Sunderland would just love to get rid of me – Lens

Dani Alves insisted Brazil s 7-1 rout of Haiti had nothing to do with the team s capitulation at the hands of Germany at the 2014 World Cup.

After playing out a goalless draw with Ecuador in last week s opening Group B fixture, Brazil took a step toward the Copa America quarter-finals with a demolition of the Caribbean minnows courtesy of Philippe Coutinho s hat-trick in Orlando, Florida.

Brazil were on the opposite end of a 7-1 drubbing against eventual world champions Germany in the World Cup semi-finals two years ago, but Alves wearing the captain s armband at Camping World Stadium insisted that horrendous night in Belo Horizonte is in the past.

There s no comparison with that 7-1 result, Alves said. In life you always have to think that if you cannot improve…

Robbie Keane kept Liverpool on top of the Premier League with two second-half goals as Rafael Benitez s men sealed a 3-0 victory against Bolton Wanderers at Anfield here Friday.

Keane, linked with a January move away from Anfield having struggled to impress since his 20 million pounds July transfer from Tottenham, took his tally to three goals in two games as Liverpool made easy work of the visitors.

Despite earning the distinction of being Premier League leaders on Christmas Day, Liverpool went into this game with growing question marks over their ability to deliver the club s first league title since 1990.

Four draws in their last five league games, including three at Anfield against unfancied Fulham, West Ham and Hull City, had left Benitez s team with som…

Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye believes Chelsea s Eden Hazard will only get better after his move to the English Premier League.

The two players were close friends as part of the Lille side which won the Ligue 1 title in 2010, and Cabaye advised Hazard to come to England after enjoying a successful first season himself at Newcastle.

Hazard has made a dream start to his Chelsea career, providing five assists in his first two league matches for the Londoners.

The Premier League will be good for Eden s progression, Cabaye told the Daily Mail.

He had already won the French player of the year award twice. Everybody in France knows him, so the best way for him to improve again and to become one of the big, big players in the world which he can be was to …

Bournemouth chief executive Neill Blake has reiterated that a contract offer remains on the table for winger Ryan Fraser amid rumoured interest from Arsenal.

Scotland international Fraser scored seven goals and laid on 14 assists for his team-mates in the Premier League last season.

But the 25-year-old s future at the Vitality Stadium has been called into question as he is about to enter the final 12 months of his existing deal.

Fraser admitted earlier this week he is flattered by the links to Arsenal but he fears being priced out of a move to the Emirates Stadium, with Bournemouth rumoured to be holding out for £30million.

14 No player in Europe s big five leagues has provided more assists than Ryan Fraser in league play this season (14, tied with Jadon…

Jose Mourinho s Roma tenure started with a 10-0 rout of minnows Montecatini in a training match on Thursday.

Having been sacked by Tottenham, former Chelsea, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Inter boss Mourinho was appointed as Roma s new head coach in May, replacing compatriot Paulo Fonseca.

Mourinho s first competitive match in charge will come in Roma s Serie A opener against Fiorentina in August, and the Giallorossi made an emphatic start to their pre-season against Serie D side Montecatini.

Borja Mayoral scored a hat-trick, with his first goal coming after Carles Perez and Gianluca Mancini struck to put Roma 2-0 up.

Riccardo Calafiori netted a swift follow up and an own goal from Montecatini put Roma 5-0 ahead at the break.

Nicolo Zanio…

Neville Southall has offered a glowing review of new Everton manager Ronald Koeman, without missing an opportunity to aim a parting shot at Roberto Martinez.

Dutchman Koeman left Southampton to take over at Goodison Park in June, the three-year reign of Martinez having ended in the sack after an underwhelming 2015-16 campaign. 

Former Toffees goalkeeper Southall likes what he has seen from the new man in the hot seat.

And the ex-Wales international, an outspoken critic of Martinez last season, could not resist making what appeared to be a criticism of the effusive Spaniard, who has since taken over Belgium s national team.  

I think Koeman s a really good fit, Southall told Omnisport. 

He doesn t talk much rubbish. He doesn t bamboozle you w…

Chelsea F.C. manager Jose Mourinho has confirmed the club are in contract talks with Eden Hazard.

The 2013/14 PFA Young Player of the Year, 23, has become one of the best players in Europe since departing Lille for West London in the summer of 2012.

According to reports, the deal could be worth up to £50 million, with the Blues looking to quash interest from French champions Paris Saint-Germain, who were linked with Hazard during the summer.

We have big hopes that he [Hazard] will go from a top player to reach higher levels, said Mourinho ahead of the club s UEFA Champions League opener against Schalke 04.

He s a kid that was always living on his natural talent. But from a certain moment he was starting to have some tactical education a…

Former Brazil striker Giovane Elber says his country has no chance of winning Olympic gold because they have no heart .

Brazil will seek to atone for the humiliation of their 7-1 defeat to Germany in the 2014 World Cup semi-final on home soil by winning a first Olympic title in Rio next month.

Barcelona superstar Neymar sat out the Copa America Centenario to make himself available for the Games, but ex-Bayern Munich forward Elber is far from optimistic.

Asked whether he thought Brazil could win gold, he said: No, no, no. I think the players of the Brazil national team, they have no heart. In my eyes they have no heart.

Compared to this generation, the likes of Ronaldo, Kaka, they stayed hungry, they were really hungry about the titles.

I think t…

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has defended Luis Suarez after he picked up a one-game suspension for what appeared a deliberate handball.

The Uruguayan was sent off at the quarter-final stage of World Cup 2010 in South Africa against Ghana for the same offence and he appeared to repeat the trick during Saturday s 1-0 win over Southampton, in which he handled the ball in the area.

Suarez attempted to convert a Steven Gerrard cross with his hand rather than his head picking up his fifth booking of the season and subsequent suspension.

But Rodgers does not believe that Suarez did anything out of the ordinary before admitting that his side will miss him in their next game against West Ham.

I didn t see it and don t know what he was booked for but it mos…

Julio Baptista is to leave Malaga after the Spanish club agreed to terminate his contract.

The Brazilian striker joined Malaga from Roma in January 2011 and enjoyed success in the early stages of his career at La Rosaleda, but his second season with the club was marred by injury.

The 31-year-old struggled to make an impact after returning to action in the second half of last term and has been strongly with a return to his homeland.

Cruzeiro are expected to sign the former Arsenal and Real Madrid forward, who won the Spanish title during his time at the Bernabeu.

Julio Cesar Baptista and Malaga reached an amicable agreement on Friday 19th July to terminate the striker s contract, a statement on the club s official website read.

The club and the player came t…