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Man U 2-1 Sunderland (agg 3-3) (Sunderland win 2-1 on pens)
Manchester United v Sunderland: five Capital One Cup talking points | Jamie Jackson
Manchester United v Sunderland – as it happened | Scott Murray
Marcos Lopes: Manchester City can win four competitions
Three Spurs fans charged for saying 'yid' at a match
Juventus accuse Inter owner Thohir over failure of Vucinic-Guarín swap
Portuguese side protest after game of six red cards
Anelka asks FA to drop charge
Falcao's World Cup in doubt
Stan Collymore speaks out over Twitter abuse - video
Quenelle comedian accused of attacking bailiff
Fifa issues ultimatum to host city over Brazil World Cup stadium delays
Man Utd make £40m bid for Mata
Southampton appoint Gareth Rogers as interim chief executive officer
The Fiver | Standing by the fireplace, chest out, holding onto both lapels
Collymore attacks Twitter over abuse
Big interview: Watford's Beppe Sannino
Real Madrid and Aspire International reach Al Kass International Cup final – video highlights
Nicolas Anelka Facebook post says: 'I am neither antisemitic nor racist'
Mido appointed coach of Cairo club Zamalek at 30
If Liverpool wanted to replace Steven Gerrard, who could they buy?
Everton fined £45,000 and warned over approach to Jamaal Lascelles
Roberto Mancini claims credit for Manchester City success
Why an orange card is the last thing football needs | Paul Wilson
Sunderland's Gus Poyet looks ahead to Capital One Cup clash against Manchester United – video

Man U 2-1 Sunderland (agg 3-3) (Sunderland win 2-1 on pens)

Posted: 22 Jan 2014 02:43 PM PST

When it was all over, Gus Poyet's players were in a victory scrum in the goalmouth and Manchester United had to reflect that, realistically, their chances of silverware might be over. It has been a difficult, often harrowing first season for David Moyes and the drama of this penalty shoot-out was no way to mark the news that this club are on the verge of prising Juan Mata away from Chelsea.

Trailing 2-1 from the first leg, Moyes's men eventually lost in a battle of endurance and some penalty-taking that made England teams of various international tournaments look deadly from 12 yards. United had taken the match into extra-time courtesy of a first-half goal from Jonny Evans and then survived a remarkable finale that saw both teams score in the final exchanges of extra time. Phil Bardsley, facing his former club, must have thought he had won it for Sunderland with a 20-yard shot that David de Gea inexplicably allowed through his grasp. Yet United, summoning all their old spirit, responded immediately through Javier Hernández in the first minute of stoppage time.

That took the match to a penalty shoot-out and there was a remarkable sense of drama attached to what happened next. Craig Gardner and Steven Fletcher missed the first two for Sunderland and De Gea kept out Adam Johnson's effort when the winger could have settled it. The problem for United was that Darren Fletcher was their only player to score. Danny Welbeck blazed over the crossbar. Adnan Januzaj could not beat Vito Mannone. Jones did the same as Welbeck and, finally, Mannone saved from Rafael da Silva. Marcos Alonso and Ki Sung-Yueng had beaten De Gea and United's season had hit a new low.

They started the game brightly but Sunderland played with great togetherness in the opening stages and it quickly became apparent that Gus Poyet's team were going to give everything in front of a boisterous 9,000-strong following. Lee Cattermole was operating as a shield in front of the Sunderland defence. Fabio Borini could be seen haring back from his position on the left side of attack to help out in defence and that attitude ran through the entire team. Poyet may not have the most refined side but they were determined to compensate with other qualities.

United threatened only sporadically before the stooping header from Evans to make it 1-0 but they had been the more dangerous side and, once again, there was more evidence of Januzaj's gifts. At one stage the teenager jinked his way past three different Sunderland challenges, showing equal measures of courage and skill. On another occasion, he impudently put the ball between the legs of Sunderland's left-back. Mata is going to have to excel if it means keeping a player with this ability out of the team.

Vito Mannone, Sunderland's goalkeeper, had to block Hernández's header from an early Januzaj free-kick but Sunderland were relatively comfortable until the brief flurry that brought the goal. They had a defence containing three former United players in Wes Brown, John O' Shea and Phil Bardsley and there was little to trouble them until Darren Fletcher turned Shinji Kagawa's cross against the post and Danny Welbeck's follow-up effort was saved. United won a corner and when Januzaj delivered the ball into the penalty area Welbeck was the first to react. His right-foot effort was miscued but the ball bounced conveniently for Evans, running in at the far post, to beat Mannone from close range.

Sunderland could reflect on only a couple of half-chances in the first half. Borini flashed a 25-yard effort just over the crossbar and it needed Alexander Büttner to clear Brown's header from a corner just before the interval. Sunderland, however, mostly played with conservatism. A better team might have shown greater willing to examine whether United would be vulnerable at the back, especially with Nemanja Vidic missing because of his red card at Chelsea. But there were not too many occasions when Poyet's men exerted prolonged pressure on their opponents or set about trying to find out why United had lost four of their five games this year.

At the other end, Rafael da Silva put a left-foot shot not too far wide early in the second half. Januzaj, always wanting the ball, did likewise soon afterwards. Yet United were also struggling for real fluency. Kagawa showed some nice touches but still struggles to exert real influence on matches and there was no shock that he was replaced just after the hour. Welbeck is a good level or two down from Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie, both missing again, and Hernández was often on the edges.

Sunderland's problem was one of creativity and whether they could find the cutting edge to restore the aggregate lead; if they could not score then away goals would kick in, favouring United, at the end of extra time. Johnson started to have more of the ball in the second half. Yet Steven Fletcher was isolated at times in attack.

Antonio Valencia replaced Kagawa and immediately went to the right wing, with Januzaj switching to the opposite side. The 18-year-old had a licence to roam and continued to be prominently involved. His shooting, however, was mostly off range and, at 1-0, there was still that danger of Sunderland snatching a breakaway goal.

Moyes was incensed at one point by Büttner giving away a needless free-kick and then not tracking back to cover his position. The attack came to nothing but it was a little warning from Sunderland and there was another shortly afterwards when Johnson chested down a left-wing cross and let fly with a volley that was deflected wide.

Alonso lashed another left-foot shot just past the post and still there was the sense that if Sunderland just showed a touch more ambition they had the opportunity to make it a nervous finale for the home crowd. The visiting supporters had made an almighty racket but Poyet's men were always reluctant to push too many players forward and, as a result, De Gea was seldom troubled.

But it was a horrible mistake from De Gea letting to let Bardsley's shot creep over the line and great swathes of supporters were heading for the exits when Januzaj crossed for Hernández to score. There was something of the old, stoic United about the manner in which they responded.

Daniel Taylor

Manchester United v Sunderland: five Capital One Cup talking points | Jamie Jackson

Posted: 22 Jan 2014 02:42 PM PST

Shootout defeat leaves luck-starved Moyes facing serious questions about his ability to lead United to a golden future

1 Where does Moyes go from here?

The answer after this penalty shootout defeat should be straight to the gods to plead for them to finally smile on him. Before the contest the Scot said: "We find ourselves going into tonight's game desperate to give you supporters something to shout about, and winning this evening and booking a place in the final would give us all something to look forward to." With this loss that hope is now dead and the beleaguered manager will see Sunderland take the trip to north London to face United's Manchester rivals in the Wembley showpiece. In the long term the serious questions about Moyes's ability to lead the club through its most challenging period in a generation continue. He is clear he can: "We all know our club is undergoing changes at present, but I have a clear path in my mind and I know where we are going."

2 Scot's selection raises eyebrow

The XI that Moyes plumped for was one to ponder. Despite saying he believed United played well in Sunday's 3-1 loss at Chelsea, out went Antonio Valencia, Ashley Young, Phil Jones and Patrice Evra. Nemanja Vidic's suspension meant at least one switch in defence yet the injury concerns over Young and Evra did not prevent the Scot selecting them as reserves. Three days on from the Chelsea game meant match fitness was no issue so if Evra and Young were healthy enough to sit on the bench, why not start them? In Valencia, Moyes stood down another of his go-to men for big games and though Phil Jones was caught out for Chelsea's opener he had been selected out of position in defensive midfield in a first outing after injury, rather than at centre-back. Chris Smalling got the nod to replace Vidic here but he was again vulnerable under the high ball, one illustration coming when he gazed at a pass that sailed over him, allowing Fabio Borini to collect and worry David De Gea with a 25-yard attempt.

3 Come in, Juan Mata

The creation deficit in United is hardly news for a side that, when missing Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney, appear woefully short of invention and game-changers, Adnan Januzaj apart. The pass that the 18-year-old zipped through Marcos Alonso's legs to play in Rafael da Silva on 26 minutes oozed class and is precisely the kind of clever use of ball and space that the prospective £40m signing Juan Mata will add. The Spaniard is one of the rare lateral-thinking footballers who see a different game to those around him and use this vision to regularly split contests open. When United attacked here they too often reached the middle third of Sunderland's half and run into a road-block, down blind alleys or just sideways. The hope for supporters is that the Spain international arrives to don the red shirt in a front trident alongside Rooney and Januzaj, with Van Persie ahead.

