FIFA presidential election date confirmed

FIFA's presidential elections will go ahead as planned on February 26 next year, the governing body's executive committee has confirmed.

The provisional 90-day suspension levelled at incumbent Sepp Blatter - as well as secretary general Jerome Valcke - as part of FIFA's anti-corruption investigations had led to calls for the elections to be brought forward or suspended.

Following an extraordinary meeting of the executive committee on Tuesday, however, FIFA has announced the extraordinary elective congress will be held on the original date at the end of February 2016.

Champions league previews...

BATE BORISOV VS BARCELONA
BATE : Chernik; Olekhnovich, Polyakov, Milunović, Mladenović; Aleksievich, Nikolić, A Volodko, Stasevich; Gordeichuk, Signevich.
Out: Rodionov (knee), Zhavnerchik (foot), Hleb (hip), Dubra (hip)

BARCELONA :Bravo; Alves, Piqué, Mascherano, Jordi Alba; Busquets, Rakitić, Sergi Roberto; Neymar, Luis Suárez, Sandro.
Out: Iniesta (hamstring), Messi (knee), Rafinha (knee)

BAYERN LEVERKUSEN VS ROMA
LEVERKUSEN:  Leno; Donati, Tah, Papadopoulos, Wendell; Kramer, Toprak; Bellarabi, Çalhanoğlu, Mehmedi; Hernández.
Out: Hilbert (knee), Aránguiz (achilles), Ryu (ankle)
Doubtful: Bender (foot), Kiessling (groin)

ROMA: Szczęsny; Torosidis, Manolas, Castán, Digne; De Rossi, Pjanić, Nainggolan; Florenzi, Džeko, Salah.
Out: Keita (thigh), Totti (thigh)

 ARSENAL VS BAYERN MUNCHEN
 ARSENAL:
: Cech; Monreal, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Bellerín; Coquelin, Cazorla; Ramsey, Özil, Sánchez; Walcott.
Out: Ospina (shoulder)

BAYERN  : Neuer; Rafinha, Boateng, Martínez, Alaba; Alonso, Thiago Alcántara, Lahm, Müller, Costa; Lewandowski.
Out: Benatia (thigh), Badstuber (thigh), Götze (thigh), Ribéry (ankle), Robben (thigh)


 DINAMO ZAGREB VS OLYMPIACOS 
Dinamo zagreb:
Eduardo; Pinto, Benković, Taravel, Pivarić; Soudani, Gonçalo Santos, Machado, Antolić, Fernandes; Pjaca.
Out: Schildenfeld (thigh), Pavičić (metatarsal), Ademi (suspended)
Doubtful: Leonardo Sigali (ligaments)

Olympiacos : Roberto; Elabdellaoui, Botía, Siovas, Salino; Milivojević, Kasami; Pardo, Fortounis, Sebá; Ideye.
Out: Bouchalakis (thigh), Maniatis (knee), Cambiasso (calf)


PORTO VS MACCABI TEL-AVIV 
PORTO:  Casillas; Maxi Pereira, Marcano, Martins Indi, Layún; Rúben Neves, Imbula, André André, Brahimi; Corona, Aboubakar.
Out: Maicon (thigh)
Doubtful: Marcano (ankle)

MACCABI :
 Rajković; Dasa, Ben Haim I, Tibi, Rikan; Vermouth, Alberman, Mitrović, Peretz, Zahavi; Ben Basat.
Out: Igiebor (knee)
Doubtful: Radonjić (knee)


DYNAMO KYIV VS CHELSEA 
DYNAMO KYIV:Shovkovskiy; Danilo Silva, Dragovic, Khacheridi, Antunes; Veloso, Sydorchuk, Garmash, González, Yarmolenko; Júnior Moraes.
Doubtful: Rybalka (thigh)

CHELSEA: 
 Begović; Azpilicueta, Terry, Cahill, Baba; Matić, Ramires; Willian, Fàbregas, Hazard; Costa.
Out: Ivanović (hamstring), Courtois (knee)

ZENIT VS LYON 
ZENIT:  Kerzhakov; Anyukov, Garay, Lombaerts, Neto; Javi García, Witsel, Shatov, Danny; Hulk, Dzyuba.
Out: Smolnikov (adductor), Fayzulin (knee)
Doubtful: Criscito (foot)

