SYDNEY (AFP) - Former Premier League striker Michael Bridges announced his retirement Friday to take up a position with his Australian club, Newcastle Jets. The ex-Sunderland, Newcastle and Leeds marksman and current Newcastle Jets captain, aged 32, said he was swayed by the offer of his new job as the A-League outfit's international football and business development manager. "After great cons...Full Story »

Sampdoria condemned Bari to Serie B football for next season and climbed out of the relegation zone with a 1-0 win at the San Nicola stadium. Nicola Pozzi scored the only goal from the penalty spot before the hour mark after Bari's Erik Huseklepp had brought down Andrea Poli inside the area. Samp ended the game with 10 men after Poli was sent off for dissent deep in stoppage time. The result ...Full Story »

Lecce striker Daniele Corvia has urged his team-mates to maintain their focus ahead of the trip to Genoa. The Giallorossi have collected seven points from a possible nine in their last three games to remain on course to defend their Serie A status. Luigi De Canio's side sit 16th in the table, with a three-point cushion over the drop zone with five games remaining. "We are in the crucial stage...Full Story »

Lecce salvaged a point in their Serie A survival scrap with a dramatic injury-time equaliser from Daniele Corvia securing a 3-3 draw with Cagliari. The southerners had trailed 1-0 and then 3-1 and seemed headed for a disappointing home defeat as they bid to avoid the drop to Serie B. However, Medina Fabiano pulled one back with a header three minutes from time before Corvia smashed in the equa...Full Story »

Cole has scored 11 goals in 38 appearances this season West Ham striker Carlton Cole has accepted a Football Association charge of improper conduct for remarks made on social networking site Twitter. During England's 1-1 draw with Ghana at Wembley in March Cole tweeted: "Immigration has surrounded the Wembley premises! I knew it was a trap! "Hahaha. The only way to get out safely is to wear a...Full Story »

Tony Pulis wants to make the Britannia Stadium more intimidating than ever - by signing Turkish beast Servet Cetin. Stoke boss Pulis has launched a £1.5million bid for the Galatasary giant after making a personal check at the Turk Telekom Arena on Sunday. Cetin has such a fearsome reputation in Turkey that he is known as 'Ayibogan', which translates as 'a man who could choke a bear'. P...Full Story »

Bologna took a giant step towards defending their Serie A status with a narrow 1-0 victory at Lecce. Gaston Ramirez struck the only goal of the game in the 33rd minute to hand Bologna their 11th victory this season. Lecce were unlucky not to equalise before half-time when Daniele Corvia's strike struck the post. The result has lifted Bologna to 11th in the standings, just one point away from ...Full Story »

Premier League stars have been warned not to step out of line on Twitter as the English Football Association responded to a spate on controversies involving the micro-blogging website. Liverpool's Ryan Babel became the first player to be sanctioned for comments made on Twitter last month when he was fined £10,000 for posting a mocked-up picture of referee Howard Webb wearing a Mancheste...Full Story »