Mane ´very happy´ at Liverpool amid Real Madrid links

Lionel Messi already had offers from other clubs after becoming a free agent and Barcelona president Joan Laporta is unwilling to offer false hope of a resolution.

Barca sensationally announced on Thursday their greatest ever player would not be returning to the club.

Messi s contract had expired at the end of last season, but a new deal was anticipated ahead of the new campaign, with an announcement reportedly imminent this week.

The tone of reports in Spain changed on Thursday, however, and Barca soon confirmed they were unable to do a deal due to economic and structural obstacles as any agreement could not fit within LaLiga s salary restrictions.

Laporta faced the media on Friday and, after an opening statement in which he blamed the developments on th…

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has warned that his side still have work to do to reach the 2010 FIFA World Cup, despite a 5-0 win over Belgium which extended their 100 per cent record in Group 5 of European Zone qualifying.

Spain made it seven wins out of seven on the road to South Africa 2010 after thrashing Belgium in La Coruna on Saturday 5 September. However, they are still not assured of a place at next year s finals given that closest challengers Bosnia-Herzegovina are six points behind with three games remaining.

Indeed, the last of those matches has Spain travelling to Bosnia-Herzegovina in the final round of group fixtures, and Del Bosque will be hoping his side have their FIFA World Cup ticket booked well before that game.

It s a pity that after seven…

Brendan Rodgers is eyeing redemption at the Britannia Stadium as Liverpool return to the scene of their shocking 6-1 drubbing on the final day of last season.

Liverpool were taken apart by a rampant Stoke City in May as a campaign that promised much for the 2013-14 runners-up ended in embarrassment.

Much has changed at Anfield since then, with Steven Gerrard and Raheem Sterling leaving and the likes of Christian Benteke, Roberto Firmino and James Milner arriving.

Rodgers has also overhauled his backroom staff over the close-season, and the Northern Irishman believes his new-look team are ready for their trip to the Britannia after their mauling in May.

We ll certainly be better than we were last year that s for sure, Rodgers said on Friday.

…

Sir Alex Ferguson believes he can get at least another two years of five-star service from Ryan Giggs.

The evergreen Welshman, who scored his 100th Premier League goal in Manchester United s 4-1 win at Portsmouth, turned 36 on Sunday and is currently playing some of the best football of his career.

Wayne Rooney s first hat-trick for United since October 2006 laid the foundations for the champions victory at Fratton Park but the artistry of Giggs, who curled in a late free-kick, was every bit as significant.

Happy Birthday Ryan, Ferguson said. He has had it 36 times in his life, wait until he gets to 67 I think he will be retired by then!

He is an exceptional player a rarity. He will play for two years yet.

Portsmouth put up a spirited perform…

Mexico face Costa Rica in the semi finals of the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup following a convincing 4-0 win over Haiti in the quarters.

The opening goal came on 23 minutes. Israel Castro had a penalty saved my keeper zephirin but Miguel Sabah smashed it home on the rebound.

A powerful shot from Giovanni Dos Santos made it 2-0 with three minutes left in the first half and the Barcelona player delivered a corner that allowed Sabah to head home a third in minute 63.

The fourth and final goal came after another corner from Dos Santos, with substitute forward Pablo Barrera volleying home from the edge of the penalty area.

Another highlight in this game was the amount of spectators that found their way to Arlington s Cowboys Stadium, with no less than 81,000 fans w…

Liverpool defender Joe Gomez is in line to make his first appearance for 14 months when his side take on Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup.

Manager Jurgen Klopp confirmed Sunday s third-round match at Anfield will likely see the 19-year-old play for the first time since October 2015, when he suffered a serious ACL injury.

Gomez sustained the injury playing for the England Under-21 team in his first season at the club following a £3.5million move from Charlton Athletic.

It wouldn t be the biggest surprise if he is in the line-up, Klopp said at his pre-match media conference.

Playing for us is the logical next step for him. It is his first game at Anfield for a long time.

Joe is in a good way and really good in training.

“He already had a…

Brighton have sacked head coach Melissa Phillips after a little under 10 months in the role.

Phillips signed a two-year deal upon joining the south coast club last April and helped them avoid relegation from the Women’s Super League in her first few months in charge.

But despite a decent outlay in the summer, which included the signings of Maria Thorisdottir, Vicky Losada and Pauline Bremer, results have not been what the Brighton hierarchy anticipated this term.

Melissa Phillips has left her position as women s head coach with immediate effect.

Mikey Harris, supported by Owen Fisher, will take interim charge for the foreseeable future, supported by the current women’s first-team technical staff.

— Brighton Hove Albion Women (@BHAFCWomen)

Atletico Madrid were held to a surprise 0-0 draw by a spirited Astana side in Tuesday s Champions League clash at the Astana Arena.

Diego Simeone s side held top spot heading into Group C s early kick-off and could have pulled three points ahead of Benfica with victory in Kazakhstan.

Koke struck the woodwork once in each half but Atletico toiled too often in possession against a well-disciplined home side.

Fernando Torres chasing his 100th Atleti goal also spurned a good chance and Antoine Griezmann came close in the second half, but Astana held on for a famous point which keeps alive their hopes of at least battling for a Europa League spot by finishing third.

Astana, in their maiden Champions League campaign, now have two points from their four matc…

Andy Robertson hopes the fallen Premier League champions can show the Liverpool of old and salvage their campaign in the remaining two months of the season.

The Reds ended a 30-year wait for title success last season and were top of the pile again at Christmas, but they have slipped to seventh 25 points off leaders Manchester City after a run of four wins in 15 games since then.

That includes an ongoing unwanted club record six home league defeats in a row, and eight without a win at Anfield, to leave the Merseyside outfit in a battle to make up a five-point gap on the top four with nine matches remaining.

However, Liverpool have a Champions League quarter-final with Real Madrid to look forward to after seeing off RB Leipzig in the last 16, which they followed u…

Fiorentina have reached an agreement to sign Croatian forward Ante Rebic from RNK Split, .

Viola have been keeping close tabs on the player for a while and decided to act after it became clear that Adem Ljajic would be leaving the club.

Fiorentina have agreed to pay €4.5 million plus 20% of future sale for the player who would be earning €600,000 per campaign at Artemio Franchi.

However, it may be important to note that the transfer will only go through if Adem Ljajic indeed leaves the club.

Ante Rebic, 19, already has some top flight experience, having made no less than 54 league appearances for RNK Split, scoring 17 goals in the process.

The talented forward further improved his reputation with some excellent showings for Croatia at the Und…