Drogba retires from international football

Cote d'Ivoire icon Didier Drogba has
announced his retirement from
international football at the age of 36.

The Chelsea striker represented the
Elephants at this summer's World Cup in Brazil but has now decided to focus on his club career after scoring 65 times in 104 appearances for his country.

"It is with much sadness that I have
decided to retire from international
football," Drogba wrote in a statement released on Friday.

"These past 12 years in the national team have been full of emotions. From my first call-up to my last match, I have always tried to give my best for my country.

"I am very proud to have been captain of this team for eight years and to have contributed to placing my country on the world stage of football, taking part in three World Cups and two African Cup of Nations finals.

"I cannot convey enough thanks to the fans for all the love and support during these years. All my goals, all my caps, all our victories are for you - I love you."

Drogba made his Cote d'Ivoire debut in September 2002, against South Africa, and broke his international duck the following
February, in a 3-0 win over Cameroon.

The attacker captained his country in their first ever appearance at the World Cup, in 2006, netting in the Elephants' opening game, a 2-1 loss to Argentina.

Drogba struck again at South Africa 2010, against Brazil, but he failed to find the net in his three appearances at this summer's
tournament as Cote d'Ivoire failed to make it out of the group stage for the third time in a row.

Having since completed a free transfer to Chelsea following the expiration of his contract with Galatasaray, Drogba has now called time on his long and illustrious international career.

Howard Webb retires after 25 blissful years

Howard Webb has retired from professional refereeing to become the new technical director of Professional Game Match Officials
Limited.

The 43-year-old, widely regarded as one of the best referees ever produced in England and highly respected in the world game,
brings to an end a 25-year career to be responsible for overseeing the on-field performances of PGMOL match officials.

Webb said: “I am very excited to start this new chapter in my career after a wonderfully rewarding 25 years on the pitch.

“I have spent over a decade with the best seat in the house for Barclays Premier League matches, been lucky enough to be involved in nine major international
tournaments, and taken charge of the UEFA Champions League and FIFA World Cup finals.“Refereeing has given me so much and I think it’s important that match officials who have had the rewards remain in the game to pass on their knowledge.

“I also have much more to learn about the business of refereeing and I believe the best place for me to do that is with PGMOL. We all have a common goal of improving
refereeing.”

According to a statement issued by PGMOL on Wednesday, Webb “will work extensively on the successful development programme” which currently provides a pathway for level three referees to join the company’s ‘Select Group’.

Former Premier League referee Mike Riley, PGMOL’s general manager, said: “Howard has been the foremost referee of his
generation and an inspiration for match officials in this country and around the world.“His role will strengthen refereeing in this country. Last season we trebled the
funding for referee coaching and training and we will continue to invest in match officials from the Premier League down to the contributory leagues.”

Webb began refereeing in 1989 and progressed through the Northern Counties and Football League to become a Select Group official in 2003.

He has refereed over 500 Barclays Premier League and Football League matches and officiated in every major domestic final, as well as in nine international tournaments including the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups.

In 2010 Howard became the first referee to take charge of the UEFA Champions League final and the FIFA World Cup final in the same year.In 2011 he was appointed a
Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to football.

Rodwell leaves City for Sunderland

Jack Rodwell has completed his transfer from Manchester City to Sunderland.

The England midfielder has signed a five- year contract and joins for an undisclosed fee, believed to be around £10million.

The deal ends Rodwell's two injury-affected years at City, where he started just seven Premier League games after joining from Everton in a £12m move.

His prospects of first-team football at the Etihad were further hit when City signed midfielder Fernando from Porto earlier this summer.

Rodwell, who has three England caps, is Sunderland's fifth close-season signing and follows Jordi Gomez, Billy Jones, Patrick van
Aanholt and former City team-mate Costel Pantilimon to Wearside.

Sammy Ameobi wants to commit to Nigeria

Newcastle United striker Sammy Ameobi has said he will like
to commit his international career to Nigeria.

Sammy who is the younger brother
of Super Eagles’ Shola Ameobi was part of the Flying Eagles team in their build up to the 2011 African Youth Championship but did not make John Obuh’s final squad.

Having watched his elder sibling feature for Nigeria at the Brazil 2014 Fifa World Cup, he has insisted he will like to wear Nigeria’s green and white colours at senior level.

"It will be a great honour to play for Nigeria.

I would love it. I have seen how it has been with my brother and the World Cup was a great experience, which I would love to experience and help make sure Nigeria
participates in again,” Ameobi told
supersport.com.

