West Ham said Wednesday they have completed the signing of Switzerland international Valon Behrami from Italian Serie A outfit Lazio for five million pounds (seven million euros).
The 23-year-old, who has won 15 caps and can play either as right-back or in midfield, joins the Hammers on a five-year deal.
Behrami appeared in all three of Switzerland s matches at Euro 2008.
Thomas Tuchel savoured Chelsea s incredible Champions League triumph and said the approach to beating Manchester City was to be a stone in their shoe .
Club-record signing Kai Havertz s first Champions League goal late in the first half was enough for the Blues to win the biggest prize in European club football in Porto on Saturday.
City could only register one shot on target at Estadio do Dragao as Chelsea were crowned champions of Europe for a second time.
Tuchel was only appointed to replace Frank Lampard at Stamford Bridge in January and four months later the German has made them the kings of the continent.
The 47-year-old suffered the agony of losing the Champions League final to Bayern Munich when he was Paris Saint-Germain head coach last seas…
Valdes nears Old Trafford switch
that former Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes is set to put pen to paper on a long-term deal with Manchester United.
The Spaniard has been training with the Red Devils for several weeks now as he aims to build his fitness after a serious injury and everything suggests he will be offered a contract at Old Trafford.
But, while he was supposed to act as a back-up to first choice keeper David De Gea, the club chiefs reportedly see him as a replacement for his compatriot, who continues to be linked with a move to Real Madrid.
Los Blancos are believed to be hot on the trail of the 24-year-old goalkeeper as Iker Casillas appears to be well past his prime.
Meanwhile, Victor Valdes is a free agent after leaving Barcelona…
Shanghai Shenhua have terminated the contract of striker Carlos Tevez.
The 33-year-old had another 12 months to run on his deal with the Chinese Super League side but the club have opted to release him following weeks of speculation over his future.
The club would like to place on record our gratitude to Tevez for his contribution last season and wish him all the best in his future endeavours, they confirmed in a statement.
Tevez is now expected to return to boyhood club Boca Juniors, having been pictured in the club s gym on Friday.
Boca tweeted the image of a smiling Tevez on a treadmill, with the caption: Tevez is coming home! He joined the team today and is already training with his team-mates.
¡Tevez volvió a casa! Hoy se sumó al plant…
Borussia Dortmund climbed off the foot of the Bundesliga table and out of the relegation zone with a 1-0 win over Hoffenheim on Friday.
Jurgen Klopp s men have endured a torrid start to the domestic season and came into the clash at Signal Iduna Park propping up the rest of the division.
Dortmund were the better side throughout much of the encounter and sealed victory courtesy of Ilkay Gundogan s first-half header.
For Gundogan, who recently returned after a long spell out with a back injury, it was a first goal for Dortmund since netting in the 4-2 win over Bayern Munich in the DFL Supercup in July 2013.
The hosts could have won by more and were wrongly denied a second goal when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang saw a header incorrectly disallowed for offsid…
Germany defender Antonio Rudiger has been ruled out of Euro 2016 with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, the German Football Association has confirmed.
Rudiger had appeared set to feature in Germany s opening Group C game against Ukraine on Sunday, with Mats Hummels still recovering from a calf problem.
However, the world champions will now be forced into calling up a replacement player after Rudiger was severely injured in his country s first training session following their arrival in France on Tuesday.
Rudiger collapsed to the ground in clear discomfort after making a tackle, with his team-mates quick to call for medical assistance.
Bad news: is ruled out of after rupturing his ACL in training. Get well soon, Antonio!
— Germany (@DFB_Team…
Real Madrid s Ruud van Nistelrooy has announced his retirement from international football.
After studying the schedule of Madrid and the Dutch team I realised playing for both would mean too tough a load for me, said the thirty-two year old striker.
Van Nistelrooy retires with a fine record of thirty-three goals from sixty-four games. He palyed and scored at the major tournaments in 2004, 2006 and 2008.
His decision came as a surprise to new national team coach Bert van Marwijk. I had a comprehensive conversation with Ruud and I can do nothing else but respect his decision. I regret it that I can t use his quality and experience when I compose my squad but I wish him all the best at Real Madrid.
Van Nistelrooy is still a top class striker whose scor…
Marcelo Bielsa indicated he is willing to stay at Leeds United despite their defeat to Derby County in the Championship play-offs.
Derby lost the first leg 1-0 and were trailing in the second clash at Elland Road on Wednesday before turning the match on its head to run out 4-2 winners on the night and 4-3 on aggregate.
Former Argentina and Chile coach Bielsa signed a two-year deal on his June 2018 arrival at Leeds, who led the Championship table at Christmas but missed out on automatic promotion in the closing weeks.
As you can imagine, it is not convenient to talk about this right now, Bielsa told reporters after Leeds 15-year exile from the Premier League was extended.
You know about this process. If the club offers me the possibility to carry on, I…
Cristiano Ronaldo has enjoyed sharing Ballon d Or honours with Lionel Messi over the past decade and insists he is not obsessed by football s most celebrated individual award.
Real Madrid s march to glory in LaLiga and the Champions League last season helped Ronaldo to make it five Ballons d Or apiece along with Barcelona great Messi.
You have to go back to Kaka in 2007 for the last time the award went to any player outside of this era s dominant performers and Messi is well-placed to make it 6-5, given Barca s vice-like grip on the title race in LaLiga this time around.
Ronaldo has won four of the past five and told Chinese football app Dongqiudi he is heartened by his duopoly with Messi as opposed to it being a source of frustration
To be honest, I nev…
Borussia Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp has dismissed reports linking Manchester City s Edin Dzeko with a move to the Bundesliga champions.
Bosnia international Dzeko revealed in February that he would love a return to Germany the powerful centre-forward enjoyed a successful four-year spell with Wolfsburg between 2007 and 2011.
But Dortmund general manager Hans-Joachim Watzke dismissed the rumours linking the club with Dzeko on Tuesday, and Klopp has followed suit.
This is total nonsense and no more funny, Klopp told SID.
Dzeko scored 85 goals during his time in Bundesliga, and has previously said a lack of appearances for the English Premier League champions could force him to look elsewhere for regular first-team football, despite being City s top goalsc…
Ajax boss Franck de Boer has moved to confirm reports linking the Dutch giants with a summer move for AZ Alkmaar midfielder Adam Maher.
The 19-year-old has been playing some great football this season and he was on the verge of joining PSV Eindhoven in the January transfer window.
A number of Europe’s high-profile clubs have since joined the race for the talented footballer, including Ajax Amsterdam.
Ajax coach Franck de Boer admits interest in Maher, but states that they are not prepared to meet AZ’s €10 million valuation of the player.
“Ajax will not be paying that,” De Boer told Amsterdam daily Het Parool. “We are always interested in good footballers and Maher is a good footballer.”
Adam Maher has been making giant strides since…