UTAKA MOVES TO SIVASSPOR

Turkish Super Lig outfit Sivasspor have announced the capture of John Utaka on a two-year deal.The 31-year-old had been without a club since leaving Montpellier in July following the expiry of his contract with the French side.And he has now elected to move to Turkey with Sivasspor, who are managed by former Brazil international and Real Madrid full-back Roberto Carlos.Utaka began his career with Enugu Rangers in his native Nigeria before stints in Egypt and Qatar.A five-season spell in France with Lens and Rennes followed, with the forward's form over that time securing him a move to the Premier League with Portsmouth.The Nigeria international lifted the FA Cup with the English team, but would return to France with Montpellier after his contract with the south-coast club had run down.He subsequently played a prominent role in helping the club to the first Ligue 1 title in their history in 2011-12.Utaka has been capped 43 times by Nigeria.

BAYERN DEFENCE

Bayern Munich will start their campaign to retain their DFB-Pokal crown against minnows Schwarz-Weiss Rehden on Monday.Bayern wrapped up an historic treble with a 3-2 victory over Stuttgart in last season's final.Jupp Heynckes was in charge for that success, however former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola has since taken the reins, and he will be looking for his side to produce a professional performance against the fourth tier side.Stuttgart begin their campaign against Dynamo Berlin on Sunday, while Juergen Klopp's Borussia Dortmund will be hoping to avoid a shock against Wilhelmshaven on Saturday.Goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller and midfielders Sven Bender, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Henrikh Mkhitaryan are all expected to miss out, but Klopp's side will still be expected to come through with little difficulty.Schalke, who have won the competition on five occasions, face fifth-tier club Nottingen and will undoubtedly be aiming to improve on their run to the third round last season.Three-time winners Hamburg fell in the first round against Karlsruher last term, and manager Thorsten Fink is keen to avoid the same fate this time around Schott Jena on Sunday."Obviously as a Bundesliga side we are the clear pre-match favourites. Still, the same rule applies every year: You must not underestimate any opponent in the DFB-Pokal," he told the club's official website."My team look solid and focused, so that won't happen to us. The lads should be totally looking forward to Sunday after the long break and go out there and enjoy it."The necessary aggression will automatically come. That way we will live up to our billing as pre-match favourites and progress to round two."

BENITEZ CAUSE OF DEATH CONFIRMED

El Jaish have confirmed that the cause of Ecuador international Christian Benitez's death was a cardiac arrest.Benitez died suddenly on Monday at the age of just 27, having been rushed to hospital complaining of severe stomach pains 24 hours after making his debut for the Qatari club following a big-money move from Mexico.And, following the release of the results of the player's post-mortem, El Jaish have now explained how he came to pass away."El Jaish football club has received the medical reports which belong to Christian Benitez, who passed away on Monday morning in Al Ahly hospital in the Qatari capital Doha," a statement read."The official medical reports, accredited by the Qatari state, state that the player's sudden death was due to a cardiac arrest."El Jaish FC will transfer the body of the player from Doha to Ecuador immediately after completing all the legal procedures followed in the state."The Qatar Stars League outfit also explained that they will pay for Benitez's body to be flown to his native Ecuador, and have offered their help to the deceased striker's family."Also, the club board has announced that they will sponsor the process of transferring the body by using a private jet from Doha to the place where he will be buried," the statement added."The player’s family and his wife who are in Doha will now fly to Ecuador to attend the funeral, and the club has promised that the player’s transferring ceremony will be held in the best possible way."The Ecuadorian star died suddenly on Monday morning, his death led to an extreme sadness inside the club , especially since he only joined a few days ago."Also, the club administration has confirmed it will support the player's family and his wife."

ENYEAMA NOW LILLE NO1

The Nigeria goalkeeper has been rewarded with a starting place in the French club by his coach following his year-long loan in IsraelNigeria’sVincent Enyeamawill be first choice goalkeeper atLillefor the 2013/14 season after a year-long loan deal at Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel.30-year-old Enyeama left Lille last season after being unable to get consistent play time at the then French champions as he was second choice to Mickael Landreau.However,L’Equipereports that coach Rene Girard will now make the Nigerian his first choice in goal with the new season set to commence, ahead of Steeve Elana who took charge after Landreau’s departure in December 2012.Enyeama, who had been linked with a move to Spain, will look to stay at the club as he hopes to keep his place in the Nigeria squad leading to next year’s World Cup in Brazil.

ORANJE SNUB SNEIJDER

The former Inter star has been dealt another blow after previously being stripped of the captaincy, while Paul Verhaegh is in line for his debut against PortugalNetherlandscoach Louis van Gaal has opted to leaveWesley Sneijderout of his provisional 26-man squad for next month's international friendly against Portugal.The Galatasaray playmaker was already stripped of the captain's armband for Oranje's Asian tour earlier this summer andhas now been dropped from the team entirely.Other notable absentees are Fulham goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg and Everton defender John Heitinga, while Tim Krul has been left out due to fitness issues.New Chelsea signing Marco van Ginkel did make the cut, while fellow promising youngsters Adam Maher and Tonny Vilhena also received a call-up.Augsburg defender Paul Verhaegh has made the Netherlands squad for the first time and could make his Oranje debut on August 14.

SPONSORLESS BAYER

Bayer Leverkusen have had difficulty finding a suitable sponsor recentlyBayer Leverkusen have so far been unsuccessful in finding a partner they are happy with and will consider taking to the field in plain shirts, just like in the old days. CEO Wolfgang Holzhauser says: "If the price isn't right, we'll play without sponsored shirts. We can afford to."It's not without irony that one of only two teams in all of Germany that is owned by a company is considering snubbing this particular form of commercialism. Of course, Bayer haven't suddenly rediscovered their purist ideals, it's rather a case of once bitten, twice shy.In August 2007, just two days before their first league game of the new season, Bayer signed a contract with TelDaFax, a multi-industry company best known for its telecommunications branch, that earned the club about €6 million per year. Four years later, TelDaFax went bankrupt, owing no less than 750,000 customers and business partners money or services.Bayer were smart enough to cancel their contract with TelDaFax before the company went belly-up, but the bankruptcy still causes them headaches. The company's insolvency administrator has sued Bayer for €16 million, claiming that the club kept receiving money from TelDaFax even though it was aware of the company's severe financial problems. (Which, as strange as it may sound, is indeed unlawful.)In August 2011, again only two days before their first Bundesliga game, Bayer found a new shirt sponsor to replace TelDaFax, the Californian solar energy corporation SunPower. The parties signed a contract for three years that reportedly earned Bayer €6.5 million per year. However, last October SunPower suddenly decided to cut back on their involvement in Europe and cancelled the sponsorship deal a year before it was about to expire.Hence Bayer's intention to find a solid, stable partner and their announcement to consider not having a sponsor at all. It remains to be seen how serious they are about this. Back in 2011, Holzhauser had already gotten permission from the league to wear shirts that said "Werkself" (company XI – Leverkusen's nickname) before unveiling SunPower at the last moment, so he knows how to bluff at the bargaining table to get the best deal.

