Ibrahimovic ‘a gift’ for Rashford – Mourinho

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a “gift” for his Manchester United teammate Marcus Rashford, according to manager Jose Mourinho.

Rashford impressed as a regular starter last season but faces being on the bench at the start of the new Premier League season after the arrival of Ibrahimovic from Paris Saint-Germain.

But Mourinho said the Swede’s presence would help rather than hinder the 18-year-old’s development.

The United manager told BT Sport: “He [Ibrahimovic] is brilliant with the young boys. I think, for Rashford, this is a gift.

Mourinho used Ibrahimovic as the advanced striker and Rooney as a No. 10 in the 2-1 Community Shield win over Leicester City at Wembley on Sunday.“People can say he is not going to play every game from the start, like he did in the second part of last season — but this is a gift for the kid, too.”

Rashford came on for the final 20 minutes of the match, replacing wide attacker Anthony Martial, as Ibrahimovic headed the late winning goal.

Nathan Dyer signs new four-year Swansea City contract

Swansea City winger Nathan Dyer has signed a new four-year contract.

The 28-year-old, who picked up a Premier League winner’s medal during his loan spell at Leicester City last season, joined the club from Southampton in 2009.

Dyer, who had one year left on his previous contract, is the second Swansea player to commit to the club in as many days with Gylfi Sigurdsson also signing a new four-year deal.

“I was on loan last season and I had a good year at Leicester — the experience I had was unbelievable — but I’m happy to be back here at the club that first gave me the opportunity to show what I can do,” he told the club’s official website.

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“Coming back, there was only one thought in my mind — impress the new manager, speak to the chairman, get into the team and play games. I was going into the final year of my contract, so it was nice to sign a new deal.

“The new deal will keep me here until I finish. I have always seen myself being here. Once a Jack, always a Jack!”

Man City Signs Jesus

Gabriel Jesus

Manchester City have signed 19-year-old Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus from Palmeiras on a five-year contract, the Premier League club announced on Wednesday.

Jesus, who is reported to have cost City an initial fee of £27m ($36m, €32.2m), will remain on loan at Palmeiras until December before moving to Manchester in January.

He is currently on duty with hosts Brazil at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

“Manchester City is one of the best clubs in the world so I’m really pleased to sign,” Jesus said in comments published on the City website.

“We have many great talents in the team and a fantastic manager in Pep Guardiola that I can learn so much from.

“I’m looking forward to showing the City fans what I can do and I think we’ll have a great future together!”

Nadal Confirms Participation In Rio Olympics Despite Injury And Zika Concerns

Rafael Nadal

World number five Nadal spent a lengthy period after his practice session on centre court discussing his plans with the team doctor and team captain Conchita Martinez.

The 14-time Grand Slam winner has committed himself to playing singles, doubles and mixed doubles at the Games, despite worries over whether or not his left wrist injury will survive the gruelling challenges ahead.

He is scheduled to play doubles with Marc Lopez and mixed doubles with French Open champion Garbine Muguruza.”Yesterday (Monday) and today (Tuesday) have been my strongest training in two months and the wrist has not gotten worse,” he added.

Nadal admitted that his best medal chance may be in the doubles where the burden is shared.”It’s true that in doubles, I might go better, but you never know,” he said.”I will do everything possible to make my role the best and bring something positive for Spain.”

Nadal’s decision to play in all three events was a major boost for the organisers who on Tuesday saw world number four Stan Wawrinka pull out with a back injury.Wawrinka was replaced in the draw by big-serving Australian Sam Groth.

Nadal is due to carry his country’s flag at Friday’s opening ceremony in Rio.

Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney ‘can play in any era’ – Ferguson

Wayne Rooney

Sir Alex Ferguson has compared Wayne Rooney to Manchester United legend Sir Bobby Charlton ahead of the England international’s testimonial for the club.

Rooney, 30, will play his United testimonial against his former club Everton on Wednesday at Old Trafford, having made 520 appearances for the Red Devils, with the match streamed live on Facebook.

The forward has scored 245 goals in those appearances, four short of Charlton’s all-time club record from 758 outings.

Ferguson, who signed Rooney from Everton in nine years ago and had agree, won five Premier League titles working with the forward, and also lifted the Champions League in 2008.

The Scot, who had disagreements with Rooney in the past, told the official United programme: “He [Rooney] was an exciting signing [in 2004]. It was fairly shortly after I’d got rid of the idea of retiring and changed my mind, and I had to rethink about how we were going to take the club forward.

“When you make the decision to retire, you stop thinking, but once I decided to stay I started thinking again and it was really centred around bringing energy back into the team by looking at young players.

