Rumours 18th Dec

Sir Alex Ferguson spoke highly of United’s opening Club World Cup opponents – and Japanese football in general – following a thrilling semi-final in Yokohama. “Gamba surprised us with their formation and caused us a few problems until we adapted a bit better to them.” Sir Alex is already looking forward to Sunday’s historic final against Ecuadorian club LDU Quito. More…

Sam Allardyce is to replace Paul Ince as Blackburn Rovers new manager in time for their home game against Stoke on Saturday. It will be his first management position since his dismissal from Newcastle United in January. Big Sam previously had much success with Rovers rivals Bolton, where under his supervision the team qualified for the UEFA Cup for the first time in their history. More…

Man City and Real Madrid seem locked in battle over Portsmouth’s midfield general Lassana Diarra.Real Madrid believe that they are close to a deal for the 23-year-old, who inserted a clause into his contract upon joining Portsmouth last January that would enable him to move on “if a really big club wants me”. More…

In spite of fears over his fitness, Milan star Kaka returned to training today and could feature against Udinese. Kaka, who had been sidelined since last Friday, took part in sprints and technical drills and reported no discomfort at any stage. More…

Lyon’s poor run of form in the French league has helped turn the title race into a tight contest this season. The defending champions still lead the standings by points, but they are winless in four matches. As a result, Marseille, Bordeaux and Paris Saint-Germain will all have the opportunity to snatch the lead on Sunday if Lyon loses at Caen on Saturday. More…

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