BALE NOT READY FOR SWITCH- HOODLE

Glenn Hoddle has advised Tottenham winger Gareth Bale to stay at the club and resist advances from Real Madrid.Real paid £80million to sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United in 2009, and some media reports suggest the Spanish side are prepared to break that world-record fee to take Bale to Santiago Bernabeu.However, Hoddle, who had spells with Tottenham as a player and a manager and had a spell overseas at Monaco, is eager for Bale to build on a superb campaign last season, and believes it is too early in his career for a move abroad."It's a difficult one but if you're talking about the lad himself, I would definitely, if I was advising him, I would say he's not quite ready to go abroad," he toldtalkSPORT."I think he's had a sensational year, for him to pick the reins up in that form would be nigh-on impossible straight away. I don't feel he's quite ready off the pitch to make that move."Hoddle has been impressed by Bale's consistency in recent seasons, but feels it may take a while for him to settle in Spanish football should he choose to make the switch."It's one thing setting a standard, it's keeping the standard which is the hardest thing, the consistency," he added."He's been nine out of 10 every game, some of the goals he's scored have been sensational."Real Madrid's fans will be purring at the thought of having possibly him and Ronaldo in the same team. They can go back and challenge the world again."When you go abroad the first four, five, six months could be difficult for him to regain that form and if his family are not with him 100 per cent all those things come into it."I just sense that maybe he might go for the wrong reasons. If he wants to go just for football reasons I think it might be better in a year's time or maybe two years' time."

WOLFSBURG KEEN ON GUSTAVO

Wolfsburg sporting director Klaus Allofs has revealed that the club are interested in signing Bayern Munich midfielder Luiz Gustavo.The Brazilian made 36 appearances in all competitions under Jupp Heynckes last term as Bayern won the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and UEFA Champions League.However, his position in midfield has been threatened by the arrival of Thiago Alcantara from Barcelona, with the 22-year-old starting in Saturday's 4-2 DFL Super Cup defeat to Borussia Dortmund.But Wolfsburg, who finished 11th in the German top flight last season, could be set to offer the former Hoffenheim star regular football during a World Cup year."When the speculations about Bayern having too many midfielders came up, we said that Luiz Gustavo would be a player who’d fit us very well in terms of his quality," Allofs toldSID."However, initially there are a lot of obstacles standing in a way in order to complete a deal. We already talked to his agent and informed Bayern about our interest, but so far, that’s all."One man who is familar with the process of swapping Bayern for Wolfsburg is Ivica Olic, with the Croatian striker having made the switch in 2012.But the 33-year-old has now explained that next season, his second at the Volkswagen Arena, is likely to be his last in German football."This is probably my last year in the Bundesliga," he toldBild.

CONTE EXPECTS STERN TEST

Juventus manager Antonio Conte is
anticipating his side's recent
dominance of Serie A to be challenged
next season.
Conte has guided Juventus to
consecutive Italian titles since taking
over in 2011.
The Turin club start their 2013-14
campaign at Sampdoria on August 25.
Conte's men finished nine points clear of second-place Napoli last season, but the
44-year-old is expecting a tougher fight next term.
"The values of clubs are changing, our rivals are getting stronger," he told Gazzetta
dello Sport. "It will be a very open championship.
"Juve, Milan and Inter are traditionally title contenders. Napoli have spent €75m-
€80m and have reinforced with Rafael Benitez, a great coach who has won it all.
"Fiorentina have legitimate hopes. Not only do they have Mario Gomez, but also
Giuseppe Rossi, who some are maybe underestimating.
"Lazio have amplified their squad and are tough, tactically strong."
Juventus have strengthened their forward line by bringing in strikers Carlos Tevez
and Fernando Llorente in the close-season.
Conte is quick to praise the respective qualities of the duo and has not ruled out
more signings before the end of the transfer window.
"Tevez is extraordinary. He's a great professional, a splendid person who puts himself
at your disposal. He works in an exceptional way," he added.
"Llorente is a model athlete. He has the right mentality, it is a pleasure to watch him
train.
"More signings? We'll see. I've spoken with the club, but I won't tell you what I have
said. I know that sales are needed first in order to buy."

ZANETTI URGES INTER TEAM-MATES

Inter captain Javier Zanetti is insistent
that his side bounce back from last
season's Serie A disappointment.
Inter finished ninth last term, their worst
league position since 1994, and two
poor seasons in a row will not be
accepted by the club's supporters.
New manager Walter Mazzarri has
arrived from Napoli, as have a host of new young players.
Forwards Mauro Icardi and Ishak Belfodil have joined the club from Sampdoria and
Parma respectively, and veteran defender Zanetti feels that a good mix of experience
and youth can help the Italian giants surge up the league table.
"We must start challenging again," Zanetti said.
"We have to bounce back this season and to do that we need a strong group of
players.
"He (Mazzarri) is an expert coach with clear ideas. To be a great team you need a
charismatic tactician and Mazzarri is that.
"We've also got more experienced heads and youngsters we have high hopes for –
it's the right mix to help us come back stronger than before.
"We're here to help the younger players because they represent our future – that's
why we're placing our faith in them."
Zanetti, 39, signed a one-year contract extension at the club in June, but is currently
recovering from Achilles surgery.
The evergreen Zanetti is unsure whether this season will be his last and is looking
forward to his return to football.
"I don't know when I'll be able to make my comeback, but I'm working hard to make
it happen," he said.
"At the end of the season I'll decide whether to hang up my boots or whether I have
enough left in me to carry on.
"When I do stop playing I hope to be as useful to Inter off the pitch as I've tried to be
on it."

KOLAROV OPEN TO JUVE MOVE

Manchester City left-back Aleksandar
Kolarov has left the door open on a
potential move to Juventus, despite
saying he is happy to stay.
The 27-year-old started just 11 Premier
League matches for City last season
and has struggled for regular football
due to the presence of French left-back
Gael Clichy.
Kolarov has been linked with a switch to Serie A champions Juventus recently, and
when quizzed about the rumours, he declared that he would be interested.
The Serbian was also at pains to state he was not seeking a way out of Manchester
immediately, but added that if he was not a regular under new manager Manuel
Pellegrini, then he would be keen on an exit from England.
"I'm happy at City and it is my intention to remain," Kolarov told Tuttosport.
"I want to play as much as possible to show (Manuel) Pellegrini my qualities. I want
to remain in Manchester, but it is only logical that should I not be given any space in
the team then I'll have to evaluate a few things.
"It is nice to know that an important and prestigious club such as Juventus like me,
but I'm not the only person who will have a say on my future.

