Viola chief targets Montella

Fiorentina president Mario Cognigni has revealed that Vicenzo Montella could be the ideal candidate to take over at the Serie A club next season.

The former Roma player and caretaker coach is currently at the helm of Italian club Catania and following an 11th placed finish last season, he has become a target of a number of high-profile clubs.
The Viola's new sports director Daniele Prade and technical director Eduardo Macia are both understood to have indicated to the club's hierarchy that Montella is the right coach to take over at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.
And Cognigni admitted to Radio Crc: "Montella could be the right coach to start a new project. However, we know Montella is under contract with Catania and we know there are rules that have to be respected.
"We are monitoring the situation considering that Montella has expressed his wish to start a new adventure.''
Montella is understood to be meeting the Catania board next week to put an end to speculation over his future plans.

Lampard out of Euros

Frank Lampard will miss Euro 2012 after a scan revealed the extent of his thigh problem, with Jordan Henderson called up to replace him in the England squad.

Chelsea midfielder Lampard picked up a problem in training on Wednesday and medical tests have now shown that he would not be able to recover in time for the tournament in Poland and Ukraine.
The Football Association has confirmed that Lampard, who will be 34 next month, will not be part of Roy Hodgson's 23-man squad.
It is devastating news for England, who have already had to deal with the loss of one midfielder after Manchester City's Gareth Barry suffered a stomach injury in Saturday's friendly win over Norway.
And for Lampard, it potentially spells the end of his entire England career, with Hodgson expected to offer the younger midfielders a chance to prove themselves during next autumn's World Cup qualifying programme.
Lampard has nevertheless made it clear that he has no plans to quit international football, having made his England debut in 1999 and earned 90 caps in total.
Henderson will be called into the England squad providing Hodgson gets the green light from UEFA, which should be automatic as Lampard has suffered a fresh injury after Tuesday's deadline.

Striker believed to be on his way out of Millers

Sky Sports understands that Bournemouth have won the race to sign Rotherham striker Lewis Grabban.

The highly-rated 24-year-old has been linked with a number of third tier clubs, with it expected to be only a matter of time before he starts climbing the league ladder.
Rotherham's failure to secure promotion out of League Two has left them vulnerable to offers from afar.
Crawley have already made one approach for Grabban but, after lengthy discussions, failed to reach an agreement.
The Millers had been hoping that he would see out the final year of his contract and grace their newly-constructed New York Stadium in 2012/13.
It would, however, appear as though Bournemouth have convinced Grabban to join their efforts to clamber out of League One.

Rangers cooperating with authorities regarding payment probe

Rangers have provided the Scottish Premier League with documentation that will allow them to continue with their investigation into alleged undisclosed payments to players.

The SPL board instigated the investigation on 5th March following claims surrounding the club's use of Employment Benefit Trusts (EBTs) during Sir David Murray's reign.
The SPL last week stated that they were looking forward to receiving 'full co-operation' from Rangers and the club's administrators after failing to receive the necessary documents.
That lengthy investigation moved a step closer to completion on Thursday when the SPL released a statement which read: "The SPL confirmed that Rangers FC had today provided documentation to the SPL in relation to the SPL's investigation into EBT payments.
"The SPL's legal team will now review and provide an update to the SPL Board at the next SPL Board meeting on June 18."
The use of EBTs, from 2001-10, was the subject of a tax tribunal in January, which could result in a £75million bill, although Rangers have defended their use of the offshore payments.

Torres Goal Against Spain

Torres Goal Against Spain,
Was a good goal,

Wages went up to almost £1.6bn in 2010-11

Premier League player wages have reached an all-time high - a worrying trend with clubs now subject to UEFA's financial fair play rules.

The latest annual review of football finance by analyst Deloitte show the increase in wages outstripped the growth in revenues.
It has resulted in a wages/revenue ratio of 70 per cent in the Premier League - a record figure having crept up from the low-to-mid 60s five years ago.

Wages went up by £201million in 2010-11 to almost £1.6billion, a 14% rise, and overall revenues rose by 12% to £2.27billion. This was mostly driven by a rise in income from the new TV deals, especially from overseas rights.
Alan Switzer, director in the sports business group at Deloitte, said wage control was paramount for good business.
He said: "If the wages to revenue ratio is 70% or higher it's very difficult to make an operating profit.
"In our view it is too high as a league and the clubs need to be edging back to the low 60s. Every 1% that it drops should increase operating profits by £20m to £25m."
The wage rises at some of the bigger clubs have been offset by significant rises in commercial income at some sides, including Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City.
The figures are for the 2010-11 season so are the last ones before UEFA start taking them into account for their financial fair play (FFP) calculations where clubs in European competition have to break even.
Switzer said Manchester City and Chelsea faced the greatest challenges in conforming to the FFP rules.

