With his transfer to Shanghai Shenhua, Carlos Tevez has become the biggest-earning footballer in the world, making even more than compatriot Lionel Messi and Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo.

A source close to the player told AFP that the 32-year-old former Manchester United and Manchester City striker will make around €38 million a season in China.

At the moment, Tevez banks a relatively modest two million euros a season with Boca Juniors.

According to Portugese media, Real Madrid star Ronaldo earns €23.6 million a season while Barcelona ace Messi boasts a salary of €20 million.

Ronaldo and Messi are also lagging behind Brazil’s Oscar whose switch from Chelsea to Shanghai SIPG last week guarantees him €24 million each season.

Football’s top five salaries (based on media reports):

1. Carlos Tevez (ARG/Shanghai Shenhua/CHN) €38 million a season

2. Oscar (BRA/Shanghai SIPG/CHN) €24 million

3. Cristiano Ronaldo (POR/Real Madrid/ESP) €23.6 million

4. Lionel Messi (ARG/Barcelona/ESP) €20 million

5. Hulk (BRA/Shanghai SIPG/CHN) €20 million

Source AFP

A fine finish by Roberto Firmino helped Liverpool to come roaring back from behind and beat Stoke City 4-1 as they reclaimed second place in the Premier League table on Tuesday.

Jurgen Klopp’s side were rattled for a spell after Jonathan Walters headed Stoke into an early lead at Anfield, but Adam Lallana restored parity before Brazilian striker Firmino netted with a minute of the first half remaining.

A Giannelli Imbula own goal and a first Premier League goal of the season for Daniel Sturridge in the second half put the seal on a third straight victory for the Reds, who are still unbeaten at Anfield this season.

The win allowed the Reds to move back to within six points of Premier League leaders Chelsea as they moved back above Manchester City, who they host at Anfield on New Year’s Eve. Without a win in four games, Stoke are 13th.

“A very difficult game. The result doesn’t show it but it was difficult,” said Klopp.

“A lot of things we could have done better but we forced two goals with our quality – really good, really important both of them.

“We adjusted a little bit at half-time, scored a wonderful third goal and then Daniel closed the game.”

Klopp stuck with the same team that had beaten Middlesbrough and Everton away in their last two outings as Simon Mignolet was again preferred to Loris Karius in goal.

The Belgian had kept clean sheets in each of these games but he was beaten here inside 12 minutes as Stoke stunned the home fans.

Erik Pieters was quicker onto a loose ball than either Sadio Mane or Nathaniel Clyne just outside the area and his cross from the left was met by Walters at the near post. Mignolet got a touch to his header but could not keep it out.

Stoke were the last visiting team to win at Anfield when they beat Liverpool 1-0 in the League Cup semi-final, second leg, back in January – although they eventually lost on penalties that night.

ON THE ROPES

Their boss Mark Hughes had never won away to Liverpool as a manager in the Premier League but Stoke had their hosts on the ropes for a while after going in front.

Back at Anfield for the first time since leaving Liverpool in the close season, Joe Allen engineered himself space in the box before seeing his shot saved by Mignolet as Stoke almost doubled their lead.

There were groans coming from the Kop but Firmino lifted the home fans in the crowd of over 53,000 when his shot was blocked on the line by Peter Crouch and the equaliser then arrived after 34 minutes.

Glen Johnson appeared to want to control the ball inside his own six-yard area and Lallana pounced to tuck a low shot from a tight angle between goalkeeper Lee Grant and the near post and in for his seventh goal of the season.

Boosted by that, Liverpool ended the first half on top and they went in front just prior to the interval, Firmino collecting a James Milner pass in the box, taking a touch to control and another to tee himself up before firing across Grant and in off both posts.

It was a sixth goal of the season for him and came three days after he had been arrested and charged for drink driving in the centre of Liverpool.

Mane almost made it 3-1 seconds later with a shot that slid just wide but Liverpool ran away with the game in the second half.

Their third goal arrived just before the hour mark, as Divock Origi latched onto a Jordan Henderson pass and delivered a low ball in from the left that Imbula turned into his own net under pressure from Mane.

Sturridge had been on the field a matter of seconds in place of Origi when he broke his duck for the season.

Pouncing on a careless blind back-pass by Ryan Shawcross, the England striker’s first touch took him round Grant before he rolled the ball in to complete the victory.

Source AFP

Pedro Rodriguez scored twice as red-hot Premier League leaders Chelsea crushed Bournemouth 3-0 on Monday (Dec 26) to register a club-record 12th consecutive league victory.

Pedro struck either side of Eden Hazard’s 50th English league goal at Stamford Bridge to give Antonio Conte’s side a provisional seven-point lead at the summit following the Boxing Day action.

“To win 12 games in a row is not easy in this league,” Chelsea manager Conte told the BBC. “It’s a fantastic run, but it’s important to continue that now. In four days we have another tough game (against Stoke City) and we have to prepare very well. Because now, every team wants to beat you.”