DE ROSSI WANTS REVITALIZED ROMA

Roma stalwart Daniele De Rossi wants
his club to revitalise themselves under
new manager Rudi Garcia this season.
Roma will enter their third successive
campaign with a different manager,
aiming to break into the top five in the
Serie A for the first time since 2009-10.
Garcia has bought well in the close-
season with Kevin Strootman, Mehdi Benatia, Maicon and Morgan De Sanctis the
headline arrivals at the Stadio Olimpico.
"The last few seasons have not gone well, that is clear," De Rossi said.
"What we need is to be reborn. And we start from here, we start with pre-season. It's
the preparation for a revival ahead of an important year.
"The club has always been a strong one, even in the years that things didn't go so
well.
"However, something has been missing or else we wouldn't have had these seasons
that were not too positive.
"We are not missing that much at Roma, but we are lacking a little. What we really
need is enthusiasm. We need to put a winning run of games together and start to
believe in ourselves again."
De Rossi - who has been a Roma player since graduating from their youth ranks in
2001 - has been used in a variety of positions throughout his career.
And the 30-year-old Italy international says he is happy to play anywhere for Garcia
in the new season.
"I do everything. I've always done that. I've never made myself unavailable for a
particular tactical solution," he said.
"I've played as a playmaker, a ball-winner, even as a defender. I think that has been
under-estimated."
Roma open their Serie A campaign at Livorno on the first weekend of the season, to
be held on the weekend of August 24 and 25.

HERNANDEZ CONFIDENT OF EUROPEAN SUCCESS

Pablo Hernandez is confident Swansea
have all the tools to do well in the UEFA
Europa League.
The 28-year-old helped Michael
Laudrup's side to League Cup glory in
his debut season in English football and
has seen enough quality in the squad to
take them far in their maiden continental
campaign.
However, the Spaniard has experience in European football from his time at Valencia
and has warned his team-mates they will need to be at their best.
"It’s very tough in this competition," Hernandez told Swansea's official website. "Just
to get to the group stages can be very, very tricky.
"We certainly have the quality in the squad now to progress and I think our style of
play is important too.
"How far can we go? We will see. But if we can get through the first couple of rounds
then I have the confidence in this team that we can go far."
Swansea's Europa League journey starts with a third qualfying round tie with Malmo
at the Liberty Stadium on Thursday, and Hernandez believes home advantage can
help them take a lead to Sweden for the second leg.
"With the game being over two legs, you want to make the most of playing at home
in the first game," he added.
"But we have confidence in ourselves that we can progress.
"We will have the Liberty behind us and our fans make an amazing atmosphere. I
think it will be another special atmosphere for the players, the fans, and the club."

LIVERPOOL EYEING PAPADOPOULOS

Liverpool have performed a U-turn and revived interest in a £13m move for Schalke
defender Kryiakos Papadopoulos.
The 21-year-old Greece international has been out with a knee ligament injury and Liverpool
feared he would not be fit for the start of the season. However, they are willing to conclude a
deal if he passes a rigorous medical.
Manager Brendan Rodgers is also considering Rubin Kazan's Salomon Rondon as an
alternative to Valencia striker Roberto Soldado,

KLOPP IN FAILED KAGAWA SWOOP

Borussia Dortmund have failed in a bid to prise Shinji Kagawa from Manchester
United.
Kagawa left Dortmund for United in 2012 for £12million and featured 26 times in all
competitions for the English champions last season.
Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp said: 'It was clear relatively quickly, Shinji wants to prevail this
year at Manchester United. I did not expect a different answer, you just have to ask once.'
United, though, maintain an interest in Dortmund's Marco Reus and Ilkay Gundogan but the
German side will not sell this summer.

CISSE ON TARGET FOR TOONS

Newcastle striker Papiss Cisse donned the club's controversial 'Wonga' strip for the first time,
as he started and scored in the club's pre-season friendly at St Mirren.
Cisse had earlier broken his silence in his row over new club sponsor Wonga, revealing he
consulted Islamic teachers before deciding to pull on the team's new shirt.
He made his first appearance of pre-season against Scottish side St Mirren on Tuesday night,
and scored after 19 minutes with a curling shot having been set up by Sammy Ameobi.
Cisse had been at loggerheads with Newcastle over the deal with payday loan company
Wonga, which the striker said conflicted with his Muslim beliefs.
The Senegalese star, who earns £40,000 a week, missed the club's training camp in Portugal
over the row, but insists he is now ready to concentrate on his game and was spotted training
in kit carrying the Wonga branding.
'I have had some useful discussions with my club, my family and Islamic teachers in the last
few weeks. After a huge amount of thought and reflection I have made the decision to follow
my teammates and wear the kit,' he said.

MOYES WILL BE HELPED OUT BY OLD GUARD- FERDINAND

Rio Ferdinand says Manchester United’s old guard will guide manager David Moyes
through his first season at the club.
Moyes has admitted to being slightly daunted at the prospect of replacing Sir Alex Ferguson.
Ferdinand said: ‘I just look at it as if I was taking the job on. Would you lean on players who
have been here for many years? Of course you would.

DYER TO HANG UP BOOTS

Kieron Dyer has decided to hang up his boots after numerous injuries and bad luck
and has begun his preparation for a career in coaching.
The former Newcastle, QPR, West Ham and England midfielder has returned to his first club,
Ipswich, to take his first steps in his new career.
Dyer turned down lucrative moves to America and Dubai to concentrate on his new ambition
and spent more time with his children.

THIRD AND FINAL BID FOR FABREGAS

Manchester United are prepared to break their
transfer record with a third and final offer of
£35million for Barcelona's Cesc Fabregas. The
Spain midfielder is David Moyes's prime target as
United's new boss looks to add a creative spark
ahead of the start of the season.

LABRUNE OPEN TO AYEW DEPARTURE

Marseille president Vincent Labrune has
admitted that Andre Ayew could leave
the club if the right offer comes in.
Ayew, 23, has expressed a desire to
move away from the Stade Velodrome,
with Liverpool his preferred destination.
Aside from loan spells at Arles and
Lorient, the Ghana international winger
has spent his entire career with Marseille, helping them to the Coupe de la Ligue title
in 2011.
However, Ayew is reported to have clashed with manager Elie Baup over his desire to
play as a central striker.
Baup is keen to retain the nucleus of the side that secured second place in Ligue 1
last term, but Labrune is willing to part company with Ayew.
"Ayew has informed me of his intentions," Labrune told Le Parisien.
"If an offer from a big club comes in and we like it, I will investigate it.
"But we’re not at that stage at all yet."
Ayew made 45 appearances for Marseille last season, scoring 12 goals.

