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Paul Gascoigne, the former England footballer, has pleaded guilty to a racially aggravated public order offence over a &#39;joke&#39; he made during a show. 
 
The 49-year-old admitted using &quot;threatening or abusive words or behaviour&quot; during his &#39;An Evening With Gazza&#39; show on November 30 last year. 
 
He had previously denied the accusation, but changed his plea before the first witness was called to give evidence on Monday. 
 
Following Gascoigne&#39;s guilty plea, district judge Graham Wilkinson said the former midfielder, who has played for Everton, Middlesbrough and Italian club Lazio, had admitted to &quot;the sort of insidious racism&quot; that needed to be challenged. 
 
The judge said Gascoigne would face a financial penalty for the offence, details of which had yet to be announced in court. 
 
Gascoigne retired from football in 2005. 
 
Since his retirement Gascoigne has struggled with alcohol and has been in rehab several times. 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP)

The 49-year-old admitted using 'threatening or abusive words or behaviour' during his 'An Evening With Gazza' show last year

Paul Gascoigne, the former England footballer, has pleaded guilty to a racially aggravated public order offence over a 'joke' he made during a show. The 49-year-old admitted using "threatening or abusive words or behaviour" during his 'An Evening With Gazza' show on November 30 last year. He had previously denied the accusation, but changed his plea before the first witness was called to give evidence on Monday. Following Gascoigne's guilty plea, district judge Graham Wilkinson said the former midfielder, who has played for Everton, Middlesbrough and Italian club Lazio, had admitted to "the sort of insidious racism" that needed to be challenged. The judge said Gascoigne would face a financial penalty for the offence, details of which had yet to be announced in court. Gascoigne retired from football in 2005. Since his retirement Gascoigne has struggled with alcohol and has been in rehab several times. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Gazza pleads guilty to racism offence

Watford dealt Manchester United a third successive defeat in eight days with a deserved 3-1 Premier League win that left Jose Mourinho raging at a rare run of failure. 
 
Goals from Etienne Capoue, Juan Zuniga and a stoppage time penalty from Troy Deeney overwhelmed the visitors, who had levelled with a solitary strike from Marcus Rashford, in Sunday&#39;s big match. 
 
It was the first time Watford had beaten United since 1986. 
 
The Premier League said it was also the first time Mourinho had lost three consecutive games as a manager since 2006. 
 
Although the &#39;Special One&#39; did suffer three successive defeats at Chelsea in 2015, before he was sacked by the Londoners, one of those was on penalties after a draw in the Capital One (League) Cup. 
 
For all their possession, United were unsettled by Watford&#39;s harrying game and went behind on 32 minutes after Anthony Martial, still groggy from an earlier clash of heads, was robbed by Miguel Britos. 
 
Daryl Janmaat picked up the ball and crossed for Capoue to fire his fourth goal of the season. 
 
Mourinho said his expensively-assembled team had to improve but also suggested the referee should have blown for a foul in the lead-up to the goal. 
 
&quot;It was an obvious situation but it is something I cannot control. I cannot improve the referees or officials and luck will arrive when she wants to. But, yes, individual performances have to improve,&quot; the Portuguese told reporters. 
 
United lost the derby to Manchester City last weekend and were then beaten by Feyenoord in their midweek Europa League clash. 
 
A half-time switch, which pushed Wayne Rooney further forward, settled United and they equalised on 62 minutes when Rashford scrambled the ball home after his header bounced back to him off a defender. 
 
Watford keeper Heurelho Gomes denied Zlatan Ibrahimovic with a flying save but United always looked vulnerable and Zuniga scored from a cutback by Roberto Pereyra less than a minute after coming on. 
 
Zuniga was then brought down by Marouane Fellaini inside the area late on to allow Deeney to score from the spot. 
 
(Reuters)

This is the first time United manager Jose Mourinho has lost three consecutive games as a manager since 2006

Watford dealt Manchester United a third successive defeat in eight days with a deserved 3-1 Premier League win that left Jose Mourinho raging at a rare run of failure. Goals from Etienne Capoue, Juan Zuniga and a stoppage time penalty from Troy Deeney overwhelmed the visitors, who had levelled with a solitary strike from Marcus Rashford, in Sunday's big match. It was the first time Watford had beaten United since 1986. The Premier League said it was also the first time Mourinho had lost three consecutive games as a manager since 2006. Although the 'Special One' did suffer three successive defeats at Chelsea in 2015, before he was sacked by the Londoners, one of those was on penalties after a draw in the Capital One (League) Cup. For all their possession, United were unsettled by Watford's harrying game and went behind on 32 minutes after Anthony Martial, still groggy from an earlier clash of heads, was robbed by Miguel Britos. Daryl Janmaat picked up the ball and crossed for Capoue to fire his fourth goal of the season. Mourinho said his expensively-assembled team had to improve but also suggested the referee should have blown for a foul in the lead-up to the goal. "It was an obvious situation but it is something I cannot control. I cannot improve the referees or officials and luck will arrive when she wants to. But, yes, individual performances have to improve," the Portuguese told reporters. United lost the derby to Manchester City last weekend and were then beaten by Feyenoord in their midweek Europa League clash. A half-time switch, which pushed Wayne Rooney further forward, settled United and they equalised on 62 minutes when Rashford scrambled the ball home after his header bounced back to him off a defender. Watford keeper Heurelho Gomes denied Zlatan Ibrahimovic with a flying save but United always looked vulnerable and Zuniga scored from a cutback by Roberto Pereyra less than a minute after coming on. Zuniga was then brought down by Marouane Fellaini inside the area late on to allow Deeney to score from the spot. (Reuters)

Watford condemns Manchester United to third straight defeat

A stunning strike from Jordan Henderson helped Liverpool secure a 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge on Friday that ended the London club&#39;s unbeaten start to the season. 
 
Liverpool largely dominated the encounter and took a 2-0 lead after Dejan Lovren was left unmarked to steer home the opener and Henderson bent the ball into the top corner from 30 metres to put the visitors in command at halftime. 
 
Chelsea fought back after the break when Diego Costa sidefooted home from close range after 61 minutes but there was little further goalmouth action as Liverpool comfortably held on. 
 
The win moved Liverpool level with Chelsea on 10 points after five games and prevented the Londoners from going top of the table ahead of the remaining weekend fixtures. 
 
Liverpool were sharper from the start than Antonio Conte&#39;s Chelsea, who seemed content to sit deep and invite pressure from the visitors, who happily set up camp in the hosts&#39; half in the opening stages. 
 
Daniel Sturridge threatened after only two minutes, curling a shot from the edge of the area that slipped from keeper Thibaut Courtois&#39;s grasp and almost trickled over the line, but it was not long before Liverpool grabbed the lead. 
 
Typically of a sluggish Chelsea performance, Liverpool opened the scoring by catching the hosts napping at the back. 
 
A free kick found its way to Philippe Coutinho and his deep cross found four Liverpool players unmarked at the far post, with Lovren applying a cool side-footed finish past Courtois. 
 
Rather than prompt a Chelsea response, the hosts seemed to retreat further into their shell, making sporadic forays upfield but rarely threatening Liverpool&#39;s goal. 
 
Their only half chance of the opening 45 minutes came when Willian&#39;s inswinging free-kick was headed over by David Luiz, making his second debut for Chelsea having returned to the club from Paris St Germain. 
 
Henderson&#39;s stunning second arrived after 36 minutes and was a fully deserved reflection of Liverpool&#39;s first half dominance. 
 
Gary Cahill cleared the ball to Henderson 30 metres from goal and he took aim before curling beautifully into the top corner. 
 
Having been completely outplayed in the first half, Chelsea came out fighting after the break and pulled themselves back into the game on 61 minutes when Costa grabbed his fifth Premier League goal of the season. 
 
Nemanja Matic, anonymous in the first half, did brilliantly to carry the ball to the byline and pull back for Costa to sidefoot past Simon Mignolet and wake the home crowd. 
 
The striker then had a great chance to level four minutes later, swivelling on the ball before shooting straight at Mignolet from 15 metres, but if Chelsea were hoping to lay siege to the Liverpool goal in the closing stages, it never materialised. 
 
