Defender Gael Clichy is set to leave Manchester City when his contract expires next month after six years at the Premier League club, the 31-year-old Frenchman said at an event yesterday.
Clichy, who joined City from Arsenal in 2011, made 39 appearances for the Manchester side this season as they secured a third-placed league finish. He has made a total of 203 appearances for City, winning two league titles.
“It’s hard. I’m not sure whether or not Joe will be here next season, and I won’t be here next season,” Clichy said when asked if he would ever play with former City team mate Joe Hart again, during a Q&A session.
Gabigol sorry for storming off
Inter forward Gabriel Barbosa has apologised for storming off the substitutes’ bench when he realised he was not going to be used during Sunday’s Serie A match at Lazio.
The 20-year-old Brazilian has had a frustrating first season at Inter, making just nine appearances, all as a substitute.
“Inter supporters and team-mates, during yesterday’s game I suddenly adopted a thoughtless and inadequate attitude by leaving the pitch before the end of the game,” he said on his Facebook page.
“I recognise my mistake and would like to register my sincere apologies to all the Inter fans who always supported me and to my team mates.”
Cuadrado joins Juve permanently
Juventus have signed winger Juan Cuadrado from Chelsea on a three-year contract for €20 million after the Colombia international’s two seasons at the club on loan, the Italian champions said yesterday.
The 28-year-old has made 83 appearances for Juve, who have activated a clause to buy the Colombian after he failed to secure a regular starting spot at Chelsea following his £23.3m move from Fiorentina.
“The permanent transfer fee of €20 million is to be paid in three annual instalments starting from the 2017/2018 financial year,” Juve said.
Villar re-elected RFEF chief
Angel Maria Villar was re-elected as the Spanish Football Federation’s (RFEF) president for the eighth consecutive time after he stood unopposed.
The term of office for the 67-year-old, who got 112 votes with 11 abstentions and six spoiled ballots, will run until 2020, with Villar having been first elected in 1988.
The former Athletic Bilbao and Spain midfielder has presided over the most successful era in the history of the Spanish national team, who won successive European Championships in 2008 and 2012 and their first World Cup in 2010.
Griezman hints at United move
Atletico Madrid star striker Antoine Griezmann has said there is a “six out of 10” chance of him joining Man. United this summer.
The France international has been consistently linked with a move to Old Trafford in recent months and it now seems there could be some substance to the speculation.
Griezmann, 26, made the admission as a guest on the French TV programme Quotidien. Asked about the plausibility of a move to United, Griezmann agreed it was “possible”.
When pressed further and asked the probability on a scale of one to 10, Griezmann said: “Six.”
He was then asked if he understood what he was saying, and replied: “Yes. But I should know more in the next two weeks,” he said.
Koscielny to miss FA Cup final
Arsenal’s Laurent Koscielny is to serve a three-match suspension after his appeal against his sending-off in Sunday’s win over Everton was dismissed by the Football Association.
The 31-year-old received a straight red card for his reckless first-half challenge on Enner Valencia and will therefore miss Saturday’s FA Cup final against Chelsea and the first two domestic fixtures of next season.
Arsenal beat Everton 3-1 despite his dismissal, but his confirmed absence is a further disappointment for manager Arsene Wenger, who also has fitness concerns over defenders Gabriel Paulista and Shkodran Mustafi.