4 Johnson fluffs his lines

Four goals in the winger's last two outings – including a hat-trick in the 4-1 win at Fulham – had got the Sunderland No11's cheerleaders mentioning him as making a fresh case for an England recall before the World Cup in Brazil. A semi-final second leg of a cup competition with his side 2-1 up from the first game offers a rare opportunity to shine in the kind of way that might catch the eye. Instead, Adam Johnson was as muted as he had been in the closing days of his time at Manchester City and has in the main been since making the move to the north-east. The 26-year-old won one free-kick but that was hit straight at Danny Welbeck and when the ball came back to him Johnson was crowded out too easily by Shinji Kagawa and Alexander Büttner. When later he took on Januzaj and ran the ball out a precis of his disappointing evening was on offer even after he was more involved in the second half, having one good chance charged down late on.

5 Pellegrini's juggernaut awaits

The good news for Sunderland is that a trip down Wembley Way for the chance to win the season's first pot is the prize after extra-time and penalties. The bad tidings are that the killing machine known as Manchester City are the opponents and if the prospect of facing Manuel Pellegrini's men does not bring trepidation, maybe it should. Put bluntly Sunderland are just not in City's class, so the ability of Gus Poyet to inspire his men now faces a serious examination. To beat the only side still in with a shout of an unprecedented quadruple, Sunderland will somehow have to find a way of halting Sergio Agüero and Álvaro Negredo, the forwards who have each scored 22 times this season. Yet even if both have a quiet day in the final – this has not occurred this season – then Yaya Touré, David Silva and Samir Nasri await, in a team at the height of their powers. Still, optimists will say this is sport and dust off the stand-by truism of football being a funny old game. It may need to be.

Jamie Jackson

Manchester United v Sunderland – as it happened | Scott Murray

Posted: 22 Jan 2014 02:30 PM PST

Minute-by-minute report: An evening of rollercoaster drama ended with Sunderland booking their place in a major Wembley final for the first time since 1992. Scott Murray was watching

Scott Murray

Marcos Lopes: Manchester City can win four competitions

Posted: 22 Jan 2014 02:30 PM PST

• Midfielder says battle on all fronts keeps large squad happy
• Lopes dreams of final appearance at Wembley

Marcos Lopes is dreaming of playing at Wembley in the Capital One Cup final for Manchester City and winning the first of what he believes can be a clean sweep of the season's four major trophies.

The 18-year-old attacking midfielder, who starred in City's 3-0 semi-final second-leg win at West Ham United on Tuesday night, feels that an unprecedented quadruple is on for his club. After featuring in the third-round win over Wigan Athletic and the first leg of the West Ham tie, the Brazilian-born Portuguese hopes to have done enough to make Manuel Pellegrini's squad for the final on 2 March.

"If we are in all four competitions, we can win all four competitions," Lopes said, reflecting the confidence at the club. "We will see. We go game to game and try to win every game. I think we can do it because we have too much quality in this team and we can make things that have never been done before.

"It would be good if we won all of these trophies and our team is capable of doing this. People say that this competition is not important but we don't care about that. We just want to win the competitions this season. It is a dream for every player to play at Wembley and I hope that I can be there to help the team. It is up to the manager. I am just going to do my work."

Lopes has made only four first-team appearances for City; his debut was for Roberto Mancini in the FA Cup last season, when he came on as a late substitute to score in the 3-0 win over Watford. But he showed his quality and commitment at Upton Park, contributing to City's first two goals.

Pellegrini has used 22 players en route to the Capital One Cup final and Lopes, who joined from Benfica in 2011, believes that City's battle on four fronts has helped to keep their many players happy. "It is because we are in all the competitions, so it is easier for all the players to play," Lopes said.

"The manager is good, also, at keeping everyone happy. He helps the players a lot. He is good to work with. It was very good to play at West Ham and I feel very confident. I don't know if I can play more Premier League games but I will just do my job and hope to get more opportunities."

David Hytner

Three Spurs fans charged for saying 'yid' at a match

Posted: 22 Jan 2014 02:01 PM PST

• 'The Y-word' is threatening, abusive or insulting, say police
• Club adopts zero tolerance position after asking 11,500 fans

Tottenham Hotspur have once again reminded their supporters to be mindful of their language after three fans were charged in connection with using the word "yid" at matches.

The men are all accused of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, or disorderly behaviour, within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress.

A statement the Spurs website on Wednesday evening read: "The club has been in regular contact with the Metropolitan police and our lawyers since the arrest of fans for use of the Y-word and, as reported yesterday (21 January 2014), three supporters have been charged and will appear in court next month.

"The club conducted sentiment research on the use of the Y word amongst our supporters during October last year. We received 11,500 responses and should like to thank fans for the many well-considered and sincere expressions of views. We have spent time ensuring that each and every response was read by the team of personnel dealing with this issue at the club.

"The club took the decision, with legal advice, not to issue the findings of the research whilst the cases against our fans were progressing so as not to prejudice the proceedings in any way and, in light of yesterday's developments, this remains the position.

"We shall continue to monitor these cases as they proceed.

"At this point in time, whilst we believe that our fans do not use the word with any deliberate intent to offend, we would once again remind our fans that the Metropolitan police has stated that the use of the word can be considered a criminal offence on the basis that it can cause offence and we would ask that supporters are mindful of their use of the word."

The club went on to stress their stance on maintaining a "zero tolerance position on antisemitic abuse".

Gary Whybrow, 31, Sam Parsons, 24, and Peter Ditchman, 52, are due to appear before magistrates on 4 February accused of using threatening, abusive or insulting words.

Whybrow, from west London, and Parsons, from Amersham, Buckinghamshire, are accused of the offence during the Europa League game against FC Sheriff on 7 November, while Ditchman, from Bishop's Stortford, allegedly used bad language in the Premier League game against West Ham on 6 October.

Police have repeatedly warned fans not to use the word "yid" in recent months, and have also made arrests over various antisemitic tweets aimed at Spurs fans.

Juventus accuse Inter owner Thohir over failure of Vucinic-Guarín swap

Posted: 22 Jan 2014 01:51 PM PST

• 'Vucinic-Guarín deal was verbally agreed,' says Juve official
• 'Lack of respect shown towards two serious footballers'

Juventus reacted angrily and accused Internazionale of lacking respect on Wednesday after an agreement to swap players was called off by their bitter rivals 24 hours earlier.

Juventus had agreed to exchange the striker Mirko Vucinic for the Inter midfielder Fredy Guarín when the deal was halted by Erick Thohir, the Indonesian business tycoon who took over as president of the Milan club in November.

Vucinic had already cleared out his locker when he was given the news, the Juventus general manager, Giuseppe Marotta, said. "The Vucinic-Guarín deal was verbally agreed by both parties. [Juventus president] Andrea Agnelli received a text from Thohir at 10:48 [on Tuesday] confirming the deal," he said.

"What is most striking, and underlines this negative situation, is the fact that when a player clears out his locker and takes his personal belongings, this obviously says that the transfer has been concluded. And that was something Vucinic had done."

He added: "The main reason we called this press conference was the lack of respect shown towards two serious, professional footballers. My being here is a necessary act to protect Juventus and the professionals who have been treated unfairly.

"It's the first time in over 30 years of dealing with players' transfers that I have been part of an unfortunate situation such as the one which has been created here."

The deal was stopped after a protest by Inter fans on Monday night.

The Montenegro forward Vucinic joined Juventus from Roma for €15m at the start of the 2011-12 season and helped the team win the Serie A title two seasons in a row.

Guarín has been at Inter since 2012 and has become a regular in their midfield.

Portuguese side protest after game of six red cards

Posted: 22 Jan 2014 01:26 PM PST

• Leixões trip plus sub sent off, coach sent to stands
• Sporting Lisbon B finish 1-1 draw with nine men

The Portuguese second division club Leixões lodged a protest after six players were shown the red card and a coach was sent to the stands during their 1-1 draw at Sporting Lisbon B on Wednesday.

Sporting had Mauro Riquicho sent off after giving away a penalty, converted by Leixões, in the 12th minute, while the Leixões goalkeeper Chastre was dismissed, also after conceding a penalty, just before the break.

He was immediately followed by his team-mate Moreira, ordered from the substitutes' bench for protesting.

The second half featured reds for Sporting's Nuno Reis and the Leixões pair Anderson Grafite and Cadinha as well as their coach, João Esteves, who was dismissed for his protests.

"Helder Malheiro's refereeing jeopardised the work of the Leixões professionals," said the club in a statement, adding it had asked the Portuguese Football Federation for an emergency meeting of the refereeing committee.

"There was no pitched battle as might be thought from the total of 16 cards shown to the two teams."