(Reuters)

Liverpool secured a 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge on Friday that ended the London club's unbeaten start to the season

A stunning strike from Jordan Henderson helped Liverpool secure a 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge on Friday that ended the London club's unbeaten start to the season. Liverpool largely dominated the encounter and took a 2-0 lead after Dejan Lovren was left unmarked to steer home the opener and Henderson bent the ball into the top corner from 30 metres to put the visitors in command at halftime. Chelsea fought back after the break when Diego Costa sidefooted home from close range after 61 minutes but there was little further goalmouth action as Liverpool comfortably held on. The win moved Liverpool level with Chelsea on 10 points after five games and prevented the Londoners from going top of the table ahead of the remaining weekend fixtures. Liverpool were sharper from the start than Antonio Conte's Chelsea, who seemed content to sit deep and invite pressure from the visitors, who happily set up camp in the hosts' half in the opening stages. Daniel Sturridge threatened after only two minutes, curling a shot from the edge of the area that slipped from keeper Thibaut Courtois's grasp and almost trickled over the line, but it was not long before Liverpool grabbed the lead. Typically of a sluggish Chelsea performance, Liverpool opened the scoring by catching the hosts napping at the back. A free kick found its way to Philippe Coutinho and his deep cross found four Liverpool players unmarked at the far post, with Lovren applying a cool side-footed finish past Courtois. Rather than prompt a Chelsea response, the hosts seemed to retreat further into their shell, making sporadic forays upfield but rarely threatening Liverpool's goal. Their only half chance of the opening 45 minutes came when Willian's inswinging free-kick was headed over by David Luiz, making his second debut for Chelsea having returned to the club from Paris St Germain. Henderson's stunning second arrived after 36 minutes and was a fully deserved reflection of Liverpool's first half dominance. Gary Cahill cleared the ball to Henderson 30 metres from goal and he took aim before curling beautifully into the top corner. Having been completely outplayed in the first half, Chelsea came out fighting after the break and pulled themselves back into the game on 61 minutes when Costa grabbed his fifth Premier League goal of the season. Nemanja Matic, anonymous in the first half, did brilliantly to carry the ball to the byline and pull back for Costa to sidefoot past Simon Mignolet and wake the home crowd. The striker then had a great chance to level four minutes later, swivelling on the ball before shooting straight at Mignolet from 15 metres, but if Chelsea were hoping to lay siege to the Liverpool goal in the closing stages, it never materialised. (Reuters)

Jordan Henderson's stunning strike helps Liverpool beat Chelsea

David Silva is almost certain to miss Manchester City&rsquo;s home game against Bournemouth, but midfielder Ilkay Guendogan may make his Premier League debut. 
 
Silva has featured in all of City&#39;s Premier League games this season, but missed Wednesday night&rsquo;s 4-0 win over Borussia M?nchengladbach due to a knock he received in training. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think it&#39;s a big problem but it happened two days ago so I don&#39;t think he&#39;ll be able to play,&quot; manager Pep Guardiola told reporters on Friday. 
 
New signing Guendogan replaced Silva against Monchengladbach, making his first appearance for the club following a dislocated knee. 
 
&quot;I am thinking about it (playing Guendogan),&quot; said Guardiola. &quot;He played good but we cannot forget he comes from a long-term injury. 
 
&quot;Vincent Kompany is close (to a return) but not there yet. We need him,&quot; he added. 
 
Despite winning all four league games this season, Guardiola said City needed to improve the defensive side of their game. 
 
&quot;To win many games in a row in the Premier League is complicated. I am never satisfied,&quot; the Spaniard explained. 
 
&quot;Defensively we need to adjust small details. We still need a few things to improve but right now we are happy.&quot; 
 
Guardiola also hinted that striker Sergio Aguero, who has netted nine goals in five games in all competitions this season, is close to signing a new deal. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t know if I&#39;m the right person to talk about that. I think he&#39;s going to extend the contract but it&#39;s not official,&quot; said the manager. 
 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Silva was rested on Wednesday's 4-0 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach as a precaution after developing a minor injury in training

David Silva is almost certain to miss Manchester City’s home game against Bournemouth, but midfielder Ilkay Guendogan may make his Premier League debut. Silva has featured in all of City's Premier League games this season, but missed Wednesday night’s 4-0 win over Borussia M?nchengladbach due to a knock he received in training. "I don't think it's a big problem but it happened two days ago so I don't think he'll be able to play," manager Pep Guardiola told reporters on Friday. New signing Guendogan replaced Silva against Monchengladbach, making his first appearance for the club following a dislocated knee. "I am thinking about it (playing Guendogan)," said Guardiola. "He played good but we cannot forget he comes from a long-term injury. "Vincent Kompany is close (to a return) but not there yet. We need him," he added. Despite winning all four league games this season, Guardiola said City needed to improve the defensive side of their game. "To win many games in a row in the Premier League is complicated. I am never satisfied," the Spaniard explained. "Defensively we need to adjust small details. We still need a few things to improve but right now we are happy." Guardiola also hinted that striker Sergio Aguero, who has netted nine goals in five games in all competitions this season, is close to signing a new deal. "I don't know if I'm the right person to talk about that. I think he's going to extend the contract but it's not official," said the manager. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Silva may miss out for Man City but Guendogan set to play

Head of Slovenian football association Aleksander Ceferin was elected president of European football&#39;s governing body UEFA on Wednesday. 
 
The 48-year-old defeated Dutch football association chief Michael van Praag by 42 votes to 13, reported AFP. 
 
Ceferin succeeds Michel Platini who was forced to resign as president in May after receiving a ban from football by FIFA&#39;s ethics committee . The newly elected leader will complete the remaining two and a half years of Platini&#39;s four-year term. 
 
&quot;The wind of change is blowing through European football. It is the end of one era and the start of a new one,&quot; Ceferin said in a speech at a special congress in Athens shortly after Platini gave a farewell address and left through a side door. 
 
The Slovenian lawyer spoke about the challenges associated with the scandal-tainted sport, along with accusations of match-mixing and doping. However, he denied that he was emphasising the negativity. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t want to live in an empire of fear where every day we wake and see another negativity surfacing. I want to bring out all the good things UEFA has been doing and you have been doing,&quot; Ceferin told a special congress in Athens. 
 
Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and two others are facing an investigation over the salaries and bonuses they received in the office. Blatter has been banned from football for ethics violations related to a payment of 2 million Swiss francs that FIFA made to the former European soccer boss Michel Platini with Blatter&#39;s approval in 2011 for work done a decade earlier. 
 
&quot;You are going to continue this beautiful mission without me, for reasons that I do not wish to come back on today,&quot; Platini said in his farewell speech. &quot;I would also stress that I bear no grudges against those who have not supported me, everyone has the right to their own convictions.&quot; 
 
UEFA announced significant changes to their flagship Champions League in August this year. From 2018/19 season, the top four European leagues &nbsp;- currently Spain, Germany, England and Italy &nbsp;- will each be guaranteed four places in the group stage, UEFA competitions director Giorgio Marchetti had told reporters. 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP)

Ceferin, 48, beat Dutch football association chief Michael van Praag by 42 votes to 13 in the first round of voting

Head of Slovenian football association Aleksander Ceferin was elected president of European football's governing body UEFA on Wednesday. The 48-year-old defeated Dutch football association chief Michael van Praag by 42 votes to 13, reported AFP. Ceferin succeeds Michel Platini who was forced to resign as president in May after receiving a ban from football by FIFA's ethics committee . The newly elected leader will complete the remaining two and a half years of Platini's four-year term. "The wind of change is blowing through European football. It is the end of one era and the start of a new one," Ceferin said in a speech at a special congress in Athens shortly after Platini gave a farewell address and left through a side door. The Slovenian lawyer spoke about the challenges associated with the scandal-tainted sport, along with accusations of match-mixing and doping. However, he denied that he was emphasising the negativity. "I don't want to live in an empire of fear where every day we wake and see another negativity surfacing. I want to bring out all the good things UEFA has been doing and you have been doing," Ceferin told a special congress in Athens. Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and two others are facing an investigation over the salaries and bonuses they received in the office. Blatter has been banned from football for ethics violations related to a payment of 2 million Swiss francs that FIFA made to the former European soccer boss Michel Platini with Blatter's approval in 2011 for work done a decade earlier. "You are going to continue this beautiful mission without me, for reasons that I do not wish to come back on today," Platini said in his farewell speech. "I would also stress that I bear no grudges against those who have not supported me, everyone has the right to their own convictions." UEFA announced significant changes to their flagship Champions League in August this year. From 2018/19 season, the top four European leagues - currently Spain, Germany, England and Italy - will each be guaranteed four places in the group stage, UEFA competitions director Giorgio Marchetti had told reporters. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Football: Slovenian Aleksander Ceferin elected UEFA president

Portugal found an unlikely hero as Eder&#39;s thunderous finish deep into extra time secured their first European Championship title after they overcame the early loss of Cristiano Ronaldo to snatch a 1-0 victory over hosts France on Sunday. 
 
