Atletico Madrid CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin claims he has known since March that Antoine Griezmann will play for Barcelona next season.
Griezmann revealed his desire to leave Atletico for a new challenge just before the end of the 2018-19 campaign, despite signing a new contract last June.
When Griezmann agreed his new deal, he announced his decision in a documentary-style video, putting an end to prolonged speculation linking him with Barcelona.
He was not at his sparkling best for Atletico this season, however, scoring 15 times in 37 league matches, a significant decline from the haul of 19 in 32 games the previous term.
. : These five years have been incredible. Thank you very much for everything, I carry you in my heart.
— Atlético de Madri…
Spanish midfielder Pablo Orbaiz will be leaving Rubin Kazan in the summer, according to the Russian club.
The Russian giants announced on their official website that the experienced midfielder was leaving the club in the summer transfer window.
“The club wants to thank Pablo for his performances last season and wishes him every success in the future, both in football and in his personal life,” the statement read.
Orbaiz only signed a one-year contract when he arrived from Athletic Bilbao last summer, and he has decided not to renew his deal.
The experienced midfielder played a key role in Kazan this season, making a total of 36 competitive appearances for the club.
Pablo Orbaiz spent most of his playing days at Athletic Bilbao, featuring in 2…
After romping to Bundesliga glory last season and now boasting eight World Cup winners, Bayern Munich look set to dominate again in 2014-15.
After the quadruple-winning campaign of 2012-13 under Jupp Heynckes, incoming boss Pep Guardiola had an impossible act to follow in his first season in charge.
However, the former Barcelona coach swept all before him on the domestic front at least as Bayern cruised to a successful defence of their league crown.
They managed it in some style, too, sealing the title with seven matches to spare before the end of March.
Of the 27 matches prior to securing the title, Bayern won 25 and drew two, and their unbeaten league run stretched to 53 games until a 1-0 loss at Augsburg in early April.
The bare numbers fail to…
Alan Shearer is to become Newcastle s fourth manager this season after agreeing to take on the challenge of saving the club he used to captain from relegation.
Shearer, 38, a hero to the Magpies fans for his exploits on the pitch, had long been tipped as a future manager of the club but he could never have envisaged taking over in such difficult circumstances.
Newcastle are currently third from bottom of the Premier League, two points adrift of Blackburn, the club currently occupying the last survival spot.
Shearer, who has no coaching experience, has just eight games to save the club from the financially calamitous consequences of relegation and Chelsea s visit on Saturday means he could hardly have a tougher start to his rein.
Newcastle turned to Shear…
Paul Le Guen will stand down as coach of Paris St Germain when his contract expires at the end of this season, club sources told AFP on Tuesday.
A former France international defender who made 343 appearances for PSG, Le Guen began his coaching career at Rennes but made his name in a three-year stint at Lyon during which he led the side to three league titles.
After a disastrous eighth-month spell in charge of Scottish giants Rangers, Le Guen returned to PSG in January 2007, narrowly sparing the team from relegation in his first two seasons and securing the League Cup in 2008.
This season has seen the capital side challenge for top honours with a much improved side and with four games to go until the end of the season they are in fourth place eight points behind…
Sporting KC handed Seattle Sounders their first home defeat in nine matches this season, scoring twice in the first half and holding on for a 3-1 victory Sunday at Lumen Field.
The victory brought the visitors within two points of the first-placed Sounders in the MLS Western Conference table, with one fewer match played.
KC captain Johnny Russell set the tone in the 31st minute with a beautiful free kick from just outside the area to give the visitors the lead, and Daniel Salloi doubled the advantage before half-time.
After Fredy Montero answered for Sounders in the 51st minute, Cameron Duke sneaked behind the defence in the 72nd minute to seal the win.
KC are unbeaten in their last five matches and have only one loss in their last 10.
J…
Celtic made history as they thrashed struggling Dundee United 9-0 in the Scottish Premiership.
Kyogo Furuhashi and Liel Abada both helped themselves to hat-tricks in what was Celtic s largest competitive win on the road in their history.
United had taken just one point from their first four matches, though Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou had warned his team against complacency before kick-off.
We always go in and expect that they ll be at their best, but what we know is if we re at our best, we re difficult to stop, and that s the things we can control and that s what we’ll be trying to do, he told Sky Sports.
It proved to be the case as the Hoops swept aside their opponents to move back above Rangers at the summit of the league, maintaining their 100 per…
Marcus Rashford can do much, much more and still has plenty of scope to mature into a better player, Manchester United team-mate Nemanja Matic says.
Rashford has scored 14 goals for United in all competitions in 2019-20, which is already his best return for a whole season in senior football.
The 22-year-old has emerged as something of a leader in manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer s young side and has been a consistent performer amid a hugely up-and-down few months for the team at Old Trafford.
Matic, though, thinks Rashford can still become a much better player, provided he is given time to develop.
Marcus has great potential, he told Omnisport. He s a great guy also off the pitch, but I think he hasn t used all his qualities yet. He needs to mature more an…
Abdou Diallo has been flattered by reported interest from Paris Saint-Germain and conceded he is unsure over his place at Borussia Dortmund.
Diallo joined Dortmund from Mainz in June 2018, and had an impressive season at Signal Iduna Park, making 28 league appearances as Lucien Favre s side finished second in the Bundesliga.
His performances are rumoured to have peaked the interest of PSG, coached by former Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel.
And with Mats Hummels return having cast his chances of a regular first-team spot into doubt, Diallo acknowledged he will have to hold talks with Dortmund about his future.
A young player in Europe who tells you that PSG s project is not interesting is not credible, it s a nice project, Diallo told L Equipe.
It s…
Ivory Coast international Wilfried Bony is one of the four players being linked with a Manchester City exit
Pep Guardiola’s arrival as Manchester City boss was always going to bring big changes to the club. The squad was destined to be reshaped by the Catalan, as he brought in his own type of players.
The Citizens have signed the likes of John Stones, Ilkay Gundogan, Nolito and Leroy Sane this summer.
However, with such a big squad already there were always going to be players leaving. Reportedly four players are set to leave the club as Guardiola culls his squad.
The four players in question are believed to be centre-back Eliaquim Mangala, attacking midfielder Samir Nasri, winger Jesus Navas and striker Wilfried Bony. Some are more likely to attract b…