Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo does not believe Chelsea will allow Diego Costa to move to China this summer.
Spanish radio station Cadena Ser claimed earlier this week that Chinese Super League club Tianjin Quanjian had reached a pre-contract agreement with Costa that would see them pay the forward €30 million a year.
The 28-year-old, who is under contract until June 2019, denied those reports and stated his commitment to Chelsea.
Cerezo told Cadena Cope radio: “It has been a while since I spoke to him. He is at a great club.
“They (media) say he will go to China, but Chelsea will not allow him to leave.”
Cahill apologises for outburst
Melbourne City forward Tim Cahill has apologised for his outburst in Saturday’s A-League derby against city rivals Victory that earned him a red card while he was waiting to take the field as a late substitute.
The 37-year-old Australia forward was given his marching orders for dissent after he protested about a late Manny Muscat own goal that gave Victory a 2-1 win over City.
“I sincerely apologise to (referee) Chris Beath for my reaction,” Cahill said.
“My behaviour also hurt the game so I also apologise to my team, to Melbourne Victory and to all the fans at the game.”
Man. United freeze season tickets price
Man. United have announced that season tickets will be frozen for a sixth successive year.
Season tickets for the 2017/18 season will start from £532 for adults following the seventh price freeze in eight years.
United have frozen match tickets and introduced additional reductions for young season ticket holders, as well as scrapping booking fees from next season.
Manchester United’s group managing director Richard Arnold said: “The price freeze, and in some cases reductions, ensures that our loyal, long standing fans can continue to support the team.”
Pescara president suffers arson attack
Pescara president Daniele Sebastiani is determined to leave the Serie A club after he was the victim of an arson attack at his house.
The Serie A strugglers are currently bottom of the Serie A standings after Sunday’s heavy 6-2 defeat to Lazio at home.
The club fans made their feelings felt on Sunday and the situation worsened late in the night when two people set fire to two cars parked outside Sebastiani’s home.
“I’m gutted, outraged,” Sebastiani fumed.
“The situation is completely unacceptable and at the end of the year I’ll leave the club.”
Montella expects more from Deulofeu
Milan coach Vincenzo Montella believes that winger Gerard Deulofeu can play much better after making three appearances for the Rossoneri.
The Spaniard joined Milan during last month’s transfer window on loan from Everton and has yet to open his goalscoring account or provide assists.
“He clearly has quality,” Montella told Milan TV.
“He needs to grow in terms of being consistent during the game and he needs to be more decisive.
“He can do a lot better, and I’m convinced he will do a lot better.”
Grindel calls for action after attacks
German FA (DFB) president Reinhard Grindel has said the attacks on Leipzig supporters before their game at Borussia Dortmund on Saturday must be the trigger to change the culture of violence within the German game.
Ten Leipzig supporters and four police officers were injured when a group of Dortmund fans attacked them with eggs, stones, bottles and fireworks outside the Westfalenstadion.
Grindel said: “It’s important now to have a debate resulting in a joint stance against any form of violence.
“We need public prosecutors to prosecute the perpetrators and ensure that they are given sentences quickly and commensurate to their actions.”
Campbell reckons Arsenal lack leaders
Former Arsenal defender Sol Campbell says the Gunners need more leaders on the pitch if they want to win another league title.
Campbell is the latest to question the mental toughness of Arsene Wenger’s side following Saturday’s 3-1 loss at Chelsea, which left them 12 points behind the league leaders.
And the ex-England international, who was part of Arsenal’s 2003-04 “Invincibles” side, said the current team do not have enough big characters on the pitch to adjust to setbacks.
“The guys who will say something on the pitch, you don’t need one, you need almost four or five saying their stuff if things are not going right,” Campbell said.
“I don’t know what’s happening now, but when I was there we used to police it ourselves. We had the characters to police it ourselves.”