Juventus are not interested in Carlos Tevez according to club director Beppe Marotta.
These past few days, Italian newspapers were full of rumours that Juve had offered more than Milan and Inter to tempt the Argentine away from Manchester City in January but Marotta quashed all speculation.
“Tevez is an excellent player but we have had no contact with Man. City or his agents,” he said.
“Juve are not interested in Tevez. I can rule out negotiations for a January move.”
SPL in summer
Dundee United manager Peter Houston called for talks over moving the SPL to a summer season after his team’s goalless clash at Motherwell was ruined by fierce winds.
The swirling wind was so bad that one cross from United winger Gary Mackay-Steven from near the corner flag blew more than 20 yards up the opposite flank to set up a Motherwell counter-attack.
Houston said: “We had two teams who worked their socks off and tried their hardest, not to play football, because when it came near our box I told our boys to get rid of it.
“But should we be sitting down with the powers-that-be and discussing summer football? The wind is the biggest problem.”
Bothroyd to report abuse
QPR striker Jay Bothroyd has pledged to report the Twitter user who allegedly sent him racist abuse late Saturday.
The 29-year-old received a message on the social network from the account of a user named Karl Martin calling him a “useless lazy n*****” after the 2-1 defeat at Norwich.
The message referred to Ron Atkinson’s infamous slur against then-Chelsea defender Marseille Desailly.
Bothroyd later tweeted: “Thanks my tweeps, I will report this incident. Narrow minded people can’t get away with that sort of behaviour”.
Di Matteo happy at Chelsea
Chelsea no.2 Roberto Di Matteo has dismissed speculation he is unhappy with his role and insists that he enjoys a good relationship with manager Andre Villas-Boas.
Di Matteo joined Chelsea’s backroom staff following Villas-Boas’s appointment but reports last week suggested he had grown unhappy with life as the 34-year-old’s deputy.
The Italian said: “I don’t know where the story has come from. I am very happy here, very happy to work with Andre and the other technical staff.
“I am committed to Chelsea. There were some enquiries about me and I was flattered but I politely declined because I am very happy where I am.”
Trap’s paycut
Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni will sign an extension to his contract this week.
Ireland’s Italian boss told reporters yesterday that agreement had been reached on the new deal.
“We have agreed in principle and everything is going forward but it is not signed,” Trapattoni revealed.
He is due in Dublin on Wednesday to complete the deal which will extend his contract until 2014 at a slightly reduced salary before flying on to Kiev for Friday’s Euro 2012 draw.
According to reports Trapattoni’s salary has been cut from €1.7m a year to €1.5 million.
Barca shocked
Barcelona crashed to a shock 1-0 defeat at Getafe late Saturday and now trail Real Madrid, who came from a goal down to beat nine-man rivals Atletico Madrid 4-1, by six points.
It was the first defeat of the season for the champions as Getafe frustrated their illustrious visitors, grabbing the three points thanks to a second-half header from Juan Valera.
Barcelona’s last defeat came on April 30 when they lost 2-1 at Real Sociedad while Saturday’s drama added an extra edge to the first El Clasico meeting of the season between Real and Barcelona on December 10.
“It’s not a terrible defeat and there is a long way still to go in the season,” said Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola.
Fergie could face FA action
Alex Ferguson could face FA action after launching a verbal attack on assistant referee John Flynn following Manchester United’s controversial 1-1 draw with Newcastle.
Rio Ferdinand was judged to have brought down Hatem Ben Arfa after 61 minutes although television replays suggested the defender had been hard done by as referee Mike Jones consulted with his assistant Flynn before awarding the spot kick.
Ferguson let his feelings be known on the decision and his comments were hastily edited and went unaired by the club’s television station MUTV.
But the United manager had already appeared on rival outlets, voicing a view that is bound to be looked upon dimly by the FA.