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Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international football here on Sunday after Argentina crashed to an upset defeat against Chile in the final of the Copa America. 
 
&quot;For me the national team is over. I&#39;ve done all I can, it hurts not to be a champion,&quot; the 29-year-old Barcelona superstar told reporters after his fourth defeat in a major final with Argentina. 
 
Lionel&#39;s Messi`s apparent last act in international soccer was to blast his penalty over the bar as Chile won the Copa America for the second successive year following a 4-2 penalty shootout victory over Argentina on Sunday. 
 
It was the second successive year Chile had beaten Argentina on penalties in the final. Last year&#39;s Copa America title was their first. 
Messi cut a dejected figure after Argentina&#39;s trophy drought at senior level was extended to 23 years. It was the fourth final he had lost with his country and he said later he was retiring from international soccer.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;It&#39;s tough, it`s not the time for analysis,&quot; he said. &quot;In the dressing room, I thought that this is the end for me with the national team, it&#39;s not for me. I tried so hard to be champion with Argentina. Now I am leaving without having managed it.&quot; 
 
The two sides were deadlocked 0-0 after 90 minutes and also after another half an hour of extra time in a match where both teams were reduced to 10 men in the first half. 
 
Chilean substitute Francisco Silva placed his penalty low and to the right of Sergio Romero to score the decider after Messi and Lucas Biglia missed for Argentina and Arturo Vidal missed for Chile. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s not easy to explain what happened,&quot; said Argentina coach Gerardo Martino. &quot;Argentina should have won that game. It hurts.&quot; 
 
Disappointing final 
The tension of the penalty shootout barely made up for a disappointing game with few memorable moments for the announced sellout 82,000 crowd. 
 
The bulk of first half action involved referee Heber Lopes, who sent off Chile&#39;s Marcelo Diaz on 27 minutes for a second crude challenge on Messi, before Argentina&#39;s Marcos Rojo was given a straight red for a rough tackle on Vidal about 15 minutes later. 
 
Three others were booked, including Messi for diving, in a first half that had as many cards as shots on goal. 
 
The second half provided more of the same and although Chile, who have never beaten Argentina in open play in 26 previous Copa America encounters, at least managed to call Romero into action, neither side created any clear cut chances. 
 
The 30 minutes of extra time was similar, though Vargas came close for Chile and substitute Sergio Aguero had a header tipped over by Claudio Bravo. 
 
Messi, who surpassed Gabriel Batistuta as Argentina&#39;s top scorer in the semi-final against the United States, was heavily marked and had few chances to show his brilliance. 
 
The tournament was played in the US for the first time to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the inaugural competition and expanded to include six teams from North and Central America along with the 10 from South America. 
 
(AFP and Reuters)

Lionel announces he's leaving after losing to Chile in the Copa final, his fourth defeat in a major final with Argentina

Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international football here on Sunday after Argentina crashed to an upset defeat against Chile in the final of the Copa America. "For me the national team is over. I've done all I can, it hurts not to be a champion," the 29-year-old Barcelona superstar told reporters after his fourth defeat in a major final with Argentina. Lionel's Messi`s apparent last act in international soccer was to blast his penalty over the bar as Chile won the Copa America for the second successive year following a 4-2 penalty shootout victory over Argentina on Sunday. It was the second successive year Chile had beaten Argentina on penalties in the final. Last year's Copa America title was their first. Messi cut a dejected figure after Argentina's trophy drought at senior level was extended to 23 years. It was the fourth final he had lost with his country and he said later he was retiring from international soccer. "It's tough, it`s not the time for analysis," he said. "In the dressing room, I thought that this is the end for me with the national team, it's not for me. I tried so hard to be champion with Argentina. Now I am leaving without having managed it." The two sides were deadlocked 0-0 after 90 minutes and also after another half an hour of extra time in a match where both teams were reduced to 10 men in the first half. Chilean substitute Francisco Silva placed his penalty low and to the right of Sergio Romero to score the decider after Messi and Lucas Biglia missed for Argentina and Arturo Vidal missed for Chile. "It's not easy to explain what happened," said Argentina coach Gerardo Martino. "Argentina should have won that game. It hurts." Disappointing final The tension of the penalty shootout barely made up for a disappointing game with few memorable moments for the announced sellout 82,000 crowd. The bulk of first half action involved referee Heber Lopes, who sent off Chile's Marcelo Diaz on 27 minutes for a second crude challenge on Messi, before Argentina's Marcos Rojo was given a straight red for a rough tackle on Vidal about 15 minutes later. Three others were booked, including Messi for diving, in a first half that had as many cards as shots on goal. The second half provided more of the same and although Chile, who have never beaten Argentina in open play in 26 previous Copa America encounters, at least managed to call Romero into action, neither side created any clear cut chances. The 30 minutes of extra time was similar, though Vargas came close for Chile and substitute Sergio Aguero had a header tipped over by Claudio Bravo. Messi, who surpassed Gabriel Batistuta as Argentina's top scorer in the semi-final against the United States, was heavily marked and had few chances to show his brilliance. The tournament was played in the US for the first time to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the inaugural competition and expanded to include six teams from North and Central America along with the 10 from South America. (AFP and Reuters)

Messi says it's over, retires from international football

Born June 24, 1987 in Rosario, Argentina. 
 
Early Career 
 
* Joined Barcelona as a 13-year-old in 2000 and shone in the youth ranks before then-coach Frank Rijkaard gave him his senior debut at the age of 16 in a friendly against Porto in 2003.&nbsp; 
 
* Made his La Liga debut in October 2004 and scored his first La Liga goal the following May in a match against Albacete at the Nou Camp.&nbsp; 
 
* Scored six goals in 17 appearances in 2005-06 as Barca won La Liga for the second year in a row but did not feature in their 2-1 victory over Arsenal in the Champions League final.&nbsp; 
 
* Messi played a key role as Barca claimed six trophies in the calendar year of 2009 including the Champions League, La Liga, the King`s Cup and the Club World Cup.&nbsp; 
 
* Won the first of four consecutive World Player of the Year awards.&nbsp; 
 
* Won La Liga again in 2010 and retained the World Player award, beating shortlisted Spanish World Cup winners and Barca team mates Andres Iniesta and Xavi.&nbsp; 
 
* Inspired Barcelona to a 3-1 win against Manchester United in the 2011 Champions League final, scoring one goal and creating another.&nbsp; 
 
* Helped Barca to a third consecutive La Liga title in 2010-11 and was on the scoresheet as they beat Santos 4-0 to win the Club World Cup.&nbsp; 
 
* While Barcelona failed to retain either La Liga or the Champions League, Messi completed 2012 with an extraordinary total of 91 goals in all competitions, a record for a calendar year.&nbsp; 
 
* He smashed the La Liga scoring record for one season in 2011-12 with 50 goals.&nbsp; 
 
* Equalled the Champions League scoring record of 71 goals set by former Real Madrid and Schalke 04 forward Raul when he struck twice against Ajax Amsterdam at the end of 2014. Has since been overtaken by current Real forward Cristiano Ronaldo.&nbsp; 
 
* Turned in a series of scintillating performances in 2014-15 as Barca romped to a treble of Champions League, La Liga and King`s Cup titles.&nbsp; 
 
* Won his eighth La Liga title and fourth Spanish Cup with Barcelona in 2015-16&nbsp; 
 
Argentina 
 
* Led Argentina to the title at the 2005 World Youth Championship, scoring two penalties in a 2-1 victory over Nigeria in the final.&nbsp; 
 
* Made his debut for the senior side in a friendly against Hungary in August 2005 but was sent off less than a minute after coming on as a substitute for elbowing an opponent who had pulled his shirt.&nbsp; 
 
* Played only a bit-part role at the 2006 World Cup. Argentina were knocked out in the quarter-finals by hosts Germany after a penalty shootout.&nbsp; 
 
* Led Argentina to &nbsp;Gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. 
 
* Part of the Argentina side coached by Diego Maradona at the 2010 World Cup that was beaten 4-0 by Germany in the quarter-finals. Messi failed to score and struggled to find his best form at the tournament in South Africa.&nbsp; 
 
* After a season disrupted by injury, captained Argentina to the final of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where they lost 1-0 to Germany. Messi, who scored four goals at the finals, won the Golden Ball award for the tournament`s best player. 
 
* Played his second Copa America final for Argentina in Chile in 2015, losing the final on penalties to the host nation. 
 
* Scored a hat-trick in 18 minutes after coming off the bench in Argentina`s 5-0 win over Panama in the 2016 Centenary Copa America in 
Chicago. 
 
* Set a record of 55 goals for Argentina when he scored in the 4-0 win over the United States in the semi-finals. 
 
* Was on the losing side again after a penalty shootout defeat by Chile in the centenary final and said he was retiring from internationals. 
 
(Reuters)

Messi led Argentina to Gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games

Born June 24, 1987 in Rosario, Argentina. Early Career * Joined Barcelona as a 13-year-old in 2000 and shone in the youth ranks before then-coach Frank Rijkaard gave him his senior debut at the age of 16 in a friendly against Porto in 2003. * Made his La Liga debut in October 2004 and scored his first La Liga goal the following May in a match against Albacete at the Nou Camp. * Scored six goals in 17 appearances in 2005-06 as Barca won La Liga for the second year in a row but did not feature in their 2-1 victory over Arsenal in the Champions League final. * Messi played a key role as Barca claimed six trophies in the calendar year of 2009 including the Champions League, La Liga, the King`s Cup and the Club World Cup. * Won the first of four consecutive World Player of the Year awards. * Won La Liga again in 2010 and retained the World Player award, beating shortlisted Spanish World Cup winners and Barca team mates Andres Iniesta and Xavi. * Inspired Barcelona to a 3-1 win against Manchester United in the 2011 Champions League final, scoring one goal and creating another. * Helped Barca to a third consecutive La Liga title in 2010-11 and was on the scoresheet as they beat Santos 4-0 to win the Club World Cup. * While Barcelona failed to retain either La Liga or the Champions League, Messi completed 2012 with an extraordinary total of 91 goals in all competitions, a record for a calendar year. * He smashed the La Liga scoring record for one season in 2011-12 with 50 goals. * Equalled the Champions League scoring record of 71 goals set by former Real Madrid and Schalke 04 forward Raul when he struck twice against Ajax Amsterdam at the end of 2014. Has since been overtaken by current Real forward Cristiano Ronaldo. * Turned in a series of scintillating performances in 2014-15 as Barca romped to a treble of Champions League, La Liga and King`s Cup titles. * Won his eighth La Liga title and fourth Spanish Cup with Barcelona in 2015-16 Argentina * Led Argentina to the title at the 2005 World Youth Championship, scoring two penalties in a 2-1 victory over Nigeria in the final. * Made his debut for the senior side in a friendly against Hungary in August 2005 but was sent off less than a minute after coming on as a substitute for elbowing an opponent who had pulled his shirt. * Played only a bit-part role at the 2006 World Cup. Argentina were knocked out in the quarter-finals by hosts Germany after a penalty shootout. * Led Argentina to Gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. * Part of the Argentina side coached by Diego Maradona at the 2010 World Cup that was beaten 4-0 by Germany in the quarter-finals. Messi failed to score and struggled to find his best form at the tournament in South Africa. * After a season disrupted by injury, captained Argentina to the final of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where they lost 1-0 to Germany. Messi, who scored four goals at the finals, won the Golden Ball award for the tournament`s best player. * Played his second Copa America final for Argentina in Chile in 2015, losing the final on penalties to the host nation. * Scored a hat-trick in 18 minutes after coming off the bench in Argentina`s 5-0 win over Panama in the 2016 Centenary Copa America in Chicago. * Set a record of 55 goals for Argentina when he scored in the 4-0 win over the United States in the semi-finals. * Was on the losing side again after a penalty shootout defeat by Chile in the centenary final and said he was retiring from internationals. (Reuters)

Lionel Messi: A peek into the career of La Pulga

Premier&nbsp;League&nbsp;champions Leicester City and last season&#39;s runners-up Arsenal remain without a win this season after a slow-burning 0-0 draw at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.

Beaten 2-1 at promoted Hull City last weekend, Leicester avoided the ignominy of becoming the first English champions to lose their first two games since Aston Villa in 1981.

But Claudio Ranieri&#39;s side were frustrated by two unsuccessful penalty shouts -- one in each half -- and also lost full debutant Nampalys Mendy to an apparent ankle injury.

Arsenal looked far more robust than the team beaten 4-3 by Liverpool a week ago and were able to welcome back Laurent Koscielny, Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud from their post-Euro 2016 breaks.

But with the season only two games old, both Arsene Wenger&#39;s men and Leicester are already five points off the pace set by Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Hull.

Ranieri had given starts to Demarai Gray and new signings Luis Hernandez and Ahmed Musa at Hull, but he reverted to last season&#39;s formula for the visit of Arsenal, three months on from his side&#39;s title coronation.

Robert Huth returned from suspension in place of Hernandez, along with Marc Albrighton and Shinji Okazaki, and Mendy stepped into the midfield hole created by N&#39;Golo Kante&#39;s move to Chelsea.

With Arsenal dominating possession on a blustery East Midlands afternoon, it also allowed Leicester to adopt the counter-attacking formula that saw them storm the table in the first half of last season.

