Former Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs said in an interview that the most difficult defender he ever faced in Europe was Javier Zanetti, of Inter.

“Without a doubt the toughest defender I ever faced in the Champions League was Javier Zanetti,” Giggs said.

“Zanetti had everything… he was fast, strong, intelligent and also liked to get forward.

“I always used to feel like I could make things happen against any defender, but he always made it very difficult.”

At present, Zanetti is one of Inter’s vice-presidents.

Moussa Sissoko in elbowing incident

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Moussa Sissoko could face a retrospective ban by the English FA for elbowing Bournemouth’s Harry Arter, the BBC said.

Sissoko caught Arter in the second half of Saturday’s 0-0 draw, apologising to the Cherries midfielder afterwards.

“He said it was an accident and I’m happy to take that,” Arter said after the match.

Referee Craig Pawson did not punish Spurs substitute Sissoko following the incident, which sparked an angry reaction from Ireland international Arter.

Shirt auction

Sky Bet, the title sponsor of the English Football League, has announced a total of £104,964 raised for the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal through its 2015 Poppy Shirt Auction.

Clubs from the Championship donated their match-worn, signed shirts to the auction.

The most expensive shirt was worn by Leeds United’s Alex Mowatt in their win over local rivals Huddersfield Town, which raised £2,000.

Shirts from Middlesbrough made the most of any club, with the 32 shirts on offer selling for a combined £7,874.

Dortmund chief blasts Ceferin

Borussia Dortmund’s general manager Hans-Joachim Watzke has criticised new UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin’s suggestion that the Champions League final could be staged outside Europe.

Ceferin said last week that New York could host European football’s most prestigious club fixture, backing up the suggestion by stating that it is no further to the USA’s east coast than it is from Azerbaijan to Portugal.

However, Watzke hopes the Slovenian was not being serious.

“For us to go to the USA or Asia for friendly games is okay, but you just try suggesting to the Americans that the Super Bowl should be staged in Frankfurt,” he said.

“(Ceferin) should first get himself up to speed with UEFA’s business. For such suggestions to come after just a few weeks (as president) makes me go crazy.”

Gerrard always welcome – Klopp

Liverpool boss Juergen Klopp has stressed Steven Gerrard is “always welcome” at the club after the midfielder posted a possible farewell message to the Los Angeles Galaxy online.

Gerrard’s contract with the Californian franchise will end after the current MLS season – in which the Galaxy are bound for the play-offs.

Klopp said: “Steven Gerrard is always so welcome at Liverpool FC. You cannot imagine how welcome.

“Nobody should worry that we have no space for Steven Gerrard. No – everything will be fine, 100 per cent.”

Ex-England captain Gerrard made the move to Los Angeles in 2015 from Liverpool having played 710 times for the Merseyside club.

Ancelotti purrs after Bayern win

Bayern Munich coach Carlo Ancelotti claimed his side had delivered their best half of the season on their way to beating Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-0 on Saturday.

Goals from Arturo Vidal and Douglas Costa did the damage inside the first 45 minutes, which the Italian said were the best he had seen since taking charge of the defending Bundesliga champions in the summer.

“It was a really good performance with high intensity – the best half of the season,” Ancelotti said.

“The second half wasn’t as good as the first, but we still had good control and a good balance and defended well.”

Sunderland match unwanted milestone

Sunderland became the first top-flight club in more than 100 years to fail to register a win in any of their first nine league games in two successive seasons when they suffered a 1-0 defeat by West Ham United on Saturday.

Winston Reid’s goal deep into stoppage time was the latest blow for David Moyes’s side who have managed just two draws from their opening nine matches.

Bury, in 1906, were the last club to suffer two such dreadful starts to a top-flight season.

Sunderland can take heart in the fact that Bury escaped relegation.

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