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On Monday evening, Elche and Athletic Bilbao will face each other at the Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero in what will be the La Liga opener for the 2021-22 season for both teams. The only match of the competition played so far saw Valencia triumph over Getafe by 1-0 at the Mestalla on Friday, courtesy of a goal by Carlos Soler from the penalty spot.

Elche

One of those teams always happy with avoiding relegation from the Spanish top flight, Elche seem to have been very fortunate at the end of last season. They finished 17th, the last place to avoid the drop, just two points above Huesca in 18th. A repeat of that success will likely be all they re hoping for.

Elche lost a number of players on free transfers this summer. Centre-b…

Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez has yet to officially leave the north east club. However, the Spaniard will leave the Magpies on 30th June when his contract expires. The Magpies now need to find somebody to fill the big void left by the former-Liverpool boss. He will be so difficult to replace, as he is a top-class manager. Here are some of the reported candidates:

Mikel Arteta

. The Spaniard has worked under iconic City boss Pep Guardiola for the last few seasons.

Arteta is regarded as a bright young up-and-coming coach. However, his lack of experience would be a big concern, especially as Newcastle owner Mike Ashley is not interested in spending any money on strengthening the Magpies squad.

It would be a big chance for the former Arsenal midfielder. However, it w…

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini said the Premier League champions have offered James Milner all they can but the Chilean boss remains hopeful a new deal can be agreed.

Milner is out of contract at the end of the 2014-15 Premier League campaign but the 29-year-old is no closer to extending his contract with City.

The England international s reluctance to recommit to the club has alerted rivals Liverpool, Arsenal and Serie A high-flyers Roma.

However, Pellegrini is not giving up hope of retaining Milner s services.

I don t have any news about James Milner, he said.

To decide to sign a contract you need both parties to agree it. We will see what happens from now until the end of the season.

Maybe City have already offered all tha…

Mathieu Flamini has signed a new contract with AC Milan less than a week after the club announced the French midfielder would be let go.

AC Milan announced on their website on Tuesday that Flamini, who joined the Serie A club in 2008, had signed a one-year deal.

Mathieu Flamini, who has been with the Rossoneri since 2008, will remain a Milan player next season, the club s statement said.

He has accumulated 100 appearances, and has won one league title and one Italian Super Cup.

Flamini s new contract comes just six days after Milan s vice president Adriano Galliani revealed his lack of patience with the negotiation process and announced the former Arsenal midfielder would be leaving the club.

Galliani added that his club wanted to sign Albert…

Paris Saint-Germain could secure their third straight Ligue 1 title if they defeat Lorient and Monaco fail to beat Lille – but Luis Enrique is not expecting his struggling opponents to hand them any favours.

If Monaco draw or lose against Lille on Wednesday and PSG win away at 17th-placed Lorient, the Parisians would clinch their record 12th league title.

Luis Enrique s side have an 11-point lead over second-placed Monaco with five matches remaining, and a far superior goal difference having lost just one game.

It s going to be a very difficult game, Enrique told reporters on Tuesday. When you re at the bottom of the table, you don t have much to lose.

Generally, teams at the bottom of the table manage to get unexpected results at the end of the seaso…

Manuel Pellegrini is adamant that Yaya Toure is happy at Manchester City, but Inter coach Roberto Mancini continues to talk up a potential move to San Siro.

Toure s form for City has come under scrutiny this season, leading to speculation that he could be on his way out of the Etihad Stadium. 

The Ivory Coast captain said earlier this week that he is open to new challenges , but Pellegrini who has insisted Toure is still an important player at City  has not changed his stance on the subject.

Maybe a new challenge is City also, Pellegrini said.  I m sure Yaya is very happy here.

But Mancini who was in charge at City when Toure joined the club in 2010 has previously claimed that the former Barcelona midfielder wants to join him at Inter.

And t…

Manchester United begin the 2012/13 English Premier League season with a revenge mission away to Everton on Monday.

A dramatic 4-4 draw at home to Everton on April 22 was a major blow to United s title challenge, as rivals Manchester City ultimately claimed the championship on goal difference.

United have added Japanese attacking midfielder Shinji Kagawa and teenager Nick Powell from Crewe Alexandra over the close-season transfer window.

Kagawa scored the match winner in United s 4-3 friendly win over German club Hannover on August 11.

In the same match United star Wayne Rooney continued an encouraging pre-season with a two-goal performance, converting both a free kick and penalty attempt.

The game showed off a new-look attacking combination for…

Javier Mascherano has been charged with evading taxes totalling more than €1.5million, authorities in Spain have announced.

The Barcelona man is alleged to have avoided declaring the total income from image rights between 2011 and 2012 by using companies based on foreign shores.

Public prosecutors in Spain claim Argentina international Mascherano defrauded authorities of €587,822.01 in 2011 and €968,907.76 the following year.

As recorded by agency Efe, the Economic Crimes Public Prosecutor s Office said in a statement that Mascherano, with the goal of dodging that tax burden , failed to declare income from sponsors paid via a company located in the United States and another in the Portuguese island Madeira .

The island s duty-free area holds a…

A new coach, new season and increased competition for places, but Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Mitch Langerak is still hopeful of becoming the club s number one.

Thomas Tuchel will lead Dortmund in 2015-16 following the departure of club icon Jurgen Klopp and the highly rated German boss has already started to make his mark, with the signing of keeper Roman Burki from Freiburg.

Burki, Langerak and Roman Weidenfeller will compete for the keeper s jersey under Tuchel at Signal Iduna Park next season.

But Langerak is up for the challenge as he enters his prime, after the Australia international made 17 appearances in all competitions last term his best return since arriving from Melbourne Victory in 2010.

Of course, that is the plan [to cement his spot as …

Manchester United will move to sign Toni Kroos from Real Madrid this summer, according to the Mail Online.

The Red Devils are on the lookout for a new central midfielder with club captain Michael Carrick set to retire at the end of the season after more than ten years at Old Trafford.

Jose Mourinho is considering a move for the Germany international who he could pair with club record signing Paul Pogba in the middle of the park.

Kroos moved to the Bernabeu from Bayern Munich is the summer of 2014, shortly after helping his country clinch the World Cup in Brazil, a tournament in which he made more assists than any other player.

Since arriving in the Spanish capital he has racked up one hundred and seventy-six appearances in all competitions, scoring …