Italian football federation president Carlo Tavecchio revealed this week that Serie A will be testing goal-line technology ahead of next season.
Tavecchio wants to introduce goal-line technology in Italy, especially as it was already used successfully in the Brazil World Cup in summer.
“In February we will have the first answers. If all the big Italian stadiums had this technology, the total cost would not be superior to €4m,” Tavecchio said.
Four-week lay-off for Westwood
Aston Villa midfielder Ashley Westwood has been ruled out for up to four weeks with medial ligament damage, the Premier Lea-gue club have announced.
The 24-year-old was stretchered off during Sunday’s 2-1 win over Leicester following a strong tackle by Jamie Vardy.
Villa were confident the injury was not as bad as first feared but the former Crewe player will still miss up to five games, starting with the derby at West Brom.
Westwood adds to a lengthy injury list and joins defenders Nathan Baker (knee) and Ron Vlaar and Philippe Senderos (both calf) on the sidelines.
Rangers counted no-shows in crowd
Rangers chairman David Somers has admitted the club announced a misleading attendance figure for Saturday’s clash with Cowdenbeath.
The club announced midway through the second half of the Scottish Championship fixture that 28,137 fans had turned out at Ibrox.
That figure for Rangers’ 1-0 win would have been their smallest home attendance for a league game since Graeme Souness’s first season in charge 28 years ago. But now Somers has said the true figure was 10,000 fewer than the number given out on Saturday.
The acting executive chairman said: “The 28,000 included season-ticket holders who were not there.
“In reality Saturday’s attendance was around 19,000.”
Improved deal for Barca rising star
Barcelona have tied teenager Munir El Haddadi to an im-proved contract which includes a buy-out clause of €35 million.
The 19-year-old forward scored on his league debut against Elche in August and has since then made 12 appearances for Barcelona’s senior team.
The new deal does not extend El Haddadi’s contract beyond its current expiry date of June 30, 2017, but it has improved the Spain international’s wages as well as increasing the amount buyers will have to stump up if they want to sign him.
El Haddadi, whose parents are Moroccan, earned his first cap for Spain in a Euro 2016 qualifier against Macedonia in September.
Adebayor in Togo for personal reasons
Tottenham Hotspur striker Emmanuel Adebayor has returned home to Togo for personal reasons, the Premier League club said.
The 30-year-old former Arsenal and Manchester City player has been given permission to take time off, Spurs said on their website.
“This is a private matter and so we will not be providing any further comment,” the club added.
Adebayor has made 12 appearances for Tottenham this season but has not played since the November international break when Togo failed to qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
Stielike to run rule over hopefuls
South Korea coach Uli Stielike will take passion and hunger over experience when he picks his final squad for the January 9-31 Asian Cup, the German said yesterday.
Stielike has selected 28 players based in Korea, Japan and China for an upcoming training camp but said others could still force their way into his thinking.
The German will also have about a dozen Europe-based players, including Bayer Lever-kusen’s Son Heung-min and Swansea’s Ki Sung-yueng, available for the tournament.
“We need players who are hungry,” Stielike said.
“If a player has passion and desire we will have no choice but to pick him regardless of their experience or age.”
Asprilla says threatened by gang
Former Colombia striker Faustino Asprilla has revealed he will leave his home city of Tulua after being threatened by a gang of criminals seeking extortion money.
Asprilla, who played for Parma and Newcastle United in the 1990s, said masked, armed men entered his homestead on the outskirts of Tulua in southwest Colombia where he has been living with his family.
“They were four (men) in two cars... they threatened me, they told me to contact their chief because if I didn’t they would kill my family and me,” Asprilla was quoted as saying.
“I had to leave my own land, Tulua, as a victim of extortion by a group of anti-socials,” the 45-year-old said.