Action

"Chelsea and Manchester City are the clubs which have recorded the biggest losses so they are the two which have the most to do, and to be fair to them they have been pretty public about needing to take action," he added.
"A significant number of clubs around Europe have some distance to travel on the road towards compliance."
The Deloitte report does not cover the most recent season, but it does show the effect of the 50% tax band coming into play - the 92 league clubs paid nearly £1.2billion in tax, up 20%.
The report also shows almost half of top-flight clubs had a reduction in matchday revenue reflecting the fact that many have been cautious about raising ticket prices during the current economic climate.
Other points highlighted by the report include:
- Combined pre-tax losses among Premier League clubs were £380m, while transfer spending increased by £210m (38%), to a record level of £769m.
- Total revenue in the Championship increased by £17m (4%) to £423m, partly caused by an increase in the solidarity payments from the Premier League.
- The wages/revenue ratio in Championship clubs was an even-more worrying figure of 90%.
- The Bundesliga remained Europe's most profitable league with operating profits of £154m, a 24% increase. In the Premier League, overall operating profits decreased by £16m to £68m.
- Net debt in Premier League clubs fell by £351m (13%) to £2.4billion, the lowest level since 2006. Of that, 62% (£1.5billion) is in non-interest bearing 'soft loans', most which relates to three clubs Chelsea (£819m), Newcastle (£277m) and Fulham (£200m).

Compensation holds up Rodgers deal as Liverpool stall

We understand Liverpool are stalling on the compensation fee Swansea are demanding for manager Brendan Rodgers.

The Swans confirmed on Wednesday talks between the two clubs were under way after Rodgers revealed he wanted to leave the Liberty Stadium for Merseyside.
The Welsh club's chairman, Huw Jenkins, said on Wednesday evening he expected the issue of compensation to be resolved within the next 24 hours, with Liverpool poised to confirm Rodgers as their new manager sometime on Thursday.
However, it appears talks have hit a snag, with the Reds reluctant to pay a release fee reported to be in the region of £3-5million.
Negotiations between the two clubs are expected to continue on Thursday, with the discrepancy over compensation appearing to be the only barrier preventing the move.
Rodgers initially rejected the chance to talk to Liverpool but Jenkins confirmed on Wednesday the Northern Irishman had experienced a change of heart.
Up until recently, Wigan manager Roberto Martinez was thought to be a frontrunner for the Anfield role, but chairman Dave Whelan has confirmed he is committed to the Latics.

Norwich manager's representatives to meet Premier League rivals

Paul Lambert's representatives are to meet with Aston Villa on Thursday as the Norwich manager looks set to switch to their Premier League rivals.

Lambert has emerged as the leading target for the Villa Park vacancy and Sky Sports revealed on Wednesday that the Midlands side were ready to make an official approach.
It is understood that the highly-regarded Scottish boss had a row with the Canaries board on Wednesday night, which could hasten his departure for Villa.
The Villans have been searching for a new manager following their decision to axe Alex McLeish earlier this month after just one unhappy season at the helm.

United and City set for transfer battle over Magpie

We Understand Manchester United and Manchester City are ready to open a bidding war for Newcastle hitman Papiss Cisse,
The Senegal international has been a revelation in Tyneside since moving to the club in January, scoring 13 goals in 14 appearances, along with a number of eye-catching long range efforts.
The African forward joined Alan Pardew’s men from Freiburg for £10 million during the last transfer window, however with Newcastle missing out on Champions League qualification it is believed that some of the side’s stars could be lured away by the top four sides.
The daily newspaper indicate that United in particular are keen on Cisse’s signature, but City will also enter the bidding should any progress be made.
Newcastle will be keen to hang on to their star players, and will not want to lose Cisse after just signing him in January.

Everton 12-13 away kit

Everton has revealed the new away kit for the 2012/2013 season.
The stylish black strip with striking yellow detail is the first Everton kit to be unveiled for next season with new technical partner Nike.
The shirt features a discrete collar and is made from Dri-Fit fabric which is lightweight and manages perspiration, keeping players dry and comfortable for 90 minutes and beyond.
The shirt is also part of Nike's Considered Design programme aimed at reducing environmental impact, and consists of 100 per cent recycled material.
Everton captain Phil Neville told evertontv: "When you are associated with a brand like Nike and you look down and see that swoosh on your chest then it makes you feel good.
"It is a really nice kit, all black, and I think the fans will be really pleased with it - the players certainly are."
This season's away shirt was unveiled for the first time on Wednesday on evertonfc.com and also to an exclusive audience of loyal supporters who went to every one of the Blues' home and away games during the 2011/12 season.
The dedicated supporters were not only the first to see the away kit but also enjoyed the opportunity to speak with Chief Executive Robert Elstone and Blues legends Graeme Sharp and Ian Snodin.
The strip will officially be released on 23 June with a special event at a revamped Everton Two store in Liverpool city centre.

