Bundesliga strugglers Stuttgart sacked coach Alexander Zorniger yesterday after 13 matches in charge.
Stuttgart, who avoided relegation in the past two seasons, lost 4-0 at home to Augsburg on Saturday and sit in 16th place, two points above bottom spot.
“It was particularly the way we lost on Saturday that concerned us,” said club president Bernd Wahler in a brief statement.
“We analysed the effects on the team and the staff and we took this decision this morning.”
A former assistant coach at Stuttgart, the 47-year-old Zorniger signed a three-year contract in May after coaching Leipzig.
Everton’s project needs more backing
Everton’s plans for building a new stadium will never come to fruition unless Liverpool City Council commit to a partnership, according to chief executive Robert Elstone.
Proposals for a new ground at Walton Hall Park were announced in September last year but progress has ground to a halt.
Elstone said: “Unless we get partnership with local authority it is going to be hard to bring it to fruition.
“It is a challenging funding project. We are looking at a massive regenerative project which will also generate cash and social benefit.”
Dundee FC could play match in USA
Dundee FC have raised the prospect of playing a Scottish Premiership game in the United States with league chiefs, according to reports.
The Scottish Professional Football League has stated that no club has made any application to play a game overseas.
But reports claim both Dundee FC and Celtic have held talks about the prospect of playing a league game in the USA with Boston and Philadelphia mentioned as possible venues.
Dundee FC have strong US links through Texas-based chairman Tim Keyes and American director of football operations John Nelms, who is based at Dens Park.
Ashley go-ahead
Newcastle owner and Rangers shareholder Mike Ashley has succeeded in court action to remove a resolution relating to dual interests from the Ibrox club’s annual general meeting.
Rangers confirmed that Ashley’s company, which has a nine per cent stake in Rangers, had partly won legal action in Edinburgh last week, securing an interim decision to withdraw one resolution from Friday’s meeting, but failing on two other counts.
Resolution 11 would have removed Ashley’s right to vote at general meetings, along with any other shareholder who held interests in other clubs.
Gerrard to play for Liverpool Legends
Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard will pull on a Reds shirt again – for the club’s Legends’ side in January.
The 35-year-old midfielder, currently on a post-season break from Major League Soccer with Los Angeles Galaxy, has spoken with manager Juergen Klopp about training at Melwood while he is back on Merseyside.
However, he will be playing for the club at the Sydney ANZ on January 7 alongside former team-mates Jamie Carragher, Dietmar Hamann and John Arne Riise – managed by former manager Gerard Houllier – against a team of Australian counterparts.
“It will be great to play with the official Liverpool FC Legends in Australia,” Gerrard told liverpoolfc.com yesterday.
FIFA seeking life ban for Platini
Michel Platini could face a life ban from the sport if recommendations from FIFA ethics investigators are followed.
FIFA’s ethics committee has completed an inquiry into accusations of corruption against Platini and FIFA president Sepp Blatter
A media consultant representing Platini’s lawyer Thibaud d’Ales said ethics committee official Vanessa Allard had recommended a life ban for the Frenchman, who is head of UEFA.
“I can confirm that she is proposing to the ethics committee a ban for life,” the consultant told Reuters.”
France to keep fan zones at Euro 2016
France plans to maintain public areas for thousands of supporters to watch games on big screens at the Euro Championship next year despite security fears following the Paris attacks.
Interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve said after a briefing yesterday that security would be reinforced but “the popular dimension of this competition should not be penalised by the current context.”
Sports minister Patrick Kanner said that with retention of the so-called fan zones “we want to tell the French people and foreigners that everything is under control.”
In Paris, the zone is expected to have a 120,000 capacity and situated on the Champs de Mars, below the Eiffel Tower.