The substitute picked the perfect time to score his first competitive goal for his country, marauding forward before letting fly with a bullet shot from 25 metres in the 109th minute. 
 
It was a magic moment for the 28-year-old who plays for French club Lille and delivered a devastating knockout blow to decide a tight and cagey encounter. 
 
&quot;It was amazing,&quot; the striker told reporters. &quot;We fought with immense strength, we were amazing. I think we deserve this title due to the work we put in, all the players and the staff.&quot; 
 
It was a cruel outcome for Didier Deschamps&#39; side, who had dominated the match and squandered a number of chances, in front of their devastated home support, who arrived at the Stade de France hoping to celebrate a third European crown. 
 
The trophy was lifted triumphantly by Ronaldo, who broke down in tears at the final whistle after his own game had come to a frustrating end with 24 minutes on the clock when he cried as he was carried off the pitch on a stretcher with a knee injury.
<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Proud of my team. Proud of my country. Make them believe. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JustDoIt?src=hash">#JustDoIt</a> <a href="https://t.co/Zt2iqmDPZQ">pic.twitter.com/Zt2iqmDPZQ</a>
&mdash; Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cristiano/status/752278540301787137">July 10, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div>
 
So much of the build-up had focused on Ronaldo and his hopes of crowning a glittering career with the only achievement missing from his CV, a piece of international silverware. 
 
The script had been written for him to produce a performance to match his status as one of the game&#39;s truly great talents, but he had to settle for a back-stage role after Dimitri Payet&#39;s challenge left him in a heap on the floor. 
 
It was not how he would have envisaged his evening panning out, but having been part of the Portugal side that were stunned in the final as hosts by Greece in 2004, he celebrated wildly with his teammates as ticker tape rained down from the rafters. 
 
Debilitating defeat 
 
For France it was a debilitating defeat after they had come into the match as heavy favourites and hoping to lift the spirits of a nation still recovering from last November&#39;s attacks in Paris. 
 
&quot;We missed a chance, maybe not a unique chance, but a great chance to become European champions,&quot; Deschamps said. 
 
&quot;Our disappointment is immense and will take time to digest. We won together, we suffered together and we lost together. It would have been magnificent to offer this trophy to our supporters, here at home.&quot; 
 
For the much of the match, there had looked like being only one winner as France began with early attacking intent, fuelled by the bullish presence and charging runs of Moussa Sissoko in midfield. 
 
His 34th-minute shot was well-parried by Portugal keeper Rui Patricio, but by that point the match had settled into a pattern of France probing and pushing but struggling to break down their more defensively-minded opponents. 
 
Without Ronaldo, Portugal seemed in no hurry to rush the ball forward, happy to see the game descend into a cagey, tactical battle. 
 
They had a scare, however, in the 67th minute when Kingsley Coman&#39;s cross found Antoine Griezmann unmarked six metres from goal, only for the tournament&#39;s top scorer to head a golden opportunity over. 
 
Minutes later, Olivier Giroud, fed by sprightly substitute Coman, forced a diving save from Patricio, who then parried away a pile-driver from Sissoko as France turned the screw. 
 
France&#39;s best chance of the night arrived in stoppage time when substitute Andre-Pierre Gignac turned his marker inside out before scuffing a shot past the keeper and against the post, with the ball bouncing across the face of goal and then out of harm&#39;s way. 
 
While Portugal continued to sit back in extra time, they had the better chances with Eder&#39;s header parried by Hugo Lloris and Raphael Guerreiro striking the crossbar with a free kick before Eder&#39;s moment of magic. 
 
(Reuters)

Portugal win a major international tournament for the first time. Ronaldo is carried off with a hurt knee after 24 minutes

Portugal found an unlikely hero as Eder's thunderous finish deep into extra time secured their first European Championship title after they overcame the early loss of Cristiano Ronaldo to snatch a 1-0 victory over hosts France on Sunday. The substitute picked the perfect time to score his first competitive goal for his country, marauding forward before letting fly with a bullet shot from 25 metres in the 109th minute. It was a magic moment for the 28-year-old who plays for French club Lille and delivered a devastating knockout blow to decide a tight and cagey encounter. "It was amazing," the striker told reporters. "We fought with immense strength, we were amazing. I think we deserve this title due to the work we put in, all the players and the staff." It was a cruel outcome for Didier Deschamps' side, who had dominated the match and squandered a number of chances, in front of their devastated home support, who arrived at the Stade de France hoping to celebrate a third European crown. The trophy was lifted triumphantly by Ronaldo, who broke down in tears at the final whistle after his own game had come to a frustrating end with 24 minutes on the clock when he cried as he was carried off the pitch on a stretcher with a knee injury. Proud of my team. Proud of my country. Make them believe. #JustDoIt pic.twitter.com/Zt2iqmDPZQ — Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) July 10, 2016 So much of the build-up had focused on Ronaldo and his hopes of crowning a glittering career with the only achievement missing from his CV, a piece of international silverware. The script had been written for him to produce a performance to match his status as one of the game's truly great talents, but he had to settle for a back-stage role after Dimitri Payet's challenge left him in a heap on the floor. It was not how he would have envisaged his evening panning out, but having been part of the Portugal side that were stunned in the final as hosts by Greece in 2004, he celebrated wildly with his teammates as ticker tape rained down from the rafters. Debilitating defeat For France it was a debilitating defeat after they had come into the match as heavy favourites and hoping to lift the spirits of a nation still recovering from last November's attacks in Paris. "We missed a chance, maybe not a unique chance, but a great chance to become European champions," Deschamps said. "Our disappointment is immense and will take time to digest. We won together, we suffered together and we lost together. It would have been magnificent to offer this trophy to our supporters, here at home." For the much of the match, there had looked like being only one winner as France began with early attacking intent, fuelled by the bullish presence and charging runs of Moussa Sissoko in midfield. His 34th-minute shot was well-parried by Portugal keeper Rui Patricio, but by that point the match had settled into a pattern of France probing and pushing but struggling to break down their more defensively-minded opponents. Without Ronaldo, Portugal seemed in no hurry to rush the ball forward, happy to see the game descend into a cagey, tactical battle. They had a scare, however, in the 67th minute when Kingsley Coman's cross found Antoine Griezmann unmarked six metres from goal, only for the tournament's top scorer to head a golden opportunity over. Minutes later, Olivier Giroud, fed by sprightly substitute Coman, forced a diving save from Patricio, who then parried away a pile-driver from Sissoko as France turned the screw. France's best chance of the night arrived in stoppage time when substitute Andre-Pierre Gignac turned his marker inside out before scuffing a shot past the keeper and against the post, with the ball bouncing across the face of goal and then out of harm's way. While Portugal continued to sit back in extra time, they had the better chances with Eder's header parried by Hugo Lloris and Raphael Guerreiro striking the crossbar with a free kick before Eder's moment of magic. (Reuters)

Euro final: Portugal stun France 1-0 with late Eder strike

UEFA has dismissed its doping case against France and Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho. 
 
&quot;The proceedings against Mr Sakho related to a violation of the UEFA anti-doping regulations after the player failed a doping test (in March),&quot; European football&#39;s ruling body said in a statement on Friday. 
 
&quot;Following a hearing with the lawyers of the player and experts of the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) accredited laboratories on this case, the CEDB (UEFA`s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body) has decided to dismiss the case.&quot; 
 
The 26-year-old Sakho was provisionally banned for 30 days after testing positive for an illegal substance following Liverpool&#39;s Europa League tie against Manchester United on March 17. 
 
Last month French sports daily L`Equipe reported the defender would be cleared to resume playing after UEFA decided not to extend the provisional suspension.&nbsp; 
 
Sakho&#39;s lawyers argued that a fat-burning drug used by the player was not on the list of banned substances, meaning he was not guilty of doping, L`Equipe said. 
 
If he had been found guilty of a drugs violation, he would have faced a ban of at least six months. 
 
With the case hanging over his head, Sakho was left out of the French Euro 2016 squad that has gone on to reach Sunday&#39;s final against Portugal. 
 
