Sofyan Amrabat names his Man Utd idols
Sofyan Amrabat has named Roy Keane, Paul Scholes and David Beckham as his all-time favourite Man Utd players.
2023-09-07 18:26
Mauricio Pochettino to retain Chelsea's interest in Declan Rice
Mauricio Pochettino is keen for Chelsea to sign West Ham midfielder Declan Rice.
2023-05-15 21:29
Five contenders to replace Hansi Flick as Germany coach
Germany needs to act fast in its search for a new coach for its troubled men’s national football eam. The new coach is expected to be in charge by 14 October when Germany will face the United States in a friendly in Connecticut. And after that there is only eight months to put his stamp on the team before Germany opens the European Championship as host in front of 70,000 spectators in Munich on 14 June next year. Germany’s awful recent form — no wins in five games and a group-stage exit at the World Cup — forced out Hansi Flick following Saturday’s 4-1 loss to Japan. Rudi Voller oversaw a 2-1 win over France on Tuesday but is due to return to his post as sporting director. Without an obvious successor to Flick, the post of Germany coach appears wide open. That could result in Germany’s youngest coach in nearly a century. Or its oldest ever. Or the first foreign coach. Here is a look at some possible candidates: Julian Nagelsmann At 36 years old, the former Bayern Munich coach would be the youngest man to coach Germany since 34-year-old Otto Nerz was appointed back in 1926. Since Bayern replaced him with Thomas Tuchel in March, Nagelsmann has been linked with some of Europe’s biggest clubs. He knows the Germany team’s big Bayern contingent, and worked with other players at Leipzig too. However, Nagelsmann reportedly remains under contract with Bayern and the club could demand compensation from the German soccer federation, the DFB. Nagelsmann’s attack-first tactical style could win back fans who have soured on the team, but much like Flick, his teams aren’t known for their robust defending. Louis van Gaal The 72-year-old Dutch coach is a specialist in international tournaments and his lengthy resume — Ajax, Barcelona, Manchester United — includes two years at Bayern Munich, where he reached the Champions League final in 2010. His last job featured an impressive unbeaten run with the Dutch national team before losing on penalties in the World Cup quarterfinals in Qatar to eventual winner Argentina. Van Gaal has notably not ruled himself out of taking the Germany job, telling broadcaster Sky Germany that he was “honored” to see his name mentioned. The oldest man appointed Germany coach until now was 61-year-old Erich Ribbeck in 1998. Oliver Glasner Glasner is another possibility if the team decides to appoint its first non-German coach, and the Austrian already speaks the language. Glasner is best known for winning the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt and qualifying the club for the Champions League for the first time. However, Frankfurt removed him as coach last season after a drop in form and Glasner hasn’t coached since. Matthias Sammer Well-connected from advisory roles at the DFB and Borussia Dortmund, Sammer has the backing of 1990 World Cup-winning player and prolific TV pundit Lothar Matthaus. He’d be the first Germany coach to have played for the former East Germany during the Cold War. One problem is that Sammer last coached a team in 2005 before taking on successful sporting director and advisory roles, including at Bayern. Health issues in 2016 caused Sammer to cut back on his workload. Stefan Kuntz Flick was fired after his team conceded four goals to Japan. Could his replacement be a coach whose current team just did the same thing? As a player, Kuntz won the European Championship in 1996 as a teammate of Sammer. His best-known coaching achievement is winning the European Under-21 Championship with Germany in 2017 and 2021. Kuntz is coaching Turkey but is under pressure following a 4-2 friendly loss Tuesday to Japan. Other candidates The former Bayern Munich coach Felix Magath put himself forward Monday, pointing to his record turning around “unsettled teams” in comments to local broadcaster NDR. The DFB has a history of promoting from within — Flick and Low each worked as assistants to their respective predecessors — but the three-man interim coaching team for the win over France doesn’t offer an obvious solution. Voller seems happy with his DFB director job, Hannes Wolf is a youth specialist with a mixed club record, and Sandro Wagner has only coached in the fourth division. AP Read More Germany beat France in first game since sacking Hansi Flick as Italy reignite Euro 2024 hopes Steve Clarke insists Scotland remain in positive mood despite England defeat Aaron Ramsey rolls back the years to keep Wales’s Euro 2024 hopes alive Germany beat France as Italy reignite Euro 2024 hopes Football rumours: Jadon Sancho looking to leave Manchester United Germany boss Hansi Flick under pressure following home defeat to Japan
2023-09-13 21:48
Ange Postecoglou has already transformed Tottenham with Arsenal comeback
