Football news

Aston Villa are interested in signing Los Angeles Galaxy striker Robbie Keane on a two-month loan.

The Villans have discussed the possibility of signing Keane in a move similar to the one which has seen his Galaxy team-mate Landon Donovan rejoin Everton.

Villa boss Alex McLeish has admitted he has limited funds to spend during the January transfer window. But he is a long-term fan of the Ireland international and last season came close to signing him when Birmingham manager in a £6m deal with Tottenham.

If Keane joins Villa, he would link up with Ireland team-mates Shay Given and Richard Dunne.

Coach Adriaanse quits FC Twente

FC Twente have parted with coach Co Adriaanse.

The 64-year-old, who took charge of the club last summer, leaves with FC Twente in third spot in the standings but having lost their last three matches of 2011 in the Europa League, Eredivisie and Dutch Cup.

Assistants Alfred Schreuder, Boudewijn Pahlplatz and Youri Mulder will provisionally take charge of training, the club announced.

Former England boss Steve McClaren, who won the league title with FC Twente in 2010, has been linked with a return to the club as Adriaanse’s successor.

Terry mulling legal action

Lawyers for John Terry could take legal action after an apparent image of the Chelsea captain was used in a tobacco warning on cigarette packets in India.

The blurry photograph featuring the head and shoulders of a man resembling Terry appears on packets of Gold Flake cigarettes and other brands with a superimposed set of blackened lungs and the warning “Smoking Kills”.

“It would seem that the picture is of him and he has not posed for anything like this,” Keith Cousins, of the Elite Management agency, which represents Terry, said.

“We don’t know where the image is taken from but he has not given his consent for this. We have consulted solicitors in India to take appropriate action.”

Blazer replaced at CONCACAF

Ted Howard was promoted to acting general secretary of CONCACAF after the resignation of Chuck Blazer. Howard, 66, has been deputy general secretary since 1998.

Blazer, who had been general secretary since 1990, announced in October he would leave at the end of the year. He remains on FIFA’s executive committee.

Last May, it was Blazer who said that CONCACAF president Jack Warner and Asian confederation chief Mohamed bin Hammam tried to bribe Caribbean delegates to vote for Bin Hammam in FIFA’s presidential election.

Matri unconcerned by Borriello

Alessandro Matri insisted that he is not concerned by the arrival of Marco Borriello at Juventus.

Borriello underwent a medical and is expected to complete his loan move from Roma in the coming days.

“I’m not worried,” Matri, who is Juve’s joint top scorer in the league along with Claudio Mar-chisio, said.

“We now have an extra forward, a reinforcement that will allow us to get to the end of the season in good shape.

“There are five or six of us in attack, like all the great teams. I want to play, but it is obviously the coach who will have his say.

“Conte will decide.”

QPR to appeal Barton red card

Queens Park Rangers are to appeal against the red card captain Joey Barton received when he was sent off in Monday’s 2-1 Premier League defeat at home to Norwich City.

Barton, who gave Rangers an early lead at Loftus Road, was sent off in the 36th minute following a tussle with Bradley Johnson that ended with him apparently headbutting the Norwich City midfielder.

But after the match Barton, who faces a three-game ban, said officials had been “conned” into showing him a red card.

The midfielder was sent off for the fifth time in his career during a stormy encounter between the two Premier League newboys.

Johnson hit the turf clutching his face as he squared up to Barton, but the QPR midfielder insisted officials had been duped into sending him off.

Keeper Viviano seeks Inter exit

Emiliano Viviano is seeking a loan move away from Inter during this month’s transfer window.

Reports said the Italian goalkeeper is close to complete his rehabilitation from a knee injury suffered in pre-season and wants to play regular Serie A football.

“We have already agreed with Inter that we will meet after January 8 to evaluate the situa-tion,” Viviano’s agent Claudio Vigorelli said.

“The idea is to join another club for six months to give him the chance to play some matches after a long lay-off. We hope that Inter will agree to it, seeing as if he does leave then it will only be on a loan basis.”