UEFA gave no immediate reason for its dismissal of the case.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

Mamadou Sakho was provisionally banned for 30 days after testing positive for an illegal substance, following Europa League tie on March 17

UEFA has dismissed its doping case against France and Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho. "The proceedings against Mr Sakho related to a violation of the UEFA anti-doping regulations after the player failed a doping test (in March)," European football's ruling body said in a statement on Friday. "Following a hearing with the lawyers of the player and experts of the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) accredited laboratories on this case, the CEDB (UEFA`s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body) has decided to dismiss the case." The 26-year-old Sakho was provisionally banned for 30 days after testing positive for an illegal substance following Liverpool's Europa League tie against Manchester United on March 17. Last month French sports daily L`Equipe reported the defender would be cleared to resume playing after UEFA decided not to extend the provisional suspension. Sakho's lawyers argued that a fat-burning drug used by the player was not on the list of banned substances, meaning he was not guilty of doping, L`Equipe said. If he had been found guilty of a drugs violation, he would have faced a ban of at least six months. With the case hanging over his head, Sakho was left out of the French Euro 2016 squad that has gone on to reach Sunday's final against Portugal. UEFA gave no immediate reason for its dismissal of the case. (Reuters)

UEFA dismisses doping case against Sakho

Cristiano Ronaldo scored one goal and inadvertently set up the other as Portugal ground out a 2-0 win over Wales on Wednesday to march into the Euro 2016 final. 
 
The Portuguese superstar, who has had to soak up a lot of criticism for a lacklustre tournament by his high standards, majestically powered in a 50th-minute header to put his side in front. 
 
The goal, his third in the tournament, equalled Michel Platini&#39;s record of nine in European Championship finals. 
 
Ronaldo also saw his shot turned in by Nani for a second goal in the 53rd minute, ending Wales&#39; remarkable run at their first major finals since 1958. 
 
Portugal, who had not won a single game in the tournament over 90 minutes, next meet hosts France or Germany who play their semi-final on Thursday. 
 
&quot;I hope that after the final we will be smiling and that it will be tears of joy in the end,&quot; said Ronaldo who wept after his team lost to surprise packages Greece in the 2004 final. 
 
&quot;I have always said my dream was to win a trophy with Portugal. We are closer to doing it and I believe we will win,&quot; he told reporters after coming out on top in his battle with Real Madrid team mate Gareth Bale. 
 
Wales kept their opponents quiet in the first half but could not recover the two-goal deficit, ending a scintillating run that has captivated millions back home and turned their players into heroes. 
 
The Welsh, with midfielder Aaron Ramsey suspended and replaced by Leicester City&#39;s Premier League winner Andy King, had an early spell of possession but a tight Portugal defence kept them at bay. 
 
First chance 
 
Portugal, bidding to reach their first Euro final since losing on home soil 12 years ago, had their first chance after a quarter of an hour following a low drive by Joao Mario. 
 
Wales responded as Joe Ledley found Bale with a low corner and the forward fired over the bar. 
 
The Welsh, playing their first major tournament semi-final, did not suffer from stage fright with their back line, supported by midfielders Ledley and Joe Allen, disciplined and compact. 
 
In a cagey first half Portugal struggled to find Ronaldo, opting for long crosses into the box that were easy pickings for central defender James Collins. 
 
Portugal injected some urgency after the break, pressing high up the field. 
 
It paid off instantly with a corner in the 50th minute that Raphael Guerreiro floated in towards the far post where Ronaldo climbed high above two defenders to score. 
 
Portugal doubled the lead when Nani slid in to connect with Ronaldo&#39;s mishit shot, netting his own third goal of Euro 2016. 
 
Wales were lucky not to concede more goals late in the game as Portugal, now unbeaten in 13 competitive matches, continued to dream of a maiden top-notch trophy. 
 
&quot;We are massively disappointed obviously but we have given everything on and off the pitch,&quot; said Wales talisman Bale. &quot;We tried our hardest to get back in the game, they shut up shop well but we have no regrets.&nbsp;We are very proud. We will pick ourselves up. Nobody expected us to get this far but we did.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Portugal will next meet France or Germany, who play their semi-finals today

Cristiano Ronaldo scored one goal and inadvertently set up the other as Portugal ground out a 2-0 win over Wales on Wednesday to march into the Euro 2016 final. The Portuguese superstar, who has had to soak up a lot of criticism for a lacklustre tournament by his high standards, majestically powered in a 50th-minute header to put his side in front. The goal, his third in the tournament, equalled Michel Platini's record of nine in European Championship finals. Ronaldo also saw his shot turned in by Nani for a second goal in the 53rd minute, ending Wales' remarkable run at their first major finals since 1958. Portugal, who had not won a single game in the tournament over 90 minutes, next meet hosts France or Germany who play their semi-final on Thursday. "I hope that after the final we will be smiling and that it will be tears of joy in the end," said Ronaldo who wept after his team lost to surprise packages Greece in the 2004 final. "I have always said my dream was to win a trophy with Portugal. We are closer to doing it and I believe we will win," he told reporters after coming out on top in his battle with Real Madrid team mate Gareth Bale. Wales kept their opponents quiet in the first half but could not recover the two-goal deficit, ending a scintillating run that has captivated millions back home and turned their players into heroes. The Welsh, with midfielder Aaron Ramsey suspended and replaced by Leicester City's Premier League winner Andy King, had an early spell of possession but a tight Portugal defence kept them at bay. First chance Portugal, bidding to reach their first Euro final since losing on home soil 12 years ago, had their first chance after a quarter of an hour following a low drive by Joao Mario. Wales responded as Joe Ledley found Bale with a low corner and the forward fired over the bar. The Welsh, playing their first major tournament semi-final, did not suffer from stage fright with their back line, supported by midfielders Ledley and Joe Allen, disciplined and compact. In a cagey first half Portugal struggled to find Ronaldo, opting for long crosses into the box that were easy pickings for central defender James Collins. Portugal injected some urgency after the break, pressing high up the field. It paid off instantly with a corner in the 50th minute that Raphael Guerreiro floated in towards the far post where Ronaldo climbed high above two defenders to score. Portugal doubled the lead when Nani slid in to connect with Ronaldo's mishit shot, netting his own third goal of Euro 2016. Wales were lucky not to concede more goals late in the game as Portugal, now unbeaten in 13 competitive matches, continued to dream of a maiden top-notch trophy. "We are massively disappointed obviously but we have given everything on and off the pitch," said Wales talisman Bale. "We tried our hardest to get back in the game, they shut up shop well but we have no regrets. We are very proud. We will pick ourselves up. Nobody expected us to get this far but we did." (Reuters)

Ronaldo ends Wales' dream run as Portugal marches into Euro final

&nbsp;Two of the noisiest sets of supporters at Euro 2016 witnessed the first surprise result of the finals on Tuesday when Austria lost 2-0 to old rivals Hungary in the opening match of Group F. 
 
The Austrians had been unimpressive in some friendly matches since reeling off nine successive victories to win their qualifying section but they were still strong favourites. 
 
Hungary were therefore all the more delighted to achieve unexpected success in the 138th meeting between the countries with goals by Adam Szalai and substitute Zoltan Stieber. 
 
They appear to have surprised even themselves, since coach Bernd Storck had said victory would be &quot;a miracle&quot;. 
 
Perhaps he realised it was a day for the unexpected when centre forward Szalai scored. 
 
That had not happened for the national team since October 2014, against the might of the Faroe Islands. Nor had the former Real Madrid reserve player been exactly prolific at his various German clubs. 
 
Szalai showed more than one touch of class, however, in the 62nd minute, chesting down for man of the match Laszlo Kleinheisler, then sliding the return pass past the previously untroubled goalkeeper Robert Almer. 
 
TWO INCIDENTS 
 
That was the first of two incidents in as many minutes that turned the game. 
 
Austria retaliated almost immediately as Martin Hinteregger&#39;s shot beat keeper Gabor Kiraly but the referee ruled it out for a late tackle by their centre back Aleksandar Dragovic, who received his second yellow card and was sent off. 
 
Kiraly, the first 40-year-old to play in the European Championship, made an excellent save from Zlatko Junuzovic 10 minutes before halftime. 
 
His evening got better and better after almost suffering the worst possible start, when David Alaba&#39;s shot in the first minute flew past him but hit the post. 
 
Austria were the better side in the first half, but Alaba&#39;s influence in midfield slowly waned, causing coach Marcel Koller to wonder whether the Bayern Munich man might be better reverting to his club position in the back four. 
 
Koller has much else to ponder before the meeting with short-odds group favourites Portugal in Paris on Saturday, including an injury to the influential number 10 Junuzovic and Dragovic&#39;s suspension. 
 
The full back&#39;s ban is expected to bring an opportunity for Gyorgy Garics, who decided to stay with the squad after his father died of cancer last week. 
 
Meanwhile, the Hungarians, having qualified for the first time since reaching the 1972 semi-final, will be newly confident of claiming a place in the last-16 when they play Iceland earlier on Saturday. 
 
They have made the most of their preparation, unlike Austria, who may have been lured into complacency after their stunning qualification campaign. 
 
