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Ronaldo to plead guilty to tax fraud in Madrid court

Associated PressJan 21, 2019, 10:25 AM EST
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MADRID (AP) Cristiano Ronaldo will make an unwanted trip back to Madrid on Tuesday and is expected to plead guilty to tax fraud.

Ronaldo will be in the Spanish capital on tax charges related to his time at Real Madrid.

The Juventus forward will appear before a judge and receive a suspended two-year sentence as part of a deal struck with Spain’s state prosecutor and tax authorities last year. The agreement will cost him nearly $21.6 million in fines.

In Spain, a judge can suspend sentences for two years or less for first-time offenders.

In 2017, a state prosecutor accused Ronaldo of four counts of tax fraud from 2011-14 worth $16.7 million. Ronaldo was accused of having used shell companies outside Spain to hide income made from image rights.

After being questioned for nearly 90 minutes in a Madrid court at the time, the Portuguese player told a judge he never tried to avoid taxes.

The accusations didn’t involve his salary from Real Madrid, his club from 2009 until joining Italian champion Juventus last year.

Ronaldo’s presence in court on Tuesday is not expected to last long. Officials said he declined an option to address the court via video conference.

Separately, Ronaldo is facing a rape allegation in the United States.

Kathryn Mayorga filed a civil lawsuit in Nevada in September claiming Ronaldo raped her in his Las Vegas hotel room in 2009. Police reopened an investigation into the allegation at her request. Ronaldo has denied any wrongdoing.

Ashley Cole signs with Lampard’s Derby County

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By Andy EdwardsJan 21, 2019, 12:22 PM EST
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Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole won eight major trophies together as players, now they’re teaming up once more — only this time, left back Cole will be playing for manager Lampard.

[ MORE: Arsenal’s head of recruitment leaving club after one year ]

Derby County announced on Monday that the 38-year-old Cole has signed a six-month contract to aid the Championship side’s push for Premier League promotion. The Rams currently sit sixth in England’s second division, holding onto the fourth and final playoff place by a slim two-point margin.

Cole has been without a club since the 2018 MLS season ended and LA Galaxy declined his option for 2019.

Lampard, predictably, is quite pleased he’ll be working with his former teammate and longtime friend in an all new capacity:

“I’m delighted that we’ve been able to secure Ashley’s services for the rest of the season.

“He’s a fantastic player, a quality left back, and he also brings great experience to the dressing room.

“Ashley is in good shape, which doesn’t surprise me because he’s an excellent professional, and he will compete for a place in the side like every other player here.

“I’ve made my feelings known over the last couple of days just how highly I think of Ashley and I have no doubt whatsoever he will be a positive addition to our squad.”

Huddersfield appoint BVB II’s Jan Siewert as new head coach

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By Andy EdwardsJan 21, 2019, 11:31 AM EST
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The trend of German coaches landing some of the biggest managerial gigs in the world shows no signs of letting up anytime soon, as Huddersfield Town announced on Monday that Borussia Dortmund reserves boss Jan Siewert has been appointed first-team head coach.

[ MORE: Arsenal’s head of recruitment leaving club after one year ]

Siewert, who’s 36, replaces David Wagner, another graduate of the Dortmund II post when he was appointed at the age of 44 in November 2015 when Huddersfield were in the Championship. Siewert has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract which runs through the 2020-21 season.

A defensive midfielder during his playing career for lower-division German sides TuS Mayen, SG Bad Breisig and TuS Montabaur, Siewert began coaching with the German under-17 and under-18 national teams and quickly ascended to prominence when he moved to Dortmund, one of the world’s best production lines for young talent.

[ MORE: Cristiano Ronaldo to plead guilty to tax fraud in Madrid court ]

Siewert’s maiden first-team voyage will be a tricky one, as he’ll now be asked to rescue Huddersfield from last place in the Premier League table, 10 points adrift of safety with 15 games left to play this season. If he’s unable to do so, the club will almost certainly lean heavily upon him to rebuild before giving promotion and PL survival another go immediately thereafter.