The full strip is available to pre-order online at evertondirect.com now. It will be available to buy on 23 June at Everton One, Everton Two and online

SoccerAid 2012

Soccer Aid is a biennial British charity event that has raised £6.5 million in aid of UNICEF UK through ticket sales and donations. The event is a football match between two teams of celebrities and former professional players, representing England and the Rest of the World. Television coverage began on ITV on 22 May 2006 in a show presented by Ant & Dec. Soccer Aid was initiated by Robbie Williams and Jonathan Wilkes. The event returned on 7 September 2008 and again on 6 June 2010. England beat Rest of the World in 2012.

ENGLAND:
GK	1	David Seaman		45'
RB	2	Ben Shephard		84'
CB	5	Martin Keown		45'
CB	4	Jonathan Wilkes
LB	3	Robbie Williams (c)		65'
RM	11	Olly Murs		65'
CM	6	Jamie Redknapp
CM	8	Damian Lewis		73'
LM	14	Ralf Little
CF	9	Alan Shearer
CF	10	Teddy Sheringham
Substitutes:
GK	13	Jamie Theakston		45'
DF	12	Patrick McGuinness		65'
MF	7	Nicky Butt		45'
MF	16	Dominic Cooper		84'
FW	17	Ricky Hatton		65'
FW	50	Bradley Walsh		73'
Manager:
Harry Redknapp England won 3-1

Kagawa move to Manutd

Kagawa deal still not done

Dortmund say details to be confirmed

However,We Understand that the two clubs are set to agree terms on a deal worth an initial £12million rising to £17million.
Kagawa himself is also yet to agree personal terms, but that looks unlikely to be a barrier to the 23-year-old Japanese midfielder sealing a move to Old Trafford.
The move is expected to be completed in the coming days, but Dortmund's sporting director Michael Zorc said: "There are some details still to be confirmed."
Kagawa, who has emerged a key figure for Dortmund in their recent successes, has just a year left on his current deal and he has already told the club he will not be extending his deal.

Lampard gives England scare

Jordan Henderson has been put on standby notice after Frank Lampard pulled up in training on Wednesday with a thigh problem.

The England squad had been stepping up their preparations for Saturday's friendly against Belgium when Lampard picked up the injury.
The extent of the damage is not yet clear but Lampard will be assessed by the medical team and sent for a scan on Thursday.
It will be a major blow if the midfielder is ruled out of Euro 2012 as he has 90 international caps and finished the season in fine form to help Chelsea win the UEFA Champions League.
While Lampard continues to be monitored, the Football Association has confirmed that Henderson has been put on alert.
The Liverpool youngster was named as one of Roy Hodgson's back-up options for the tournament in Poland and Ukraine despite a difficult first season at Anfield.

Manchester United News

Scholes signs new United deal

Keeper Amos also agrees contract extension at Old Trafford

Everton full-back flattered to have been linked with Man Utd

Arsenal Transfer news 30-5-12

Djourou considers exit,

Johan Djourou admits the time may have come to leave Arsenal after becoming frustrated by his lack of opportunities.

The Switzerland international started just 14 Premier League games in 2011-12, even having to fill in at right-back rather than his favoured central role.
The 25-year-old only signed a new contract at the Emirates Stadium in February, committing himself to the club until 2015.
As a result, he could be forced to seek a loan exit as he goes in search of games with the likes of Thomas Vermaelen, Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker ahead of him in the queue at Arsenal.

Wigan chief delighted that manager is staying

Dave Whelan has told Sky Sports News that Roberto Martinez has committed his future to Wigan Athletic.

Martinez has been locked in talks with Liverpool for the past few weeks - but Swansea's Brendan Rodgers is now on course to take charge at Anfield.
Martinez flew into Jersey on Wednesday to hold talks with Whelan and he told Sky Sports that his manager was staying put.
He had also again been linked to the vacancy at Aston Villa, which he turned down last year, but he has no intentions of speaking to anyone else.
Whelan also claimed that Martinez had 'grave reservations' about working under a potential director of football at Liverpool.
Whelan also confirmed that there will be no need to talk terms with Martinez.
"There will be no adjustment to his current deal," Whelan told Sky Sports NewsHD.
"He moves into second year of the deal previously agreed."
He also promised that Martinez would be backed in the transfer market, insisting that 'at least three or more players' would be brought in.