&quot;We got our reward for three weeks of hard work. Our recent friendlies helped. What we did in the second half was brilliant. Congratulations to the whole team,&quot; Storck said.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

Even their coach had said victory would be a 'miracle'

Two of the noisiest sets of supporters at Euro 2016 witnessed the first surprise result of the finals on Tuesday when Austria lost 2-0 to old rivals Hungary in the opening match of Group F. The Austrians had been unimpressive in some friendly matches since reeling off nine successive victories to win their qualifying section but they were still strong favourites. Hungary were therefore all the more delighted to achieve unexpected success in the 138th meeting between the countries with goals by Adam Szalai and substitute Zoltan Stieber. They appear to have surprised even themselves, since coach Bernd Storck had said victory would be "a miracle". Perhaps he realised it was a day for the unexpected when centre forward Szalai scored. That had not happened for the national team since October 2014, against the might of the Faroe Islands. Nor had the former Real Madrid reserve player been exactly prolific at his various German clubs. Szalai showed more than one touch of class, however, in the 62nd minute, chesting down for man of the match Laszlo Kleinheisler, then sliding the return pass past the previously untroubled goalkeeper Robert Almer. TWO INCIDENTS That was the first of two incidents in as many minutes that turned the game. Austria retaliated almost immediately as Martin Hinteregger's shot beat keeper Gabor Kiraly but the referee ruled it out for a late tackle by their centre back Aleksandar Dragovic, who received his second yellow card and was sent off. Kiraly, the first 40-year-old to play in the European Championship, made an excellent save from Zlatko Junuzovic 10 minutes before halftime. His evening got better and better after almost suffering the worst possible start, when David Alaba's shot in the first minute flew past him but hit the post. Austria were the better side in the first half, but Alaba's influence in midfield slowly waned, causing coach Marcel Koller to wonder whether the Bayern Munich man might be better reverting to his club position in the back four. Koller has much else to ponder before the meeting with short-odds group favourites Portugal in Paris on Saturday, including an injury to the influential number 10 Junuzovic and Dragovic's suspension. The full back's ban is expected to bring an opportunity for Gyorgy Garics, who decided to stay with the squad after his father died of cancer last week. Meanwhile, the Hungarians, having qualified for the first time since reaching the 1972 semi-final, will be newly confident of claiming a place in the last-16 when they play Iceland earlier on Saturday. They have made the most of their preparation, unlike Austria, who may have been lured into complacency after their stunning qualification campaign. "We got our reward for three weeks of hard work. Our recent friendlies helped. What we did in the second half was brilliant. Congratulations to the whole team," Storck said. (Reuters)

Another surprise result, Hungary beat old foes Austria 2-0

Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) announced significant changes to their flagship Champions League today, saying they had managed to &quot;keep it in the family&quot; after staving off the threat of a breakaway league by Europe&#39;s top clubs. 
 
From 2018/19 season, the top four European leagues -- currently Spain, Germany, England and Italy -- will each be guaranteed four places in the group stage, UEFA competitions director Giorgio Marchetti told reporters. 
 
Stung by criticism that the competition has become too predictable, UEFA emphasised that it would continue to be open for teams from Europe&#39;s smaller national leagues although the number of places set aside for them would drop from five to four. 
 
Europe&#39;s top clubs had discussed the possibility of forming a breakaway Super League but UEFA&#39;s acting general secretary Theodor Theodoridis played down the threat. 
 
&quot;From the very beginning, the feeling was the ideal solution for everybody would be a solution in the family,&quot; he told reporters. &quot;We spoke to everyone...the feeling we had was that they always wanted to stay.&quot; 
 
UEFA also stopped short of guaranteeing captive places for certain big clubs, another possibility which sources said had been discussed privately in meetings over the past few months. 
 
Under the present system, the top three leagues have three places each while their fourth-placed teams must play off over two legs for a place in the group stage. 
 
The fourth-ranked league, currently Italy, have only two guaranteed places plus one in the playoff round. 
 
UEFA uses a complicated coefficient to determine the rankings of the national leagues. 
 
Marchetti said the format itself would remain the same with a qualifying stage, followed by a 32-team group stage and then a knockout contest. 
 
The champions and runners-up of the fifth and sixth-ranked leagues, at present France and Russia, will continue to have two places while the champions of the seventh to 10th ranked leagues, currently Portugal, Ukraine, Belgium and Turkey, will also qualify automatically. 
 
The biggest losers were the 11th and 12th ranked leagues, currently Switzerland and the Czech Republic, who will lose their guaranteed places in the group stage. 
 
Instead, they will now compete in a qualifying competition with national champions from all other European leagues for four places in a qualifying competition played in July and August. 
 
Theodoridis said it was an achievement just to keep any places for teams from the smaller leagues who struggle to compete on level terms with the elite clubs. 
 
&quot;We started this process by having one target, keeping the dream alive having all national associations having access,&quot; he said. 
 
UEFA has been without a president since last December when Frenchman Michel Platini was banned for eight years by global soccer body FIFA for ethics violations, later reduced to four on appeal by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). 
 
UEFA will hold an election to find a replacement for Platini in Athens on September 16. Michael van Praag, Angel Maria Villar and Aleksandar Ceferin, the heads of the Dutch, Spanish and Slovenian federations respectively, are the three candidates. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

From the 2018/19 season, the top four European leagues will each be guaranteed four places in the group stage

Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) announced significant changes to their flagship Champions League today, saying they had managed to "keep it in the family" after staving off the threat of a breakaway league by Europe's top clubs. From 2018/19 season, the top four European leagues -- currently Spain, Germany, England and Italy -- will each be guaranteed four places in the group stage, UEFA competitions director Giorgio Marchetti told reporters. Stung by criticism that the competition has become too predictable, UEFA emphasised that it would continue to be open for teams from Europe's smaller national leagues although the number of places set aside for them would drop from five to four. Europe's top clubs had discussed the possibility of forming a breakaway Super League but UEFA's acting general secretary Theodor Theodoridis played down the threat. "From the very beginning, the feeling was the ideal solution for everybody would be a solution in the family," he told reporters. "We spoke to everyone...the feeling we had was that they always wanted to stay." UEFA also stopped short of guaranteeing captive places for certain big clubs, another possibility which sources said had been discussed privately in meetings over the past few months. Under the present system, the top three leagues have three places each while their fourth-placed teams must play off over two legs for a place in the group stage. The fourth-ranked league, currently Italy, have only two guaranteed places plus one in the playoff round. UEFA uses a complicated coefficient to determine the rankings of the national leagues. Marchetti said the format itself would remain the same with a qualifying stage, followed by a 32-team group stage and then a knockout contest. The champions and runners-up of the fifth and sixth-ranked leagues, at present France and Russia, will continue to have two places while the champions of the seventh to 10th ranked leagues, currently Portugal, Ukraine, Belgium and Turkey, will also qualify automatically. The biggest losers were the 11th and 12th ranked leagues, currently Switzerland and the Czech Republic, who will lose their guaranteed places in the group stage. Instead, they will now compete in a qualifying competition with national champions from all other European leagues for four places in a qualifying competition played in July and August. Theodoridis said it was an achievement just to keep any places for teams from the smaller leagues who struggle to compete on level terms with the elite clubs. "We started this process by having one target, keeping the dream alive having all national associations having access," he said. UEFA has been without a president since last December when Frenchman Michel Platini was banned for eight years by global soccer body FIFA for ethics violations, later reduced to four on appeal by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). UEFA will hold an election to find a replacement for Platini in Athens on September 16. Michael van Praag, Angel Maria Villar and Aleksandar Ceferin, the heads of the Dutch, Spanish and Slovenian federations respectively, are the three candidates. (Reuters)

Champions League changes but UEFA keeps it 'in the family'

Guatemala&#39;s former football chief pleaded guilty in New York on Friday to racketeering and wire fraud conspiracies in connection with the unprecedented FIFA corruption scandal rocking world soccer. 
 
Brayan Jimenez, 62, negotiated and accepted bribes worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in awarding media and marketing rights for his country&#39;s qualifier matches for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, prosecutors said. 
 
Jimenez, a former member of FIFA&#39;s Committee for Fair Play and Social Responsibility, agreed to forfeit $35,000. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years for each count when sentenced, US officials said. 
 
Jimenez, who was detained in January in a disheveled and intoxicated state in a posh suburb of Guatemala City, was extradited to the United States in March. 
 
He initially pleaded not guilty to all charges, which included corruption, money laundering, fraud and embezzlement, and was placed under house arrest after posting a $1.5 million bond, $75,000 of it in cash. 
 