Anelka asks FA to drop charge

Posted: 22 Jan 2014 11:58 AM PST

• Striker says FA expert not French, does not live in France
• Anelka has until 6pm on Thursday to give official response

Nicolas Anelka has given a clear indication that he intends to fight his Football Association charge for the quenelle gesture he made after scoring for West Bromwich Albion by asking the governing body to drop the action against him.

The French striker posted a message on his Facebook page on Wednesday afternoon that repeated his contention he was not antisemitic, despite the quenelle being interpreted, in various quarters, as being such.

Anelka performed the gesture after his first goal at West Ham United on 28 December and said he was supporting his friend,the French comedian Dieudonné M'bala M'bala, who brought the quenelle to prominence. It has been described as an inverted Nazi salute but Anelka follows the alternative reading of it as simply anti-establishment.

He made clear on Facebook he was unhappy at how the FA had arrived at the decision to charge him with making an improper gesture, aggravated by a reference to ethnic origin, race or religion and which, if proven, would lead to a ban of at least five matches, and probably nearer 10. Anelka complained that the governing body's expert, who sought to decode the quenelle, lacked the required awareness and knowledge of it because he was not French and did not live in France.

Anelka also highlighted the opinion of Roger Cukierman, the president of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France, who had said Anelka's gesture was not antisemitic because it had not been performed in front of a synagogue or a memorial to the Holocaust. Cukierman said: "When it is made in a place which is not specifically Jewish, it seems to be me that it's a slightly anarchic gesture of revolt against the establishment, which doesn't deserve severe sanctions."

Anelka wrote: "The English Football Federation hired an expert to rule on the meaning of my quenelle … The latter concluded that my gesture had an antisemitic connotation, which led to my indictment by the FA. It would have been legitimate had the expert been French, living in France, and could have an exact knowledge of my gesture.

"What better expert than Mr Cukierman, president of CRIF, who explains very clearly that my quenelle could not be considered to be antisemitic! He also explained in detail when this gesture could have such a connotation. I therefore ask the English Federation to kindly remove the charges of which I'm accused. And I repeat, I am neither antisemitic nor racist."

But Cukiermanclarified his position in a later interview, telling the Paris-based radio station RMC: "The gesture conceived and realised by Dieudonné is antisemitic and the sympathy of Nicolas Anelka [for Dieudonné] is clearly suspect. I have no desire to be an expert in this matter."

Anelka's Facebook posting did not constitute an official response to the FA charge; the governing body is yet to hear from him. He has until 6pm on Thursday to indicate whether he intends to accept or contest the charge but, given his Facebook comments, it seems clear which course he intends to take.

Anelka would be within his rights to request an extension to the FA's deadline, given the complexity of the case that has been brought against him. He received a 34-page dossier from them detailing every aspect of the case only on Monday. Whatever Anelka's plea, the FA will set up an independent commission, chaired by a QC, to arbitrate.

West Brom's sponsor, Zoopla, has said that it will not renew its deal when it expires at the end of the season because of the Anelka controversy and two of the club's other commercial partners are now considering their options.

David Hytner

Falcao's World Cup in doubt

Posted: 22 Jan 2014 11:52 AM PST

• Monaco and Colombia striker taken off on stretcher
• Club captain Toulalan: 'The news is not reassuring'

Radamel Falcao faces an anxious wait to find out the extent of the knee injury he sustained during Monaco's French Cup game against Chasselay.

Falcao, tipped to be a star for Colombia at this summer's World Cup in Brazil, opened the scoring in the 29th minute but was later caught by a heavy tackle from the Chasselay defender Soner Ertek.

The 27-year-old Falcao had turned neatly into the penalty area when he received a pass but, as he was about to line up a shot, Ertek came charging in from the side, all of his weight hitting Falcao's knee. No penalty was given, though Ertek was nowhere near to winning the ball.

Falcao was clearly in pain as he clutched his left knee and immediately called for medical attention.

The incident left his coach, Claudio Ranieri, complaining angrily that the match referee, Philippe Kalt, had ignored his requests to take firmer action against Chasselay's players. As Falcao was being taken away on a stretcher, Ranieri remonstrated furiously with Kalt, and could be heard screaming "I told you before."

After the game – which Monaco won 3-0 via two goals from Falcao's replacement Emmanuel Rivière – Ranieri explained that he felt his players had not been protected enough.

"I'm very satisfied [with the result], but I'm not happy with the referee. It's normal that the Chasselay players were tough, and that something could happen to someone. But there were no cards given. I hope that it's nothing serious for Falcao."

The Monaco captain, Jérémy Toulalan, told Eurosport: "We lost Radamel Falcao. It's a big blow. I think it is serious. The news is not reassuring."

Falcao, who had been linked with a possible move to Chelsea, is Colombia's key attacking player, having scored 20 goals in 51 international matches.

Stan Collymore speaks out over Twitter abuse - video

Posted: 22 Jan 2014 11:11 AM PST

Sports pundit and commentator Stan Collymore calls on Twitter to do more in tackling internet trolls after receiving racists tweets and a death threat

Quenelle comedian accused of attacking bailiff

Posted: 22 Jan 2014 10:27 AM PST

Bailiff claims that Dieudonné M'Bala M'Bala, whose offensive gesture was copied by Nicolas Anelka, fired rubber projectile at him

The French comedian Dieudonné M'Bala M'Bala, whose shows were banned for their racist and antisemitic jokes, was questioned by police for several hours on Wednesday, accused of attacking a bailiff.

The victim told police the controversial comic fired a rubber projectile at him after he and a colleague arrived to serve a writ.

Detectives later searched the comedian's home and are said to have found a "Flash-ball" type gun – sometimes used by French police – that fires rubber balls.

The alleged attack happened at 8pm on Monday, when two bailiffs arrived at the home the comedian shares with his wife and manager, Noëmie Montagne, with "several writs for payments", the prosecutor, Patrice Ollivier-Maurel, said.

According to one of the bailiffs, who claims he "formally identified" Dieudonné at the property and that the comedian had "not replied to his calls", Montagne asked them to leave and they were not able to enter the property or serve the writs. As they left the couple's home, one of the bailiffs claims he was the target of a projectile. Both Dieudonné and his wife have denied shooting at the man.

Montagne was also questioned by police on Tuesday evening and released. Her husband was questioned later on Tuesday evening and again on Wednesday.

Montagne's lawyer, Isabelle Coutant-Peyre, accused France's interior minister, Manuel Valls, who has spearheaded a clampdown against Dieudonné, of "fabricating provocations as part of his personal war" against the comic.

Montagne told Europe 1 radio there had been "no aggression" towards the bailiffs. Dieudonné also denied the attack and said he was not home at the time. He has lodged a legal complaint for "violation of his domicile".

If the controversy over his shows has died down since Dieudonné agreed to drop the most offensive material, The comedian's legal worries continue elsewhere. A preliminary inquiry has been opened into an alleged illegal appeal by Dieudonné for public donations to reportedly pay fines for convictions for racism and anti-semitism.

Legal sources told journalists the comedian has a total of €65,290 of fines outstanding, of which €37,000 have been definitively upheld by the courts.

He is also at the heart of a second preliminary inquiry by the Paris prosecutor's office over claims of "fraudulent organisation of bankruptcy", "money laundering" and "misuse of company property".

At the end of December, the Paris prosecutor's office also opened an inquiry into allegations that he "incited racial hatred" after he made anti-semitic remarks about radio presenter Patrick Cohen.

Dieudonné has also come under attack over his "quenelle" gesture – described as a reverse Nazi salute – which caused a backlash in Britain when imitated by French footballer Nicolas Anelka during a Premier League match in December. The comic has denied all charges, insists the "quenelle" is an "anti-establishment" gesture, and has threatened to sue detractors for defamation.

Amnesty International has expressed concern over the use of the Flash-ball by the French police, saying it has been the cause of "several serious accidents".

Kim Willsher

Fifa issues ultimatum to host city over Brazil World Cup stadium delays

Posted: 22 Jan 2014 10:26 AM PST

• Curitiba's Arena da Baixada risks losing games over delays
• Labour force to be increased to resolve 'delicate' situation

The Fifa secretary general, Jérôme Valcke, has given a four-week ultimatum to one of Brazil's World Cup host cities to accelerate stadium construction or risk being excluded from the tournament.

With less than five months until kick-off, the Arena da Baixada in Curitiba is so far behind schedule that organisers admit it will not be ready for its first match on 16 June at the current speed of work.

It is one of six stadiums that missed Fifa's deadline for completion, and the delay is likely to figure prominently in talks that the Brazilian president, Dilma Rousseff, will hold on Thursday in Zurich with Sepp Blatter.

After a site visit to Curitiba on Tuesday, Valcke said work at the Arena da Baixada stadium was "delicate" and far behind schedule. He added: "To be very honest, the situation as it stands is not ideal. The stadium is very delayed and well outside the delivery schedule to ensure best use by Fifa and the Fifa World Cup."

In a new effort to push the work forward, he announced the creation of a steering and technical committee, comprising representatives from world football's governing body, local officials and Clube Atlético Paranaense that will issue daily progress reports. More workers will be brought on site and a third shift will be introduced to speed up construction. The Parana government has promised to put up an extra 39m reals (£10m) to pay for the increased workforce.