I AM 80% FIT- WILSHERE

Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere is
aiming to step up his pre-season
preparations after revealing he is 80 per
cent fit.
The 21-year-old saw another campaign
plagued by injury last term as he made
20 Premier League starts before
undergoing minor ankle surgery in May
to remove a pin inserted during
previous surgery.
However, Wilshere's build-up to the new season is proving much more positive,
having featured in three of the matches on the club's recent tour of Asia, and he is
pleased with how he is progressing.
"I felt better and better every game. It's difficult with the conditions. You struggle to
catch your breath," he told the club's official website.
"The performances have got better every game and the opposition have got harder
every game so it's good preparation.
"We've got the Emirates Cup coming up now and then Man City (in Helsinki) and then
the season starts so we're going to be flying.
"I'm probably 80% fit. We've got a couple more tests and then we'll be ready."
The England international will hope to feature heavily in this weekend's Emirates Cup,
which returns after a year out due to the Olympics, and will see the London club take
on Napoli and Galatasaray.
FC Porto will also take part in the annual tournament that is held at Arsenal's 60,432
capacity stadium and brings in over 100,000 people over the course of the two-day
event.
Arsenal, who have won the competition three times previously, will open the
competition against Serie A side Napoli on Saturday, who may showcase new signing
Gonzalo Higuain, a player the former Premier League champions reportedly had an
interest in before he moved to Italy from Real Madrid.

TOUGHER PUNISHMENTS NEEDED FOR RACIST OFFENDERS

Kick It Out trustee Leroy Rosenior has
called on the Football Association to
hand out a minimum 10-game
suspension for racist abuse.
In recent seasons, John Terry and Luis
Suarez have both been involved in
high-profile cases of racial abuse but
received different punishments.
The FA handed Liverpool striker Suarez an eight-game ban for comments directed at
Manchester United's Patrice Evra in October 2011, while Chelsea captain Terry served
a four-game suspension for language aimed towards Queens Park Rangers' Anton
Ferdinand weeks later.
Rosenior believes these punishments did not send the right message and has urged
the governing body to establish a set ban for players found guilty of racist abuse to
act as a real deterrent.
"If someone is found guilty of racist abuse then the minimum is a 10-game ban - that
will send a message out to people that it is unacceptable," he told The Daily
Telegraph. "10 games is the appropriate starting point for this sort of behaviour. Four
games is not enough."
The 48-year-old also called on the FA to deal with the cases quicker to avoid them
spiralling out of control.
"Let’s be quick, investigate properly, get the facts right. If found guilty, punish them,
send out a message, educate them," he continued. "The problem with the Terry and
Suarez incidents it that they weren’t dealt with appropriately from the outset so it
snowballed and they became these massive baddies."

BARTON KEEN ON EVERTON MOVE

Everton manager Roberto Martinez has
been approached over the possibility of
signing Joey Barton by the QPR
midfielder’s agent.
The 30-year-old spent last season on
loan at Marseille and has made no
secret of his desire to leave QPR
following the club’s relegation from the
Premier League.
A return to the south of France to re-join Marseille on a permanent basis has been
mooted in the media, but Willie McKay, Barton's representative, has now revealed he
would be keen on a move to Goodison Park.
According to McKay, Barton would take a pay cut to link up with the club he
supported as a boy growing up on Merseyside.
"I spoke to Roberto to see if he would be interested in taking Joey," McKay told The
Daily Mail.
"I told him that Joey would love to join Everton and that they are the only club he is
willing to lose money to play for."
Barton's often controversial career has also so far included spells at Manchester City
and Newcastle United.
Martinez has been particularly active in the transfer window since being announced
as David Moyes' successor, signing Arouna Kone and Antolin Alcaraz from his former
club Wigan Athletic, while Gerard Deulofeu has arrived from Barcelona on a season-
long loan.

KLOPP UPSET AT GUNDOGAN INJURY

Borussia Dortmund midfielder Ilkay
Gundogan may miss his club's DFB
Pokal match on Saturday due to an
ankle injury.
Gundogan was subbed off just before
half-time in his team's 3-0 friendly win
over fourth-tier side Kickers Wuerzburg
on Tuesday and Dortmund coach
Juergen Klopp confirmed after the match
the 22-year-old midfielder might miss
the cup clash with Wilhelmshaven.
The match with fourth-tier Wilhelmshaven will be Dortmund's second competitive
fixture of the season, following their 4-2 win over Bayern Munich in the Super Cup
last week.
Klopp conceded after the win over Wuerzburg that he was disappointed Gundogan
had gotten injured after warning his players to take it easy during the friendly.
"We shouldn't act like we are fighting for the World Cup every day," Klopp said.
"Today it was important to move around, try out stuff and not get any injuries.
"It didn't turn out totally as we planned because Ilkay Gundogan is slightly injured.
"What counts is the match on Saturday in the first round of the DFB Pokal."

BALE NOT VERY EXPENSIVE- RAMOS

Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos
claims Tottenham winger Gareth Bale is
"not very expensive" to sign.
The Spanish giants have made no secret
of their desire to sign Bale and some
media reports claim Real are rumoured
to be preparing a bid in the region of
£100 million for the Welshman.
That figure would break the world record for a transfer fee – which Real currently
hold after splashing out £80 million on Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009 – but Ramos
believes the move would be worth it.
The 27-year-old is aware of the need for the club to sign young Spanish players, but
says they can make an exception for a player of Bale's obvious talent.
"The price of players is determined by the market. He's not very expensive from my
point of view," Ramos told Real Madrid's official website.
"It's important that there are young, national players on this squad because a
national core is very important.
"But from there it's wonderful to have great players. It's a good philosophy and a
good project.
"The president (Florentino Perez) and (Carlo) Ancelotti will decide if he needs to
come here."
Ramos says spirits in the squad are high after the arrival of Ancelotti, and that
competition for places is high.
Everyone is out to prove themselves to the new coach, according to Ramos, and he
sees that as a good thing.
"Everything settles down when a new coach arrives, but also you can see each
player's desire and effort," he said.
"We can convey calm, but the uncertainty created from wanting a spot on the squad
is palpable. Your motivation encourages you to keep working and growing.
"You should never lose your motivation, because you'll have a problem the day you
do."

SHARKS FC WIN BOOST TABLE STANDINGS

Sharks midfielder, Chiamaka Madu, has expressed satisfaction with his team's
progress after their latest victory over Kaduna United moved them off the foot of
the premier league table.
The result lifted Sharks to 19th place above Wikki Tourists, and they now have
the same number of points as Lobi Stars, who are a place above them.
Madu believes it is a reward for their improved form after a poor start to the season, but now
wants the team to push on and build momentum.
He told supersport.com: "We are all happy that we are finally off the bottom of the log.
"The players are happy because they know the effort they have been putting in for some time,
and our movement off the bottom spot is a sign of improvement.
"The improvement would be gradual and the next step is to move out of the relegation zone.
"We have nothing to lose and we'll be gunning for the maximum points irrespective of the
opposition and venue of our matches.
"We have improved a lot as a team since those early days when we threw away careless
points."
Madu reckons that following their elimination from the Federation Cup, they are now focused
firmly on securing their place in the premiership.
"It is rather unfortunate that we lost to Heartland on penalties, because we wanted to
compensate our fans with the Federation Cup for enduring so much," he said.

