Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone insisted he loves rebellious players after praising Joao Felix s angry goal celebration.
Joao Felix – a club-record €126million signing in 2019 – came off the bench in the second half to seal a 2-0 win over Villarreal on Sunday as Atletico put their LaLiga title charge back on track.
The Portugal international looked unimpressed after scoring in the 69th minute – Joao Felix gesturing and shouting towards the Atletico bench – following Alfonso Pedraza s own goal.
Asked about the celebration, Simeone told reporters post-match: You ll have to ask him.
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Fabian Delph has moved from Manchester City to Everton, signing a three-year contract.
Everton swooped to sign the midfielder for a fee that could reportedly rise to £10million after he entered the final 12 months of his deal at the Etihad Stadium.
England international Delph made 89 appearances in all competitions for City over four seasons, occasionally filling in at left-back.
He started 21 times for Pep Guardiola s men when they cantered to the title in 2017-18 but featured less regularly last term as City were crowned champions again.
The 29-year-old s hopes of returning to first-team calculations were further diminished when City paid Atletico Madrid a club-record fee to secure the talented Rodri.
Every time I have played against Eve…
Laurent Blanc has been confirmed as the new coach of Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain on a two-year deal.
The former France manager has been linked with PSG for the past few weeks and has now been formally announced following Carlo Ancelotti s departure to Real Madrid on Tuesday.
The 47-year-old told les Parisiens: PSG is a great opportunity for me, it s a great club. (The project) is very interesting. I m going to do what I want to do and that s train.
Blanc, who won the Ligue 1 title with Bordeaux in 2008-09, will officially link up with PSG on July 1 when the players report for pre-season training.
A club statement read: The board of Paris Saint-Germain has given Laurent Blanc the mission to build on last season and to continue the club s ascendency tow…
Josko Gvardiol remains totally happy at RB Leipzig with no hurry to rush into a pre-transfer agreement amid growing links to Real Madrid and Chelsea.
That was the message from the centre-back s agent Marjan Sisic as Gvardiol continues to impress at the World Cup with Croatia, who beat Japan on penalties to reach the quarter-finals on Monday.
Chelsea reportedly had a £77million (€90m) offer rejected before the start of the season before the 20-year-old signed a new contract with Leipzig.
Madrid are said to have joined the growing list of Europe s elite clubs interested in the defender, though Sisic insists his client will not be forced into making a quick decision on his future.
Regarding a possible transfer in summer 2023, we are in no hurry and I can…
Nigeria are set for participate in the Nelson Mandela Challenge for the second time when they face South Africa in Durban on Wednesday.
The charity match has been held once a year since 1994, and has extra poignancy this time around due to the former South African president s ill health.
Nigeria last featured in the 2004 edition of the fixture and suffered a 2-1 loss in Johannesburg, but they will be confident of turning the tables in 2013.
Prior to losses at the hands of Copa America holders Uruguay and world champions Spain in the FIFA Confederations Cup, the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winners had avoided defeat for 19-straight games.
South Africa, meanwhile, have alternated between victory and defeat in their last four fixtures, and come into this game locked …
The trial of French footballers Karim Benzema and Franck Ribery for allegedly paying an underage prostitute for sex has been adjourned.
With the footballers lawyers having challenged the legality of the charges levelled against their clients, the judge in charge of the case has postponed the trial until January 2014 to address that issue in another court.
Benzema and Ribery are charged with paying the then under 18-year-old Zahia Dehar for sex in 2008 and 2009 but their lawyers believe the case is unconstitutional and hope it will be thrown out.
Obviously for Karim Benzema, it is more waiting time that he has to suffer, Benzema s lawyer Sylvain Cormier said after the trial was adjourned on Tuesday.
It is not good news.
The text for the proceedings seems to …
Zinedine Zidane on a mission / Image via sports.ndtv.com
He enjoyed his fair share of duels with the greatest rivals during his playing career, but Zinedine Zidane is now preparing for a different kind of a challenge.
Standing on the touchline as Real Madrid manager, the French legend will head into his first El Clasico as a coach on Saturday eager to prove a point against the in-form Catalans who are shoe-in for another La Liga title with ten points of advantage in front of their arch rivals.
El Clasico hoodoo
Zinedine Zidane is entering his first ever clash against Barcelona with a huge load upon his back.
With his team almost effectively out of the title race, the French tactician is by no means expected to throw in the white towel, but will …
History will be made one way or the other when Queretaro and Tigres meet in the CONCACAF Champions League last four, with neither having ever made the final.
Queretaro host the first leg of the tie on Tuesday and will be hoping to taste some success following their poor start to the Liga MX Clausura.
Victor Manuel Vucetich s men sit third from bottom after 10 games, with just two wins and eight points to their name, but Paraguay international Edgar Benitez – a winner of the tournament with Pachuca in 2010 – is determined to rewrite the record books.
We have already talked about it, there was a talk among all the team-mates, he said. The objective is to make the Liguilla and, in CONCACAF, we want to fight and make history.
A 2-0 loss to Leo…
Guangzhou Evergrande suffered a heartbreaking 5-4 defeat on penalties to nine-man Chinese Super League rivals Shanghai SIPG after coming agonisingly close to a sensational AFC Champions League comeback win.
It appeared that Guangzhou, winners of the tournament in 2013 and 2015, faced an impossible task to progress after losing the away leg of their quarter-final tie 4-0 three weeks ago.
But they won Tuesday s return leg by the same margin and then emerged from an extra-time period that saw two Shanghai SIPG players see red with a 5-1 lead, forcing a shoot-out.
However, Andre Villas-Boas men were able to survive and reach the last four, winning by a solitary spot-kick after Ricardo Goulart, who had earlier scored a hat-trick, hit the post with Guangzhou s first p…
Real Madrid attacker Jese Rodriguez has stressed failure is not an option when they visit Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday as Zinedine Zidane s men aim to pip Barcelona to La Liga glory.
Madrid are trailing leaders Barca by one point heading into the final matchday, with the Catalans travelling to Granada.
The capital club could still win their first title since 2011-12 if Barcelona slip up, but Jese has warned beating Deportivo should be their main priority before they can think about the result of their rivals game.
A draw will not be enough for Zidane s men, with Barca holding a superior head-to-head record after the two league matches between the sides.
We re preparing for the game against Deportivo just as if it was any other game. We have to loo…