With Liverpool not in action until Tuesday, when they host Stoke, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City stole past them into second place by winning 3-0 at bottom club Hull City.

Olivier Giroud prevented Arsenal losing more ground, his 86th-minute header snatching a 1-0 win over West Bromwich Albion to keep Arsene Wenger’s side in fourth place, nine points off the pace.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored one goal and set up two more as Manchester United drew level with fifth-place Tottenham Hotspur by beating Sunderland 3-1, while champions Leicester City lost again.

Chelsea’s victory, which came in the absence of suspended duo Diego Costa and N’Golo Kante, left them one win short of Arsenal’s 2002 record of 13 successive victories within the same top-flight season.

Pedro broke the deadlock in the 24th minute, curling a left-foot shot into the top corner from the edge of the box.

Hazard made it 2-0 four minutes into the second half, rolling a penalty into the bottom-right corner after he had drawn a foul from Simon Francis, with Pedro adding a deflected shot in stoppage time.

City lost the recalled John Stones to an early injury and were made to sweat before three second-half goals secured victory at Hull.

Yaya Toure scored a 72nd-minute penalty after Andrew Robertson fouled Raheem Sterling, with a Kelechi Iheanacho tap-in and a Curtis Davies own goal completing the win.

“There is always pressure for us because the top of the league is tough and the other teams at the top had won today,” said Guardiola. “Every game we play is like a final.”

Beaten 2-1 by Everton and then City on their two previous outings, Arsenal narrowly avoided going three league games without winning for the first time since January 2012.

Alexis Sanchez’s shot against the post looked to be the closest Arsenal would come until Giroud marked his return to the starting XI by looping a header over Ben Foster with four minutes to play.

OPENING DRAW FOR ALLARDYCE

“In the end we had to be patient against a well-organised West Brom side. When you don’t score early, you can’t rush,” said Wenger. “We knew we had to win today after two disappointing defeats.”

Manchester United sank Sunderland to record a fourth successive league win for the first time under manager Jose Mourinho.

Ibrahimovic teed up Daley Blind to open the scoring in the 39th minute before Paul Pogba freed him to run through and score his 17th goal of the season.

Ibrahimovic turned provider again late on, crossing for Henrikh Mkhitaryan to seal victory with a stunning ‘scorpion kick’ volley that was allowed to stand despite a suspicion of offside.

United are now level on points with Tottenham, who visit Southampton on Wednesday.

Fabio Borini replied for the visitors, but it was a return to forget for Sunderland manager David Moyes, sacked by United in April 2004.

“I didn’t like the first-half performance. I like the result,” said Mourinho. “The players know the principles of how we play and they are comfortable, but we need to improve.”

Sam Allardyce was denied victory in his first game as Crystal Palace manager after Troy Deeney’s 100th Watford goal earned his side a 1-1 draw at Vicarage Road.

Ex-England manager Allardyce saw Yohan Cabaye put Palace ahead, but Christian Benteke had a penalty saved by Watford goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes before Deeney equalised from the spot in the 71st minute.

Champions Leicester’s woes continued as they were condemned to a ninth defeat of the campaign as Everton claimed a 2-0 win.

Kevin Mirallas and Romelu Lukaku scored to leave Leicester three points above the relegation zone in 16th place.

West Ham United eased their relegation fears by winning 4-1 at second-bottom Swansea City, while Andre Gray’s late effort gave Burnley a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough.

English Premier League results:

Arsenal 1 West Brom 0
Burnley 1 Middlesbrough 0
Chelsea 3 Bournemouth 0
Hull 0 Manchester City 3
Leicester 0 Everton 2
Manchester United 3 Sunderland 1
Swansea 1 West Ham 4
Watford 1 Crystal Palace 1

Source AFP

Liverpool star Roberto Firmino has been charged with drink driving after being arrested in the early hours of Christmas Eve.

Firmino was stopped by police while driving in Liverpool city centre on Dec 24 and was later charged with the offence.

“Merseyside Police has charged a 25-year-old man with drink driving after his car was stopped in Liverpool city centre in the early hours of Saturday, Dec 24 2016,” a Merseyside Police spokesperson told the Guardian on Monday.

“Roberto Firmino, from Liverpool, will appear at Liverpool City Magistrates Court on Jan 31.”

Brazil forward Firmino, 25, is currently preparing for Liverpool’s Premier League clash against Stoke at Anfield on Tuesday. His court date could prove a problem however as it is scheduled for the same day that Liverpool play title rivals Chelsea at Anfield.

Firmino is a key member of Jurgen Klopp’s side and has scored 17 goals, including six this season, in 67 appearances since joining Liverpool from Hoffenheim in July 2015.

Source AFP

Ailing Premier League champions Leicester City suffered a blow on Tuesday (Dec 20) as England striker Jamie Vardy received a three-match ban from the Football Association for his sending off against Stoke City.

The 29-year-old, who had returned to form with a hat-trick against Manchester City in the previous game, will miss matches against Everton, West Ham and Middlesbrough.