Arsenal were reduced to potshots, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, in for the injured Alex Iwobi, curling wide and Santi Cazorla, who replaced the hamstrung Aaron Ramsey, shooting straight at Kasper Schmeichel. 
 
The first moment of contention in the Arsenal box occurred late in the half, after Petr Cech had saved at the feet of Jamie Vardy. 
 
Musa penalty appeal&nbsp; 
 
Danny Drinkwater, following up, tumbled over Koscielny&#39;s outstretched leg, but referee Mark Clattenburg played on and despite the home fans&#39; boos, television replays vindicated his call.

Leicester suffered a setback early in the second half when Mendy had to go off after seeming to injure his right ankle, with Andy King taking his place.

But the hosts began to show greater enterprise in attack, Riyad Mahrez drawing an untidy foul from Francis Coquelin and then whipping a shot narrowly over the bar from the free-kick that followed.

With the game becoming scrappy, Ranieri introduced Leonardo Ulloa to the mix and with 20 minutes to play Vardy spurned a gilt-edged chance to break the deadlock.

Albrighton caught Granit Xhaka dawdling and sent the ball skidding into Vardy&#39;s path, but with Koscielny sliding in to close him down, the England man skewed his shot wide.

Wenger sent on Jack Wilshere, Ozil and Giroud from the bench and the visitors began to make inroads.

Theo Walcott threatened twice, forcing a save from Schmeichel and a fine, stretching block from Wes Morgan, while Alexis Sanchez teed up Ozil for an effort that drew Schmeichel racing from his line to block.

But Leicester saw a strong penalty appeal turned away late on when Hector Bellerin appeared to trip substitute Musa in a tangle of legs just inside the box, only for Clattenburg to shake his head once more. 
 
There was time for one last scare in the Arsenal box as Mahrez left Koscielny on the deck before taking aim, but Cech parried to extend his side&#39;s unbeaten run against Leicester to 22 games. 
 
(AFP)

The slow-burning match featuring last year's top two sides had two penalty shouts, both from Leicester, but both were waved off

Premier League champions Leicester City and last season's runners-up Arsenal remain without a win this season after a slow-burning 0-0 draw at the King Power Stadium on Saturday. Beaten 2-1 at promoted Hull City last weekend, Leicester avoided the ignominy of becoming the first English champions to lose their first two games since Aston Villa in 1981. But Claudio Ranieri's side were frustrated by two unsuccessful penalty shouts -- one in each half -- and also lost full debutant Nampalys Mendy to an apparent ankle injury. Arsenal looked far more robust than the team beaten 4-3 by Liverpool a week ago and were able to welcome back Laurent Koscielny, Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud from their post-Euro 2016 breaks. But with the season only two games old, both Arsene Wenger's men and Leicester are already five points off the pace set by Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Hull. Ranieri had given starts to Demarai Gray and new signings Luis Hernandez and Ahmed Musa at Hull, but he reverted to last season's formula for the visit of Arsenal, three months on from his side's title coronation. Robert Huth returned from suspension in place of Hernandez, along with Marc Albrighton and Shinji Okazaki, and Mendy stepped into the midfield hole created by N'Golo Kante's move to Chelsea. With Arsenal dominating possession on a blustery East Midlands afternoon, it also allowed Leicester to adopt the counter-attacking formula that saw them storm the table in the first half of last season. Arsenal were reduced to potshots, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, in for the injured Alex Iwobi, curling wide and Santi Cazorla, who replaced the hamstrung Aaron Ramsey, shooting straight at Kasper Schmeichel. The first moment of contention in the Arsenal box occurred late in the half, after Petr Cech had saved at the feet of Jamie Vardy. Musa penalty appeal Danny Drinkwater, following up, tumbled over Koscielny's outstretched leg, but referee Mark Clattenburg played on and despite the home fans' boos, television replays vindicated his call. Leicester suffered a setback early in the second half when Mendy had to go off after seeming to injure his right ankle, with Andy King taking his place. But the hosts began to show greater enterprise in attack, Riyad Mahrez drawing an untidy foul from Francis Coquelin and then whipping a shot narrowly over the bar from the free-kick that followed. With the game becoming scrappy, Ranieri introduced Leonardo Ulloa to the mix and with 20 minutes to play Vardy spurned a gilt-edged chance to break the deadlock. Albrighton caught Granit Xhaka dawdling and sent the ball skidding into Vardy's path, but with Koscielny sliding in to close him down, the England man skewed his shot wide. Wenger sent on Jack Wilshere, Ozil and Giroud from the bench and the visitors began to make inroads. Theo Walcott threatened twice, forcing a save from Schmeichel and a fine, stretching block from Wes Morgan, while Alexis Sanchez teed up Ozil for an effort that drew Schmeichel racing from his line to block. But Leicester saw a strong penalty appeal turned away late on when Hector Bellerin appeared to trip substitute Musa in a tangle of legs just inside the box, only for Clattenburg to shake his head once more. There was time for one last scare in the Arsenal box as Mahrez left Koscielny on the deck before taking aim, but Cech parried to extend his side's unbeaten run against Leicester to 22 games. (AFP)

Premier League: Leicester, Arsenal share spoils to open account

Inter Milan said on Monday its coach Roberto Mancini is leaving, citing a &quot;mutual agreement&quot; amid media reports the Serie A club&#39;s new Chinese owners decided fresh blood is needed to rejuvenate the team. 
 
&quot;FC Internazionale Milano confirms that it has parted company with head coach Roberto Mancini by mutual agreement,&quot; the club said in a statement 
 
Mancini is tipped in the media to be replaced by Dutch coach Frank de Boer. 
 
Corriere dello Sport and Gazzetta dello Sport reported there was a contract dispute with Mancini and that the Chinese owners, the Suning group, were furious after Inter lost 6-1 to Tottenham Hotspur in a friendly in Oslo on Thursday. 
 
Mancini had been a&nbsp;coach for two years and was under contract until 2017. He was given severance pay of 2.5 million Euros ($2.8 million) net, and will take his entire staff with him, Corriere dello Sport said. De Boer left Ajax Amsterdam at the end of last season. 
 
&quot;Inter would like to place on record its thanks to Roberto for the work carried out with the team since joining in November 2014,&quot; the club said. 
 
(AFP)

Media reports however said the Serie A club's new Chinese owners decided fresh blood was needed to rejuvenate the team

Inter Milan said on Monday its coach Roberto Mancini is leaving, citing a "mutual agreement" amid media reports the Serie A club's new Chinese owners decided fresh blood is needed to rejuvenate the team. "FC Internazionale Milano confirms that it has parted company with head coach Roberto Mancini by mutual agreement," the club said in a statement Mancini is tipped in the media to be replaced by Dutch coach Frank de Boer. Corriere dello Sport and Gazzetta dello Sport reported there was a contract dispute with Mancini and that the Chinese owners, the Suning group, were furious after Inter lost 6-1 to Tottenham Hotspur in a friendly in Oslo on Thursday. Mancini had been a coach for two years and was under contract until 2017. He was given severance pay of 2.5 million Euros ($2.8 million) net, and will take his entire staff with him, Corriere dello Sport said. De Boer left Ajax Amsterdam at the end of last season. "Inter would like to place on record its thanks to Roberto for the work carried out with the team since joining in November 2014," the club said. (AFP)

Inter Milan says coach Roberto Mancini is leaving by 'mutual agreement'

A week after England and Russia supporters clashed, and while flare-throwing and fighting have marred games elsewhere, fans of Iceland say they prefer hugs to hooliganism at Euro 2016. 
 
Having the time of their lives, Icelanders told AFP in Marseille they have come to their first ever European Championships to have fun and feel part of Europe. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m not sure life can get any better, it&#39;s historic, great to be here,&quot; Louise Ragnarsdottir told AFP on the seafront of the southern city.&nbsp;&quot;All my life I watched the tournaments on TV, now we are part of Europe&#39;s party!&quot; said the 28-year-old accountant from Reykjavik. 
 
Some 27,000 Iceland fans have travelled to France, almost 10 per cent of the Nordic island&#39;s 330,000-strong population. No smaller country has ever featured at a Euro finals. 
 
&quot;We live on a faraway island, just to go abroad at all is an experience,&quot; said Ragnarsdottir. 
 
After the Group F tie with Hungary on Saturday pockets of Iceland fans gathered in Marseille&#39;s Vieux Port district to chant &quot;Boom-Boom-Hoooo!&quot;, leaping in unison on the &quot;Hoooo!&quot;. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s our Viking song, synchronised and terrifying,&quot; laughed Arni Gardar, an IT consultant from Reykjavik. 
 
&quot;But we don&#39;t mean to be scary, we are good Vikings not marauders, actually very nice, we come in peace,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;Iceland is N-Iceland!&quot; cried another fan, Jonina Unnur Gunnarsdottir. 
 
&nbsp;&#39;Best fans yet&#39; 
 
&quot;They are the best fans we have seen yet,&quot; said Karim, a cafe owner watching the revelry on the Quai des Belges. &quot;It was different last week,&quot; he recalled. 
 
Nearly a week ago England and Russia fans conducted pitched battles in the worst violence at a football tournament since the 1998 World Cup, prompting police to respond with tear gas and baton charges. 
 
For fans of the Nordic minnows the Euro 2016 violence has been an eye-opening experience. 
 
&quot;We are a peaceful nation, we have no army, no guns, we&#39;re just not into fighting,&quot; Atli Gudmundsson told AFP. &quot;At home families go to football, no-one dreams of ever causing trouble.&quot; 
 
The 29-year-old attended the Croatia-Czech Republic tie in Saint Etienne on Friday where Croatian fans fought among themselves and lit flares, forcing a temporary stoppage in play. 
 
&quot;Torches on the pitch, fighting in the stands, that kind of thing is new to us, it was quite shocking to see,&quot; he said. 
 
&#39;Share the love&#39;&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We just want to hug people, I mean come on, just share the love,&quot; said his friend Daniel Ma&#39;sson. 
 
Hungary brought some 20,000 fans to the game in Marseille. Some scuffled with security guards before the game and threw flares on the pitch. 
 
All the tension was on the other side of the pitch,&quot; Elisabet Thorisdottir told AFP. 
 
&quot;The Hungarians were a little bit aggressive, but very passionate. We had no problem with them or anyone else.&quot; 
 
Around 10,000 Iceland fans were also in the Stade Velodrome and the two sets of fans produced a raucous atmosphere, the Scandinavians holding their own with renditions of &quot;Boom-Boom-Hoooo&quot;. 
 
And leading 1-0 with two minutes to go Iceland were on the brink of a fairytale win to follow the 1-1 draw against Cristiano Ronaldo&#39;s Portugal on their European Championships debut. 
 
Then two minutes from the end an own goal by Birkir Savarsson crushed their dreams. 
 
&quot;The Portugal 1-1 draw was like a win, but the Hungary 1-1 felt like a defeat,&quot; said Iceland fan Bjarni Mak Johanntsson. 
 
But for a country that just four years ago was ranked 131st in the world, their fans will enjoy the rest of Euro 2016 no matter whatever happens in the final group game against Austria in the Stade de France on Wednesday. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re the small guys, always overlooked,&quot; said Hdortur Bjarnason. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s just good to be noticed for once. Europe, we will be back!&quot; he said, punching the air. 
(AFP)

Almost 10% of all Icelanders have come to their first-ever European Championships to have fun

A week after England and Russia supporters clashed, and while flare-throwing and fighting have marred games elsewhere, fans of Iceland say they prefer hugs to hooliganism at Euro 2016. Having the time of their lives, Icelanders told AFP in Marseille they have come to their first ever European Championships to have fun and feel part of Europe. "I'm not sure life can get any better, it's historic, great to be here," Louise Ragnarsdottir told AFP on the seafront of the southern city. "All my life I watched the tournaments on TV, now we are part of Europe's party!" said the 28-year-old accountant from Reykjavik. Some 27,000 Iceland fans have travelled to France, almost 10 per cent of the Nordic island's 330,000-strong population. No smaller country has ever featured at a Euro finals. "We live on a faraway island, just to go abroad at all is an experience," said Ragnarsdottir. After the Group F tie with Hungary on Saturday pockets of Iceland fans gathered in Marseille's Vieux Port district to chant "Boom-Boom-Hoooo!", leaping in unison on the "Hoooo!". "It's our Viking song, synchronised and terrifying," laughed Arni Gardar, an IT consultant from Reykjavik. "But we don't mean to be scary, we are good Vikings not marauders, actually very nice, we come in peace," he said. "Iceland is N-Iceland!" cried another fan, Jonina Unnur Gunnarsdottir. 'Best fans yet' "They are the best fans we have seen yet," said Karim, a cafe owner watching the revelry on the Quai des Belges. "It was different last week," he recalled. Nearly a week ago England and Russia fans conducted pitched battles in the worst violence at a football tournament since the 1998 World Cup, prompting police to respond with tear gas and baton charges. For fans of the Nordic minnows the Euro 2016 violence has been an eye-opening experience. "We are a peaceful nation, we have no army, no guns, we're just not into fighting," Atli Gudmundsson told AFP. "At home families go to football, no-one dreams of ever causing trouble." The 29-year-old attended the Croatia-Czech Republic tie in Saint Etienne on Friday where Croatian fans fought among themselves and lit flares, forcing a temporary stoppage in play. "Torches on the pitch, fighting in the stands, that kind of thing is new to us, it was quite shocking to see," he said. 'Share the love' "We just want to hug people, I mean come on, just share the love," said his friend Daniel Ma'sson. Hungary brought some 20,000 fans to the game in Marseille. Some scuffled with security guards before the game and threw flares on the pitch. All the tension was on the other side of the pitch," Elisabet Thorisdottir told AFP. "The Hungarians were a little bit aggressive, but very passionate. We had no problem with them or anyone else." Around 10,000 Iceland fans were also in the Stade Velodrome and the two sets of fans produced a raucous atmosphere, the Scandinavians holding their own with renditions of "Boom-Boom-Hoooo". And leading 1-0 with two minutes to go Iceland were on the brink of a fairytale win to follow the 1-1 draw against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal on their European Championships debut. Then two minutes from the end an own goal by Birkir Savarsson crushed their dreams. "The Portugal 1-1 draw was like a win, but the Hungary 1-1 felt like a defeat," said Iceland fan Bjarni Mak Johanntsson. But for a country that just four years ago was ranked 131st in the world, their fans will enjoy the rest of Euro 2016 no matter whatever happens in the final group game against Austria in the Stade de France on Wednesday. "We're the small guys, always overlooked," said Hdortur Bjarnason. "It's just good to be noticed for once. Europe, we will be back!" he said, punching the air. (AFP)

'Nice' Iceland fans prefer hugs to hooliganism

Russian hooligans prepared for &quot;ultra-rapid, ultra-violent action&quot; were involved in the worst of the fighting that hit Marseille at the start of the Euro 2016 football tournament, the French city&#39;s chief prosecutor said on Monday. 
 
