Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino is reported to have agreed with a fans’ advertising campaign urging him to sell his majority stake in the club.
A supporters’ group launched its campaign this week by funding a poster installed on advertising hoardings outside Elland Road’s East Stand calling for the Italian to go.
Cellino is currently in Italy but when asked for his comments on the poster by BBC Radio Leeds reporter Adam Pope, the 59-year-old is reported to have texted back: “I agree !!!”
The poster features a cartoon image of Cellino under the heading ‘Time to go Massimo’ with various quotes from the former Cagliari owner underneath.
Guidolin wants Swans to defend
Swansea must learn the Italian art of defending to continue their climb up the Premier League table, says head coach Francesco Guidolin.
The Swans are unbeaten in Guidolin’s three games in charge but he admits to a sense of frustration over his first few weeks at the Liberty Stadium.
“Defending set-pieces is not a situation that’s easy to improve, but the most important thing is to have attention and be focused,” Guidolin said.
“It’s not a question of power. Many players in Italy are not strong, but they are clever, intelligent and focused on marking.
“Here it’s more difficult be-cause many teams have many big players, but the focus is the most important thing.”
Midfielder Oscar commits to Chelsea
Chelsea midfielder Oscar has said that he has no reason to leave the club and was keen to add to his trophy haul with the Premier League champions.
“I want to stay here for a long time. I want to win more games, more trophies, because I love Chelsea, I love the fans,” the Brazil international, whose contract runs through to the end of the 2019 season, told Chelsea TV.
“I don’t have (a reason to) change my football club. Everyone likes me here and I’m very happy here.”
Cannavaro sacked
Italian World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro has been sacked as manager of Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr after a four-month spell in charge, the Asian Football Confederation said.
Cannavaro’s final game was Thursday’s 4-3 loss to Najran that left the defending champions well off the pace in sixth place in the table with 10 games remaining.
The former defender, who led Italy to World Cup success in 2006 and played for Juventus and Real Madrid, only managed six wins in his 14 games in charge of the Saudi side, who kick off their Asian Champions League campaign later this month.
Benzema admits to lying – report
Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has admitted to lying to fellow France international Mathieu Valbuena over a sex video at the centre of an alleged blackmailing attempt, Le Parisien reported yesterday.
The French daily quoted extracts from Benzema’s hearing with a judge on January 28 in which the player reportedly said he did not watch Valbuena’s sex tape after telling the Lyon forward that he did.
“I should have told him I had not seen it,” Benzema was quoted as telling the judge.
“I was showing off, I was acting... it’s like when you describe a movie you have not seen. I have never seen that video.”
WBA’s Pulis backs £10 away tickets
West Brom manager Tony Pulis wants the price of Premier League away tickets to be fixed at £10 as a measure to combat rising matchday costs for fans that he believes could kill the atmosphere within stadiums.
“I’d love away supporters to only pay £10 a ticket: whatever ground you go to. You can give 5,000-6,000 tickets to the away support, they’d sell them and we’d get back to the atmospheres we used to have,” Pulis said.
“Clubs are getting enough money to subsidise and help the public. We’ve got to make sure we’re not milking, milking and milking. We’ve got to give something back.”
Wanyama avoids Southampton fine
Southampton manager Ronald Koeman did not punish Victor Wanyama despite picking up a third red card of the season last weekend.
The 24-year-old will miss today’s trip to Swansea after being shown a straight red card for a challenge on West Ham’s Dimitri Payet.
Wanyama will miss a further four matches as it was his third sending off this season but Koeman believes the midfielder was unlucky to be dismissed this time.
“We did (discipline him) after the second yellow card (in the 1-0 defeat to Norwich in January) but we did not this time,” he said.
“I think Victor was a little bit unlucky because his intention really was to play the ball.
“He missed the ball and the referee took a hard decision.”