Trapattoni tips Ancelotti for Bayern success

Brazilian Felipe Melo has signed a deal with Italian giants Juventus, penning a five-year contract with the Turin outfit.

The 26-year-old makes the move from Serie A rivals Fiorentina for a fee of 20.5 million Euros. The deal also includes winger Marco Marchionni.

Melo, a defensive midfielder, moved to Europe to join Mallorca in 2005. Since, he played for Racing de Santander and Almeria before trying his luck at Fiorentina in 2008.

The player also helped Brazil to their second consecutive Confederations Cup trophy in South Africa last month.

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Leeds United s chief executive has confirmed Jack Clarke s loan spell at Elland Road will be cut short after Tottenham opted to recall the teenager due to a lack of playing time.

Teenage winger Clarke became Spurs first signing in 18 months when he joined from Leeds in July, though he was loaned straight back to the Championship side for the 2019-20 season.

However, having appeared in 24 league matches last season, Clarke has played only 19 minutes in one substitute s appearance in this Championship campaign.

That has led to Spurs making the decision to cut short his spell at Elland Road, with Clarke due to return to Tottenham next month.

We thank Jack Clarke for his services and wish him the best of luck in his career as Spurs have confirmed, due t…

Son Heung-min scored the only goal as Tottenham rounded off an unbeaten pre-season by edging out rivals Arsenal 1-0 in the final game of the Mind Series on Sunday.

A tight affair was settled in the 79th minute at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Son receiving Japhet Tanganga s square pass in the box before firing past Bernd Leno.

Three wins and two draws from their five pre-season games means Nuno Espirito Santo s side head into the Premier League campaign, which begins against reigning champions Manchester City on August 15, unbeaten.

Despite Spurs  victory here moving them level on points with Chelsea, the Blues win the mini-tournament having scored the greater number of goals in their two matches.

Chances were few and far between for the most par…

Sunderland approved the signage for a Newcastle-themed decoration of a bar at the Stadium of Light for Saturday’s FA Cup derby last month.

The PA news agency understands the Magpies were invited to submit designs for the Black Cats Bar, which will provide corporate hospitality for travelling fans for the third-round tie, in December and that they were signed off by a senior member of staff at the Wearside club.

It is understood the move was intended to lessen the potential for the area, which normally carries Sunderland’s livery, to be damaged by rival supporters.

At a complete loss for words

What on earth are the club doing?!?!?!

— A LOVE SUPREME (@ALS_Fanzine)

Black Cats fans reacted furiously on Thursday when images of banners …

Sunderland A.F.C. striker Connor Wickham has played down speculation linking him with a summer move away from the Stadium of Light amid reported interest from a host of Championship clubs, including Bolton Wanderers and Sheffield Wednesday, understands.

Since joining Sunderland from Ipswich Town for a fee of £8 million in the summer of 2011, Wickham has failed to establish himself as a first-team regular.

The England youth international, 20, has scored just two goals in 33 appearances (10 starts) for the Black Cats over the past two seasons.

However, Wickham is ready to fight for a place in Paolo Di Canio s starting XI. The 20-year-old striker faces competition from Jozy Altidore, Mikael Mandron and Steven Fletcher.

I don t have any pla…

Cardiff City will host their first-ever Premier League fixture when Manchester City travel to the Cardiff City Stadium on Sunday.

After 51 years outside of the top flight, Malky Mackay s side suffered a disappointing 2-0 defeat against West Ham on the opening day of the season, and the challenges do not get any easier as Manuel Pellegrini s team head to Wales.

Manchester City began their season with a comprehensive 4-0 victory over Newcastle on Monday, and they will be keen to build on their good start with another strong performance.

Mackay knows that Sunday s clash will be a tough test for his side, but he has challenged them to rise to the occasion and compete with the 2012 Premier League champions.

They re a top, top side, he said. There s a task ahead of us …

Neymar is yet to reach 100 per cent in his recovery from a broken foot but is poised to star for Brazil at the World Cup, according to head coach Tite.

The 26-year-old forward, the world s most expensive player following his €222million switch from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain last year, sustained a fractured metatarsal in February, placing his World Cup participation in some doubt.

The former Santos attacker made a scoring return to action in friendly wins over Croatia and Austria prior to Brazil s arrival in Russia, where they will take on Switzerland in their Group E opener in Rostov-on-Don on Sunday.

And while Neymar still has work to do to get back to his very best level, Tite believes he is still capable of exerting a decisive impact as Brazil go in s…

Bayern Munich have announced a record turnover of €628.8 million over the 2015-16 fiscal year.

The figure surpasses the previous year s €523.7m by more than €100m and represents the biggest turnover in the club s history.

The operating profit increased by an even greater margin, rising 28 per cent from €111.3 million to €142.5 million.

The 2015-16 fiscal year has been fantastic for Bayern, in terms of both sports and finances. Our members, staff and friends of the club can be very proud, deputy chairman Jan-Christian Dreesen said.

Bayern are in outstanding shape, operating at the highest Champions League level in financial terms. We are in a superb position. That has been the case for the last few years, and that is more than ever true for 201…

The Premier League has paid tribute to the Queen after the death of Her Majesty at the age of 96 was confirmed by the Royal Family on Thursday.

Buckingham Palace issued a statement on the status of the Queen s health earlier in the day and said doctors were concerned , with members of the Royal Family travelling to Balmoral to be by her side.

News of her peaceful passing was confirmed at 6.30pm BST, and an outpouring of tributes were swiftly posted from across the world, including from the Premier League to the UK s longest serving monarch.

A statement on the Premier League s Twitter page read: The Premier League is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Her Majesty The Queen, Elizabeth II.

Our thoughts and condolences are with The Royal Family and ev…

Cristian Stellini highlighted the importance of a crunch week for Tottenham in the quest to secure Champions League qualification.

Sat fifth, Spurs can move level on points with Newcastle United with victory on Tyneside on Sunday, a game that marks the start of a hat-trick of crucial fixtures for the north London side.

Stellini s men then host Manchester United on Thursday and travel to Anfield to face Liverpool next Sunday, both games that see them come up against their rivals in the hunt for a top-four finish.

As such, it is do-or-die territory for Spurs in what has been a turbulent season, with interim boss Stellini facing his biggest challenge to date.

This is the biggest week because we don t have many chances to change the situation. We have to do …