Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/622858
maltatoday, Wednesday, 6 January 2016 20 Sport SPORTTODAY football Sam allardyce critical of 'diabolical' midweek Premier league schedule sunderland manager sam allardyce says players' health is being put at risk by "diabolical" fixture scheduling The relegation-threatened Black Cats head to Arsenal in the FA Cup this weekend, with Allardyce promising to make changes to his side ahead of a crucial Premier League clash at Swansea on Wednesday. "If the Premier League decides to put a stupid fixture midweek when they don't bloody need to, then I haven't got much choice," he told a number of national newspapers. Sunderland remain in the rel- egation zone despite Saturday's win over Aston Villa, with the trip to Swansea - two points and places above them - a significant one. Allardyce has been further an- gered by that game being moved back from Tuesday to Wednes- day at Swansea's request, giving Sunderland a slim turnaround before a lunchtime appointment with Tottenham on Saturday. "It's diabolical," he added. "We're f logging the lads. "There are more and more inju- ries every year but it's completely ignored by the Premier League. It's unbelievable. "If you want us to respect the FA Cup, don't put Premier League fixtures in the midweek just after new year. "Don't give me stick when I change the side at Arsenal. Give the Premier League stick, not the managers. "It's a game to be enjoyed, not a game to be destroyed and we destroy the game by asking the players to do too much in this period." he added: "Making me play Wednesday and Saturday rather than Tuesday and Saturday is making it harder for me to get Premier League points." Swansea have offered to cover the costs of the Sunderland fans who had already booked to travel on the Tuesday, but Allardyce said: "The Premier League told the fans they'll get their expenses back. But what a load of b*******. "I'm concerned with the fans who have booked their travel up and spent their money; will they get all of that back or won't they?" Boateng returns to AC Milan aC Milan have re-signed Ghanaian midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng on a six-month contract The former Tottenham and Portsmouth player left the San Siro to join Schalke in August 2013 but was s u s p e n d e d i n d e f i n i t e l y by the Bun- desliga club last May for a "lack of mutual trust". Following his December re- lease he has opted to rejoin the Rossoneri, with the sixth-placed Serie A side on Tuesday morning an- nouncing his return on a deal running to June 30. Boateng won the Scudetto and Super- coppa dur- ing his first spell with Milan and made the h e a d l i n e s in January 2013 when he walked off the pitch at Pro Patria after suffering racist abuse from home fans. Zidane appointment is a huge risk for Real Madrid - Jorge Valdano real Madrid's former general manager, Jorge Valdano, believes his old club have taken a massive gamble in appointing Zinedine Zidane as the club's new manager ZIDAne, who helped the club win the Champions League during an illustrious playing career, was unveiled as Real's new manager on Monday – after Rafa Benitez was dismissed by club president Florentino Perez. It will be Zidane's first signifi- cant post in management – and Valdano, who briefly managed the club himself in the mid- 1990s, believes handing the job to the former France international comes with significant doubts. "Zidane taking over is such a risky move because of his lack of experience," Valdano told el Lar- guero. The Argentine was also asked about the circumstances sur- rounding Benitez's departure. Valdano believes the Spaniard paid the price for his inability to find the right balance within a squad that perhaps did not have the exact players to fit into his preferred tactical approach. "Benitez had troubles imple- menting his precise ideas in a squad with too many attacking midfielders," he added. Following their 1-1 draw with Valencia on Sunday, Real current- ly sit third in La Liga – four points behind Atletico Madrid. Sam Allardyce, critical Zinedine Zidane, new manager at Real Madrid Boateng