"He (Shola) has always been there for me.Whenever I needed advice, he would volunteer it; and also when I tried to make moves that might have derailed my career,
he was quick to pull me back on track.

It is great to have a proper professional as an older brother.”
The forward was loaned out to
Middleborough in 2013 but he is hopeful of a great season ahead.

"I am no longer a kid, I am in the last year of my contract with Newcastle and I have to start it with a bang.

"I have had a lot of injuries which I am hoping I have gotten over now, so I need to play very well to either get a new contract with Newcastle or be able to make a good move elsewhere,” he concluded.

Xavi quits Spain

Barcelona midfielder Xavi has announced his retirement from international football.

The 34-year-old, who was capped 133 times during a 14-year international career, was part of Spain's golden generation that saw
the nation collect three major trophies.

Xavi played a significant role as Spain won back-to-back European Championships in 2008 and 2012, while adding the World Cup in South Africa in 2010.

At the Euro finals of 2008 he was named the player of the tournament.

His final campaign for the national team ended in disappointment with Spain failing to progress beyond the group stage in Brazil
last month as they suffered defeats by the Netherlands and Chile.

He made his international debut in 2000, the same year he helped Spain win an Olympic silver medal in Australia.

Xavi, who has confirmed he will see out the final two years of his Barcelona contract, said: "I’m grateful for all those years and it
has been a fantastic time.

"I'm grateful to everybody at the Federation, it's been a marvellous time for me to be there for so many years and have so much
success.

“I'm leaving very proud and I wish them all the best. From now on I'm another fan of the Spain team."

As for quitting Spain at this particular time, following a dismal World Cup finals in South America, he added: "I was disappointed on
two levels at the end of last season as I did not feel useful to Barca or to the national team.

"Brazil was disappointing for everyone collectively and for me also individually and the fact that I did not take part in the decisive game against Chile was a personal
disappointment."

Xavi quits the international scene as his country's second most-capped player behind Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas, who
has represented Spain 156 times.

Iheanocho helps Man. City crush AC Milan

Manchester City cruised to victory over a dismal Milan in Pittsburgh as they won out 5-1 winners in
their International Champions Cup opener.

Manuel Pellegrini's men stormed into an early 2-0 lead thanks to strikes from Stefan Jovetic and Scott Sinclair, the pair capitalising on a sloppy Milan defence which
struggled with City's pace down the right flank.

City continued to dominate and added a third as Jesus Navas sent a deflected acrobatic effort beyond Michael Agazzi in the Milan goal, before Nigerian youngster Kelechi Iheanacho grabbed his second goal
in as many games with a toe poke from the edge of the area.

Sulley Muntari got on the end of Alex's knock-back to pull one back for the Serie A side before the game was almost abandoned at the break following severe weather conditions, including a tornado
warning.

The sides did emerge for the second half following a lengthy delay and City picked up where they had left off by adding a fifth as
Jovetic grabbed his second of the evening, to put the gloss on a formidable City display.

Lewandowski helps Bayern brush off Wolfsburg

New boys Robert Lewandowski and
Sebastian Rode helped Bayern Munich see off Wolfsburg and retain the Telekom Cup with a 3-0 win on Sunday.

Lewandowski, who has made an impressive start since arriving from Borussia Dortmund earlier this month, scored twice, while Rode opened his account in a comfortable victory at Hamburg's Imtech Arena.

Bayern shot out of the blocks and were ahead four minutes in when Lewandowski scored his third goal in as many games for the German champions.

Rode duly got in on the act and scored his first goal since joining from Eintracht Frankfurt, while Lewandowski added a second before the break to effectively
secure the pre-season trophy for Pep Guardiola's men.

Lewandowski 's first goal, in a game played over 60 minutes rather than the usual 90, came courtesy of a header from Franck
Ribery's fine cross.

And the defending champions doubled their advantage when Rode produced an expertly curled finish past Max Grun in the
Wolfsburg goal - Claudio Pizarro having intricately backheeled the ball into his path.

Guardiola saw his side continue to
dominate as they moved 3-0 ahead within 20 minutes - Lewandowski again on target.

Afforded far too much time, the Poland forward curled home a strike from outside the area to all but wrap up the win.

Wolfsburg rallied late in the half and enjoyed their strongest spell of possession, but struggled to get in behind the Bayern defence with any regularity.

Despite failing to reel Bayern in during the second half, Wolfsburg were at least able to prevent their opponents from pulling further clear.

Guardiola will no doubt take heart from seeing Ribery manage 54 minutes on his second game back from injury, while Lewandowski's scoring streak provides a further boost with the German Super Cup
against Dortmund approaching on August 13.