LYON: Lopes; Jallet, Yanga-Mbiwa, Umtiti, Rafael; Darder, Gonalons, Valbuena, Tolisso; Beauvue, Lacazette.
Out: Bedimo (thigh), Fekir (knee), Fofana (ankle), Grenier (thigh), Kalulu (ankle), Biševac (thigh)
Doubtful: Morel (back)


VALENCIA VS GENT 
VALENCIA:  Doménech; Cancelo, Santos, Mustafi, Gayà; Fuego, Parejo, Gomes, Feghouli; Piatti, Alcácer.
Out: Abdennour (hamstring), Ryan (knee), Diego Alves (knee), Negredo (rested), De Paul (rested), Vezo (rested)

GENT: Sels; Asare, Johansson, Mitrović, Nielsen; Neto, Kums; Simon, Milicevic, Matton; Depoitre.
Doubtful: Simon (illness)
Out: Gershon (knee), Arias (suspended)

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES FOR 20TH OCTOBER 2015

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE MATCH DAY 3 FIXTURES

BATE BORISOV VS BARCELONA
BAYERN LEVERKUSEN  VS ROMA
ARSENAL VS BAYERN MUNCHEN
DINAMO ZAGREB VS OLYMPIAKOS
PORTO VS MACCABI TEL-AVIV
DYNAMO KYIV VS CHELSEA
ZENIT VS LYON
VALENCIA

All the matches are scheduled for 7:45pm

Emmanuel Emenike announces international retirement

forward Emmanuel Emenike has announced his retirement from international football at the age of 28, becoming the second player after Vincent Enyeama to sign out of the senior national team.
The Al Ain player who was top scorer at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa took the decision for peace to reign in the Super Eagles where he felt should not be a ‘family house’ or a ‘threat zone’ to any individual.
Reports had suggested that Emenike might be kicked out of the Super Eagles setup no thanks to his poor form for the country. He had struggled for goals since finding the back of the net against Ethiopia in Addis Ababa during the 2014 Fifa World Cup play-off in October 2013.
This might have forced him out of the team, bringing an end to a Nigeria career that saw him play in one World Cup and one Africa Cup of Nations where his four goals handed the Super Eagles their third title as well as the topscorer’s award.
He wrote on Instagram: “No more Eagles career! After five great years, I am happy to announce that I have put full-stop to my national team career for the sake of national peace.”
“It’s a pleasure for me to have played for this great country. I never regretted it and I think it’s the best time to end it. Million thanks to all the fans who have been very supportive during the good and bad times.
“I am very proud of my performance, I am proud of my team mates and I am very proud of the nation called ‘Nigeria’. My Afcon gold medal is a sign of great achievement, My Afcon topscorer award speaks a lot about my commitment and dedication to the team. Super Eagles is a camp not a family house, and it shouldn’t be a threat zone for any individual.
“I have done according to our national anthem. All my dreams came true in the national team, I dreamt (sic) to win Nations Cup for Nigeria after 20-years, I dreamt (sic) to played at the World Cup as well as to make a name for myself… In the space of five years, I got them. I’m a winner!
“For every disappointing fans, maybe due to my inability to re-establish my goal scoring instinct for Super Eagles, I will like to say I’m sorry but the ones I had scored counted well for the team.
”As long as Nigeria remains, you and I will always remember the name ‘Emenike’. “Finally, I am happy to make a bow and continue supporting the team every time,” he concluded.
Emenike will be fondly remembered for his rib cracking missile against Cote d’Ivoire in the quarter final of the 2013 Afcon where the Eagles soared 2-1 at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg.

Mourinho: I laid foundations for Real Madrid's La Decima

Jose mourinho claims he laid the foundations for Real Madrid's historic Champions League triumph in 2014, the year after he departed the Spanish capital.

The Portuguese left Real in the summer of 2013 after guiding Los Blancos to three consecutive Champions League semi-finals, only for his successor Carlo Ancelotti to go one better and win La Decima - Real's tenth European Cup crown.

The Chelsea boss, who won the competition with both Porto and Inter, claims he was responsible for positive "change" at the Santiago Bernabeu but admitted he thought he would win the Champions League for a third time with Real.

"When I arrived at Real Madrid they hadn't reached the quarter-finals for almost a decade and when we got Lyon in the last 16, the club was in panic," the 52-year-old told UEFA.com.

"We went through that barrier and the club changed, the players changed. We thought we would win the competition. But in three consecutive years we reached the semi-finals, and for different reasons we didn't manage to reach the final."

Despite his failure to win the competition with Real, Mourinho said he was happy with Ancelotti's feat.

