Ignazio Abate has committed his future to Milan by penning a new four-year deal with the club.
The Italy defender has risen through the ranks at San Siro and his latest contract runs through to June 2019, by which time he will be 32.
Abate broke his way into the first team at Milan in the 2009-10 season, having had temporary spells with the likes of Napoli, Piacenza and Torino earlier in his career.
The full-back has subsequently become a mainstay in Milan s first team and only injuries prevented him from adding to his 23 Serie A appearances last term.
Abate was also part of a Milan side that won the Serie A title under the stewardship of Massimiliano Allegri in the 2010-11 season.
…
Barcelona midfielder Arda Turan insists the club s tiki-taka style of play is not as easy to implement as it looks.
The Spanish giants are renowned for their possession-based style of football, introduced in the late 1980s by Johan Cruyff, with Pep Guardiola taking it to further extremes.
Guardiola took over at Barcelona in 2008 and won 14 trophies across four seasons as he revolutionised the way the game is played.
Under current coach Luis Enrique, Barcelona have continued to play in a similar way, and Turan explained just how hard it is to continuously implement.
From the outside, it s like chess, which looks easy to play, he said. But just like tiki-taka, it s not.
Everyone has a duty, a position, and everyone is fulfilling their …
Ligue 1 giants Lyon have moved to confirm they are interested in Nice forward Hatem Ben Arfa amidst speculation linking the 29-year-old with a return to Stade Gerland.
The France international came through the youth ranks at Lyon’s famous academy, but decided to join Marseille in search of first team football in August 2008.
Following a disappointing spell in England, Ben Arfa managed to kick-start his career at Nice, and he is now back on the radar of top European sides.
While PSG and few other top clubs have been showing interest in his services, his former club Lyon appear to be keen as well.
Former les Gones striker Bernard Lacombe, now acting as an advisor to club chairman Jean-Michel Aulas, admits they wouldn’t mind seeing Ben Arfa back at Stad…
Rafael Benitez has confirmed Lucas Digne wants to leave Everton.
Left-back Digne, who signed from Barcelona for a reported £18million in August 2018, has not featured for the Toffees since a 4-1 home defeat to Merseyside rivals – and Benitez s former club – Liverpool on December 1.
That loss was one of eight for Everton from their last 12 Premier League games. They have won just one of their fixtures in that run, beating Arsenal 2-1 thanks to a late Demarai Gray stunner.
Everton, who were limited in the off-season transfer window partly due to the Premier League s profit and sustainability rules, have been active already this month, signing right-back Nathan Patterson from Rangers for a fee believed to be £11m plus add-ons, and bringing in left-back Vitali…
Best Odds: 8/11
Bookmaker:
Making a return to MLS action in the early hours of Thursday, Inter Miami will welcome Toronto to the Chase Stadium.
Inter Miami
Starting with the hosts, last seen putting in a nightmare performance as they fell to a 6-1 drumming at the hands of Cincinnati, Inter Miami are desperately seeking an immediate response here. Battling it out at the top of the Eastern Conference table and tipped as a leading title contender, Gerardo Martino’s men have gained a fearsome reputation since opening up the 2024 campaign. Getting July underway with a 2-1 victory away at Charlotte, the former Barcelona boss has seen his squad muster 12 points from their previous five MLS appearances. Likewise, remarkably losing just a pair of their previous 17 top…
Inter maintained their perfect start to the Serie A season by dominating Spezia in a 3-0 win at San Siro, as Lautaro Martinez netted a thunderous strike to open his account for the new campaign.
Martinez drilled home from outside the area as Inter swiftly established control, with Denzel Dumfries and Romelu Lukaku guilty of missing excellent chances before half-time.
Hakan Calhanoglu gave the Nerazzurri breathing space with a neat right-footed finish shortly after the break, ensuring there was no need for the sort of last-minute heroics Inter required at Lecce last Saturday.
Joaquin Correa then came off the bench to tap in a late third, sending Simone Inzaghi s men to the top of the table at this early stage.
Bartlomiej Dragowski made an acrobatic save…