Allegri would welcome Higuain at Juventus

Striker also sought by Atletico and Arsenal

My piece for MARCA

Asked about the possibility of signing Gonzalo Higuain this summer, Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri made it clear that he's a big admirer of the Napoli striker.

Following the return of Alvaro Morata to Real Madrid, the Italian champions are in the market for a No. 9, and after scoring a record 36 times in Serie A last season there are few hotter properties around.

"Great players are always welcome," Allegri told reporters.

"To compete at the highest level it's always good to have real winners like him.”

Napoli have insisted that they won't sell Higuain for anything less than his €94 million release clause.

But with the 28-year-old having indicated that he won't be renewing his contract - which expires in two years time - speculation has mounted over the future of a player who is also on the radar of Atletico Madrid and Arsenal.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE AT MARCA IN ENGLISH

Alexis Sanchez: Messi is entitled to quit Argentina

Chile have beaten Argentina in successive Copa America finals

My piece for MARCA

Lionel Messi has every right to retire from international football according to his former Barcelona teammate Alexis Sanchez.

Fresh from Copa America Centenario success where his Chile side beat Messi's Argentina on penalties for a second-straight title, the winger is recuperating from a knock he picked up during the final, in his hometown of Tocopilla.

"He's entitled to [quit], it's within his rights," he said during an interview with El Mercurio.

"I'm delighted to have played alongside him.”

Sanchez has been a reported transfer target for Juventus this summer but preferred to talk about his fitness and domestic matters, saying that he supported the proposed players' strike in the Chilean league.

"They have every right to do so," Sanchez maintained.

While back home he's been busy organising a tournament for youngsters and feels happy to give something back to his people.

"They should enjoy their football and not get mixed up in other bad stuff, like alcohol," he concluded.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE AT MARCA IN ENGLISH

FIFA to uphold Madrid clubs' transfer bans

Real and Atletico's fight turns to CAS

My piece for MARCA

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is likely to be the next port of call for both Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid regarding their respective transfer bans imposed by FIFA, whose appeals committee are set to reject the duo's overtures.

Both sides appealed the initial verdict but are far from optimistic in seeing it reversed - or even downgraded to one from the current two transfer windows - given that such a move would be unprecedented from the world governing body, and are already gearing up to take their appeal to the highest court in the shape of CAS.

Once FIFA issue their verdict, the appeal to the Switzerland-Based CAS must be filed within a maximum of five days.

Should that ultimate appeal be lodged, the case could be extended by anywhere up to six months, leaving both clubs free to continue adding to their ranks during the current period and possibly the January window as well.

Handed the punishment for allegedly signing 39 youth players illegally, including the children of coach Zinedine Zidane, Los Blancos maintains their compliance with Spanish law.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE AT MARCA IN ENGLISH

Villarreal swoop for Marcos Rojo

Manchester United defender not in Mourinho's plans

As a slew of Louis Van Gaal and David Moyes recruits are earmarked for the exit door at Old Trafford, Champions League returnees Villarreal could be tempted to make a move for Marcos Rojo.

The Yellow Submarine are reported to be looking to strengthen their defensive line and given that the former Sporting Lisbon is capable of slotting in at centre-back as well as left-back, both areas the club have been looking to fill, he would appear to fit the bill.

With Eric Bailly having moved the opposite direction earlier this summer Rojo, who has been capped 49 times for Argentina and has made 53 appearances in his two seasons at the Red Devils, is apparently surplus to requirements.

However, there is a potential stumbling block to any deal being agreed, as the English side want to recoup a sizeable portion of the €20 million they forked out for the defender two summers ago.

However, with the player under contract for another three years they may be willing to contemplate a loan move to shift him off the wage bill and place him in the shop window.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE AT MARCA IN ENGLISH

James Rodriguez tempted by Premier League switch

Starring role with Man United could induce Colombian

My piece for MARCA 

Premier League offers and a subdued role in the capital are pushing James Rodriguez closer to the Real Madrid exit door.

Thoughts of a departure didn't appear to be on the Colombian's mind even a few short weeks ago, but should anyone match James' €80 million price tag it would be up to the player to decide on his future, having dropped down the Los Blancos pecking order.

Such a fee would clearly limit the number of potential destinations, except for cash-rich clubs such as Jose Mourinho's Manchester United, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, and even West Ham United, who are considering a bid. However, no club has surpassed an offer of €60m at this point.

James is understandably unsure as to whether he can force his way back in to manager Zinedine Zidane's plans and was disappointed not to see action for a single minute in the Champions League final as Madrid claimed their Undecima European title.

Having plenty of time to muse over his future, Rodriguez enters pre-season following a fine showing for his national side at the Copa America Centenario and would surely relish figuring in a team where he could feel of similar importance, something that may be hard to envisage at his current club.

But on the other hand, the attacking midfielder has come to identify himself with Real Madrid and is happily settled with life in the city; the problem remains though that he is no longer an undisputed starter.

Kicking off his own pre-season on July 26, Rodriguez is putting in solid gym time to be prepared physically for 2016/17, however it is complete mental and psychological commitment that both the coach and president desire for Real, which could be the deciding factor in allowing the Colombian to leave.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE AT MARCA IN ENGLISH

MARCA tests Cristiano Ronaldo's oxygen therapy

Winger has been using chamber to beat knee injury

My piece for MARCA

Cristiano Ronaldo may be holidaying in Ibiza, but his fitness is still paramount as he undergoes an innovative oxygen therapy technique that MARCA had to try out.

Rest and relaxation may be the order of the day after a long season, but even in the mediterranean idyll the attacker's undergoing regular sessions of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to speed up recovery in the knee injury he picked up in the Euro 2016 final.

MARCA visited a clinic in Madrid offering this treatment to find out what it's all about.

HBOT is a method of healing injuries based around elevated oxygen levels that's becoming increasingly popular with elite athletes.

All of this takes placed in a specially designed chamber containing pure oxygen delivered at an elevated atmospheric level.

Once the patient enters the chamber, the oxygen is fed through and the increased pressure becomes noticeable in the ears, with a noticeable noise increase.

When MARCA visited the Ulcemed clinic our journalist was treated to the Valsalva manoeuvre which involves forced exhalation while having the mouth and nose covered, creating a sensation akin to diving or blowing up a balloon.

Its benefits are theoretically numerous and include muscle tissue repair, enhanced collagen production, and the combatting of harmful pathogens, all of which put together leads to an acceleration in the body's natural healing processes.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE AT MARCA IN ENGLISH

Neymar case prosecutor demands fresh verdict

Original case saw no personal criminal culpability

My piece for MARCA

The verdict arrived at in the second Neymar case by Judge Jose de la Mata has been roundly criticised by prosecutor Jose Perals who feels there was criminal wrongdoing and has asked for the verdict to be revisited.

No personal criminal culpability was assigned in the verdict issued in this case, although the club took responsibility and paid a small fine.

Perals alleges fraud on behalf of the club on the basis that they left the Brazilian sports investment fund DIS, who owned part of the player's rights, out of pocket. 

He even goes so far as to say that Real Madrid topped the Catalan club's offer for the forward but that a €40 million payment to Neymar proved decisive and, as a result, the player's previous club Santos also lost out on a better price.

Perals went on to say the club 'patently' failed to abide by FIFA rules and criticised the judge's acceptance that €17.1m represented the market value for the player when Real Madrid had tabled an offer in excess of double that amount.

Criticising the opaque nature of the contracts involved in securing the deal, Perals highlighted one such detail with Santos to secure the future rights to three players and the organising of a friendly match between the two clubs.

A secret document kept by Barcelona - "intentionally hidden and casually found" - has also been suggested by the prosecutor as showing that DIS were swindled in the deal.

Judge de la Mata had previously ordered the case closed on the July 8 but it would appear that the headache is far from over as far as Barcelona are concerned.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE AT MARCA IN ENGLISH

Froome: Team car was minutes behind, I had to run

Yellow jersey retained after chaotic scenes

My piece in MARCA

controversial collision with a motorcycle, Team Sky's British rider Chris Froome remains in possession of the yellow jersey following the latest stage of this year's Tour de France.

The Brit crashed just one kilometre short of the end of the stage in Provence and looked to have lost the overall lead but was eventually reinstated at the head of the field with a 47 second advantage.

"Ventoux is full of surprises, just before the end we hit a motorcycle and another behind then broke my bike," the rider recounted.

"I knew the team car was several minutes behind me so I had to make a run for it.

"But I'm grateful for the verdict of the stewards, it was the right call."

ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE AT MARCA IN ENGLISH