Eden Hazard will not play for Belgium as a false nine despite being used in such a role for Chelsea this season, Roberto Martinez has said.
The 27-year-old has often been used as the focal point of the Blues attack in 2017-18, with Alvaro Morata struggling for form, Olivier Giroud yet to settle fully and Michy Batshuayi having been loaned to Borussia Dortmund.
It is not a role Hazard appears to enjoy, though, with the former Lille man saying after Chelsea s 1-0 loss to Manchester City this month: We could have played on for three hours, and I [still] wouldn t touch a ball.
And Belgium boss Martinez appears unwilling to follow Antonio Conte s tactical plans, insisting he would not play Hazard in the position at the expense of Manchester United s Romelu Lukaku or…
Valencia defender Adil Rami has confirmed that he is in negotiations with Italian giants Inter and Roma over a potential transfer.
The French centre-back has been a first-team regular at the Mestalla since joining from Lille in 2011, and has made 21 appearances for the Spanish club this season.
The 27-year-old s performances for Valencia have seen him linked with Premier League sides Manchester United and Arsenal of late, but he has now revealed that a move to Serie A could be on the cards.
He told L Equipe: It s true, we are in talks (with Inter and Roma), but nothing has been decided yet.
There is a 60 percent chance I am going to leave Valencia. The club offered me a new contract and it is an interesting proposal, but I turned it down.
Rami has made 25 appearanc…
Milan line up Balotelli replacement
AC Milan are looking at three players as they look to sign a natural successor to Liverpool-bound Mario Balotelli, .
The Italy international is set to complete a £16 million switch to Anfield, leaving the Rossoneri to desperately search for his replacement.
La Gazzetta dello Sport has revealed that AC Milan have made FC Porto s Jackson Martinez the number one target.
The Rossoneri have opened talks for the Colombian striker and they are prepared to offer around €20 million for the player s services.
And while Martinez s release clause has been lowered from €40m to €30m, the Dragons are unlikely to accept any proposal below the said amount.
Should they fail in the attempts to sign the Colombia sta…
Defender Cosmin Contra has announced his international retirement in the wake of Austria shattering Romania s dreams of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, according to local reports Thursday.
Romania s 2-1 defeat in Austria dropped them to fifth place in group seven, with only four points from five matches effectively ending any hopes they had of qualifying for next year s showpiece.
It s really hard to leave after such a defeat, but life goes on, said Contra, who during his final match for Romania wore the captain s armband in the absence of Cristi Chivu and Adrian Mutu.
I wish my teammates all the best and hope they go on to finish the qualifiers with their heads held high.
Contra, 33, plays in the Spanish first division with Getafe.
He was …
Didier Drogba could be facing a lengthy ban from European football after angrily confronting Norwegian referee Tom Henning Ovrebo at the end of Chelsea s controversial Champions League semi-final second leg match with Barcelona here on Wednesday.
A stoppage time goal from Andres Iniesta earned Barca a 1-1 draw on the night and on aggregate and sent the Catalans into a final meeting with Manchester United at the end of this month on the away goals rule.
Chelsea had legitimate grounds for complaint after being denied at least two good penalty appeals by the referee who was still considered good enough by UEFA to officiate at last year s Euro 2008 championships but that will not be regarded as any excuse by UEFA when they come to judge Drogba s conduct.
Ovrebo had …
Market: Charleston win
Odds: 6/5 @
Looking to make it three wins on the bounce when they make the trip to Segra Field on Wednesday at midnight, Charleston will face off against Loudoun.
Starting with the hosts, putting in what was another horror display over the weekend, Loudoun find themselves in the midst of a real USL crisis. Showing a host of issues at the back once again, the Eastern Conference strugglers were eventually hit with a deserved 3-1 defeat away at Tampa Bay. Already sat rock-bottom of the table and chasing a seven-point deficit, Head Coach Ryan Martin finds growing pressure on his position at Segra Field. Facing what should be another stern test on home soil in midweek, Loudoun are in the midst of a four-match losing run and have mustered just s…
Throwing away the lead in Denmark on Wednesday night and tasting even more Champions League frustration, Celtic saw their European ambitions once again go up in smoke as they fell to a 2-1 extra-time defeat against Midtjylland.
Failing to get the job done over two legs after settling for a 1-1 draw in Glasgow last week, The Hoops sluggish defeat on foreign soil was the second time in back-to-back campaigns that they have come crashing out in the second qualifying round.
Now failing to make the Champions League groups stages for the fourth time on the bounce, new boss Ange Postecoglou has quite the rebuilding job on his hands as he now prepares for a drop-down to the Europa League.
On a night that saw Midtjylland mount a dramatic comeback in front of a noisy home…
Steph Houghton missed a controversial late penalty as holders the United States beat England 2-1 to reach a third successive Women s World Cup final, despite missing inspirational co-captain Megan Rapinoe.
The Lionesses had the opportunity to at least force extra-time with an 84th-minute spot-kick, but Houghton s poor effort was saved and Millie Bright saw red late on as USA held on to ensure their title defence goes to the final stage.
Rapinoe s absence, said to be due to a hamstring issue, provided a pre-match shock, but Christian Press made a swift impact as her replacement when heading in the opener, before Ellen White s equaliser was cancelled out by Morgan nodding in just past the half-hour mark on her birthday.
England produced a good response in the secon…
The summer of 2018 will bring big changes to the Premier League in terms of transfer activity.
Premier League is a competition which keeps breaking the transfer record barrier. Last summer’s £1.4 billion spent on new recruits stands as a proof of the league’s financial dominance and with the 2017/18 football season at its end, another hot summer of intense speculation and likewise activity is once again expected.
Manchester City have spent a significant amount of money to boost their title-winning squad with Manchester United not lagging behind. Everton have been surprisingly proactive as well, even though their investments did not bring the expected results. It is expected that Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal and Liverpool will be at the centre of attention this summe…
Palermo full-back Achraf Lazaar claims Marseille are interested in his signature and he would be open to a move to the Stade Velodrome.
Marseille coach Franck Passi has already signed Cameroon left-back Henri Bedimo from Lyon during the close season, but Lazaar could provide strong competition for the 32-year-old if Palermo were to agree a sale.
Lazaar has been a regular in the Palermo starting line-up since joining in January 2014 and he made 30 Serie A appearances for the club last season.
But the Morocco international did not rule out a switch to Ligue 1 if the chance arose, telling Footmercato.net: It s true that Marseille is interested [in signing me].
It would be interesting but if I have to leave Palermo, it will have to be a choice that allo…