Football news

Former Liverpool and England captain Danny Murphy has just agreed to prolong his stay at Fulham by another year until summer of 2011.

The Fulham captain has been a key player for his club particularly in the Europa League qualifying stages where his vast experience came to the fore.

Murphy was behind the Cottagers' drive to finished seventh in the Premier League last season. However, the 32-year-old is a doubt for Thursday's Europa League return against Amkar Perm in Russia after injuring himself on Sunday.

Murphy limped off in the second half of the 2-0 Premier League defeat to Chelsea, after a collision with Ricardo Carvalho, the Chelsea defender.

Scudetto ambition no joke says Zenga

Palermo coach Walter Zenga insisted that he did not target the scudetto as a joke in pre-season after the Sicilian team beat Napoli 2-1 on Sunday.

Zenga caused shockwaves in his Serie A preview when declaring his ambition was not European qualification, but the Serie A title.

"We really believe we can do it," he said.

"Will we win the scudetto? We said we would aim for the top, both myself and the team. I like sharing this view that has to be a dream for everyone working with us.

"If at the end of the year we reach a position that allows us to avoid the Champions League preliminary round, then that will be important."

Yeung promises Birmingham cash

Hong Kong billionaire Carson Yeung, whose investment company is bidding to take over Birmingham City, promised he would splash up to five million pounds of his own money on new players.

Grandtop International Holdings Limited last week paid a £3 million deposit and offered 100 pence per share, valuing the club at about £80 million.

"I have already contacted some players. We have bought the club with company money but I personally will invest £4-5 million if we get along with the players," Yeung said.

"Before the Sept. 1 transfer deadline, I hope I can buy some useful players."

Club manager Alex McLeish asked the board for more cash to reinforce his squad this month, saying the playing talent at his disposal was not equipped for a Premier League campaign.

Valencia secure €74 million loan

Valencia have secured a loan of 74 million euros which they plan to use to acquire a stake of 72.5 per cent in itself in an attempt to stabilise the cash-strapped club, president Manuel Llorente said.

Local bank Bancaja agreed to lend the cash to the club's charitable foundation and the Valencia regional government, the Generalitat, has guaranteed the loan.

The foundation plans to buy the remaining 1.53 million shares available in a capital increase, which has already raised around 18.75 million euros, they added.

"From this point a new era of stability begins and the players can concentrate fully on their game," Llorente said. "We have saved a very difficult and worrying situation."

Everton agree Lescott fee

Everton confirmed late on Sunday they had agreed a fee with Manchester City for the sale of defender Joleon Lescott, bringing to an end a bitter, summer-long saga.

Asked on Sunday if the Lescott deal was well advanced Everton boss David Moyes said: "If they (City) say they are quite far on I'm sure they are.

"But we shouldn't have been asked to wait this length of time for an amount of cash we think was the correct value for the player.

"Real Madrid came in with the money to buy Ronaldo the week after the end of the season. If the money had been offered in June it would have been a lot easier for us. The time is against us (to find a replacement)."

Roma's Totti blasts Genoa ref

Roma captain Francesco Totti reckons referee Emidio Morganti was wrong not to send off Genoa's Giuseppe Biava before the latter went on to score a dramatic winner for a 3-2 win on Sunday.

Biava narrowly avoided a red card for stopping Jeremy Menez in a clear scoring opportunity and the incident infuriated Totti.

"It is incredible what the referee gave as an explanation," Totti said.

"When we asked why Biava had not been sent off, he said it was because the ball was too high and therefore it was not a last man foul.

"Perhaps, I have to go through the rulebook in more detail but for me that looked an obvious red card."

Newcastle extend bid deadline

Newcastle moved closer to a takeover which could see Alan Shearer installed as manager when the club extended a deadline for local businessman Barry Moat to make a bid.

The move will be seen as a signal that current owner Mike Ashley would still prefer to sell the club rather than hang on and hope that it will secure an immediate return to the Premier League.

The extension has been granted to allow Moat, who heads one of three consortia interested in buying the club, more time to prove to the club's bankers, Barclays, that he can finance the club's £39 million overdraft facility.