Mertesacker hails Arsenal team spirit

Andrej Kramaric has left Premier League champions Leicester City to sign a permanent deal with Hoffenheim.

Croatia striker Kramaric played the second half of last season on loan at the Rhein Neckar Arena, as his Leicester colleagues stormed to an astonishing title triumph, scoring five goals in 15 games to help preserve Hoffe s Bundesliga status.

He has now penned a four-year contract with the German club, as head coach Julian Nagelsmann plots a course through next season in the wake of star man Kevin Volland s departure to Bayer Leverkusen.

I am pleased with the development of the team, and I enjoy it here, Kramaric told Hoffenheim s official website.

The team showed a lot of trust in me, which helped me show my skills quickly.

Leicester foug…

Yohan Cabaye is determined to issue France coach Didier Deschamps with a timely reminder of his ability when they take on Cameroon on Monday.

The Crystal Palace man faces stiff competition from players such as Lassana Diarra and N Golo Kante for a place in midfield alongside Paul Pogba and Blaise Matuidi and did not feature in the wins over Netherlands and Russia in March.

Cabaye did make the 23-man squad for Euro 2016, though, and has vowed to give his all in order to win over Deschamps.

There is a lot of competition for places, which is a good thing for the team. It is healthy and keeps everyone on their toes, Cabaye said at a news conference.

We have 23 players fighting for their place who all have the same objective. We will need every player. You c…

Everton striker Arouna Kone could be set for a return to action after being included in the squad for Thursday s clash with Wolfsburg.

The Ivorian is yet to feature for the Goodison Park outfit this season due to a knee injury his only involvement coming as an unused substitute in the club s 3-0 defeat to Swansea City in the League Cup in September.

However, Kone, whose last outing came in October 2013, forms part of a 20-man party heading to Germany for this week s UEFA Europa League Group H fixture.

Also included in the squad is 17-year-old Ryan Ledson, who could be in line for a senior debut should he make the matchday selection.

The midfielder has played extensively in England s youth ranks and is the current Under-18 team captain.

However…

Leroy Sane has revealed the sage advice he received from Pep Guardiola to help ignite his Manchester City career – play like Lionel Messi.

When Sane first arrived from Schalke in 2016, he struggled to make an impact as injuries hindered his transition into the Premier League.

But the 22-year-old has gone on to establish himself at the club, playing a key role in their rise to the top of the table and progress to the last 16 of the Champions League.

And Sane gave an insight into his manager s motivational skills as he explained how Guardiola has got the best out of him following a slow start.

I needed a little time to settle, to know the Premier League, the people here, how they are and to know the players, he said in quotes reported by The Guardian. I…

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has branded Liverpool striker Luis Suarez laden with controversy ahead of their clash on Sunday.

The Uruguay international has been in superb form for Brendan Rodgers team this season, netting 15 league goals to leave himself one behind league leader Robin van Persie.

However, the 25-year-old striker was once again in the headlines after appearing to handle the ball to score in the Reds 2-1 FA Cup win over Mansfield Town last Saturday, and Ferguson feels the star may even enjoy the attention.

I didn t see the Mansfield game, so it s difficult to say if it was deliberate (handball) or not, he told reporters. But I think (Suarez) is laden with controversy. I don t know if he enjoys it or not.

Liverpool manager Rod…

Laurent Blanc will expect France to produce a more convincing performance against Serbia on Thursday after struggling to beat Iceland.

France had to come from 2-0 down at half-time to secure a face-saving victory in the friendly against minnows Iceland at the Stade du Hainaut, Valenciennes, on Sunday.

Goals from Mathieu Debuchy, Franck Ribery and Adil Rami extended France s unbeaten run to 16 matches, with their last defeat a 2-1 friendly loss to Norway in August 2011.

Prior to their underwhelming performance against Iceland, France had every reason for optimism going into Euro 2012.

Friendly victories over England, Brazil and Germany in the last 12 months demonstrated the improvement made under Blanc since a disastrous group-stage exit from the 2010 FIF…

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola dismissed the suggestion his team have an advantage over Manchester United ahead of the derby due to their early Champions League qualification.

City will travel to Old Trafford to face Premier League rivals United on Saturday, not before the final round of group fixtures in the Champions League.

Guardiola s City have already advanced to the last 16 and have the luxury of resting players for Wednesday s Group C fixture against Marseille, while Solskjaer s United need at least a point from their trip to RB Leipzig on Tuesday to progress from Group H.

But Guardiola – whose City are sixth and a point behind United – insisted there is no advantage for the Citizens against their neighbours.

Sometimes we play three day…

Juventus, for whom Ibrahimovic played two seasons from 2004 to 2006, last won the Champions League in 1996.

This season, they are chasing Milan s shadow in Serie A, with Ibrahimovic s goals fuelling confidence and an early-season run at the top of the table.

Milan sit five points clear of nearest rivals Inter, and six ahead of Juve.

Deservedly. The Rossoneri are the team to beat, I say it and repeat it, Raiola said.  Zlatan is a priceless player. Always top scorer in Serie A, with two goals more than Ronaldo, despite being still injured. But now his return is imminent.

Ibrahimovic has scored at a startling rate of one goal every 52.9 minutes in Serie A this season, but Ronaldo is not far behind with one every 58.75 minutes on the pitch.

Of…

Competition in Group G at the 2014 World Cup starts with a high-profile match between Euro 2012 semi-finalists Germany and Portugal, with everyone expecting to see a cracking encounter at Itaipava Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador.

Die Mannschaft may be missing some important players, but they still arrive in Brazil as one of the main candidates for the title, while the Seleccao are heavily relying on Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo to lead them to glory. And Titan Bet has just offered an extra incentive to everyone looking to bet on the big match by increasing the price on Germany to win to 3/1 and Portugal to win to 4/1.

All you have to do is and place your first bet of €5 or more on the Germany vs Portugal match. You can choose whether to back Germany at 3/1 or…

Islam Slimani insisted his Algeria team-mates will not be dwelling on their victory over South Korea as they aim to reach the next round.

Algeria are on track to qualify for the round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup after dismantling Group H rivals South Korea 4-2 in Porto Alegre on Sunday.

The win was not only Algeria s first at the finals since 1982, it also sent the north African nation (three points, +1) two points clear of Russia (one point, -1), and South Korea (one point, -2) in second place with one game remaining against Fabio Capello s men.

And goal-scoring hero Slimani, who broke the deadlock at the Estadio Beira-Rio, said Algeria were striving to reach the knockout phase for the first time after their historic win.

I can say that all of the playe…