Football news

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar says Schalke can win the German title this season as they look to overhaul a three-point deficit on mid-season leaders Bayern Munich.

“Of course we can be champions,” striker Huntelaar said.

“We are level on points with Dortmund and only three behind Bayern Munich. That shows we have regularly been piling up points away and if we go on in this vein we have a chance,” said Huntelaar, who with 15 goals is only one strike behind Bayern sharp-shooter Mario Gomez.

Schalke, already out of the German Cup, will resume league action today week at home to Stuttgart while Bayern travel to Bor. M’gladbach and Bor. Dortmund take on Hamburg.

Allegri signs new Milan deal

Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri signed a new deal yesterday which will keep him at the helm of the Italian champions until 2014, the club announced.

Allegri, who won the Serie A title in his first year in charge last season, wanted an annual salary of three million euros while the club would only go as high as €2.5 million.

“I’m very happy to have the chance to work with Milan for another two years,” Allegri told the club’s official website.

“I believe that everything is in place to continue what we started a year and a half ago.”

Catania reject Fulham approach

Catania have rejected an offer for striker Maxi Lopez from Fulham after it was deemed unacceptable. The Argentina striker has been linked with a move away from Sicily during the January transfer window.

Several clubs, including Milan, are interested in Lopez, but Catania have rejected the only firm bid for the striker from Fulham.

“We didn’t accept Fulham’s offer for Maxi Lopez because the English club wanted to get the player without spending one euro,” Catania club administrator Pietro Lo Monaco said.

“We will not loan him. Maxi Lopez has an important value.”

Eto’o not moving

Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o, 30, has said he intends to stay at Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala until the end of his career.

“I’ve never thought about leaving Anzhi since I came here. Not a single second,” he said.

“Moreover, I’m intended to play with Anzhi until the end of my career.”

Despite only arriving at the ambitious outfit in August last year, Eto’o has been repeatedly linked with a loan or transfer move away from Anzhi.

“I’m happy to play in Anzhi and I’m set to win something serious with my club. Maybe in the Champions League if we’ll have enough luck.”

Everton snap up United’s Gibson

Manchester United midfielder Darron Gibson has joined Everton on a four-and-a-half-year deal, the Goodison Park club have said.

The 24-year-old Gibson has moved to Merseyside for an undisclosed fee, becoming the club’s second signing of the January transfer window following Landon Donovan’s loan move from Los Angeles Galaxy.

The midfielder, a product of the Man. United youth team, scored 10 goals in 60 appearances for the Old Trafford side since breaking into the first team in the 2005-06 season.

Gibson has played 17 times for Ireland, scoring once.

Ronaldinho threatens to quit

Striker Ronaldinho has threatened to quit Flamengo unless he receives over $2 million in unpaid wages, his agent and brother Roberto de Assis said.

“I want to reach agreement and then he can compete in the Copa Libertadores. But I don’t know if that’s going to happen,” de Assis said ahead of the January 25 tie against Bolivian side Real Potosi.

Three-quarters of Ronaldinho’s salary is covered by marketing group Traffic, who have not paid in five months, amounting to $2.05 million.

Barca-Real clash

Second-half goals from Alexis Sanchez and Sergi Roberto gave Barcelona a 2-1 victory over Osasuna late Thursday and a quarter-final clash with arch-rivals and holders Real Madrid in the Spanish Cup.

Dejan Lekic had put hosts Osasuna ahead in Pamplona before Sanchez headed in a 48th-minute equaliser for the Catalans.

Substitute Lionel Messi set up Roberto to seal victory after 71 minutes for a 6-1 aggregate scoreline.

Real host Barcelona in the first leg next Wednesday with the return leg on January 25 at the Camp Nou. The two sides meet again just a month after the clasico which Barca won 3-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu.