Golden Soccer 360

FIFA president Gianni Infantino says referees will have the power to abandon matches at the World Cup if there are incidents of racism. There are fears the tournament in Russia, starting next Thursday, could be dogged by discrimination after historic problems in the country. England defender Danny Rose has told his family not to travel to avoid being abused, with his manager Gareth Southgate backing the Tottenham player on Wednesday. Infantino says there are measures in place should anything occur during matches and has warned of "serious consequences" if there are such issues. He said: "I wouldn't say that we are concerned about discrimination, human rights and security but we take them very seriously, We have taken appropriate measure in the preparation process. "We will have clear procedures in place, including a three-step process for referees who can stop, suspend or even abandon a match in case of discrimination. "We have a monitoring ...

Roberto Firmino has described Sergio Ramos as "an idiot" for his comments following the Champions League final. The Real Madrid captain criticised Loris Karius, Mohamed Salah and Firmino himself in the days after the match which Real won 3-1 to secure a third successive Champions League crown. Ramos said Salah instigated the tussle between the players which led to the Egyptian forward being forced off with a shoulder injury during the first half and that he could have played on. He then said: "I am only missing Roberto Firmino saying he got a cold because a drop of my sweat landed on him." But speaking ahead of Brazil's game against Austria on Sunday, Firmino responded, saying: "I prefer not to make any comments. "I think he has a view because he was the champion but I thought he was an idiot for what he said but that's okay. via Sky Sports

Roberto Firmino says Brazil team-mate Alisson would be a welcome signing at Liverpool and admits the pair have joked with each other about playing together at Anfield. The Reds have been heavily linked with a summer move for the Roma goalkeeper, who came up against Firmino in the semi-finals of the Champions League. Sky Sports News understands Liverpool attempted to sign Alisson earlier in the season and Firmino believes the 25-year-old would be a good addition to Jurgen Klopp's squad. "Sometimes I talk to him about it and have a joke with him, saying 'you should come to Liverpool'," said Firmino. "His agent is sorting his future but it wouldn't be a bad thing to have him here at Liverpool." Firmino is likely to be playing against another Brazilian team-mate in Fred next season after the Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder agreed a deal to join Manchester United this week. "He's is in the next room to me, he is my next rival but I con...

England defender Danny Rose has opened up about battling depression that was triggered by a lengthy injury lay-off and personal tragedy in his family. Rose was sidelined for more than eight and a half months last year with a knee complaint, during which time his uncle committed suicide among a series of personal incidents. The 27-year-old sought medical treatment for his condition, which he has previously kept silent about, although he insists he is in a positive place ahead of this month's World Cup. He told several national newspapers: "It's no secret that I've been through a testing time at Tottenham this season, which led to me seeing a psychologist, and I was diagnosed with depression, which nobody knows about, and I had to get away from Tottenham. "I was on medication for a few months - again, nobody knows about that apart from my agent - but I'm off the medication now, I'm good now. "Nobody knows this either, but my uncle killed ...

Mesut Ozil is struggling to be fit for the start of Germany's World Cup campaign. The German Football Federation has confirmed the Arsenal playmaker is suffering from a bruised knee sustained in the warm-up game against Austria last Saturday. Ozil opened the scoring in the 2-1 defeat before being taken off after 76 minutes. He has been training alone and missed Germany's media day on Tuesday. Ozil is also still suffering with a lingering back problem that caused him to miss four of Arsenal's matches in May. The 29-year-old is expected to miss Germany's final warm-up match with Saudi Arabia in Leverkusen on Friday and he has less than a fortnight to prove his fitness to Joachim Low ahead of Germany's Group F opener against Mexico on June 17. The defending champions then face Sweden on June 23 followed by South Korea on June 27. Germany are second-favourites to win the tournament behind Brazil. via Sky Sports

The Premier League may be in its off-season break but there will be little rest this summer for the country's leading managers. With the challenges to come in the 2018/19 season already at the forefront of their minds, they will have a busy few weeks ahead, preparing and plotting how their team can improve on the previous campaign. All this week, we will be taking a look at what the top managers will be mulling over while their players are away on holiday or at the World Cup. Next up is Unai Emery, the new Arsenal head coach. After 21 pre-seasons to prepare for at Arsenal, Arsene Wenger has passed on the baton, and now it is time for Emery to make his mark. New job, new surroundings Like any new workplace, Emery needs time to acclimatise. In the two weeks since the Spaniard was unveiled, he will have shaken hands with more people than he can remember, but as the new face of this transitionary period, he will be eager to hit the ground running. One matter which needs ...

Gareth Southgate has admitted Jordan Henderson and Eric Dier could be fighting over one place in England's World Cup side. Both midfielders have captained the side during his reign and, of Southgate's 16 games in charge, Dier has started 12 and Henderson has started nine. But Southgate's desire to play with two attacking options in central midfield - roles filled by Jesse Lingard and Dele Alli in the weekend win over Nigeria - means either Henderson or Dier may miss out on a starting berth. Dier played the anchoring role at Wembley, while Henderson is expected to start in Thursday's farewell friendly against Costa Rica at Elland Road, but decision time is looming for the Group G opener against Tunisia. "I'd be amazed if the two of them aren't important figures for us during the tournament, but there is clearly the possibility they might not both play in every match," said Southgate. "It is a key decision, but that's management, is...