US prosecutors in New York have indicted 40 football and sports marketing executives, including Jimenez, over allegedly receiving tens of millions of bribes and kickbacks in the largest corruption scandal in the history of soccer. 
 
More than a third have since pleaded guilty. None have yet been formally sentenced and a date is still pending to put the rest on trial. 
 
(AFP)

Brayan Jimenez agreed to forfeit $35,000 and faces a maximum sentence for 20 years for each count. He had initially pleaded not guilty

Guatemala's former football chief pleaded guilty in New York on Friday to racketeering and wire fraud conspiracies in connection with the unprecedented FIFA corruption scandal rocking world soccer. Brayan Jimenez, 62, negotiated and accepted bribes worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in awarding media and marketing rights for his country's qualifier matches for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, prosecutors said. Jimenez, a former member of FIFA's Committee for Fair Play and Social Responsibility, agreed to forfeit $35,000. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years for each count when sentenced, US officials said. Jimenez, who was detained in January in a disheveled and intoxicated state in a posh suburb of Guatemala City, was extradited to the United States in March. He initially pleaded not guilty to all charges, which included corruption, money laundering, fraud and embezzlement, and was placed under house arrest after posting a $1.5 million bond, $75,000 of it in cash. US prosecutors in New York have indicted 40 football and sports marketing executives, including Jimenez, over allegedly receiving tens of millions of bribes and kickbacks in the largest corruption scandal in the history of soccer. More than a third have since pleaded guilty. None have yet been formally sentenced and a date is still pending to put the rest on trial. (AFP)

Former Guatemalan football chief pleads guilty to FIFA corruption charges

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

England&#39;s new manager Sam Allardyce vowed today to break the psychological barrier hindering performance of the country&#39;s big-name players at international level. 
 
Allardyce also revealed he has not yet made a decision on who will captain England, which leaves the Manchester United skipper Wayne Rooney, heavily criticised for his performances at Euro 2016, sweating on whether he will retain the armband. 
 
England&#39;s campaign at last month&#39;s European Championships under predecessor Roy Hodgson culminated in a humiliating exit to Iceland in the last 16, despite boasting a squad packed with Premier League talent. Hodgson quickly quit. 
 
Allardyce, speaking at his first press conference at St George&rsquo;s Park following his appointment, will seek to address that faulty mindset as England bid to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. 
 
&quot;The pressure on players at international level we will be looking at in depth,&quot; said the 61-year-old Englishman, nicknamed &#39;Big Sam&#39;, who lost out to Steve McClaren for the England job 10 years ago. 
 
&quot;I will exploit all areas for the benefit of the players. The key element is to get among the staff in place and talk about the programme going forward, particularly psychologically. 
 
&quot;It&rsquo;s not about potential now. It&rsquo;s about standing up and being counted even though some of those experiences have been bitter. Potential is a word I don&rsquo;t like to use too much. You want the actual quality of the player producing his best immediately.&quot; 
 
&quot;I think this group is very experienced and going forward can be producing more performances and better results. It&rsquo;s not just about qualifying, but going as far as we can.&quot; 
 
It is anticipated that Allardyce, a former manager of many clubs including Bolton, Newcastle, West Ham and most recently Sunderland, will not make a call on Rooney&#39;s captaincy until the players join up for the World Cup qualifier with Slovakia on September 4. 
 
&quot;That&#39;s far too early to make predictions in that area,&quot; Allardyce said, when asked if Rooney would continue as skipper. &quot;I will leave that (the captaincy) until we get together and plan for the qualifiers.&quot; 
 
Allardyce acknowledges England job as &#39;biggest challenge&#39;&nbsp; 
 
Allardyce, who guided Sunderland to Premier League last season having taken over with them in a desperate position, has never won a major trophy and acknowledged the England job is the &quot;biggest challenge&quot; of his managerial career. 
 
Allardyce believes, however, he has the right credentials for the position and remains confident the &quot;Three Lions&quot; will progress under his stewardship. 
 
&quot;This will be the greatest challenge for me in my long career and hopefully I will be as successful as I have in the rest of my career,&quot; said the man who has faced criticism down the years for long-ball football. 
 
Jose Mourinho famously once described Allardyce&#39;s football as &quot;19th century&quot;. 
 
&quot;I can turn things around pretty quickly. I can create a successful journey and that starts with us all pulling together,&quot; added Allardyce. 
 
&quot;What is my style? Pragmatic. Choosing styles and systems depends on who we are playing. My coaching technique is to win a football match, home or away, whether we are at Wembley or not, and adapt to the style we play to the opposition.&quot; 
 
&quot;I think the bonding of the team is exceptionally important. A game of football is to be enjoyed.&quot; 
 
Allardyce confirmed Sammy Lee, his former assistant when he was in charge of Bolton Wanderers, will become part of his backroom staff. 
 
He also called for the introduction of a winter break in the Premier League to help boost the national team&rsquo;s flagging fortunes. 
 
&quot;I have been an advocate of that for 10 years or more. The demand on players is enormous,&quot; he explained. 
 
&quot;The Premier League is the best league in the world so demand has to be on the players. It would help the Premier League and us at international level if we could try and achieve it.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Allardyce will seek to address that faulty mindset as England bid to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia

England's new manager Sam Allardyce vowed today to break the psychological barrier hindering performance of the country's big-name players at international level. Allardyce also revealed he has not yet made a decision on who will captain England, which leaves the Manchester United skipper Wayne Rooney, heavily criticised for his performances at Euro 2016, sweating on whether he will retain the armband. England's campaign at last month's European Championships under predecessor Roy Hodgson culminated in a humiliating exit to Iceland in the last 16, despite boasting a squad packed with Premier League talent. Hodgson quickly quit. Allardyce, speaking at his first press conference at St George’s Park following his appointment, will seek to address that faulty mindset as England bid to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. "The pressure on players at international level we will be looking at in depth," said the 61-year-old Englishman, nicknamed 'Big Sam', who lost out to Steve McClaren for the England job 10 years ago. "I will exploit all areas for the benefit of the players. The key element is to get among the staff in place and talk about the programme going forward, particularly psychologically. "It’s not about potential now. It’s about standing up and being counted even though some of those experiences have been bitter. Potential is a word I don’t like to use too much. You want the actual quality of the player producing his best immediately." "I think this group is very experienced and going forward can be producing more performances and better results. It’s not just about qualifying, but going as far as we can." It is anticipated that Allardyce, a former manager of many clubs including Bolton, Newcastle, West Ham and most recently Sunderland, will not make a call on Rooney's captaincy until the players join up for the World Cup qualifier with Slovakia on September 4. "That's far too early to make predictions in that area," Allardyce said, when asked if Rooney would continue as skipper. "I will leave that (the captaincy) until we get together and plan for the qualifiers." Allardyce acknowledges England job as 'biggest challenge' Allardyce, who guided Sunderland to Premier League last season having taken over with them in a desperate position, has never won a major trophy and acknowledged the England job is the "biggest challenge" of his managerial career. Allardyce believes, however, he has the right credentials for the position and remains confident the "Three Lions" will progress under his stewardship. "This will be the greatest challenge for me in my long career and hopefully I will be as successful as I have in the rest of my career," said the man who has faced criticism down the years for long-ball football. Jose Mourinho famously once described Allardyce's football as "19th century". "I can turn things around pretty quickly. I can create a successful journey and that starts with us all pulling together," added Allardyce. "What is my style? Pragmatic. Choosing styles and systems depends on who we are playing. My coaching technique is to win a football match, home or away, whether we are at Wembley or not, and adapt to the style we play to the opposition." "I think the bonding of the team is exceptionally important. A game of football is to be enjoyed." Allardyce confirmed Sammy Lee, his former assistant when he was in charge of Bolton Wanderers, will become part of his backroom staff. He also called for the introduction of a winter break in the Premier League to help boost the national team’s flagging fortunes. "I have been an advocate of that for 10 years or more. The demand on players is enormous," he explained. "The Premier League is the best league in the world so demand has to be on the players. It would help the Premier League and us at international level if we could try and achieve it." (AFP)

New boss Sam Allardyce vows to improve England team mentality

Belgium striker Michy Batshuayi is set to join Chelsea from Ligue 1 club Olympique Marseille, French sports daily L&#39;Equipe reported today. 
 
The 22-year-old Batshuayi is expected to sign a five-year contract for the Premier League side for a transfer fee of some 40 million euros ($44.30 million), the newspaper said without citing sources. 
 
Marseille had reached a deal with another Premier League club, Crystal Palace, earlier this week but Batshuayi turned down the offer, L&#39;Equipe wrote. 
 
