Aldo van der Laan has resigned as president of Twente Enschede amid accusations the club breached the Dutch football association’s (KNVB) rules and risk losing their operating licence.
Cash-strapped Twente confirmed the resignation in a statement yesterday.
“The interests of the club have always been paramount and these are now under threat. The continuing doubts are damaging FC Twente,” the statement said.
Dutch media had earlier re-ported that leaked documents from Twente suggested the club had entered into an agreement with an investment company that contravened KNVB rules.
Balotelli speeds up his recovery
Milan striker Mario Balotelli is expected to return to action quicker than anticipated according to reports yesterday.
TuttoSport said the Italy international, who underwent surgery to correct a hip flexor problem earlier this month and was targeting a comeback after the new year, will now be available before Christmas.
The report said the surgery went well and Balotelli could now be available for the Serie A match against Frosinone on December 20.
Gerrard rules out loan return
Steven Gerrard will return to former club Liverpool to train next week but has ruled out returning to Anfield in a playing capacity.
Gerrard, who plays in the United States with the LA Galaxy, met manager Juergen Klopp earlier this month and the German invited him to train with the first team during the Major League Soccer (MLS) close season.
“I’m going to go in next week, for a couple of weeks, and work with Mr Klopp.
“I’m really looking forward to that, to see what he’s about and try and learn a few things off him,” the 35-year-old said in his role as a pundit on BT Sport on Tuesday night.
Suspected match-fixer freed
Singapore’s Court of Appeal yesterday freed Dan Tan Seet Eng, named by the Interpol as “the leader of the world’s most notorious match-fixing syndicate”, saying his detention without trial was unlawful.
Interpol lauded Singaporean authorities when they arrested the businessman in 2013, saying he was the “mastermind” of the world’s largest and most aggressive football match-fixing syndicate.
Tan, 51, has been detained since October 2013 under a law that allows Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs to detain without trial up to a year a person who has been associated with activities of a criminal nature if the ministry deems it necessary.
Mourinho, Costa make up after row
Jose Mourinho said he and striker Diego Costa have made up with “kisses and cuddles” after their half-time row in Chelsea’s 4-0 win over Maccabi Tel Aviv on Tuesday.
The pair appeared to be engaged in an angry exchange of views as they headed towards the players’ tunnel at half-time.
Mourinho took issue with Costa’s lack of movement in the first half but the Spain international went on to finish the match.
“With Diego I wanted him to do a certain movement that he didn’t and I was disappointed and reacted and he reacted too, but at half-time in the dressing room there were a few kisses and cuddles,” Mourinho said.
Bruges vs Napoli behind closed doors
Belgian side Club Bruges will play today’s Europa League match against Napoli behind closed doors following the threat of a possible Paris-style attack in Belgium.
Capital Brussels has been on maximum alert since Saturday, meaning the threat of an attack is “imminent”, while the rest of the country is one level from the top, implying a “possible and probable” threat.
Club Bruges said on its website that the city’s mayor had taken the decision to bar all supporters, saying security could not be guaranteed at the match, with local police already stretched and federal police drawn to Brussels due to the security situation.
Dynamo punished after racist attacks
Dynamo Kiev have been ordered to play their next two home European games behind closed doors following racist behaviour and crowd disturbances caused by their fans when they hosted Chelsea last month.
The Ukrainian champions were also fined €100,000 for the incidents in the Champions League Group G game by UEFA’s disciplinary panel.
If there is a repeat in the next three years, they will have to play a third game without supporters, UEFA said.
UEFA said the sanctions were handed down for racist behaviour, crowd disturbances and blocked stairways during the match on Oct. 20, which ended 0-0 at the Olympiyskiy Stadium.