Jens Lehmann announced on Saturday he would refuse to pay the fine he was given for criticising his club Stuttgart s firing of coach Markus Babbel.
Babbel was sacked last Sunday and replaced by former Tottenham Hotspur boss Gross, with Lehmann claiming his bosses had simply bowed to the demands of angry fans.
Supporters turned on Babbel after Stuttgart s 1-1 draw with Bochum left them third from bottom in the Bundesliga.
Lehmann told German daily Bild: I don t accept having to pay this fine and I have explained that to the club s management.
On Friday Stuttgart chairman Erwin Staudt said Lehmann had been out of order to go public with his criticism.
Our players can freely express themselves, but what he said was not to be tolerated and damaged …
South Africa s Aaron Mokoena scored in the final minute of extra-time as crisis club Portsmouth came from behind to beat Coventry City 2-1 in an FA Cup third round replay on Tuesday.
Victory gave Portsmouth, bottom of the Premier League and beset by financial problems, a fourth round tie at home to top-flight rivals Sunderland.
Both of Pompey s goals were heartbreaking for second-tier Coventry, coming in the last minute of normal time and in time added on at the end of the second half of extra-time.
The 2008 FA Cup winners were behind for most of the match after Coventry striker Leon Best fired the home side, who play in the second division Championship, into a 22nd minute lead.
And it seemed cash-strapped Portsmouth, whose officials met earlier Tuesday …
Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke says he is unsure whether Jurgen Klopp will take the vacant managerial role at Liverpool but backed his former coach to be a success at any top European club.
Klopp has emerged as one of the front-runners to replace Brendan Rodgers, along with Carlo Ancelotti, after the Northern Irishman was sacked on Sunday following a disappointing start to the season.
Working under Watzke, Klopp gained a reputation as one of Europe s finest coaches, winning two Bundesliga titles and the DFB-Pokal during a seven-year spell at Signal Iduna Park.
A run to the Champions League final in 2013 also bolstered Klopp s standing on the continent and Watzke suggested the former Mainz tactician would be a strong fit for Liverpool, should he decided…
It has been a strange couple of years for Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart. Two years ago, he was Manchester City and England number one. Some regarded him as one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
However, some poor performances at Euro 2016 and Pep Guardiola’s arrival at Manchester City completely transformed Harts career for the worse. He is now in limbo at City, despite currently being with the City squad on their US tour.
Not Guardiola’s type of goalkeeper
Guardiola made it clear as soon as he arrived in Manchester that Hart was not in his plans. The England international had been the Citizens first-choice ‘keeper for nearly a decade. However, Guardiola cared little for that and knew he would not fit into his style of play.
The former Barcelona…
Bayern Munich suffered a shock defeat at Augsburg, going down 1-0 to make it four games without a win in the Bundesliga.
A second-half goal from Mergim Berisha was enough to give Enrico Maassen s team the win over their Bavarian neighbours on Saturday.
Julian Nagelsmann s Bayern looked listless, creating several half chances but proving unable to beat the inspired Rafal Gikiewicz in the Augsburg goal. Manuel Neuer went as close as anyone for Bayern, the goalkeeper sent forward in the closing moments and seeing Gikiewicz palm away his powerful header.
The defending Bundesliga champions head into the international break having not won a league game since their 7-0 thrashing of Bochum on August 21.
The first real chance came when Florian Niederlechner eas…
West Brom say they have suspended the ticket accounts of supporters identified as being part of the trouble that marred Sunday’s Black Country derby against Wolves and passed their details onto West Midlands Police.
Play was suspended for more than half an hour at The Hawthorns as trouble flared in the stands and fans spilled onto the pitch, with six individuals arrested for a number of offences in the immediate aftermath.
Albion said in a statement: “A number of individuals have been identified as part of the club’s ongoing investigation into the disruption and their details have been passed to West Midlands Police for further criminal investigation.
The club have issued an update regarding the unacceptable disturbances at last weekend s Black Country derb…
PSG confirm interest in Matic
Paris Saint-Germain boss Laurent Blanc has revealed that he is interested in taking Benfica midfielder Nemanja Matic to Parc des Princes.
The Serbian footballer is one of the most sought-after players in Europe at the moment and he has been linked with Chelsea, Napoli, Monaco and Real Madrid, among other clubs.
However, it appears that PSG are the latest side to have joined the chase for his signature, with coach Laurent Blanc praising the 25-year-old.
Matic is a good player, Blanc told reporters ahead of the Benfica clash. He is a young player. Benfica have very good, young players, including those from Balkan countries.
As to whether he will be at PSG in the future, I hope to get him but he is already at a big cl…
Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon hailed coach Massimiliano Allegri ahead of Saturday s trip to Sampdoria, where they need just a draw to clinch their fourth successive Serie A title.
Allegri sacked by Milan in January of last year was given the tough ask of trying to replace Antonio Conte in July when the latter stepped down to coach Italy.
Conte had led Juventus to a hat-trick of Serie A crowns and Allegri s appointment was met with widespread scepticism, as 300 fans protested against the decision at the club s training complex.
But all is forgotten with the club s supporters after another stunning season, which could see Juventus win a historic treble. They open a UEFA Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid on Tuesday and face Lazio in June s Coppa…
The international break is upon us, and most teams in the world continue to play all over the globe, whether in European Championship Qualifiers, 2022 World Cup Qualifiers or international friendlies. Our upcoming match falls into the latter category, as Mexico will take on Argentina in a thrilling friendly between two of the top countries in the Latin American region. Kick-off for this match is slated for Wednesday at 04:oo BST.
Argentina
La Albiceleste are coming off a 0-0 draw against Chile in their most recent friendly last week, and they also finished in third place during the 2019 Copa America held earlier this year. Now under the tutelage of Lionel Scaloni, the two-time World Cup winners are looking to renew the squad. Names such as Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero and Eve…
Karren Brady has questioned whether some Premier League clubs might not have the luxury of players with deep-seated coronavirus concerns sitting out games.
The West Ham vice-chairman says she fundamentally believes footballers should have the choice as to whether they make themselves available whenever the 2019-20 season resumes.
But Brady sees the matter, along with the issue of playing at neutral grounds and the possibility of infections breaking out in the league, among the complications in getting top-flight football moving again.
Our club is moving quickly and our players have already undergone cardiac screening and blood tests, Brady wrote in The Sun.
The bottom line is our players have three main points yet to be fully resolved. They are: Will I…