An Englishman in his 50s remained in a critical condition in hospital after he was assaulted, one of 35 people injured during three days of fighting involving Russian, English and French fans in Marseille&#39;s Vieux Port (Old Port). 
 
European football&#39;s governing body, UEFA, said it was &quot;disgusted&quot; by melees inside and outside the stadium in Marseille, where the English and Russian sides played on Saturday, and has threatened to expel both teams from the championship if the violence persists. 
 
&quot;There were 150 Russian supporters who in reality were hooligans,&quot; Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin told a news conference. &quot;These people were well prepared for ultra-rapid, ultra-violent action.&quot; 
 
Scenes of rival fans wielding metal bars and hurling beer bottles in street clashes in Marseille, as well as incidents in Nice, Lille and Paris, underscore the challenge football federations in Europe face in stamping out hooliganism. 
 
Further along, the Mediterranean coast from Marseille, Nice&#39;s prosecutor said violence there involving Northern Irish fans on Saturday night was instigated by remnants of the now-disbanded French fan group. 
 
England fans have said they were ambushed by squads of Russian assailants in at least one incident, though the Marseille prosecutor made clear that England supporters were responsible for some of the skirmishes in Marseille. 
 
On Monday, a Marseille court began hearing fast-track trials of 10 people held in police custody; six Britons, three French nationals and an Austrian. All were charged with violence involving a weapon, mostly against law enforcement officers. 
 
In the first cases to be heard, five England fans were sentenced to jail terms of between one and three months, while a Frenchman received a two-year term. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m truly sorry. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but I&#39;m no hooligan,&quot; English cook Alexander Booth, 20, told the judge before his two-month sentence was read out. 
 
After the weekend clashes, some Russians posted photos of themselves on social media holding stolen English supporters&#39; flags upside down, some spotted with blood, as trophies. The hooligans, who often refer to themselves as &#39;ultras&#39;, belong to an organised tradition of hooliganism which has its roots mainly around clubs in Moscow and St Petersburg. 
 
No Russians were arrested over the weekend, Robin acknowledged. Asked why not, the prosecutor said they had carried out lightning strikes which made arrests difficult and that closed-circuit television footage was still being studied. &quot;These are highly trained people,&quot; Robin said. 
 
Robin said some Russian supporters were turned back on arrival at Marseille international airport but others had arrived overland. 
 
French officials say 3,000 England football fans had been slapped with banning orders to block their travel to France due to previous offences, while only 30 Russian supporters were prevented from travelling. 
 
A spokeswoman for British Prime Minister David Cameron said his government welcomed the UEFA investigation and that it was also vital to review crowd-control methods inside stadiums. 
 
Asked whether a complaint had been made about Russian fan behaviour, she said: &quot;We have raised our concerns&quot;.

English fans say they were ambushed by Russian attackers in at least of the incidents in Marseille

Russian hooligans prepared for "ultra-rapid, ultra-violent action" were involved in the worst of the fighting that hit Marseille at the start of the Euro 2016 football tournament, the French city's chief prosecutor said on Monday. An Englishman in his 50s remained in a critical condition in hospital after he was assaulted, one of 35 people injured during three days of fighting involving Russian, English and French fans in Marseille's Vieux Port (Old Port). European football's governing body, UEFA, said it was "disgusted" by melees inside and outside the stadium in Marseille, where the English and Russian sides played on Saturday, and has threatened to expel both teams from the championship if the violence persists. "There were 150 Russian supporters who in reality were hooligans," Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin told a news conference. "These people were well prepared for ultra-rapid, ultra-violent action." Scenes of rival fans wielding metal bars and hurling beer bottles in street clashes in Marseille, as well as incidents in Nice, Lille and Paris, underscore the challenge football federations in Europe face in stamping out hooliganism. Further along, the Mediterranean coast from Marseille, Nice's prosecutor said violence there involving Northern Irish fans on Saturday night was instigated by remnants of the now-disbanded French fan group. England fans have said they were ambushed by squads of Russian assailants in at least one incident, though the Marseille prosecutor made clear that England supporters were responsible for some of the skirmishes in Marseille. On Monday, a Marseille court began hearing fast-track trials of 10 people held in police custody; six Britons, three French nationals and an Austrian. All were charged with violence involving a weapon, mostly against law enforcement officers. In the first cases to be heard, five England fans were sentenced to jail terms of between one and three months, while a Frenchman received a two-year term. "I'm truly sorry. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but I'm no hooligan," English cook Alexander Booth, 20, told the judge before his two-month sentence was read out. After the weekend clashes, some Russians posted photos of themselves on social media holding stolen English supporters' flags upside down, some spotted with blood, as trophies. The hooligans, who often refer to themselves as 'ultras', belong to an organised tradition of hooliganism which has its roots mainly around clubs in Moscow and St Petersburg. No Russians were arrested over the weekend, Robin acknowledged. Asked why not, the prosecutor said they had carried out lightning strikes which made arrests difficult and that closed-circuit television footage was still being studied. "These are highly trained people," Robin said. Robin said some Russian supporters were turned back on arrival at Marseille international airport but others had arrived overland. French officials say 3,000 England football fans had been slapped with banning orders to block their travel to France due to previous offences, while only 30 Russian supporters were prevented from travelling. A spokeswoman for British Prime Minister David Cameron said his government welcomed the UEFA investigation and that it was also vital to review crowd-control methods inside stadiums. Asked whether a complaint had been made about Russian fan behaviour, she said: "We have raised our concerns".

150 Russian hooligans ready for 'ultra-rapid' action involved in Euro 2016 violence

Seven&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;football&nbsp;fans&nbsp;beat up three Spanish tourists outside Cologne&#39;s landmark cathedral on Thursday, a police spokesman said. Six of them have been detained, he added.&nbsp;

German media said the&nbsp;Russians were returning to Moscow from the European Championship in France and that two of the Spaniards were seriously injured. 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Two of the three Spaniards are 'seriously injured'

Seven Russian football fans beat up three Spanish tourists outside Cologne's landmark cathedral on Thursday, a police spokesman said. Six of them have been detained, he added. German media said the Russians were returning to Moscow from the European Championship in France and that two of the Spaniards were seriously injured. (Reuters)

At it again, this time Russian fans attack Spanish tourists in Colonge

Leicester City&#39;s Premier League title defence got off to a terrible start as they were beaten 2-1 at promoted Hull City, who shrugged off an injury crisis to shock the champions on the opening day of the new season today. 
 
Robert Snodgrass thumped home a left-footed winner in the 57th minute after Leicester, who lost only three games last season, failed to clear their lines. Riyad Mahrez&#39;s second-half penalty for Leicester had earlier cancelled out Adama Diomande&#39;s acrobatic overhead kick. 
 
Diomande gave Hull the lead against the run of play in the first minute of first-half stoppage time, leaping in tandem with Abel Hernandez to meet Kasper Schmeichel&#39;s punched clearance from a Curtis Davies header. 
 
Mahrez responded from the penalty spot two minutes into the second half after Tom Huddlestone had clipped Demarai Gray on the edge of the area, before Snodgrass slammed home the winner, providing some respite for Hull, who had only 13 fit first-team players available. 
 
(Reuters)

Leicester City, who lost only three games last season, were beaten 2-1 by Hull City today

Leicester City's Premier League title defence got off to a terrible start as they were beaten 2-1 at promoted Hull City, who shrugged off an injury crisis to shock the champions on the opening day of the new season today. Robert Snodgrass thumped home a left-footed winner in the 57th minute after Leicester, who lost only three games last season, failed to clear their lines. Riyad Mahrez's second-half penalty for Leicester had earlier cancelled out Adama Diomande's acrobatic overhead kick. Diomande gave Hull the lead against the run of play in the first minute of first-half stoppage time, leaping in tandem with Abel Hernandez to meet Kasper Schmeichel's punched clearance from a Curtis Davies header. Mahrez responded from the penalty spot two minutes into the second half after Tom Huddlestone had clipped Demarai Gray on the edge of the area, before Snodgrass slammed home the winner, providing some respite for Hull, who had only 13 fit first-team players available. (Reuters)

Premier League: Champions Leicester stunned by Hull in season opener

Brazil fired Dunga as coach on Tuesday, the national football confederation (CBF) said, two days after his side failed to get past the group stages of the Centenary Copa America. 
 
The Brazilians drew 0-0 with Ecuador and beat Haiti 7-1 but were beaten 1-0 by Peru to exit the competition at the group stages for the first time since 1987. 
 
Dunga, who was in his second spell as Brazil coach, was fired after a meeting at the CBF in Rio de Janeiro. 
 
&quot;The Brazilian Football Confederation decided this Tuesday to dissolve the technical commission of the Brazilian national team,&quot; the CBF said in a short statement. 
 
&quot;National teams coordinator Gilmar Rinaldi, coach Dunga and their entire team will leave their posts. 
 
&quot;The CBF has began the process of choosing a new technical commission for the Brazilian team.&quot; 
 
The overwhelming favourite to become Brazil&#39;s new coach is Corinthians 55-year-old manager Tite. 
 
The new man will also be charged with leading the under-23 squad in August&#39;s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the only major tournament Brazil have never won. 
 
Tite led Sao Paulo&#39;s biggest club to Brazil&#39;s Serie A title in 2011 and 2015 as well as the Copa Libertadores and World Club Cup for the first time in 2012. 
 
Dunga had never coached until he was first hired as Brazil boss in 2006. He led them to the Copa America in Venezuela in his first major tournament the following year. 
 
He was fired in 2010, immediately after Brazil were eliminated by the Netherlands at the quarter-final stage of that year&#39;s World Cup. 
 
After coaching his boyhood club, Internacional, for a year in 2013, Dunga was a surprise choice to replace Luiz Felipe Scolari after Brazil&#39;s humiliating 7-1 loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup. 
 
Dunga, who was captain of Brazil&#39;s 1994 World Cup winning side, was given the task of revamping the national set-up but his defensive style of play and curt manner won him few fans. 
 
Led by Barcelona striker Neymar, Brazil performed well in friendlies, but were knocked out of the 2015 Copa America at the quarter-final stage by Paraguay and, without several first-team players, they were poor again at this year&#39;s tournament in the United States.One of the main priorities for the new boss will be ensuring Brazil qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. After a poor start, Brazil sit in sixth place in the South American qualifying group. 
 
The top four teams qualify automatically for the tournament and the fifth-placed side enter an inter-continental playoff.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

This is the first time in 30 years that the South American powerhouse hasn't got past the first round

Brazil fired Dunga as coach on Tuesday, the national football confederation (CBF) said, two days after his side failed to get past the group stages of the Centenary Copa America. The Brazilians drew 0-0 with Ecuador and beat Haiti 7-1 but were beaten 1-0 by Peru to exit the competition at the group stages for the first time since 1987. Dunga, who was in his second spell as Brazil coach, was fired after a meeting at the CBF in Rio de Janeiro. "The Brazilian Football Confederation decided this Tuesday to dissolve the technical commission of the Brazilian national team," the CBF said in a short statement. "National teams coordinator Gilmar Rinaldi, coach Dunga and their entire team will leave their posts. "The CBF has began the process of choosing a new technical commission for the Brazilian team." The overwhelming favourite to become Brazil's new coach is Corinthians 55-year-old manager Tite. The new man will also be charged with leading the under-23 squad in August's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the only major tournament Brazil have never won. Tite led Sao Paulo's biggest club to Brazil's Serie A title in 2011 and 2015 as well as the Copa Libertadores and World Club Cup for the first time in 2012. Dunga had never coached until he was first hired as Brazil boss in 2006. He led them to the Copa America in Venezuela in his first major tournament the following year. He was fired in 2010, immediately after Brazil were eliminated by the Netherlands at the quarter-final stage of that year's World Cup. After coaching his boyhood club, Internacional, for a year in 2013, Dunga was a surprise choice to replace Luiz Felipe Scolari after Brazil's humiliating 7-1 loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup. Dunga, who was captain of Brazil's 1994 World Cup winning side, was given the task of revamping the national set-up but his defensive style of play and curt manner won him few fans. Led by Barcelona striker Neymar, Brazil performed well in friendlies, but were knocked out of the 2015 Copa America at the quarter-final stage by Paraguay and, without several first-team players, they were poor again at this year's tournament in the United States.One of the main priorities for the new boss will be ensuring Brazil qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. After a poor start, Brazil sit in sixth place in the South American qualifying group. The top four teams qualify automatically for the tournament and the fifth-placed side enter an inter-continental playoff. (Reuters)

Dunga gets the sack after Brazil fail to get past group stage

The sight of Welsh players bringing kids on to the pitch after their quarter-final victory over Belgium at the European Championship last week may have warmed the hearts of millions around the world, but for the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) it appears to have been a step too far. 
 
