Carlo Ancelotti has backed Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo to pip Barcelona forward Lionel Messi to the Liga top goalscorer award this campaign.

The Portugal international netted 48 times last term to scoop the Pichichi award ahead of Messi, and Ancelotti has little doubt he can repeat that feat this term, even though both men remain scoreless so far in 2015-16.

It is a bit strange that neither Ronaldo, nor Messi has scored yet this [Liga] season, Ancelotti told reporters.

But I do not have any doubts about Cristiano. I know him very well and I am willing to bet that he will win the Pichichi trophy again this season.

When I was in charge last season, he scored 61 goals in all competitions. He really was incredible.

Messi s drought so far …

Kevin-Prince Boateng says the problem of racism within football hasn t been solved at all and has backed players rights to leave the pitch if they suffer abuse.

Boateng infamously kicked a ball at Pro Patria fans in response to racist chanting before walking off and causing the 2013 mid-season friendly to be abandoned.

The issue of racism in Italy has been brought into sharp focus recently, after Sulley Muntari was shown two yellow cards by referee Daniele Minelli for confronting Cagliari fans who had allegedly abused him and then walking off the pitch in protest.

Muntari will serve a one-match ban, while Cagliari have avoided punishment, with Serie A s disciplinary committee citing the supposed low number of dissenters as key to the decision.

Speaking be…

Jurgen Klopp has called out Premier League CEO Richard Masters for allowing the creation of a super club after Newcastle United s controversial takeover, comparing it to the doomed European Super League.

The long-awaited change of ownership at Newcastle was approved by the Premier League on October 7 after it received legally binding assurances the club would not be controlled by Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia s Public Investment Fund (PIF) took an 80 per cent stake in the club, ending Mike Ashley s 14-year ownership, while Amanda Staveley s PCP Capital Partners and the Reuben brothers RB Sports Media each took on 10 per cent.

Ashley, an unpopular figure with Newcastle s fanbase, had long been trying to sell the club and looked to have secured a suitable deal, repo…

Milan have confirmed the signing of Soualiho Meite from Torino on an initial loan deal until the end of the season with the option to buy.

The 26-year-old midfielder is the Serie A leaders first signing of the January transfer window and will reportedly cost an additional €9.5million to sign permanently at the end of the campaign.

Meite makes the switch to San Siro with two and a half years of Serie A experience behind him, having arrived at Torino from Monaco in July 2018.

He made 82 league appearances for Torino, including 11 starts this season.

Milan announced the loan capture on their official website on Friday, with Meite to wear the number 18 jersey.

The former France-Under 20 international has also previously represented Auxerre, Lille a…

Newcastle United have confirmed the appointment of Joe Kinnear as their director of football on a three-year deal.

Kinnear will report to the club s board and will be in charge of all football matters, meaning that manager Alan Pardew and chief scout Graham Carr will report into him.

The 66-year-old, who spent a chunk of the 2008-09 Premier League season in charge at St James Park before suffering a heart attack, announced his appointment on Sunday but it was not confirmed by the club until Tuesday.

Kinnear angered the Newcastle faithful by insulting them in a bizarre radio interview on Monday, while he also mispronounced the names of several first-team players.

Managing director Derek Llambias, another person whose name Kinnear mispronounced, confirmed the appoi…

“We’ll do the best we can and we try to make decisions for any number of reasons but I have to pick a squad based on the players that I think can get us qualified for a European Championship and that’s why we’ve picked the players we have.”

England had previously been criticised by LGBT+ groups after they opted against wearing the ‘One Love’ armband during the World Cup in Qatar last year.

Southgate, though, reaffirmed his commitment to inclusivity, adding: “We are supportive of the LGBTQ+ community.

“A large number of the team and staff have either relatives or friends from that community.

“It is something that we are very conscious of and a situation we are very conscious of.

“We have tried to be very supportive but I also …

Razvan Rat feels re-energised after agreeing to join West Ham from Shakhtar Donetsk, where he has been for the past 10 years.

The 32-year-old defender, who is expected to captain Romania in their friendly international with Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday, will join the Hammers officially on July 1.

For me it is a challenge and new motivation, he told Shakhtar s official website. For the new team (West Ham), I will try to prove to them that I am coming from a team that played in the Champions League and that I have a high level of skill.
I also have to meet the expectations of my new club, where they are sure I will spend three years. I will demonstrate to them precisely the level I ve shown here.
Rat has lifted seven Ukrainian Premier League titles, four Ukrainian Cup…

Spain s FIFA Confederations Cup group campaign begins with what looks to be its hardest test, as they take on Uruguay in Recife on Sunday.

Preparing to embark on just their second ever run in the FIFA World Cup warm-up tournament, Vicente Del Bosque s men are primed to better their third-place finish in 2009.

And Uruguay need to make history if they are to get all three points, as they have never beaten the reigning world and European champions in their six previous meetings.

The only relevant head-to-head clash is their friendly match in February, when Pedro s brace helped Spain to a comfortable 3-1 win in Doha.

Spain have not lost for 22 games, with their last competitive defeat coming to the United States in the 2009 Confederations Cup semi-final.