Defender Jordi Alba says it is now up to every Barcelona player to stand up and perform as the club prepares to cope without talisman Lionel Messi.

Pep Guardiola thinks Kevin De Bruyne will have to help Manchester City win trophies before he can be regarded as one of the greats like Lionel Messi.

Rule one of Italian football is that whenever Italy are due to compete in a major tournament, a big scandal will break in the previous six months.

Manchester United have still not agreed a fee with Fenerbahce for the transfer of Robin van Persie even though the striker has already been unveiled by the Turkish giants.

Rafael Benitez has confirmed he is leaving Napoli at the end of the season after two years in charge, paving the way for a move to take over at Real Madrid.

Gonzalo Higuain’s brother and agent insists he has not spoken to Liverpool and claims the Argentina striker is happy at Napoli.

Rafael Benitez has refused to confirm that he will be in charge of Napoli at the start of next season, but insisted that if he isn’t it won’t be down “to money or signings”.

Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis is demanding €100m in compensation after striker Gonzalo Higuain injured himself in the region of Campania.

Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp believes star striker Robert Lewandowski will be a Bayern Munich player the season after next.

Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis has claimed Manchester City are not prepared to meet their €63 million asking price for striker Edinson Cavani.

Rafael Benitez paid tribute to the Napoli fans after he was confirmed as the club’s new manager last night.

Rafael Benitez has been appointed as the new coach of Napoli, club president Aurelio de Laurentiis announced on his Twitter feed last night.

MANCHESTER CITY manager Roberto Mancini intends to speak to Bayern Munich chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge today about his persistent sniping at the English club.

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini intends to speak to Bayern Munich chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge about his persistent sniping at the English club tomorrow.

Udinese midfielder Gokhan Inler has yet to agree personal terms with Napoli before completing his permanent transfer to the southern club.

IF THERE are gods of football, justice, then on Sunday they were surely smiling down on Naples.

ONCE-RACED Major Stampi rates a safe wager to take the Golf Membership Bumper at Gowran Park this afternoon.

A cast of young British actors is being hired by producer Dino De Laurentiis for a new adaptation of Giovanni Boccaccioo’s ribald 14th century classic The Decameron, reports Daily Variety.

Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow are heading for a new sci-fi movie.

"It was a daunting prospect, but I think it sort of worked out," veteran British actor Anthony Hopkins says about revisiting Hollywood’s favourite psychopath, Hannibal Lecter, for a third time.

The prequel to The Silence of the Lambs could begin production as early as September.