Razak makes Anzhi move

Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane is confident Cristiano Ronaldo will emerge from his current slump, having also felt the wrath of the Santiago Bernabeu faithful during his own playing days.

Ronaldo has only two goals in six LaLiga appearances this season and the Portugal superstar was whistled by sections of the home support when he took 11 shots without success during Sunday s 2-1 win over Athletic Bilbao.

The 31-year-old was named on the 30-man Ballon d Or shortlist on Monday and is favourite to land the coveted gong for a fourth time in his career, although he was overlooked at LaLiga s 2015-16 awards night later in the day.

Zidane s decorated career with Juventus, Madrid and France remains one of the most lauded in the modern era and, although the form…

Richard Scudamore is to leave the Premier League after almost 20 years as the organisation s executive chairman.

Scudamore, who will step down by the end of 2018, helped to build the Premier League into one of football s most dominant bodies, overseeing massive increases in revenues and attendances.

A report released by Deloitte’s Sports Business Group in April found Premier League clubs combined revenue increased to a record £4.5billion in the 2016-17 season.

It s an absolute privilege to have been allowed to enjoy this role for so long, it is too much fun to be called a job, Scudamore said in a statement.

Football is an intoxicating environment and therefore difficult to give up being so involved, but my passion for what football means to so m…

Liverpool continue to battle on four fronts after Jakub Kiwior’s own goal and a stoppage-time strike by Luis Diaz sent them through to the FA Cup fourth round with a 2-0 win at Arsenal.

Jurgen Klopp’s side were without captain Virgil van Dijk and Mohamad Salah, but after they were able to ride their luck in north London, stand-in skipper Trent Alexander-Arnold’s excellent late cross forced the opener and Diaz was able to wrap up a hard-fought victory with a powerful late finish.

It inflicted a fourth defeat in seven matches on Arsenal, who fired another blank despite creating a plethora of chances at the Emirates to leave manager Mikel Arteta with problems to solve ahead of their short mid-season break.

Trent Alexander-Arnold s deliveries are always on poin…

Market: Chesterfield win

Odds: 6/11 @

Simply looking to widen their buffer at the top of the National League table, Chesterfield will welcome Gateshead to the SMH Group Stadium on Wednesday night.

Starting with the hosts, while Chesterfield might have suffered FA Cup heartbreak away at Championship outfit Watford over the weekend, Paul Cook’s side should still find the mood in their camp at a continued high. Despite eventually falling to a 2-1 defeat in the capital, the Spiretites hold a commanding six-point buffer at the top of the National League standings. Rightfully tipped as a standout contender to punch a fourth-tier return in 2024, the one-time Wigan boss has seen his squad win six of their previous seven National League appearances a run that stems bac…

Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira has described Jose Mourinho as a great man and is grateful to be at the club.

The Germany midfielder signed for Real from Stuttgart in 2010 and has so far amassed 116 appearances for the Spanish giants.

In an interview with Die Welt, Khedira spoke of his admiration for Mourinho and attributed his arrival at the club to the Portuguese tactician.

Coming to Madrid was generally a fluke because I have come to the biggest club in the world, the 25-year-old said.

I have had the opportunity to develop alongside great players and a great coach. I have no intention of leaving the club.

Mourinho was a crucial part of me being at Madrid. I am grateful. It has made me a better player.

Mourinho s men sit second …

Gianluca Lapadula scored a late winner as AC Milan came from behind to beat struggling Crotone 2-1 and stay within four points of Serie A leaders Juventus.

Juve put seven points between themselves and the chasing pair of Roma and Milan with a 3-1 win over Atalanta on Saturday, but the Rossoneri managed to keep pace with the reigning champions.

Milan wore the crest of Brazilian club Chapecoense, who had the majority of their team tragically killed in a plane crash this week, on their sleeves as well as the phrase Forca Chape on the back for Sunday s contest, which saw Crotone take a surprise lead in the 26th minute through Diego Falcinelli s fifth goal of the season.

Here s a glimpse into the red black locker room. Today we re going to play wearing these special j…

Carlo Ancelotti has ruled out the prospect of Bayern Munich signing Julian Draxler during the January transfer window.

Reports in Germany have claimed that Wolfsburg are prepared to allow the unsettled 23-year-old to leave despite him having only joined from Schalke for a reported €40 million in August 2015.

Ancelotti, however, says the Bundesliga champions will not look to do any business next month.

Draxler is a very interesting player. Full stop, he said ahead of Bayern s top-flight clash with Wolfsburg on Saturday. 

He can play in any team. Our team is complete. We won t do anything in winter there s no market for us.

Bayern head into the match looking to put pressure on surprise leaders RB Leipzig, who are three points clear at the top …

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Mikkel Damsgaard from Sampdoria in the summer of 2021, according to . The report has added that Inter Milan and Juventus are keen on the 20-year-old attacking player as well.

The report in the Italian news outlet has claimed that Premier League club Tottenham and defending Serie A champions Juventus are in pole position for Damsgaard, who can operate as a winger or as a forward. The Denmark international has been on the books of Sampdoria since the summer of 2020 and has made a good impression on Serie A so far.

According to , the young attacking player has made 10 starts and 10 substitute appearances in Serie A for Sampdoria so far this season, scoring two goals and providing four assists in the process. Sampdoria are 10th in…

Sky Sport Italia claim that Lazio striker Ciro Immobile has already made it clear he would move to AC Milan this summer even if they ultimately get suspended from Europe for the forthcoming campaign.

Rossoneri have been slapped with an international suspension due to the Financial Fair Play (FFP) irregularities and could end up missing out on the Europa League spot they earned in Serie A last season.

Regardless, Ciro Immobile has already given his nod and AC Milan are expected to commence negotiations over a possible summer transfer for the Lazio striker.

The 28-year-old forward is coming off from a highly prolific season with Biancocelesti. He bagged 29 Serie A goals, whereas he managed the total of 41 goals in 47 competitive outings during the 2017/18 campa…

Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez said Tuesday he was confident that coach Josep Guardiola will renew his contract with the European champions before it expires at the end of the season.

I can t imagine Barca without Guardiola. He is a fundamental part of the team and I think the extension of his contract is imminent, but it depends on him, said the 29-year-old Spanish international.

We would like him to extend his contract but it is up to him. I think he wants to stay, that he feels at home here. He is possibly the best coach in the history of the club and he has only been here one year.

Guardiola, who turned 39 on Monday, took over from Dutchman Frank Rijkaard in June 2008 after being promoted from his job as coach of Barcelona s B side.

Under his…