Atletico Madrid’s new stadium will be sponsored by Chinese property company Dalian Wanda Group and will be called the Wanda Metropolitano stadium, club president Enrique Cerezo said.
Atletico will move from the Vicente Calderon, their home for the last 50 years, to the new 67,000 capacity ground located to the north east of the Spanish capital in August, 2017.
Wanda has had ties with Atletico since January 2015 when they acquired 20 per cent of the club’s shares and began sponsoring the training ground.
Palace aim to sign new defender
Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew will be looking for defensive reinforcements in the January transfer window and could also bring in another striker as cover for the injured Connor Wickham.
Wickham is out for the season after undergoing surgery to repair his cruciate knee ligament.
“We need to do something in this window, a lot of teams will move,” Pardew said.
“It’s so tight from eighth down. We need to stay with the pack. A left-footed defender would be important this window, but it’s not easy to get one.”
Bournemouth start search for a venue
Bournemouth are to start looking for a site to build a new stadium.
Chief executive Neill Blake issued a statement yesterday confirming the club board had taken the decision following on-going discussions over plans to develop the 11,464-capacity Vitality Stadium.
The Cherries won three promotions in six seasons to rise from League Two into the top flight of English football for the first time under manager Eddie Howe in 2015 before then retaining their Premier League status.
A club statement read: “The shareholders want to create a legacy of AFC Bournemouth becoming an established Premier League club in a stadium which is befitting of our status.”
Eintracht extend Kovac’s contract
Eintracht Frankfurt have ex-tended the contract of their coach Niko Kovac and his deputy and brother Robert till 2019.
The Kovac brothers joined the German club in March, following Armin Veh’s sacking, and saved them from relegation in the play-off matches.
“The contracts of the manager and his brother, which were about to expire at the end of this season, have been extended until June 30, 2019,” the club said in a statement.
“We always emphasized that we are very happy in Frankfurt and at Eintracht. The team has great potential and we will give everything to further improve the club,” Niko said.
Zamora announces his retirement
Former Brighton striker Bobby Zamora has announced his retirement from football.
Zamora, 35, has been without a club since his release by the Seagulls at the end of the 2015-16 season. He has succumbed to a niggling hip problem that required surgery.
Zamora said: “I think so, yes (his football career is over). It was a frustrating time last year. My hip decided to let me down at the final hurdle.”
Zamora, who also played for Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham, Fulham and QPR, scored 84 goals in 156 matches in two spells with Brighton. He earned two caps for England.
Stoke keen to sign Grant permanently
Stoke City are speaking to Derby County about a permanent deal for on-loan goalkeeper Lee Grant, Potters boss Mark Hughes has confirmed.
Grant has excelled since moving to the bet365 Stadium at the end of the summer transfer window, going from third in line at Derby to first choice in the Premier League.
It had been widely anticipated that Stoke would try to turn his half-season loan into a long-term deal following his impressive performances since taking over from veteran keeper Shay Given in covering for the injured Jack Butland.
Hughes said: “We would like him to stay. He’s done exceptionally well, we are delighted he’s been able to do that.
“I think, as we speak, we are talking to Derby and we would like something to happen.”
Blatter laments
Disgraced former FIFA president Sepp Blatter says successor Gianni Infantino has shown him no respect by failing to return his phone calls.
Blatter told the BBC’s World Football programme that he has met up with fellow Swiss Infantino to discuss “questions that should be solved” at FIFA.
“After his election we had a very good contact,” said Blatter.
“But he never came back. I have asked him, I have sent him a letter and I have his personal number and I was told that it’s still correct.
“I have never seen in any company that the new president was not paying respect to the old president.”