FIFA president Sepp Blatter has expressed his sadness following the death of AIK goalkeeper Ivan Turina.
The 77-year old president of world football s governing body sent a letter to the presidents of the Swedish and Croatian football associations expressing his shock at the 32-year-old goalkeeper s death.
Turina collected one international cap in a career that started with his hometown club Dinamo Zagreb before seeing him play for Skoda Xanthi in Greece and Lech Poznan in Poland.
He arrived in Sweden in 2010 after impressing on trial and went on to make 65 appearances for AIK.
Turina started five of their six league games this season and had
established himself as the number one after two years at the club, he had recently signed a new three-year contract…
Chelsea defender Tomas Kalas will join newly promoted FC Cologne on a season-long loan on July 1.
The Czech, who has a solitary international cap to his name, spent two seasons on loan at Dutch outfit Vitesse Arnhem before returning to Stamford Bridge for the 2013-14 campaign.
After being handed his Chelsea debut as a late substitute in a 2-0 League Cup win at Arsenal in October, Kalas made his European bow in a last-16 home triumph over Galatasaray.
Kalas first start for the club came in the huge 2-0 Premier League victory at Liverpool in April, and he was among the starting XI once again on the last day of the Premier League season at relegated Cardiff City.
The 21-year-old will now be hoping to pick up more first-team experience as Cologne adjust to life back …
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With international football making its return in mouth-watering fashion, the Nations League will get underway when Germany welcomes Spain to Stuttgart on Thursday night.
Germany
Starting with the hosts, last seen back in November when signing off their European qualifying campaign with a thumping 6-1 win against Northern Ireland on home soil, Germany s resurge has been noted by many across Europe. While many might have felt it was time for Joachim Löw to leave his role after their disappointing group-stage exit at the 2018 World Cup out in Russia, the Whites stormed their way through qualifying for the back-dated EURO 2021 and their young vibrant squad has gained plenty of admirers. Manging to see off fellow world champions Holland b…
Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel is excited to be taking on Manchester City in the second FA Cup semi-final.
The Premier League heavyweights clash at Wembley on Sunday for the right to face Wigan in the final and the Nigerian admitted the Blues were slightly distracted in their Europa League semi-final against Rubin as a result.
It s a game we re looking forward to and, if you look at the game against Rubin, we probably had one eye on (Sunday s) game, he told the club s official website.
It s going to be a very difficult game, City are playing very well now towards the end of the season, they just beat Manchester United at Old Trafford and they have confidence.
We just have to go out there and do what we normally do, just try to play football, and ho…
Everton defender Johnny Heitinga has said in no uncertain terms that he wants to leave Goodison Park this summer.
The Dutch international has been unhappy with his status at the club for a while now and it appears he has finally lost his patience.
With his current deal running until June 2014, Heitinga believes the time is right for the club to cash in on him.
If they want to earn something for me, this is the moment, Heitinga told Voetbal International. I have made no arrangement with the club about that. I will just wait and see what happens.
Heitinga arrived at Goodison Park in the summer of 2009 from Atletico Madrid as a high-profile signing, but he never quite managed to establish himself as an important member of the squad.
With Phil Jagi…
Nicolo Zaniolo led Roma to their first major continental title with a 1-0 victory over Feyenoord in the Europa Conference League final in Tirana on Wednesday.
After suffering a defeat in the 1984 European Cup final and missing out on UEFA Cup glory seven years later, the Serie A side were not to be denied an elusive European triumph and lifted their first trophy since the Coppa Italia in 2008.
Zaniolo, who missed the entire 2020-21 season after suffering a second ACL injury in under a year, dinked in an exemplary finish in the 32nd minute to put Roma in charge.
Feyenoord upped their game after the restart and were denied by the woodwork twice in three minutes, but Jose Mourinho s men tightened up and saw out a famous victory.
The meeting between t…
Stoke City striker Peter Crouch refused a spot on the Euro 2012 standby list, according to England manager Roy Hodgson.
The 31-year-old target man has been left out of Hodgson s first two World Cup qualifiers, despite injuries to both Wayne Rooney and Andy Carroll and doubts over Daniel Sturridge s fitness.
And the veteran manager revealed that it was the former Liverpool and Tottenham man s decision to avoid involvement in the summer tournament and not his.
I selected him for the Euros but he didn t want to come, Hodgson said.
He made it clear that unless he was in the squad he didn t want to be considered.
As a result, we ve selected squads since that time when I felt I didn t need him here. I m not going to bring him here to fill up the ben…