Batshuayi had to pass a medical in Bordeaux, France, where Belgium are based for the European Championship finals, and Chelsea could announce the deal later today, according to the French newspaper. 
 
Batshuayi who joined Marseille from Belgian side Standard Liege in 2014, scored 23 goals in all competitions this season. 
 
Belgium face Wales on Friday in Lille for a place in the semi-finals of Euro 2016. 
 
(Reuters)

Michy Batshuayi who joined Marseille from Belgian side Standard Liege in 2014, scored 23 goals in all competitions this season

Belgium striker Michy Batshuayi is set to join Chelsea from Ligue 1 club Olympique Marseille, French sports daily L'Equipe reported today. The 22-year-old Batshuayi is expected to sign a five-year contract for the Premier League side for a transfer fee of some 40 million euros ($44.30 million), the newspaper said without citing sources. Marseille had reached a deal with another Premier League club, Crystal Palace, earlier this week but Batshuayi turned down the offer, L'Equipe wrote. Batshuayi had to pass a medical in Bordeaux, France, where Belgium are based for the European Championship finals, and Chelsea could announce the deal later today, according to the French newspaper. Batshuayi who joined Marseille from Belgian side Standard Liege in 2014, scored 23 goals in all competitions this season. Belgium face Wales on Friday in Lille for a place in the semi-finals of Euro 2016. (Reuters)

Batshuayi to join Chelsea, L'Equipe reports

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri is confident Riyad Mahrez will stay at the club after midfielder N&#39;Golo Kante&#39;s Chelsea move triggered speculation that the influential winger could follow suit. 
 
Leicester have already had to fight off advances from several clubs to keep striker Jamie Vardy and left wing-back Jeffrey Schlupp, and Ranieri was certain of retaining the majority of the Premier League title-winning squad. 
 
Mahrez remains the subject of interest from several clubs, including Spanish champions Barcelona, according to the British media, while Vardy rejected Arsenal and signed a new deal at Leicester last month. 
 
&quot;Only Kante wanted to go, that&#39;s okay. But I understood him, he came from a little team in France and had a fantastic season. I said to him, stay with us and have another year with us, but he wanted to go,&quot; Ranieri told British media. 
 
&quot;Everybody here is happy and yes, he wants to stay. No other players will go away. We will stay together. The football continues without Riyad or without Kante, but Riyad will stay with us for all of the years.&nbsp;It&#39;s important to maintain the group, with the spirit, with the humility. That&#39;s important for me.&quot; 
 
Leicester&#39;s head of recruitment Steve Walsh, who was instrumental in bringing both Mahrez and Kante to the club, has been heavily linked with the director of football role at Everton. 
 
Ranieri has already lost a major part of his backroom staff when highly-rated scout Ben Wrigglesworth went to Arsenal in January and Rob MacKenzie was installed as Tottenham Hotspur&#39;s head of talent identification in February.&nbsp;Leicester will kick off their title defence with a trip to the KC Stadium, where they will face promoted Hull City on August 13. 
 
(Reuters)

Leicester have already had to fight off advances from several clubs to keep striker Jamie Vardy and left wing-back Jeffrey Schlupp

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri is confident Riyad Mahrez will stay at the club after midfielder N'Golo Kante's Chelsea move triggered speculation that the influential winger could follow suit. Leicester have already had to fight off advances from several clubs to keep striker Jamie Vardy and left wing-back Jeffrey Schlupp, and Ranieri was certain of retaining the majority of the Premier League title-winning squad. Mahrez remains the subject of interest from several clubs, including Spanish champions Barcelona, according to the British media, while Vardy rejected Arsenal and signed a new deal at Leicester last month. "Only Kante wanted to go, that's okay. But I understood him, he came from a little team in France and had a fantastic season. I said to him, stay with us and have another year with us, but he wanted to go," Ranieri told British media. "Everybody here is happy and yes, he wants to stay. No other players will go away. We will stay together. The football continues without Riyad or without Kante, but Riyad will stay with us for all of the years. It's important to maintain the group, with the spirit, with the humility. That's important for me." Leicester's head of recruitment Steve Walsh, who was instrumental in bringing both Mahrez and Kante to the club, has been heavily linked with the director of football role at Everton. Ranieri has already lost a major part of his backroom staff when highly-rated scout Ben Wrigglesworth went to Arsenal in January and Rob MacKenzie was installed as Tottenham Hotspur's head of talent identification in February. Leicester will kick off their title defence with a trip to the KC Stadium, where they will face promoted Hull City on August 13. (Reuters)

Riyad Mahrez will not follow Kante out of Leicester, says Ranieri

Forget Italy&#39;s image of catenaccio (or &quot;door chain defence&quot;). Antonio Conte&rsquo;s Italy showed in a 2-0 defeat of Spain at Euro 2016 on Monday that they can do unchained attacking football too. 
 
The Azzurri, who will take on world champions Germany in a fascinating quarter-final on Saturday, had promised they would not be afraid to go forward against Spain. 
 
They certainly kept to their word, creating scores of opportunities and forcing David De Gea to make several superb saves. 
 
Italy&rsquo;s defensive performance were outstanding, the back three of Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli shutting down the Spanish forwards and comfortably cutting the wingers&rsquo; crosses throughout. 
 
&ldquo;It was definitely a great performance. I&rsquo;m pleased because this is a team who play football,&rdquo; said coach Conte, who was in the last Italian team to beat Spain in a competitive game at the 1994 World Cup. 
 
&ldquo;People think of Italy as a defensive side, but it&rsquo;s not the case. I don&rsquo;t coach players to counter attack. We are very well organised defensively but we are also organised going forward.&rdquo; 
 
Italy wasted several opportunities but their superiority in midfield, where they always field five players in a 3-5-2 formation, caused Spain plenty of trouble. 
 
The disciplined football was possible because the Azzurri have embraced a club culture, Conte said. 
 
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always said since I took over that the only route forward to achieve some semblance of success, was to try to be a club,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;To try to be a team who play a league season. &ldquo;There is no point in hiding the fact that it&rsquo;s not the rosiest period in terms of football talent for Italy so we need to be a team from every perspective.&rdquo; 
 
Man-of-the-match Bonucci added: &ldquo;We found a national team that has no top talents and we had to create a team, with a game plan, and Conte has been our leader.&quot; 
 
Monday&rsquo;s victory was all the sweeter for Italy since it came four years after they were humbled 4-0 in the Euro 2012 final. 
 
&ldquo;We had revenge on our minds and today we had something extra. We played well, we had positive feelings and so much willingness to do well,&quot; said Chiellini who scored Italy&rsquo;s first in the opening half before Graziano Pelle added a late second. 
 
&quot;After years of Spain dominating, we have been able to get some revenge. This is just the beginning.&rdquo; 
 
Conte may have a midfield problem against Germany, however, since Daniele De Rossi sustained a hip injury and his replacement Thiago Motta, picked up a yellow card and will be suspended. 
 
(Reuters)

The Italians will play Germany in the quarter-finals on Saturday

Forget Italy's image of catenaccio (or "door chain defence"). Antonio Conte’s Italy showed in a 2-0 defeat of Spain at Euro 2016 on Monday that they can do unchained attacking football too. The Azzurri, who will take on world champions Germany in a fascinating quarter-final on Saturday, had promised they would not be afraid to go forward against Spain. They certainly kept to their word, creating scores of opportunities and forcing David De Gea to make several superb saves. Italy’s defensive performance were outstanding, the back three of Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli shutting down the Spanish forwards and comfortably cutting the wingers’ crosses throughout. “It was definitely a great performance. I’m pleased because this is a team who play football,” said coach Conte, who was in the last Italian team to beat Spain in a competitive game at the 1994 World Cup. “People think of Italy as a defensive side, but it’s not the case. I don’t coach players to counter attack. We are very well organised defensively but we are also organised going forward.” Italy wasted several opportunities but their superiority in midfield, where they always field five players in a 3-5-2 formation, caused Spain plenty of trouble. The disciplined football was possible because the Azzurri have embraced a club culture, Conte said. “I’ve always said since I took over that the only route forward to achieve some semblance of success, was to try to be a club,” he said. “To try to be a team who play a league season. “There is no point in hiding the fact that it’s not the rosiest period in terms of football talent for Italy so we need to be a team from every perspective.” Man-of-the-match Bonucci added: “We found a national team that has no top talents and we had to create a team, with a game plan, and Conte has been our leader." Monday’s victory was all the sweeter for Italy since it came four years after they were humbled 4-0 in the Euro 2012 final. “We had revenge on our minds and today we had something extra. We played well, we had positive feelings and so much willingness to do well," said Chiellini who scored Italy’s first in the opening half before Graziano Pelle added a late second. "After years of Spain dominating, we have been able to get some revenge. This is just the beginning.” Conte may have a midfield problem against Germany, however, since Daniele De Rossi sustained a hip injury and his replacement Thiago Motta, picked up a yellow card and will be suspended. (Reuters)

Italy leave defending behind, put two past Spain

Jose Mourinho officially started work as Manchester United manager at the club&#39;s Carrington training base on Monday. 
 