ULI HOENESS CHARGED WITH TAX EVASION

German prosecutors have charged
Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness
with tax evasion.
The charges reportedly relate to a Swiss
bank account that Hoeness declared in
January this year.
The account was previously undeclared
and reports emanating from Germany
allege that the 61-year-old failed to pay capital gains tax.
"The Munich II prosecutor's office has completed the investigation and has filed
charges with the respective court," the Munich regional court said in a statement
released to the media on Tuesday.
Hoeness now reportedly has one month to respond to the charges before a decision
is made on whether the case should go to trial.
The news comes after a lengthy inquiry by German prosecutors.
Hoeness offered to walk away from his position with Bayern in May while the inquiry
was ongoing, but the UEFA Champions League winners refused to accept his
resignation and have stood by the former West Germany international.
The case has created plenty of headlines in Germany, with chancellor Angela Merkel
quoted as being "disappointed" with Hoeness' alleged conduct.

MOU EXPECTS DROGBA RETURN

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has
revealed that he expects iconic striker
Didier Drogba to one day return to
Stamford Bridge.
The 35-year-old was prolific for the
London side in his eight-year stint,
becoming a club legend with 157 goals
in 341 games.
Drogba memorably scored the goal that forced the 2012 UEFA Champions League final
against Bayern Munich into extra-time before Chelsea won on penalties in what was
his final game for the club, and he is frequently linked with a return to England.
A potential reunion would be welcomed by Mourinho, who signed him in 2004 from
Marseille before the duo helped the club to win successive Premier League titles.
"Drogba is worshipped at this club and this is perfectly normal," he told Portuguese
daily A Bola.
"I think one day he'll return to Chelsea.
"He is a very important player in Chelsea's history and will always be in the memory
of the fans, the management, the owner and his team-mates.
"It is normal that he will have a future at Chelsea. As a coach? I do not know."
The Galatasaray striker has also expressed his admiration for Mourinho and refused
to rule out a return to Chelsea when probed about it in April after training with the
team in December.
For now, though, the Ivory Coast international will continue to ply his trade at
Turkish side Galatasaray, where he netted five goals in 13 Super Lig appearances last
season.

KOMPANY PLEASED WITH PELLEGRINI IMPROVEMENTS

Manchester City captain Vincent
Kompany has hailed the influence of
new manager Manuel Pellegrini ahead of
the new season.
Pellegrini, who was appointed on June
14, secured his first piece of silverware
following City's 1-0 win over
Sunderland in the Asia Trophy final on
Saturday.
Stevan Jovetic, Alvaro Negredo, Fernandinho and Jesus Navas have all moved to
Eastlands in the close-season as City ready themselves to try to claim back the
Premier League title from rivals Manchester United.
And Kompany, 27, is excited by Pellegrini's "vision" for the club.
"We’ve had a lot of good things in our team. Our organisation and discipline has
been really good," Kompany told The Manchester Evening News.
"(Pellegrini) has got his own vision and I think like every big manager he's got a
strong vision about how the team needs to play.
"I think what he’s trying to do is add on to what we have already and just make sure
that those little points that we could improve we do improve, maybe recovering the
ball quicker and being more dynamic."
The Belgium international has been at City since 2008 after being recruited by then-
manager Mark Hughes and played a key part as the club won their first title since
1968 in 2012.
Having finished 11 points behind champions United last season, Kompany is
relishing the start of the upcoming campaign on August 19 against Newcastle United.
"When you finish second and everyone’s disappointed. That’s a good thing because a
few years ago people might have been happy with that," he added.
"I think this squad is just as strong, if not stronger, than the squad that gave us the
league title."

COLE TIPS CARROLL ENGLAND CALL UP

West Ham midfielder Joe Cole believes
team-mate Andy Carroll is good enough
to force his way back into the England
national side.
The 24-year-old striker, capped nine
times for England, completed his
permanent transfer to Upton Park from
Liverpool in June after a successful loan
spell last season.
Cole, who also played with Carroll at Anfield, believes the former Newcastle United
forward has made vast improvements since making the switch from Liverpool,
likening him to Didier Drogba.
"I've played with Andy at Liverpool and West Ham and the player who is playing for
West Ham is full of confidence, strong, aggress and you can see what a great player
he is," Cole told the club's official website.
"He had a difficult time at Liverpool, but the West Ham Andy Carroll is a real handful
and a top player. He'll be looking at getting in the England squad and he can be
anything he wants to be.

CISSE EAGER TO RETURN TO ACTION

Papiss Cisse is itching to make his first
pre-season appearance for Newcastle
United on Tuesday.
Alan Pardew's side travel to St Mirren
as they continue their preparations for
the new Premier League campaign.
Senegal international Cisse has been
unavailable for warm-up games after a
stand-off with the club over his refusal to wear kit featuring the club's sponsor, loan
company Wonga.
But the dispute has been settled and the 28-year-old is focusing purely on the
upcoming season.
"It has been a very difficult time for me and the club, and also for the fans," he told
the club's official website.
"I have had some useful discussions with my club, my family and Islamic teachers in
the last few weeks. After a huge amount of thought and reflection I have made the
decision to follow my team-mates and wear the kit.
"Now I think it is important for the team and the fans that we concentrate 100 per
cent on football.

ASPAS WILLING TO WORK HARD

Liverpool new-boy Iago Aspas believes
the club's gruelling pre-season
schedule has prepared him for the
battle to earn a starting place.
The Spaniard, who arrived at Anfield
from Celta Vigo in June, has shown
promising form ahead of the new
campaign, scoring three goals in four
warm-up matches.
He now hopes to extend that run into his debut season in England, and is certain
that the intense nature of training with Liverpool will leave him in good stead to
achieve that aim.
"At the beginning it has been a little bit tougher than the sessions in Spain, but we
know there is a little more running involved in this league," he told the club's official
website.
"However, we do a lot of work with the ball and I think in that respect the sessions
are similar to back in Spain. I'm working hard every day to try and earn my place on
the team sheet for the first game.
"From that moment on it's all about doing as well as I can and gaining in confidence
to keep my place in the side."
The 25-year-old also explained that fellow new arrival and compatriot Luis Alberto
has helped him settle on Merseyside, while full-back Jose Enrique has been
providing guidance on and off the pitch.

