Zinedine Zidane says he still has the  flame to continue his managerial career, despite a year out of the game after his departure from Real Madrid last year.

The Frenchman departed Santiago Bernabeu for a second time at the end of the 2020-21 season, having guided the club to a hat-trick of Champions League triumphs during his first term in charge and won 11 trophies in all during his time there.

Zidane has since been linked with a number of jobs, including in his home country where he was touted as the frontrunner to succeed Mauricio Pochettino at Paris Saint-Germain, as well as Didier Deschamps possible successor as France head coach beyond Qatar 2022.

With Nice boss Christoph Galtier now in the driving seat to take the reins at Parc des Princes, Zidane s tim…

Lucy Bronze has re-joined Manchester City on a two-year deal, the Women s Super League club have announced.

England right-back Bronze has returned to her native country after a trophy-laden three-year stint in France with Lyon, where she won three domestic titles and a trio of Women s Champions Leagues.

The 28-year-old, who finished second to Megan Rapinoe in last year s Women s Ballon d Or voting, spent three years with City prior to moving to Lyon in 2017.

I m really happy to be back here at City – I always had it in my mind that I would return one day, and it just feels like the perfect time and opportunity right now, Bronze said.

I really enjoyed my time in France, but there were so many things that I missed and it s great to be back.

Can …

Raheem Sterling still has plenty of improvement to come, according to Fabian Delph – and his Manchester City and England team-mate will not be shy in letting him know about it.

Sterling was a standout performer as Pep Guardiola s side won an unprecedented domestic treble this season, scooping the Football Writers Association (FWA) Footballer of the Year award.

A brace in the 6-0 FA Cup demolition of Watford took the 24-year-old to 25 goals in all competitions for his club in 2018-19, a campaign where he also emphatically turned a corner at international level.

Despite his best efforts, Sterling s England goal drought remained stubbornly intact throughout the run to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup.

He has since scored six times in five starts for t…

Marcus Rashford is relishing a fresh start under Erik ten Hag after losing his way at Manchester United.

Rashford fell out of favour during a turbulent 2021-22 season for the Red Devils, making only 13 Premier League starts and scoring just four times in the top flight.

The 24-year-old underwent shoulder surgery last August and has not played for England since the Euro 2020 final defeat to Italy at Wembley 12 months ago.

Rashford is determined to reignite his career following the appointing of Dutchman Ten Hag as United boss.

It is an opportunity to refresh. I am ready to go again, Rashford said.

We can do a lot together. For me, it is a fresh start, something I am looking forward to.

Ten Hag feels refreshed after a good break before fl…

Diego Simeone described Jan Oblak as the best goalkeeper in the world after his star turn in Atletico Madrid s 2-0 win over Celta Vigo on Saturday.

Atletico bounced back from last weekend s disappointing 2-0 defeat to Barcelona as goals from Antoine Griezmann and Alvaro Morata earned all three points.

It could have been a very different outcome, though, if not for Oblak producing three stunning saves to keep Celta at bay.

And Simeone was in no doubt that the Slovenia international – who joined from Benfica in 2014 – is comfortably the best in the world in his position.

He is the best goalkeeper in the world, he said. We are fortunate that he chooses to play at Atletico and that he is with us. 

He has improved a lot and he has earned it. …

How he copes will be interesting. Does he quit, or give it one more shot elsewhere?

One possibility to appeal to the romantics is a return to Ajax. Second spells at Barcelona and with the Dutch national team show Van Gaal has no aversion to going back.

Frank de Boer, a star man on the field during Van Gaal s time with the Amsterdam giants, has left to seek new challenges elsewhere in Europe. But, since a fresh-faced Patrick Kluivert sunk Milan at Vienna s Ernst-Happel-Stadion, circumstances have changed beyond recognition for all concerned.

Ajax no longer dine at European football s top table. This season, they returned to the Austrian capital only to be knocked out of the Champions League before the group stage by Rapid Vienna. The irresistible swagger of Johan …

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is expecting Ander Herrera to make an announcement over his future soon, having been strongly linked with Paris Saint-Germain.

Herrera joined United in 2014 from Athletic Bilbao and won the club s Player of the Year award in 2016-17, but his contract expires at the end of the season.

He fell out of favour under Jose Mourinho, while he has struggled with injuries lately, but Herrera enjoyed a resurgence following Solskjaer s initial appointment in December.

United reportedly baulked at Herrera s contract demands, however, and PSG are reported to have agreed a deal with him for the start of next season, with Solskjaer expecting the 29-year-old to confirm what his future holds soon.

Speaking ahead of Sunday s vi…

Zlatan Ibrahimovic revealed his delight and slight surprise at seeing complete Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric handed multiple individual honours in 2018.

Former Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo had largely hogged the limelight at the Santiago Bernabeu in past seasons, but Modric was influential in the side s third consecutive Champions League and then inspired Croatia srun to the World Cup final.

The ex-Tottenham man s form saw him rewarded with the Golden Ball at Russia 2018 and then the coveted Ballon d Or, won by either Ronaldo or great rival Lionel Messi in each of the previous 10 years.

And LA Galaxy star Ibrahimovic, who came fourth in the 2013 Ballon d Or voting while with Paris Saint-Germain, was encouraged to see a different name in a different pos…

Competition: Premier League

Market: Tottenham to beat Crystal Palace

Odds:

The Premier League returns this weekend for yet another massive round of games that will surely only add to the excitement of the world s most competitive league. the table is incredibly tight right now meaning that a single win can quite often see a side rise a number of places in the table, and with this in mind Tottenham travel to face Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Crystal Palace have been struggling of late as they have slipped closer and closer to the relegation zone. After 27 games they have won six, drawn nine and lost 12, scoring 25 goals and conceding 42 times. In their last five they have only won once, drawing twice and losing twice which has seen them onto 27 p…

UEFA has confirmed it received declarations of interest from four potential bidders for hosting rights to Euro 2028 and Euro 2032.

The United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland launched a joint-bid for Euro 2028 earlier on Wednesday, while a Russian official remarkably confirmed its own interest in holding either of the two tournaments.

Russia s teams are currently banned from UEFA and FIFA competitions following the country s invasion of Ukraine, but the 2018 World Cup hosts pushed ahead regardless.

Turkey has joined Russia in announcing to UEFA its willingness to stage the European Championship in either 2028 or 2032.

While the two countries are up against the UK and Ireland in the first of the two finals, Italy is the other interested party four years lat…