Barcelona have sent young midfielder Carles Alena on loan to fellow LaLiga club Real Betis until the end of the season.
Spain Under-21 international Alena started Barca s first league game of the campaign but has struggled for playing time since, featuring just three more times in the top flight.
Speaking this month, head coach Ernesto Valverde admitted he would have liked to have used Alena more often this term given his impressive display against Inter in the Champions League.
The 21-year-old, who worked his way through the academy ranks and has made 39 first-team appearances, will now link up with Betis for the second half of 2019-20.
OFFICIAL | | sign Carles Aleñá on loan
Hit it hard these months, !
— Real Betis …
Northern Ireland manager Michael O Neill has signed a two-year extension to his contract to remain in charge until 2016.
The 44-year-old took the job in December 2011 and has guided the country to one win in 14 matches during his tenure.
O Neill picked up his only victory to date when Northern Ireland beat Russia during their FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign in August, but they finished second bottom of their pool with just seven points from 10 games.
However, the Northern Irish FA believe O Neill is the right man for the job, and have extended his deal to include the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying campaign.
And O Neill is thrilled to have been given the opportunity to improve on their showing in the World Cup qualifiers.
When I was appointed Northern Irelan…
Swansea City could sell Michu for as little as £4m this summer, .
The one-time Spain international, who excelled for the South Wales outfit during his first season in the Premier League, spent last year on loan at Napoli though he made just five appearances and failed to score.
After arriving at Swansea from Rayo Vallecano, the 29 year old scored twenty-two goals in forty-three appearances in all competitions during the 2012/13 campaign, helping them to success in the League Cup, scoring in the 5-0 win over Bradford City in the final.
However, he struggled with injury the following season and ended up playing second fiddle to Wilfried Bony, who has himself now moved on to pastures new.
He has two years remaining on his current deal with the Swans, …
Anthony Knockaert revealed depression made it mentally impossible for him to perform in the Premier League last season as the Brighton and Hove Albion star opened up about his mental health struggles.
Knockaert has become a fan favourite since arriving from Standard Liege two years ago, helping Brighton gain promotion to the Premier League in 2016-17.
The 26-year-old Frenchman was key to Brighton s promotion, though Knockaert struggled to reach those lofty heights last term with three goals in 33 appearances.
Knockaert – whose father died in November 2016 – is back to his best on and off the pitch this season, and the winger encouraged others to seek help if they are struggling with depression or mental health issues.
Anthony Knockaert opens up abou…
Ander Herrera says Jose Mourinho is the world s best manager when the going is good, but he does not take losing well.
The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder reflected on playing under Tottenham boss Mourinho at Manchester United and has largely fond memories of the manager s two-and-a-half-year tenure.
Mourinho is the best manager in the world when things go well,” Herrera said to The Athletic.
The relationship with the players, the way he treats everyone; I really liked his training sessions. Also, with [assistant] Rui Faria, they were a fantastic team together.
But it is also true, when he loses, he does not take it in a good way. That is true. And he accepts that! He does not hide from it.
We have a great relationship. The first year …
Cole featured 56 times for England, including appearances at the World Cups of 2002, 2006 and 2010, and he recently brought his 20-year career to a close having spent the past three years at Tampa Bay Rowdies.
The 37-year-old will carry out his new role alongside studying for his coaching badges.
Looking to the future, I want to stay involved in the game and I feel I can offer a lot as a coach, he told the club s website.
To lend my experience to help other young footballers achieve their dreams, just like I did, is a big passion of mine.
Head of youth development Neil Bath added: We are delighted Joe has agreed to return to Chelsea and coach in the academy.
It has always been our philosophy to have a number of ex-players involved…
France and Manchester United striker Anthony Martial played just 69 minutes at Euro 2016
France and Manchester United forward Anthony Martial was given just 10 minutes to change the game in their Euro 2016 final defeat to Portugal at the Stade de France on Sunday evening, and unsurprisingly struggled to make an impact.
He’s played just 69 minutes of football in the tournament this summer despite possessing a skill set that could have been game-changing against Portugal among other games, so why hasn’t he featured more for France?
Competition for places in the France squad
Anthony Martial primarily operates as an inside forward on the left flank, cutting inside on his stronger right foot or taking the ball to the byline to get a cross in. Unfortunatel…
Sir Kenny Dalglish has tested positive for coronavirus while in hospital for treatment of a different infection, his family have announced.
The 69-year-old Liverpool legend was admitted to hospital on Wednesday for a course of intravenous antibiotics and, in line with current procedures, underwent a test for Covid-19 despite displaying no symptoms of the illness. The test was positive and the Scot, who remains asymptomatic, will remain in hospital for further treatment.
The former Leeds United and England centre-half Norman Hunter was also reported on Friday to be in hospital with coronavirus.
World Cup winner Norman Hunter in hospital with coronavirusRead more
A statement released by the Da…
It’s mid-July, and we’re getting ever so close to NFL training camps opening, and you can feel the anticipation. Along with that comes a whole host of pundits writing lists ranking players at various positions — most notably, quarterback. ESPN caused an uproar over the weekend when it released its Top 10 QBs heading into the 2022 campaign. The list 10. Dak Prescott 9. Deshaun Watson 8. Russell Wilson 7. Justin Herbert 6. Matthew Stafford 5. Joe Burrow 4. Tom Brady 3. Josh Allen 2. Patrick Mahomes 1. Aaron Rodgers No Respect The first glaring omission on this list is Lamar Jackson, the Rodney Dangerfield of NFL QBs because he “ don’t get no respect.” It’s like everyone has short-term memory loss. The Ravens were one of the elite AFC teams last season, while Jackso…
The big "shocking" report from the BBC about a brewing soccer scandal in Europe has finally aired, and it turns out that the problem is … bungs! Hey! We're Americans! What's a bung, buggers? Well, it turns out that a bung is a "payment made outside agreed terms, less like a bribe and more like a tip. A bung might be paid to a manager bringing in a player, or letting one go." GOT IT. And apparently it kind of sort of is rocking Euro soccer after the BBC's report last evening. How earthshattering is it? Well, the report says there's a "Bung Culture," which typically involves a petri dish. Sorry, sorry: We can't get past this "bung" thing. But we're gonna try anyway. The only real issue, according to Soccernista, is…