Hull City manager Steve Bruce insists he has no problems with the club’s controversial proposed name change.

It was announced earlier this month that Assem and Ehab Allam, the club’s owners, are planning a rebrand that will see Association Football Club dropped from their moniker in favour of being known instead as Hull City Tigers locally and Hull Tigers in the national and international market.

Fans have reacted angrily to the decision, which prompted ridicule from rival supporters.

Bruce, though, feels the Allam family has the right to do as they please after transforming the club’s fortunes since taking charge in 2010.

I think the PR could have handled it a bit better, I m a traditionalist, but the money our guy has put into Hull City, if he wants us to…

Inter coach Walter Mazzarri has declared his team can challenge anyone as they prepare for the toughest away trip in Serie A.

League leaders Juventus will host Inter on Sunday with the home side unbeaten in their own stadium in 19 league matches.

Since Juventus Stadium was opened before the 2011-12 season, the owners have lost just two league games with Inter claiming the first away win there in 2012, while Sampdoria have also emerged victorious.

Inter will enter Sunday s game in fifth spot, 23 points behind Juventus, who are on track for their third straight Scudetto.

But Mazzarri remains bullish about Inter s chances.

Is the 23-point gap between the sides accurate? That s not for me to say. Are we the underdogs? I don t worry about that either, Mazzarri s…

Marcos Alonso scored the decisive goal nine minutes from time as Chelsea shrugged off Arsenal s fightback to secure a 3-2 win at Stamford Bridge.

The full-back swept home Eden Hazard s cross to make it two wins from two under Maurizio Sarri and keep the Gunners waiting for their first Premier League point under Unai Emery.

It was a particularly galling end to the game for the visitors, who had dragged themselves level before the break thanks to Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Alex Iwobi, after Pedro and Alvaro Morata had put Chelsea two goals to the good. 

Manchester City went ahead against the Gunners after 14 minutes last week, and Chelsea needed just nine to find the net, with Pedro finishing coolly from 12 yards after being teed up by Alonso.
 
It was 2-0 after 2…

Mircea Lucescu believes Douglas Costa has the potential to reach the level of Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery and is the future of Bayern Munich.

Costa joined Bayern from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2015 and quickly became an important first-team player at the Allianz Arena.

The Brazilian has struggled to build on that form this campaign and has been linked with an exit, but Lucescu is confident his former pupil will succeed at Bayern.

Douglas possesses a fantastic shot and is very dangerous from free-kicks. He has a lot of pace and knows how to create space with an individual action. He has all the qualities you need. He is the future of Bayern, the ex-Shakhtar boss told Bild.

I think he has what it takes to succeed Robben and Ribery. I have no doubt whatsoever…

Bayern Munich slumped to a 3-2 defeat at Bochum to remain eight points behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen.

Thomas Tuchel’s side – who were beaten 1-0 at Lazio in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie on Wednesday night – had taken the lead in the 15th minute through winger Jamal Musiala.

After Harry Kane blasted over when sent clear in the penalty area, the match was halted in the 22nd minute as tennis balls were thrown onto the pitch in another protest by supporters against a controversial plan to sell a stake in Bundesliga media rights.

REMEMBER THE DAY. SUNDAY 18TH FEBRUARY 2024.

WAS FÜR EIN TOLLER ABEND ANNE CASTROPER!!!!!!

3-2

— VfL Bochum 1848 (@VfLBochum1848EN)

Once the game resumed, Bochum equalised…

Best Odds: 1/1

Bookmaker:

Looking to finish off the job and punch their Europa League knockout stage ticket on Thursday evening, Benfica will travel over to France when they meet Toulouse.

Toulouse

Starting with the hosts, eventually falling to a first-leg 2-1 loss when they travelled to Lisbon last week, Toulouse have a real uphill battle on their hands here. However, springing what was a real domestic upset over the weekend as they snatched a 2-1 victory away at French giants Monaco, Les Violets will be desperate to use that display as a platform to build on. Nevertheless, mustering just a pair of wins from any of their previous six appearances across all competitions, Carles Martinez Novell’s men still find themselves at the heart of a Ligue 1 relegation s…

Russian daily newspaper that CSKA Moscow are keeping close tabs on Chelsea defender Tomas Kalas.

The Russian giants have identified the talented defender as a good long-term replacement for veteran stopper Sergei Ignashevich.

And they are hoping to lure the Czech player to Moscow at the end of the current season, so that he would have an opportunity to adapt to the new surroundings before Ignashevich ends his playing career.

Kalas, 20, was plucked from Sigma Olomuc in January 2011 and he has since enjoyed two very successful loan spells with Chelsea feeder club Vitesse.

The 20-year-old was again expected to be loaned out in the summer, but Jose Mourinho opted to keep him at Stamford Bridge instead.

However, he has since made just one substitute …

Wales will be looking to record just their second victory in eight matches when they welcome Finland to Cardiff on Saturday.

Despite Wales (44th) sitting 19 places ahead of their opponents in the FIFA world rankings, the head-to-head record between the sides points towards this being a tight encounter.

Of the 11 matches to have taken place in history, the nations have four victories apiece with the remainder ending all square.

But Finland have had the upper hand in recent years, and won both of the nations last encounters in qualification for the 2010 World Cup. Wales last victory, meanwhile, came in Helsinki in 2002.

Chris Coleman s men picked up an impressive 1-1 away draw with Belgium in their last game the final fixture of their failed qualification campaig…

has picked up on a rumour from Italy claiming that Sporting CP have made initial contact with Palermo defender Andrea Rispoli over a possible summer transfer.

The 28-year-old defender who can operate in the midfield as well has made 25 Serie A appearances for Palermo this season, managing 3 goals and 2 assists along the way.

The Italian international has been linked with a summer move to Genoa, but the Portuguese giants have decided to step in the race and made concrete moves in attempts to secure Rispoli’s signature.

Andrea Rispoli is reportedly eyed by Benfica as well, but Sporting CP are confident they will be able to beat their bitter rivals to the Italian defender.

Rispoli is an experienced right-back who has played for no less than eight differe…

Eden Hazard has warned Chelsea s title rivals that they have the experience needed to stay top of the Premier League until the end of the season.

Antonio Conte s side are 10 points clear of second-place Tottenham thanks to their 3-1 win over Swansea City at the weekend their 20th victory in 26 league matches.

Manchester City can close the gap to eight points if they win their game in hand and Conte has already claimed that another 29 points are needed for Chelsea to guarantee a second title in three seasons.

But Hazard, whose inspiring form helped them to triumph in 2014-15, does not believe his side will stumble in the closing weeks of the campaign.

We are professional. We won the league two years ago so we know what to do, the winger said.

We …