AC Milan have confirmed the signing of defender Cristian Zapata from Villarreal on a permanent basis.
The Colombian impressed on loan at Milan throughout the 2012/13 campaign and the club have decided to activate their option to bring him in on a permanent basis.
AC Milan announce that they have exercised their right buy Cristian Zapata from Villarreal, a statement on the club s official website read.
The Colombian defender s contract will expire on June 30, 2016.
The 26-year-old began his career at Deportivo Cali in his homeland and first made the move to Serie A back in 2005.
He spent six years at Udinese before moving to Villarreal in 2011.
He made 23 league appearances for Milan and had announced that he was desperate to remain at S…
Gareth Bale saw a goal disallowed as Barcelona and Real Madrid played out a 0-0 draw at Camp Nou on Wednesday.
LaLiga s top two went into the contest level on points this season and with 72 wins each from previous league meetings, and there was nothing to separate them in a tense clash in Catalonia.
The match was rearranged from October after the initial date became a security risk due to the prospect of Catalan independence protests, and there were fans inside and outside the stadium making their voices heard over one of Spain s most divisive issues.
The action on the pitch was a little less fraught, Bale s second-half strike ruled out for offside representing the closest either side came to breaking the deadlock.
Madrid controlled the early exchanges a…
Kylian Mbappe equalled the record for the fastest goal in Ligue 1 history as he struck just eight seconds as part of a hat-trick in Paris Saint-Germain s emphatic 7-1 win over Lille on Sunday.
The 23-year-old superbly lifted over Leo Jardim almost immediately from kick-off, with Ligue 1 announcing it matched Michel Rio s eight-second strike for Caen against Cannes in 1992.
That set the stage for an utterly dominant performance from the champions as Lionel Messi, Achraf Hakimi and Neymar all added goals before half-time.
Neymar and Jonathan Bamba exchanged goals shortly after the interval before Mbappe added two more in the final 24 minutes to cap a memorable display.
s happiness !
The fastest scorer in s history! 0-1
— Paris Saint-Germa…
Sampdoria midfielder Dennis Praet says he is not focused on reported interest from Serie A leaders Juventus.
The 23-year-old is said to be a target for a number of clubs, including Juve, Inter and Premier League sides Everton, Newcastle United and Southampton.
Praet will get the chance to impress Massimiliano Allegri when Samp travel to the Allianz Stadium on Sunday, looking to keep their European hopes alive.
But the Belgium international is happy with life at the club he joined from Anderlecht in 2016 for a reported €10million fee.
I still have in mind the game from last year in Turin, my first at the stadium, he told La Gazzetta dello Sport. I was impressed not only by the beauty of the structure but also by the show with lights and music. I d n…
Former Manchester United star Paul Scholes has claimed that a focus on money over entertainment has led to Premier League clubs failing to attract the world s best footballers.
In an extract from his new book published in the Guardian, Scholes picked out Manchester City trio Sergio Aguero, Kevin de Bruyne and David Silva as being the only Premier League players he would place among the game s elite, and said that La Liga had more quality on offer.
Scholes, who won the Premier League 11 times with Manchester United and now works as a pundit, said: You hear about people saying English football s the best football there is around. I think Spain s by far the best league. Germany has better teams.
The Spanish league s the best by far if you re judging on the European…
Bayern eyeing Griezmann
Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich are readying summer bid for Atletico Madrid hotshot Antoine Griezmann, .
It is no secret that the Bavarians aim to sign replacements for Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, and the French forward appears to have become their primary target.
Bayern coach Pep Guardiola rates the Frenchman highly and he will attempt to bring him to Allianz Arena this summer.
The problem is that Atletico are not interested in selling their prized asset after he largely impressed in his debut season at Vicente Calderon.
Griezmann, 24, scored impressive 22 goals in 37 league outings for los Colchoneros this season, while netting two times in the Champions League.
Therefore, it is hardly surprising that Atletic…
Former Germany international Lukas Podolski has hit out at Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho over his treatment of Bastian Schweinsteiger.
The experienced midfielder joined United from Bayern Munich ahead of the 2015-16 campaign, but struggled to make an impact at Old Trafford, partially due to injury problems.
New manager Mourinho quickly decided he no longer needed Schweinsteiger and eventually dropoed the 32-year-old to the reserves, much to the dismay of the midfielder s old international team-mate.
When you look at the career Bastian has had, I can only say that what is happening there is simply not right for a player of his stature, Podolski told Bild.
I do not know what Mourinho has discussed with Bastian. But is clear that it is not okay t…
Arsene Wenger appears ready to rival Chelsea to sign Wayne Rooney after admitting Arsenal would not have a problem with his wage demands.
Rooney s future at Old Trafford is in serious doubt, with the striker seemingly poised to leave the Premier League champions.
And after Chelsea made an official enquiry for the England man on Wednesday, Wenger was quick to declare his interest in the 27-year-old.
After major departures in previous pre-seasons, the Frenchman is looking to strengthen his squad ahead of the new campaign, although Wenger admitted that he was unsure as to whether United would ultimately decide to sell Rooney.
Rooney is under contract and has two years to go so it’s United who make the decision, he said. But we would not have a problem with the wag…
Barcelona have announced Gerardo Martino will be their next boss
Spanish champions Barcelona have announced that Paraguayan Gerardo Martino will be their boss for the next two seasons.
The 50-year-old will replace Tito Vilanova, who on Friday night stepped down from his position due to ill health.
Europe
The Barcelona job will be a big challenge for a boss that has never even been in charge of a club in Europe.
All his managerial positions have been in his home continent of South America, including a spell as boss of the Paraguay national between 2007 and 2011, during which they made it to the quarter-finals of the World Cup.
Experienced
Despite his lack of managerial experience in European football, he has 15 years of manager…
Portsmouth are set to lose England keeper David James as the English Premiership strugglers continue to try to rein in costs, media reports said Sunday.
In the week that Dubai-based businessman Sulaiman Al Fahim announced he has completed a takeover of the south coast club, the Mail on Sunday reported that James is to become the latest big name player to leave, following the likes of Peter Crouch, Sylvain Distin and Glen Johnson through the revolving door at Fratton Park.
Negotiations on the exact terms and structure of the sale to Al Fahim have helped to create an atmosphere of uncertainty over the club s future and, to add to the sense of looming crisis, Pompey have lost their first three league games.
According to the Mail on Sunday, James is set to be sold o…