Hoffenheim have appointed Huub Stevens as their new coach after parting company with Markus Gisdol yesterday.
Gisdol paid the price for his side’s poor start to the season, with a 1-0 defeat to Hamburg seeing them slip into the bottom two in the table with six points from their first 10 matches.
Stevens, who is currently on the board at Bundesliga rivals Schalke, was contacted over the weekend after Hoffenheim de-cided he was the right man to save the club from relegation.
Deulofeu still adapting – Martinez
Everton manager Roberto Martinez has launched a staunch defence of forward Gerard Deulofeu after the striker was roundly booed by Arsenal fans for appearing to dive during the Merseyside club’s 2-1 defeat by the Gunners on Saturday.
Deulofeu fell to the ground theatrically after a challenge by Nacho Monreal towards the end of the first half at the Emirates Stadium, but escaped a booking for simulation.
“Gerard is a young man who needs to understand the culture of the British game,” Martinez said.
“I don’t think he was disrespectful in any way.”
Cruyff thanks emotional support
Johan Cruyff says the outpouring of support since he confirmed he was suffering from lung cancer have been emotional.
“I’m enormously proud of the appreciation that has been evident from all the reaction to the news,” the Netherlands’ most famous footballer said.
He cited the orchestrated applause for him in the 14th minute of matches across the Dutch league last weekend while at his old club Barcelona players wore special t-shirts ahead of Sunday’s league game against Eibar, bearing the words ‘Anims Johan’ – Catalan for ‘Get well soon Johan’.
Cruyff famously wore the No. 14 jersey throughout his colourful career with Ajax , Barcelona, Feyenoord and the Dutch national team.
Alcaraz sacked
Levante have sacked coach Lucas Alcaraz after Sunday’s 4-0 defeat at home to Real Sociedad left the Valencia-based club bottom of La Liga with only one win from nine matches.
Levante president Kiko Catalan said an announcement would be made in the coming days on a successor.
Alcaraz is the second coach to be dismissed in Spain’s top flight this season after Las Palmas, who like Levante have only six points from nine games, sacked Paco Herrera last week.
Levante have outperformed for a club with limited resources in recent years and finished sixth in 2011-12 and qualified for the Europa League.
Ranieri delivers on pizza promise
Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri will deliver on his vow to buy pizza for the squad after they kept their first clean sheet of the season in beating Crystal Palace 1-0 at the weekend.
Jamie Vardy scored for the seventh league game in a row on Saturday as fifth-placed Leicester gave Ranieri a belated gift 72 hours after his 64th birthday.
The Italian, appointed in July, cracked open some champagne in honour of the occasion.
“Champagne and pizza is good,” Ranieri told reporters.
“I’m very happy. I’m pleased with our attention and also in the last 10 minutes we showed our true character, our fitness, everything.
“I (will) ask them when they want to eat pizza,” he added of the promise he made last month.
“It’s carbohydrate, good for the muscles.”
Arsenal fined over Chambers deal
Arsenal have been fined £60,000 and warned about their future conduct for breaching agent regulations when signing Calum Chambers from Southampton in July 2014.
The FA said that authorised agent Alan Middleton and unlicensed agent Philip Ercolano were both involved in the deal.
The transfer fee was undisclosed by the clubs but media reports at the time put it at £15 million for defender Chambers who now has three caps for England .
“Alan Middleton has also been warned as to his future conduct and sanctioned for breaching the FA’s football agent regulations in relation to the same matter,” the FA added.
Middleton has been fined £30,000 and given a suspended ban of three months.
Newcastle appeal captain’s red card
Newcastle United have lodged an appeal against the red card shown to captain Fabricio Coloccini during their 3-0 Premier League defeat by Sunderland.
Sunderland chalked up their first win of the season at the expense of their local rivals after referee Robert Madley awarded a penalty just before half-time and showed Coloccini a red card for denying Steven Fletcher a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Newcastle manager Steve McClaren said after the game that the penalty was ‘absolutely ridiculous’.