Football news

Blackburn fans have launched a new share investment scheme in a bid to buy the club from owners Venky’s.

The Blackburn Rovers Supporters’ Investment Trust, which has been created with the aim to bring the club into community ownership, is being spearheaded by Wayne Wild, director of WEC Group, a commercial partner of the Premier League side.

The plans are being backed by the fans’ group that organised the protests against the current owners and manager Steve Kean.

Blackburn narrowly avoided relegation last season and have continued to struggle this term, causing major protests by fans on match days.

Smith medals go for £137,272

Ex-Liverpool defender Tommy Smith revealed he has sold his medals because he was afraid they would be stolen. The medals, with other memorabilia from Smith’s 18-year career at Anfield, sold for a combined figure of £137,272 on Tuesday.

Speaking during the auction, the 66-year-old explained he had decided to put them on sale after a string of burglaries at other former Liverpool players’ homes.

Smith said: “They are not doing anything for me, they are in the loft and I was getting fed up of going in the loft and seeing if they were okay.

“In the end I just thought that I am old enough to recognise that they are worth a few quid.”

Aston Villa keen on new Cuellar deal

Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish has confirmed the club have opened talks with Carlos Cuellar over a new contract.

Cuellar, 30, has been used effectively at right-back and left-back recently in addition to his preferred centre-back role.

McLeish confirmed: “I think there have been talks and they will be ongoing. It’s important he keeps playing as well as he can and then contracts won’t be a problem for him.

“If he produces the form he is capable of, we will get more clean sheets so why would you want to let someone like that go.”

Beretta hopeful

New Cesena coach Mario Beretta is confident he can keep the struggling club in Serie A this season. Beretta was unveiled this week as the new boss following the dismissal of Daniele Arrigoni after a run of poor results.

Cesena have won just four games and lie seven points adrift of safety. However, the former Siena tactician, who has been given a contract that runs until the end of the term, believes he can stop the rot.

“The situation is difficult, otherwise they wouldn’t have called me,” Beretta said.

“We will have to race against time and get points immediately... I believe it’s possible.”

Fowler pessimistic over Indian league

Former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler has cast doubt on a new football tournament in India, dealing a further blow to the postponed event.

Fowler, one of the semi-retired world stars hired to play in West Bengal’s Premier Lea-gue Soccer (PLS), tweeted that the tournament now appeared unlikely to go ahead.

“Ah well... India looks like its cancelled, boots are clean and looking for a new place to play,” wrote the 35-year-old, who was sold for $530,000 to the Kolkata franchise at an auction last month.

The PLS was postponed for a second time on Wednesday.

Real’s Mourinho accused of slur

Jose Mourinho is the subject of a complaint by a gay rights group after he allegedly used a Spanish homophobic insult about match officials.

The Real Madrid manager has been accused by the European Gay and Lesbian Sports Federation (EGLSF) of referring to officials as “maricones”, which translates as “faggots” in English, before the Champions League tie against CSKA Moscow.

Louise Englefield, co-president of the EGLSF, called on UEFA to take action over the comments, which were shown on the Spanish television channel Quatro.

TV footage shows Mourinho using the word while inspecting the pitch at the Luzhniki stadium on Monday.

Alves in Pep talk

Barcelona defender Dani Alves has predicted coach Pep Guardiola will renew his contract soon.

As Guardiola refuses to sign a long-term deal, instead just extending by 12 months at a time, every year as his contract nears its end speculation circulates that he will move on.

Thus far he has always signed on for another year but, with Barca struggling by their own standards in the Primera Liga this season, the speculation now is greater than ever.

Alves said: “I think he’ll renew it, without him we are nothing.

“I am convinced that Guardiola will stay with us, if not it’ll be a big surprise for me. He makes this league greater.”