Manager Mark Warburton has signed a new contract with Rangers that will keep him at the club until 2019.
Warburton became the first Englishman to take charge of Rangers when he was hired in June last year and helped the club return to the top-flight after four years in the lower division.
“I have said this many times since moving to Glasgow but it really is a huge honour and privilege to be manager of Rangers,” Warburton told reporters.
The news will provide a boost for supporters just days before Rangers’ new season kicks off with a Betfred Cup clash at Motherwell on Saturday.
Lazio want FIFA to sanction Bielsa
Lazio want FIFA to intervene and impose sanctions on Marcelo Bielsa should he accept to be-come the next Argentina coach.
Having signed a contract to become the new Lazio coach, Bielsa made an unexpected reverse last week when he resigned from his post with ru-mours rife that he had accepted to coach Argentina.
Lazio lawyer Gian Michele Gentile said: “It’s the only explanation for Bielsa’s behaviour in giving up €3m per year.
“So, we’ll ask the FIGC to take action with the governing bodies at FIFA, because the Argentina FA, knowing there was a contract, prompted Bielsa to break that deal.”
Right-back Reid joins Swansea City
Swansea City have announced the signing of defender Tyler Reid from Manchester United for an undisclosed fee.
Reid, 18, has agreed a three-year deal and is set to link up with the club’s development squad ahead of their pre-season tour to Scotland later this month.
Right-back Reid joined United from Arsenal’s youth ranks in 2012, but did not feature for the first team.
He said: “I see a good opportunity to play first-team football with the development squad here at Swansea City.”
Bayern Munich rule Costa out of Rio
Bayern Munich’s pacey Brazilian winger Douglas Costa has withdrawn from the Rio Olympics due to injury.
Costa had been chosen along with Barcelona’s Neymar among the over-age players in Brazil’s squad for the first summer Games in South America.
Bayern said that an injury to Costa’s left thigh had not healed and they had told the Brazilian football federation that the player could not be released.
“I greatly regret this,” said Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.
“We wanted Douglas to contest the Olympic Games in his home country, but the player’s health and fitness takes priority.”
Bruce ‘flattered’ after England link
Hull City boss Steve Bruce has said he is flattered to be linked with the vacant England manager’s job.
“It’s highly flattering and I’m honoured to be linked with it,” Bruce, who led Hull back into the Premier League after one season in the Championship said.
“Whether or not it goes any further than that... it’s the pinnacle isn’t it? To manage your country, there’s no bigger job.
“It’s all speculation. There’s a lot of people who have written nice things and I’m grateful for that.”
The names of US manager Juergen Klinsmann and Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce are also doing the rounds for the job.
Allardyce’s patience
Sunderland manager Sam Allar-dyce is losing patience over the unrealistic demands in the current transfer market with his team yet to announce a new signing in the close season.
Sunderland were on the verge of signing left-back Davide Santon from Inter last week, only for negotiations to break down.
“We need two, three or four players as quickly as we possibly can. It’s been a huge demand on all our resources trying to find those players,” Allardyce said.
“I have to admit that my patience is wearing thin but we have to keep striving to bring in those three or four players as quickly as possible.”
West Ham pin £50m price tag on Payet
Dimitri Payet is worth not a penny less that £50 million, West Ham United co-chairman David Gold has said.
Payet, who joined West Ham from Marseille in June last year, scored 12 goals in all competitions in his debut season in England and was instrumental in helping France reach the European Championship final.
His performances for club and country have prompted speculation about a possible move to Chelsea, Manchester City or Paris St Germain, but Gold said West Ham United would be reluctant sellers.
“We wouldn’t even listen to any offer under £50 million and even then we need to keep our best players so we just don’t welcome any offers at all for Dimitri Payet,” Gold said.