Diego Simeone is counting on Atletico Madrid s passionate fans to spur them on in their first LaLiga home match of the season against last year s surprise package Girona on Sunday.

Atletico made a disappointing start to the season with a 2-2 draw at Villarreal on Monday as they failed to find a winner in the second half after twice coming from behind to level.

With Girona once again looking to challenge for a top-four place this season, Simeone is ready to use every advantage his team can get.

I played my time as a footballer in front of this crowd, and it was above everything else, Simeone said in a press conference.

It always pushes those who have to play and, hopefully, we can release the energy of the stadium onto the pitch.

Julian Alvarez,…

James Rodriguez s move to Everton invoked polarising opinions from fans and pundits alike – it seemed his signing was either destined to be a masterstroke or an expensive flop.

Many suggested that, while undoubtedly gifted, James qualities were those of a bygone era when teams were built around a number 10 whose only real job was to create chances and score goals.

The common conception was that, in introducing a player who does little work off the ball, Everton were putting themselves at a disadvantage to every other team.

Even James himself recognises he is one of a dying breed, saying recently on the Locker Room podcast: Everyone plays 4-4-2 or 4-3-3, hardly any kids want to be a number 10 now, because now the number 10s are being left out by the managers bec…

According to a recent report from Sky Sports News, Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea are the three main clubs believed to be in the running to try and sign Boubakary Soumare. 

The Lille midfielder is also wanted by Real Madrid and Valencia, but it doesn’t appear as if their interest is on the same level as the aforementioned Premier League sides. 

A deal in some form is set to be done within the next 10 days or so, but the French club want to try and keep him until at least January 26th which is when they are set to square off against Paris Saint-Germain – the very same club that he was purchased from. 

He has two and a half years remaining on his current contract and has drawn comparisons to the likes of Paul Pogba in the past, with his six Champ…

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer remains optimistic David de Gea will sign an extension at Manchester United rather than run down his contract.

The Spain international joined United from Atletico Madrid in 2011 and, after a shaky start, has developed into arguably the best goalkeeper in the world.

Since the start of the 2013-14 season, De Gea has been the undisputed first choice at Old Trafford, putting in some remarkable performances.

A return to Spain has regularly been mooted, with Real Madrid long-time admirers having previously attempted to sign him, and his future remains uncertain.

De Gea s contract expires in 2020 and prolonged negotiations have failed to yield an agreement, posing the risk United could lose one of their most valuable assets for free, but Sol…

Manchester United have to get out of the cycle of talking too much about the past and build a present, according to the club s former striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The Swedish striker spent just under two years at Old Trafford between spells with Paris Saint-Germain and LA Galaxy.

During his time there, United won the Europa League and EFL Cup under Jose Mourinho in the 2016-17 season, with Ibrahimovic finishing as their top scorer for the season with 28 goals across all competitions.

United finished second in the Premier League in 2017-18, doing so for the first time since Alex Ferguson s departure, though Ibrahimovic left for MLS in mid-season shortly after recovering from a serious knee injury.

Mourinho was then dismissed in late 2018 and United have not…

According to a recent report from Calciomercato, Liverpool are keeping a very close eye on Real Madrid star Isco. The attacking midfielder has been linked to the Reds fairly frequently throughout the course of the January transfer window, but for a while, it didn’t seem like there was any sort of real movement. 

Isco is also said to be a major target for Serie A champions Juventus who want to try and make a few more changes before the window closes. 

Liverpool are riding high in the Premier League right now, to the point where many believe they’ve already got the title locked up – and we haven’t even made it into February yet. 

Their strongest starting XI seems pretty tight right now but you never know what kind of an impact he can make if he’s giv…

According to a recent report from AS, MLS newcomers Inter Miami are gearing up for a few major deals that could see them sign Luka Modric and Edinson Cavani at the end of the season. 

While Major League Soccer will be kickstarting their new campaign shortly, the January transfer window has obviously been and gone. Inter are hoping to make a strong first impression in the league, but even with that being the case, they’re still going to be looking ahead to the future for what is bound to be a busy few years for them. 

Cavani is clearly interested in leaving Paris Saint-Germain and has been for a while. Modric, on the other hand, is moving into the twilight of his career and probably wouldn’t mind one big final payday. 

David Beckham is clearly a fan of…

Liverpool are to apply for a safe standing licence as they expand rail seating by a further 3,000 to 13,300 at Anfield.

The initiative has been trialled for a couple of years, but they are now set to become the seventh Premier League club after Wolves, Tottenham, Manchester City, Manchester United, Brentford and Chelsea to have a licence.

As a result, fans in the Kop and the newly-redeveloped Anfield Road end, which will open for next season and take the ground’s capacity to 61,000, will be able to stand throughout matches and not just for significant moments such as goal celebrations.

“Following an extensive review of our rail seating trial we’re delighted to confirm it has been successful and is now a permanent feature at Anfield Stadium,” said managing…

In what was a stunning display on Monday night, Brazil cruised their way to the quarter-finals of this year s World Cup thanks to a thumping 4-1 romp against South Korea.

Laying down what was a remarkable marker at Stadium 974, the South American giants stormed their way to a 4-0 half-time lead following goals from Vinicius Junior, Neymar, Richarlison and Lucas Paqueta.

Although South Korea might have managed to snatch a consolation strike thanks to Paik Seung-ho s sublime second-half effort, the Taegeuk Warriors failed to lay any kind of blow on a Selecao side that will find the mood in their camp at a red-hot high.

Putting in arguably the most dominant display from any country at this year s World Cup finals so far, Brazil will now have their sights set on a q…

Arsene Wenger s legacy in world football is very apparent, with the number of his former players who are becoming managers rising all the time.

The latest addition to an ever-growing list is Mikel Arteta, who has been appointed as Arsenal s successor to Unai Emery.

Arteta spent five years playing under Wenger at Emirates Stadium, winning a couple of FA Cups during that time.

The Spaniard has a tough task on his hands as he prepares to take over an Arsenal side lying 10th and seven points adrift of the top four in the Premier League.

As Arteta prepares to begin his new venture, we take a look at how other Wenger proteges managed when they swapped the pitch for the dugout.

TONY ADAMS

A four-time champion in England s top flight …