All square at Arsenal, with one side much happier about it. Everyone else would at least have been greatly entertained by it. This was yet another north London derby that swung back and forth in such absorbing fashion to add to its archive of classic games but, once it settled into a 2-2 draw, it was Tottenham celebrating more. They have been given huge encouragement for the future, after displaying adventure and resilience in a match many might not have considered them quite ready for. That is the effect of Ange Postecoglou, which was all the more impressive given how Arsenal had posed the most testing questions for the first half-hour. Mikel Arteta’s side, however, might again be feeling the effects of a title race with Manchester City. They already find themselves four points behind by 24 September, and with the champions to come here in two weeks. That might be without Declan Rice, who went off with a calf injury that proved decisive. If it is again ludicrous to be talking about this at such an early stage, just as it was with the victory over Manchester United, these are the stakes of the Premier League right now. This is maybe the state of the Arsenal team right now, so promising but still missing a few elements. One is depth, as could be seen with how easy their defence was to get at for both of Son Heung-Min’s goals. Another is real extra-level quality in attack. For all that this draw ultimately came down to Arsenal failing to keep their lead, a large part of that was the encouragement Spurs enjoyed from their attack being able to extend it. It already raises the question over whether they will go big in January. They could have had a substantial lead here. That is what will be so frustrating. Spurs and Postecoglou, however, were rewarded for their bravery. That could well be a theme going forward. It has already been a theme of the season, as Spurs again defied expectations. They shouldn’t have been ready for this north London derby against a side that finished second last season. They were instead prepared to pounce on any Arsenal slip. That is what this whole game amounted to. Arsenal could really have killed the game before any semblance of a contest had even developed. It was set up for them. Postecoglou’s approach initially seemed rather naive given how nascent his team is, and it left Destiny Udogie constantly exposed on the left. Saka consistently had 15 metres of space around him and it of course wasn’t long until he made use of that. Having turned Udogie again, Saka saw the space open up and looked to curl the ball into the far corner. Romero intervened and turned it into the near corner. Arsenal were by that point in complete control and had the chance to take full command. Gabriel Jesus couldn’t seize it, though, blazing one key effort over. It does perhaps raise one of the final questions in the formation of this Arsenal team. Are they still lacking that finisher? Jesus is a brilliant link forward but he lacks that ruthlessness. It allowed Spurs back in. To give Postecoglou his due, though, they also forced their way back in. With the manner that Saka had got at Guglielmo Vicario’s defence in the opening half-hour, the Spurs manager could have been forgiven for altering formation and tightening up. He did the opposite. In a move that feels like it’s going to be symbolic about what is to come under Postecoglou, he doubled down, ensuring his left flank always had at least two in attack rather than defence. It started to make trouble for Arsenal, and made the difference. In a five-minute flurry, Brennan Johnson forced two big saves from David Raya - one of them a brilliantly instinctive response, that Mikel Arteta will feel vindicated his decision - before Spurs eventually forced their way in. This was a turnaround in more ways than one. It was suddenly Saka given a tough time as James Maddison so easily got around him to set up Son. It was not the last time that the duo made such a testing occasion look easy. Before then, though, Arsenal had contrasting developments. Declan Rice went off with a calf injury. Saka scored a penalty from a Romero handball. Both contributed to what next. With Arsenal seeming like they were still celebrating the goal, and substitute Jorginho so casual on the ball, Maddison just stepped up and took it off. It was reminiscent of the way Germany just cut through Brazil in that 7-1 in how simple it was, which was all the more surprising given Arsenal were apparently in a relatively secure position. They were anything but. Son was put clean through, almost no one around him, to just slide the ball past Raya for his second. Spurs didn’t quite settle for that but Arsenal did ensure they couldn’t set foot beyond the halfway much late on. For all the pressure, though, there was no big chance. There was no difference-maker to bring on. Arteta threw on Reiss Nelson and Emile Smith-Rowe but both felt hopeful shows of faith rather than any display of superiority. So it proved. It was an early-season derby that may say a lot about both for the season - and potentially influence a lot. Read More Arsenal vs Tottenham result and player ratings as Son Heung-min and James Maddison lead Spurs fightback Son Heung-min and James Maddison lead Tottenham response to claim Arsenal point Phil Foden admits Rodri will be a ‘big miss’ during his three-match suspension Pep Guardiola unhappy at Rodri for red card in Man City win
2023-09-24 23:53
Rockies place first baseman CJ Cron on 10-day IL because of back spasms
The Colorado Rockies placed first baseman C
2023-05-16 09:55
Azam says Pakistan has advantage ahead of India clash
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam said Saturday his side will have an edge over India in their Asia Cup Super Four clash, with a bowling line-up...
