Man City sign Spain's Nolito

Spain forward Nolito has joined Manchester City from Celta Vigo on a four-year contract, the Premier League side said on Friday.

The 29-year-old, who played all four games in Spain's Euro 2016 campaign, scored 39 goals in 103 appearances for Celta Vigo since joining the Spanish club in 2013, before spells at Granada, Benfica and Barcelona.

New manager Pep Guardiola has already signed Australia midfielder Aaron Mooy from sister club Melbourne City and Ilkay Gundogan from Borussia Dortmund.

"I'll do everything that the manager asks of me, try my absolute best and do everything I can to try to repeat the form I've shown throughout my career at various clubs," Nolito told the club's website (www.mancity.com).

"It's just about trying to play my normal game and let's hope that I can help Manchester City to win games.
"I think that Pep Guardiola is one of the best managers in the world. He knows a lot about the game and he's going to help me progress as a player and I'm sure he'll get the best out of me."

‘Neymar to sign five-year Barca deal’

Brazilian striker Neymar will sign a new five-year contract with Barcelona this week, his agents said on Thursday, ending speculation over his future at the Spanish champions.
 
"The athlete, along with his family, has decided to stay with FC Barcelona and will renew his contract for five more years," said NN Consultoria, the agency representing the international forward, 24.
"The contract will be formalised this week. The decision puts an end to speculation about the star's future."

Neymar wrote on Twitter: "I am very happy to continue living this dream. Long live Barca and long live Catalonia!"

The Catalan club's president Josep Maria Bartomeu had earlier rejected rumours over Neymar's possible transfer to another club, with Manchester United among the teams supposedly chasing him.
The prolific Neymar was already under contract until 2018 with Barcelona, having transferred in 2013 from Brazil's Santos. That transfer deal has haunted the club because of alleged hidden payments that have sparked legal action.

Speculation had mounted around whether or not Neymar would extend his stay at the Camp Nou or make another lucrative move.
Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, United and Manchester City had been named as possible suitors.
"I read that there are many clubs interested in Neymar. It's normal they are, but Neymar has never said he wants to leave Barca, just the opposite," Bartomeu said.

"Neymar wants to continue at Barca and Barca wants Neymar to continue with us."

NEYMAR TRANSFER WOES
Neymar has been a huge success for Barca on the pitch but a judicial nightmare off it.
He helped them win the Spanish league last season for the second year in a row, narrowly beating their fierce rivals Real Madrid.

But he has been investigated in Brazil and Spain over his transfer from Santos.
Barcelona agreed on June 13 to pay a 5.5-million-euro ($6.2 million) fine over the transfer in a deal with prosecutors that sees the club avoid trial on tax evasion charges.

"It was better to accept this agreement than continue on with the uncertainty that has dragged on for a long time over the Neymar case," Bartomeu told reporters at the time.

Neymar was named on Wednesday as the star of a young Brazil Olympic football squad for next month's Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Brazil are looking to bounce back from a humiliating group stage exit from the Copa America Centenario this month.

They are also hoping Olympic gold will help soothe the trauma of their devastating 7-1 semifinal loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup on home soil.

"Neymar is different. He is one of the best players in the world. Any national team would want to have a player of his profile," the Olympic squad's coach Rogerio Micale told a news conference.
"He will mean a lot for the team. I hope he will be able to help the younger players."

Man beats sister-in-law to pulp because she didn't give his brother a child

Ojeriahi Victor, 30, yesterday, appeared before an Ogudu Magistrate’s Court in Lagos State for allegedly beating his elder brother’s wife to a pulp because she was barren. It was alleged that the accused told their neighbours that he beat up his sister-in-law because she had refused to give his elder brother a child after five years of marriage.

Ojeriahi, a businessman who lives on Ibefun Street, Alapere, is facing a one-count charge of assault occasioning harm.

The prosecutor, Mr. Lucky Ihiehie, told the court that the accused committed the offence on June 14 at the complainant’s residence.
Ihiehie said that the incident happened shortly after the complainant, a trader, came back from the market that night.

Ihiehie said: “She looked for the key where her husband normally kept it for her, but did not find it. As she waited outside for her husband to come back, her brother-in-law came into the compound.
“He walked to where she was standing and pushed her. She fell.”

The prosecutor, a sergeant, said that the accused took the torchlight the complainant was holding and started hitting her face.

“The accused beat her to a pulp until neighbours came to her rescue,” he added.

Ihiehie said that as soon as the complainant’s husband came back and saw what his younger brother had done, he confronted him and was about to beat him up when neighbours stopped him.
He said that the accused narrated to the neighbours that he beat up his sister in-law because she had refused to give his elder brother a child after five years of marriage.

The accused, who pleaded not guilty to the offence, alleged that the complainant refused to let him into the house when he came back from work.
The magistrate, Mrs O. S. Amzat, granted bail to the accused in the sum of N10,000 with two reliable sureties and adjourned the matter till July 17.

Ronaldo out to avoid exit

Portugal will be relying on a drastic turnaround for superstar captain Cristiano Ronaldo to avoid an embarrassing early Euro 2016 exit against surprise package Hungary on Wednesday.
Belgium, the Republic of Ireland and Sweden, meanwhile, are still in contention to join Group E winners Italy in the last 16.

Ronaldo missed a penalty and other chances as Portugal were held 0-0 by Austria to leave Fernando Santos's men third in Group F with just two points from two games.
However, victory will guarantee Portugal top spot in the group and avoid a much tougher side of the draw containing hosts France, world champions Germany and England.