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, tournament director Martin Kallen sought to bring a bit of harsh reality to the elite tournament.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;This is not about pitch condition, the question is how far do you go with having other people on the pitch?&quot;, he said. 
 
&quot;We are not 100 per cent against it but we are cautious. It&#39;s nice pictures, it&#39;s always cute but a stadium is not the safest place for small kids.&quot; 
 
The Welsh team, who play Portugal on Wednesday in Lyon for a place in the final, have been built on their own tournament motto &quot;Together. Stronger&quot; - playing like it on the pitch and enjoying themselves with their families off it at their Brittany training camp.&nbsp; 
 
The scenes of talisman Gareth Bale lifting his daughter Alba Violet at the Parc des Princes after the Northern Ireland match, or full back Neil Taylor grasping his children&#39;s soft toys following the 3-1 victory over Belgium in Lille, have brought a touch of humanity to the sometimes too serious world of soccer. 
 
&quot;UEFA&#39;s frowning on it unfortunately because it&#39;s encroachment on the pitch,&quot; David Griffiths, the president of the Welsh Football Association, was quoted as saying in British media. &quot;But the team is run like a family and the boys have been together for so long.&quot; 
 
Officially, only people with specific accreditation can join the players on the grass, but with a place in the final at stake there is no guarantee UEFA will be able to stop any of the winning teams&#39; families from again breaking the taboo.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;It is getting more and more a habit that entire family members would like to go on the pitch or into the technical area,&quot; Kallen told reporters.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

Association opposes families celebrating on the field, what others see as a touch of humanity in the sometimes too serious world of soccer

The sight of Welsh players bringing kids on to the pitch after their quarter-final victory over Belgium at the European Championship last week may have warmed the hearts of millions around the world, but for the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) it appears to have been a step too far. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, tournament director Martin Kallen sought to bring a bit of harsh reality to the elite tournament. "This is not about pitch condition, the question is how far do you go with having other people on the pitch?", he said. "We are not 100 per cent against it but we are cautious. It's nice pictures, it's always cute but a stadium is not the safest place for small kids." The Welsh team, who play Portugal on Wednesday in Lyon for a place in the final, have been built on their own tournament motto "Together. Stronger" - playing like it on the pitch and enjoying themselves with their families off it at their Brittany training camp. The scenes of talisman Gareth Bale lifting his daughter Alba Violet at the Parc des Princes after the Northern Ireland match, or full back Neil Taylor grasping his children's soft toys following the 3-1 victory over Belgium in Lille, have brought a touch of humanity to the sometimes too serious world of soccer. "UEFA's frowning on it unfortunately because it's encroachment on the pitch," David Griffiths, the president of the Welsh Football Association, was quoted as saying in British media. "But the team is run like a family and the boys have been together for so long." Officially, only people with specific accreditation can join the players on the grass, but with a place in the final at stake there is no guarantee UEFA will be able to stop any of the winning teams' families from again breaking the taboo. "It is getting more and more a habit that entire family members would like to go on the pitch or into the technical area," Kallen told reporters. (Reuters)

UEFA tells Wales to keep their children off the pitch

Tottenham Hotspur will unveil Vincent Janssen as their new striker today after a 22 million Euro ($24.46 million) move from AZ Alkmaar, Dutch media said. 
 
According to a report, the 22-year-old Dutch international has signed a four-year contract with an option for two more years at White Hart Lane and will earn between 10 and 15 million Euros in four years. 
 
AZ agreed the move with the London club last week and personal terms and a medical have now also been completed, the daily De Telegraaf said. 
 
AZ paid 400,000 Euros to Almere City for Janssen&rsquo;s services last year. He had played at the second division team after failing to make the grade at Feyenoord. 
 
Janssen scored for the Netherlands in his second international cap against England at Wembley in March and now has three goals in five appearances. 
 
(Reuters)

Vincent Janssen has signed a four-year contract with an option for two more years at White Hart Lane

Tottenham Hotspur will unveil Vincent Janssen as their new striker today after a 22 million Euro ($24.46 million) move from AZ Alkmaar, Dutch media said. According to a report, the 22-year-old Dutch international has signed a four-year contract with an option for two more years at White Hart Lane and will earn between 10 and 15 million Euros in four years. AZ agreed the move with the London club last week and personal terms and a medical have now also been completed, the daily De Telegraaf said. AZ paid 400,000 Euros to Almere City for Janssen’s services last year. He had played at the second division team after failing to make the grade at Feyenoord. Janssen scored for the Netherlands in his second international cap against England at Wembley in March and now has three goals in five appearances. (Reuters)

Spurs to unveil Janssen as new signing today: report

Germany captain Bastian Schweinsteiger today announced his retirement from international duty with immediate effect. The 31-year-old Manchester United midfielder, who won his 120th and final cap in Germany&#39;s 2-0 defeat to France in the semi-finals of Euro 2016, revealed the news on his official Twitter account. 
 
He retires from die Mannschaft with his Old Trafford future in the balance having reportedly been told by United&#39;s new coach Jose Mourinho that he is one of nine players free to leave the club. Schweinsteiger still has two years left to run on his United contract. 
 
A knee injury in January flared up again in March, restricting him to just a handful of matches before he played at the European championships, netting a goal on his return against Ukraine in Germany&#39;s opening pool game. The defensive midfielder said now was the right time to retire from the national team ahead of Germany&#39;s first qualifier for the 2018 World Cup against Norway on September 9, four days after a home friendly against Finland. 
 
&quot;I have just told the national head coach (Joachim Loew) to no longer consider me for selection in the future, as I would like to retire,&quot; wrote Schweinsteiger. &quot;I would like to thank the fans, the team, the German Football Association and the coaches. In 120 internationals, I have been allowed to run out for my country and experience moments which were indescribably beautiful and successful.&quot; 
 
Schweinsteiger&#39;s finest moment in the famous white shirt was his battling performance in the 2014 World Cup final in Rio. He absorbed everything the Argentina midfield threw at him to help Germany secure a 1-0 extra-time victory as Mario Goetze&#39;s winning goal gave die Mannschaft a fourth title. &quot;Winning the 2014 World Cup was a historic and emotional moment for us, which will not be repeated again in my career,&quot; said Schweinsteiger. &quot;Therefore, it is the right time and sensible to finish now, and to wish the national team all the best for the qualifying stage and the 2018 World Cup. Finally, I just want to say to our fans, &#39;it was an honour to have been able to play for you, many thanks for everything that I was able to experience with you.&#39;&quot; 
 
Schweinsteiger said that he regrets Germany&#39;s Euro 2016 exit to France, as Antoine Griezmann netted twice in the hosts&#39; 2-0 semi-final win in Marseille, before losing the final 1-0 to Portugal in Paris. &quot;Jogi Loew knew what the Euro 2016 in France meant to me, the title I absolutely wanted to win, which hadn&#39;t been brought to Germany since 1996. &quot;It wasn&#39;t meant to be and I have to accept that.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

The defensive midfielder said now was the right time to retire from the national team, before Germany's first 2018 World Cup qualifier

Germany captain Bastian Schweinsteiger today announced his retirement from international duty with immediate effect. The 31-year-old Manchester United midfielder, who won his 120th and final cap in Germany's 2-0 defeat to France in the semi-finals of Euro 2016, revealed the news on his official Twitter account. He retires from die Mannschaft with his Old Trafford future in the balance having reportedly been told by United's new coach Jose Mourinho that he is one of nine players free to leave the club. Schweinsteiger still has two years left to run on his United contract. A knee injury in January flared up again in March, restricting him to just a handful of matches before he played at the European championships, netting a goal on his return against Ukraine in Germany's opening pool game. The defensive midfielder said now was the right time to retire from the national team ahead of Germany's first qualifier for the 2018 World Cup against Norway on September 9, four days after a home friendly against Finland. "I have just told the national head coach (Joachim Loew) to no longer consider me for selection in the future, as I would like to retire," wrote Schweinsteiger. "I would like to thank the fans, the team, the German Football Association and the coaches. In 120 internationals, I have been allowed to run out for my country and experience moments which were indescribably beautiful and successful." Schweinsteiger's finest moment in the famous white shirt was his battling performance in the 2014 World Cup final in Rio. He absorbed everything the Argentina midfield threw at him to help Germany secure a 1-0 extra-time victory as Mario Goetze's winning goal gave die Mannschaft a fourth title. "Winning the 2014 World Cup was a historic and emotional moment for us, which will not be repeated again in my career," said Schweinsteiger. "Therefore, it is the right time and sensible to finish now, and to wish the national team all the best for the qualifying stage and the 2018 World Cup. Finally, I just want to say to our fans, 'it was an honour to have been able to play for you, many thanks for everything that I was able to experience with you.'" Schweinsteiger said that he regrets Germany's Euro 2016 exit to France, as Antoine Griezmann netted twice in the hosts' 2-0 semi-final win in Marseille, before losing the final 1-0 to Portugal in Paris. "Jogi Loew knew what the Euro 2016 in France meant to me, the title I absolutely wanted to win, which hadn't been brought to Germany since 1996. "It wasn't meant to be and I have to accept that." (AFP)

Bastian Schweinsteiger retires from Germany duty

The arrival of old adversaries Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola into the respective Manchester United and Manchester City hotseats has made Saturday&#39;s Old Trafford derby one of the most eagerly-anticipated for years. 
 
Unprecedented global viewing figures are expected for the lunchtime (5 pm India time) clash, 900 million by some estimates, while the starting line-ups are expected to be the most costly in the history of the sport. 
 
Despite all the hype, however, the match will do well to live up to some of the Manchester derby tussles down the years. 
 
Here are five of the most memorable: 
 
April 1974 - Man United 0 Man City 1 
 
One of the most talked-about derbies ever. Former United great Denis Law decided the match with a backheel but he refused to celebrate in front of the Old Trafford faithful, thinking his goal had condemned United to relegation from the top flight. 
 
A pitch invasion meant the game was not completed but the result stood, although as it turned out United would have gone down anyway. Law, who scored 237 goals in 404 appearances for United, was draped in a United scarf by a fan soon after scoring and never played another league game for City. 
 
September 2009 - Man United 4 Man City 3 
 
Regarded as the most exciting derby ever, United were pegged back three times by big-spending City before Michael Owen scored a 96th-minute winner to spark delirium in the stands. 
 
City, with a 100 million pounds worth of summer signings including former United striker Carlos Tevez, in their ranks were upwardly mobile with the new Abu Dhabi owners&#39; investing heavily on dragging the club out of United&#39;s shadow. 
 
Wayne Rooney put United ahead inside two minutes before Gareth Barry levelled for Mark Hughes&#39;s side. Darren Fletcher then headed home but Craig Bellamy levelled again. 
 
Bellamy cancelled out another Fletcher goal in the final minute but as City searched for a winner United broke and Ryan Giggs&#39;s superb through ball found Owen who scored an unforgettable stoppage-time winner. 
 
Hughes was sacked two months later and replaced by Roberto Mancini who eventually delivered the Premier League title. 
 
October 2011 - Man United 1 Man City 6 
 
A landmark early-season victory for City who delivered the ultimate slap in the face to their rivals by inflicting their worst home defeat since 1955, leaving United manager Alex Ferguson to rue his &quot;worst ever day&quot; in charge. 
 
Mancini&#39;s side, who went on to snatch United&#39;s title on an epic final day of the season, were leading with Mario Balotelli goals either side of the interval and went on the rampage after United had Jonny Evans sent off. 
 
Edin Dzeko also scored twice as the club Ferguson derided as &quot;noisy neighbours&quot; offered emphatic evidence of a shift in power in Britain&#39;s north west. 
 
November 1993 - Man City 2 Man United 3 
 
United talisman Eric Cantona often proved a thorn in City&#39;s side, scoring eight times in seven meetings, and so it proved again in a topsy-turvy clash at Maine Road. 
 
United were smarting from a midweek Champions League exit against Galatasaray and things looked to be going from bad to worse when, against the run of play, Niall Quinn scored twice past Peter Schmeichel to give City a 2-0 halftime lead. 
 
Mark Hughes was lucky not to receive a red card for United but they hit back with Cantona halving the deficit and levelling from a Ryan Giggs cross after 78 minutes. 
 
