Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insists the introduction of UEFA s Financial Fair Play rules will help make Premier League football better.

The Frenchman has shown a frugal approach to the transfer market during his time with the North London side and thinks the new rules will only help to even the playing field in the financially strong league.

You say we have an interesting league, it will be more interesting with FFP, Wenger told the club s official website.

If you look at the history of England, there is Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa and Derby County who have all won championships. If that is possible again it will be even more interesting.

What is realistic is to vote for the Financial Fair Play, I think it will be voted (for) in England (when i…

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has threatened legal action and could demand a replay after his side were denied a goal against Real Madrid at the weekend.

Lamine Yamal thought he had scored in the 28th minute of Sunday’s 3-2 LaLiga loss at the Bernabeu but, after a lengthy VAR check, it was ruled the ball had not cross the line.

The Spanish competition does not use goalline technology.

President : Tools like VAR have to help in achieving a fairer competition, and not otherwise.

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona)

Laporta has requested footage and audio of the decision-making over this “phantom goal” incident from the Spanish Football Federation and will then consider further action.

He said in a statement on the club’s website, fcb…

Chelsea midfielder Oscar believes clubmate Eden Hazard deserves to be seen as the best player in England .

Hazard is tipped by many to sweep this season s player of the year awards, as Chelsea close in on a first Premier League title since 2010.

And Oscar says such accolades would be entirely justified for a player who has chipped in with 12 goals and eight assists in the league this term.

In my opinion he is the best player of Premier League at this moment, the Brazilian told Perform. It s very hard pointing out who s the best here or there, especially here with so many good players.

But Hazard has been so consistent and he deserves to be considered as the best player in England.

Obviously we have other good players like Willian, he is only 2…

Zenit St Petersburg s Luciano Spalletti has expressed his interest in succeeding Dick Advocaat as Russia coach.

Dutchman Advocaat was due to step down from the Russia national role after Euro 2012, and will lead PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie next season.

According to La Repubblica, it is Spalletti s fellow Italian Fabio Capello who is the leading candidate to fill the Russia vacancy.

Spalletti took over from Advocaat at Zenit in 2009, and has led the club to successive Russian Premier League titles in the last two campaigns.

The 53-year-old is thought to be under consideration alongside Capello and the former Roma coach has confirmed he would welcome the challenge of qualifying Russia for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

For me it would be a real plea…

Sean Dyche has been impressed with the way Burnley have adapted in Andre Gray s absence, but he is glad to have the 25-year-old back in contention.

Gray scored 23 goals for Burnley last season and was the Championship s Player of the Year as Dyche s men secured promotion back to the Premier League.

However, after netting in a 2-0 win against Liverpool, Gray was suspended by the Football Association for a series of homophobic tweets he had posted in 2012.

The former Brentford man has now served his four-game ban, giving Burnley another attacking option alongside Sam Vokes, and Dyche is toying with the idea of reverting to a two-man forward line against Manchester United.

We want to have that scratch-your-head moment of which way are we going to go wi…

Allegations that bribes were offered in return for bringing the 2010 World Cup to South Africa belittles the hard work of former president Nelson Mandela and others involved in the process, according to the country s Football Association (SAFA).

SAFA spoke out for the first time against allegations from the United States Department of Justice that $10million was paid as a bribe to secure the most prestigious event in world football.

The claims, which have twice been denied by the South African government, are part of a wider operation that has seen the indictment of 14 people, including nine past and present FIFA officials, for racketeering conspiracy and corruption.

A New York Times report suggested that FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke was responsible for …

Ilkay Gundogan had no idea Germany head coach Joachim Low was in attendance to enjoy his star showing in Manchester City s 4-0 Champions League thrashing of Basel.

Gundogan headed home Kevin De Bruyne s 14th-minute corner and curled in a sublime second to complete the scoring after half-time.

The 27-year-old midfielder missed the second half of last season following cruciate knee ligament surgery, having been ruled out of Germany s 2014 World Cup triumph and their run to the semi-finals of Euro 2016 through injury.

He returned to the international fold, starting the November friendlies against England and France but, with competition for places in Low s squad fierce, he offered a timely reminder of his talents in the last-16 tie at St Jakob-Park.

No, I…

Italy caretaker boss Luigi Di Biagio expects Gianluigi Buffon to return to international duty for the friendlies with Argentina and England next month.

Juventus veteran Buffon announced his retirement from the Azzurri, along with club-mates Andrea Barzagli and Giorgio Chiellini and Roma s Daniele De Rossi, after the defeat to Sweden in the World Cup play-off in November.

Di Biagio does not think Barzagli or De Rossi will reverse their decisions before next month but believes Italy s record caps-holder, along with Chiellini, will make at least a temporary return.

I had some meetings with the veterans because I understood some of them wanted to quit, Di Biagio told a news conference at the start of a training camp at Coverciano.

I talked to Buffon to find…

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has asked about life in China more than once, according to former Brazil and Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari.

Ronaldo, 33, is still starring in Europe, having scored 37 goals in 35 games in all competitions for Madrid this season.

The Portugal international is contracted at the Santiago Bernabeu until mid-2021, with his next destination potentially China or MLS.

Scolari, who spent 2015-17 in China as coach of Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao, revealed Ronaldo had often asked about the country.

Who has asked me more than once what life is like in China is Cristiano Ronaldo. Why can t Cristiano Ronaldo go to China? he told Esporte Interativo.

I gave him all the instructions. And we also have to understand that Chin…

Luiz Felipe Scolari has backed Arthur to become Andres Iniesta s long-term replacement when he swaps Gremio for Barcelona.

Scolari gave Arthur his professional debut in 2015 and has watched from afar as the midfielder has gone from strength-to-strength.

Arthur established himself as a first-team regular last season and his performances brought interest from Europe s top clubs – including Chelsea and Atletico Madrid.

However, it was Barca who won the race for his signature and Arthur will move to Camp Nou in January after the Catalan giants agreed an option to sign him for €30million.

Scolari has backed the 21-year-old to make a big impression in LaLiga, even suggesting he can step into the void left by Iniesta when the playmaker eventually steps aside…