"Ronaldo is a player who scores a lot of goals and I’m sure he will score in the next game against Hungary," said Santos.
The former Porto, Benfica and Sporting Lisbon boss insists he does not care how Portugal win as long as they pick up three points.
"We’re sad but we have things in our own hands.
"It doesn’t matter if we play better or ugly football."
Ronaldo has another chance to become the first player to score in four different European championships.

Forty-year-old goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly stands in his way, though, for a Hungary side assured of their place in the knockout stages after a 30-year wait to qualify for a major tournament.
Hungary shocked neighbours Austria 2-0 in their opening game before a late own goal handed them a 1-1 draw with Iceland.

"Who would have thought that we'd be top of the group with four points and that Portugal would need to win to qualify?" said Hungary boss Bernd Storck.
"We have nothing to lose, Portugal have to win."

All is to play for in the other game in Group F with a win also good enough to take either Austria or Iceland, on their debut in a major finals, through to the knockout stage.
PATIENT IRELAND
With four points enough to ensure at least one of four best third-placed finishes, Ireland need to beat Italy to seal their last 16 place in Lille.
Martin O'Neill's men were swept aside 3-0 by Belgium after a promising opening performance in a 1-1 draw with Sweden.

Former Celtic manager O'Neill does not want his side to go chasing the game too early and be caught on the counter-attack as they were ruthlessly for Belgium's first and third goals.
"It's a fairly lengthy evening. We know at the end of it we have to be in front and it's a case of being very, very strong to begin with," O'Neill said Tuesday.

With a maximum six points from two games, Italy are guaranteed to progress as group winners and coach Antonio Conte is expected to make up to nine changes to his starting line-up to keep legs fresh and protect those players who are one yellow card away from a ban.

Sweden captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic can also become the first man to score in four Euros if Ronaldo fails to find the net in what could be his last international appearance.

Ibrahimovic announced on Tuesday that he will retire from international duty at the end of the Euros. Sweden must beat Belgium in Nice to make the last 16.

"The last game with Sweden in the Euro will be my last game with Sweden. So I hope it won't be tomorrow," said the 34-year-old.

Barca expect Neymar to stay

Barcelona are not contemplating selling their Brazil forward Neymar, the Spanish champions' financial vice-president Susana Monje said on Wednesday.

Neymar, who has been in talks over a contract extension with his current deal expiring in June 2018, has been linked in Spanish media with a move to Paris Saint Germain.

"Neymar's renewal is a sporting issue," Monje told a news conference in which she spoke about the club's importance to the city of Barcelona.

"We have not studied the impact of hypothetically losing Neymar. We don't contemplate it."
El Mundo Deportivo reported on Wednesday that French champions PSG have offered to double Neymar's salary to 30 million euros ($33.86 million) net per season.

Neymar has just completed his third year at Barca since joining from Santos. He scored 31 goals in 48 appearances last season to help the club win La Liga and the King's Cup.

The 24-year-old Brazil captain did not play at the Copa America in order to rest at Barcelona's request.

However, Neymar will compete at the Rio Olympics, which starts in August, as one of the three over-age players allowed in Brazil's under-23 squad.

New Fifa No 2 Samoura starts work

Fifa's new general secretary Fatma Samoura has officially started work, becoming the first woman and non-European to hold the powerful post at the scandal-tainted organisation.
Samoura was named to the job in May, in a surprise move by Fifa president Gianni Infantino, who has sought to repair the reputation of world football's governing body since over taking over from the disgraced Sepp Blatter.

A 54-year-old Senegalese national, Samoura worked at the United Nations for more than two decades, serving primarily in Africa.

In an interview conducted by Fifa, Samoura said her top priority was filling senior positions including the chief financial officer and chief compliance officer.
Her two predecessors as general secretary, Jerome Valcke and Markus Kattner, were both sacked over corruption allegations.

Valcke is the target of a criminal investigation in Switzerland, along with Blatter.
Following the string of high-profile corruption scandals over the last year, which have seen many of the most powerful names in football management brought down, Samoura said boosting morale at Fifa was also crucial.

"My second priority is to try as much possible to focus on the staff, who have been going through extreme stress over the last 12 months because of the corruption scandals," she said in the Fifa interview after her official first day at her post on Monday.
She also stressed the implementation of major reform package at Fifa, which was designed to clean up the graft that plagued the Blatter era.

The general secretary was given added authority under those reforms to function more like a CEO.
Speaking broadly about her job, Samoura said: "I want to inject diversity, more equity, a better governance structure, a stronger monitoring and evaluation system and an obligation to inform and report on the good deeds of Fifa."

EU referendum: Queen asks guests to give her three reasons why Britain should remain in Europe

The Queen has been canvassing opinion on the EU debate by asking dinner companions: "Give me three good reasons why Britain should be part of Europe."

Her Majesty's biographer, Robert Lacey, reported the Queen's comments and suggested they may mean the Queen favours withdrawal from the European Union.

Buckingham Palace would neither confirm nor deny that the Queen had been debating the merits of Brexit in private, but royal sources pointed out that the words attributed to the Queen were "a question not a statement".

However the leading nature of the alleged question adds weight to previous claims that the Queen would like Britain to pull out of the EU.

Last month the press regulator found that the Sun newspaper had been guilty of "significantly misleading" its readers when it printed the headline "Queen backs Brexit" above a story about the Queen complaining about Brussels to Nick Clegg.