Champions Manchester United will begin their title defence with a trip to League Cup winners Swansea, the English Premier League said on Wednesday as it announced the 2013/14 fixtures. More »Moyes to begin Man Utd tenure at Swansea
PARIS (Reuters) - Alberto Contador will be supported by Michael Rogers, Roman Kreuziger and Nicolas Roche as he bids for a third Tour de France title in a Team Saxo-Tinkoff squad without a Danish rider, the team said on Wednesday. "On a personal level it has been a tough decision for me to not have a Danish rider in the lineup," team owner Bjarne Riis of Denmark said in a team statement. "But we have committed ourselves to go with the group we believe has the best composition to achieve our overall goal. ... More »Contador has solid support but no Dane in Saxo Tour team
Top meets fourth in the Eastern Conference of MLS in the early hours of Thursday morning, with our tipster backing the hosts to romp to victory with a 3/1 value bet More »Montreal Impact - Houston Dynamo Betting Preview: Home side to dominate proceedings
We run through the latest talking points in world football and which stars could be on the move this summer as James Richardson is joined by Gaizka Mendieta and Peter Staunton More »Transfer Talk: Real Madrid could reunite Suarez & Cavani but do Barcelona want Torres?
With the recent appointment of former Magpies manager Joe Kinnear as director of football, the ex-Southampton boss insists that he will not follow Derek Llambias out of the club More »Pardew vows to carry on at Newcastle
LONDON (Reuters) - Champions Manchester United will travel to Swansea City for their first Premier League match under new manager David Moyes while Manuel Pellegrini's Manchester City are at home to Newcastle United on August 17. Premier League fixtures published on Wednesday also threw up a home game against newly-promoted Hull City for Jose Mourinho on his second coming as Chelsea manager. Roberto Martinez, the other big appointment since the end of last season when England's three top teams all changed their managers, will lead Everton to Norwich City. ... More »Manchester United to face Swansea in season-opener
Bruce Arena's men have endured a disappointing sequence of results and our tipster believes that Caleb Porter's in-form side are capable of upsetting the home team More »LA Galaxy - Portland Timbers Betting Preview: Visitors value to heap more misery on hosts
Despite scoring 22 goals in all competitions last season, the Spain striker is seemingly living on borrowed time at Stamford Bridge now that the Special One has returned More »Goal readers back Mourinho to sell Torres
MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish golfer Jose Maria Olazabal has won the Iberian nation's most prestigious sports award, the Prince of Asturias prize, after he captained Europe's Ryder Cup team to a stunning win against United States last year. "One of the best golfers in history, with two Masters titles at Augusta and four Ryder Cup wins, a competition in which he also showed his leadership qualities, as captain helping the Europe team to an epic comeback in 2012," the jury said in announcing their decision. ... More »Olazabal wins Spain's most prestigious sports award
The hosts looked in superb form in their opening game of the tournament against Japan but can their South American counterparts cause a shock? More »Can Mexico beat Brazil at the Confederations Cup?
The wealthy French club have already splashed out over €100 million on players this summer, yet the Uefa president will only act once they qualify for Europe More »Platini won't stop Monaco spending
Rafael Nadal was named fifth seed for Wimbledon on Wednesday, leaving his major title rivals to ponder meeting the 2008 and 2010 champion as early as the quarter-finals. More »Nadal seeded five at Wimbledon
PRETORIA (Reuters) - South Africa captain Jean de Villiers must prove his fitness by Friday or he will be replaced by 20-year-old sensation Jan Serfontein for Saturday's test against Samoa at Loftus Versfeld, coach Heyneke Meyer said on Wednesday. De Villiers sustained a rib injury in last weekend's win over Scotland in Nelspruit and has not trained this week. He was included in the side for the last match of the four-team tournament South Africa have hosted over the last three weeks on condition he can prove his fitness. ... More »South Africa give De Villiers deadline to prove fitness
Two sides with contrasting form meet in the Swedish Allsvenskan with our tipster Hugh Wilson backing goals and has a 12/5 value bet More »IF Elfsborg - Gefle IF Betting Preview: Expect goals in this fixture with a familiar face ready to do the damage
The 52-year-old was officially appointed as technical director on Wednesday morning as the north London club return to the continental structure that served them well in the past More »The Italian job: What Tottenham can expect from new director of football Baldini
LONDON (Reuters) - Tottenham Hotspur have appointed former England assistant manager Franco Baldini as technical director, the Premier League club said on Wednesday. "Franco is extremely well respected in the industry, possessing an extensive knowledge of players around the world," chairman Daniel Levy told the Spurs website (www.tottenhamhotspur.com) "He will strengthen our football management team, particularly in the field of recruitment, working closely with (manager) Andre Villas-Boas and (technical co-ordinator) Tim Sherwood across all levels on the playing side. ... More »Baldini appointed Tottenham technical director
Italian Franco Baldini has joined Tottenham Hotspur as technical director, the English Premier League side said on Wednesday. More »Football: Former Roma boss Baldini joins Spurs
By Iain Rogers MADRID (Reuters) - Barcelona face a delicate balancing act to convince sought-after Spain Under-21 playmaker Thiago Alcantara that his long-term future lies with the club and he can play a leading role with the La Liga champions next season. The 22-year-old Barca academy graduate, whose contract runs until June 2015, is being groomed as the successor to Xavi in central midfield but is said to be frustrated at a lack of playing time and has attracted the attention of some of Europe's wealthiest clubs. Valued at 22 million euros on website transfermarkt. ... More »Barca tasked with convincing sought-after Thiago to stay
Roberto Martinez's first game in charge of the Toffees is away at Norwich, before the Spaniard gets his first taste of a Merseyside derby on November 23 More »Everton 2013-14 Premier League fixtures in full
LONDON (Reuters) - Rafa Nadal could face world number one Novak Djokovic, defending champion Roger Federer or home favourite Andy Murray as early as the Wimbledon quarter-finals after being announced as fifth seed for the tournament on Wednesday. Djokovic was named number one, with Murray second and Federer third in seedings that followed the world rankings. Spaniard Nadal, twice a winner at the All England Club and a 12-times grand slam champion, is working his way back up after a seven-month layoff due to a knee injury. ... More »Nadal seeded fifth at Wimbledon
The Venezuela international is enthused by the prospect of playing in the Premier League, despite admitting it was a huge emotional wrench to leave Athletic Bilbao More »New Fulham signing Amorebieta relishing step into the unknown
Alan Pardew has vowed to stay at Newcastle United, he said in comments published on Wednesday, despite the controversial appointment of Joe Kinnear as director of football that has been interpreted as a threat to his job. More »Newcastle's Pardew stays on despite Kinnear arrival
The 67-year-old is now the clear favourite to succeed Real Madrid-bound Carlo Ancelotti in the Parc des Princes hot-seat following Andre Villas-Boas' decision to stay at Tottenham More »Capello on PSG brink after betting is suspended
Chelsea's Player of the Year insists he is paying no attention to mounting rumours that he will leave the club and says his primary concern is performing well for Spain More »Mata only focused on Confederations Cup amid Chelsea exit rumours
Alan Pardew has vowed to stay at Newcastle United, he said in comments published on Wednesday, despite the controversial appointment of Joe Kinnear as director of football that has been interpreted as a threat to his job. More »Football: 'I'm staying' says Newcastle's Pardew