AL AHLY RUES CAF REJECTION

Al Ahly's CAF Champions League fixture
with South African outfit Orlando Pirates
will go ahead as scheduled.
The Egyptian side had written to the
Confederation of African Football
requesting the postponement of the
match scheduled to take place on
August 4.
An earlier group stage fixture between Al Ahly and Zamalek was successfully
rearranged due to security fears in Cairo.
That match saw a change of venue from Cairo to El Gouna due to unrest in the
Egyptian capital
But CAF have turned down the request for a second postponement.
A statement on the club's website read: "The management received the rejection
letter from CAF on Monday."

DEBUCHY CRAVES MORE ATTACKING OPTIONS AT NEWCASTLE

Newcastle United full-back Mathieu
Debuchy believes the club need to sign
a striker ahead of the new Premier
League season.
The France international joined the St
James' Park outfit during the January
transfer window and was part of a side
that finished in a disappointing 16th
position.
He expects a stronger showing from the team this campaign but would like to see
reinforcements added before their curtain raiser away to Manchester City on August
19.
"I think we have a good team, a team that can win a lot of matches this season,"
Debuchy told The Northern Echo.
"I think we will be stronger than we were last season, although we probably need a
few more players just to make the squad as strong as it can possibly be.
"If we can have one more striker that will probably be better for the team.
"That will help us because we have quite a small squad at the minute. I think it is
important that another striker comes in to help us all out."

FERNEBAHCE INQUIRE ABOUT CARDOZO AVAILABILITY

Turkish Super Lig side Fenerbahce have
confirmed they are looking to strike a
deal for Benfica striker Oscar Cardozo.
The Paraguayan has courted interest
from a number of clubs during the
close-season with Premier League
sides Manchester City and Cardiff City
both having been linked with his
signature.
And via an official statement on the club's website, Fener revealed they are hoping to
sign Cardozo or Spartak Moscow forward Emmanuel Emenike.

RAFA BENITEZ HINTS AT ANOTHER STRIKER COMING IN

Napoli boss Rafa Benitez has revealed he is looking to sign
another striker during the summer transfer window.
The Partenopei have already moved quickly to bolster their
attacking options following the sale of Edinson Cavani to
Paris Saint-Germain, with Dries Mertens, Jose Callejon and
Gonzalo Higuain all moving to San Paolo for a combined fee
of more than 56 million euros.
Napoli has also been linked with a move for Porto striker
Jackson Martinez, and Benitez is keen to add another name
to his strike force in order for his side to challenge both
domestically and in the Champions League.
"I want a striker at Higuain's level to be competitive in the
league and the Champions League. Last year, Napoli had 14
alternatives. Three are gone, so there is a need for more reinforcements," he was quoted as
saying by Repubblica .
Napoli beat Galatasaray 3-1 in a friendly on Monday and Benitez was pleased with his side's
display in difficult weather conditions.
"It was not easy to play in this heat, but we were the protagonists. Of course, we can and
definitely will improve," he added.

MOURINHO TARGETS FORMER BOY KHEDIRA

Jose Mourinho has lined up a raid on Real Madrid for German midfielder Sami Khedira.
The defensive midfielder is likely to be surplus to requirements at the Bernabeu following the
signing of Asier Illarramendi from Real Sociedad for £34million.
Mourinho is desperate to strengthen his midfield and although he fell out with large sections
of the Real Madrid dressing room he maintained a good relationship with 26-year-old Khedira.
Mourinho wants a busy midfield general to add to his squad and Real Madrid want around
£20m for the German who Chelsea are believed to be ready to pay around £4m-a-year.
Chelsea had looked at Daniele De Rossi but Fiorentina are also keen on the Roma midfielder.

VALENCIA TARGETING LIL' PEA

David Moyes has been hit with a double transfer headache.
Chelsea are in pole position to sign Wayne Rooney and now Valencia are chasing another
Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez.
But while United insist Rooney is going nowhere, Chelsea believe they must simply wait for
David Moyes to find a replacement before a deal is done.
Valencia are looking at replacements for Tottenham target Roberto Soldado and Hernandez is
top of their hit-list as the Mexican striker wants more regular opportunities as a first choice.
United will try to convince Hernandez to stay but Valencia might appeal as it would give him
more games and the Spanish club want to do a cut-price deal after agreeing a £25million deal
with Spurs for Soldado.

TOUGH START FOR JUVE

Italian champions Juventus face a tough
start to the season with the Serie A
fixtures for the upcoming campaign
having been released.
Juventus' title defence will begin with a
trip to the only side that beat them
twice last season, Sampdoria, before
hosting Lazio, followed by a potentially
tricky away contest against Walter
Mazzari's Inter Milan.
The Turin-based club's CEO Guiseppe Marotta has claimed Juventus were always
going to be given a tough start to the season after winning back-to-back Serie A
titles.
"Surely this is the hardest start of the season in the past three years," Marotta said.
"But this happens when we are the club to beat as we have won two titles in a row.
"Realistically, we take it positively and immediately facing such threats will let us
understand who we are this season."
After winning the past two titles in Italy's top tier, Juventus have further
strengthened their attacking reserves with Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente
joining the club.

CASILLAS READY TO BATTLE LOPEZ FOR NO1 SPOT

Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas
says he has returned to training with
added enthusiasm as he looks to regain
his starting berth.
The Spain international endured a
nightmare second half to the 2012-13
campaign, failing to start a game from
February onwards after being relegated
to the bench by then-coach Jose
Mourinho.
The pair reportedly shared a fractious relationship during Mourinho's time at the
club, which further soured when Casillas failed to oust Diego Lopez from the first
team following his recovery from a hand injury.
But with the arrival of new manager Carlo Ancelotti offering the 32-year-old a chance
to return to first-team action, he has underlined his desire to work hard than ever to
make sure that is the case.
"I would love to be a starter again. I work and compete for it, even though my team-
mates do the same," he said. "Everybody starts from scratch, but I have much more
enthusiasm to get there than before.
"I know that my team-mates are going to make it difficult. I am going to work to get
into Carlo's team. There is a lot of competition but I am going to work, to fight and
struggle, like I have done all my life, with the idea of regaining my place.

MICHU RELISHES BONY ARRIVAL

Swansea forward Michu believes the
signing of Wilfried Bony will improve his
own game.
The Spaniard was utilised as the club's
main striker in many games last year as
he scored 18 Premier League goals in
his debut season.
But the 27-year-old prefers to play in a
support role and feels the Ivory Coast striker's arrival means he can improve his
record this campaign.
"I scored more goals when I played behind a striker last season. It was important for
Swansea to bring in a top striker and Bony is a super player," he said.
"I like that position because I can move around and the centre-backs are looking for
the striker and not me. I can arrive late from the second line and score goals.
"It was important for Swansea to bring in a top striker and Bony is a super player.
We're pleased he has joined and he will try to help us. He has scored a lot of goals
in the past."
The Welsh outfit have also boosted their options with the arrivals of Jonjo Shelvey,
Alejandro Pozuelo and Jose Canas as well as the loan signing of Jonathan de
Guzman for a second season.
And Michu believes the competition is a bonus for the squad and nobody is sure of a
starting berth.
"We will be stronger this season. It's good that the level of the team is going up
because we have a lot of new players," he continued.
"We are really competitive now and it's difficult to start in this team. The squad is
much stronger with the likes of Wilfried, Jonjo, Alejandro and Jose. We have four
competitions this year and it will be a hard season for us.
"We are stronger this year with the new players. No one is guaranteed a place to start
the season. We are all trying to impress the manager and training really hard. That
level is higher now."