Roy Keane arrived at the far post to turn in a late winner. 
 
April 2001 - Man United 1 Man City 1 
 
If any derby encapsulated the passions aroused by the fixture, this late-season offering was it. A messy game would not have stood out long in the memory but for an awful, and now infamous, knee-high assault by Roy Keane on Alf-Inge Haaland. 
 
A long-running feud between the pair, stemming from when Haaland accused Keane of feigning injury while the Norwegian played for Leeds in 1997, boiled over when Keane produced a lunged in wildly with a tackle that left Haaland in a heap. 
 
Keane, who was banned for three games, later admitted in his autobiography it had been a pre-meditated attack, saying he had &quot;waited long enough&quot;. 
 
(Reuters)

Saturday's Old Trafford derby is one of the most eagerly-anticipated, but before that we look back at five other memorable ManU-ManC clashes

The arrival of old adversaries Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola into the respective Manchester United and Manchester City hotseats has made Saturday's Old Trafford derby one of the most eagerly-anticipated for years. Unprecedented global viewing figures are expected for the lunchtime (5 pm India time) clash, 900 million by some estimates, while the starting line-ups are expected to be the most costly in the history of the sport. Despite all the hype, however, the match will do well to live up to some of the Manchester derby tussles down the years. Here are five of the most memorable: April 1974 - Man United 0 Man City 1 One of the most talked-about derbies ever. Former United great Denis Law decided the match with a backheel but he refused to celebrate in front of the Old Trafford faithful, thinking his goal had condemned United to relegation from the top flight. A pitch invasion meant the game was not completed but the result stood, although as it turned out United would have gone down anyway. Law, who scored 237 goals in 404 appearances for United, was draped in a United scarf by a fan soon after scoring and never played another league game for City. September 2009 - Man United 4 Man City 3 Regarded as the most exciting derby ever, United were pegged back three times by big-spending City before Michael Owen scored a 96th-minute winner to spark delirium in the stands. City, with a 100 million pounds worth of summer signings including former United striker Carlos Tevez, in their ranks were upwardly mobile with the new Abu Dhabi owners' investing heavily on dragging the club out of United's shadow. Wayne Rooney put United ahead inside two minutes before Gareth Barry levelled for Mark Hughes's side. Darren Fletcher then headed home but Craig Bellamy levelled again. Bellamy cancelled out another Fletcher goal in the final minute but as City searched for a winner United broke and Ryan Giggs's superb through ball found Owen who scored an unforgettable stoppage-time winner. Hughes was sacked two months later and replaced by Roberto Mancini who eventually delivered the Premier League title. October 2011 - Man United 1 Man City 6 A landmark early-season victory for City who delivered the ultimate slap in the face to their rivals by inflicting their worst home defeat since 1955, leaving United manager Alex Ferguson to rue his "worst ever day" in charge. Mancini's side, who went on to snatch United's title on an epic final day of the season, were leading with Mario Balotelli goals either side of the interval and went on the rampage after United had Jonny Evans sent off. Edin Dzeko also scored twice as the club Ferguson derided as "noisy neighbours" offered emphatic evidence of a shift in power in Britain's north west. November 1993 - Man City 2 Man United 3 United talisman Eric Cantona often proved a thorn in City's side, scoring eight times in seven meetings, and so it proved again in a topsy-turvy clash at Maine Road. United were smarting from a midweek Champions League exit against Galatasaray and things looked to be going from bad to worse when, against the run of play, Niall Quinn scored twice past Peter Schmeichel to give City a 2-0 halftime lead. Mark Hughes was lucky not to receive a red card for United but they hit back with Cantona halving the deficit and levelling from a Ryan Giggs cross after 78 minutes. Roy Keane arrived at the far post to turn in a late winner. April 2001 - Man United 1 Man City 1 If any derby encapsulated the passions aroused by the fixture, this late-season offering was it. A messy game would not have stood out long in the memory but for an awful, and now infamous, knee-high assault by Roy Keane on Alf-Inge Haaland. A long-running feud between the pair, stemming from when Haaland accused Keane of feigning injury while the Norwegian played for Leeds in 1997, boiled over when Keane produced a lunged in wildly with a tackle that left Haaland in a heap. Keane, who was banned for three games, later admitted in his autobiography it had been a pre-meditated attack, saying he had "waited long enough". (Reuters)

Manchester United vs Manchester City: Five memorable derbies

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and ex-secretary general Jerome Valcke, already banned from football for ethics violations, are facing a fresh investigation over the salaries and bonuses they received in office. 
 
In a separate decision, former FIFA vice-president Jeffrey Webb was given a life ban from any soccer-related activity and fined one million Swiss francs ($1.02 million). 
 
FIFA&#39;s ethics committee said its investigators had opened formal proceedings against both Blatter and Valcke, along with former finance director Markus Kattner, for possible ethics violations which included bribery and corruption. 
 
The suspected violations were &quot;in the context of salaries and bonuses paid to Mr Blatter, Mr Valcke and Mr Kattner as well as other provisions included in the contracts of these three individuals,&quot; it said. 
 
They are also suspected of having breached rules on general conduct, loyalty, conflicts of interest and &quot;offering and accepting gifts and other benefits.&quot; 
 
Valcke&#39;s lawyer declined comment while Blatter and Kattner could not immediately be reached although they have previously denied wrongdoing. 
 
Blatter has said his earnings were in line with top officials from professional sports leagues around the world. 
 
Soccer&#39;s global governing body is attempting to recover from the worst graft scandal in its history which has seen 42 people, including former FIFA executive committee members, indicted in the United States since May last year. 
 
Criminal investigations are also under way in Switzerland, where FIFA has its headquarters. 
 
Those 42 include Webb, ex-president of the confederation covering North and Central America and the Caribbean, who has pleaded guilty in the United States to offences linked to racketeering, fraud and money laundering. 
 
FIFA&#39;s ethics committee has conducted its own investigation into the Cayman Islander and announced on Friday that was guilty of breaking ethics violations, including bribery and corruption. 
 
FIFA said in June that an internal investigation revealed that the three officials had received 79 million Swiss francs ($81 million) in compensation over five years, calling them &quot;massive payouts&quot;. 
 
FIFA&#39;s lawyers Quinn Emanuel, which conducted the investigation, said the evidence revealed a coordinated effort by the three to &quot;enrich themselves through annual salary increases, World Cup bonuses and other incentives.&quot; 
 
Blatter, 80, who led FIFA from 1998 until 2015, has already been banned for eight years, later to reduced to six following an appeal. 
 
The ban was imposed for ethics violations related to a payment of 2 million Swiss francs that FIFA made to then European soccer boss Michel Platini with Blatter&#39;s approval in 2011 for work done a decade earlier. 
 
He has appealed to sport&#39;s highest tribunal, the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and is awaiting a verdict. 
 
Valcke was fired in January and has since been banned for 12 years, reduced to 10 on appeal, for ethics violations which included using FIFA expenses for sightseeing trips and destruction of evidence. 
 
Kattner, who took over as acting secretary general after Valcke&#39;s dismissal, was fired by FIFA in May. ($1 = 0.9735 Swiss francs) 
 
(Reuters)

The possible ethics violations include bribery and corruption

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and ex-secretary general Jerome Valcke, already banned from football for ethics violations, are facing a fresh investigation over the salaries and bonuses they received in office. In a separate decision, former FIFA vice-president Jeffrey Webb was given a life ban from any soccer-related activity and fined one million Swiss francs ($1.02 million). FIFA's ethics committee said its investigators had opened formal proceedings against both Blatter and Valcke, along with former finance director Markus Kattner, for possible ethics violations which included bribery and corruption. The suspected violations were "in the context of salaries and bonuses paid to Mr Blatter, Mr Valcke and Mr Kattner as well as other provisions included in the contracts of these three individuals," it said. They are also suspected of having breached rules on general conduct, loyalty, conflicts of interest and "offering and accepting gifts and other benefits." Valcke's lawyer declined comment while Blatter and Kattner could not immediately be reached although they have previously denied wrongdoing. Blatter has said his earnings were in line with top officials from professional sports leagues around the world. Soccer's global governing body is attempting to recover from the worst graft scandal in its history which has seen 42 people, including former FIFA executive committee members, indicted in the United States since May last year. Criminal investigations are also under way in Switzerland, where FIFA has its headquarters. Those 42 include Webb, ex-president of the confederation covering North and Central America and the Caribbean, who has pleaded guilty in the United States to offences linked to racketeering, fraud and money laundering. FIFA's ethics committee has conducted its own investigation into the Cayman Islander and announced on Friday that was guilty of breaking ethics violations, including bribery and corruption. FIFA said in June that an internal investigation revealed that the three officials had received 79 million Swiss francs ($81 million) in compensation over five years, calling them "massive payouts". FIFA's lawyers Quinn Emanuel, which conducted the investigation, said the evidence revealed a coordinated effort by the three to "enrich themselves through annual salary increases, World Cup bonuses and other incentives." Blatter, 80, who led FIFA from 1998 until 2015, has already been banned for eight years, later to reduced to six following an appeal. The ban was imposed for ethics violations related to a payment of 2 million Swiss francs that FIFA made to then European soccer boss Michel Platini with Blatter's approval in 2011 for work done a decade earlier. He has appealed to sport's highest tribunal, the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and is awaiting a verdict. Valcke was fired in January and has since been banned for 12 years, reduced to 10 on appeal, for ethics violations which included using FIFA expenses for sightseeing trips and destruction of evidence. Kattner, who took over as acting secretary general after Valcke's dismissal, was fired by FIFA in May. ($1 = 0.9735 Swiss francs) (Reuters)

Blatter and two others facing FIFA investigation over salaries

Iceland&#39;s footballers received a heroes welcome on returning home on Monday following their astonishing run to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals in France. 
 
Their plane flew low over the capital Reykjavik before landing at Keflavik airport where the local fire services gave them a fire hose guard of honour with shooting water creating a rainbow. 
 
Striker Kolbeinn Sigthorsson, who scored a consolation goal in the crushing 5-2 defeat to the hosts at the Stade de France on Sunday, said he was happy to be home. 
 
&quot;It was a dream come true to get that support,&quot; he said of the estimated 30,000 fans - some 10 per cent of the population - who followed the nation to France. 
 
&quot;We experienced something simply wonderful, it was a dream come true and we are proud to have brought such cheer to our country,&quot; he said, adding that the friendly behaviour of the fans had done the country proud. 
 
The players were then paraded through the streets of the capital on a double decker bus in the direction of Arnarholl Park, to celebrate with their fans and sing the famous huh - the Viking war chant - which is actually Scottish, punctuated by hand clapping. 
 
&quot;Fairy tales still exist! It&#39;s rare - if indeed this has ever happened - to unite us Icelanders as you did on the football pitch,&quot; Prime Minister Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson told the team in downtown Reykjavik, to the resounding cheers of tens of thousands of supporters. 
 
&quot;You are a national treasure!&quot; he added as fans waved flags and team jerseys, and children held aloft cards with their favourite players. 
 
To the delight of the crowd, the heroes of the day sang the huh watched emotionally by Swedish coach Lars Lagerback who hailed a &quot;team performance&quot; and confided he felt &quot;at home&quot; whenever he was in Iceland. 
 
Many present had also followed the team to France. &quot;They react with pride even after defeat. They did not give up, they did not stop, they return as heroes,&quot; said August Ingi Kristjansson, a 23-year-old who was present in Stade de France on Sunday. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m just so proud!&quot; added Sverrir Gardarsson. &quot;What will happen next? We will rule the world!&quot; 
 
Iceland drew with Hungary and Portugal, then beat Austria to book a last-16 place, where they then defeated England 2-1 to set up a quarter-final with France. 
 
(AFP)

The team plane landed at Keflavik airport where the local fire services gave them a fire hose guard of honour with shooting water

Iceland's footballers received a heroes welcome on returning home on Monday following their astonishing run to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals in France. Their plane flew low over the capital Reykjavik before landing at Keflavik airport where the local fire services gave them a fire hose guard of honour with shooting water creating a rainbow. Striker Kolbeinn Sigthorsson, who scored a consolation goal in the crushing 5-2 defeat to the hosts at the Stade de France on Sunday, said he was happy to be home. "It was a dream come true to get that support," he said of the estimated 30,000 fans - some 10 per cent of the population - who followed the nation to France. "We experienced something simply wonderful, it was a dream come true and we are proud to have brought such cheer to our country," he said, adding that the friendly behaviour of the fans had done the country proud. The players were then paraded through the streets of the capital on a double decker bus in the direction of Arnarholl Park, to celebrate with their fans and sing the famous huh - the Viking war chant - which is actually Scottish, punctuated by hand clapping. "Fairy tales still exist! It's rare - if indeed this has ever happened - to unite us Icelanders as you did on the football pitch," Prime Minister Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson told the team in downtown Reykjavik, to the resounding cheers of tens of thousands of supporters. "You are a national treasure!" he added as fans waved flags and team jerseys, and children held aloft cards with their favourite players. To the delight of the crowd, the heroes of the day sang the huh watched emotionally by Swedish coach Lars Lagerback who hailed a "team performance" and confided he felt "at home" whenever he was in Iceland. Many present had also followed the team to France. "They react with pride even after defeat. They did not give up, they did not stop, they return as heroes," said August Ingi Kristjansson, a 23-year-old who was present in Stade de France on Sunday. "I'm just so proud!" added Sverrir Gardarsson. "What will happen next? We will rule the world!" Iceland drew with Hungary and Portugal, then beat Austria to book a last-16 place, where they then defeated England 2-1 to set up a quarter-final with France. (AFP)

Euro 2016: Iceland returns home to cheering crowds and Viking war chants

Jose Mourinho was unveiled as the new Manchester United manager on Tuesday, insisting he was a winner who aims to return the club to its traditional position of dominance. 
 
