Italy coach Cesare Prandelli says Mario Balotelli s Euro 2012 place is not under threat despite his sending off against Arsenal on Sunday.
Balotelli saw red late in Manchester City s 1-0 defeat at the Emirates Stadium for a foul on Bacary Sagna.
He had escaped a similar punishment earlier following a hard tackle on Alex Song.
In February, Prandelli said Balotelli could be left out of his plans for the competition in Poland and Ukraine because of his temperament, but the 54-year-old coach played down the former Inter Milan star s actions on Sunday.
I saw his sending off, but this time it was for a foul that was part of the game, he is quoted by Eurosport as saying.
I do not think the code of ethics can be applied in this particular situation.
Lille manager Rudi Garcia has played down the possibility of keeping Liverpool loanee Joe Cole at the Ligue 1 club.
Earlier this week, the 30-year-old admitted he would prefer to stay with the French side rather than return to Anfield at the end of his loan spell.
And, while Garcia admitted the club would like to retain Cole s services, he refused to reveal whether wages are proving to be a stumbling block to any proposed deal.
It proves he is happy with us. We are happy with him. There has been no debate on the reciprocal desires. But this is not the time (to talk), he said.
We have a big objective, so we don t waste our energy working on it (a permanent deal for Cole).
What is certain is that everyone is under contract. There are special cas…
Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar were a joy to play alongside but Pablo Sarabia nevertheless wanted to leave Paris Saint-Germain.
Sarabia swapped hopes of a Ligue 1 title and push for Champions League glory with PSG for a relegation battle in the Premier League with Wolves in January.
The Spain international reunited with Julen Lopetegui, who he had previously worked under in La Roja s under-21s team.
Lopetegui has lifted Wolves off the bottom of the table and out of the relegation zone, though ahead of Saturday s meeting with Tottenham they have failed to win their last three games.
Sarabia is enjoying life in England, however, despite no longer playing alongside three of the world s best players.
In an interview with The Telegraph, the 30-…
Spanish coach Luis Aragones on Saturday signed a two-year contract with Turkish club Fenerbahce.
I am here both with my brain and heart to work for Fenerbahce, the 69-year-old, who led champions Spain in Euro 2008, told a news conference through an interpreter.
I know I have come to a good and strong team. I can tell you that I am very happy, he added.
Fenerbahce had first announced a two-year pre-contract with Aragones on June 25, but the coach then still at the helm of Spain on the eve of their Euro 2008 semi-final against Russia had denied the deal.
Approaching his 70th birthday, Aragones became the oldest coach to win the European title when Spain beat Germany 1-0, clinching their second title after the first in 1964.
Back in the dark da…
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has accused the Premier League of ignoring the mental and physical welfare of players with its refusal to sanction five substitutions.
The issue was neither raised nor discussed at a Premier League shareholders meeting this week despite Klopp and other managers, such as Manchester United s Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, regularly highlighting the issue.
Clubs had previously been allowed to make five changes during the restart last season, but the Premier League twice voted against continuing it before the start of the current campaign.
The English Football League has since voted to allow managers to make five subs if needed, with the rule already in place in the Champions League and elsewhere in Europe.
Klopp again spoke at length…