Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has paid tribute to his defensive partner Nemanja Vidic, labelling him his favourite player to play alongside, after the Serbian announced his retirement from football.
Vidic, who won five Premier League titles and the 2008 Champions League during an eight-year spell at Old Trafford, was released by Inter in January due to an ongoing hernia problem.
Ferdinand, who now works as a pundit after hanging up his boots in 2015, hailed his former team-mate s development and claimed Vidic made him a better player.
To see what an unbelievable force he became while at Man Utd means the work he committed himself to physically and mentally is truly huge, Ferdinand posted on his official Facebook page.
He worked on…
Harry Redknapp rubbished claims former club Tottenham may be tiring as they chase an unlikely Premier League title.
Mauricio Pochettino s men sit second in the table and just three points adrift of leaders Leicester City, but suffered a 1-0 loss to West Ham on Wednesday.
Tottenham are also still in the Europa League – facing Borussia Dortmund in the last 16 – leading to suggestions fatigue may play a part as they chase the title.
But Redknapp, who was in charge at White Hart Lane from 2008-2012, said there was no way that could be used as an excuse.
I think people get carried away with [the idea of] tiredness and use that as an excuse, he said.
You don t get tired when they ve got a chance of winning the Premier League for the first time in …
Shakhtar Donetsk head coach Mircea Lucescu played down the potential influence of Yevhen Konoplyanka on Sevilla s preparations for Thursday s Europa League semi-final.
The Liga side have travelled to Ukraine to continue their quest for a third consecutive Europa League title and fifth in 11 seasons on Thursday.
Konoplyanka returns to his homeland having starred in Dnipro s surprise run to last season s final before switching allegiance to Sevilla.
Lucescu is confident any inside knowledge the winger believes he holds will be secondary to a carefully constructed game plan from Sevilla coach Unai Emery.
That’s normal when footballers who know the opponents can share something. But I do not think that there are coaches who listen to their players, Lucesc…
Prediction: Both Teams To Score and Juventus to Win
Odds:
Bookmaker:
One of the titanic clashes of the UEFA Champions League group stage takes place on Wednesday evening as Juventus host FC Barcelona.
Both giants of European football, the two sides have failed to convince in the competition in recent seasons but got their new campaigns off to the perfect start last week so will be looking to follow that up with another victory in Turin.
Juventus
Under new boss Andrea Pirlo, it s not been a fantastic start to the 2020/21 campaign for Juventus. Despite being undefeated so far, they have only won half of the six competitive matches they ve played. The Old Lady have failed to notch back-to-back victories, a run that stretches all the way back to e…
Lionel Messi wants to return to Barcelona in the summer transfer window, according to . The report has claimed that the Argentina international forward’s relationship with Paris Saint-Germain is at an all-time low, and that the 2022 Qatar World Cup winner is keen on a return to Barca at the end of the season.
Messi is out of contract at PSG at the end of the season. The 35-year-old has scored 15 goals and given 15 assists in 28 Ligue 1 appearances so far this season. The former Barcelona star has also scored four goals and provided four assists in seven UEFA Champions League games this campaign.
PSG are at the top of the Ligue 1 table at the moment with 75 points from 33 matches, five points clear of second-placed Marseille. Meanwhile, Barcelona currently find themsel…
With Europe s top-tiers taking center stage this weekend, we are promised another stacked schedule from across the continent. On that note, for those of you looking to stick on a Saturday acca, we have found a handful of helpful tips that are worth keeping an eye out for.
Saturday February 12th
BST 14:00 Lazio vs Bologna
Starting with Saturday s hosts, crashing out of the Coppa Italia in midweek after a nightmare display away at the San Siro, Lazio will be seeking an immediate response here. However, putting in what was a hugely impressive performance on Serie A duties weekend, the mood in their camp should still be at a high. Breezing their way to what was a shock 3-0 romp away at Fiorentina, the Biancocelesti will be desperate to build off of that momentum h…