“Of course there was Cristiano Ronaldo, then there was Rooney, and it was a fantastic period. The two of them were unbelievable.

“I always think that great players can play in any era. Bobby Charlton would have been a great player today and Wayne Rooney would have been a great player back then.”“Wayne came in as a first-team player right away, even though he was only 18, and he’s gone on to play for Manchester United for 12 years, which is very difficult in the present day.

Former United manager Louis van Gaal has also praised England captain Rooney, adding: “I was very quickly convinced of his personality and that’s why he was easy to work with. I quickly decided he would be my captain because I saw also the attitude of his fellow players towards him.

“They approached him always with a lot of respect and that’s also important when you have to install a captain. It is very important that he is seen by his fellow players as a very important person in the dressing room, and there is no question that he is very important at United.”

Meanwhile, Rooney’s childhood hero and former Everton great Duncan Ferguson has named the United striker as the “best player we’ve ever had” in the Premier League.

Tottenham’s Son Heung-min targets Olympic gold with South Korea

Son Heung-Min

South Korea international Son Heung-Min has apologised to his Tottenham Hotspur teammates for missing the start of the Premier League season in his bid to win Olympic gold in Rio.

Son, 24, was selected as one of his country’s three players over the age of 23 and he travelled straight to Brazil from Spurs’ training camp in Melbourne following Friday’s 1-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid.

Although the group stage of the Olympic football tournament finishes before the start of the Premier League season, South Korea — who won the bronze medal in London four years ago — will hope to challenge for a medal again.

The final takes place at the Maracana on Aug. 20, so the forward would miss at least the opening two games against Everton and Crystal Palace should South Korea go all the way.

“First of all, I’m sorry for the team because I’m going to miss the first game of the season,” Son told Spurs’ official website. “I’ve had a very good time in the first four weeks of preseason with the team, the gaffer and the coaching staff.

“I watched the Olympics in 2012 in London and there were so many great performances there, so many people, so many sports. Everyone is excited. It’s a great feeling.”“Now I’m excited to go to Rio and to play for South Korea. This is very special for me, my first time at the Olympics.

South Korea’s first game is against Fiji on Thursday, with fixtures against Germany and Mexico to follow. But Son wants to make sure he is still in Brazil to play in one of the medal matches at the Maracana.

“If that wasn’t the case there would be no point going,” Son said. “I want to get a medal for South Korea.

“I run for South Korea every time, the same as I run for Tottenham. I’m not going there just to have fun and enjoy it, I want to win an Olympic medal as well.”

Son was given permission by Spurs to attend the Olympics earlier this summer, with the club persuaded by a South Korean policy that Olympic medalists are exempt from the country’s compulsory two-year military service.

Chuba Akpom on target for Arsenal in 3-1 win over Chivas Guadalajara

Arsenal continued their preparations for the forthcoming Premier League season with a 3-1 win over Chivas Guadalajara in Los Angeles.

Goals from Rob Holding, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Chuba Akpom had the Gunners in control, before their Mexican opponents pulled a goal back from the penalty spot with 17 minutes remaining.

Holding opened the scoring in the 34th minute at StubHub Center after Calum Chambers had created the opening for his central defensive partner — and it was 2-0 five minutes into the second half courtesy of an impressive individual goal from Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Guadalajara pulled a goal back through Angel Zaldivar’s penalty, awarded after Mathieu Debuchy had fouled Alex Zendejas.England Under-21 international Akpom, whose late goal gave Arsenal a 2-1 victory over the MLS All-Stars in San Jose on Thursday, made it 3-0 six minutes later.

The Gunners start their league campaign on Aug. 14 at home to Liverpool.

Conte reveals he nearly quit over match-fixing allegations

Antonio Conte

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte said he could have quit football after being embroiled in a match-fixing scandal in his native Italy.

An accusation of failing to report an attempt to fix a match against AlbinoLeffe during his time in charge of second-tier side Siena in 2010-2011, landed the former Italy coach in court as part of the Scommessopoli case.

Conte, who was banned from the touchline by the Italian Football Federation for four months in 2012 as part of the scandal, was acquitted of sporting fraud in May.

The 47 year-old claimed it would have been easy to leave the sport, but his desire to persist and come out on top forced him to fight the allegations.

“The story is a bad story for me and I don’t accept this. I fought a lot against this story and I risked myself to go to before a judge,” Conte said.

“I could have chosen another way. It would have been very easy for me to go, to finish a problem and then pass the time.

“In Italy, in the past, with this type of story, five years and it’s finished. But no, I wanted to be judged.

