Malaga winger Santi Cazorla has described Spain team-mate David Villa s absence at Euro 2012 as a heavy blow .
Barcelona announced on Tuesday Villa would be unable to take part in the tournament in Poland and Ukraine, as he will not recover in time from a fractured tibia sustained in December 2011.
A disappointed Cazorla said Spain would not have won either Euro 2008 or the 2010 World Cup without Villa.
This is a considerable loss because David was an important player for us, he told reporters.
If he had not been at the Euros and at the World Cup, Spain would not have been champions.
He gave us a lot, and we will have to make sure that this loss will not be that noticeable. It is a heavy blow, I would like to take this chance to send him my b…
Wilfried Zaha deserves a place in the England squad, according to Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew.
The winger has two caps to his name for the national side, but the last came back in 2013 in a 3-2 victory over Scotland.
But the 24-year-old has impressed this season for a Palace side just one point above the Premier League relegation zone.
Zaha has scored one goal and contributed five assists in 11 games, leading Pardew to push for him to be handed a chance to shine on the international stage again.
I think Wilf is hoping that England come for him, Pardew said. Personally, I think he s done more than enough to warrant a place.
Even during this run his defensive work has been good, the assists are starting to rack up.
The ball s in…
Bosnia-Herzegovina goalkeeper Asmir Begovic is eager to win silverware but insists he is no rush to leave Stoke City for a bigger club.
Asmir Begovic has outlined his desire to win trophies, but the Bosnia-Herzegovina goalkeeper insists he is no rush to leave Stoke City.
Begovic has been a leading performer for Stoke in recent seasons, with his consistent form prompting frequent speculation over his future.
Liverpool and Real Madrid are among those to have been linked with the 27-year-old, who has 18 months remaining on his current contract at the Britannia Stadium.
Yet while Begovic is eager to progress in his career, he is not angling for a move away from Stoke, the club he joined from Portsmouth in February 2010.
He told Sky Sports: I want t…
Lionel Messi is looking forward to football getting back to normal after admitting it is horrible to play games without fans present inside stadiums.
Due to the impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, leagues across Europe continue to carry out fixtures behind closed doors in the 2020-21 season.
This was also the case to finish the previous campaign, meaning Messi has not played in front of supporters at Camp Nou since LaLiga was paused in March.
The Argentine superstar feels the impact of empty venues has been felt on the pitch too, as it negates any home advantage for teams and leads to more even contests.
It s horrible to play without fans. It s not a nice feeling, Messi told Marca after picking up the Pichichi award …
The Irishman is seen in the video asking the current crop of players whether they have what it takes to be a true red devil – reference to the return of the fan favourite red devil emblem on the jersey.
“So you’re a devil are you? Well let’s remind you of the terms,” Keane says. “The devil isn’t something you wear. It’s more like a pact, a deal, shall we say.
“It’s not for everyone. We expect a lot. And as sure as the sun will rise, we will know if you mean it. So have a good long think.
“What do you get in return? What’s on offer? It’s Manchester United.
“So there it is. No small print. Sign on the dotted line. But you already signed, didn’t you? Before you were even born.”
Keane ends the sequence sitting at a tabl…
Bernardo Silva is still wary of the threat posed by Liverpool and Chelsea despite Manchester City moving to the top of the Premier League following a 3-1 win over Watford.
Chelsea had been at the summit but suffered a 3-2 defeat to West Ham and allowed Liverpool and City to leapfrog them.
Just two points now separate the trio, and Silva is not getting carried away despite a dominant performance in which the champions enjoyed 77.1 per cent of the ball and took 26 shots, more than they have attempted in any top-flight game this season, and hit the target with 13.
It was definitely a very good job in the first half, Silva said to Sky Sports. The team started very well, creating chances and not allowing them to counter-attack. We scored two in the first half…
Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci could face a three-year ban for his role in the Scommessopoli scandal.
The Italian FA (FIGC) has announced that the centre-back will face charges of sporting fraud, with Bonucci s name among those of 44 players revealed across 13 clubs that have been indicted for their part in the match-fixing probe, with Bonucci being one of the more high-profile players.
The 25-year-old is believed to have been involved in fixing the result of matches during his spell at Bari in 2009-10.
Furthermore, Juve coach Antonio Conte could be suspended as he faces charges of failing to report two attempts of match-fixing during his time at Siena.
The Scudetto-winning trainer was questioned by the prosecution earlier this off-season, and was cl…
Milan issue hands off warning over El Shaarawy
Serie A giants Milan have rejected speculation linking talented forward Stephan El Shaarawy with a January exit from San Siro.
The 19-year-old has enjoyed a bright start to the season, scoring 4 goals in 6 Serie A games, and has attracted attention from top European clubs in the process.
Manchester United are being mentioned as one of the suitors, but Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani was quick to point out that the young forward is not for sale.
“El Shaarawy is an investment for this club and we are very happy with him,” Galliani told Sky Sport Italia.
“Manchester United have fallen in love with him? Our policy is to focus on youngsters and he won’t be moving from here.”
Stepha…
Injured Schalke midfielder Marco Hoger has signed a contract extension that will keep him at the Veltins Arena until 2017.
The 26-year-old has endured a difficult time with injuries since moving to the club in 2011 and suffered cruciate ligament damage in the win over Hamburg last month that looks set to rule him out for a lengthy period.
Hoger, who has made 117 appearances for Schalke in all competitions, has extended his contract by a year, with sporting director Horst Heldt explaining the move was always in the pipeline.
Shortly after Marco got injured, we decided to get him signed on for longer, he told Schalke s official website.
In the last few years, Hoger has given everything for Schalke, so we wanted to give something back. We will now giv…
Joaquim Batica the agent of Arsenal striker Joel Campbell has said that the striker is determined to help fire the North London club to trophy success, .
Having signed for the Gunners in July 2011, the Costa Rica international finally scored his first goal for the club in Saturday’s 3-0 win at Swansea City though he has spent the majority of the last four years out on loan.
He had season-long spells with Lorient, Real Betis and Olympiacos before spending the second half of the 2014/15 campaign with Villarreal and now he is back at the Emirates Stadium, he is keen to prove his worth.
Despite being just twenty-three, Campbell has been capped fifty-five times for his country scoring eleven goals – one of which came at last summer’s World Cup finals in Braz…