the second multiple winner of the
award, ending the three-year reign
of on-loan Brighton & Hove Albion
team-mate Aaron Mooy.
ITALY: Gianluca Vialli’s proposed
purchase of former club Sampdoria
is off after his consortium could not
agree a deal with current president
Massimo Ferrero, who wanted
€100m for the Blucerchiati. Bottom
of Serie A, the club part company
with coach Eusebio Di Francesco
by mutual consent later in the day.
Tuesday October 8
SPAIN: Lionel Messi tells Catalan
radio station RAC1 he wanted to
leave Barcelona in 2013 when
under investigation from the
Spanish tax authorities. The 32-
year-old, who began playing aged
six for Newell’s Old Boys in his
homeland, adds: “I always dreamed
of being able to play again for
Newell’s and to have the experience
of playing football in Argentina.
But I have already told them that
sometimes you have to think about
what is best for your family.”
USA: Chicago Fire will leave
SeatGeek Stadium and return to
Soldier Field next season. Owner
Joe Mansueto, who purchased full
control of the team in September,says they need to be located
“centrally where all of Chicago
can enjoy it”.Wednesday October 9
ENGLAND: Former Chelsea and
Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech, who
retired in the summer, joins National
Ice Hockey League side Guildford
Phoenix as a goaltender.
GERMANY: Joachim Low gives
debuts to Robin Koch, Luca
Waldschmidt (both Freiburg),
Nadiem Amiri (Bayer Leverkusen)
and Suat Serdar (Schalke) as a
youthful Germany surrender a two-
goal lead in Dortmund to draw 2-2in a friendly with Argentina. Sevilla’s
Lucas Ocampos scores on his first
appearance for the visitors.
SERBIA: Red Star’s team bus is
turned back at the border as the
team from Belgrade are prevented
from crossing into Kosovo for a cup
game against local Serb side Trepca
in northern Kosovo.Thursday October 10
BRAZIL: Neymar becomes the
seventh – and, at 27, the youngest- player to reach a century of caps
for Brazil as they draw 1-1 with
Senegal in Singapore.
EURO 2020: With a 9-0 win at
WORLD SERVICE
Final...Esperance’s Ghailene
Chaalali holds off Walid
El Karti of Wydad