“In my heart the story was very bad for me, my family. Many people wrote bad things without knowing the reality.

“My players know me from Italy, all the people, all the managers. All the people know who Antonio Conte is. In this situation I want always to win, I work very hard to win.”

The Italian, his voice croaky from barking orders at his team during their pre-season tour of the United States, is motivated to win, but said plenty can be learned from being on the opposite side.After a woeful Premier League title defence last season ended with Chelsea finishing 10th, a top-four spot in Conte’s first campaign at the helm will be the minimum requirement.

“I find peace in myself after the game when I win. For this reason, I want to work very hard and find different solutions and to give options to my players. Only when I win am I relaxed,” Conte said.

“It’s important when you lose because you learn. You try to see why you didn’t win. You learn a lot in yourself but to win is beautiful.

“We know that when you have a season when you finish in 10th place it is not good for all. It means there are problems.

“Now it is not important to say ‘Okay we are ready to fight, we can come back very soon and win the title’ – these are just words.

“It’s important now to deal in facts, all together, because it is now not a good period for us.”

Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho’s agent rejects Roma speculation

Mamadou Sakho

Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho will not join Roma this summer, his agent has said.

France international Sakho, 26, has reportedly been targeted by the Giallorossi, who are in the market for a new centre-back this summer after loaning Leandro Castan to Sampdoria and with Mario Rui tearing his cruciate knee ligaments while on a preseason tour of the United States.

However, agent Niakate Housseyni told LaRoma24.it: “I’ve not had any contact with Roma. He’s a Liverpool player and I don’t think Roma have any chance [of signing him] at the moment.”

That had led to the speculation he may leave this summer, but Houssenyi denied that there was “any argument with his boss Jurgen Klopp.”There had been reports of a falling out between Sakho and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp after the German sent the player home for breaking club rules while on their U.S. tour.

West Ham table £20m Ayew bid

Andrew Ayew

West Ham have tabled a £20 million bid for Swansea City attacker Andre Ayew as they continue to search for a marquee striker signing, Goal reports.

Slaven Bilic is keen to reinforce his striking options this summer and has previously launched bids for Alexandre Lacazette, of Lyon, and Michy Batshuayi, who eventually joined Chelsea from Marseille for a fee of £33m.

The Hammers also explored the possibility of signing Jamie Vardy from Leicester City prior to the striker signing a new contract, and have now turned their attentions to the versatile Ayew, who can play on the wing and through the middle.

Sources have told Goal that the Hammers have matched Swansea’s £20m valuation of the 26-year-old over the last 24 hours, after opting against haggling with their Premier League counterparts.

Nevertheless, personal terms are believed to have been agreed with the forward, and the club are hopeful of completing a deal in the next week.However, Swansea are yet to respond to the offer, with the Welsh club set to be without a recognised striker ahead of the new season should Ayew leave.

Bafetimbi Gomis was loaned to Marseille earlier this week and the Swans have subsequently been linked with a bid for Sevilla forward Fernando Llorente.

West Ham, who could sell Diafra Sakho to West Brom this summer should the deal for Ayew be confirmed, are also set to confirm the loan signing of Argentina Under-23 striker Jonathan Calleri this week.

New Heartland boss hopes club avoid relegation

The new chairman of Heartland, Chibuzo Etuemena, has said he hopes to ensure the Owerri club are not relegated this season.

‘The Naze Millionaires’ languish in 18th place on the 19-team table with 30 points from 27 matches.

“Heartland are already confined to relegation by end of the season. I know for sure, that not many people would want to take the risk, which I want to take, but I strongly believe that with God all things are possible and I am determined to do my best,” the new chairman vowed.

“I am not a magician but I’m an optimist and I believe that there is nothing that God cannot do.”

Etuemena also announced the appointment of five new officers into the management team.He disclosed that he has ensured the players are paid three months’ salaries owed them.

These include Promise Nwachukwu, who is now the club’s sporting director; Cajetan Nkwopara as director of media and Mobi Oparaku as team manager.

Others are Ramson Madu, who was appointed head coach and Emmanuel Uzoma Emelu as welfare officer.

Benatia on target again as Juventus beat South China

Medhi Benatia made it two goals in as many appearances for Juventus as the Serie A champions came from behind to beat South China 2-1 in Hong Kong on Saturday.

Having netted in Tuesday’s 2-1 International Champions Cup victory over Tottenham, the on-loan Bayern Munich defender repeated the trick against South China.

Juventus were forced to come from behind, though, with Neto flapping at a free-kick to allow Chan Siu Ki to pounce and coolly slot home.

