Roberto de Zerbi will conduct his first training session at Serie A club Palermo today after taking over from Davide Ballardini who resigned on Saturday just two matches into the new season.
Palermo endured a turbulent 2015-16 campaign, just managing to avoid the drop to Serie B after changing coach no fewer than eight times.
Reports said that Ballardini quit Palermo in protest at the lack of transfer activity.
De Zerbi, 37, left Lega Pro side Foggia in summer.
Fonte ‘committed’ to Southampton
Jose Fonte has released a statement saying he is committed to Southampton.
The Saints captain was linked with a move away from St Mary’s this summer after an impressive Euro 2016 with Portugal.
Manchester United were one of the clubs reported to be interested in the 32-year-old but Fonte reiterated his commitment to the south coast club.
His statement read: “To make it perfectly clear to everyone that might have some difficulty understanding... I am a South-ampton player, and proudly have been since 2010.
“Once I step on the pitch I give my blood, sweat and tears for the club and will always will no matter what you read or think.”
Keeper Hart’s move deemed ‘brave’
Ian Rush believes Joe Hart’s move abroad was a ‘brave’ decision.
England goalkeeper Hart joined Torino on deadline day after his playing opportunities became limited under new Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.
Rush knows Turin well as he spent one season at Torino’s city rivals Juventus in the late 1980s.
“I don’t like people who are happy being there for the sake of it,” Rush said of the situation Hart found himself at City.
“It is a brave move for him, but it is one where he wants to play and hopefully he will do okay.”
Rush struggled to adapt to life in Italy when he joined Juve.
He scored only seven goals in 29 league appearances before returning to Liverpool in 1988.
Nationality probe
United Arab Emirates club Al Nasr are backing their Brazil-born forward Santos Monteiro Junior Wanderley after he was provisionally suspended by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) pending an investigation into his nationality.
The 27-year-old was banned for 60 days by the AFC after Indo-nesian authorities said his passport was forged or falsified.
The AFC said Wanderley had registered in the Asian Champions League as an ‘Asian player’.
“It was a surprise for us and I really don’t know how his absence is going to impact us,” Al Nasr coach Ivan Jovanovic said.
Contract talks will resume – Ozil
Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil says contract extension talks will resume after initial discussions in the summer. The Germany international is tied down to the club until 2018.
“We have had discussions, but they were suspended for the Euro Championship,” Ozil said.
“I wanted to focus at this time only on the national team. Now we look to continue with the negotiations.”
Pressed on his future after Arsenal, Ozil admits that moving to the MLS later in his career could be an option.
“In football, you can never say never. Eventually (moving to MLS) could be an option. I have fun everywhere. My fans know that I like to spend my vacation in Los Angeles, because the city inspires me.”
Ivory Coast through
Holders Ivory Coast booked their place in next year’s African Nations Cup finals as Jonathan Kodija scored a spectacular goal to secure a draw against Sierra Leone in Bouake on Saturday.
Kodija, who signed for Aston Villa last week before taking his place in the starting line-up for the African champions, netted the first goal in a 1-1 draw for the Ivorians, who needed a point to book their place in the finals.
They had a nervy passage, however, as Kei Kamara equalised and had a header cleared off the line by Eric Bailly with the last touch of the game.
Honda berates his Japan team-mates
Japan midfielder Keisuke Honda has berated his younger team-mates after their shock loss to UAE and demanded more effort from them in their next World Cup qualifier against Thailand tomorrow.
Japan lost 2-1 at home to UAE in their Group B opener last week and defeat in Bangkok would be another serious setback to their hopes of advancing from a section that includes heavyweights Australia and Saudi Arabia.
“A surprising number of players watch and read the news so they know what I say,” Honda, who plays for Milan, said.
“I don’t think they are going to change straight away, but maybe become aware of the fact that they have to make more of an effort against Thailand.”