ABEL BRAGA SACKED BY FLUMINENSE

Fluminese have announced that head
coach Abel Braga has been dismissed
with immediate effect.
The 60-year-old led the club to the
Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A title in
2012 - his first full season in charge
since taking over from the sacked
Muricy Ramalho.
However, a run of poor results this year have seen Fluminense flirt with the league's
relegation places, while the Rio de Janeiro side have lost their last five outings.
And that dreadful form has prompted club president Peter Siemsen to terminate
Braga's contract.
Braga has enjoyed a lengthy and successful coaching career which has also included
stints in Europe with the likes of Rio Ave and Marseille.
His greatest success arguably came in 2006 when he led Internacional to victory in
the Copa Libertadores and FIFA Club World Cup.
Former Real Madrid boss Vanderlei Luxemburgo is among the names linked with
replacing Braga.
In the meantime, the club's youth coachs are expected to oversee Fluminense's
upcoming meeting with Cruzeiro.

WESTBROM 3 ATROMITOS 1

Nicolas Anelka continued his pre-season scoring run as West Bromwich came from behind to
beat Greek outfit Atromitos at Shrewsbury's Greenhous Meadow ground.
Steve Clarke's side fell behind after 11 minutes to a goal from Thanasis Karagounis, but
second-half strikes from Anelka, 19-year-old Saido Berahino and Markus Rosenberg sealed the
club's fifth warm-up win.

NAPOLI UNVEIL HIGUAIN AND REINA

Arsenal target Gonzalo Higuain was officially unveiled as a Napoli player on Monday
night ahead of the Italian club's friendly against Galatasaray.
The Argentine striker, who was on the verge of joining Arsenal this summer, completed a
£34.5million switch to Rafa Benitez's Napoli from Real Madrid last week.
Pepe Reina, who joined the Italians on loan from Liverpool, was also in attendance and both
are in line to face Arsenal in the Emirates Cup this weekend.
Goals from Goran Pandev, Juan Camilo Zuniga
and Lorenzo Insigne helped Napoli to a 3-1 win
over Galatasaray at San Paolo.
Nordin Amrabat was on target for Galatasaray in
the 57th minute, but the visitors finished with
nine men after Dany Nounkeu and Fernando
Muslera both saw red in injury time.
Neither Reina or Higuain played a part in the
friendly on Monday night.
A minute's silence was held before the match
after a bus crash in nearby Irpinia on Sunday left
at least 39 people dead.
Galatasaray, like Napoli, will travel to London this
weekend to compete in the Emirates Cup
alongside Arsenal and Porto.
Napoli begin their Serie A campaign at home to
Bologna after the fixtures for the new Italian
season were announced.

TOTTENHAM RAISE THE STAKES ON BALE SALE

Marca journalist Miguel Serrano believes
Real Madrid will part with a world
record fee to secure Tottenham attacker
Gareth Bale.
The Spanish giants spent €96million in
enticing former Manchester United
superstar Cristiano Ronaldo from
Manchester United in June 2009 and
Serrano thinks Real's president
Florentino Perez could break the
€100m-mark to purchase Bale from Tottenham.
Marca is widely regarded as the voice of Real with the Madrid-based newspaper
regularly writing articles in support of the capital club.
"I believe that Florentino Perez is prepared to pay what it takes but there are some
figures that are unattainable," Serrano said on Monday.
"He is not going to double that amount (paid for Ronaldo) or even go as far as €150m
but €100m Florentino would be more than willing to pay."
The rumoured figure would make Bale the world's most expensive footballer and
would be a welcome boost to Madrid after rivals Barcelona spent €50m to bring
Brazilian star Neymar to the Nou Camp.
"There's no doubt the pressure Florentino Perez is under is enormous," Serrano said.
"Barcelona blew the transfer market open by signing Neymar, a player Madrid was
also trying to sign, so Real Madrid were left with no other options other than signing
Bale.
"They have to buy the best player available who doesn't play for either Real Madrid
or Barcelona, and at the moment that is Gareth Bale."
While Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is very reluctant to sell the Welsh star, Bale's
representatives have reportedly asked the English Premier League club to let the 24-
year-old leave, although the pressure is still on Real to make an offer that cannot be
refused.

ROONEY FUTURE TOP AGENDA FOR MOYES

Manchester United manager David Moyes is returning to England to prepare for showdown
talks with Wayne Rooney.
The two men have not spoken since Moyes infuriated Rooney by suggesting that he wanted to
keep the unsettled England striker at Old Trafford as back-up for Robin van Persie.
The 27-year-old is said to be as determined as ever to leave Old Trafford and will make his
feelings known to the manager when they meet.

Moyes and the rest of his squad landed in Manchester early on Tuesday morning from Hong
Kong after completing the club's tour of Australia and the Far East, having not seen Rooney for
almost three weeks since he left the training camp in Bangkok with a hamstring injury.
The player is expected to return to action in United's friendly against AIK in Stockholm next
week having resumed light training at Carrington.
Rooney was pictured with his family on a beach in Portugal over the weekend although it is
understood that he had the club's permission to take a short break.
Moyes revealed after United's 5-2 win over Kitchee FC in Hong Kong that there has been no
more contact with Chelsea over Rooney since United rejected a £20million bid earlier this
month.
'I couldn't give you any more update than I've said before,' added the new United boss.

J- LEAGUE PREVIEW

J.League leaders Sanfrecce Hiroshima host second-place Omiya Ardija on Wednesday, one game after replacing them at the top of the table.

The two sides are separated by just goal difference at the top of the table at the halfway stage of the season, however in their previous meeting in the league, Omiya ran out 2-1 winners.

Omiya have lost their last two games, allowing Sanfrecce to reel them in and their hopes of regaining top spot will not be boosted by a failure to win in Hiroshima since 2010.

Yokohama F Marinos have also kept themselves in contention with back-to-back victories and now find themselves two points behind the leaders in third place.

They welcome mid-table side Kashiwa Reysol, a side they lost 2-1 to earlier this season.

Urawa Reds know that a victory over third-bottom Jubilo Iwata could help them close the gap on the top three, however no wins in their last three games will give the visitors hope of an unlikely victory.

Having moved into fifth place with a win over Sagan Tosu a fortnight ago, Cerezo Osaka travel to Albirex Niigata, keen to maintain their lead over Kashima Antlers.

