Football news

Patrick Vieira has dismissed reports linking him with a surprise move to Sunderland, claiming he is happy at Serie A champions Inter.

"We're progressing in the Champions League and the club is well placed in the Italian league," Vieira said. "It's an exciting time to be here.

"We're all focused on the task at Inter. The new manager has left us in no doubt about what he wants. He expects us to be just like him, 100 per cent on the job."

Bayern losing winning aura - Beckenbauer

Bayern Munich president Franz Beckenbauer believes the Bavarian giants are no longer feared by the other Bundesliga clubs.

The German champions squandered a 3-1 lead against lowly Bochum on Saturday and only picked up a point at the Allianz Arena.

"The myth that Bayern always win in the end has taken a break," Beckenbauer said.

"The small clubs have become cheeky and have lost all respect. The whole league senses that we are fallible. The football gods have turned their back on us and where we used to have luck, we are now only getting misfortune.

"But that will soon change again."

Nigerians issue Newcastle warning

The Nigerian consortium looking to buy Newcastle United have warned they will take their money elsewhere if the bid for the club is unsuccessful.

The Africans are believed to have made a £200 million offer to Magpies owner Mike Ashley but fear they are not being dealt with fairly.

"We're talking to the possible manager and key personnel for the club," Chris Nathaniel, the Nigerian consortium's front man, said. "Once that is sorted, we'll fine-tune our offer.

"We're prepared to look at other options if our bid for Newcastle is not successful. I've been approached by several top Premier League clubs offering us opportunities to buy their clubs."

Cassano calls for Samp reinforcements

Sampdoria striker Antonio Cassano is confident the team will recover from its poor start to the season but has urged the club to bolster the squad in the January transfer window.

Despite progressing in the UEFA Cup with ease, Walter Mazzarri's men have yet to win a match in the Serie A and lost 4-2 to Atalanta on Sunday.

"We will soon come through this situation because this team is used to difficulties," Cassano said.

"But I hope that in the coming months the club can make some moves in the transfer market. I'm not trying to be controversial but we need reinforcements in every position."

Juve chief backs Ranieri

Juventus president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli moved to allay doubts about the future of coach Claudio Ranieri despite the team's dismal run of results.

On Sunday, Juventus slumped to their first Serie A defeat this season when they were beaten 2-1 by Palermo at their Olympic Stadium.

Italian media have speculated that the atmosphere at the Turin team was far from serene with the club's old guard expecting Ciro Ferrara to replace Ranieri as coach.

"We have no doubts over the coach," Cobolli Gigli said. "This is a difficult moment, but you will see we'll get out of it very soon. We must remain united and close to Ranieri."

Angola ask for Mourinho help

Angola's Football Federation has asked Inter coach Jose Mourinho to help them find the next coach for their national team.

Last weekend, the African country dismissed coach Oliveira Goncalves and have now started their search for his successor.

Angolan FA president Justino Fernandes has installed Maby De Almeida as caretaker boss, but has contacted Mourinho to help the association choose the right man for the job from a short-list of European-based coaches.

The Inter coach has a close relationship with Angola as it is the country of birth of his wife Mathilde.

Skrtel suffers knee ligament injury

Liverpool have confirmed defender Martin Skrtel damaged his posterior cruciate ligament against Manchester City on Sunday.

The Reds centre-back is due to visit a knee specialist today where the exact timeframe required for his recovery will be discovered although it is likely that he is facing a long spell on the sidelines.

"Martin underwent a scan on Monday (yesterday) which showed damage to the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee," club spokesman Ian Cotton told the club's official website.

"He will see a specialist tomorrow to assess the extent of the injury and will then have an accurate idea of the timescales involved before he is back playing again."