Bundesliga’s bottom side Darmstadt have completed the signing of Germany defender Kevin Grosskreutz for next season until June 2019.
The 28-year-old former Borussia Dortmund right-back joins the Lilies after leaving Stuttgart last month and boasts 23 goals from 186 German top-flight appearances during his career, as well as winning the 2014 World Cup.
Darmstadt are strong candidates for relegation this season after claiming just two wins from their last 20 league matches which has left them stranded at the bottom and 14 points from safety with six matches remaining.
Bortoluzzi given Palermo reins
Palermo’s sporting director Nicola Salerno has resigned and coach Diego Lopez has been sacked, president Paul Baccaglini has announced.
Baccaglini released a statement confirming the Serie A strugglers had “received and accepted” Salerno’s resignation and revealed academy coach Diego Bortoluzzi will take over from Lopez until the end of the season.
Palermo have picked up just one point from their last eight games and sit second from bottom in the table, eight points adrift of Empoli in 17th.
Neymar banned for Clasico
Barcelona star Neymar will miss the Clasico after receiving a three-match ban following his red card against Malaga, dealing a big blow to the Catalans who lie three points behind Real Madrid having played a game more than their rivals.
The Brazilian forward was dismissed for two yellow cards against the Andalusians on Saturday, earning an automatic one-match suspension, but his punishment was increased because he sarcastically applauded the fourth official as he walked down the tunnel.
The three-match suspension rules him out of the game against Real Sociedad on April 15, the Clasico against Real Madrid on April 23 and Barcelona’s home game against Osasuna on April 26.
Players did not kill me – Ranieri
Claudio Ranieri does not believe Leicester City’s players conspired to get him the sack as manager, he said, reflecting publicly for the first time on his controversial dismissal in February.
“I cannot believe that my players killed me. No, no, no,” Ranieri told Sky Sports in his first major interview since Leicester’s board sacked him and brought in his assistant Craig Shakespeare.
Instead of player power being behind his dismissal, Ranieri felt that other problems might have been responsible for the team’s slump, including the distractions of new-found fame and fortune.
Ranieri, 65, said: “The players maybe didn’t give their maximum because there were other problems.”
Gabriel Jesus doubtful for semi-final
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes Gabriel Jesus will not recover from a broken bone in his foot in time for the FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal on April 23 but hopes the striker can feature in the final, should the club progress.
The 20-year-old, who was expected to return in early May, scored three goals in five appearances for City prior to sustaining a broken metatarsal.
“Two weeks? I think he’s short,” Guardiola told reporters. “Hopefully the (FA Cup) final (May 27) if we arrive there, I don’t know.
“He’s getting better. The last few sunny days he was on the pitch. Normally when you see the weather in Manchester, you stay off the pitch!” he added.
Bale backing for Coleman
Wales manager Chris Coleman is the right man to guide the country to their first World Cup finals since 1958, winger Gareth Bale has said.
Wales’ hopes of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia hang in the balance after a run of four consecutive draws left them third in Group D, four points adrift of Serbia and Ireland with five games left.
“What Chris has done for the team and Welsh football has been amazing,” Bale said.
“Qualification could have gone better but we’re going to do everything we can to get there. It won’t be easy and there’s a lot we have to do in the group now but Chris is the man who can keep us focused and positive and show us how to get the results we need.”