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maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 11 FEBRUARY 2015 20 Sport SPORTTODAY FOOTBALL Louis van Gaal denies misconduct charge, requests FA hearing Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has denied a charge of misconduct in relation to media comments and requested a personal hearing on a date to be confirmed Torino are not interested in signing free agent Antonio Cassano, according to president Urbano Cairo THE Dutchman said following Unit- ed's surprise fourth-round goalless draw at Cambridge last month that "every aspect of the match" had been " against" his team, including the referee Chris Foy. The Football Association charged Van Gaal last week, saying that the veteran boss' words "allege and/or imply bias on the part of the match referee and/or bring the game into disrepute". Van Gaal said he would contest the charge so the FA's announcement on Tuesday comes as no surprise. "Louis Van Gaal denies FA mis- conduct charge in relation to media comments and requests personal hearing, date to be confirmed," said the FA on Twitter. "The Man Utd manager was charged following The FA Cup tie against Cambridge United on 23 Jan 2015. It is alleged his comments con- stitute improper conduct in that they allege and/or imply bias on the part of the match referee and/or bring the game into disrepute." Having seen the Barclays Premier League giants held by their Sky Bet League Two hosts in the initial en- counter between them on January 23, Van Gaal said: ''Every aspect of the match is against us - the pitch, the referee, everything that you can think about is against you.'' He later repeated ''every aspect of a match is against us'', adding: ''You have seen the referee. It's always the same. ''Everywhere I have coached these games - and I have coached them also with other clubs - it's always the same.'' United won the replay 3-0 at Old Trafford. Louis van Gaal Cassano: Not a Torino target Reus signs new Dortmund deal THE 32-year-old Italy striker is available after rescinding his con- tract with financially stricken Parma last month, and he recently rejected the chance to rejoin home- town club Bari, who are currently in Serie B. Torino are enjoying a good sea- son in the top flight, with a run of four straight wins boosting them into eighth position, but Cassano will not be recruited as they make a push for the European places. "Cassano? Absolutely not," presi- dent Cairo told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "We are looking for lads with potential and experienced players who can bring something to the changing room - that's important. "Torino are okay as they are." Former Juventus striker Fabio Quagliarella is Toro's top scorer this term with nine goals after bag- ging his fourth in two games dur- ing Sunday's 3-1 victory at Hellas Verona. Antonio Cassano HIS 70 goals in 169 league outings with Dortmund have helped the club finish second to Bayern Mu- nich twice while, in 2013, BVB were runners-up to their Bavarian rivals in the Champions League final. Despite their recent glories Dort- mund are now struggling to escape the Bundesliga relegation zone, but the club's management is confident Reus will be key to any revival. Managing director Hans-Joachim Watzke said: "We never let ourselves be distracted by all the rumours and, while a change is often seen as a good opportunity, this exceptional player has deliberately opted for a future with Dortmund. "Marco can shape a new era in Dortmund, just like Uwe Seeler did with Hamburg and like Steven Ger- rard has with Liverpool. "The fact Marco has made this decision in the middle of a sporting crisis for BVB shows a high level of loyalty, of which we are very proud." Reus, who is serving as vice-cap- tain to Mats Hummels this season, added: "I am very happy with my decision to stick with BVB. Dort- mund is my home town and my club is Borussia. "I look forward to enjoying a suc- cessful future with our team, with our fantastic fans behind us. "There is plenty for us to do, and I want to tackle it all head on!" However, Reus missed Germany's World Cup-winning campaign due to an ankle injury but has contribut- ed seven goals across his 23 appear- ances for Die Mannschaft. Marco Reus has extended his contract with Dortmund until 2019