2023-09-09 22:25
MLB Playoff Clinching Scenarios for Sept. 12
Discover the latest MLB playoff clinching scenarios and magic numbers as teams compete for a spot in the postseason as of Sept. 12.
2023-09-13 02:58
Irish look to finally bury World Cup under-achievers tag
Ireland will seek to at last break through their World Cup glass ceiling by beating New Zealand to reach the semi-finals for...
2023-10-13 10:46
UEFA excludes Dinamo Zagreb fans from all away games in Europe after killing of AEK Athens supporter
UEFA has excluded Dinamo Zagreb fans from all away games in European soccer competitions this season after a Greek fan was killed in violent clashes in Athens
2023-08-20 18:56
Nashville Predators buy out Matt Duchene as NHL teams prepare for the start of free agency
A handful of teams spent the eve of free agency clearing salary cap space with big money buyouts
2023-07-01 01:25
England to select different ‘Unite’ armband for each match at World Cup
England captain Millie Bright will wear armbands advocating for inclusion, Indigenous People and gender equality in the Lionesses’ respective first three World Cup matches, the FA has confirmed. Players have the choice of wearing one or more of eight FIFA-sanctioned armbands at this tournament, but not the rainbow OneLove design that sparked the threat of sanctions being issued to countries – including England and Wales – during the 2022 men’s World Cup in Qatar. Should the Lionesses progress past the group stage, which begins with Saturday’s opener against Haiti, the player-led decision is for their skipper to switch out her armband to a new cause for each match. Bright said: “As a group, we felt really strongly about all the causes, and we couldn’t separate one from the other. We feel that they are all important and deserve recognition and our support. “We have only just come to a decision recently as we wanted to take time to process it all and to make sure we spoke collectively. “Supporting Indigenous People is massively important to us as a team, both staff and players. We wanted to come to this country and respect the past, the present and the future. We are aware of the past, but we want to move forward collectively and make the world a better place. It is something that we always pride ourselves on.” Days after their arrival in Australia, England hosted an open training session at the Sunshine Coast Stadium where they were treated to a traditional smoking ceremony – an Aboriginal custom to welcome, wish good luck and ward off bad spirits – led by the Gubbi Gubbi/Kabi Kabi people, who also presented the Lionesses with their official tournament squad numbers. On Wednesday, the team listened to a talk from Karen Menzies, the first Indigenous player for Australia’s Matildas, about the history of and challenges facing the Aboriginal community, as well as reparation efforts. Bright said: “We have been honoured with two ceremonies and to be able to have conversations and educate ourselves a little bit more on the Aboriginal people and everything which comes with the culture is amazing. I think we feel really honoured to have had the opportunity.” Should England progress to the knockout stage, Bright will wear, in order from the last 16, armbands reading ‘Unite for Peace’, ‘Unite for Education for All’, ‘Unite for Zero Hunger’, ‘Unite for Ending Violence Against Women’ and, for a potential first-ever World Cup final in Lionesses’ history, ‘Football is Joy, Peace, Hope, Love and Passion’. FIFA’s approved armband plan has been criticised for not doing enough to directly advocate for the LGBTQ+ community like the prohibited OneLove band, particularly with LGBTQ+ advocacy non-profit organisation GLAAD reporting a record 91 out players expected to participate in this 32-team World Cup. England boss Sarina Wiegman, however, has said she feels her squad, which includes several out athletes, are satisfied with the solution, and midfielder Jordan Nobbs on Wednesday insisted she and her team-mates “know our values”. That sentiment was echoed by Bright, who added: “As a team, we know what we stand for, what we believe in and we also know the changes that we want to make. “So regardless of an armband, we would like to think our actions and our morals represent everything that we believe in and stand for.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Rory McIlroy has a spring in his step after fighting finish to first round Inter Miami continue to build squad with signing of defender Jordi Alba Matt Critchley century keeps Essex on track for victory over Kent
2023-07-21 05:26
Every goalkeeper to score a Champions League goal
A list of goalkeepers to have scored a Champions League goal.
2023-09-20 23:15
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