The 53-year-old former Chelsea, Real Madrid and Inter Milan coach said he did not want the players to think improving on last season&#39;s fifth place would be sufficient. 
 
&quot;For United fans, for many years, success was just routine. In the last three years, I want to forget,&quot; the Portuguese manager told reporters at Old Trafford. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t want the players to think we need to do better. What is to do better? Finish fourth. Finishing fourth is not the aim. We want to win. 
 
&quot;I want everything. I want to win matches, I want to play well. I want to score goals, I don&#39;t want to concede goals. I want everything.&quot; 
 
Mourinho&#39;s first game in charge will be a friendly against Borussia Dortmund in the International Champions Cup at Shanghai Stadium on July 22. United&#39;s first Premier League game is at Bournemouth on August 13. 
 
(Reuters)

Jose Mourinho was unveiled as the new Manchester United manager on Tuesday, insisting he was a winner who aims to return the club to its traditional position of dominance. The 53-year-old former Chelsea, Real Madrid and Inter Milan coach said he did not want the players to think improving on last season's fifth place would be sufficient. "For United fans, for many years, success was just routine. In the last three years, I want to forget," the Portuguese manager told reporters at Old Trafford. "I don't want the players to think we need to do better. What is to do better? Finish fourth. Finishing fourth is not the aim. We want to win. "I want everything. I want to win matches, I want to play well. I want to score goals, I don't want to concede goals. I want everything." Mourinho's first game in charge will be a friendly against Borussia Dortmund in the International Champions Cup at Shanghai Stadium on July 22. United's first Premier League game is at Bournemouth on August 13. (Reuters)

Mourinho is unveiled at ManU, he insists he is a winner

Swansea City striker Bafetimbi Gomis has joined French side Olympique de Marseille on a season-long loan, the two clubs said on today. 
 
The 30-year-old will return to Ligue 1 having begun his career at St Etienne. 
 
He joined Swansea on a free transfer in 2014 following six years at Olympique Lyonnais. 
 
&quot;Today is an important day in my career,&quot; Gomis said on Instagram. 
 
&quot;I am proud to wear to wear the colours of Olympique de Marseille. One of the great clubs in the French League.&quot; 
 
Gomis enjoyed mixed fortunes at Swansea. He scored 17 goals in 71 games, but frequently flattered to deceive. 
 
He arrived at the Liberty Stadium boasting an impressive scoring record at Lyon and brought physicality to the Swansea frontline. 
 
The France international was expected to become a focal point in the Welsh club&#39;s attack when striker Wilfried Bony left to join Manchester City in January, 2015 but his form remained patchy. 
 
He scored four goals in his first four league games last season, but managed just two more in the remainder of the campaign. 
 
(Reuters)

Bafetimbi Gomis joined Swansea City on a free transfer in 2014 following six years at Olympique Lyonnais

Swansea City striker Bafetimbi Gomis has joined French side Olympique de Marseille on a season-long loan, the two clubs said on today. The 30-year-old will return to Ligue 1 having begun his career at St Etienne. He joined Swansea on a free transfer in 2014 following six years at Olympique Lyonnais. "Today is an important day in my career," Gomis said on Instagram. "I am proud to wear to wear the colours of Olympique de Marseille. One of the great clubs in the French League." Gomis enjoyed mixed fortunes at Swansea. He scored 17 goals in 71 games, but frequently flattered to deceive. He arrived at the Liberty Stadium boasting an impressive scoring record at Lyon and brought physicality to the Swansea frontline. The France international was expected to become a focal point in the Welsh club's attack when striker Wilfried Bony left to join Manchester City in January, 2015 but his form remained patchy. He scored four goals in his first four league games last season, but managed just two more in the remainder of the campaign. (Reuters)

Swansea's Gomis joins Marseille on loan

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney admits the arrival of Jose Mourinho has given him added motivation for the season ahead. 
 
Former Chelsea boss Mourinho has suggested he preferred to play Rooney in a more attacking role, rather than see him pull strings from midfield as he did under predecessor Louis van Gaal. 
 
Rooney will be looking to forge a formidable strike partnership with new signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic, after a dearth of goals under the Dutchman last season. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m really excited to be working with Jose this season,&quot; the 30-year-old told the club&#39;s official magazine. 
 
&quot;He&#39;s one of the best managers in the world and it&#39;s an exciting time for Manchester United.&nbsp;I&#39;ve always respected him both as a man and a manager.&nbsp;I like to think I&#39;m always motivated as a player, but I&#39;d be lying if I said I wasn&#39;t a bit more motivated when a new manager comes in.&nbsp;He&#39;ll bring all these qualities with him and I&#39;m sure he&#39;ll have his own ideas, but one of the biggest assets will be his experience.&quot; 
 
United begin their Premier League campaign with a trip to Bournemouth on August 14. 
 
(Reuters)

Former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has suggested he'll play Rooney in a more exciting, attacking role

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney admits the arrival of Jose Mourinho has given him added motivation for the season ahead. Former Chelsea boss Mourinho has suggested he preferred to play Rooney in a more attacking role, rather than see him pull strings from midfield as he did under predecessor Louis van Gaal. Rooney will be looking to forge a formidable strike partnership with new signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic, after a dearth of goals under the Dutchman last season. "I'm really excited to be working with Jose this season," the 30-year-old told the club's official magazine. "He's one of the best managers in the world and it's an exciting time for Manchester United. I've always respected him both as a man and a manager. I like to think I'm always motivated as a player, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit more motivated when a new manager comes in. He'll bring all these qualities with him and I'm sure he'll have his own ideas, but one of the biggest assets will be his experience." United begin their Premier League campaign with a trip to Bournemouth on August 14. (Reuters)

Rooney looks forward to playing under new manager and alongside Ibrahimovic

Sergio Aguero and other Argentina players could follow the lead of captain Lionel Messi and retire from international football after losing the final of the Copa America on penalties to Chile for the second straight year. 
 
The 29-year-old Messi, who sent his spot-kick in the penalty shootout over the bar, announced his decision shortly after the title game in New Jersey on Sunday. 
 
&quot;The likelihood is that Messi is not the only one that will leave the national team,&quot; said Aguero, who lost his third final with Argentina, as told to Ole newspaper. 
 
&quot;There are several players like me that are evaluating whether or not to continue.&quot; 
 
The Manchester City forward, who replaced Gonzalo Higuain in the 70th minute, was hugely disappointed after Argentina failed to end their 23-year trophy drought at senior level. 
 
&quot;One doesn&#39;t want to think about it but at times, there are things that happen and the thought (of retiring) comes into your mind,&quot; said Aguero, who won an Olympic gold in 2008. 
 
&quot;Afterwards, it&#39;s difficult to get it out.&quot; 
 
Aguero has played for Argentina&#39;s senior side since September, 2006 and empathised with Messi, a five times World Player of the Year. 
 
&quot;Unfortunately, the one that leaves most affected is Leo Messi after his penalty miss,&quot; the 28-year-old Aguero said. &quot;This is the worst that I&#39;ve seen him in the changing room. 
 
&quot;We are all affected and we will try to think about something else and move forward. Again, luck was not on our side.&quot; 
 
Argentina&#39;s starting goalkeeper Sergio Romero hoped that Messi will reconsider his decision. 
 
Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, who saved Lucas Biglia&#39;s penalty before Francisco Silva scored the crucial spot-kick to help his country retain the Copa, had praise for his Barcelona teammate Messi. 
 
&quot;In my opinion, he is the best player in the world and in history,&quot; Bravo told Marca. &quot;They have to enjoy him, value him and understand him. 
 
&quot;This is a team work, when you win, everyone wins, and when you lose, everyone loses. We had some criticism directed at Chilean players in our first few games (of the Copa America). 
 
&quot;Football is a team sport.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Lionel Messi announced his retirement shortly after their failure to end 23-year trophy drought at the final of the Copa America

Sergio Aguero and other Argentina players could follow the lead of captain Lionel Messi and retire from international football after losing the final of the Copa America on penalties to Chile for the second straight year. The 29-year-old Messi, who sent his spot-kick in the penalty shootout over the bar, announced his decision shortly after the title game in New Jersey on Sunday. "The likelihood is that Messi is not the only one that will leave the national team," said Aguero, who lost his third final with Argentina, as told to Ole newspaper. "There are several players like me that are evaluating whether or not to continue." The Manchester City forward, who replaced Gonzalo Higuain in the 70th minute, was hugely disappointed after Argentina failed to end their 23-year trophy drought at senior level. "One doesn't want to think about it but at times, there are things that happen and the thought (of retiring) comes into your mind," said Aguero, who won an Olympic gold in 2008. "Afterwards, it's difficult to get it out." Aguero has played for Argentina's senior side since September, 2006 and empathised with Messi, a five times World Player of the Year. "Unfortunately, the one that leaves most affected is Leo Messi after his penalty miss," the 28-year-old Aguero said. "This is the worst that I've seen him in the changing room. "We are all affected and we will try to think about something else and move forward. Again, luck was not on our side." Argentina's starting goalkeeper Sergio Romero hoped that Messi will reconsider his decision. Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, who saved Lucas Biglia's penalty before Francisco Silva scored the crucial spot-kick to help his country retain the Copa, had praise for his Barcelona teammate Messi. "In my opinion, he is the best player in the world and in history," Bravo told Marca. "They have to enjoy him, value him and understand him. "This is a team work, when you win, everyone wins, and when you lose, everyone loses. We had some criticism directed at Chilean players in our first few games (of the Copa America). "Football is a team sport." (Reuters)

More Argentina players may retire from international football : Aguero

Spain forward Nolito has joined Manchester City from Celta Vigo on a four-year contract, the Premier League side said today. 
 
The 29-year-old, who played all four games in Spain&#39;s Euro 2016 campaign, scored 39 goals in 103 appearances for Celta Vigo since joining the Spanish club in 2013, before spells at Granada, Benfica and Barcelona. 
 
New manager Pep Guardiola has already signed Australia midfielder Aaron Mooy from sister club Melbourne City and Ilkay Gundogan from Borussia Dortmund. 
 
&quot;I&#39;ll do everything that the manager asks of me, try my absolute best and do everything I can to try to repeat the form I&#39;ve shown throughout my career at various clubs,&quot; Nolito told the club&#39;s website. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s just about trying to play my normal game and let&#39;s hope that I can help Manchester City to win games.&nbsp;I think that Pep Guardiola is one of the best managers in the world. He knows a lot about the game and he&#39;s going to help me progress as a player and I&#39;m sure he&rsquo;ll get the best out of me.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The 29-year-old played in all four games of the Euro 2016, and scored 39 goals in 103 appearances since 2013

Spain forward Nolito has joined Manchester City from Celta Vigo on a four-year contract, the Premier League side said today. The 29-year-old, who played all four games in Spain's Euro 2016 campaign, scored 39 goals in 103 appearances for Celta Vigo since joining the Spanish club in 2013, before spells at Granada, Benfica and Barcelona. New manager Pep Guardiola has already signed Australia midfielder Aaron Mooy from sister club Melbourne City and Ilkay Gundogan from Borussia Dortmund. "I'll do everything that the manager asks of me, try my absolute best and do everything I can to try to repeat the form I've shown throughout my career at various clubs," Nolito told the club's website. "It's just about trying to play my normal game and let's hope that I can help Manchester City to win games. I think that Pep Guardiola is one of the best managers in the world. He knows a lot about the game and he's going to help me progress as a player and I'm sure he’ll get the best out of me." (Reuters)

Manchester City sign Spain's Nolito from Celta Vigo

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has decided to retire from football management after the defending champions were knocked out of Euro 2016 by Italy at the finals in France. 
 
&quot;Of course, I have no intention of continuing (as Spain coach)&quot;, the country&#39;s World Cup-winning manager said in an interview with Radio Nacional de Espana on Thursday. 
 
&quot;It was a decision I had taken beforehand. I still have a contract until July 31 (when) I will retire from football.&quot; 
 
Spain, who were trying to win their third straight European title, lost 2-0 to Italy in the last 16 on Monday. 
 
&quot;It was difficult to win again,&quot; said the 65-year-old Del Bosque. &quot;We didn&#39;t have a good performance against Italy but the group stages were good.&quot; 
 
Spain won their opening two games against the Czech Republic and Turkey but lost their final group match to Croatia, who pipped them to top spot in the section leaving Del Bosque&#39;s team with a tricky clash against familiar foes Italy in the last 16. 
 
&quot;What was always going to be the most difficult was to win (the title) again,&quot; he said. 
 
Del Bosque led his country to their first World Cup title in 2010 and followed that triumph by clinching Spain&#39;s second successive European Championship two years&#39; later. 
 
At that point, the Spaniards were the dominant side in world football, with their high-tempo possession game providing a template that many teams tried to emulate. 
 
