Sports

Cristian Brocchi is proud of Lazio s achievements this season, but believes it is too soon for the club to mount a title challenge.

Brocchi, 34, has played an important part in Lazio s impressive form in the first half of the campaign.

After topping the table earlier in the season, they are three points behind league leaders AC Milan with 15 games played.

Their latest success was a 3-1 win over defending champions Inter Milan last Friday.

A former AC player, defensive midfielder Brocchi made the journey south to link up with Lazio in 2008.

After two indifferent seasons resulting in mid-table finishes, he has witnessed an improvement in attitude from the current squad, but maintains they are still some way off a legitimate tilt at Serie A glory. …

Unai Emery Football as an obsession / Image via marca.com

It was a glorious night for Sevilla fans on Wednesday as their beloved club won their in an unprecedented achievement that will be forever written in golden letters in football history books.

Liverpool’s hopes of repeating the Istanbul scenario were extinguished by inspired Rojiblancos, who came back from the dead to be crowned kings of Europa League.

Their 3-1 triumph is just another confirmation of a thorough and dedicated work Sevilla players have been investing for months, years even and, even more importantly, hard and committed work from managerial staff lead by Unai Emery.

Sevilla boss is coming oming from a football family which played a big part in football being embedded in his DNA.

Manuel Pellegrini has suggested that more key player at Manchester City may sign contract extensions in the near future.

In recent weeks, Vincent Kompany, David Silva and Sergio Aguero have all signed new terms at the club as City look to instil long-term instability at the Etihad Stadium.

City begin their Premier League title defence at Newcastle United on Sunday, and in a press conference on Friday, Pellegrini hinted that other players may soon be tied to new deals.

I think it is very important for the club to retain the best players, he said.

I think it is also important for the club that they want to stay here because they are working very well and this is a club that has a lot of ambition for the future.

They understand that, and maybe you…

Mauro Icardi would welcome an extended stay at Paris Saint-Germain.

The on-loan Inter striker plundered a hat-trick as Thomas Tuchel s side thumped Saint-Etienne 6-1 in the Coupe de la Ligue on Wednesday, taking his tally to 17 goals in 19 appearances across all competitions for PSG.

Icardi s agent and wife Wanda Nara sparked a fresh wave of speculation over the player s future by telling Eurosport nothing is certain in terms of whether the Ligue 1 champions will exercise an option to purchase, reported to be in the region of €70million, at the end of the campaign.

We haven t talked about it with the club yet, but for sure I m very well here, Icardi said after his hat-trick heroics, as quoted by Corriere dello Sport. 

There are still four to five mon…

Villarreal have secured the services of Andres Fernandez from Porto on a permanent basis for an undisclosed fee.

The 30-year-old spent the 2016-17 campaign on loan at the Estadio de la Ceramica and has signed a four-year deal after Villarreal exercised their purchase option.

Fernandez started the season as back-up to Sergio Asenjo but became the first-choice goalkeeper when the latter suffered a serious knee injury.

He made 20 appearances in all competitions for Villarreal last term.

| ¡Bienvenido de nuevo a la que ya es tu casa , !

— Villarreal CF (@VillarrealCF)

Fernandez started his professional career with Mallorca B and represented Osasuna and Huesca before joining Porto in 2014.

He failed to secure regular first-team f…

Despite securing qualification to Euro 2012 in style, Joachim Loew wants more from Germany ahead of Tuesday s friendly against Poland.

Germany thrashed Austria 6-2 at the Veltins Arena on Friday, with Mesut Oezil s hat-trick and goals from Lukas Podolski, Andre Schurrle and Mario Gotze booking a place in next year s European Championship finals in Poland and the Ukraine.

Since losing to Spain in the final of Euro 2008, Loew has moulded a youthful Germany side into one of the most attractive and attacking teams in international football.

They are already being talked about as the most likely challengers to Spain s dominance at the tournament next June and July.

But Loew has been quick to point out that his team must overcome sterner challenges than the li…

Fernando Llorente was Tottenham s hat-trick hero as they hammered League Two Tranmere Rovers 7-0 in the third round of the FA Cup. 

As on their previous trip to Merseyside before Christmas – a 6-2 rout of Everton – Mauricio Pochettino s side were in a clinical mood, although they had to wait until five minutes before half-time for Serge Aurier to spectacularly open the scoring. 

The resistance Tranmere mustered before the interval dissipated afterwards as Spurs ran riot, with Llorente opening his account before Aurier completed an unlikely brace in the 55th minute. 

Son Heung-min made it seven in his past six outings and two goals in as many minutes completed a treble for Llorente, whose replacement Harry Kane then got in on the act.

2 Fernando…

Manchester United have completed the signing of Mason Mount from Chelsea on a contract to 2028 with the option of a further year, the club have announced.

The PA news agency understands the fee agreed for the 24-year-old England midfielder is an initial £55million.

It s official.

Welcome to Manchester United, Mason Mount!

— Manchester United (@ManUtd)

Mount – who came through the ranks at Chelsea and made 129 Premier League appearances for them, scoring 27 goals and providing 22 assists – said in a statement from United: “It’s never easy leaving the club where you grew up, but Manchester United will provide an exciting new challenge for the next phase of my career.

“Having competed against them, I know just how strong a squ…

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer praised the incredible influence of Cristiano Ronaldo after the superstar forward struck twice – including another late goal – to once again rescue Manchester United in the Champions League.

Ronaldo cancelled out strikes from Josip Ilicic and then Duvan Zapata in added time at the end of each half as United twice recovered from behind to draw 2-2 with Atalanta on Tuesday.

The first goal rounded off a slick passing move that also involved substitute Mason Greenwood and Bruno Fernandes, while the second was a perfectly executed volley from range that flew away from Atalanta goalkeeper Juan Musso.

Ronaldo has now scored in all four of United s Group F fixtures, having also netted a 95th-minute winner against Villarreal and an 81st-minute wi…

New York Red Bulls and Atlanta United missed the chance to secure their places in the MLS Cup play-offs after the teams played out a goalless on Wednesday.

A win for either side would have sealed their play-off fate, but the Red Bulls and Atlanta must wait until Sunday s Decision Day following the midweek stalemate.

Red Bulls forward Patryk Klimala came closest for either side, with his 48th-minute effort hitting the crossbar from Caden Clark s cross.

Four minutes later, Atlanta goalkeeper Brad Guzan denied Klimala from a one-on-one opportunity, while Clark had a goal disallowed for offside nine minutes into the second half.

In the Eastern Conference, the seventh-placed Red Bulls go to third-placed Nashville on Sunday, while Atlanta – fifth in the stand…