By 18 February, Valcke said all parties have to decide "whether the stadium is in a position on that date to give us the confidence to hold World Cup matches there, without risking the organisation of the event".

Brazilian officials acknowledge completion is still some way off. Luís Fernandes, the executive secretary of Brazil's Ministry of Sport, said: "What all sides have found is that, if the pace of work at the stadium in Curitiba were to be kept as it is, then it would not be ready with the quality and requirements necessary to host the Fifa World Cup."

Though it must still be considered a remote possibility, a change of stadium and schedule so close to the opening match of the tournament on 12 June would be a nightmare for organisers.

Arena da Baixada is due to stage four matches: Spain v Australia, Honduras v Ecuador, Iran v Nigeria and Algeria v Russia. Tens of thousands of fans have already bought tickets and millions of dollars are likely to have been spent on flight and hotel reservations. National teams will need time to organise training camps. It is also far from certain that an alternative stadium could be prepared to meet Fifa standards at such short notice.

Curitiba is not the only problem. Valcke has also visited São Paulo's Itaquerão stadium, which fell further behind schedule after a fatal accident in November. Local organisers said the stadium would be inaugurated on 15 April, less than two months before it is due to stage the opening match of the World Cup.

Labour unions warned safety standards are being compromised as a result of a last-minute rush after two other workers were killed in December at a stadium in Manaus that is also still incomplete. All World Cup stadiums were supposed to be finished by the end of December.

Earlier this month, Blatter said no host nation has been so far behind in his tenure. He and Rousseff will be looking to put on a more united front after their meeting on Thursday.

Rousseff, who is in Switzerland for the Davos World Economic Forum, and the Minister of Sports, Aldo Rebelo, have been invited to the FIFA headquarters for a "courtesy meeting". They are expected to discuss preparations, including how they plan to address the delays and concerns about a repeat of the protests that marred last year's Confederations Cup. In better news for the organisers, the Arena das Dunas stadium in Natal will be declared officially open next week and ticket sales for the tournament as a whole are on course for a record.

Jonathan Watts

Man Utd make £40m bid for Mata

Posted: 22 Jan 2014 09:39 AM PST

• Offer made through a third party and remains unofficial
• Midfielder Mata likely to make United debut next week

Juan Mata is close to completing a £40m move to Manchester United, after telling Chelsea on Wednesday morning that he wanted to leave and sitting out training to guard against injury.

United have indicated a readiness to pay what will be a club-record fee for the 25-year-old Spain midfielder, having identified him as the player to spark their season, and all parties have come to view the deal as the best way forward.

Chelsea will consider whether to move for Internazionale's Colombia midfielder Fredy Guarín, particularly as they might sanction a loan for Michael Essien – the midfielder is a target for Galatasaray. United are expected to loan the winger Wilfried Zaha to Cardiff City once the Mata deal has been concluded.

United have moved quickly for Mata and the player's father and agent, Juan Sr, is in England to oversee the final stages of the negotiations. Mata, who joined Chelsea in 2011 for £23.5m from Valencia, is set to sign a four-and-a-half year contract at Old Trafford.

His star has fallen dramatically since José Mourinho took over as the Chelsea manager last summer. Mata had been Chelsea's player of the year in his first two seasons but he has struggled to impress Mourinho, who has long held reservations about the midfielder's lack of pace, physical presence and defensive ability.

Mata was furious to be substituted at Southampton on New Year's Day and he has not played since. Under Mourinho, he has started 11 of the club's 22 Premier League games. Mata needs more regular football to make sure of his place in Spain's World Cup squad.

He reported to Chelsea's training ground in Cobham on Wednesday but his work there is effectively over. He is fully fit but he went through a routine away from the first team.

Mourinho has sought to rebalance his squad this month. Kevin De Bruyne, the attacking midfielder, has been sold for €20m (£16.4m) to Wolfsburg while the defensive midfielder Nemanja Matic has arrived for £20.75m from Benfica. With Mata and possibly Essien also leaving, the pursuit of Guarín would appear shrewd, particularly as he could be available for a bargain €10m.

Guarín, who Mourinho has long admired, is a versatile, attack-minded central midfielder. He had agreed terms on a switch to Juventus, with the striker Mirko Vucinic set to move in the opposite direction, only for Inter fans to voice their vociferous disapproval. The swap was called off but Guarín was left dissatisfied and Inter are keen to sell before the end of the month.

David Hytner

Southampton appoint Gareth Rogers as interim chief executive officer

Posted: 22 Jan 2014 08:47 AM PST

• Appointment follows departure of Nicola Cortese
• Katharina Liebherr 'keen to bring stability' to club

Southampton have promoted Gareth Rogers to the position of interim chief executive officer until the end of the season as the owner, Katharina Liebherr, reshapes the club's management structure in the wake of the chairman Nicola Cortese's departure last week.

Liebherr had considered John Williams, the former Blackburn Rovers chairman, for the chief executive's role and he was keen to get the job. But Liebherr had Williams as the only external candidate and, having decided that she needed more time to assess the market, she has turned to Rogers, who has been the club's chief financial officer since March 2011.

Rogers might yet get the post on a permanent basis in the summer but, in the short term, he will take his place on a new-look board at the club's holding company, alongside Liebherr, Ralph Krueger, the former ice hockey player and coach, and either one or two other figures, whose names have yet to be announced.

"I am delighted that Gareth has agreed to step into this role," said Liebherr, who has taken the position of non-executive chairman. "After the events of the past week, my priority has been to bring stability to the management of the club and I am pleased that we have been able to make this appointment from within. We had a very positive meeting with all the staff of the club on Monday and I am sure Gareth's appointment will be warmly received."

Rogers said: "I am very pleased to be able to help the club by stepping up to the CEO's job on an interim basis. We have a fantastic staff and everyone is working together to make sure the club ends the season as strongly as possible."

The Southampton manager, Mauricio Pochettino, had described the departure of Cortese – the man who hired him – as a "heavy blow" but has pledged to remain in his role until at least the end of the season. He has also been told by the owner that no players will be sold in the January transfer window.

David Hytner

The Fiver | Standing by the fireplace, chest out, holding onto both lapels

Posted: 22 Jan 2014 07:55 AM PST

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MANCINI'S THE MAN (UNLIKE MANUEL, DAVID, ROBERTO, BRENDAN, LORD FERG, ETC)

In these harsh, unforgiving, super-critical times, nobody in football gets credit for things they do any more. Lord Ferg may have won 874 trophies for Manchester United, but now he's the klutz who left David Moyes the mother of all knots to untangle. Moyes had previously been thought to have done a good job at Everton, but these days he's being shown up by Roberto Martínez, who plays far more attractive football, it says here. Martínez, in turn, is only doing so well because Moyes was in before him, sorting out the defence. No matter, he's getting the plaudits for Brendan Rodgers having won promotion at Swansea, so it all balances out, apart from the fact that poor Brenny hasn't ever received a single smidgen of reflected glory for Swansea's League Cup win last year, but hey, we don't write the rules, we just report on them in a clumsy, hard-to-follow manner.

No wonder, then, that managers opt to grab as much credit as they can, whenever they can, whether they deserve it or not. So today, here's Roberto Mancini, now at Galatasaray, insisting that what exciting, free-scoring, quadruple-chasing Manchester City are up to right now is pretty much all down to him. "I'm happy that Manchester City is one of the best teams in England because I built this team," he proudly boasted to the BBC World Service. "I think Manuel Pellegrini is doing a good job but what is happening now at Manchester City, we did three years ago. It's the same. The players that score the goals are players that I bought: Sergio Agüero, Edin Dzeko, Yaya Touré, David Silva and Samir Nasri."

Give or take an Álvaro Negredo here or there, it's almost faultless logic. That is until you recall City's turn in the FA Cup final last season, when Mancini's side – containing many of the stars who have this season been thumping goals past the likes of Arsenal, West Ham, Manchester United, Tottenham, West Ham, Bayern Munich and West Ham – failed to even trouble, never mind score against, an already relegated Wigan Athletic whose unique selling point was that they operated with a defence consisting of three lifesize papier-mâché models and a man with a hose pouring water on the three lifesize papier-mâché models (Moyes not having been there beforehand at any point to do some much-needed preparatory work, y'see).

In fact, Mancini presided over a performance of such stunning ineptitude at Wembley last May that his input is almost certainly as relevant to Wigan's success as that of their own then manager, the aforementioned Martínez. So not only can Mancini, by his own rationale, also lay claim to Wigan's FA Cup, he's also directly responsible, according to the internationally recognised laws of dominoes, for Everton's subsequent resurgence and the pressure it's piling on their former manager Moyes at United. "I'm very happy about what I did in Manchester," beamed Mancini in conclusion, as he stood by the fireplace, chest out, holding onto both lapels of his jacket. It's an emotion surely matched by everyone involved with City. Even this new chancer Pellegrini, who if Mancini's deductive reasoning is anything to go by, might have nowt to do with City's current brilliance, but at least now has memories of his 2011/12 La Liga title with Real Madrid to keep him warm at night. Well done, Manuel! Well done, Roberto! Well done, everyone!

LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE TONIGHT

Join Scott Murray from 7.30pm GMT for minute-by-minute coverage of Manchester United 2-0 Sunderland.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Why am I playing so well? Well that's simple. Because in my role I am the best in the world" – Arturo Vidal makes a grab for the Zlatan Ibrahimovic Award for self-aggrandisement.

FIVER LETTERS

"If my wife is anything to go by, Ossie Ardiles's diagnosis of 'fine' from his nurse means he is probably in trouble after having let the kids have a can of cake frosting for dinner, forgotten to clean the dishes, left the toilet seat up, spent too much time in the pub and put her best blouse in the dryer. Best of luck sir" – Bruce (Snip – Fiver Marriage Councillors).

"Let me just be upfront about this from the get go, I am not a doctor, hip or otherwise but it's ticketyboo not tickedy right? Get well soon Ossie" – Peter Wilson.

"'Progressive soccer outfit Southampton' (seven-minute Robert Fripp guitar solos, Rick Wakeman in a cape … ) clearly did so well in 2005 with Sir Clive Woodward in their management structure, they've decided to repeat the trick with the ice hockey fella, Ralph Kreuger (yesterday's Bits and Bobs). What's that saying about those who forget the past? I just hope it doesn't turn into a nightmare ... " – Matt Dony.

• Send your letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. And if you've nothing better to do you can also tweet the Fiver. Today's winner of our prizeless letter o' the day is: Bruce. Just Bruce.

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BITS AND BOBS

Nicolas Anelka has insisted he is not antisemitic nor racist in relation to the charges brought against him by the FA over his quenelle gesture.

One to keep your eye on dept: cool-tempered former Tottenham striker Mido has been appointed manager of Cairo club Zamalek, aged 30.

Stan Collymore has hit out at Twitter after being targeted by internet trolls.

New Roma signing Michel Bastos is in hot water after marking his arrival at the club by holding up a scarf emblazoned with the words "Lazio sh1t". "The club and Michel would like to apologise," sniffed a Roma suit.

The FA has sprung into action with customary speed to fine Everton £45,000 over an approach for Nottingham Forest's Jamaal Lascelles four years ago.

Blackpool chairman Karl Oyston has revealed that he took the sensible decision to not be in the same room as Paul Ince when he sacked him. "I informed them that we were making changes by text," he cowered.

STILL WANT MORE?

From hospital janitor to Watford manager: Simon Burnton interviews Beppe Sannino.

Marina Hyde sizes up the Nicolas Anelka affair.

If Liverpool were to replace Steven Gerrard, who should they replace him with?

Orange cards? Pah, says Paul Wilson. Sort of.

Which clubs have chosen their successor: the Knowledge investigates.

Oh, and if it's your thing, you can follow Big Website on Big Social FaceSpace.

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WHERE'S THE PHIL COLLINS ONE?

Scott Murray

Collymore attacks Twitter over abuse

Posted: 22 Jan 2014 07:46 AM PST

Ex-footballer says social networking site is not doing enough to combat abuse after receiving series of offensive messages

Stan Collymore has accused Twitter of not doing enough to combat illegal abuse on the network, during a week when he and the former gymnast Beth Tweddle have both been subjected to derogatory comments on the site.

Collymore has been the victim of a series of abusive tweets since voicing his opinion last weekend that the Liverpool forward Luis Suárez had dived when winning a penalty against Aston Villa in the Premier League.

Tweddle, meanwhile, was targeted by internet trolls on Tuesday during a question-and-answer session hosted by Sky Sports, intended to promote the role of women in sport and discuss matters related to the three-time Olympian's career as a gymnast.

Collymore appeared across various national media platforms on Wednesday to voice his frustration, claiming that police were also disappointed that Twitter had not done more to stop abuse on its site.

The police confirmed on Tuesday night that they were investigating a series of messages directed at the former England international.

Collymore, 43, wrote: "In the last 24 hours I've been threatened with murder several times, demeaned on my race, and many of these accounts are still active. Why?

"I accuse Twitter directly of not doing enough to combat racist/homophobic/sexist hate messages, all of which are illegal in the UK.

"Several police forces have been fantastic. Twitter haven't. Dismayed."

On Tuesday night Sky Sports condemned the abuse of Tweddle during their Q&A session, describing some messages as "unacceptable and offensive".

On Wednesday Tweddle, who won bronze at London 2012 on the uneven bars, took to Twitter to respond. She wrote: "Thanks for all your messages. Yesterday was unfortunate but I've been heartened to see the reaction from responsible Twitter users.

"A few people did something wrong, were called out on it and apologised. This demonstrated that abuse isn't tolerated.

"I hope everyone continues to react the same way by reporting abuse no matter who is on the receiving end."

West Midlands police confirmed that Staffordshire police were investigating "alleged abusive tweets to Stan Collymore" and urged people to block and report abuse at www.report-it.org.uk.

Collymore told Sky News: "I believe that the number of active [Twitter] users is monetised, so they would much rather have a billion active users who can say whatever the hell they like, rather than spend money on algorithms, scripts, age verification, tying an account to a phone number, or a credit card, which would of course decrease the numbers.

"I've no problem with honestly-held opinions. If people think I'm an idiot, they're more than welcome to say. They're also more than welcome, within the laws of the United Kingdom, to bring up my past.

"That is genuine use of freedom of speech. But freedom of speech means that if anyone walks past me now and calls me some of the things, or makes some of the threats that have been made to me on Twitter, they would be arrested."

James Riach

Big interview: Watford's Beppe Sannino

Posted: 22 Jan 2014 07:29 AM PST

The Italian, whose Watford side face Manchester City in the fourth round of the FA Cup, spent 10 years as a hospital janitor before breaking into football management in his 40s

Gianluca Vialli, the first Italian to take charge of Watford, won 59 caps for his country and many of the greatest prizes in the sport before strolling straight into top-level management. Gianfranco Zola's broad grin and bewitching feet made him one of the most popular of all Premier League players and led to several high-profile coaching positions. And now there is Beppe Sannino, who might not be the first smartly dressed, shaven-headed Italian to patrol the touchline at Vicarage Road but has little in common with either of his predecessors but a mother tongue and an underemployed barber.

Vialli was one of five children born to a multimillionaire industrialist from the rich north of the country; Sannino was one of five children born to a painter and decorator from the deprived south. Vialli was raised in a 60-room mansion; Sannino slept on the kitchen floor. By the time Vialli stopped playing he was manager of Chelsea; when Sannino stopped playing he got a job as a hospital janitor. If they both reached the same destination, they trod very different paths.

"I was born in Naples, but when I was 12 my father moved to Turin to work in the Fiat factory," says Sannino, who is preparing his side to take on the free-scoring Manchester City in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday. "In Italy there's a big difference between life in the north and the south. In Naples we had a nice house, but there was no work. In Turin there was work, but we couldn't afford a house. Our apartment was tiny, two rooms only, on the fifth floor of a tall block, and I slept in the kitchen with my brother. My father had always dreamed of working for Fiat, but he didn't like the factory and after a year he left, and went back to decorating. There was more work for painters in Turin than in Naples. My family is a modest family, a working family. It was not an easy life, but in that period I learned everything that has brought me here."

Sannino's promise as a footballer was evident from a young age, and like Zola he was an entertainer who preferred the No10 shirt. But in 13 years as a player he never once appeared in Italy's top two divisions, passing instead between teams in Serie C1, C2 and D. He tasted greatest success as part of a celebrated attacking trio at Vogherese, and it was to Voghera that he returned when his playing career ended.

"I didn't make a lot of money from football, and I had a wife and two children so I had to work," he says. "That's what led me to the hospital. I worked for five years in a psychiatric hospital, and for five years in a civic hospital. I was always cleaning, I cleaned toilets and bedrooms and all the wards: geriatric, neonatal, intensive care. My experience over those 10 years will stay with me for ever. Because you see everything in the hospital – birth and death, pain and joy. I saw people who were fans of Vogherese, who used to come and see me play, and sometimes I saw them suffer and die. This does big things to you, inside, that don't leave you.

"Every morning I'd start work at 6am, and at one o'clock I'd finish at the hospital, get in the car, and drive 100km to Monza or wherever to coach kids. Then I'd drive 100km back, have something to eat and collapse on the sofa. My son would say: 'Mummy, why is Dad always so sleepy?' And at 5am the next morning the alarm would ring again. But I always had a dream. Not to reach Serie A, that was too much, but to become a full-time, professional football coach, to have a salary and live an honest life."

