TV rights: German fans will have to pay to view broadcasts of any UEFA Champions League games from next year’s season after Sky Plc unit Sky Deutschland secured a sub-license deal with digital sports content and media provider Perform Group. The pay-TV operator said that it will broadcast the games via its satellite, cable, IPTV, web and mobile platforms from 2018/19 through 2020/21. It will be the first time the tournament will not be available on public broadcaster ZDF.

Ranieri: Claudio Ranieri is set to be named manager of Ligue 1 club Nantes four months after being sacked by Leicester City, the team he guided to an unlikely Premier League title triumph last year. Ranieri’s appointment was held up by French league (LFP) rules that prohibit the appointment of any manager above the age of 65. The Italian turned 65 in October.

Tiote: Friends and former teammates of midfielder Cheick Tiote attended a memorial service held for the player by his club Beijing Enterprises. The 30-year-old, who joined the second-tier Chinese side in February after seven years at England’s Newcastle, collapsed during training and died in hospital last week. “I lived some extraordinary moments with this man and today he’s gone,” Tiote’s former Newcastle team-mate Papiss Cisse said.

McInnes: Sunderland have made formal contact with Aberdeen over Derek McInnes as they seek a new manager. The Black Cats have been seeking a replacement for David Moyes since he resigned last month in the wake of relegation to the Championship, and they appear to have honed in on Dons boss McInnes. Sunderland have now approached Aberdeen regarding the manager who led them to a runners-up finish in last season’s Premiership and two cup finals.

Valbuena: Lyon midfielder Mathieu Valbuena has completed a €1.5 million move to Fenerbahce. The 32-year-old former France international’s switch to the Turkish giants was “agreed in principle” on Monday after he passed a medical to move to the Ulker Stadium. Valbuena scored 12 goals in 76 appearances over two seasons for Lyon.

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