters) should not be concerned. We all go through periods where we are...

Manchester United’s record signing, Angel Di Maria, says he signed for the club because of manager Louis van Gaal. Di Maria joined United for a British transfer record fee of £59.7 million and had a brilliant Old Trafford debut, scoring one goal and assisting one other. "Van Gaal was really important for me, in order to come here," Di Maria told Perform. "(He) was one of the first (people) who spoke about bringing me here. The coach always has the last word about the players he wants. "I am really grateful to him because, thanks (to) him, I am now playing for United. "I keep trying to improve every day and for that reason I wanted to come here to United. I needed to change my life. I will try my best to play the right way. I will try my best every match and show my arrival at Old Trafford was worthy. "Manchester United are trying to grow. "We already know we didn't start the Premier (League) in the right way (but) those things alwa...

Due to the success in our Social Media section, we have decided to promote the famous ‘5 things’ feature. First one up is Brazil legend Ronaldinho, who recently joined Mexican side Queretaro. Here’s 5 things you may or may not have known about the Brazil legend, who won the 2002 World Cup as well as the Champions League with FC Barcelona in 2006. 1. Ronaldinho has played 97 matches and scored 33 goals for Brazil, making him the eighth-highest goalscorer in the Selecao’s history. 2. His football skills began to blossom at the age of 8 and he was given the nickname “Ronaldinho” because he was often the youngest and smallest player in his youth club matches. 3. At the age of 13 he played a match where he scored 23 goals in his team’s 23-0 victory. This event caught the attention of the media. 4. In 2003 he joined FC Barcelona after the Catalan club outbid Manchester United for his signature. €30 million was the transfer fee that brought Ronaldinho to Spain. 5. Ronaldinho w...