After funding his coaching for a decade by the mopping of floors and the disinfecting of toilets, Sannino realised that relatively minor ambition, but genuine success remained elusive. Then in 2007, a few weeks after his 50th birthday, he led Lecco to promotion from Italy's fourth division, now known as the Lega Pro Seconda, and the following year repeated the feat with Pergocrema. Both achievements were swiftly followed by the sack, but his next job, at Varese, changed everything. They roared to successive promotions and lost in the Serie B play-offs when on the verge of a third. It was the kind of achievement that reshapes reputations. In 2011, at the age of 54, Sannino was given his first job in Serie A, leading Siena to 14th place and the Coppa Italia semi-finals in his first season.

"I have come to understand that life gives you a road, and you must walk down it," he says. "It is already written for us. We can't all be great players, and then straight away get a coaching job. Some of us have a short journey, and some have a very long journey, and we learn different things along the way. I spent three years in Serie A, a year in B, a decade in C, a decade coaching youth teams, but you don't necessarily need all of that to get here. I am happy to have had all these experiences. This is what I have been given.

"I understand that fans and players like to see the great stars of the game, and that is why so many top players, when they stop, immediately have the opportunity to become a coach. But I have become an example in Italy of the other way, an example for all the coaches that start with nothing. If you work hard, if you do a good job, you can get there. It's very difficult, but it can happen. I hope my story can be like a bright star, that everyone who wants to be a coach in Serie A can see it shining in the sky. It is possible. If I could, they can."

After six years of consistent success Sannino left Siena to join Palermo in the summer of 2012, and the run abruptly ended. He was sacked after only three games, reappointed less than six months later, and then resigned last summer to join Chievo, who sacked him last November after one victory in their 12 games. "I developed a system, a kind of 4-4-2, and everywhere I used this system and I had success," he says. "And then I got to Serie A, and learned a big lesson. Until then I knew that if I prepared my teams well, I could always win. In Serie A, I learned that other teams would always be better. The gap was too big."

As it happens the one victory Chievo achieved under his guidance came against Udinese, the Italian club owned by the family that also controls Watford. When Zola resigned in December, having followed last season's run to the play-off final with little but disappointment, Sannino was installed in three days. "The dream of every coach in Italy is to spend just one day working in England," he says. "When I got the call, I had no doubt. I accepted immediately, and I left. Since that call, I have forgotten about Italy. My career there does not matter. Here, nobody knows who I am. I come here, humble, quiet, but I want to show, on the pitch, who I really am."

Watford have not had a huge upturn in fortunes since the arrival of the Italian – they have drawn four out of six league games – but Sannino already professes himself besotted with the English game and cannot wait to take on Manchester City on Saturday. "It's beautiful. It's like a duel, every match, from the first minute to the last," he says. "In Italy, if you play a team from the bottom of the league you will probably win. Here you know you must fight. This is a beautiful thing. Here you have the FA Cup; in Italy we have the Coppa Italia. The difference is that in Italy, from the start you know how it will end. The best eight teams go straight into the last 16, and the strongest side always plays at home. Last year Wigan won the Cup and were relegated. This year Sheffield United, a team near the bottom of League One, beat Aston Villa, a team from the middle of the Premier League, away from home!

"In Italy it could never happen. It's just impossible. The spirit of English football is all there, in the FA Cup. It is very difficult for the small clubs to win, but they always have a chance."

If England really is the home of the underdog, Sannino and his brilliantly improbable CV might have landed in their perfect destination.

Simon Burnton

Real Madrid and Aspire International reach Al Kass International Cup final – video highlights

Posted: 22 Jan 2014 06:54 AM PST

Real Madrid and Aspire International will go head-to-head in the final of youth tournament the Al Kass International Cup

Nicolas Anelka Facebook post says: 'I am neither antisemitic nor racist'

Posted: 22 Jan 2014 06:39 AM PST

• West Brom striker calls on FA to drop its charges
• Two more sponsors consider dropping the club
• How West Brom have betrayed their past
• Marina Hyde on Anelka and the quenelle

Nicolas Anelka has posted a call on his Facebook site for the Football Association to drop its charges over the quenelle, insisting he is neither racist nor antisemitic.

The message, which he put up in French, roughly translates as: "The English football federation hired an expert to rule on the meaning of my quenelle ... The latter concluded that my gesture had an antisemitic connotation, which led to my indictment by the FA.

"It would have been legitimate had the expert been French, living in France, and that could have an exact knowledge of my gesture.

"What better expert than Mr Cukierman, president of CRIF (Conseil Représentatif France Jewish Institutions), which explains it very clearly that my quenelle could not be considered to be antisemitic!

"He also explained in detail when this gesture could have such a connotation.

"I therefore ask the English federation to kindly remove the charges of which I'm accused. And I repeat, I am neither antisemitic nor racist."

On Tuesday night Anelka had tweeted a link to a video on the website of Le Figaro in which Cukierman said the quenelle was only antisiemitic if performed in front of a Jewish institution such as a synagogue.

That came in the wake of the FA charges, which meant the West Brom striker could be facing a substantial ban after being charged with making a gesture that was "abusive and/or indecent and/or insulting and/or improper".

The FA took guidance an unnamed expert before concluding that Anelka's goal celebration at West Ham United on 28 December ought to be a matter for disciplinary action. Anelka has claimed his quenelle is an anti-establishment gesture in support of the French comedian Dieudonné M'bala M'bala, who is banned from public appearances in France.

If the case is proved, a minimum five-game ban would automatically follow because of the new FA guidelines surrounding Rule E3, when the alleged offence is aggravated by "a reference to ethnic origin and/or race and/or religion or belief".

Anelka has until 6pm on Thursday to respond to the charge, although there is a chance he might ask for an extension to that deadline.

Dieudonné has been prosecuted by the French government for insulting the memory of Holocaust victims, and Anelka's quenelle has already led to West Brom's shirt sponsors, Zoopla, co-owned by the Jewish businessman Alex Chesterman, announcing that it will not renew its £3m-a-year agreement this summer.

On Wednesday another two of West Brom's key sponsors said they were considering withdrawing their backing from the club.

Jack Wolfskin, an outdoor clothing, footwear and equipment specialist, and Holler watches, Albion's official timing partner, have confirmed they may follow the example taken by Zoopla.

A statement issued by Jack Wolfskin said the company was "following the developments closely, but has not taken a decision yet".

It continued: "The FA is waiting for a statement from Nicolas Anelka before coming to a final judgment.

"We consider the charges as serious and strongly disapprove of any gestures or statements which are meant to discriminate a single person, or a certain group of people.

"We are now awaiting the judgment of the Football Association before taking further steps.

"Depending on what our partner West Brom says, which measures they take and considering our legal possibilities, we would consider ending our sponsorship as one option."

In its own statement, Holler said: "We currently have a contract until the end of the season with West Bromwich Albion.

"We will be reviewing the situation with regards to whether we extend that after this season."

The kit supplier Adidas, on the other hand, said it was firmly behind the club. A spokesperson said: "Adidas is wholly opposed to extremism of any kind and has made this clear to the club.

"However, this is a disciplinary matter for the club and we remain fully supportive of West Bromwich Albion in handling this matter in conjunction with the FA.

"We remain committed to West Bromwich Albion, and look forward to continuing our partnership."

Mido appointed coach of Cairo club Zamalek at 30

Posted: 22 Jan 2014 05:54 AM PST

• Former Spurs striker replaces sacked manager
• Career took in Middlesbrough, Wigan, West Ham and Barnsley

Mido has been appointed coach of the Cairo club Zamalek.

The Al-Ahram newspaper says the move makes Mido, who turns 31 on Thursday, the youngest top-level coach ever in Egyptian football. The former Tottenham, Marseille and Roma striker replaces Helmy Toulan, who was fired on Monday.

"For those who criticise my appointment because of my age, it is normal in Europe and I am ready for the challenge, especially as I was always a leader on the pitch as a player," Mido told Egyptian TV.

"I refused to coach the youth team at Paris Saint-Germain, Egypt's Masry and other offers to take charge of my beloved club."

Mido began his playing career at Zamalek before moving to Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, France, Italy and England. He had two more spells as a player with Zamalek before leaving the English club Barnsley last year. His English career also took in Middlesbrough, Wigan and West Ham United.

Al-Ahram says no details of Mido's contract were released by Zamalek, five-times African club champions and winners of 11 league titles who have gambled on the former Egypt international despite him having no major coaching experience.

If Liverpool wanted to replace Steven Gerrard, who could they buy?

Posted: 22 Jan 2014 05:54 AM PST

Gerrard has been captaining Liverpool for over a decade, but who could Brendan Rodgers buy to succeed his ageing skipper?

Steven Gerrard has been leading the Liverpool midfield for the best part of 15 years. He is the only footballer to have scored in an FA Cup final, a League Cup final, a Uefa Cup final and a Champions League final. But he won't go on forever.

Finding a player in the Gerrard mould is not going to be easy for Liverpool. Mikel Arteta and Luka Modric are unavailable for transfer and Andrea Pirlo is too old. But as Brendan Rodgers looks to continue the rejuvination at Liverpool, who should he try to sign to take over from his captain? First, some ground rules.

