Conte proud of Inter´s ´ugly´ win over Napoli

Antonio Conte was proud of Inter for grinding out an ugly 1-0 victory over Napoli in Serie A at San Siro on Wednesday.

Roberto Gagliardini s weak header was the only effort on target during the first half of a dour league encounter, with Inter only taking the lead when Romelu Lukaku converted a 73rd-minute penalty after David Ospina fouled Matteo Darmian.

That was the only other shot on target the Nerazzurri mustered across the entire game midweek, while Napoli – who had captain Lorenzo Insigne sent off for dissent after referee Davide Massa pointed to the spot – did not draw a save from Samir Handanovic until the 69th minute.

The match was very tactical, the teams played with a lot of respect and it wasn t a great match, but it is an important victory again…

Juventus agree new deal with Manuel Locatelli until 2028

Manuel Locatelli has signed a new contract with Juventus which will keep him at the Turin club until 2028.

The 25-year-old midfielder, who was part of the Italy squad which triumphed at Euro 2020, initially joined the Bianconeri in 2021 on a loan deal with an obligation to buy from Sassuolo which was reported to have ultimately cost Juve 35 million euros (£30.5m).

A club statement read: “This signature until 2028 is a dream come true that is still continuing. It is another promise to himself and to his Juventus.”

La Liga file Man City & PSG complaint to UEFA

La Liga have filed complaints to UEFA regarding Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain for continuously breaching financial fair play regulations.

The Spanish division made an initial complaint in April regarding Premier League champions City and has followed it up with another complaint about French giants PSG.

La Liga also cited conflict of interests regarding PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, due to his role as European Club Association chairman and his role as the organisation s delegate to UEFA s executive committee. 

In a statement, La Liga said their complaint was due to the fact that the clubs are continuously breaching FFP regulations and believe that these practices alter the ecosystem and the sustainability of football and only serve to artificially …

Hayes maintains unbeaten Olympics start as United States top Group B

Emma Hayes unbeaten record as the United States head coach continued as her side remained perfect following their 2-1 win over Australia in Group B.

Hayes, who took charge of the USWNT in May, has won six of her seven games at the helm, conceding just twice in that time.

The USA, along with Spain, are the only two sides to win all of their games at the Paris Olympics so far and will have great confidence heading into the knockout stages.

Trinity Rodman s second goal of the tournament two minutes from half-time sent them on their way, as Korbin Albert s 77th-minute strike saw her become the the youngest substitute scorer for the USA at the Olympics since Mallory Swanson against Colombia in 2016.

Alanna Kennedy s late strike would take some of the shine…

Ronaldo insists Man Utd progress ´will take time´ & has no plans to quit Portugal

Cristiano Ronaldo says a period of adaptation for Manchester United is only natural after the club made three huge signings in the transfer window.

The Portugal forward also insists he has no plans to quit international football to prolong his club career, with the 36-year-old still one of the most prolific players in world football.

Ronaldo has scored six times for United since making his sensational return from Juventus, a move that came 12 years after he initially left Old Trafford for Real Madrid.

The signings of Ronaldo, his former Madrid team-mate Raphael Varane and Borussia Dortmund sensation Jadon Sancho had United fans dreaming of a first Premier League title since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

But going into Sunday s crunch home clash with Live…

Manchester City eye Real Sociedad ace Mikel Oyarzabal

Manchester City are interested in signing Mikel Oyarzabal from Real Sociedad, according to . It has been reported that the Premier League champions have closely monitored the attacker over the past two seasons.

City manager Pep Guardiola is a big fan of the 24-year-old, who can operate as a winger or as a forward. The Premier League club’s director of football Txiki Begiristain is also admirer of the Spain international and is keen on securing his services.

Oyarzabal has been at Sociedad since 2011 and has established himself as an important player in the team. The Spanish attacker has scored in four La Liga appearances for La Real so far this season, and scored 11 goals and gave eight assists in 30 La Liga starts and gave one assist in seven Europa League appearance…

Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Chile officially launch joint 2030 World Cup bid

World Cup holders Argentina have officially confirmed a joint bid alongside Uruguay, Paraguay and Chile to host the 2030 edition of the tournament.

A bid from Argentina and Uruguay had initially been announced in 2017 but has since expanded.

Uruguay hosted the inaugural World Cup in 1930 and would welcome the global showpiece for its centenary edition if successful.

Speaking upon confirmation of the four-way bid, Argentine Football Association president Claudio Tapia laid out his hopes to bring the tournament back to the continent where it was first held.

We have the possibility of hosting this World Cup, he said. It has the history, the essence, the passion with which we South Americans live football.

Today is a very important day for the histo…

Venues selected for 2016 Olympic football tournaments

Seven stadiums across six Brazilian cities have been selected to host the football tournaments at the 2016 Olympic Games.

Host city Rio de Janeiro contributes two grounds in the shape of the Maracana and the Olympic Stadium, while Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Manaus, Salvador and Sao Paulo will also welcome matches.

All grounds except the Olympic Stadium hosted matches at the 2014 World Cup, with organisers hoping to recreate the atmosphere of that tournament. 

The Olympic football tournaments will be a fantastic opportunity to revive the great atmosphere seen during the 2014 FIFA World Cup, not only in Rio de Janeiro but also in the other five cities,  said Marco Polo Del Nero, chairman of the organising committee for the Olympic football tournaments.

Netherlands 1/5 to see past Latvia in Friday’s Euro 2016 qualifier

Competition: Euro 2016 qualifier
Market: Netherlands to win against Latvia
Odds:

Netherlands travel to face Latvia for their Euro 2016 qualifier on Friday. The Oranje have been inconsistent of late, losing to the USA recently, but then beating Spain in the preceding fixture. They have, however, played Latvia only recently, and thrashed them 6-0, so they are expecting a repeat this week.

They boast a considerably stronger squad than their opposition, and Latvia haven’t fashion a win in any competition over their last six games in particular, so they aren’t in the best shape to stun the visitors. They have ground out some impressive draws again difficult opposition, with Ukraine, Turkey, and the Czech Republic coming unstuck in games of late, but Netherla…

Inter win Serie A title after Atalanta fail to beat Sassuolo

Inter were confirmed as Serie A champions after rivals Atalanta drew 1-1 at Sassuolo on Sunday.

The Nerazzurri have claimed the Scudetto for the first time since their 2009-10 treble triumph.

Antonio Conte s side have charged clear since the turn of the year, moving 13 points ahead of early pace-setters Milan.

Inter won 2-0 at Crotone on Saturday, meaning only an Atalanta win against Sassuolo could delay their celebrations.

Atalanta led through a goal from Robin Gosens after 32 minutes, goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini having earlier been sent off, but Domenico Berardi levelled seven minutes into the second half.

Luis Muriel had the chance to keep the title race alive, winning a penalty after a foul that saw Marlon Santos earn a second yellow card, b…