Thats good news for me  cos i would like to see a Manager like the ex barca manager

Rodgers and Martinez in frame for Liverpool job

Liverpool's search for a new manager to replace the sacked Kenny Dalglish could come to a conclusion this week as the club have now narrowed down their options.

Wigan's Roberto Martinez had been the front-runner for a long time, only for Swansea's Brendan Rodgers to take over as the bookmakers' favourite overnight.

Olivier Giroud

Olivier Giroud, a reported target for Arsenal, can leave newly-crowned French champions Montpellier this summer should the club receive a suitable offer, according to president Louis Nicollin.
Giroud fired 21 goals in 36 appearances to lead Montpellier to their first ever Ligue 1 title, and is now likely to play a prominent role for France a the European Championships this summer.
Arsenal have frequently been linked with a move for the 25-year-old as Arsene Wenger makes further plans to reinforce his goalscoring ranks, particularly as doubts remain over the future of Robin van Persie.

Midfielder still keen to stay in Premier League

Mohamed Diame has admitted he was hoping to join Liverpool only for Kenny Dalglish's sacking to see the move collapse.

Diame is available on a free transfer after seeing out his contract at Wigan this summer.
A number of clubs at home and abroad are thought to be chasing the 24-year-old's signature, with the player being allowed to leave the Senegal squad this week to hold talks with interested clubs.
Diame has revealed he held discussions with Dalglish about a possible move to Anfield and that he was sad to see the deal fall through following the Scot's departure earlier this month.
"I met before Kenny Dalglish and we talked about next season, but God decided to finish this situation," Diame told Sky Sports News.
"It is true I was very sad in my head as I was thinking to go there, but that is OK as I think I have got other opportunities to go to another club."

Ricky van Wolfswinkel

Contract extension talks have stalled between Ricky van Wolfswinkel and his club Sporting Lisbon. That could open the door for a bid from Manchester United or Manchester City as they look to take advantage of the release clause in the 23-year-old Dutchman's current deal.

Abbott reveals transfer talks

Carlisle manager Greg Abbott has held talks with four summer transfer targets as he bids to strengthen his squad.

Abbott is determined to keep improving the Cumbrians, who just missed out on the play-offs this term, and is hoping to add some experienced players in time for pre-season.
"There will be a certain level of expectancy on us for next season with the way we've improved things over the last four years," Abbott told the club's official website. "But I'm not sure this is the right time to take too many risks. Sometimes you need to try and find players you know are tried and tested.
"An ideal scenario for where we are right now is someone who has played 150 games plus and who comes to us with the right financial package.
"The work that Dennis [Booth] and the scouts have done over the course of last season becomes vital at this time of year. The players we are talking to, using the four I've met as an example, have all been watched by us over and over again.
"That means we're gambling less and less. I do the final part of the assessment as to whether I think we're getting the right type of character or not so, if we get that part of it wrong, I'll take full responsibility."

Twitter page  @SportNewsIrish

Belgian has decided on future but is keeping quiet over destination

Premier League-bound Eden Hazard has revealed he has made a decision over where he will ply his trade next season - but is yet to divulge his destination.

The highly-rated Belgium ace, currently at Ligue 1 club Lille, confirmed last week he will be joining either Manchester City, Manchester United or Chelsea this summer.
The 22-year-old forward has hinted on his Twitter account he has now made a decision on his future, with reports suggesting his choice will be revealed later on Monday.
He tweeted on Monday morning: "good afternoon guys. i made up my mind. see you later. Thanks."
Hazard can play as a winger or an attacking midfielder but has stated he would be happier in the latter role after impressing there with Lille.
The youngster netted 20 goals for the French club this season and provided the most assists in Ligue 1.


We Let you know First,

Huddersfield confident of keeping hotshot Rhodes as Fulham hover

Huddersfield Town chairman Dean Hoyle has insisted that the newly-promoted Championship club have the “upper hand” in their bid to keep prolific striker Jordan Rhodes amid interest from Fulham.

Source www.goal.com

Conte and Criscito questioned as part of police probe

Juventus coach Antonio Conte and Italy international Domenico Criscito have been questioned over match-fixing allegations.

Policed searched the room of Criscito at the national team's Euro 2012 training camp near Florence in the early hours on Monday.
The move is part of an investigation by the Italian authorities into the so-called Calcioscommesse sports betting scandal.
Criscito was one of 19 people targeted by police in a new blitz by the public prosecutor in Cremona, where the original Calciosccommesse scandal broke almost a year ago.
Ten current and ex-players are amongst those implicated and according to media reports in Italy Lazio captain Stefano Mauri has also been arrested.