We are searching for players aged 28 or under. You can get away with having a slightly older limit here because this role takes a bit less of a physical beating than forwards, wingers and full-backs, and the age curve for midfielders runs longer. This role is a mix of thoughtful as well as physical.

We also have to remember that we are shopping for Liverpool, who are unlikely to be able to lure first-team starters away from huge clubs. We're shooting for realistic midseason targets here, so not ones that cost £50m or play for Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. We'll save that sort of shopping for the summer.

One of the things that makes Gerrard and Pirlo so difficult to replace is that they are good at almost everything. We are shopping for players who can tackle, have a high passing accuracy, hit accurate long balls regularly and still have the ability to rack up key passes (or in layman's terms, to play passes that put their team-mates in good shooting positions). Not many players have such a diverse range of talents.

To help add to the talent pool, I loosened the key-pass requirement a little. The players chosen will still post very good numbers, but they won't necessarily provide as many assists as Pirlo. One filter that should not be compromised on is the ability to hit long passes.

Liverpool really want a long passer to distribute the ball quickly to the wings, where Daniel Sturridge, Luis Suárez and Raheem Sterling will be waiting. Fast transitions are hugely important for this Liverpool team and a midfield general who could even improve that area over current personnel is a requirement.

Target No1: Ivan Rakitic, Sevilla

Wait. What? I go on about needing a player like Pirlo and the first target on the list is an attacking midfielder with nine goals and six assists this season? Trust me, there's a point to this. For starters, go to Rakitic's WhoScored page and look at the positions. He hasn't always played as an attacking midfielder for Sevilla this year. Additionally, Rakitic was one of only two players to fully match the similarity score test for his 2011-12 season, before I loosened the filters. He is perfectly capable of playing deeper in the midfield and still producing fantastic numbers.

Aged only 25, Rakitic is extremely versatile and capable of producing across the midfield. This is incredibly useful for Liverpool, as it would let him fill in for a number of different, more limited midfield players currently in the squad.

If Philippe Coutinho is out and you need someone to play in the hole, call Rakitic. If Gerrard is knackered and in need of a rest, call Rakitic. And if Jordan Henderson takes a knock and you need a player with stamina who can cover the middle of the park, call Rakitic.

Most people view his attacking midfield production as the thing that makes Rakitic most valuable. My perspective is, due to the paucity of players capable of playing a deeper playmaking position at his exceptional level, that will be Rakitic's most useful long-term role for almost any buying club.

He is having another great season, but it's almost certainly time for him to move to a bigger club than Sevilla, either now or in the summer. He will only have a year left on his contract in June, so all of the leverage will be with the player.

The cost will be an interesting one. Most clubs in Spain are known to have money problems, and good attacking midfielders aren't that hard to find in Europe. Deeper lying midfielders, however, are much rarer and more expensive. Given the contract situation, if he gets valued as an attacking midfielder, then £15m probably still makes sense. In reality, I could see him still having a lot of value even beyond £25m.

Target No2: Luca Cigarini, Atalanta

When I was writing about interesting players under the radar last summer, I discovered Luca Cigarini's statistics and described him as a "poor man's Andrea Pirlo". That was before I had multiple seasons of data, and also before I understood just how rare players who produce like Pirlo actually are. That "poor man's" slight doesn't seem nearly as apt now that I've done the research. This is a player who is so under-rated, the first highlight video for him on YouTube is six years old.

Cigarini is the other guy who matched the similarity scores before the filter was loosened, and he has three seasons so far of Pirloesque production. Of the players we are looking at, he also generally has the highest tackling numbers, but his passing accuracy has suffered a bit while playing at a lesser team (Atlanta).

He had a great start to the season this year and was tied for the league lead in assists with Francesco Totti for quite a while. He has since hit a dry patch, but he has set up as many goals as Kevin Strootman and Carlos Tevez – and more than Robinho and Arturo Vidal. Cigarini is for real.

He was allowed to make a permanent move to Atalanta this season, as Napoli decided they were not interested in full ownership of the player. This was baffling to me at the time, and given Napoli's struggles in central midfield, is even more baffling to me now. Any team looking for a deep-lying midfielder that can disrupt opponent attacks as well as make great attacking passes, should be looking at Cigarini.

His contract is up in in 2015, which means there will only be a year left on it this summer. He'll be 28 at that point, but this is a role where players can still thrive into their early 30s. He would probably be cheaper than Rakitic (and definitely would have been last summer) because you have to be a crazy football hipster or data geek to care about Atalanta midfielders.

Target Number 3) Ever Banega

People who pay attention to La Liga know who Ever Banega is. The stories that come with Banega are already legendary, and he's only 25. Back in 2010 Valencia tried desperately to get rid of Banega, but no one wanted him. Six months later, he was their best player.

In 2012, he suffered a broken leg when he tried to stop his own rolling car with his foot. Banega is complicated. He's also really good at football. Though he moves around the Valencia midfield quite a bit, his best role is probably as a defensive or central midfielder. Back in the 2011-12 season, he put up these numbers in a fairly shortened stint:

The problem is that his defensive stats haven't even come close in the last two years. Seeing stats like that drop off after a major injury would give me serious pause in buying a player with such a colourful history. They might have collapsed due to a role change, but there's a statistical red flag right there. However, there's another Valencia player who has produced very well this season.

Target Number 3.5) Daniel Parejo

Originally part of the Real Madrid youth system, Parejo first appeared extensively in La Liga for Getafe. Valencia bought him in 2011 for a rumoured €6m, but seemed to quickly fall out of favour. Still only 24, Parejo has seen quite a bit more playing time in the last two seasons, and this year has put up these stats:

Tasty. His defensive numbers were similar last season, but it's the key pass numbers that have pushed him into consideration. It's an open question of whether he can continue this for an entire season, but Parejo is young enough to still be improving, and his past production wasn't far enough removed from this that I'd be worried about a huge drop off.

He's signed until 2016, so there would be no player leverage for a move, but he's practically unknown as well, meaning he could go fairly cheap. Valencia signed him for around €6m, so a move in the £10m range could be possible. It would be a gamble, but not a huge one.

Conclusion

Replacing Andrea Pirlo or Steven Gerrard is difficult. After comparing midfielders from across the top five leagues in Europe since the 2009-10 season, we ended up with a single digit number of guys who fit the profile required.

Statistical production doesn't provide the final verdict on any player, but they do provide a really good starting point when doing transfer shopping, especially when you have some idea of the production you are trying to replace.

The first step is finding interesting targets. The second step is spending an awful lot of time getting to know those players on film, and learning whether they are good risks or not. If you are looking for the full package of production and also looking for players who can be fixtures in a midfield for the next five years, I'd make a run at the players listed above.

However, there are other young players I would definitely take a closer look at if you want to loosen your offensive creation requirement. Guys like Udinese's Allan (23) or Feyenoord's Jordie Clasie (22) should be intriguing options for the right team. But for Liverpool – right now – these would be the ones.

Data

This is the list of potentials I looked at when compiling this piece:

Notice Vidal putting up jawdropping defensive numbers at Leverkusen aged only 23, on his way to becoming one of the most complete midfielders in the world. Eternally under-rated Borja Valero is there (now at Fiorentina), as is Bayern's Tony Kroos (all of 22 that season). Then you hit the current season with Parejo, Fran Rico, Moutinho, Cigarini and PSV's Stijn Schaars (30) highlighted. I would place a fairly large wager that Moutinho has looked this good for years, but there isn't any Portugal data in the public sphere to prove it.

Data Appendix

P90 – Total minutes played in a season divided by 90.
NPG – Non-penalty goals
NPG90 – Non-genalty goals per 90
ShAcc – Shooting accuracy (multiply by 100 to get the percent)
Sh90 – Shots per 90
SOT90 – Shots on target per 90
GConv – Goal conversion rate (multiply by 100 to get the percent)
A90 – Assists per 90
GA90 – Non-penalty Goals + assists per 90. A better measure of overall scoring contribution
Drib90 – Successful dribbles per 90
KP90 – Key pass per 90
TB90 – Throughballs per 90
Pass% – Passing percentage
Tack90 – Tackles per 90

• This article first appeared on Statsbomb
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Ted Knutson

Everton fined £45,000 and warned over approach to Jamaal Lascelles

Posted: 22 Jan 2014 05:30 AM PST

• Defender also warned as to future conduct
• Agent is fined £10,000 for part in affair

Everton have been fined £45,000 and warned as to their future conduct after being found guilty of breaching the Football Association's football agent regulations.

The breach relates to the club's unauthorised approach to Jamaal Lascelles who was under a scholarship agreement at Nottingham Forest in 2010, when David Moyes was still Everton manager.

The England Under-20 centre-back Lascelles has become a highly-rated target with Arsenal and Spurs reportedly interested. Forest are looking for around £3m for the player.

Andy Niedzwiecki, the football agent who was representing Lascelles at the time, has been fined £10,000 and warned as to his future conduct after admitting his part in the matter.

Lascelles, who also admitted his part in the affair, has been severely warned as to his future conduct.

The FA said that the time frame for any appeal had passed.