Their air of invincibility was punctured at the World Cup in 2014, however, they were knocked out in the group stage after losing their opening two matches. 
 
Del Bosque, who won two Champions League crowns and two La Liga titles in a four-year spell in charge of Real Madrid from 1999, was persuaded to stay on as Spain boss and led them into Euro 2016 where they failed to deliver. 
 
They were well-beaten by an organised Italy side and looked a shadow of Del Bosque&#39;s previous teams. 
 
&quot;However the European Championship worked out, I had no doubt about my future&quot;, he said. &quot;It was a decision I had taken beforehand. I don&#39;t want to hide, nor make an exhibition of myself.&quot; 
 
&quot;I&#39;ve tried to deal with this issue with discretion because we are talking about a federation and we have to respect it. But the decision had already been taken, whatever had happened at the Euros it was decided.&quot; 
 
Del Bosque denied reports he had been in talks with Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Angel Maria Villar. 
 
&quot;I have not met with him nor have I had a conversation with him,&quot; he said. &quot;In September there is a very difficult (World Cup) qualification campaign and this doesn&#39;t stop.&quot; 
 
Asked about his successor, Del Bosque said: &quot;There are people that are very qualified and I have not been asked who should replace me&quot;. 
 
&quot;I will leave the bench although I will always be close to it, wishing that things go well. I will be available to help Spanish football in any way I can.&quot; 
 
Former Sevilla coach Joaquin Caparros and current Granada manager Paco Jemez both said earlier on Thursday that they were interested in the position if Del Bosque was to leave. 
 
(Reuters)

The 65-year old clarified that it was a decision he had taken before and it had nothing to do with his team's performance at Euro 2016

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has decided to retire from football management after the defending champions were knocked out of Euro 2016 by Italy at the finals in France. "Of course, I have no intention of continuing (as Spain coach)", the country's World Cup-winning manager said in an interview with Radio Nacional de Espana on Thursday. "It was a decision I had taken beforehand. I still have a contract until July 31 (when) I will retire from football." Spain, who were trying to win their third straight European title, lost 2-0 to Italy in the last 16 on Monday. "It was difficult to win again," said the 65-year-old Del Bosque. "We didn't have a good performance against Italy but the group stages were good." Spain won their opening two games against the Czech Republic and Turkey but lost their final group match to Croatia, who pipped them to top spot in the section leaving Del Bosque's team with a tricky clash against familiar foes Italy in the last 16. "What was always going to be the most difficult was to win (the title) again," he said. Del Bosque led his country to their first World Cup title in 2010 and followed that triumph by clinching Spain's second successive European Championship two years' later. At that point, the Spaniards were the dominant side in world football, with their high-tempo possession game providing a template that many teams tried to emulate. Their air of invincibility was punctured at the World Cup in 2014, however, they were knocked out in the group stage after losing their opening two matches. Del Bosque, who won two Champions League crowns and two La Liga titles in a four-year spell in charge of Real Madrid from 1999, was persuaded to stay on as Spain boss and led them into Euro 2016 where they failed to deliver. They were well-beaten by an organised Italy side and looked a shadow of Del Bosque's previous teams. "However the European Championship worked out, I had no doubt about my future", he said. "It was a decision I had taken beforehand. I don't want to hide, nor make an exhibition of myself." "I've tried to deal with this issue with discretion because we are talking about a federation and we have to respect it. But the decision had already been taken, whatever had happened at the Euros it was decided." Del Bosque denied reports he had been in talks with Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Angel Maria Villar. "I have not met with him nor have I had a conversation with him," he said. "In September there is a very difficult (World Cup) qualification campaign and this doesn't stop." Asked about his successor, Del Bosque said: "There are people that are very qualified and I have not been asked who should replace me". "I will leave the bench although I will always be close to it, wishing that things go well. I will be available to help Spanish football in any way I can." Former Sevilla coach Joaquin Caparros and current Granada manager Paco Jemez both said earlier on Thursday that they were interested in the position if Del Bosque was to leave. (Reuters)

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque announces retirement

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone, a month on from a second Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid in three years, has made it clear that his immediate future is with the Spanish club. 
 
The Argentine, who has been at Atletico since 2011 and is under contract for another four years, said after the loss on penalties to Real that he wanted to explore his options. But now he says he is only concentrating on making the team better. 
 
&quot;I spoke in the heat of the moment,&quot; Simeone told reporters on Wednesday in Buenos Aires. &quot;We Argentinians are like that. Others are not at fault for beating you, I learned that a long time ago. 
 
&quot;To remember the pain and the suffering is necessary to better yourself.&quot; 
 
Simeone has won the Europa League, King&#39;s Cup and La Liga in his four-and-a-half seasons at the Spanish club. 
 
The 46-year-old says only a few teams that have &quot;more resources&quot; are superior to Atletico and expects his side to continue to fight for titles domestically and internationally. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t believe there are many teams better than us,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;We have created a strong group. To be better than Atletico is very difficult because we play as a team. Only Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are better than Atletico, no one else. We are constantly anxious to improve.&quot; 
 
Atletico president Enrique Cerezo is looking to keep the same core of players while also bringing in reinforcements. 
 
French forward Antoine Griezmann, who scored 32 goals in 51 appearances for Atletico this season, signed a one-year contract extension earlier this month. 
 
Atletico have agreed to sign Argentine midfielder Nicolas Gaitan from Benfica and are looking to strengthen their attack. 
 
&quot;The aim is to improve from last season,&quot; Cerezo told reporters on Wednesday. &quot;I know what Atletico needs and that is why we are working well and we will bring in players and good ones.&quot; 
 
&quot;We have turned down offers of millions for almost every player that we have and we will assume that financial weight in order to maintain the backbone of this team and for the important players to remain here.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The Argentine, who has been at Atletico since 2011, is under contract for another four years, and wants to make the team better

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone, a month on from a second Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid in three years, has made it clear that his immediate future is with the Spanish club. The Argentine, who has been at Atletico since 2011 and is under contract for another four years, said after the loss on penalties to Real that he wanted to explore his options. But now he says he is only concentrating on making the team better. "I spoke in the heat of the moment," Simeone told reporters on Wednesday in Buenos Aires. "We Argentinians are like that. Others are not at fault for beating you, I learned that a long time ago. "To remember the pain and the suffering is necessary to better yourself." Simeone has won the Europa League, King's Cup and La Liga in his four-and-a-half seasons at the Spanish club. The 46-year-old says only a few teams that have "more resources" are superior to Atletico and expects his side to continue to fight for titles domestically and internationally. "I don't believe there are many teams better than us," he said. "We have created a strong group. To be better than Atletico is very difficult because we play as a team. Only Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are better than Atletico, no one else. We are constantly anxious to improve." Atletico president Enrique Cerezo is looking to keep the same core of players while also bringing in reinforcements. French forward Antoine Griezmann, who scored 32 goals in 51 appearances for Atletico this season, signed a one-year contract extension earlier this month. Atletico have agreed to sign Argentine midfielder Nicolas Gaitan from Benfica and are looking to strengthen their attack. "The aim is to improve from last season," Cerezo told reporters on Wednesday. "I know what Atletico needs and that is why we are working well and we will bring in players and good ones." "We have turned down offers of millions for almost every player that we have and we will assume that financial weight in order to maintain the backbone of this team and for the important players to remain here." (Reuters)

Simeone vows to stay on and improve Atletico

Zenit St Petersburg forward Hulk has joined Shanghai SIPG for a record 55.8 million euros, the Russian club said today.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Zenit and Shanghai SIPG have come to an agreement regarding the transfer of the Brazilian forward. Compensation for the player will total 55.8 million euros and there will be add-ons,&quot; Zenit said in a statement on the website www.fc-zenit.ru.&nbsp; 
 
The transfer deal is the biggest in Russian football history.&nbsp; 
 
The 29-year-old Hulk, who has won 46 caps for Brazil and scored 11 goals, joined Zenit from Porto in 2012 for 40 million euros. He scored 56 goals for Zenit in 97 Russian Premier League matches and was the league&#39;s top scorer in the 2014-15 season with 15 goals. 
 
Zenit finished third last season. The club missed out on qualification for the Champions League and will play in the Europa League. 
 
Shanghai SIPG, fourth in the Chinese Super League, are coached by former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson. 
 
(Reuters)

The Zenit forward player has netted the biggest transfer deal in Russian football history

Zenit St Petersburg forward Hulk has joined Shanghai SIPG for a record 55.8 million euros, the Russian club said today. "Zenit and Shanghai SIPG have come to an agreement regarding the transfer of the Brazilian forward. Compensation for the player will total 55.8 million euros and there will be add-ons," Zenit said in a statement on the website www.fc-zenit.ru. The transfer deal is the biggest in Russian football history. The 29-year-old Hulk, who has won 46 caps for Brazil and scored 11 goals, joined Zenit from Porto in 2012 for 40 million euros. He scored 56 goals for Zenit in 97 Russian Premier League matches and was the league's top scorer in the 2014-15 season with 15 goals. Zenit finished third last season. The club missed out on qualification for the Champions League and will play in the Europa League. Shanghai SIPG, fourth in the Chinese Super League, are coached by former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson. (Reuters)

Hulk signs Shanghai SIPG deal for a record 55.8 million euros

Manar Sarhan disinfects her hands after filling a patient&#39;s tooth, readying to catch the Euro 2016 match and analyse it for a newspaper as Egypt&#39;s first woman in mainstream football punditry. 
 
Sarhan, 27, appears weekly on the private CBC television channel to comment on matches, a rare sight in a field monopolised by former football players, all of them men. 
 
&quot;I chose dentistry as a career with my mind, but football is my passion and love,&quot; Sarhan said in a private clinic where she freelances as a dentist.&nbsp;&quot;I tried to play football in the beginning but I didn&#39;t find a good opportunity in Egypt and I think specialising in analysing football makes up a lot for it,&quot; she says, after examining a patient. 
 
Sarhan began working in journalism as a volunteer in 2002, using a basic camera to capture footage for the website of her favourite Egyptian club: Zamalek.&nbsp;Sarhan began writing for the independent Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper and the popular Fil Goal website before she was picked up by satellite sports programmes. 
 
By day, Sarhan works in a government medical centre and chips in at a clinic owned by one of her friends. At night, she clears her schedule to follow games and to read the latest in the world of football. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m a dentist by day, and a football commentator by night,&quot; Sarhan says, laughing as she packs her medical instruments. 
 
&quot;The effort put into commentary is more in spite of the return being lower,&quot; she says.&nbsp;A profitable profession, dentistry is respected by Egyptians. It was not easy to enter the sports commentary world, especially as a woman. 
 
&quot;The field is already difficult for male youths, so what about a girl?&quot; says Sarhan, who decorates her bedroom with posters of Egyptian and European football players. 
 
&quot;I was mocked in the beginning. They would tell me &#39;Girls belong in kitchens&#39;,&quot; she says.&nbsp;Her large following on Twitter suggests otherwise. 
 
Dreams beyond Egypt&nbsp; 
 
Top European clubs and their games are popular viewing in Egypt, and Sarhan has proven to be an expert in the field.&nbsp;Ibrahim Fayek, an anchor at CBC, says hosting Sarhan was &quot;very strange&quot; in the beginning because she is &quot;a lady and a dentist&quot;.&nbsp;Now, he says, he is doing his best to keep her on his show as competitors try to poach her. 
 
&quot;Manar has an expansive and deep understanding of football and she presents a different type of football analysis. Her explanation of the different teams&#39; plans and tactics surprised me,&quot; Fayek said. 
 
At home, Sarhan sits close to a large screen broadcasting Belgium against Wales, jotting down statistics on passing and the players&#39; movements.&nbsp;Nearby lies an old copy of Britain&#39;s World Soccer magazine, with the cover featuring Zinedine Zidane, who she said inspired her love for Real Madrid. 
 
&quot;I would watch a match twice before writing any comprehensive technical analysis,&quot; she says. 
 
Her passion for football inspired Sarhan to learn Spanish so she could track La Liga and the club she supports from original sources.&nbsp;She plans to also learn Italian and Portuguese to expand the sphere of European football that she can follow.&nbsp;Sarhan also follows Spanish youth matches and teams that are less well-known to be able to keep abreast of up-and-coming talents.&nbsp;In one corner of her house rests a ball which her mother says Sarhan still kicks around in the hallway. 
 
&quot;Manar has loved football since she was a child. I wanted her to continue her studies in her profession, but she is happy commentating,&quot; her mother Magda al-Hawary says with evident pride. 
 
