Aston Villa are hopeful of appointing Roberto Di Matteo as their new boss by the end of the week.
The club have been in talks with the Italian and he is close to becoming their fourth manager in just over 16 months, reports said yesterday.
There are still minor issues to resolve and the deal has not been finalised but Di Matteo is expected to be the man to try to guide Aston Villa back into the Premier League.
Di Matteo has been out of work since leaving Germany’s Schalke last summer.
Argentina not quitting the Copa
Argentina’s FA (AFA) has dispelled fears it might withdraw the national team from this month’s Copa America after the organisation came under judicial scrutiny over television revenue.
Judge Maria Servini de Cubria ordered on Monday that a lawyer be installed at the AFA for three months to look at alleged irregularities in its management of match broadcasting funds.
The order met with resistance from board members who threatened to withdraw Argen-tina from the Copa that kicks off on Friday. However, AFA chief Luis Segura denied the team would be flown home.
“There is no possibility of the national team returning from the United States,” he said.
“There is no possibility the football will stop.”
Lucas Moura joins Brazil’s squad
Paris SG midfielder Lucas Moura has been drafted into Brazil’s Copa America squad to replace Barcelona’s Rafinha.
Goalkeeper Marcelo Grohe, of Gremio, was also called up to replace Benfica’s Ederson.
The CBF said both the departing players were injured but did not give more details.
Brazil open their Copa campaign against Ecuador on Saturday night in the Rose Bowl and will also face Peru and Haiti in group play.
Alan Pulido in-law masterminded crime
The cousin-in-law of Alan Pulido has been detained for his role in allegedly masterminding the kidnapping of the Mexican player, authorities in Mexico said.
Pulido, a Mexico striker, was kidnapped after leaving a party on Saturday night, but managed to escape by punching a guard, snatching a cell phone, and calling for help from the house where he was held in Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas.
Police had already detained a captor, one of at least four involved, who belonged to a criminal gang.
But yesterday local officials said they had nabbed 29-year-old Osvaldo Velazquez Garcia, the mastermind of the crime and husband of Pulido’s cousin.
Griffiths completes awards clean sweep
Leigh Griffiths has completed a clean sweep of personal awards after being named Scottish Premiership player of the year.
The Celtic frontman became the first Parkhead striker to net 40 goals in a campaign since Henrik Larsson when he topped the scoring charts.
He now adds the league sponsor’s prize to the awards handed out by his club, PFA Scotland and the Scottish Football Writers’ Association.
Paulo Fonseca takes over at Shakhtar
Shakhtar Donetsk have appointed Portuguese Paulo Fonseca as coach following the resignation of Mircea Lucescu earlier this month after the Romanian had spent 12 years in charge.
Former Porto boss Fonseca, 43, has signed a two-year deal, the Ukrainian club announced in a statement.
“I am very excited,” he said.
“We need to discuss our goals and become united from the very beginning. I know we cannot play in Donetsk now but I am looking forward to going back to our beautiful stadium.”
Shakhtar have been forced to play their home games in Lviv, in the west of Ukraine, since pro-Russian fighters raised an insurrection in eastern Ukraine, including the Donetsk region, in 2014.
Lukaku rates himself among world’s best
Everton’s Romelu Lukaku has described himself as one of the most gifted strikers in world football after scoring 25 goals in all competitions for his Premier League club last season.
“I’m among the best. That’s good. I am happy,” Lukaku said.
“I did expect to produce a season of this calibre.”
The 23-year-old is part of Belgium’s squad for Euro 2016, where his team play Italy, Ireland and Sweden in Group E.
Lukaku, who may face club mates Seamus Coleman, Aiden McGeady and James McCarthy when Belgium play Ireland on June 18, said the prospect of going head-to-head with them at the Euros had been part of the dressing room banter at the club.
“They are happy to be going to France and warn me that they are going to make life difficult for us.
“I jokingly reply that we won’t be easy meat,” the Belgian said.