He added: "The one that was really difficult was the one we lost on penalties [to Bayern]. It was a big disappointment, but when Real Madrid won it in 2014 the club deserved it. The club deserved it totally, and I was happy."

SATURDAY BETTING TIPS

bournemouth vs watford = 1x
manchester city vs newscatle = 1
sunderland vs westham = over 1.5goals
wycombe vs northamptom = under 2.5goals
borrusia monchenglabach vs wolfburg = bts
excelsior vs utrecht = bts
brighton vs caddif = 1
derby vs brentford = 1

       ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND.....

Greg Dyke criticises Mourinho over Carneiro

The FA chief says the Blues boss "made a mistake" and adds that although he has not broken any rules he has made an error of judgement in his handling of the saga


Football Association chairman Greg Dyke has criticised Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho and says he should have apologised to Eva Carneiro for his behaviour.

The Blues’ boss has been cleared by the FA of any wrongdoing after he was accused of using abusive language towards Carneiro, the club doctor, during Chelsea's 2-2 draw with Swansea.

Mourinho was angered by Carneiro's treatment of Eden Hazard, which left the Blues temporarily with nine men, and the 42-year-old has subsequently left her job after being downgraded from her role.

Dyke is clearly unimpressed with the Portuguese's behaviour and says he owes Dr Carneiro an apology for his actions.

"I don't think Mr Mourinho comes well out of the whole saga - he clearly made a mistake in the heat of a game, and should have said so and apologised," Dyke said in a letter to FA Council members

"Instead he has said very little and Miss Carneiro has lost her job.

"Our regulatory team have investigated this and whilst Mr Mourinho has breached no rules, it was clearly a failure of his personal judgement and public behaviour."

Van Gaal: I’m a different manager to Wenger and Ferguson

The 64-year-old has reiterated his desire to leave Manchester United when his contract expires in 2017 and says he is a man of his word

Louis van Gaal says he is a different type of manager to Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger as he prepares to take on the Arsenal boss at the Emirates on Sunday.

The Dutch coach arrived at Old Trafford in 2014 but has already insisted he plans to retire from his post when his contract expires in 2017.

Wenger, meanwhile, has been at the helm of the Gunners for 19 years but Van Gaal has reiterated his intention to retire and says he is man of his word.

“I set aims and I was very lucky that clubs or national teams want me," he told reporters. “Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson are other types I think.

“I always want more. I have set my aims always in advance. It’s the same thing as what I’m doing now.

“I shall retire. I always do what I have said. I have always set my own aims and I think that I have set my last aim also.”

Van Gaal’s side head to Arsenal top of the table and three points ahead of the Gunners and the Dutch coach took time to praise one of his key players so far this season, Chris Smalling.

“I think the player, when he does things, he does it all by himself,” he told reporters.

“I help him with advice and also with demands, also with training sessions, also with showing images to improve him, but he has to be open and he has to perform on the pitch. He does everything for himself. The greatest compliment you have to make is to Chris and not to me.”

“Obviously he got the chances because of that but it is always like that. As a player you need vacancies in positions and when it is your position you have more luck. That’s always true in football clubs.

BETTING TIPS FOR THE DAY 23RD SEPTEMBER 2015

Athletic Club  VS Real Madrid = 2

Las parmas VS  Sevilla = 2
Celta Vigo VS Barcelona = BTS

FC Schalke 04 VS Eintracht Frankfurt = 1

1899 Hoffenheim VS Borussia Dortmund = 2

BSC Young BoysVS FC Basel 1893 = BTS

ENJOY

            

Cristiano Ronaldo is Real Madrid's only 'undisputable' player - Rafa Benitez

Rafael Benitez insists Cristiano Ronaldo will continue taking free kicks despite criticism of his scoring record, after Real Madrid's hard-fought win over Granada.


Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is the only "undisputable" player at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, according to coach Rafa Benitez.
Ronaldo, 30, has been Madrid's undeniable attacking leader for each of the last six seasons, but there was a suggestion earlier this season top billing could now be at least shared with €100 million signing Gareth Bale.
This feeling grew through the opening weeks as Bale was moved to a more central attacking role and Ronaldo was scoreless through his first two games, while some local pundits thought Benitez had not adequately recognised the Portugal captain's status in public.

Sir Alex Ferguson approached Pep Guardiola about Man Utd job in 2012

Sir Alex Ferguson first approached Pep Guardiola about succeeding him as Manchester United manager before finally settling on David Moyes, the club legend wrote in a new book.

