Jonny Evans is intrigued by the possibility of playing abroad in the future, having learned Spanish on his daily commute to the midlands.
The former Manchester United defender will turn 30 during the next season and has enjoyed another stellar campaign with both West Brom and Northern Ireland.
Evans said: “I think playing abroad has always appealed to me.
“A lot of people have said, ‘You should go abroad’. I’ve always watched a lot of Spanish football and more recently German football, so it’s always something which has appealed to me.
“I speak a fair bit of Spanish now. Since I came to West Brom I’ve been learning. I was always interested in languages.”
Ceferin backs British 2030 bid
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has given his backing to the 2030 World Cup being held in England. The Slovenian said last week it will be “Europe’s turn” to host the tournament, following 2022 in Qatar and a 2026 event tipped to take place in North America.
Ceferin has now gone further by backing a return to Britain for the first time since England hosted and won the 1966 World Cup.
He said: “For me, they are absolutely capable of organising it.
“But, of course, it’s a decision not just for the FA, probably the government and all the others too. But you know everything about British football, so they deserve to have a World Cup in the near future.”
Ravanelli eyes Boro return
Fabrizio Ravanelli wants to become Middlesbrough’s next manager and has asked chairman Steve Gibson to call him.
Steve Agnew, who was appointed interim head coach after Aitor Karanka’s departure in March, has held discussions with Gibson about next season but speculation persists that Garry Monk or Nigel Pearson could be appointed.
Former Boro favourite Ravanelli said: “I was very disappointed to see Middlesbrough relegated but now it is important to start again.
“I would love the opportunity to arrive for me to get the manager’s job at Middlesbrough. If Steve Gibson called me, no problem.”
Ravanelli was a huge hit on Teesside after his shock move from then-European champions Juventus in July 1996.
Bale fulfils Cardiff dream
Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale said winning the Champions League in his home city of Cardiff was “a dream come true”.
“To win at home is a dream come true,” Bale told reporters after Real beat Juventus 4-1 in the final.
“It’s been a hard season and I’ve worked hard. It didn’t seem like I was going to make it to the final but I’ve worked tirelessly at home and it’s the reward you get for all the hard work you’ve put in.
“What an incredible stadium. The city have done an immaculate job in hosting such a great event and we thank everyone for that.”
Guoan part with coach Gonzalez
Chinese Super League side Beijing Guoan have sacked coach Jose Gonzalez after the club’s poor start to the season left the former champions well adrift of leaders Guangzhou Evergrande.
Beijing’s 1-0 defeat to Chongqing Lifan last weekend was their fifth loss of the season and left them 13 points behind Guangzhou.
Gonzalez, who took over in January having previously worked as an assistant at the club, is the second coach to leave his post in three days after Choi Yong-soo stood down from his role at Jiangsu Suning.
Jiangsu, Chinese FA Cup winners last year, were eliminated from the Asian Champions League last week.
Fans injured in Turin stampede
More than a 1,000 Juventus fans watching the Champions League final in one of Turin’s main squares were injured when loud bangs created a panic and mayhem late Saturday.
About 1,400 people were treated for slight injuries, Italian media reported. About five people were seriously hurt, including a seven-year-old boy who was trampled, Sky TG24 reported.
Thousands of fans had gathered to watch the Champions League final in front of a giant screen in San Carlo Square.
The panic may been started by the explosion of a loud firecracker that was mistaken for a bomb, a Reuters witness said.