Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has opened the door to staying on after next year’s Euro 2016 tournament should the holders qualify as expected.
Del Bosque, who took over from the late Luis Aragones after Spain’s triumph at Euro 2008, has previously suggested he will step down after the competition in France, where La Roja will be chasing an unprecedented third straight continental title.
Reports said RFEF president Angel Maria Villar is trying to persuade the 64-year-old to stay on until the 2018 World Cup.
“I think that in football matters you don’t have to be very rigid,” Del Bosque said when asked about his future.
Amelia for Chelsea
Former Milan goalkeeper Marco Amelia looks set to join Chelsea after his agent Federico Pastorello appeared to confirm the move on Instagram.
“Dinner with #marcoamelia (Amelia) to celebrate the contract with Chelsea FC!!! Good luck !!” Pastorello said in a post.
A knee injury has ruled out first choice goalie Thibaut Courtois until December and left Chelsea with only one experienced goalkeeper in Asmir Begovic.
Amelia had a short term deal with Perugia at the end of last season but never made a first-team appearance.
Kuwait threatened with FIFA ban
Kuwait has been threatened with a ban by FIFA because of government interference in the running of the local football association.
FIFA has given the Kuwait FA until next week to avoid the implementation of a new set of sports laws that FIFA believes threaten the autonomy of the KFA.
FIFA decided to “contact the Kuwait FA about the new sport law and warn about a suspension if nothing is done to avoid the implementation of the new law due to come into force on October 27, 2015.”
Becks wanted Keane in charity match
David Beckham has revealed he wanted Roy Keane to return to Old Trafford and play under Alex Ferguson in his charity match next month.
Beckham will captain a Great Britain and Ireland XI, managed by Ferguson, against a Rest of the World team coached by Carlo Ancelotti on November 14 at Old Trafford.
Former United captain Keane turned the offer down because he is busy that week due to his commitments with Ireland.
“We have asked Roy but obviously he is on international duty,” Beckham said.
“That is part of the problem with some of the players. We have to pick a weekend where we felt we would get a lot of support and 3pm on Saturday does not happen very often.”
Messi, father face trial on tax fraud
A Spanish court ordered Lionel Messi and his father Jorge yesterday to stand trial in a tax fraud case and the state attorney said Barcelona’s star player should serve a jail sentence of up to 22 months if found guilty.
The two men are accused of defrauding the Spanish state of €4.2m in tax from 2007 to 2009.
Court documents said the hearings in the case would take place at a court in Vilanova i la Geltru near Barcelona but gave no date.
The stance of the state attorney, which defends the interests of the Spanish state, contrasts with that of Spain’s public prosecutor, who has said the soccer star should not have to answer the charges as his father oversaw his finances.
Dinamo’s Ademi failed drug test
Dinamo Zagreb midfielder Arijan Ademi failed a drug test after their Champions League match against Arsenal last month and is under investigation by UEFA.
“We have been informed about the results of the drug test and that our player Arijan Ademi tested positive,” the Croatian title holders said on their website.
Dinamo beat Arsenal 2-1 at home in their Group F opener on September 16 before losing 5-0 at Bayern Munich two weeks later.
They are third in the section with three points from two games. Bayern lead the standings with a maximum six points while Olympiakos are ahead of Dinamo on goal difference.
Van Dijk learning fast at Southampton
Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk believes he has learnt more at Southampton since his arrival at the club last month than he did in his two-year stint with Celtic prior to the move.
The 24-year-old Dutchman has also earned his first call-up to the national side and is expected to feature in must-win Euro 2016 qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Czech Republic.
“At Southampton I am learning so much in every game I play, much more than I did in two years at Celtic,” Van Dijk said.
“I feel I have started quite well. I’ve played five games and it has been tough. The standard is much quicker than in Scotland.”
“The ball is like a pinball machine. You have to concentrate. It took me some time to get used to it but I’m doing all right now,” he added.