Huddersfield chairman Dean Hoyle explained the process by which the Terriers came to hire their new boss (MORE QUOTES):

“Let me start by addressing the obvious: ee enjoyed tremendous success under our previous head coach, David Wagner, and we’ve subsequently appointed a new head coach that bears many similarities to him — a young, aspirational German from Borussia Dortmund II.

“However, that does a disservice to Jan, who is his own man. There is much more to this appointment than that.”

…

“Given David’s success at Huddersfield Town, we knew that it was prudent to look to the future in case an offer came in that he couldn’t refuse. David was fully aware that we were undertaking this work. You must prepare for the future.

“Jan’s name came to our attention in his previous role as assistant manager and under-19 coach at VfL Bochum. We first spoke with him over two years ago and we’ve kept in communication since, watching his progress with interest.

“His reputation in the game is very good. He’s known as a coach who is ambitious, has many qualities and who has strong philosophies. As such, it came as no surprise to us when he moved to one of the world’s biggest clubs, Borussia Dortmund.”

Arsenal’s head of recruitment leaving club after one year

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By Andy EdwardsJan 21, 2019, 10:52 AM EST
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Sven Mislintat was appointed 14 months ago as Arsenal’s head of recruitment, a key component to the club’s plan heading into the post-Arsene Wenger era.

[ MORE: LAFC’s Carlos Vela leaves door open for Barcelona move ]

Fast-forward the second half of last season and the first half of the current season, and the former Borussia Dortmund mastermind is set to leave the club on Feb. 8, Arsenal announced on Monday.

Mislintat arrived at Arsenal when then-chief executive Ivan Gazidis was still calling the shots. Gazidis has himself since departed the club, for AC Milan in September, which has reportedly created some difference in opinions between those left behind.

[ MORE: Cristiano Ronaldo to plead guilty to tax fraud in Madrid court ]

Despite only spending roughly 14 months in the job, Mislintat will have done a great deal of work in re-shaping what was — but arguably still is — an aging squad requiring a full facelift before returning to the Gunners’ days of competing for — let alone winning — Premier League titles.

A full list of first-team players to come to Arsenal during Mislintat’s tenure reads as follows: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ($72 million), Henrikh Mkhitaryan (swap deal with Alexis Sanchez), Sokratis Papastathopoulos ($23 million), Lucas Torreira ($33 million), Bernd Leno ($24 million), Stephan Lichtsteiner (free) and Matteo Guendouzi ($9 million).

Vela leaves door open for Barcelona move

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By Kyle BonnJan 20, 2019, 9:00 PM EST
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LAFC striker Carlos Vela has been the surprise subject of new rumors of a January move to Barcelona, and when asked about the prospect of such a departure from the United States, the 29-year-old wasn’t about to rule out the La Liga giants.

ESPN Deportes first reported the move, and while they say such a deal is “unlikely,” it’s not a complete uncertainty. They did report, however, that Barcelona has yet to make a permanent bid and that a loan deal has not yet been floated.

When ESPN contacted Vela for comment on the subject, he shed responsibility, suggesting he’s not even in control of his immediate future. “They are issues for the clubs and agents,” Vela said to ESPN. “I’m relaxed, working on the preseason and the most important thing is to be happy in the place you are. In the future we’ll see what happens.”

While Vela said he is “happy” at LAFC, he also made it sound like the wheels are in motion to explore his options. “Whatever I may decide or happens I’ll be happy because I’m loving being in Los Angeles with my team enjoying the day-to-day and I don’t have anything to lose in any case.”

Vela came up as a youth player in the Chivas Guadalajara setup, and moved to Arsenal in 2006. He made 64 appearances for the Gunners but spent a significant time out on loan at clubs like West Brom and Osasuna. He made a permanent switch to Real Sociedad in 2012 and spent six seasons there before joining LAFC in the club’s inaugural season in Major League Soccer. He scored 14 goals in 28 MLS appearances, which has apparently caught the eye of Barcelona.

Vela’s session at MLS Media Day was cancelled Sunday after he failed to show.