The FA rejected the club’s claim of wrongful dismissal, which hinged upon Vardy being off-balance as he was harried by Glen Johnson when he challenged Stoke midfielder Mame Diouf just before the half-hour mark.

Referee Craig Pawson did not hesitate in showing him a red card for the two-footed challenge.

“Jamie Vardy will serve a three-match suspension with immediate effect after his wrongful dismissal claim was rejected, following an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing,” read the FA statement.

“The Leicester City striker was sent off for serious foul play during the game at Stoke City on Saturday 17 December 2016.”

Vardy’s suspension means Leicester will be without three key players for the game with Everton next Monday.

Defenders Christian Fuchs and Robert Huth will be absent as they serve a one-match suspension for picking up their fifth bookings of the campaign in Saturday’s ill-tempered Stoke match.

They were two of five Leicester players to be booked by Pawson in the final seven minutes of the first half – leading to angry scenes at the break – in a match which saw them come from 2-0 down to secure a 2-2 draw.

Ironically, Pawson had been criticised for not sending off Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo for a similar two-footed challenge in their Premier League clash with Crystal Palace only a few days prior to the Vardy incident.

Leicester currently sit a lowly 15th in the table, just three points clear of the relegation places.

Source AFP

Robert Lewandowski converted a first-half penalty as Bayern Munich romped to a 3-0 win in Wednesday’s (Dec 21) Bundesliga showdown against 10-man RB Leipzig and opened up a decisive three point lead over their rivals.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti hailed a “perfect” first half in which Bayern’s Thiago Alcantara and Xabi Alonso scored early goals before Leipzig winger Emil Forsberg was shown a red card for a dangerous tackle. That left the visitors to play an hour at Munich’s Allianz Arena a man down.

Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi then conceded the penalty which Lewandowski converted on 45 minutes to put Bayern 3-0 up at the break.

The result left Munich three points clear of second-placed Leipzig at the top of the German league table heading into the winter break.

Leipzig briefly knocked Bayern off top spot early this month and the two have been in a neck-and-neck battle since.

Ancelotti highlighted his side’s first half display. “We were very aggressive and quickly established control, which gives us self-confidence, but we must still improve,” said the Italian.

There was a minute’s silence for the victims of Monday’s truck attack in Berlin at grounds in Munich, Cologne, Ingolstadt and Hoffenheim, but it was most poignant at the capital’s Olympic stadium.

Hertha Berlin hosted Darmstadt seven kilometres from Breitscheidplatz where a lorry ploughed into a busy Christmas market on Monday, leaving 12 dead and at least 48 injured.

Fans in Berlin held up thousands of lights during a poignant minute’s silence before kick off and the Hertha squad had earlier laid a wreath at the site.

A second-half free-kick by Marvin Plattenhardt and a Salomon Kalou header sealed Hertha’s 2-0 win to stay fourth.

In Munich, Bayern coach Carlo Ancelotti pulled a surprise before kick-off by starting with Germany forward Thomas Mueller and French winger Franck Ribery on the bench.

Thiago Alcantara and Douglas Costa started and the selection paid off with 17 minutes gone.

Captain Philipp Lahm fired in a cross, Lewandowski hit the post, but Thiago was waiting in the middle to convert the rebound.

A mistake by Leipzig’s Naby Keita, who had recovered from a thigh injury, saw Bayern grab their second on 25 minutes.

Arturo Vidal robbed the Guinea midfielder of possession, Lewandowski sprinted clear and Thiago slipped the ball to Xabi Alonso who fired home.

A header by Leipzig captain Willi Orban forced Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer into a diving save just before disaster struck for the visitors on 30 minutes.

Left winger Forsberg was sent off when his tackle caught Philipp Lahm on the Achilles tendon and referee Felix Zwayer pulled out a red card.

Gulacsi then conceded the penalty as it finished 3-0 at the break.

Bayern were then to let their opponent chase the ball as they enjoyed 75 per cent possession, but the hosts battered the Leipzig goal in the closing minutes.

“I am proud of what the team has achieved this season, but this was a lesson for us and compliment to Bayern on the way they played,” added Hasenhuettl.

Hoffenheim, the only unbeaten team in Germany’s top flight, stay third after their tenth draw in 16 games as it finished 1-1 at home to Werder Bremen.

Hoffenheim’s striker Sandro Wagner claimed his ninth league goal this season before Bremen’s ex-Arsenal winger Serge Gnabry rescued a point.

Cologne striker Anthony Modeste gave his side a first-half lead before Bayer Leverkusen’s Brazil defender Wendell equalised in a 1-1 draw.

Ingolstadt remain second from bottom after their 2-1 home defeat to mid-table Freiburg, for whom Florian Niederlechner netted twice.

German Bundesliga results:

Bayern Munich 3 RB Leipzig 0
Hertha Berlin 2 Darmstadt 0
Cologne 1 Bayer Leverkusen 1
Ingolstadt 1 Freiburg 2
Hoffenheim 1 Werder Bremen 1

Source AFP