Sarhan&#39;s dream goes beyond Egypt&#39;s borders.&nbsp;&quot;My dream is to work in the field of European football in Spain itself, to become international.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

'I chose dentistry as a career... but football is my passion and love,' says 27-year-old Sarhan

Manar Sarhan disinfects her hands after filling a patient's tooth, readying to catch the Euro 2016 match and analyse it for a newspaper as Egypt's first woman in mainstream football punditry. Sarhan, 27, appears weekly on the private CBC television channel to comment on matches, a rare sight in a field monopolised by former football players, all of them men. "I chose dentistry as a career with my mind, but football is my passion and love," Sarhan said in a private clinic where she freelances as a dentist. "I tried to play football in the beginning but I didn't find a good opportunity in Egypt and I think specialising in analysing football makes up a lot for it," she says, after examining a patient. Sarhan began working in journalism as a volunteer in 2002, using a basic camera to capture footage for the website of her favourite Egyptian club: Zamalek. Sarhan began writing for the independent Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper and the popular Fil Goal website before she was picked up by satellite sports programmes. By day, Sarhan works in a government medical centre and chips in at a clinic owned by one of her friends. At night, she clears her schedule to follow games and to read the latest in the world of football. "I'm a dentist by day, and a football commentator by night," Sarhan says, laughing as she packs her medical instruments. "The effort put into commentary is more in spite of the return being lower," she says. A profitable profession, dentistry is respected by Egyptians. It was not easy to enter the sports commentary world, especially as a woman. "The field is already difficult for male youths, so what about a girl?" says Sarhan, who decorates her bedroom with posters of Egyptian and European football players. "I was mocked in the beginning. They would tell me 'Girls belong in kitchens'," she says. Her large following on Twitter suggests otherwise. Dreams beyond Egypt Top European clubs and their games are popular viewing in Egypt, and Sarhan has proven to be an expert in the field. Ibrahim Fayek, an anchor at CBC, says hosting Sarhan was "very strange" in the beginning because she is "a lady and a dentist". Now, he says, he is doing his best to keep her on his show as competitors try to poach her. "Manar has an expansive and deep understanding of football and she presents a different type of football analysis. Her explanation of the different teams' plans and tactics surprised me," Fayek said. At home, Sarhan sits close to a large screen broadcasting Belgium against Wales, jotting down statistics on passing and the players' movements. Nearby lies an old copy of Britain's World Soccer magazine, with the cover featuring Zinedine Zidane, who she said inspired her love for Real Madrid. "I would watch a match twice before writing any comprehensive technical analysis," she says. Her passion for football inspired Sarhan to learn Spanish so she could track La Liga and the club she supports from original sources. She plans to also learn Italian and Portuguese to expand the sphere of European football that she can follow. Sarhan also follows Spanish youth matches and teams that are less well-known to be able to keep abreast of up-and-coming talents. In one corner of her house rests a ball which her mother says Sarhan still kicks around in the hallway. "Manar has loved football since she was a child. I wanted her to continue her studies in her profession, but she is happy commentating," her mother Magda al-Hawary says with evident pride. Sarhan's dream goes beyond Egypt's borders. "My dream is to work in the field of European football in Spain itself, to become international." (AFP)

Egyptian dentist becomes country's first-ever female football pundit

Robbie Brady scored a glorious late winner for Ireland to put them through to the knockout stages of the European Championship for the first time with a 1-0 win over Group E winners Italy. 
 
Brady scored his 85th minute headed goal from a pinpoint cross by his Norwich City clubmate Wes Hoolahan, who had just spurned a golden opportunity to seal the well-deserved victory himself. 
 
It delivered Irish football one of its most famous nights against a second-string Italy side, with the three points securing third place in the group and setting up a last-16 tie against hosts France in Lyon on Sunday. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s what dreams are made of. I grew up dreaming about this stage and to go and do it in front of my family is the best feeling in the world,&quot; said Brady, who reckoned that scoring the goal felt like &quot;an out of body&quot; experience. 
 
&quot;All applause is for Wes Hoolahan. He put the ball right on my head. I would have done well to miss it. We rode our luck a couple of times, but we got the result in the end. If we stick together like we did tonight, we can take on anyone.&quot; 
 
With his team already guaranteed to top the group, Antonio Conte made eight changes, with only Leonardo Bonucci, Andrea Barzagli and Alessandro Florenzi surviving from the side that started against Sweden. 
 
The Irish began like a team on a mission, full back Seamus Coleman thundering into a tackle in the opening seconds to lay down a marker, and plenty of tough challenges from both sides followed. 
 
Ireland almost took an early lead when Jeff Hendrick created some space at the edge of the box and hit a left-footed piledriver that flew just wide of the top corner. 
 
In the 21st minute, Daryl Murphy met Brady&#39;s outswinging corner with a powerful header, forcing Salvatore Sirigu to make a flying save and tip the ball over the bar for another corner. 
 
Italy had to wait until just before halftime for their first decent chance, Ciro Immobile dragging his shot just wide after a well-worked short free kick. 
 
Moments later the Irish were denied what looked like a clear penalty when James McClean was pushed in the back by Federico Bernardeschi, but referee Ovidiu Hategan turned down their appeals, leaving coach Martin O&#39;Neill incandescent with rage. 
 
Simone Zaza almost broke the deadlock on a rare Italian foray forward with a fizzing shot after the break, but then Ireland dominated almost the entire second half. 
 
With Italy content to soak up the considerable pressure, the Irish mixed up their play, alternating between long balls and short passes, and set pieces continued to be a potent weapon. 
 
The Italians were not content to simply concede, and Lorenzo Insigne came on in the 75th minute to make his first appearance at the Euros. Within two minutes, he had curled an exquisite shot past Darren Randolph only to see it come back off the post. 
 
With 13 minutes left and the Irish tiring, O&#39;Neill threw on playmaker Hoolahan, who netted the goal in Ireland&#39;s 1-1 draw with Sweden, in a last-gasp effort to finally unlock the Italian defence. 
 
He missed a glorious chance to put his side ahead minutes later, shooting straight at Sirigu when he got through one-on-one and it looked as if Ireland were heading for elimination. 
 
Yet he made amends soon after, crossing for Brady to head Ireland into the lead and send the Irish fans into raptures. 
 
When Hategan sounded the final whistle, there were wild celebrations from players, coaching staff and fans alike with Ireland&#39;s Euro dream still very much alive. 
 
&quot;We stuck at it and put in a great performance,&quot; Brady said. &quot;In the end we got the result we deserved. Roll on France!&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

It delivered Irish football one of its most famous nights, with the three points setting up a last-16 tie against France on Sunday

Robbie Brady scored a glorious late winner for Ireland to put them through to the knockout stages of the European Championship for the first time with a 1-0 win over Group E winners Italy. Brady scored his 85th minute headed goal from a pinpoint cross by his Norwich City clubmate Wes Hoolahan, who had just spurned a golden opportunity to seal the well-deserved victory himself. It delivered Irish football one of its most famous nights against a second-string Italy side, with the three points securing third place in the group and setting up a last-16 tie against hosts France in Lyon on Sunday. "It's what dreams are made of. I grew up dreaming about this stage and to go and do it in front of my family is the best feeling in the world," said Brady, who reckoned that scoring the goal felt like "an out of body" experience. "All applause is for Wes Hoolahan. He put the ball right on my head. I would have done well to miss it. We rode our luck a couple of times, but we got the result in the end. If we stick together like we did tonight, we can take on anyone." With his team already guaranteed to top the group, Antonio Conte made eight changes, with only Leonardo Bonucci, Andrea Barzagli and Alessandro Florenzi surviving from the side that started against Sweden. The Irish began like a team on a mission, full back Seamus Coleman thundering into a tackle in the opening seconds to lay down a marker, and plenty of tough challenges from both sides followed. Ireland almost took an early lead when Jeff Hendrick created some space at the edge of the box and hit a left-footed piledriver that flew just wide of the top corner. In the 21st minute, Daryl Murphy met Brady's outswinging corner with a powerful header, forcing Salvatore Sirigu to make a flying save and tip the ball over the bar for another corner. Italy had to wait until just before halftime for their first decent chance, Ciro Immobile dragging his shot just wide after a well-worked short free kick. Moments later the Irish were denied what looked like a clear penalty when James McClean was pushed in the back by Federico Bernardeschi, but referee Ovidiu Hategan turned down their appeals, leaving coach Martin O'Neill incandescent with rage. Simone Zaza almost broke the deadlock on a rare Italian foray forward with a fizzing shot after the break, but then Ireland dominated almost the entire second half. With Italy content to soak up the considerable pressure, the Irish mixed up their play, alternating between long balls and short passes, and set pieces continued to be a potent weapon. The Italians were not content to simply concede, and Lorenzo Insigne came on in the 75th minute to make his first appearance at the Euros. Within two minutes, he had curled an exquisite shot past Darren Randolph only to see it come back off the post. With 13 minutes left and the Irish tiring, O'Neill threw on playmaker Hoolahan, who netted the goal in Ireland's 1-1 draw with Sweden, in a last-gasp effort to finally unlock the Italian defence. He missed a glorious chance to put his side ahead minutes later, shooting straight at Sirigu when he got through one-on-one and it looked as if Ireland were heading for elimination. Yet he made amends soon after, crossing for Brady to head Ireland into the lead and send the Irish fans into raptures. When Hategan sounded the final whistle, there were wild celebrations from players, coaching staff and fans alike with Ireland's Euro dream still very much alive. "We stuck at it and put in a great performance," Brady said. "In the end we got the result we deserved. Roll on France!" (Reuters)

Euro 2016: Brady's late goal fires Ireland into last-16

Portugal&#39;s coach Fernando Santos will leave his final decision on team selection for the quarter-final clash against Poland until today morning because of injuries to at least two players, he told reporters. 
 
Speaking on the eve of the game in Marseille, Santos also said he viewed the two sides as evenly matched which could result in a tight, defensive contest. 
 
&quot;There are some players who aren&#39;t 100 per cent fit so we&#39;ll wait until tomorrow to ascertain whether they are entirely fit or not and if they can play or not,&quot; Santos said. 
 
&quot;Sometimes the players can recover and we still have 24 hours to go.&quot; 
 
Defender Raphael Guerreiro and midfielder Andre Gomes have not trained since Monday and on Wednesday were again not on the pitch with the rest of the squad. 
 
The two sides have met 10 times with their last encounter ending in a goalless draw in 2012 and the omens are that it could be another close game. 
 
Apart from a stunning bicycle kick goal by Switzerland&#39;s Xherdan Shaqiri, the Polish defence has not been breached. 
 
Portugal&#39;s last five European Championship ties have ended in draws after 90 minutes, although they scraped through against Croatia in the last 16 with a 117th minute winner. 
 
&quot;I think it&#39;s a 50-50 match. My players know that. They (Poland) are here on their own merit,&quot; Santos said. 
 
Asked if it could be similar to the Croatia clash, Santos lauded Poland&#39;s defensive unity and collective spirit. 
 
&quot;Of course, it will be a game of a lot of strategy. Sometimes there is a Gordion Knot that you can&#39;t untie,&quot; he said, referring to the mythological legend used as a metaphor for a difficult problem. 
 
&quot;There will be a strong strategic component to this game, because if you concede four goals nobody can ensure you can score five,&quot; he quipped. 
 
Talisman Cristiano Ronaldo struggled against Croatia producing one shot, but Santos defended his &quot;amazing&quot; captain. 
 
&quot;We want to strike a balance, of course. We want Ronaldo to shoot on target 15 times and score 10 goals, but our opponents won&#39;t let us and that&#39;s part of the game,&quot; Santos said. 
 
There have also been concerns over the Stade Velodrome pitch, but Santos, whose country lost to France in the 1984 European Championship semi-final in Marseille, said it looked better than expected. 
 
&quot;We&#39;ve thought about the match here in 1984, but we played against France so you can&#39;t compare the two. It&#39;s apples and oranges,&quot; he said. 
 
(Reuters)

The two sides have met 10 times with their last encounter ending in a goalless draw in 2012

Portugal's coach Fernando Santos will leave his final decision on team selection for the quarter-final clash against Poland until today morning because of injuries to at least two players, he told reporters. Speaking on the eve of the game in Marseille, Santos also said he viewed the two sides as evenly matched which could result in a tight, defensive contest. "There are some players who aren't 100 per cent fit so we'll wait until tomorrow to ascertain whether they are entirely fit or not and if they can play or not," Santos said. "Sometimes the players can recover and we still have 24 hours to go." Defender Raphael Guerreiro and midfielder Andre Gomes have not trained since Monday and on Wednesday were again not on the pitch with the rest of the squad. The two sides have met 10 times with their last encounter ending in a goalless draw in 2012 and the omens are that it could be another close game. Apart from a stunning bicycle kick goal by Switzerland's Xherdan Shaqiri, the Polish defence has not been breached. Portugal's last five European Championship ties have ended in draws after 90 minutes, although they scraped through against Croatia in the last 16 with a 117th minute winner. "I think it's a 50-50 match. My players know that. They (Poland) are here on their own merit," Santos said. Asked if it could be similar to the Croatia clash, Santos lauded Poland's defensive unity and collective spirit. "Of course, it will be a game of a lot of strategy. Sometimes there is a Gordion Knot that you can't untie," he said, referring to the mythological legend used as a metaphor for a difficult problem. "There will be a strong strategic component to this game, because if you concede four goals nobody can ensure you can score five," he quipped. Talisman Cristiano Ronaldo struggled against Croatia producing one shot, but Santos defended his "amazing" captain. "We want to strike a balance, of course. We want Ronaldo to shoot on target 15 times and score 10 goals, but our opponents won't let us and that's part of the game," Santos said. There have also been concerns over the Stade Velodrome pitch, but Santos, whose country lost to France in the 1984 European Championship semi-final in Marseille, said it looked better than expected. "We've thought about the match here in 1984, but we played against France so you can't compare the two. It's apples and oranges," he said. (Reuters)

Portugal sweating on injuries ahead of Poland clash

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