Hazard eyeing improvement

Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations have reinforced inequality in football rather than reducing the gap between the richest and poorest clubs, a new study has found.

Research conducted by economists from the Technical University of Munich (TUM), who assessed 10 years of data, revealed FFP rules could block investment in smaller clubs.

Dr Daniel Urban, co-author of the report, titled Did UEFA s Financial Fair Play Harm Competition in European Soccer Leagues? , compared the impact of football investors to venture capital in economics.

Investors can break up established structures and thus strengthen competition – similar to what we have seen with venture capital in economics,  Dr Urban said.

The UEFA regulations, however, seem to have set too hi…

Mario Balotelli simply needs the right opportunity to get his career back on track, according to his agent Mino Raiola.

Balotelli joined Liverpool for £16million in 2014 but has failed to make a positive impact at Anfield. He was farmed out on loan to AC Milan last season but again struggled with form and fitness, scoring just three goals in 23 games in all competitions.

His future remains the subject of much speculation former club Inter were again linked with the Italy international on Friday and Raiola insists he would make a positive impact given the right conditions.

He told Corriere dello Sport: In life it is never too late. If you think Mario makes me despair, you are wrong because his life has improved a lot and now only needs to have the right opportuni…

Felipe Scolari says it is not a problem that Santos sensation Neymar is Brazil s biggest star at the tender age of 20.

The forward has developed into one of Brazil s key men since making his debut in August 2010, but his experience of elite football has come into question following his decision to remain with Santos ahead of the World Cup on home soil.

Scolari, who took over from Mano Menezes as Brazil coach last week, believes the livewire forward is ready to perform on the big stage.

I don t see anything wrong with the fact that Neymar is our biggest star at the age of 20. Ronaldo used to be one of the leading figures in (the team), and he shone for Brazil when he was only 19 or 20, Scolari was quoted as saying on the Fifa website.

Pele too was only …

Want-away Liverpool striker Luis Suarez owes the club and their supporters, manager Brendan Rodgers believes.

The 26-year-old has been the subject of constant transfer speculation throughout the close-season, with Arsenal and Real Madrid seen as his most likely destinations shoould he leave Anfield.

Arsenal are reported to have tabled a recent bid in excess of £40 million, but Liverpool are keen to keep hold of their pized asset.

Suarez made his first pre-season appearance on Wednesday, coming on as a 72nd-minute substitute in Liverpool s 2-0 friendly win over Melbourne Victory in front of more than 95,000 fans at the MCG.

The Uruguay international received a good reception from Liverpool fans and Rodgers feels the faith the club have shown in him during his va…

Manchester United loanee Mason Greenwood was sent off as nine-man Getafe slipped to a 2-0 home defeat to Rayo Vallecano in LaLiga.

The hosts were reduced to 10 men five minutes before the break as Real Madrid loanee Juanmi Latasa was handed a second booking and matters were made even worse when Sergio Camello put the visitors 1-0 to the good.

Camello doubled their lead two minutes after the interval and Greenwood was given a straight red card three minutes later for dissent after he appeared gesture how many times he had been fouled to referee Jorge Figueroa.

Greenwood became the eighth player to receive a red card for Getafe this season and a further red card was given to Damian Suarez from the bench after he had already been substituted in a heated clash as 11 …

Midfielder James McCarthy played a key role in Everton s 3-0 Europa League victory over Lille

When the draw for the Europa League was made Everton were handed what looked like a difficult group alongside French side Lille, German team Wolfsburg and Russians Krasnodar.

It has not been as tough as expected and Everton are thriving in European competition.

The Toffees looked set to be given a hard ride on their return to European competition after a five year absence.

However, Roberto Martinez’s men have taken eight points from their four Europa League games after last night’s 3-0 victory over Lille at Goodison Park and sit top of their group.

Impressive

The Toffees display against the French outfit was impressive. They produced a perfor…

​Franck Ribery believes he can still be an integral player for Bayern Munich in the coming years, despite their interest in Marco Reus.

The French winger has served as a key part of the Bayern side that has dominated German football in recent years, winning the last two Bundesliga titles as well as the 2012-13 UEFA Champions League.

One of the advantages Bayern have enjoyed is the financial might to reinforce their squad almost at will, and the Bavarians have made no secret of their interest in making Borussia Dortmund forward Reus – who can play out wide or through the middle – their latest acquisition.

In August Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge revealed the presence of a €25million buy-out clause in Reus contract that comes into effect next year, a…

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer expects Manchester United fans to give their full backing to Paul Pogba next season, saying the France international has never ever been a problem during his time at the club.

Pogba came in for heavy criticism from United supporters during a tumultuous 2018-19 campaign and was seen receiving verbal abuse on the Old Trafford pitch at the end of the club s 2-0 home defeat to Cardiff City on the last day of the season.

He has since been the subject of speculation linking him with a move away from United, telling reporters in Tokyo in June that next season could be a good time to have a new challenge somewhere else .

The comments incensed sections of United s support, but Solskjaer said Pogba, who featured in the club s pre-season friendly vict…

Jose Mourinho has acknowledged Tottenham s repeated defensive errors must be a great source of frustration for the team s forwards.

Spurs twice rallied from a goal down to draw 2-2 at Norwich City on Saturday, with Harry Kane s late penalty cancelling out a Serge Aurier own goal.

Mistakes in defence have punctuated recent matches, with Paulo Gazzaniga at fault in an ill-tempered London derby defeat to Chelsea just before Christmas.

Mourinho is happy with his forwards and with Tottenham s attitude, yet ridiculous concessions continue to irritate him and, he suspects, his players.

Four matches away, we won two, we lost one and we drew one, Mourinho said ahead of the trip to Southampton. Is that better than before? Yes. Is that perfect? No.

If you …

Tottenham Hotspur and Everton will both be hoping to reignite their stuttering seasons when the English top-flight duo meet in the fourth round of the League Cup at White Hart Lane here on Tuesday.

Spurs started the campaign in electrifying form but a 1-0 home defeat against Stoke on Saturday has tempered dreams of a top four finish and increased the importance of the League Cup to the north London club.

Everton s injury-ravaged squad were humiliated in Portugal in last week s Europa League fixture, going down 5-0 to Benfica, and then were cruelly beaten late on by Bolton in a five-goal encounter in the Premier League on Sunday.

Toffees captain Phil Neville has criticised the scheduling of Tuesday s game, claiming it doesn t give Everton enough time for much nee…