Armenia 9/4 to beat Greece in Friday’s EURO 2020 qualifier

Bayern Munich are to release out-of-favour Italian striker Luca Toni one year before the end of his contract, the German champions said Wednesday.

FC Bayern Munich and striker Luca Toni will terminate their contract as of 30 June, 2010. The contract with the Italian striker was due to run until 2011, the club said in a statement.

I want to thank Luca Toni warmly for his performances and goals, especially in the 2007-2008 season, when we won the double, said Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

I now wish Luca Toni all the best for his future at his new club.

The 33-year-old, part of the World Cup winning Italian side in 2006, played 60 Bundesliga games for Bayern and scored 38 goals. In 2008, he was the Bundesliga s top scorer.

But he fell …

Fabio Capello admitted he was considering his position as England coach after his side crashed out of the World Cup following a 4-1 defeat by Germany.

The Italian is under contract with the English Football Association until 2012 but his reputation has taken a battering as a result of England s poor performances in South Africa, triggering speculation he will either quit or be pushed out.

Capello, who has been in charge since January 2008, said he would make a decision after talking to the chairman of the FA.

I have time to decide, I have to speak with the chairman, Capello said. We have to wait until we come back to London. I want to see if he still has confidence in me.

At one point in his post-match press conference Capello ruled out resigning but h…

Juventus to sign Siqueira

Italian champions Juventus have agreed to sign Brazilian defender Guilherme Siqueira from Atletico Madrid, .

The Bianconeri decided to turn their attention towards the La Liga star after having several bids rejected for FC Porto s Alex Sandro.

The latest reports have suggested that Juventus have agreed to pay €1.8 million for a season-long loan, while obligatory purchase option will be set at €6 million.

Siqueira will in turn sign a three-year contract worth €2.2 million per campaign and will challenge Patrice Evra for a starting berth in Turin.

The well-travelled defender has represented Udinese, Ancona, Granada, Benfica and Atletico Madrid since moving to Europe, having had begun his career at Figueirense.

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Jose Mourinho insists that Fernando Torres has a future at Chelsea, despite his faltering form since a big-money move from Liverpool.

Following his transfer from Anfield in January 2011, Torres has failed to hit the heights scaled in his Liverpool days at Stamford Bridge, scoring 19 Premier League goals in 105 appearances.

Mourinho has suggested in recent weeks that Chelsea s problems in front of goal are an issue that needs to be addressed, but the Portuguese insists the Spain striker remains in his plans for next season.

Yes he has a future here, he said. He s contracted, he s a good professional.

He works hard for the team, he brings positives to the team.

Obviously we want him to score more goals, obviously he wants to score more goals but yes, he has …

Dani Alves believes Real Madrid are a more dangerous side after selling Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus.

The five-time Ballon d Or winner – Madrid s all-time record goalscorer – joined the Serie A champions in a deal worth €112million in July.

But Madrid have claimed 10 points from their opening four LaLiga games under new boss Julen Lopetegui, with Ronaldo s old attacking allies Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema to the fore.

Former Barcelona right-back Dani Alves played in the Juventus side that lost in the 2017 Champions League final against Madrid before joining Paris Saint-Germain, and he feels Los Blancos now present a more varied threat.

I think that, contrary to what everybody thinks, Madrid is more of a team without Cristiano, he told Marca.

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Santiago Solari dismissed comparisons to Zinedine Zidane after being appointed interim coach of Real Madrid.

Solari was named caretaker Madrid boss after Julen Lopetegui was sacked in the wake of his side s 5-1 El Clasico loss to Barcelona on Sunday.

The former Argentina and Madrid midfielder steps up from his role as Castilla coach – just as Zidane did in 2016 – but Solari played down comparisons.

Let s just let him live in peace, he s one of Real Madrid s greatest icons, he told a news conference on Tuesday.

There s not enough words to describe Zizou, let s leave him live with his greatness and not compare [us].

Nobody can compare with him.

First session with Solari |

— Real Madrid C.F.  (@realmadriden)

Zid…

Cristiano Ronaldo will have to wait for his 200th Premier League appearance after being named on Manchester United s bench for Everton s visit on Saturday, with Edinson Cavani making his first start of the season.

Cavani has had to be patient at the start of 2021-22, with the experienced Uruguayan absent for much of the first six weeks of the season.

His pre-season was delayed by his Copa America duties and subsequent extended holiday, while he has also missed games due to injury.

Cavani appeared as a substitute in last weekend s defeat to Aston Villa and Wednesday s 2-1 Champions League win over Villarreal, taking his appearances tally to three for the season.

But he looked sharp against the Yellow Submarine, with his trademark tirelessness key to winnin…

Robert Lewandowski broke Gerd Muller s long-standing record for goals scored in a single Bundesliga season with a last-gasp effort as Bayern Munich routed Augsburg 5-2 on a day of fond farewells.

The prolific Pole could only watch on as an own goal plus efforts from Serge Gnabry, Joshua Kimmich and Kingsley Coman had the champions flying at half-time of the season finale at the Allianz Arena.

But, after consolations from Andre Hahn and Florian Niederlechner, Lewandowski followed in when Rafal Gikiewicz spilled Leroy Sane s effort to make it 41 top-flight goals for the season with the last kick of the game.

It was a dramatic ending to an emotional outing, which was the last for head coach Hansi Flick and modern-day Bayern greats David Alaba, Jerome Boateng and Ja…

Europa League holders Atletico Madrid will face German big guns Bayer Leverkusen, while Liverpool meet Italy s Napoli following the draw for the group stage on Friday.

Atletico, who beat Fulham in last year s final thanks to an extra-time goal from Uruguay striker Diego Forlan, face an awkward Group B as not only must they take on Germany captain Michael Ballack s new team but they also come up against Norwegian side Rosenborg as well as Aris of Greece.

Liverpool are the most successful European side among the 48 teams contesting the group stages, having won the Champions League five times and the UEFA Cup precursor to the Europa League three times, most recently in 2001.

Now coached by Roy Hodgson, who guided Fulham to last year s final, Liverpool will also hav…

Jose Mourinho s behaviour and the subsequent abuse of Anthony Taylor by Roma fans has led to former Premier League referee Mark Halsey calling for stricter punishments.

Taylor and his family were verbally and physically targeted at Budapest airport in the wake of Roma s Europa League final defeat to Sevilla.

Both teams felt aggrieved by some of Taylor s decisions in the game, but Mourinho was particularly vehement, and was filmed shouting abuse at the official long after the final whistle had blown.

Halsey was infuriated by what he saw.

Everybody that s seen the footage or watched the game, I thought both teams conduct with their players and the coaching staff was appalling, Halsey told Stats Perform.

On the night I thought Anthony [Taylor] and …