In his new publication "Leading," to be published on Tuesday, Ferguson says he met with Guardiola before his final season as United boss began in 2012.

At that point, Guardiola was starting a year-long sabbatical after leaving Barcelona. And despite Ferguson's entreaties, he decided to sign on at Bayern Munich the following summer.

"I had dinner with Pep Guardiola in New York in 2012, but couldn't make him any direct proposal because retirement was not on my agenda at that point," Ferguson wrote.

"He had already won an enviable number of trophies with Barcelona... and I admired him greatly. I asked Pep to phone me before he accepted an offer from another club, but he didn't and wound up joining Bayern Munich in July 2013."

See this throwback pics of Neymar and Coutinho

see how young these two look back then they were playing for their under 17 team......just saw it and i decided to share it with you....

Barcelona request Arda Turan registration to replace Rafinha

Barcelona have asked permission to register Arda Turan immediately to replace the injured Rafinha, according to multiple reports in Spain.

Turan and Aleix Vidal signed for Barcelona in the summer despite the transfer ban that FIFA imposed on the club after they were found guilty of breaching the governing body's rules on the transfer of players aged under 18.

Under the ban, the players would not be allowed to register to play until the January 2016 transfer window, when FIFA's ban comes to an end.

But with Rafinha set to undergo surgery on Tuesday to repair the torn ACL he suffered against Roma last week, Barcelona have asked the Spanish football association (RFEF) and FIFA to replace him on their squad

Diego Costa charged by FA with violent conduct; Chelsea, Arsenal also charged

Chelsea striker Diego Costa has been charged with violent conduct by the Football Association after some contentious incidents in last weekend's game against Arsenal.

Arsenal defender Gabriel Paulista was also charged with improper conduct, and both clubs were charged with failing to control their players during Saturday's Premier League match.

Costa, 26, has been criticised after his performance in Chelsea's 2-0 win over Arsenal at Stamford Bridge. The Spain international clashed with Arsenal's Laurent Koscielny and Gabriel in the first half.

Ferguson :i hate Mino Raiola, paul pogba's agent

The former Old Trafford boss claims the interference of agent Mino Raiola was one of the reasons behind the midfielder's decision to join Juventus

Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that Paul Pogba’s departure from Manchester United in 2012 was triggered by the midfielder’s agent Mino Raiola.

The France international left Old Trafford on a free transfer to join Juventus, with United receiving just £800,000 compensation for the then 19-year-old, who has since gone on to win three Serie A titles, the Coppa Italia, and was named Best Young Player at the 2014 World Cup.

At the time of Pogba’s exit, Ferguson had criticised the player for showing a lack of respect, but now the former United manager admits that Raiola’s interference was a factor in the midfielder’s move to Italy.

“There are one or two football agents I simply do not like, and Mino Raiola, Paul Pogba’s agent, is one of them,” Ferguson wrote in his new book ‘Leading’.

"I distrusted him from the moment I met him. He became Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s agent while he was playing for Ajax, and eventually he would end up representing Pogba, who was only 18-years-old at the time.

“We had Paul under a three-year contract, and it had a one-year renewal option which we were eager to sign. But Raiola suddenly appeared on the scene and our first meeting was a fiasco.

"He and I were like oil and water. From then on, our goose was cooked because Raiola had been able to ingratiate himself with Paul and his family and the player signed with Juventus.”

Chelsea are proud of 'cheat' Costa - Zouma

The Spain star was criticised for his role in the sending off of Arsenal centre-back Gabriel, but the 20-year-old defender has stood up for his team-mate
Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma has admitted Diego Costa is a "cheat" - but that does not mean his team-mates are not proud of him.

Costa was roundly criticised for his part in Gabriel's red card as the Blues beat Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, and has repeatedly been singled out for his aggressive behaviour during his time in both La Liga and the Premier League.

But Zouma, who scored the opening goal against the Gunners, is aware of the way Costa harrasses defenders and has no issue with it.

And the 20-year-old insists the squad is happy to have the former Atletico Madrid man contributing to their efforts.

Asked whether he was shocked by Costa's actions by beIN Sport, he replied: "No, we're not surprised because we know Diego.

"Everyone knows Diego and this guy likes to cheat a lot and put the opponent out of his game.

"That happened in the game but he's a really nice guy. We're proud to have him, like the other players, and we're happy to win this game."

