Jese Rodriguez must clean up his image in order to become a success at Sporting CP, according to the club s former winger Simao.
After a disappointing three-year spell at Paris Saint-Germain, Jese joined Sporting on loan in a deadline-day deal with a purchase option included for the Portuguese club.
Simao, who began his career at Sporting and went on to become one of his country s finest players, compared Jese to Benfica s Moroccan attacking midfielder Adel Taarabt, who arrived in Portugal with his reputation at a low ebb in 2015.
Jese must change, Simao told AS.
Primer día
— JeseRodriguez10 (@JeseRodriguez10)
Taarabt, for example, had a second chance. He has to want to change. He will have another chance and he must wash his image.…
Inter head coach Luciano Spalletti remains bullish despite seeing his side stumble to a third successive game without a goal against Atalanta.
The Nerazzurri laboured to a limp goalless draw in Bergamo on Saturday, further damaging their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League for the first time since the 2011-12 season.
With Lazio and Roma playing each other on Sunday, the game gave Spalletti s men the chance to jump above both and into third spot.
But a draw left them level with their rivals on 60 points following a third game without a win.
Spalletti was in defiant mood afterwards, though, and is not concerned by his Inter s failure to break down a stubborn Atalanta outfit, with Ivan Perisic missing several excellent chances.
I don …
Former Middlesbrough player and manager Gareth Southgate is confident they will succeed in the Premier League after winning promotion as Championship runners-up.
Boro s seven-year absence from the top flight was brought to an end on Saturday as they drew 1-1 at home with 10-man Brighton and Hove Albion to take second spot ahead of their visitors.
Southgate played for Boro between 2001 and 2006 before going to manage the Teesiders until 2009 when he was sacked with the club fourth in the second tier.
And he was quick to praise the job done by boss Aitor Karanka, telling BBC Radio 5 Live: It s fantastic closure for them. Aitor s done a fantastic job, they ve recruited really well and that s key – we ve seen that with [Premier League champions] Leicester.
Real Valladolid will compete in LaLiga next season after beating Numancia 4-1 on aggregate in the Segunda Division play-off final.
Following a 3-0 win at Numancia in the first leg, Sergio Gonzalez s side restricted their opponents chances at Estadio Jose Zorrilla while occasionally probing forward in search of goals to extend their lead.
With just three minutes left, Manu del Moral put the visitors ahead on the night but Jaime Mata hit back three minutes into stoppage time with his 35th league goal of the season to begin the celebrations for Valladolid.
Valladolid have been in Spanish football s second tier for four seasons since being relegated from LaLiga at the end of the 2013-14 campaign, and finished fifth in 2017-18 – one place above Numancia – as both …
Mauricio Pochettino has asked to be given time to turn Tottenham into a trophy-winning side ahead of their Europa League second leg against Gent.
The Argentinian has turned Spurs into a force to be reckoned with at the top end of the Premier League since leaving Southampton to take the reins at White Hart Lane, but Tottenham have not won a major honour since 2008 and trail Gent 1-0 at the halfway stage of their last-32 tie.
Pochettino, though, is confident that Spurs remain a work in progress and that he can deliver the silverware to match the club s undoubted potential.
We cannot buy time, that is the most important thing for us, he told a pre-match news conference. It s too easy to say we want to win titles and move the club to the next level.
It ta…
Ange Postecoglou is excited to see Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur close to his best again amid a growing injury crisis at the club.
Spurs host Aston Villa on Sunday with at least nine first-team players ruled out and Pape Sarr a doubt after he returned with a knock from international duty with Senegal.
A much-needed positive for the Australian is the return to fitness of Bentancur, who made his first competitive start in nine months in Uruguay’s 3-0 win over Bolivia on Tuesday after a serious knee injury.
A start for Lolo as Uruguay beat Bolivia 3-0 last night!
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial)
With first-choice midfielders James Maddison (ankle) and Yves Bissouma (suspended) definitely absent for the visit of Villa, Bentancur cou…
Massimiliano Allegri applauded Claudio Marchisio as an outstanding servant to Juventus following the mutual termination of his contract.
The Turin-born 32-year-old became a free agent on Friday after 389 appearances for his hometown club.
His influence has been curbed in recent seasons by a succession of injuries, including a ruptured cruciate ligament in April 2016.
MLS has been mooted as a possible destination for the former Italy midfielder, who represented his country at the World Cup in 2010 and 2014.
He leaves Juve as seven-time Scudetto winner, the last four of which have come under Allegri.
269 Claudio played 269 games in Serie A for Juventus, more than any other midfielder for the Bianconeri in the last 20 top italian leagues campaigns. …
The football world has been shocked by a sensational report claiming Cristiano Ronaldo wants to leave Real Madrid.
Madrid were rocked on Friday when Portuguese newspaper A Bola claimed the 32-year-old no longer wanted to play in Spain amid scrutiny over his tax affairs, a story that sources close to the player have seemingly since confirmed to other international news outlets.
Ronaldo s representatives have strongly denied an accusation that the forward concealed earnings and defrauded the Spanish tax authorities out of €14.7million.
Madrid have expressed full confidence in Ronaldo and believe he will be proved innocent of any wrongdoing, but nonetheless he is claimed to have made an irreversible decision to leave Santiago Bernabeu.
So what would Madr…
After months of speculation, Manchester United have confirmed Erik ten Hag will take over as the club s new manager at the end of another frustrating season at Old Trafford.
The 52-year-old will have a huge job on his hands when he arrives this summer, with the Red Devils looking unlikely to qualify for the Champions League after struggling under both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick this term.
High up on Ten Hag s to-do list will be deciding who amongst the current squad will be suited to playing his high-pressing, possession-based style of football.
Here, Stats Perform uses Opta-powered data to give an insight into three players who could impress under the Dutchman, and three who may find their days numbered after his arrival…
Made in the Nether…
Chelsea forward Armando Broja is expected to miss the rest of the season after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a friendly against Aston Villa on Sunday.
Broja, who spent the 2021-22 season on loan at Southampton, has made 18 appearances for Chelsea this term, scoring his first Blues goal in October s Premier League win over Wolves.
The Albania international was chosen to lead the line against Villa in Abu Dhabi, with Graham Potter looking to get his squad up to full speed ahead of the Premier League s resumption later this month.
However, Broja was carried from the field after going down clutching his left knee, having fallen awkwardly when appearing to catch his studs in the turf.
A Blues statement read: Having sustained…