Sean Dyche has targeted an upset against Chelsea to kick-start Burnley s first season back in the Premier League.
The newly promoted Turf Moor outfit must wait until Monday to get their top-flight campaign under way and will be hoping to perform better than 2009-10, when they were relegated back to the Championship at the first time of asking.
Manager Dyche, whose side are among the favourites to go down, insists every fixture this season will be tough, but is looking forward to playing host to Jose Mourinho s Chelsea.
It s a double-edged sword really, I mean which teams do you get in the Premier League where you think that’s going to be an easy one? he said.
I don t think there is such a thing and we ve got to play them all at some point, the player…
Mesut Ozil believes Sergio Ramos record of scoring key goals for Real Madrid makes him one of the best central defenders in history.
Ramos will lead Madrid out against Juventus in the Champions League final on Saturday, having netted in their 2014 and 2016 triumphs.
Ozil, who played alongside the Spain international at Santiago Bernabeu between 2010 and 2013, believes the Madrid man s attitude makes him the player he is.
[Important goals are] what characterises him, Ozil told Arsenal Player. He s not one of the best central defenders in the world, or in the history of football, for no reason.
He just wants to be successful and you see on the pitch that he never gives up, right until the last second where some players might say: Oh, it s over.
…
Ivory Coast have named Michel Dussuyer as their new head coach on a two-year deal.
The Africa Cup of Nations champions have been on the hunt for a new boss since May after Herve Renard departed to take over at Ligue 1 side Lille.
Dussuyer was named as part of a five-man shortlist that was whittled down from 59 last month, and he has penned a contract until 2017 with the option for a further two years.
The Frenchman is no stranger to African football having had three separate spells as Guinea coach, while also taking charge of Benin between 2008 and 2010.
He has also previously served for Ivory Coast, as an assistant coach to Henri Michel.
…
Coach Roger Scmidt says reaching the UEFA Champions League last eight would be a dream for Bayer Leverkusen.
Bayer Leverkusen are dreaming of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals according to Roger Schmidt, after their 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid.
The Bundesliga outfit have not been past the last 16 of Europe s elite club competition since reaching the final in 2001-02, but moved a step closer on Wednesday.
Hakan Calhanoglu s second-half goal separated the two sides at the BayArena, while goalkeeper Bernd Leno kept Atletico at bay on their few attacks.
Victory leaves Schmidt s side needing to avoid defeat in Spain to book their place in the next round.
You could tell how much we looked forward to playing Champions League today, said Schmidt.…
Market: CRB win
Odds: 2/3 @
In what is a must-win showdown at the foot of the Serie B standings, CRB will welcome Brusque to the Rei Pele in the early hours of Tuesday.
Starting with the hosts, managing to make a crucial return to winning ways last week as they snatched a 1-0 victory at home against Guarani, CRB will be desperate to use that performance as a platform to build on. Still at the heart of a relegation scrap and struggling to find any real stability since opening up the 2024 campaign, the Alagoas-based outfit will be looking to collect consecutive Serie B wins for the first time since way back in September. However, pencilled in as a standout contender in the early hours of Tuesday, Daniel Paulista’s men will take plenty of solace from their contin…
French football has gone through a proper renaissance over the past couple of years.
With Ligue 1 back on the map and elbowing its way against the more bulging football competitions around the western Europe, French football not only has PSG to thank for its rise back to prominence.
It is the likes of OGC Nice and especially AS Monaco that raised the profile of the French football significantly over the past couple of seasons. The Principality club as the current French champion stands as the most exciting specimen with its most recent dealings being a perfect reflection of everything that has been going on through the history of the eight-time Ligue 1 winners.
Tumultuous Years
As a club formed through a unification of numerous local clubs based in the p…
Former Everton and Nigeria striker Yakubu has retired aged 35.
Yakubu scored 95 goals in 252 Premier League games across spells with Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, Everton and Blackburn Rovers, and is the second-highest African goalscorer in England s top flight behind Didier Drogba.
He also had spells with Leicester City, Reading and Coventry City in English football.
Yakubu represented his country at four Africa Cup of Nations and the 2010 World Cup.
3 Yakubu is one of only three teenagers to have scored a hat-trick in the Champions League (19y 306d for Maccabi Haifa v Olympiakos in 2002), alongside Wayne Rooney Raúl. Retired.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe)
He told Sky Sports: I would like to officially announce my retirement from professional …
Virgil van Dijk immediately began repaying his £75million transfer fee as he scored Liverpool s winner in a 2-1 FA Cup third-round triumph over Merseyside rivals Everton.
The former Southampton star, who this month became the world s most expensive defender, headed in the winner six minutes from time on a night not short on controversy at Anfield.
Having bemoaned the decision to award Everton a penalty in last month s Premier League draw between the two, Jurgen Klopp saw his side get the benefit of some considerable doubt for another spot-kick call on Friday.
Mason Holgate was the man punished for a supposed foul on Adam Lallana just inside the area and James Milner stepped up to convert his first goal of the season.
Tempers flared before the inte…
Market: Both teams to score No
Odds: 19/20 @
Two sides looking to pick up their first Premier League victory on Saturday lunchtime, Aston Villa will welcome Everton to the Midlands.
Starting with the hosts, enjoying what was an eye-catching pre-season run this summer, it was no secret that Aston Villa have their sights set on trying to mount a European charge. However, despite smelling a golden chance to lay down an early marker when they made the trip to Premier League returners Bournemouth last weekend, Steven Gerrard s side got off to a nightmare start. Eventually getting hit with a shock 2-0 defeat on the south coast, the former Rangers boss does find some growing pressure on his shoulders at Villa Park. Having to settle for a sluggish 14th-place finish last…
Roma have appointed Luciano Spalletti as the new man in charge at the Stadio Olimpico following the dismissal of Rudi Garcia.
The Serie A outfit fired Garcia as their head coach on Wednesday following their poor run of form in recent months, with Roma dropping to fifth place in the table after just one win in their last seven league games.
Several reports suggested they had lined up Spalletti as Garcia s replacement and the 56-year-old s return to the Italian capital has now been confirmed.
Spalletti previously worked at Roma between 2005 and 2009, guiding them to two Coppa Italia titles and one Supercoppa Italiana wins.
He left Roma in September 2009 after an underwhelming start to the season.
The former Udinese boss returned to coaching at Zenit…