TOP 100 SOCCER SITES
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| City deny CEO lied to fans Manchester City officials insist they did not lie to their supporters over the approach to Roberto Mancini to become the Barclays Premier League club's manager. foxsports.com.au |
Preston name Darren Ferguson as new manager to replace Alan Irvine • Ferguson signs three-and-a-half year deal at Deepdale• Kevin Russell and Scott Taylor also join North EndDarren Ferguson has been appointed as the manager of Championship side Preston North End on a three-and-a-half-year contract.The 37-year-old had been out of work since leaving Peterborough United in November, and succeeds Alan Irvine at Deepdale. Irvine, 51, was dismissed last week despite saving the Lancashire club from relegation in 2007/08 and guiding them into the play-offs last season.Kevin Russell and Scott Taylor, who were part of Ferguson's backroom staff at London Road, have also joined North End.Preston chairman Derek Shaw insisted Ferguson was the outstanding candidate for the job and backed him to embark on a successful new era."Darren immediately came under our radar when we began the search for a new manager and we are delighted to have him in place so quickly," said Shaw. "He is young, British and very ambitious. We are very confident he will prove a success here at Preston North End."Preston North EndChampionshipguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Arsène Wenger questions motivation for African recalls • Arsenal manager says he will not recall his African players• 'It wouldn't be fair,' he saysArsène Wenger has questioned his fellow Premier League managers's motivation for calling for their players to return from the Africa Cup of Nations over security concerns. The Arsenal manager will not be asking for his players Alex Song and Emmanuel Eboué to return following Friday's attack on the Togo team bus which left three people dead.Togo, captained by the former Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor, were attacked just after the team had crossed the border from the Democratic Republic of Congo into the Angolan enclave of Cabinda.A host of Premier League clubs have players at the African continental championship and Hull's manager Phil Brown confirmed he wants his two players in Angola – Gabon's striker Daniel Cousin and Nigeria's midfielder Seyi Olofinjana – to come back to England.Chelsea have four players – Ivory Coast's Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou, Ghana's Michael Essien and Nigeria's John Mikel Obi – in Angola, while relegation battlers Portsmouth have several members of their squad at the competition.It is not yet clear what stance world governing body Fifa would take on the issue should individual federations allow their players to leave Angola and return to domestic competition.Wenger, though, feels any such decisions must be taken for the right reasons. "It wouldn't be fair, let's say that," said the Arsenal manager. "What is behind things like that? Is it a selfish motivation or is it a real issue over security? We, here, are not in the best position to judge the security of this competition."If you organise the European Championships and you have an incident like that – it can happen, and has happened already – you do not want all your players suddenly to move home. International competition is international competition."When you hear sometimes there's unrest in the suburbs of London, you still live well in London. When I speak to my friends in France, they ask me: 'Is a revolution happening in London?' It's the same in Paris. You immediately think it's a revolution everywhere. It's not always the case."You have to judge the place, whether the competition can go on or not, and I don't know [the intricacies]. I don't like this culture of fear, either. I hate that."Adebayor left Arsenal in the summer, and City have said they will give the Togo striker as long as he needs. Wenger added: "I think they will be touched, the boys who were on the bus. Of course, that will stay with them for a while."Arsène WengerArsenalAfrica Cup of Nationsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Ghana gain quarter-finals place Injury-hit Ghana have qualified for the quarter-finals of the African Cup of Nations with a 1-0 win over 10-man Burkina Faso 1-0. foxsports.com.au |
Barcelona's Busquets returns to practice Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets has returned to practice following a kidney injury. cbc.ca |