Football without fans in attendance is like eating a salad without a dressing on it, according to Porto boss Sergio Conceicao.
The Primeira Liga will return from its coronavirus-enforced suspension on Wednesday and all games will be played behind closed doors.
Porto sit top of the table, one point clear of Benfica, and will get their 2019-20 campaign back under way away at surprise package Famalicao.
Conceicao is not a fan of fans being shut out of matches, joking that he will even miss the whistles from opposition supporters.
It will be different to play without a crowd. It will be like being without the condiments to make a good salad. Eating a salad without oil, vinegar and salt is not the same, Conceicao told the media.
We have to go in ther…
Paris Saint-Germain are determined to keep Kylian Mbappe from the clutches of Real Madrid or any other potential suitor, and to that end, they re preparing an offer of a new contract, similar to the one currently binding Neymar to the French capital, according to French football journalist Jonathan Johnson.
As Real s pursuit became hotter through the 2019/20 season, the 22-year-old s plan was to wait and see whether any progress would be made in the aspirations of PSG to win the Champions League before making a decision on his future, Johnson told Transfer Talk. The French champions have reached the quarterfinals of UEFA s elite club competition, but it remains to be seen whether the rest of it will be played out or not, which complicates the matter somewhat for Mbappe.
Scottish giants Rangers confirmed on Monday that majority shareholder Sir David Murray has begun discussions with London-based property developer Andrew Ellis regarding a takeover.
The runaway Premier League leaders who are 31 million pounds (47 million dollars) in debt said discussions with interested parties are at an early stage.
An independent committee of the board, which includes Ibrox legend John Greig, has been set up to consider any offers for Rangers.
Murray stepped down as chairman in August 2009.
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Dutch winger Arjen Robben s strike sealed Bayern Munich s 1-0 victory over Lyon on Wednesday to give the German giants an advantage for the second-leg of the Champions League semi-final.
The first-half dismissal of Bayern s Franck Ribery for a dangerous challenge was cancelled out by Lyon s France defender Jeremy Toulalan also getting sent off just after the break for a second yellow card before Robben s winning goal.
Since joining Bayern from Real Madrid in August 2009, Robben has now scored 20 goals in all competitions, but none so important as his 69th-minute strike which bounced off the back of team-mate Thomas Mueller and into the net.
It was tremendously important that we kept our composure, even with ten men, said Bayern captain Philipp Lahm with Mark va…
Borussia Dortmund midfielder Mario Gotze admits that he has not matched his own expectations but has hit out at claims he is too distant with fans and media.
The 24-year-old, who returned to Signal Iduna Park in July after struggling to settle completely at Bayern Munich, has scored just two goals in 15 appearances in all competitions this season.
Scrutiny of Gotze s form has been intensified at times due to suggestions that he has a cold attitude towards the media and supporters, both of Dortmund and the Germany national team.
But while he admits that he can improve his performances, Gotze who scored the winning goal in Germany s Wold Cup final triumph over Argentina in 2014 believes some perceptions of him are misguided.
Statistically speaking, there …
Liverpool s disastrous start to 2017 continued as Wolves won 2-1 at Anfield on Saturday to dump the Reds out of the FA Cup.
Richard Stearman opened the scoring early on with a header from close range, before Andreas Weimann made it two shortly before the break, with Divock Origi s goal coming too late for the hosts to try and snatch a draw.
Jurgen Klopp s men had won just one of their seven games since the turn of the year ahead of this encounter, losing further ground on Chelsea in the race for the Premier League title, as well as being eliminated from the EFL Cup.
That poor run of form meant the FA Cup was arguably their only realistic chance of winning silverware, but Klopp nonetheless opted to field an experimental side, perhaps with one eye on Tuesday s matc…
Arsenal will take on Chelsea today (Saturday) to do final battle for the 2019/20 FA Cup. The game will, of course, be played behind closed doors at Wembley, but striker Alexandre Lacazette has made a promise to the supporters that the Gunners will do everything in their power to win the trophy.
https://twitter.com/Arsenal/status/1289516225375150080
have Arsenal at 11/10 to win the game, giving them a slightly better chance than Chelsea who are at 5/2.
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Toni Kroos deflected first-half strike was enough to secure Real Madrid a 1-0 win at Galatasaray, giving Los Blancos their first Champions League victory of the season.
Despite being without Gareth Bale and Luka Modric, Madrid produced a professional display against a Galatasaray team that put up a fight but were ultimately made to rue a lack of quality in the final third.
Madrid were greeted by a banner that read your nightmare is back again and the home side certainly caused them some problems, but Lady Luck smiled on Zinedine Zidane s men as Kroos opened the scoring with a deflected strike on his 100th Champions League appearance.
Eden Hazard should have wrapped things up in the second half but he hit the crossbar, though luckily for him Gala were unable to m…
Liverpool rubber-stamped the signing of Joe Cole on a four-year contract after the England midfielder passed his medical on Wednesday.
Cole had already agreed personal terms on Monday after being released by Chelsea and flew to the club s training camp in Switzerland to undergo his physical checks.
The 28-year-old has been allocated the number 10 shirt and should make his Premier League debut for the Reds in their season opener against Arsenal on August 15.
Meanwhile, boss Roy Hodgson has confirmed Swiss defender Philipp Degen will be allowed to leave Anfield.
Degen made little impression after signing from Borussia Dortmund in July 2008 and Hodgson said: We have had an amicable conversation with Philipp and he wants to play football.
We won t s…
The midweek FA Cup fifth round fixtures will give several Premier League clubs the opportunity to make up for significant setbacks over the weekend.
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag cannot afford another defeat after Saturday’s late drama against Fulham, while Chelsea must respond to Sunday’s Carabao Cup loss to Liverpool.
Here, the PA news agency looks at the talking points around the key fixtures.
United need a response
The fifth round awaits
— Manchester United (@ManUtd)
Saturday’s stoppage-time home defeat to Fulham has put Manchester United under pressure going into Wednesday’s trip to Nottingham Forest. With a trip to the Etihad up next on Sunday, United need a positive result to avoid going into a derby amid anot…