#TIMEFMLUNCHTIMESPORTS WITH #ANDREWWAMONO AND #WAMBEDEINTERNATIONAL No shirt swap between Iran and Nigeria. President of Iran’s Football Federation (FFI), Ali Kafaschian says players of the Team Melli would need “to be economical” with their shirts after matches at the World Cup. It is almost customary for international footballers to swap shirts after matches but Iran’s stars have been instructed not to do so at the 2014 Fifa World Cup finals in Brazil. Paul Scholes says the England Football Team cannot afford to underestimate Andrea Pirlo again when they face Italy in Brazil. Scholes describes Pirlo as the worlds greatest playmaker, and believes Danny Welbeck should man-mark him. ………………………………. Former England star Gary Lineker says Lionel Messi is better than Cristiano Ronaldo. Lineker, who spent three years at Messis Barcelona, scoring 42 goals in 103 games, said the Argentina internationals teamwork put him ahead of his Portuguese rival. As the 2014 World Cup approaches, Fifa have introduced new tests to ensure footballs elite players are not doping throughout the sports biggest international tournament. A new method of testing players for banned substances has been introduced as Fifa has become the first international sports authority to introduce the biological passport and players are being tested unannounced before the tournament. ………………………………. Netherlands striker Robin van Persie has dismissed speculation he could be an injury concern ahead of the World Cup opener against Spain next week. The Manchester United striker, 30, said he was withdrawn at half-time in the 2-0 win against Wales as a precaution. Van Persie, sidelined for six weeks late last season with a knee injury, appeared to suffer a groin problem. But he said: I wouldnt call it an injury. It built up during the game so I decided it was sensible to come off. Roma have announced the signing of former Barcelona star Seydou Keita on a one-year deal. The 34-year-old, who has 88 international caps for Mali, spent the last five months with Valencia in La Liga after moving from Chinese team Dalian Aerbin. ………………………………... Transfer gossip Manchester Citys top transfer target Eliaquim Mangala, 23, would prefer a move to Manchester United, although Louis van Gaal is not prioritizing the Porto defender because of concerns about his temperament. …………………………… Chelsea are hoping to complete a £50m treble deal with Atletico Madrid for Brazilian left-back Filipe Luis, 28, Portuguese midfielder Tiago, 33, and Spain striker Diego Costa, 25. ………………………… And Blues manager Jose Mourinho has confirmed his interest in signing Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas, 27, for £30m. …………………………….. Barcelona have tied up a €20 million deal to sign Croatia midfielder Ivan Rakitic from Sevilla. The 26-year-old was one of the standout performers in La Liga last season as Sevilla finished in fifth place and he helped the Andalusians claim the Europa League crown with victory over Benfica in May. ……………………………… Real Madrid would have to match the £80m they paid Tottenham for Gareth Bale last summer if they want to buy Liverpool striker Luis Suarez, 27. ………………………………. Liverpool has agreed a five-year deal with Alberto Moreno, 21, after Sevilla accepted a £17.9m offer for the Spain defender. …………………………………. Inter Milan are in talks with Manchester United over a £10m move for Mexico striker Javier Hernandez, 26. ……………………………….. Newcastle have turned their attentions to Ajax midfielder Siem de Jong, 25, after snubbing his younger brother Luuk. The 23-year-old striker did not impress during the second half of the season on loan at St James Park from Borussia Monchengladbach. ……………………………….. Paris St-Germain is ready to listen to offers for 20-year-old centre-back Marquinhos, who is a target for Manchester City. Marquinhos won Ligue 1 with Paris St-Germain Arsenal are ready to make a £17m bid for Napoli and Italy forward Lorenzo Insigne, 23, if he impresses at this summers World Cup . ……………………………… Chelsea is interested in Mexican winger Jurgen Damm, according to the 21-year-olds club, Pachuca. Tottenham are ready to make a £5m bid for Bayern Munich winger Julian Green, with Mauricio Pochettino hopeful of making the 18-year-old American his first signing. ……………………………… Barcelona forward Pedro, 26, a rumoured target for Manchester United, has admitted he is unsure about his future. West Ham have made an offer for Nice defender Timothee Kolodziejczak, 22. ……………………………… The French full-back is valued at about £2.5m. Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny, 28, believes the Gunners could be set for a bright new era - providing they buy four top-class players this summer. Chelsea defender John Terry, 33, has interrupted his summer holiday for extra fitness training. ……………………………….. Former England Under-21 manager Stuart Pearce says picking Southampton full-back Luke Shaw, 18, ahead of Ashley Cole, 33, in Englands World Cup squad is a mistake. ............................. Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva, 27, has been enjoying his summer holidays by practicing his lassoing skills, and posted a video of him catching a cow. #Mulembe
Posted on: Fri, 06 Jun 2014 10:15:33 +0000