Zenit St Petersburg coach Luciano Spalletti has revealed Adriano Galliani has approached him in the past to take charge of AC Milan.

Current coach Massimiliano Allegri took the reins at the club in 2010, but the former Roma boss has said it could have been him sitting on the San Siro bench after talks with chief Galliani.

It is true that Galliani has contacted me in the past. He asked me whether I was available and open to the idea of becoming Milan s new head coach, Spalletti told Sky Sports Italia.

However, he gave me another call a few days later, asking me to forget about any previous agreements. It was not a problem for me. I am happy to coach wherever people want me.

Zenit were grouped with Milan, Anderlecht and Malaga in the group stages of th…

Spain handed England a sharp reminder of the limits of the progress they have made under Fabio Capello by strolling to a 2-0 friendly victory here on Wednesday.

Goals from David Villa and second-half substitute Fernando Llorente delivered the victory and the margin was a fair reflection of their comfortable superiority.

On a night that saw David Beckham equal the late Bobby Moore s mark of 108 caps the record for an outfield player England were given an indication of how far they still have to go if they are to mix it with the best at next year s World Cup finals in South Africa.

Fabio Capello s men were never completely over-run but it was hard to resist the feeling that the Euro 2008 champions had another gear in reserve that they were never required to find.<…

Market: Crystal Palace win

Odds: 1/2 @

Making the trip to the Kassam Stadium on Tuesday night, Crystal Palace will meet League One outfit Oxford United on Carabao Cup duties.

Starting with the hosts, after just missing out on a play-off finish last season, it is no secret that Oxford are desperate to go one step further this time around. However, despite managing to snatch a 1-1 draw at home against Morecambe last time out, Karl Robinson s men have struggled to find much stability since opening the 2022/23 campaign. Getting the new season underway with a deserved 1-0 defeat away at Derby, the one-time MK Dons boss has seen his side muster just a single point from their last three League One outings. With that run highlighted by 1-0 and 2-1 losses against Bristol…

England manager Gareth Southgate is not jumping to early conclusions regarding the form of his England players in the opening weeks of the season.

The start of the Premier League campaign has thrown up numerous surprises, with Manchester United losing back-to-back matches against Brentford and Brighton and Hove Albion, while Liverpool remain without a win after three matches.

In Monday s clash between the two giants, which United won 2-1, Erik ten Hag dropped England regulars Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw from his starting XI, with both now facing a fight to get back into the team.

Jack Grealish, Kalvin Phillips and John Stones have managed just two Premier League starts between them over the first three weeks of the season at Manchester City, but Southgate insists…

Jose Mourinho has suggested Manchester United were not prepared to win before his appointment as manager in 2016.

The former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss won the EFL Cup and Europa League within a year of succeeding Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford, becoming the first United manager in history to lift a trophy in his debut season in charge.

United are second in the Premier League table with four games to play this term, having drastically improved on the form that saw them finish sixth in 2016-17, while last Saturday s 2-1 win over Tottenham at Wembley sealed their place in the FA Cup final.

Mourinho is therefore confident his time at the club has been a success, claiming there was an acceptance before his arrival that they could not guarantee a challenge for hon…

Parma cannot afford a deal for former Roma stalwart Daniele De Rossi, but are open to a move for Mario Balotelli, according to the Serie A club s sporting director Daniele Faggiano.

De Rossi called time on his 19-year stay at Roma at the end of last season and the former Italy midfielder is now a free agent.

Balotelli, meanwhile, will be able to be signed on a free transfer once his contract with Ligue 1 club Marseille expires on June 30, and reports have suggested Parma, who finished 14th in Serie A in 2018-19, hold an interest in both players.

But while confirming Parma are admirers of former Manchester City and AC Milan forward Balotelli, Faggiano has revealed his team will not be in the running for De Rossi, who is rumoured to have rejected a proposed move to…

Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri concedes his team are yet to work out how to get the best out of club-record signing Gonzalo Higuain.

The Argentina international has started each of Juventus back-to-back Serie A wins over the past week as the defending champions bounced back from a 2-1 loss at Inter.

He scored in last Wednesday s 4-0 triumph over Cagliari but is yet to hit the supreme form he displayed at Napoli last term, where an incredible 36 goals in 35 league games paved the way for a €90million move to Turin.

Juventus top scorer last season, Paulo Dybala, is yet to find the net since his countryman s arrival and, while confirming Higuain will start Tuesday s Champions League Group H match at Dinamo Zagreb, Allegri acknowledges there is work to be…

Manchester United playmaker Juan Mata thinks a third straight Premier League victory at Anfield would prove his side mean business as they attempt to challenge for the title.

Despite losing out to Jurgen Klopp s side over two legs in the Europa League last 16 last season, United won Premier League meetings on Merseyside in March 2015 and January 2016.

Mata scored twice in the first of those meetings and is relishing what he believes will be an impressive spectacle, one which gives Jose Mourinho s team a chance to highlight their progress.

This has been a different week due to the international break, but it s now over and we are already focused on the Premier League, where we have one of the biggest games of the year: our visit to Anfield Road, he wrote in his p…

Didier Drogba scored his first goal for Chelsea since the 2012 UEFA Champions League final as they beat Maribor 6-0 on Tuesday.

The veteran striker, who netted with both a late equaliser and the deciding penalty versus Bayern Munich in Germany two-and-a-half years ago, obliged from the spot again in a welcome easy win.

Chelsea had begun their European campaign with a lacklustre draw against Schalke and a hard-fought victory at Sporting Lisbon, but they are now firmly on course to top their group for the ninth time in 12 seasons.

The one negative on a comfortable night for Jose Mourinho s side was a groin injury suffered by opening scorer Loic Remy.

With Diego Costa nursing a hamstring problem, the Premier League leaders could now be short of attacking opt…

Jamaica captain and match-winner Rodolph Austin was thrilled with how his team overcame a stubborn Canada and tough conditions to win on Saturday.

With the temperature in Houston having peaked at 34 degrees Celsius and humidity around 50 per cent, both sides were drenched in sweat at BBVA Compass Stadium within minutes of the opening whistle of the CONCACAF Gold Cup Group B encounter.

But Jamaica had to wait until almost the final minute of the match to secure a 1-0 win in Texas, with Austin heading Adrian Mariappa s cross home from six yards in stoppage time.

The 30-year-old midfielder applauded his team s effort immediately after the final whistle.

Well, it was very hot out there, he said in his official on-pitch interview.

It s very humid and…