Second-bottom Shonan Bellmare travel to Kawasaki Frontale aiming to get out of the bottom three with a victory.

Shonan have only won three of their last 10 matches, but did taste victory in their last away trip to Ventforet Kofu.

Bottom-of-the-table Oita Trinita travel to Sagan Tosu, desperate to record their second victory of the season. The two sides last met in May when Oita triumphed 3-2 in a J.League Cup tie thanks to a Takuya Marutani second half hat-trick.

After two consecutive wins, Nagoya Grampus will be aiming to maintain their form as they welcome sixth-placed Kashima Antlers.

Elsewhere on Wednesday, Ventforet Kofu and Vegalta Sendai meet in a mid-table clash, while Shimizu S-Pulse will be hoping to close the gap on Tokyo in eighth place with a home win.

BENZEMA HAILS ANCELOTTI

Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has lauded new manager Carlo Ancelotti for making beneficial changes to the team's tactical set-up.

The Italian boss is overseeing his first pre-season campaign since succeeding Jose Mourinho in the Santiago Bernabeu hotseat, having departed from Paris Saint-Germain to take charge.

And Benzema, who featured in the 2-2 friendly draw with his former club Lyon on Wednesday, believes the 54-year-old is already having a positive influence on the Real squad.

He told beIN Sport: "Ancelotti changed the tactics and that is good for the team. We have a good manager, that is close to us.

"Little by little we are getting stronger, even though we are still in pre-season. Now we are in difficult stage because we are combining matches with loaded training sessions but gradually we are taking off."

Benzema made 19 starts in the Spanish top flight last term and scored 11 goals as Real finished second to champions Barcelona.

Real will hope to go one better in 2013-14 under Ancelotti, who has top-flight titles in England, Italy and France to his name as manager.

MILAN AND INTER IN SILVESTRE MOVE

Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has revealed talks have taken place in a bid to sign Inter defender Matias Silvestre.

The 28-year-old made 20 appearances during his first full season at Inter, following a move from Palermo, and Galliani has confirmed that discussions are ongoing.

With Daniele Bonera having fractured his kneecap on Saturday in the International Champions Cup win over Valencia, Galliani has spoken with Inter officials in an attempt to agree a deal for Silvestre.

"We're in talks with Inter for Silvestre. Now I will meet with the Inter directors to find an agreement," said Galliani.

"We still haven't agreed upon what kind of deal it will be for Silvestre."

Brazilian forward Robinho was another Milan player forced off during the clash at the Estadio Mestalla.

Milan hope to have the 29-year-old back in time for the UEFA Champions League play-offs, which get under way on August 20 and 21.

Galliani also confirmed M’Baye Niang would not leave San Siro before the club make their bow in this year's competition.

"We're counting on having Robinho ready for the Champions League play-offs," he continued.

"If Niang leaves Milan then it won't be before the Champions League play-offs."

BENITEZ DIES

Ecuador international Christian Benitez has died at the age of 27 after suffering a heart attack.

The former Santos Laguna forward made his debut for Qatar Stars League outfit El Jaish on Sunday, featuring in their 2-0 victory over Qatar SC in the Sheikh Jassem Cup.

But, after being rushed to hospital suffering from severe stomach pain on Monday, he suffered a cardiac arrest which ultimately ended his life.

A statement from the Ecuadorian Football Federation (FEF) read: "The FEF extends its heartfelt sympathies to the family, parents, wife, children and friends of Christian Benitez."

Benitez's international team-mate, Manchester United winger Antonio Valencia, took to Twitter in the aftermath of the news breaking to express disbelief.

Attaching a picture of the striker to his tweet, he wrote: "Brother why now. God is with you and your family."

Benitez began his career with El Nacional in his native Ecuador, before enjoying a spell in Mexico with Santos Laguna and a season-long stint in the Premier League with Birmingham City.

He scored 24 goals in 58 appearances for his country during a distinguished international career.

MLS ALL STARS TAKE ON AS ROMA LATER TODAY

Roma star Francesco Totti is expecting a testing encounter when his side take on the MLS All-Stars on Wednesday.

The Major League Soccer all-star team have faced British opposition in their last eight mid-season outings, and beat European champions Chelsea 3-2 in last year's fixture courtesy of a 91st-minute winner by Eddie Johnson.

Roma are now set to become the first Italian side to take part in the showpiece, but Totti does not expect to be given an easy ride as a result.

"I believe that going up against a team that has players like (Thierry) Henry, (Tim) Cahill, Robbie Keane or my good friend (Marco) Di Vaio will make the game much more than a simple preseason test for us," he told FutbolMLS.com.

"The fact that they have beaten (a team like) Chelsea speaks for itself. There will be a lot of quality on the field, so I bet it will be a beautiful encounter in which the big winner is the spectacle."

The game will be hosted at Sporting Park, the home of MLS Eastern Conference leaders Sporting Kansas City, and the franchise will also lend the services of head coach Peter Vermes.

The 46-year-old was forced to make a late change to his squad, however, after Los Angeles Galaxy forward Robbie Keane sustained an injury which will rule him out.

The Irishman's Galaxy team-mate Landon Donovan has replaced him, earning his 13th All-Star inclusion in the process.

Roma's American midfielder Michael Bradley is returning to his homeland for his team's pre-season tour, which also includes games against Toronto FC and Chelsea.

By contrast, Rome-born Montreal Impact striker Di Vaio will come up against Italian opposition for the first time since his move to Canada.

AMAT LOOKING FORWARD TO MALMO

Swansea City defender Jordi Amat believes the UEFA Europa League clash with Malmo will be the biggest game of his career should he feature.

The 21-year-old is likely to play in Thursday's third qualifying round tie, with Chico Flores still recovering from a thigh injury, and Amat feels it is a fixture that represents a personal milestone.

It would be his first competitive fixture for Michael Laudrup's side after joining from Espanyol and the Spaniard is keen to play a part.

"Facing Malmo will be the biggest game of my career so far," he told the club's official website.

"The Europa League is a big competition and this game is very important."

Amat is likely to be paired with Ashley Williams at the centre of Swansea's defence against Malmo, who finished third in last season's Allsvenskan.

The Spain Under-21 international is focussed on keeping Rikard Norling's strikeforce quiet.

"Malmo won 7-0 (against Scottish side Hibernian) last week, so it’s important for us to keep them at zero," Amat continued.

"It’s very good to play alongside Ashley. He’s a very good player and easy to play with.

"He speaks a bit of Spanish and that has helped me. It’s made my life much more easier.

"We have a lot of Spanish players and the relationship is very good. Everyone at the club gets on well together."

Amat played the full 90 minutes in Swansea's 3-0 friendly win over Reading on Saturday as the Welsh side maintained their 100 per cent pre-season record.