Former Manchester United forward Eric Cantona has sued the New York Cosmos, alleging the team fired him without paying him nearly $1 million in salary and a 4 per cent equity interest.
Cantona, 48, a Frenchman who won four Premier League titles in five years with Manchester United in the 1990s, was hired by the Cosmos in 2011 to be the team’s director of soccer.
He was fired by the Cosmos after getting into a scuffle with a photographer in London last year and Cantona alleges the club never paid him the $961,290 in salary he is owed.
Get angry, get even Cannavaro tells team
Guangzhou Evergrande boss Fabio Cannavaro understands why his players were furious after going down 2-1 to Seongnam in the AFC Champions League on Wednesday, but believes they will harness that anger to turn the tie around in the home leg.
Guangzhou looked comfortable at 1-1 after Huang Bowen’s long-range effort cancelled out the opener from Seongnam’s Jor-ginho, but Li Xuepeng’s red card put his side under pressure.
The Chinese side were incensed when the referee awarded an injury time penalty which was converted by Kim Do-heon.
“The players are angry and annoyed,” said Cannavaro.
“We had a red card and a penalty against, but I trust they will use this anger in the second leg when we play at home.”
Jets interest personal says Thomson
The chairman of Dundee United has said that any potential bid for the licence to run beleaguered Australian side Newcastle Jets would be a personal initiative and not one linked to the Scottish Premiership club.
Football Federation Australia revoked the licence of the Jets’ owners Hunter Sports Group after their owner Nathan Tinkler placed the club into voluntary administration and was in negotiations to sell the club to Dundee United.
“It’s not unusual for football club board members to have other business interests,” United chairman Stephen Thomson said.
“Whether or not I pursue opportunities in Australia, my priority is to Dundee United.
Leverkusen extend deal with Schmidt
Bayer Leverkusen have extended coach Roger Schmidt’s contract by three years to 2019 despite missing out on automatic Champions League qualification.
Schmidt was a surprise choice when he took over in April 2014 but his exciting brand of attacking football quickly won over many fans and led the team to fourth place in the Bundesliga.
“Roger Schmidt managed in the very first year of our co-operation to meet our sporting hopes and expectations,” said club CEO Michael Schade.
Hazard to miss Chelsea’s final match
Chelsea forward Eden Hazard is expected to miss the champions’ final Premier League game of the season against Sunderland after undergoing emergency dental surgery, the Football Writers’ Association (FWA) said.
The 24-year-old had three wisdom teeth removed on Wednesday and was unable to collect the FWA’s Footballer of the Year trophy at their awards ceremony last night.
Hazard has played in all 37 of Chelsea’s league fixtures but is unlikely to feature against Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, where the west Londoners will be presented with the Premier League trophy for the first time since 2010.
Liverpool cancel Sterling talks
Raheem Sterling’s contract saga with Liverpool has taken another new twist after the club cancelled today’s scheduled meeting with the player and his agent.
Sterling’s representative Aidy Ward had requested a sit down with chief executive Ian Ayre and manager Brendan Rodgers to discuss the 20-year-old’s future, having turned down a £100,000-a-week deal in January.
However, in light of comments in which Ward apparently claims Sterling “would not sign a new contract for £900,000-a-week”, Press Association reported the meeting has now been scrapped.
Ward has subsequently disputed the words attributed to him and is reportedly threatening to take legal action but that has carried no weight with Reds officials, who see no point of discussing an issue which appears to have already been decided in the minds of the player and his representative.
Zanetti not keen on buying Parma
The owner and chairman of Italian coffee company Massimo Zanetti Beverage group (MZB) denied yesterday he was interested in buying bankrupt Serie A club Parma as MZB gears up for its debut on the Milan’s stock exchange.
“Massimo Zanetti strongly denies media reports about a potential interest in FC Parma,” MZB said.
Zanetti on Monday kicked off the share sale of his company with the aim of listing up to 35.6 per cent of the capital and to make it the first coffee maker traded on the Milan stock exchange.
MZB is offering shares at bet-ween €11.60 and €15.75 apiece, to value the company at up to €540m.