Guardiola: Wolfsburg can challenge Bayern Munich

The former Barcelon boss believes last season's runners-up have invested enough to join the likes of Borussia Dortmund and Schalke in fighting for the Bundesliga
Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola views Wolfsburg as a credible challenger to his club's recent dominance of German football.

The two sides meet at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday, with Wolfsburg having finished second behind Bayern in the Bundesliga last year before beating the same opponents on penalties in last month's DFL Super Cup.

Dieter Hecking's men head into the eagerly anticipated clash four points shy of Bayern, who are level on points with Borussia Dortmund at the summit on the back of five wins from their opening five league games.

"Wolfsburg have invested a lot recently. People wanted a competitor for Bayern and not just they are there," Guardiola told a press conference, before listing Bayer Leverkusen and Schalke alongside Wolfsburg and Dortmund as title contenders.

"We know [Wolfsburg's] quality and their style of play. But, as usual, it's all about the three points."

Guardiola, who confirmed that striker Robert Lewandowski will be available once more after recovering from an ankle problem, is also looking forward to a reunion with Dante.

The Brazilian defender joined Wolfsburg from Bayern in August having lost his starting spot at the Allianz Arena.

"I want my players to be happy," Guardiola added, reflecting on Dante's desire to leave.

"I would also be satisfied if he had stayed because he helped me a lot."

Giovinco: Juventus will bounce back from poor start

Sebastian Giovinco insists that Juventus will bounce back from their poor start to the season in the coming weeks.

The Italian attacking midfielder spent nine years at the Italian club, winning two Serie A titles during his time with the Old Lady.

The diminutive forward left the club to join Toronto in February, and Massimiliano Allegri’s men have struggled domestically in his absence, taking just a single point from their opening three games but Giovinco is unworried by his former club’s early-season slump.

Speaking exclusively to Goal following Toronto’s 2-0 loss to New York City, he said: “They will recover soon. We’re still only at the beginning of the season and it's still too soon to come to any conclusions.”

Juve did bring an end to their poor run of results against Manchester City in the Champions League, winning 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium, but their victory was overshadowed somewhat by Roma’s 1-1 draw with Barcelona, with Alessandro Florenzi scoring a superb 60-yard wonder goal, much to Giovinco’s delight.

"I saw the highlights of Man City v Juventus,” he added. “I saw Florenzi's goal against Barcelona. It was so beautiful!"

Giovinco – who has scored 20 goals in all competitions this season – faced off against Andrea Pirlo during the MLS clash and admitted his pleasure at meeting up with the 36-year-old after the match.

“It was great, we said hello to each other and its always nice to see him again," he added.

Giovinco also poured cold water on rumours that he may return to Europe on loan, as the likes of David Beckham and Thierry Henry have done in the past.

"Right now that's not what I'm thinking about. I’m doing well over here. As of now I'm staying here,” he added.

Costa: Arsenal game comes at the perfect time for Chelsea

The Spain international scored in the club's 4-0 win against Maccabi Tel-Aviv in the Champions League on Wednesday and is looking forward to taking on the Gunners
Diego Costa says that Chelsea's game against Arsenal gives the club the perfect opportunity to arrest their early-season slump.

The Blues thrashed Maccabi Tel-Aviv 4-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday, the Spaniard scoring the third goal with a sublime volley.

Jose Mourinho's men have struggled domestically, however, and languish in 17th place, having taken just four points from their opening five games.

Chelsea face Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Saturday as they go in search of just their second league win of the campaign and Costa believes that the match is a timely opportunity.

"There's nothing better than a game against Arsenal to win and fix this situation," he told reporters. "If we win then we'll take a step forward in terms of confidence and points; we know about the importance of the game.

"We have to remain calm. We have enough quality to fix the situation."

Chelsea did not make major changes to their squad in the summer transfer window and Costa says that the players know that they simply must improve in the coming weeks.

"[On Wednesday] it wasn't just important for me because I scored but also for the defence as we didn't concede," he added. "The most important thing is the victory, which gives us confidence. It's important to win, to score and not to concede goals. Big teams have to win.

"We know we are in a tough situation right now so, to fix it, we have to win games.

"The fact we won [against Tel-Aviv] is important to get confidence ahead of the next game here at Stamford Bridge in front of our fans. We know we have to give a little bit more; we are the champions of England and conquered the title last year with the same players we have now.

"We are the same ones but we do know we have to give that extra little bit of ourselves - the manager demands it. We have quality and players to fix this situation."