Football news

Coach Domenico di Carlo should be axed by Sampdoria, the club’s diehard supporters, the ultras, said in a letter released to the media.

“We demand the dismissal of Di Carlo, as this is the only thing that can shake up a team without motivation,” they wrote before yesterday’s match against Udinese.

“We also protest at the club hierarchy containing Genoa supporters in key roles. However, we do urge all fans to support the team.”

There have been recent protests against president Riccardo Garrone after the January sale of Antonio Cassano and Giampaolo Pazzini.

Evra’s omission disappoints Fergie

Man. United manager Alex Ferguson is dismayed that Patrice Evra has been left out of the France squad. Evra will sit out the friendly against Brazil on Wednesday des-pite having served a five-match ban.

That was imposed after the players’ downed tools for a day during the World Cup in protest at Nicolas Anelka being sent home.

Coach Laurent Blanc, who had a spell at Old Trafford, chose to omit Evra and Ferguson said: “It is surprising he has been left out because he has been punished.

“If they are saying he is not good enough to play for France then you cannot argue with that. But I know he is the best left-back France have got and one of the best in the world.”

Chelsea’s wage bill rises to £172.5m

Chelsea’s annual wage bill has soared to £172.5m – almost £40m more than the next highest payers Manchester City.

The figure for the year ending June 2010 is revealed in Chelsea’s full annual accounts lodged with Companies House and shows an increase on the previous year.

In 2009, the club spent £165.6m on wages but that sum included pay-offs worth £12.6m to sacked manager Luiz Felipe Scolari and his assistants. Excluding the pay-offs, the rise in wages is £19.5m and represents a 12.7% increase.

Man. City’s wage bill is £133.3m, Man. United’s £131.7m and Arsenal are fourth with £110m spent annually on salaries according to their most recent accounts.

Nagatomo realising a dream at Inter

Inter’s new Japanese signing Yuto Nagatomo said he was realising a dream as the 24-year-old made a transfer deadline day move on Monday from Cesena with young Inter full-back Davide Santon heading the other way on loan.

And Nagatomo showed an acute sense of how to endear himself to his new fans at his first Inter press conference.

“It was a dream to play for Inter and now it has been realised,” he said.

“I will give my all to help the team, we have to win and I want to win the derby.”

With Inter left-back Cristian Chivu suspended for four games after punching an opponent on Thursday against Bari, Nagatomo could even make his debut today at home to Roma.

FIFA to discuss snood ban

Players could be banned from wearing snoods on safety grounds.

FIFA have put the wearing of the neck-warmer up for discussion at the meeting of the game’s law-making body, the International FA Board (IFAB), on March 5.

Snoods have become increasingly popular in the Premier League after Carlos Tevez and Emmanuel Adebayor started the trend last season, but they are not officially-sanctioned kit.

A FIFA spokesman said: “We want a debate over the snood and whether it could be dangerous.

“There may be a safety issue – if for example a player was running through on goal and an opponent grabbed his snood, that could pose a potential danger to his neck.”

Bielsa quits as Chile coach

Marcelo Bielsa quit as Chile coach as the political turmoil inside the South American country’s football federation intensified.

“I have decided to resign from my post with the Chilean national team,” said the 55-year-old Bielsa, who had been in charge for three years.

His future had been in doubt since the turn of the year when Sergio Jadue was elected president of the Chilean federation (ANFP), defeating Ernesto Corona, an ally of Harold Mayne-Nicholls, who had hired the Argentine in 2007.

Bielsa hit out at Jadue, blaming the new ANFP boss for forcing him out.

“It’s because of the way he has behaved since he took over. He has done everything he could to get rid of me,” Bielsa said.

Real to build S. Arabia academy

Real Madrid have announced they have reached an agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Prince Salman Foundation to build a sports academy in the Middle Eastern country.

The deal will officially be signed in Madrid tomorrow, the Spanish club said.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, who is also the head of Spanish construction giant ACS, and Enrique Sanchez, deputy chairman of the Real Madrid Foundation, will be at the ceremony with Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Prince Salman Foundation director general Abdel Aziz Al Masoud.

The Real Madrid Foundation “is the means by which Real Madrid reaches out to society and develops its social and cultural awareness programmes,” the club said.