Lorenzo Rosseti then settled the contest in the 82nd minute, rounding South China goalkeeper Cristian Mora after he spilled a 25-yard drive from Stefano Padovan.But Massimiliano Allegri’s men recovered well from that 21st-minute setback, with Benatia poking home after gathering a loose ball that deflected off the defensive wall from a set-piece.

Bundesliga sides warned not to rest players against Beyern Munich

Bundesliga teams have been warned not to field weakened teams against Bayern Munich in the coming campaign.

Last season several teams rotated their sides substantially for their games against the champions, indicating that they would prepare to rest players for fixtures they had a better chance of winning.

German Football Association president Christian Seifert would not like to see the same again and is even considering ways to punish any club who give Bayern an easy ride.

Seifert has not actually considered what action he might take, since he is confident the situation will not arise this season.“It destroys the integrity of the game,” he told the Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper. “I would strongly push for consequences if something like that were to happen again.”

“It’s too soon to speculate about it because I don’t think it will happen again,” he said. “We’ve spoken to the clubs about it and I expect every sportsman to have the aim of playing every game the best way they possibly can.”

Chelsea's Kante will let his football speak for him

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has praised new signing N’Golo Kante for his reserved personality, and has backed the France international to be a “fantastic” midfielder for the squad.

Kante left Premier League champions Leicester City for a £30 million move to Stamford Bridge earlier this month.

The former Caen midfielder has impressed new boss Conte during preseason training sessions, leaving the Italian convinced the 25-year-old will play a major role in his side this season.

“We are very happy to have N’Golo with us because he is a player who does not speak a lot, but just does his job,” Conte told reporters ahead of Chelsea’s International Champions Cup match with Real Madrid (3 p.m. ET, ESPN) on Saturday.

“He is in great shape physically. He is a player who keeps on running, someone who has great stamina and endurance. The people who know him better have all told me he has a fantastic attitude and a lot of energy.“He is a good guy, very humble and very keen to work hard, which is important to me. I have had a conversation with him to explain what I expect from him and he can become an important player in midfield, just like [Cesc] Fabregas, [Nemanja] Matic and the others.

“He does not talk a lot, but acts instead. It is not necessary for him to talk a lot. I think he might be a bit shy. I just need a few players who do the talking during the game. He just arrived at a new club and still needs to find his feet a bit. N’Golo can become a fantastic midfielder. He can still improve, maybe he can score a bit more.”

Nigerian Olympic Team Coach Robbed In The US

Nigeria Olympic team coach Samson Siasia has been robbed in Atlanta, Georgia, where his team have been training ahead of next month’s Olympic Games.

“It is true that my car was burgled but I have taken the necessary steps on the item stolen in the car,” Siasia confirmed.

“We are focused and preparing hard for the Olympics that is what I can tell you for now.”

Siasia’s team are due to play a final warm-up game against Honduras Olympic team on Tuesday before they depart for Brazil on Friday.The car Siasia has been using to run around for the team was broken into at the team’s hotel’s car park and his credit cards, two phones, the phone of his personal assistant Abu and some money were taken away.

Riberyclaims Ancelotti trusts him more than Guardiola.

Bayern Munich star Franck Ribery says he feels “more trust” under Carlo Ancelotti since the Italian replaced Pep Guardiola as head coach at the Allianz Arena.

Ribery made just 50 Bundesliga appearances in Guardiola’s three seasons at the helm, beset by a string of injuries and fitness concerns.

The former France international has started all three of Bayern’s pre-season friendlies so far, however, scoring in the wins over Lippstatdt and Landshut.

And, despite the emergence of Douglas Costa and Kingsley Coman under Guardiola last season, Ribery feels refreshed as he looks to put his stamp back on the Bayern side in 2016-17.

“He’s a great coach. I need people like him, Jupp Heynckes or Ottmar Hitzfeld. I need this trust in me, to play off my strengths.“I feel free and I am fully motivated,” the 33-year-old told Kicker. “Carlo Ancelotti is a gift for the club. Since Ancelotti has arrived, I feel more trust.

“It all depends on things like trust, respect and proximity. Then I cannot only give 100 percent – I can give 150 percent.

“With Ancelotti we can reach something great and I’m really looking forward to the next season.”

Mourinho keeps mute on Pogba swoop

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho admitted on Thursday the club needs one more signing before the season starts but would not confirm it would be record target Paul Pogba.

Media reports in the UK Wednesday suggested United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward had pulled out of the club’s pre-season tour to China so he could meet and agree personal terms with Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola.

Mourinho was asked directly at a news conference in Shanghai whether he could confirm the reports.

