Bayern Munich president opposes mooted European Super League

Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich have no interest in joining a proposed European Super League, according to the club s new president.

Preliminary plans for a revamped, larger-scale Champions League incorporating promotion and relegation reportedly emerged in a letter the European Club Association sent to its 232 members in April.

The Premier League and Bundesliga oppose the proposals and Germany s most powerful club remains fully invested in the current state of play, according to president Herbert Hainer.

We stand for the Bundesliga! Without ifs and buts, Hainer told Suddeutsche Zeitung.

We are not interested in any Super League at all, that can be said very clearly.

We want to have international success, of course, but that s why there is the …

Potter claims ´the difference is luck´ as he takes Chelsea to sliding Brighton

Graham Potter believes his Chelsea team strike it lucky more often than the Brighton and Hove Albion side he left behind for the Stamford Bridge top job.

Potter, who is wary he could get a mixed reception when he takes Chelsea to the Amex Stadium on Saturday, suggested an element of good fortune is the main difference between the teams.

He left the Seagulls in early September to succeed Thomas Tuchel in charge at Stamford Bridge.

Since then, Potter has helped engineer a turnaround in form with the Blues, going unbeaten across his first nine games, while his successor at the Amex Stadium, Roberto De Zerbi, is yet to win a match.

The Englishman does not feel Brighton – who have never beaten Chelsea in 10 previous Premier League meetings (D4 L6) – have b…

Salah predicts silverware for Liverpool

Mohamed Salah believes that Liverpool have all the ingredients to deliver a first trophy since 2012.

The Egyptian has been in stunning form this season with his goal against Bournemouth on Sunday seeing him become the first Reds player to score 20 goals before Christmas since Ian Rush.

Liverpool have not won a title since 1990 and their last trophy of any kind was the League Cup five years ago.

Salah, however, is confident that Jurgen Klopp is on the brink of finally bringing some silverware back to Anfield.

As a team, I know we haven t won the Premier League for a long time, so I would love to win it with Liverpool, he told the club s official website.

We have a great team, we have a great manager, so everything is good at the club and I am sur…

Barcelona star Lionel Messi ignoring Argentina criticism

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi insists he pays no attention to any criticism his performances for Argentina receive.

Messi has enjoyed a glittering domestic career at Camp Nou, but has failed to replicate that success with the national team.

The prolific forward won Olympic gold in 2008, however Argentina fell short in the final of the 2014 World Cup and were also runners-up in the 2015 and 2016 Copa Americas, the latter defeat seeing him briefly retire from international football.

Messi has often been the subject of criticism for Argentina s failures and the 29-year-old came in for more scrutiny after receiving a four-match ban for verbally abusing an assistant referee during a 1-0 World Cup qualifying win over Chile last month.

However, the 29-year-ol…

Milan awaiting news on Ibrahimovic injury as Bonera hails important Napoli win

Stand-in Milan boss Daniele Bonera said he is awaiting news on Zlatan Ibrahimovic s injury sustained in Sunday s 3-1 victory over Napoli.

Ibrahimovic scored twice at Stadio San Paolo to take his tally for the Serie A season to 10 goals in six appearances before limping off 11 minutes from time.

The 39-year-old has been in inspired form for Milan since returning to the club in January, scoring 20 Serie A goals in 24 games – only Lazio s Ciro Immobile (23 in 27) and Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo (29 in 24) have managed more in 2020.

But Ibrahimovic, who missed nearly a month of action after contracting coronavirus earlier in the season, may now be facing another spell on the sidelines after pulling up with an apparent hamstring issue against Napoli.

AFCON matchday preview: Algeria and Tunisia facing fight to progress

Sunday s action at the Africa Cup of Nations will see two former winners go in search of much-needed points.

Algeria, champions in 1990 and three years ago, were held to a surprise draw by Sierra Leone on matchday one and sit second in Group E.

North African neighbours Tunisia, who won the tournament back in 2004, started their campaign with a 1-0 defeat to 10-man Mali and are in desperate need of a result against Mauritania.

Mali will take on Gambia, while the Ivory Coast will look to consolidate top spot in their group when they meet Sierra Leone.

 

Gambia v Mali

Gambia are bidding to become the first debutants to win their opening two matches at the Africa Cup of Nations since Equatorial Guinea did so in 2012.

That said, Mali a…