Lazio fights back from 2 down to win in Serie A (AP)
Lazio pulled off a stunning second-half comeback against lowly Cesena in Serie A, recovering from two goals down to win 3-2 despite playing for nearly an hour with 10 men on Thursday. Adrian Mutu gave Cesena the lead then debutant Vincenzo Iaquinta fired home a spot kick following an incident which also saw Lazio defender Abdoulay Konko sent off.
Lazio rallies from 2-goal deficit to beat Cesena (AP)
Lazio overcame a two-goal deficit and a man disadvantage, scoring three goals in an 11-minute span of the second half to beat visiting Cesena 3-2 Thursday night in the Serie A. Cesena built a 2-0 lead when Adrian Mutu scored in the 14th minute and Vincenzo Iaquinta, making his debut for the club, converted a penalty kick in the 35th.
New York Red Bulls forward Thierry Henry will not extend loan at Arsenal (Goal.com)
Despite reports stating that Arsenal is interested in extending the French striker’s loan, the Red Bulls captain has told head coach Hans Backe that he will be back next week.
Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker blames poor form on lack of Premier League winter break (Goal.com)
The German has struggled to adapt to the pace of the top English division and feels no rest over the new year period has hampered his form
Is Major League Soccer falling behind? A look at the league’s new direction (Goal.com)
With high-profile players like Nicolas Anelka and Luca Toni rejecting MLS for other developing leagues, is the league falling behind its competition?
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger believes ‘English manager is a must’ as FA begin search to fill national team vacancy (Goal.com)
Gunners maestro sympathises with Capello by stating that he alone should have decided on international captaincy
Fabio Capello quits as England coach (AP)
Fabio Capello quit suddenly as England coach on Wednesday in a dispute over captain John Terry, throwing the national team’s preparations for the European Championship into turmoil. The Italian, whose contract was due to expire after Euro 2012, resigned during an hour-long meeting with Football Association executives at Wembley Stadium after four years in the job.
Sprightly Bayern book German Cup semi spot (Reuters)
* Bayern beat Stuttgart 2-0
Zambia to play Ivory Coast in African Cup final (AP)
Zambia reached the African Cup of Nations final for the first time since 1994, upsetting Ghana 1-0 Wednesday night to advance to the championship against tournament favorite Ivory Coast. Emmanuel Mayuka scored in the 78th minute for Zambia, tied for 71st in the FIFA rankings. Later at Libreville, Gabon, Ivory Coast defeated Mali 1-0 on a 45th-minute goal by Arsenal forward Gervinho.
Valenciennes knocks Lille out of French Cup (AP)
Valenciennes knocked defending champion Lille out of the French Cup on Wednesday, winning 2-1 in the last-16 match after goals from Mathieu Dossevi and Vincent Aboubakar. Dossevi flicked home a free kick from Dusan Djuric in the 71st minute, and Aboubakar doubled the lead seven minutes later with a powerful strike that hit the crossbar and bounced over the line.