“I don’t confirm and I don’t deny. I cannot tell you,” Mourinho said on the eve of the International Champions Cup match against Borussia Dortmund in Shanghai Friday.

“I don’t think it’s correct to speak about players of other clubs, and he’s a Juventus player and not a Manchester United player.

“The only thing I can tell you is that my board, my directors they did fantastic work to do 75 percent of the job I asked them to do,” said Mourinho.

“I asked them for four players. To be more accurate I asked them for four or five players I need.

“I gave them a few options and they did for me 75 percent of the job with (Zlatan) Ibrahimovic, (Henrikh) Mikitharyan and (Eric) Bailly and they have just 25 percent to do until the 31st of August.

Mourinho has reportedly made French international Pogba his top transfer target as he bids to make a big impact in his first season at Old Trafford but it could cost the club a record-breaking £100 million ($130 million, 119 million euros) to land the midfielder.“We are calm. We have three faces to fill the profile. I am confident Mr Woodward will get the player we need to get a good balance.”

United are believed to have had an opening bid of £86 million rejected by Juventus and an improved offer could shatter the previous world record fee of £85 million paid by Real Madrid for Gareth Bale in 2013.

Mourinho has already spent more than £50 million on defender Bailly from Villarreal and midfielder Mkhitaryan from Friday’s opponents Dortmund, as well as recruiting Ibrahimovic who left PSG on a free transfer.

Pogba, 23, had a spell at United but was allowed to leave for Juventus on a 2012 free transfer while still a teenager after just a handful of appearances under then manager Alex Ferguson, who slammed him for showing no respect to the club.

Pogba has since emerged as one of the top midfielders in Europe, playing an integral part in the France side that reached the Euro 2016 final and helping Juventus win four successive Serie A titles.

Manchester United round off their China tour against fierce rivals Manchester City in Beijing on Monday.

Real Madrid most valuable football club - Forbes

Real Madrid have been overtaken by the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys as the world’s most valuable sports team, according to Forbes magazine.

The La Liga giants had been on top of the rankings for the past three years, and the Cowboys’ jump marks the first time since 2011 a football club has not occupied the top spot.

Real remain the most valuable football club, however, with a calculated value of $3.65 billion (€3.29 billion), topping a list of eight clubs to make the rankings.

La Liga rivals Barcelona were spot behind Real on the list with a value $3.55 billion (€3.20 billion).

Rounding out the other football clubs were Bayern Munich at No. 12 ($2.68bn, €2.41bn), Arsenal at No. 23 ($2.02bn, €1.82bn), Manchester City at No. 28 ($1.92bn, €1.73bn), Chelsea at No. 36 ($1.67bn, €1.50bn), and Liverpool at No. 41 ($1.55bn, €1.40bn).Manchester United were the next football club ranked — fifth overall — with a value of 3.32 billion (€2.99 billion).

In addition to their value, Real Madrid also led all teams in revenue, generating $694 million during the 2014-15 season.

Reps. ask FG to release funds to Team Nigeria

The House of Representatives on Wednesday asked the Ministry of Finance to immediately release funds to the sports ministry so that it could mobilise Nigeria’s contingent to the forthcoming Rio Olympics.

The Rio Games will start August 5, but the House expressed shock on Wednesday that Nigeria had yet to mobilise its team to the global sporting fiesta to be held in the Brazilian city.

A member from Kano State, Abubakar Nuhu, who sponsored a motion on the development, told the House that the report of Team Nigeria not being mobilised was sickening.

Nuhu said a serious country’s team would have been going through vigorous camping with just weeks to the Games and not the unsavoury news of no funding.

Lawmakers, on listening to Nuhu, directed the Minister of Sports, Mr. Solomon Dalung, to liaise with his Minister of Finance colleague, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation as well as the Budget Office of the Federation to ensure that the funds were released urgently.He noted that part of the problem seemed to be “the challenges associated with the availability of foreign exchange which may also affect the level of preparations.”

The House said Nigerians would not accept any excuses that the team failed to excel in Rio due to lack of funding.

The motion secured the support of all members present at the session, which was presided over by the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara

Serena Williams beats Angelique Kerber bags 7th Wimbledon title

Top seeded Serena Williams beat German fourth seeded Angelique Kerber 7-5,6-3 to win her seventh Wimbledon and 22nd Grand Slam title, equalling Steffi Graf's record. 

The 36-year-old Williams bags her seventh Wimbledon title. She had lost to her rival in the final of Australian Open in January this year. 

"It is such a great feeling to be out here. I want to thank my family, my team. I love playing against Angelique. She is a great opponent and I enjoy playing her." says Serena