England will play glamour friendlies against world champions Germany and France in the build-up to Euro 2016.
The FA announced yesterday that the Three Lions will host France on November 17 next year, and it also confirmed England will play a friendly in Germany in March 2016.
Negotiations are also under way regarding potential pre-Euro 2016 friendlies against Holland and Spain.
The FA has already announced fixtures against Italy for March next year and a fixture against Ireland in Dublin on June 7.
Cerci issues warning
Alessio Cerci is threatening to leave Atletico Madrid if he does not receive more playing time.
The Italy international has yet to start a game for the Spanish champions since moving to the Vicente Calderon stadium this summer from Torino.
The 27-year-old forward has made just four league appearances so far and has yet to score in the Primera Division.
Cerci said: “We will see what happens in January. It all depends on how much I play at Atletico.
“I don’t like the bench. For several years I had a starring role in Turin and I’m not good at sitting on the bench, I lose my patience.”
30-team top flight in Argentina
Argentina’s proposed 30-team first division championship, brainchild of the late football chief Julio Grondona, looks set to go ahead provided TV match broadcasters give approval.
A transition championship lasting five months from February will have 30 teams divided into two groups, Grondona’s successor Luis Segura said, with the 10 extra teams promoted from the Primera B this December.
The AFA wants to maintain an August-June season aligned with Europe’s transfer windows.
“The idea is for the calendar to coincide with Europe’s. First we’ll hold a tournament until August and then another lasting a year,” Segura said.
‘IPIC Bernabeu’
Real Madrid president Floren-tino Perez has been caught on camera revealing the future name of the club’s revamped stadium as either ‘IPIC Bernabeu’ or ‘CEPSA Bernabeu’.
Last month Real agreed a strategic partnership with Abu Dhabi fund International Petroleum Investment Co (IPIC) that will help finance a planned stadium overhaul costing around €400 million.
IPIC’s holdings include Spanish energy firm Compania Espanola de Petroleos (CEPSA) and Perez was captured on the sidelines of an event on Tuesday by a camera from television show ‘El Chiringuito de Neox’ saying: “We are going to put IPIC Bernabeu or whatever they want... or CEPSA Bernabeu”.
Bayern can handle Lahm blow – Sammer
Bayern Munich director of sport Matthias Sammer believes his club are equipped to cope with the loss of their captain Philipp Lahm for the next three months.
Lahm has been ruled out of action until February after breaking his right ankle in training on Tuesday. He adds his name to a growing injury list at the Bavarian club, but Sammer says they still have plenty of valid options to keep his side at the top of the Bundesliga standings.
“We’re in such a good position in a sporting sense that this setback is not going to knock us off track,” Sammer told Bild.
“We mustn’t fall into a state of shock. Bayern have got to move on and be thankful that we had already evaluated all eventualities, even having many injuries, in advance.”
Giovinco plays down January exit
Juventus striker Sebastian Gio-vinco has played down reports that he will leave the club in the winter transfer window.
The Italy international has made just two starts for the Bianconeri this season and has been strongly linked with a move away from Turin in January.
Giovinco was a reported target of Premier League clubs Tottenham and Arsenal this summer but opted to remain at Juve.
“There’s something that is not quite right, that’s obvious,” Gio-vinco said to the Italian media.
“It’s a strange season for me and we will see what we do.
“I don’t think I will leave in January but we will see in June.”
Sturridge suffers new injury setback
Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge has suffered a new thigh injury during his efforts to recover from a calf strain, the Premier League club said yesterday.
The England striker, who scored 21 league goals for the Reds last season, has made just three league appearances in this campaign and had only returned to full training last week after a long injury lay-off.
The 25-year-old sustained a thigh strain whilst on England duty in September and picked up a calf injury during training with Liverpool in October.
The news is another setback for Brendan Rodgers’s beleaguered team who are 11th in the league table with 14 points from 11 games.