The Western Sydney Wanderers have signed former Germany youth international Jerome Polenz on a one-year deal.
The versatile 25-year-old capable of playing in defence and midfield spent six seasons in the academy of Bundesliga outfit Werder Bremen earlier in his career, and joins the A-League s newest club after his release from hometown club Union Berlin at the end of the 2011/12 2. Bundesliga season.
A former Under-19 and Under-20 Germany international, Polenz arrived in Australia on Saturday and has been training with his new side prior to becoming coach Tony Popovic s 16th signing.
I m happy to be here and happy to be a Wanderer, Polenz said.
It is a big challenge for me, I need to look at what is happening around training and I’m very excited abo…
Prediction: Barcelona to win 3-0
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Real Valladolid and Barcelona will face each other in La Liga this week. The match is slated to kick off at 9pm UK time on Tuesday at Estadio Jose Zorrilla.
Real Valladolid
Real Valladolid are not having the best of seasons and are in real danger of getting relegated from La Liga at the end of the 2020-21 campaign. Sergio’s side are third from bottom in the league table at the moment with 14 points from 14 matches, level on points with 15th-placed Levante.
Valladolid will head into the match against Barcelona on Tuesday evening on the back of a 1-1 draw with Sevilla away from home in the league. It followed a 5-0 hammering of Cantolagua in the Copa del Rey.
Team news:
Joaquin F…
Best Odds: 3/5
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Looking to end 2020 with their spot at the top of Serie A still intact, AC Milan will welcome European chasers Lazio to the San Siro on Wednesday night.
AC Milan
Starting with the hosts, putting in another professional display over the weekend and picking up a 2-1 victory away at Sassuolo, there is no doubt that the mood in AC Milan s camp will be at a red-hot high. With Juventus slipping up once in midweek and eventually getting hit with a 3-0 drumming against Fiorentina, I Rossoneri still hold their spot at the top of the Serie A table and many across Italy have tipped them as a legitimate title contender this season. Along with managing to book their spot in the knockout stage of this year s Europa League, Head Coach Stefano Pioli h…
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has lodged an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over Paolo Guerrero s six-month doping ban as it seeks a stricter punishment for the World Cup-bound forward.
The FIFA Appeal Committee issued a decision in December 2017 that reduced an initial year-long suspension, meaning that Guerrero – having tested positive for cocaine in October – would be available in time to captain Peru at the World Cup in Russia come June.
But WADA wants to see his ban extended back to one to two years – a sanction that would leave the South American nation, at the World Cup for the first time since 1982, without their star man.
Flamengo front man Guerrero, however, has also appealed as he seeks to have the ban removed complete…
England need a miracle if they are to win the World Cup, says Kyle Walker.
The Manchester City defender has won the first trophies of his career this season, collecting the EFL Cup and Premier League crowns after joining from Tottenham.
Walker thrived in an unfamiliar role on the right side of a back three in England s March friendlies against Italy and Netherlands, while Gareth Southgate s side have also held Germany and Brazil to draws after qualifying unbeaten for the World Cup.
Yet although the 27-year-old does not doubt the talent in the England ranks ahead of Russia 2018, Walker is setting low expectations for the Three Lions.
I hope we can go as far as we can go, but we need to be realistic, Walker told talkSPORT.
To win the World Cup i…
Berbatov talks up England return
Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov has moved to confirm reports linking him with a summer move to England.
The 34-year-old is a free agent after he was released from his contract at Monaco, and he has been widely tipped to return to English Premier League, with newcomers Bournemouth reportedly keen.
And it looks as though Premiership fans will get another opportunity to watch the former Manchester United striker in action as he hopes to move back to England.
It ll be a pleasure (to return to England), Berbatov told reporters in Sofia. I spent a long time in England and I keep very good memories. Everyone is watching the English championship and the Premier League, and I ll be delighted to return.
I feel good and…
French daily newspaper that Premier League outfit Watford are set to sign Marseille defender Brice Dja Djedje.
OM have accepted a €4 million bid for the 25-year-old footballer, who should arrive to England to undergo a medical during the day.
The right-back is, therefore, set to become Watford’s fifth signing of the summer transfer window, following in the footsteps of Christian Kabasele, Jerome Sinclair, Isaac Success and Camilo Zuniga.
Brice Dja Djedje began his career as a forward at Paris Saint-Germain, but was eventually converted to full-back, and he has spent his entire career up to date in France.
After proving his worth at Evian, the defender secured a move to Marseille in January 2014 and went on to make 63 league appearances for OM.
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Lukas Podolski has suggested he may have to look for a move away from Arsenal in order to be given the chance to play regular football.
The Germany international moved to the Emirates Stadium from Cologne in 2012, and made 25 Premier League starts in his maiden season in England.
During the last campaign, Podolski started only 14 league encounters, although the 29-year-old did miss a large chunk of the season through injury.
Podolski has played just 128 minutes of action in all competitions during 2014-15, and the World Cup-winner, whose contract runs out at the end of next season, has hinted he may have to think about a move away from the club.
I am a full-blooded player, a street player and I love competition, he told RTL.
If I don t have this…
Tito Vilanova has stepped down as Barcelona boss due to ill health
On Friday night Tito Vilanova stepped down as boss of Barcelona due to ill health. Vilanova’s exit was announced at a press conference by Barcelona president Sandro Rosell.
Pep Guardiola’s former assistant is believed to have suffered a setback in his battle against throat cancer.
Vilanova first discovered he had cancer when he had a tumour removed in 2011, only for him to relapse later that year.
In December, he travelled to New York to undergo treatment.
Unfortunately, it seems that his health has taken a turn for the worst and he will now undergo extensive treatment away from the glare of the media spotlight.
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Unfancied Lazio ruffled the feathers of Serie A champions Inter Milan in the Bird s Nest in Beijing Saturday night to win the Italian Super Cup 2-1.
Lazio captain Tommaso Rocchi superbly lobbed Inter keeper Julio Cesar after finding a gap between the Inter defence just after the hour to clinch the winner.
Two minutes earlier, Rocchi s 61st minute freekick found its way through the Inter wall and rebounded off keeper Cesar, bobbling up into the path of Lazio s Brazilian midfielder Matuzalem, who slotted home to the delight of several thousand Chinese Lazio fans.
The quick double stunned Inter s galaxy of stars and their thousands of Chinese fans into a rare silence after they had controlled affairs on and off the pitch for most of the tense final.
Lifting…