Striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was all smiles yesterday as he trained with Borussia Dortmund, despite on-going speculation of a move to Arsenal. Germany winger Marco Reus also took part in the session as he returned from injury The 28-year-old Aubameyang was dropped for Dortmund’s last two league games after failing to attend a team meeting.
The Gabon forward looked relax in training yesterday, even sharing a joke with head coach Peter Stoeger. Behind the scenes, he has made it clear he wants to join the Gunners in the current transfer window. According to reports, Arsenal have raised their offer from 55 to 58mn euros. However, Dortmund want 70mn euros for last season’s top-scorer in the Bundesliga.
Meanwhile, Germany star Reus trained with the team for the first time since tearing his cruciate ligament in last May’s German Cup final. Reus, 28, took part in 45 minutes of ball work with the team for the first time in 242 days.  Dortmund’s head coach will give his forward star plenty of time, “the sign must come from Marco,” he said when asked when Reus will play again, giving little indication whether Reus or Aubameyang will appear in Saturday’s league match at home to Freiburg.

Platini takes appeal to human rights court
 Disgraced former France star Michel Platini has appealed against his suspension from football for corruption to the European Court of Human Rights. “It’s a fight for rights against an injustice and if, above and beyond me, this can evolve FIFA, so much the better,” Platini said. “I’m going to the ECHR, which others can’t do, because I’m not afraid of FIFA.”
Platini was originally suspended for eight years by FIFA in 2015 over a two mn Swiss francs (1.8mn euros, $2mn) payment he received from the world football governing body for consultancy work, a transaction that also saw former FIFA president Sepp Blatter handed a long ban.
The 62-year-old’s sanction was reduced by two years on appeal and then reduced again to four years by another appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. But a further appeal in the Swiss courts failed and his suspension is due to end in October 2019.
“I’ve met a lot of people who told me not to give up, so I’m continuing to fight,” said Platini, a dashing playmaker for Saint Etienne and Juventus during his playing career before becoming France coach and then the head of UEFA. Platini’s suspension scuppered his plans to succeed Blatter as head of FIFA, which is now run by former UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino.

Ronaldo to open three new hotels
 World footballer of the year Cristiano Ronaldo is expanding his ‘CR7’ hotel portfolio by opening new franchises in New York, Madrid and Marrakech, his associate said. Real Madrid star Ronaldo has already opened CR7 hotels, alongside Portuguese hotel group Pestana, in Lisbon and Funchal in his homeland. The first new hotel to open, within “18 months”, will be in Marrakech, site of a bizarre story a couple of years ago where Ronaldo was said to regularly visit a Dutch kick-boxing friend. CR7 hotels offer guests the chance to sip a ‘Ballon d’Or’ cocktail and pose for pictures with a hologram of the Portugal captain. Ronaldo’s CR7 marque also includes clothing and footwear lines.

Sanchez denies Henry told him to quit Arsenal
 Alexis Sanchez has denied that Arsenal great Thierry Henry advised him to leave the club before his move this week to Premier League rivals Manchester United. The Chile international clarified remarks he made referring to the Gunners’ record goalscorer after completing his much-anticipated switch to Old Trafford on Monday.
After the signing was announced by United, Sanchez wrote on Instagram: “I remember today, a conversation I had with Henry, a historic Arsenal player, who changed club for the same reason and today is my turn.”
Those comments have been construed to mean that Henry, who left Arsenal for Barcelona in 2007, advised Sanchez that it was time to move on. Henry tweeted himself on Tuesday that this was not the case.
The Frenchman wrote: “I know I don’t need to explain this to the majority of Arsenal fans but contrary to speculation at no time did I tell Alexis Sanchez to leave Arsenal. I had no idea he was going to sign for Man Utd until I saw it on the news like the rest of you.”
Sanchez, 29, tweeted: I want to clarify that Henry never told me to leave the club, it was a personal decision... he LOVES the club and someday it would be nice to see him as the arsenal coach because he loves the club.”
Sanchez, who scored 80 goals in 166 ties for Arsenal, was in the final year of his contract at the Emirates Stadium after turning down a new deal.

Buffon back after two-month injury layoff
 Gianluigi Buffon returned to training with Juventus yesterday after nearly two months out injured. The veteran goalkeeper — who turns 40 next Sunday — last played in the 1-0 win over Napoli on December 1 and has struggled with a calf injury since.
Buffon will now be in contention to face Chievo in league action on Saturday, but the injury could have scuppered his chances of equalling Paolo Maldini’s record of Serie A appearances by the end of the season.
With 629 appearances so far and 17 games remaining in the Serie A campaign, even if he played in all remaining games Buffon would just miss the former AC Milan defender’s record of 647 appearances. Buffon, who joined Juventus from Parma in 2001, has said he will retire after this season.
He has started just 10 of the Turin giant’s 21 Serie A games this season. He also missed two Italian Cup wins as well as the 2-0 victory against Olympiakos in the final game of the Champions League’s group stage. Italy’s World Cup winning manager Marcello Lippi has urged Buffon not to retire.

Neuer ‘on schedule’ for World Cup: Loew
 Germany’s captain and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is “on schedule” to be fit for the World Cup in June, according to Germany’s head coach Joachim Loew. Last September, Neuer, 31, fractured his left foot for the third time in 2017, but is now off crutches and working his way back to fitness.
His club Bayern Munich has given no date as to when Neuer will return to action, but Loew says everything is going to plan. “He’s on schedule,” said Loew.  “I always have contact with Manuel Neuer and also (Germany’s goalkeeper coach) Andi Koepke. We have always been informed by him, we have confidence in him, he is so strong and his foot is causing us no problems at the moment.” 
Germany play key friendlies at home against Spain and Brazil in March to prepare for the World Cup in Russia. Neuer, who has made 74 appearances for Germany, says his aim is to stay pain free and get back to playing as soon as possible.

Ireland manager O’Neill extends deal until 2020
 Ireland manager Martin O’Neill has signed a contract extension through to 2020, the country’s Football Association (FAI) said on Tuesday, ending speculation he could return to the club game. O’Neill was linked with the Stoke City job when Mark Hughes was sacked this month, but rejected the chance to return to Premier League management. 
The 65-year-old O’Neill, who replaced Italian Giovanni Trapattoni as Ireland manager in 2013, will continue to be assisted by ex-Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane, after the FAI said his backroom team had also extended their deals.
O’Neill, whose side reached the 2016 European Championship finals in France but failed to book a spot at this year’s World Cup, will be in charge for the Euro 2020 qualifying campaign.