Quick Report: Romania and France draw again

Kalidou Koulibaly has condemned plans by Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis to tell new signings they must agree not to play in the Africa Cup of Nations.

De Laurentiis proposed the controversial policy on Tuesday, saying that any African player who joined the Serie A club should make a commitment to skip the tournament.

It remains to be seen whether he goes through with the plan, or whether it is enforceable. The next AFCON is due to be played in the Ivory Coast in January 2024.

Last season, Napoli were without Cameroon international Andre-Franck Zambo Anguissa and Senegal defender Koulibaly as they represented their nations in the tournament that took place in January and February, while Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen missed out because of an injury.

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Barcelona youngster Alen Halilovic has confirmed he could leave the club for Valencia but is adamant his long-term future is still at Camp Nou.

The Croatia international joined Barcelona from Dinamo Zagreb in July 2014 and made his official first-team debut for the Catalans in the 4-0 Copa del Rey win over Elche in January 2015.

He was sent out on loan to Sporting Gijon this campaign in order to gain first-team experience, making 37 appearances in all competitions.

The 19-year-old, who has been named in Croatia s provisional squad for Euro 2016, will return to Camp Nou at the end of the season.

However, he is unlikely to get much playing time next term and Barcelona therefore appear ready to either let him leave on loan again or sell with a buy-back op…

Negotiations between Southampton and Ronald Koeman over a new contract are progressing very positively , according to the club s executive director of football Les Reed.

Koeman led the Saints to a sixth-place finish and a club-record points tally in the 2015-16 Premier League season, leading to speculation rivals such as Everton may try to lure the Dutchman away from St Mary s Stadium.

The former Ajax and Feyenoord boss has just one year left on the deal he signed when taking over from Mauricio Pochettino in June 2014, but Reed is optimistic he will put pen to paper sooner rather than later.

Talks are ongoing all the time, and there is never really a point where you can say on this day we ll start talking , he told Southampton s Youtube channel.

Convers…

Valencia striker Roberto Soldado said he was delighted to sign a five-year contract at Mestalla and hopes to end his career at the club.

The 27-year-old was signed from Getafe in the summer of 2010 for a reported 10-million-euro fee after an impressive two years in the Spanish capital, and has continued that form since the move.

Soldado amassed 27 goals in all competitions last season, and has now moved to commit his future to Valencia, and wants to retire at the club.

This is a dream that continues to grow, he told to reporters at an event to celebrate his new deal.

I want to thank my teammates, the club and the fans. I want to retire at Valencia CF.

It has been an enormous privilege to play here. I have to earn this contract extension every…

Prediction: Draw

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The Premier League is back once again this weekend as continue on through the always-crazy month of December. There are so many teams up and down the top flight who are in desperate need of some points on the board now that we re in the midst of the busy winter schedule, mainly because momentum can be such a vital piece of the puzzle during this time of the year. Today, we re going to be taking a look at what could be a defining game for two struggling teams: Sheffield United and Manchester United.

Sheffield United

There are problems that desperately need to be addressed by Chris Wilder at Bramall Lane and the man himself will be well aware of that, but the important thing to point out here is that they are tec…

Leonardo Jardim thinks Paris Saint-Germain s Champions League failures put Monaco s achievements in the competition in perspective.

PSG were beaten 5-2 on aggregate by Real Madrid in the last 16, having fallen at the same stage last year as Barcelona overturned a 4-0 first-leg deficit to dramatically progress 6-5.

Monaco were knocked out in the group stage this season, but reached the semi-finals last term and the quarter-finals two years earlier, with Jardim highlighting his side s accomplishments as PSG and Unai Emery come under pressure.

This shows once again that it is very difficult to go to the quarter-finals, the semi-finals of the Champions League, the Monaco coach told a pre-match news conference ahead of their Ligue 1 clash with Strasbourg on Friday.

Paul Scholes is convinced that this time he is retiring for good after calling time on his Manchester United career for a second occasion.

Having first announced in 2011 that he was hanging up his boots, the talismanic former England midfielder was subsequently persuaded by United boss Alex Ferguson to return to the game a year later.
Now, after announcing his retirement for a second time earlier this week, Scholes says he is not about to make another U-turn.
I think this is it. I m sure this is it. It s probably not the season I would have liked to go out on, but the last four months have been quite difficult with injury, with my knee and trying to get back fit again, he told Sky Sports.
I m totally convinced. I was convinced last time to be honest with you. At the time you a…

Wayne Rooney heaped praise on team-mate Marouane Fellaini, though the Manchester United skipper insisted he always believed the Belgian midfielder would come good at Old Trafford.

Fellaini continued his resurgence with another impressive performance against rivals Manchester City on Sunday, scoring a goal as United claimed bragging rights via a 4-2 derby victory.

The Belgium international has become a mainstay under Louis van Gaal in recent months, a far cry from Fellaini s first season at Old Trafford in 2013-14, when he was made a scapegoat by fans for the club s poor campaign following his £27.5 million move from Everton.

Fellaini was deployed as a holding midfielder by former boss David Moyes but the 27-year-old has been pushed further up the field, which ha…

Prediction: Manchester City to win 2-0

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Manchester City and Brighton and Hove Albion will lock horns with each other this coming weekend. The Premier League match between Pep Guardiola’s side and Roberto De Zerbi’s team will be held at the Etihad Stadium and is scheduled to kick off at 3 pm UK time on Saturday.

Manchester City

Manchester City did not have the best of times just before the international break. Pep Guardiola’s side were knocked out of the EFL Cup by Newcastle United, and although they won in the UEFA Champions League, City lost to Wolverhampton Wanderers and Arsenal in the Premier League.

City are third in the Premier League table at the moment with 18 points from eight matches. The defending champions…

George Cohen believes that in Fabio Capello England have a manager with similar qualities to those of 1966 World Cup supremo Sir Alf Ramsey.

Cohen, England s right-back when they beat the then West Germany 4-2 after extra-time in the World Cup final at Wembley nearly 43 years ago, reckons that successive sides have too often been allowed to lose their way.

The 1966 World Cup remains the only major international football trophy that England have won and, for Cohen, the team s failure to reach the Euro 2008 finals in Austria and Switzerland under Steve McClaren, Capello s predecessor, was a particular low point.

Missing out a place at the qualifying for the European Championships last year was quite frankly a massive disappointment to all of us, Fulham great Cohe…