Everton have accepted the punishment from the governing body. A spokesman said: "Everton Football Club accepts the findings of the FA inquiry."

Roberto Mancini claims credit for Manchester City success

Posted: 22 Jan 2014 04:11 AM PST

• Italian said he built a fantastic team before he was sacked
• 'The players that score goals are the players I bought'

Roberto Mancini has claimed that Manchester City's stellar campaign is down to the team he "built" when manager. The Italian also dismissed the role of his successor, Manuel Pellegrini, stating he had done precisely the same three years ago.

Mancini was sacked towards the end of last season and under Pellegrini City are the only side who can win an unprecedented quadruple, with the Blues having already reached the Capital One Cup final.

Yet Mancini is adamant that this success is because of him. "I'm happy that Manchester City is one of the best teams in England because I built this team. I think Pellegrini is doing a good job but what is happening now at Manchester City, we did three years ago. It's the same.

"The players that score the goals are players that I bought – Sergio Agüero, Edin Dzeko, Yaya Touré, David Silva and Samir Nasri," he told BBC World Service. "I'm very happy about what I did in Manchester, I love the Manchester City supporters and I had a fantastic experience.

"After four or five years, maybe the manager needs to change the team. I did my job, I built a fantastic team, we played fantastic football and we didn't win last year only because Manchester United bought Robin van Persie. He was the difference, if not I think that would have changed the history in Manchester over the last three years. We played really good football and now they are continuing to do this."

Jamie Jackson

Why an orange card is the last thing football needs | Paul Wilson

Posted: 22 Jan 2014 04:09 AM PST

Football already has four degrees of punishment for foul play so a fifth option would be entirely unnecessary. Sending a player to a sin-bin would come to be used as a cop-out by referees

Football does not need an orange card, despite the noise on the subject emanating from the former Fifa executive Jérôme Champagne. Football does not need a sin-bin, because unlike rugby it does not need to differentiate between foul play and technical offences. Football already has four degrees of punishment for foul play – a free-kick, a penalty if in the area, a booking or a dismissal – so a fifth option would be entirely unnecessary.

At a push, celebrating a goal by removing one's shirt or going into the crowd could just about be considered a technical offence, but surely it would be easier just to stop booking players for such piffling peccadillos than introduce a new disciplinary complication that would soon take on a life of its own.

Inevitably, the option of sending a player to the cooler for a specified length of time would come to be used as a cop-out by referees, an easy option. That's what happened in rugby, and if you would like to see it in action check out this clip complete with priceless commentary, from a game almost 20 years ago.

While that is perhaps an extreme example, bear in mind that sin-bins were initially introduced in rugby league to deal with technical infringements such as persistent offside or scrum feeding, offences that irritated opponents and spectators but did not necessarily warrant the award of a penalty and therefore a points scoring opportunity. The thinking was that players would soon cut out the transgressions once they knew they could be sent off the field for 10 minutes but, as you can see, referees were soon using the sin-bin for completely different purposes.

Maybe football referees would not be such pushovers, yet at the very least a sin-bin option would introduce another area of doubt, another subjective decision for the already overloaded official to make. Rugby followers might enjoy discussions and debates over how hard you have to hit someone to deserve a straight red card but that does not mean the concept transfers easily to football, where there are already too many grey areas when no one is quite sure whether the referee has got it right or wrong.

Take Cheik Tioté's disallowed goal for Newcastle United against Manchester City a couple of weeks ago. How on earth were the match officials supposed to work out, given the speed of the shot and the suddenness of the strike, whether any or all of the three Newcastle players caught in offside positions were impeding or distracting the goalkeeper? The referee could only make one decision or the other, and whatever he decided one team was going to be mightily aggrieved. After a few television replays the consensus seemed to be that Newcastle had been a little unlucky and perhaps deserved the benefit of the doubt, but the referee did not have those replays to hand.

And even if he had, supposing one of the attackers had been standing two feet closer to Joe Hart. What then? In the end it comes down to a matter of opinion – you can see both sides of the argument but actually deciding what is right and wrong will vary according to different referees and different situations. The bottom line is that there might not always be a right and wrong, there are some instances where it is impossible to make a decision that is wholly correct.

It was a similar scenario at Anfield on Saturday when Luis Suárez went down for his penalty. Depending to where you stand on Suárez this was either a blatant dive and a piece of cheating the referee should have spotted, or it was a clumsy challenge by the goalkeeper that was practically asking for trouble. The referee had to decide one way or the other, when in actual fact the incident was far from clear-cut and both players might have been at fault.

Brad Guzan had no business diving at Suárez's feet when he had no intention of claiming the ball, and while the actual contact may have been insufficient to knock Suárez over, to take evasive action or attempt to stay upright could have seen the chance lost. Six of one and half a dozen of the other just about covers it, and while Suárez might have exaggerated his tumble, Guzan made it easy for him to do so.

Jon Moss must have had an inkling that Suárez has a reputation for going down easily – he's not from Mars, after all – but the alternative to awarding the penalty would have been to book the Liverpool player for diving and effectively reward Guzan for good goalkeeping, when that would have been an even more controversial course of action that neither player particularly deserved.

With the greatest respect to what happened to Stan Collymore when he expressed a firm opinion on Twitter, there was not much of a storm surrounding the incident. As Suárez controversies go, it was not even in the top 10. In the press room after the game, far from being incensed about Suárez's actions Paul Lambert had little to say on the subject apart from the fact that he thought his goalkeeper pulled his hands away at the last moment, and disappointed reporters in search of the obvious angle by refusing to even mention the word dive. He had already seen several replays, which is more than the referee had, and knew it was not a straightforward situation. That night's Match of the Day panel came to more or less the same conclusion. There was no 100% right decision for the referee to reach.

It is often said that football is a game of opinions, but that usually means managers' opinions or those of the supporters. Referees are not really supposed to have opinions, they just enforce the rules. Ideally every decision made during a match should be a simple case of knowing the laws and following the guidelines, but in reality referees are being asked to settle arguments that no one else is able to reach agreement over, out there on the pitch, in front of thousands of spectators, in the blink of an eye.

Somehow one doubts whether the introduction of an orange card would help matters much. Yes, referees will make mistakes, but never as many as players. Nemanja Vidic was unlucky to see a red card at the end of the game against Chelsea when a yellow would have sufficed, but whose fault was that, really? The horrified look on the defender's face when the card came out of the referee's pocket suggested he thought himself completely blameless, when in fact he was guilty of a gratuitous hack at an opponent.

No wonder an appeal was rejected – what an unseemly precedent a reprieve would have set. It was a foul all day long, quite a deliberate and cynical one too, and if the referee thought it looked worse than it actually was, that is the risk an offender runs. And no, with just a few seconds of the game remaining to play, a sin-bin would not have been a better option.

Paul Wilson

Sunderland's Gus Poyet looks ahead to Capital One Cup clash against Manchester United – video

Posted: 22 Jan 2014 03:57 AM PST

Sunderland manager Gus Poyet says his team is preparing for a tough second leg of the Capital One Cup semifinal against Manchester United on Wednesday

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Thursday, 23 January 2014

Football news, match reports and fixtures | theguardian.com

07:33

Football news, match reports and fixtures | theguardian.com

1 Where does Moyes go from here?

2 Scot's selection raises eyebrow

3 Come in, Juan Mata

4 Johnson fluffs his lines

5 Pellegrini's juggernaut awaits

MANCINI'S THE MAN (UNLIKE MANUEL, DAVID, ROBERTO, BRENDAN, LORD FERG, ETC)

LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE TONIGHT

QUOTE OF THE DAY

FIVER LETTERS

JOIN GUARDIAN SOULMATES

BITS AND BOBS

STILL WANT MORE?

SIGN UP TO THE FIVER

WHERE'S THE PHIL COLLINS ONE?

Target No1: Ivan Rakitic, Sevilla

Target No2: Luca Cigarini, Atalanta

Target Number 3) Ever Banega

Target Number 3.5) Daniel Parejo

Conclusion

Data

Data Appendix

Written by TBMU Admin

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Thursday, 23 January 2014

Football news, match reports and fixtures | theguardian.com

07:33

Football news, match reports and fixtures | theguardian.com

1 Where does Moyes go from here?

2 Scot's selection raises eyebrow

3 Come in, Juan Mata

4 Johnson fluffs his lines

5 Pellegrini's juggernaut awaits

MANCINI'S THE MAN (UNLIKE MANUEL, DAVID, ROBERTO, BRENDAN, LORD FERG, ETC)

LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE TONIGHT

QUOTE OF THE DAY

FIVER LETTERS

JOIN GUARDIAN SOULMATES

BITS AND BOBS

STILL WANT MORE?

SIGN UP TO THE FIVER

WHERE'S THE PHIL COLLINS ONE?

Target No1: Ivan Rakitic, Sevilla

Target No2: Luca Cigarini, Atalanta

Target Number 3) Ever Banega

Target Number 3.5) Daniel Parejo

Conclusion

Data

Data Appendix

Written by TBMU Admin

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