Napoli forward Jose Callejon described Cristiano Ronaldo as the best player in the world, claiming the Real Madrid star is the most complete footballer.
Callejon weighed into the Ronaldo and Lionel Messi debate ahead of Napoli s trip to Madrid for the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on February 15.
And Callejon favours his former Madrid team-mate the winner of four Ballon d Or awards among other individual and club honours as the pair prepare to reunite at the Santiago Bernabeu.
In my opinion it s Cristiano, Callejon said when asked to name the best player in the world during a Q A session via UEFA s Instagram page.
I think he s the most complete player out there.
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Borussia Dortmund full-back Lukasz Piszczek has signed a contract extension until June 2019, the Bundesliga club have confirmed.
Piszczek joined Dortmund from Hertha Berlin in 2010 and remains a key member of Thomas Tuchel s squad.
The 31-year-old Poland international has played 31 of his club s 39 matches in all competitions this season, scoring four goals and providing five assists.
I am absolutely delighted with the trust that BVB have shown in me and am honestly very proud to be able to pull on the black and yellow shirt and play in front of our wonderful fans for at least two more years, Piszczek told Dortmund s official website.
Sporting director Michael Zorc added: Piszczu is the perfect professional, which makes him a role model for our many youn…
According to Marca, Switzerland AC Milan defender is wanted by several high-profile clubs courtesy of his performances for the Swiss at the FIFA World Cup in Russia. The 25-year-old spent ten years with his hometown club FC Zurich to kick off his career, before earning a big money move to Wolfsburg in 2012. He then spent five years in Germany developing his skills before Milan came calling, signing just over a year ago for a reported fee of €15 million.
Alas, after Switzerland were able to earn four points from their first two WC games, more and more clubs around Europe started taking notice of Rodriguez. He s well known for being strong at the back while still being more than capable of making surging runs forward, with his abilities on set-pieces being sighted as one of h…
David Moyes has been appointed head coach at La Liga side Real Sociedad.
The Basque club have been searching for a replacement for Jagoba Arrasate who paid the price for a dismal start to the season when he was dismissed earlier this month.
Sociedad have subsequently turned to Moyes, who has been out of work since April when his ill-fated tenure at Manchester United was brought to an end less than 12 months into a six-year contract.
The Scot, who has penned a deal at Anoeta until June 2016, was chosen as the successor to legendary manager Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford, but endured a torrid tenure at the club, losing 11 of the 34 Premier League games he took charge of and failing in the UEFA Champions League, the FA Cup and League Cup.
Previously, Moyes en…
Carlo Ancelotti insists he is not in fear of losing his job after former Bayern Munich captain Stefan Effenberg claimed the Italian could be on the way out.
Effenberg suggested the club s patience may wear thin if Bayern fail to improve on last season, which did include a fifth successive Bundesliga title but also yielded their earliest Champions League exit since 2010-11.
Pre-season losses to Arsenal, AC Milan, Inter, Liverpool and Napoli have added to the sense that Bayern have lost momentum, but Ancelotti – who oversaw a DFL-Supercup win on penalties against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday – is not concerned, despite taking additional flak from an unimpressed Dietmar Hamann of late.
There are a lot of critics, but as I said, no pressure for me, Ancelotti …
Northern Ireland manager Michael O Neill was happy with his side s performance after they beat Latvia 1-0 at a sold-out Windsor Park to maintain their momentum ahead of Euro 2016.
O Neill s men topped Group F to qualify for their first major tournament in 30 years and are now unbeaten in eight matches after skipper Steven Davis scored to settle a tight game.
Northern Ireland had not won an international friendly since March 2008, but Davis goal early in the second half was enough to seal the victory in front of a celebratory crowd.
It was important to keep up the winning momentum, O Neill told BBC Sport.
I thought we controlled the game from the first minute to the last.
Northern Ireland experimented with a new 3-5-2 formation, with Jam…
Inter warmed up for the visit of Barcelona on Tuesday with an emphatic 5-0 victory over Genoa at San Siro.
Two goals from Roberto Gagliardini, either side of Matteo Politano s strike, and late Joao Mario and Radja Nainggolan goals moved Luciano Spalletti s side back into second place in Serie A as they won a fourth home league match in a row for the first time in 12 months.
Inter s seventh top-flight win in succession came despite the likes of Mauro Icardi, Matias Vecino and Nainggolan starting on the bench, leaving them in good shape to face Barca in a key Champions League match next week.
Gagliardini put Inter ahead after only 14 minutes, pouncing on a loose ball in the box to prod home from six yards, with the goal standing after a quick check from the referee…
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain s move to Liverpool from Arsenal came as a relief to the midfielder, according to Reds boss Jurgen Klopp.
The England international joined the Anfield club on transfer deadline day for a reported initial fee of £35million.
Oxlade-Chamberlain s final Arsenal appearance was in the 4-0 thrashing by Liverpool on Merseyside and claimed leaving the Emirates Stadium was the right step for his development.
Speaking ahead of his side s EFL Cup match at Leicester City on Tuesday, in which Oxlade-Chamberlain is in line to make his first start for the club, Klopp says it made complete sense for the 24-year-old to join.
A new start is, very often, kind of a relief, he said. You are in a situation in your old club – I don t say it now for Al…
Fernando Torres could be set to make a return to the Premier League, according to the Mirror.
The thirty-three year old has eighteen months remaining on his current deal at Atletico Madrid and is keen to end his career with his hometown club.
However, having barely featured for Diego Simeone’s side this season he is keen to have one last crack in England’s top flight.
In four years with Liverpool he netted sixty-five times in one hundred and two league games however, his form declined after he secured a big money move to Chelsea in January 2011.
He played eight more league games for the Blues than he had for the Reds, but managed just twenty goals before securing a return to Atleti via a loan spell with Milan.
Southampton and Newcastle U…
Klopp accepts Liverpool can´t land all their targets as reports claim Reds are out of Bellingham rac
Jurgen Klopp accepts Liverpool may have to step aside and do different stuff in the transfer market amid reports they have given up hope of signing Jude Bellingham.
The Reds manager only briefly directly addressed the suggestion Liverpool are out of the running for Borussia Dortmund and England star Bellingham, as he spoke ahead of Monday s Premier League trip to Leeds United.
Reports earlier in the week suggested the club have decided the 19-year-old midfielder would take up too much of their budget in a transfer window in which they will need to sign more than one player.
It s nothing to say about, to be honest, Klopp told a press conference.
If we don t speak about players we sign, or not sign, why would we now speak about this kind of speculation an…