Terry Venables was Thursday contemplating an offer to step into the hotseat at troubled Newcastle, who have been managerless since Kevin Keegan s abrupt departure earlier this month.
With the club up for sale by owner Mike Ashley, Venables is reported to have been offered the chance to come in as a caretaker manager.
Venables confirmed to The Sun newspaper, for whom he writes a column, that he had been in talks with the St James hierarchy and said he would make a decision on Thursday about whether to get involved.
I can confirm I met Newcastle representatives, Venables said. Those talks will continue in the morning when, hopefully, I can give them a final decision.
Former England, Tottenham and Barcelona boss Venables was one of the leading candidat…
Rio Ferdinand has warned England that only a victory is acceptable in Wednesday s World Cup qualifier against Belarus.
Fabio Capello s side extended their 100 percent start to the Group Six campaign with a 5-1 victory over Kazakhstan at Wembley on Saturday.
But Manchester United defender Ferdinand, England s stand-in captain in the absence of John Terry, believes that impressive record will count for nothing if they slip up in Minsk.
We need to get points on the board as quickly as possible. Hopefully by the end of this week we will have four wins, Ferdinand said.
Despite the one-sided scoreline, England laboured for long periods against Kazakhstan before finally killing off the minnows, who are ranked a lowly 131st in the world, when they tired in t…
Hull City snatched a 2-2 draw at Charlton Athletic on Friday thanks to an own goal from goalkeeper Dillon Phillips in the final seconds of the game.
Darren Pratley s header had given Lee Bowyer s side a half-time lead before Jarrod Bowen equalised from close range two minutes after the restart.
Charlton restored their advantage when Naby Sarr tapped in Jonathan Leko s cross, which looked to have been enough to secure all three points.
However, Phillips parried Keane Lewis-Potter s header onto the right post and the ball bounced in off the keeper s head in the sixth minute of injury time, with what proved to be the final act of the match.
Hull move above Millwall on goal difference into 13th in the Championship, six points clear of Charlton in 17th.
Raphael Wicky hailed a very special win for Basel after his side beat Manchester City in the Champions League.
Basel triumphed 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, but exited 5-2 on aggregate despite coming from behind to win on the night.
The Swiss champions have now beaten both Manchester clubs in the Champions League this season, Wicky s men having won 1-0 at home against Jose Mourinho s Manchester United in the group stage.
Basel are 14 points off the pace domestically but Wicky was thrilled after goals from Mohamed Elyounoussi and Michael Lang earned a memorable victory away to the runaway Premier League leaders.
It wasn t an easy situation and they produced a really good performance, Wicky said at a post-match news conference. I m really happy …
Atletico confirm talks for Diego
Atletico Madrid have moved to confirm reports linking them with a summer swoop for Wolfsburg midfielder Diego Ribas da Cunha.
Los Colchoneros are looking for a new playmaker after Arda Turan expressed his desire to leave the club at the end of the current campaign.
They have been repeatedly linked with a move for their former player Diego and the club have finally confessed they are in talks to sign the Brazilian.
“We are in talks but there is still no agreement,” Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo told French TV station Canal +.
Diego spent the 2011/2012 season on loan at Vicente Calderon and helped the team lift the Europa League trophy.
Atletico officials have since been trying to purchase the…
Norwich City defender Ryan Bennett has penned a new three year deal with the club, .
The centre-back made sixteen league appearances last season, scoring once, but was unable to help the Norfolk club avoid relegation to the Championship after three seasons back in the top flight of English football.
He moved to Carrow Road from Peterborough United in January 2012, by which time he had already won two caps for England’s U21 side.
He began his career with Grimsby Town, where he spent four seasons before securing a move to then Championship side Peterborough.
In total, he has turned out for the Canaries forty-eight times, and will now remain with the club until the summer of 2017.
Neil Adams’ side begin the forthcoming campaign with a trip…
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has heaped praise on Bukayo Saka for his consistency but claims the youg star still has room for improvement.
Saka has been a key pillar in Arsenal s Premier League success this term, with the side sitting eight points clear of second-placed Manchester City as they chase their first league title since 2003-04.
Only Manchester City s Erling Haaland and Tottenham s Harry Kane have more combined goals and assists in the league this season, with Saka having netted 12 goals with 10 assists. Saka has also started all 28 of Arsenal s league games this campaign.
First of all, I think you have to recognise what he s been doing, Arteta told Sky Sports about 21-year-old Saka.
The consistency he s shown at his age and at this level is s…
Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar turned down a request to return to international football it was revealed by national coach Bert van Marwijk on Wednesday.
The 38-year-old goalkeeper capped 130 times retired from international football after The Netherlands went out of Euro 2008 but did accept to return for two World Cup qualifiers last year in which he didn t concede a goal.
Van Marwijk faces a goalkeeping crisis ahead of the next two World Cup qualifiers against Scotland on March 28 and Macedonia on April 1.
I called him (van der Sar), said van Marwijk.
I find that normal given the alarming situation regarding goalkeepers in the Netherlands.
I was pretty sure what his answer would be, but I tried anyway.
Van der Sar s …
Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde said debating VAR is a futile exercise after Real Madrid bemoaned the officiating in Wednesday s Clasico draw.
The two LaLiga rivals played out an uneventful stalemate at Camp Nou in midweek, with Madrid unhappy over perceived injustice regarding multiple unsuccessful penalty appeals.
Centre-back Raphael Varane had two shouts for spot-kicks turned down in the opening 45 minutes, the first for a high challenge from Clement Lenglet that left the Madrid defender with stud marks on his thigh.
Varane also had his shirt pulled by Ivan Rakitic in the box but, as was the case with the Lenglet tackle, referee Alejandro Jose Hernandez Hernandez remained uninterested in the appeals and neither incident was checked using the VAR pitchside mo…
Lyon have confirmed the signing of Flamengo midfielder Jean Lucas, who has been tipped as a replacement for Tanguy Ndombele.
Jean Lucas reportedly cost the club €8million and is the second new arrival after goalkeeper Ciprian Tatarusanu since Sylvinho and Juninho Pernambucano were drafted in as head coach and sporting director, respectively.
The addition of the Brazilian could pave the way for France international Ndombele to leave, with Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain understood to be leading the race for his signature.
Physically and technically above average, Jean Lucas is considered a very promising talent [in Brazil], read a club statement.
Lyon will now be able to enjoy the qualities of the 21-year-old Brazilian in an area that was defined as …