Klinsmann ponders US visa

Brad Friedel has rejected reports linking him with a return to Blackburn Rovers and insists that he is happy at Tottenham.

France international Hugo Lloris joined Andre Villas-Boas side on deadline day and after months of criticism from France manager Didier Deschamps, finally edged Friedel as the manager s number one choice.

But despite his status as second-choice , Friedel says he is focused on Tottenham, where he enjoys competing for the starting position with Lloris.

I m contracted to Tottenham and I m concentrating on Tottenham. Whatever role they throw at me I ll do it to the best of my capabilities, he said.

There s no rivalry with Hugo. At every club, for 21 seasons, there s competition for places. As I said before when I signed the two-year co…

Portugal midfielder Deco has signed for Chelsea, the English Premiership club said on Monday, for eight million pounds (10.1 million euros).

Deco, the midfield maestro of Porto s 2004 European Champions League-winning campaign, leaves Barcelona, with whom he also won the Champions League two years later, after the Catalan club said he did not feature in their plans.

Stamford Bridge have now confirmed the 30-year-old has agreed the move to become the club s first signing since Luiz Felipe Scolari was appointed manager.

The Brazil-born player is the club s first signing since the appointment of Luiz Felipe Scolari as manager and he is believed to have cost around eight million pounds.

Deco told Chelsea TV: It is good for me to be here and first of all …

French daily that Nancy midfielder Lossemy Karaboue could move to the English Premier League in January.

Karaboue, 24, has been the only bright spot in an otherwise very disappointing campaign for Nancy and the French club are expected to cash in on the player’s impressive showings.

L’Equipe understands that Premier League strugglers Aston Villa and Reading are both showing interest in the talented midfielder.

Karaboue, who came through the youth ranks at Lyon, spent three seasons at Sedan before joining Nancy in the summer of 2011.

He quickly established himself as a first team regular at Stade Marcel Picot and went on to make 58 Ligue 1 appearances for the club.

With Nancy currently eight points adrift of safety, there is every chance the …

Wendie Renard is determined to win her battle with Alexandra Popp when two of the great stalwarts of European football tough it out as France face Germany on Wednesday.

The second Euro 2022 semi-final takes place at Stadium MK in Milton Keynes and offers the winner a shot at Sunday s Wembley final.

A crowd of close to 90,000 is expected for the weekend s showpiece match, and France will hope to make it through to that stage for the first time while Germany are eyeing a ninth title.

France centre-back Renard is captain of her side, while striker Popp skippers Germany and has scored in all four of her team s games so far.

Renard and Popp have gone head-to-head many times, with their national teams and at club level with Lyon and Wolfsburg, facing each …

Australia made sure of their place in the third stage of Asia s 2022 World Cup qualifying format with a routine 3-0 victory over 10-man Nepal.

After resounding wins over hosts Kuwait and Chinese Taipai, boss Graham Arnold again rung the changes at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium but it made little difference to the outcome.

Mathew Leckie, captain for the night, gave the Socceroos an early advantage and Fran Karacic s maiden international goal had doubled the lead by the time Rohit Chand was sent off for a professional foul on Martin Boyle before half-time.

Boyle completed the scoring, with a seventh consecutive win to wrap up top spot in Group B long beyond doubt before then.

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A goal made in Scotland!

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— Socce…

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone would be unwilling to use revenge as motivation if his side face Real Madrid in the Champions League final.

Simeone s side booked their place in the decider in Milan on May 28 despite a 2-1 loss to Bayern Munich in their second leg on Tuesday.

Atletico face either Manchester City or Real Madrid in the final, with their city rivals having beaten them 4-1 in the 2014 decider.

Despite that, Simeone said he would happily face Zinedine Zidane s men, who are locked at 0-0 ahead of their second leg with City on Wednesday.

I am happy, he said of potentially facing Madrid.

We want something else now but I don t believe in revenge. There are new chances in the life, not revenge. And this is another chance.

Anto…

Vicente del Bosque plans to keep faith with Spain s veteran stars for Euro 2016 despite their group-stage exit at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Defending world champions Spain went out at the first hurdle following defeats to Netherlands and Chile, with David Villa, Xabi Alonso and Xavi among those to quit international football in the aftermath.

But coach Del Bosque has resisted the temptation to make wholesale changes to Spain s line-up as they eased through qualifying for Euro 2016, finishing top of their group, with the likes of Iker Casillas, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Ramos still key players for the double-defending European champions.

I really believe in the veterans who have spent a long time with us and we trust the newcomers who give the squad an impuls…

Arsene Wenger believes the return of Cesc Fabregas in Arsenal s 4-0 Champions League rout of FC Twente signals the real start of his side s season.

Fabregas was badly missed during Arsenal s first three matches as the Spanish midfielder recovered from a hamstring injury.

The Gunners laboured to a pair of unconvincing victories before slumping to a dismal defeat at Fulham on Saturday, but it took just 66 minutes of Fabregas s elegant influence at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday to restore Wenger s belief that Arsenal can flourish this year.

With Fabregas pulling the strings in his first competitive appearance since Spain s Euro 2008 final triumph in June, Arsenal were transformed and Steve McClaren s Twente had no answer to their movement and penetration.