The Portuguese man travelled to Manchester by train on Sunday night and posted a video on Instagram showing his arrival at Picadilly station, saying: &quot;I am here/UNITED we can&quot;. 
 
He arrived at Carrington with goalkeeping coach Silvino Louro on Monday morning. 
 
The 53-year-old was appointed as United boss in May after the sacking of Dutchman Louis van Gaal. 
 
Van Gaal won the FA Cup in his final match in charge, but in the Premier League he led the Red Devils to only fourth and fifth-placed finishes in his two seasons. 
 
Mourinho has already begun shaping his new squad to grace Old Trafford next season, with former Paris-Saint Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ivorian defender Eric Bailly high-profile new signings. 
 
The former Chelsea coach is also close to concluding a deal for Borussia Dortmund&#39;s Armenian playmaker Henrikh Mkhitaryan. 
 
The German club announced on Saturday that Mkhitaryan was close to finalising a deal with United after they had accepted an &quot;enormously valuable offer&quot;. 
 
Mourinho, who has won the Champions League with Porto and Inter Milan, saw his second spell at Stamford Bridge unceremoniously ended after a disastrous start to the Blues&#39; league title defence last term. 
 
Mourinho is set to be formally unveiled as United head coach on Tuesday before the players start pre-season training the following day. 
 
The three-time European champions take on Dortmund and rivals Manchester City on their pre-season tour of China later in July. 
 
(AFP)

Other new high-profile signings include former Paris-Saint Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ivorian defender Eric Bailly

Jose Mourinho officially started work as Manchester United manager at the club's Carrington training base on Monday. The Portuguese man travelled to Manchester by train on Sunday night and posted a video on Instagram showing his arrival at Picadilly station, saying: "I am here/UNITED we can". He arrived at Carrington with goalkeeping coach Silvino Louro on Monday morning. The 53-year-old was appointed as United boss in May after the sacking of Dutchman Louis van Gaal. Van Gaal won the FA Cup in his final match in charge, but in the Premier League he led the Red Devils to only fourth and fifth-placed finishes in his two seasons. Mourinho has already begun shaping his new squad to grace Old Trafford next season, with former Paris-Saint Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ivorian defender Eric Bailly high-profile new signings. The former Chelsea coach is also close to concluding a deal for Borussia Dortmund's Armenian playmaker Henrikh Mkhitaryan. The German club announced on Saturday that Mkhitaryan was close to finalising a deal with United after they had accepted an "enormously valuable offer". Mourinho, who has won the Champions League with Porto and Inter Milan, saw his second spell at Stamford Bridge unceremoniously ended after a disastrous start to the Blues' league title defence last term. Mourinho is set to be formally unveiled as United head coach on Tuesday before the players start pre-season training the following day. The three-time European champions take on Dortmund and rivals Manchester City on their pre-season tour of China later in July. (AFP)

Jose Mourinho's coaching reign kicks off in Manchester United

Holding midfielder Sami Khedira will miss Germany&#39;s Euro 2016 semi-final against host France after he sustained an adductor muscle injury in the quarter-final victory over Italy, coach Joachim Loew said on Monday. 
 
Khedira, who had played in all of Germany&#39;s matches at the tournament, was withdrawn early in Saturdays game after over-stretching during a challenge for the ball. 
 
&quot;Sami Khedira wont play for us on Thursday. We will do everything for him to be available for a potential final,&quot; Loew told reporters of the 29-year-old Juventus player. 
 
&quot;I will have to bring in new names. There will be personnel changes in the lineup.&quot; 
 
Germany are already without suspended central defender Mats Hummels and injured striker Mario Gomez, who will miss the rest of the tournament after also picking up an injury in the shootout victory over Italy. 
 
Gomez, who will remain with the team, is the only specialist striker in the German squad. 
 
Loew said he had enough options in midfield, naming Emre Can as one of Khediras possible replacements due to his versatility. 
 
&quot;He is a player who can be used in a lot of different positions. In training, he has been very convincing. Physically he is very strong and skilled. I think that a player like Can would do our game a lot of good.&quot; Captain Bastian Schweinsteiger was also a doubt with a knee ligament injury and if he did not fully recover by Thursday, he would not play, Loew said. 
 
&quot;We will not put our head in the sand. We will try everything with the players that are doubtful,&quot; the coach added. &quot;One thing is clear: I will definitely not let play anyone who is not 100 per cent fit. I hope and wish that Bastian can make it. 
 
&quot;I made the mistake many years ago (of fielding a player who was unfit) and I wont make it again,&quot; he said, refusing to name the match he was referring to. 
 
&quot;The thoughts we have should not go back to the past but go forward. I fully trust all my players. They are training at a high level, they are physically in very good shape.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Germany are already without suspended central defender Mats Hummels and injured striker Mario Gomez who will miss the rest of the tournament

Holding midfielder Sami Khedira will miss Germany's Euro 2016 semi-final against host France after he sustained an adductor muscle injury in the quarter-final victory over Italy, coach Joachim Loew said on Monday. Khedira, who had played in all of Germany's matches at the tournament, was withdrawn early in Saturdays game after over-stretching during a challenge for the ball. "Sami Khedira wont play for us on Thursday. We will do everything for him to be available for a potential final," Loew told reporters of the 29-year-old Juventus player. "I will have to bring in new names. There will be personnel changes in the lineup." Germany are already without suspended central defender Mats Hummels and injured striker Mario Gomez, who will miss the rest of the tournament after also picking up an injury in the shootout victory over Italy. Gomez, who will remain with the team, is the only specialist striker in the German squad. Loew said he had enough options in midfield, naming Emre Can as one of Khediras possible replacements due to his versatility. "He is a player who can be used in a lot of different positions. In training, he has been very convincing. Physically he is very strong and skilled. I think that a player like Can would do our game a lot of good." Captain Bastian Schweinsteiger was also a doubt with a knee ligament injury and if he did not fully recover by Thursday, he would not play, Loew said. "We will not put our head in the sand. We will try everything with the players that are doubtful," the coach added. "One thing is clear: I will definitely not let play anyone who is not 100 per cent fit. I hope and wish that Bastian can make it. "I made the mistake many years ago (of fielding a player who was unfit) and I wont make it again," he said, refusing to name the match he was referring to. "The thoughts we have should not go back to the past but go forward. I fully trust all my players. They are training at a high level, they are physically in very good shape." (Reuters)

EURO 2016: Germany lose Sami Khedira for semifinal

Manchester United are among several leading English Premier League (EPL) clubs to reject invitations from the Football League to have their academy sides play in the revamped English Football League Trophy. 
 
United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur were missing when the draw for the knockout tournament, which traditionally has just been made up from the 48 clubs involved in English football&#39;s third and fourth tiers, was made today. 
 
But Premier League champions Leicester City have agreed that their academy side will take part, with Chelsea also set to have their fledgling players compete in a tournament amid suggestions that Trophy matches would cause fixture clashes for top-flight academy teams, who already had sufficient matches in a season. 
 
In a bid to give a higher profile to the competition, officials announced in June that 16 &#39;category one&#39; academy outfits had been invited to take part. The new tournament will see 64 teams divided into 16 groups of four, on a north/south regional basis, each group containing one &#39;invited&#39; club. 
 
Then the top two from each group will go forward to a regional knockout round of 32, with the last 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals all open draws ahead of a final at London&#39;s Wembley Stadium on April 2. 
 
(AFP)

Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur were missing when the draw for the knockout tournament was made

Manchester United are among several leading English Premier League (EPL) clubs to reject invitations from the Football League to have their academy sides play in the revamped English Football League Trophy. United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur were missing when the draw for the knockout tournament, which traditionally has just been made up from the 48 clubs involved in English football's third and fourth tiers, was made today. But Premier League champions Leicester City have agreed that their academy side will take part, with Chelsea also set to have their fledgling players compete in a tournament amid suggestions that Trophy matches would cause fixture clashes for top-flight academy teams, who already had sufficient matches in a season. In a bid to give a higher profile to the competition, officials announced in June that 16 'category one' academy outfits had been invited to take part. The new tournament will see 64 teams divided into 16 groups of four, on a north/south regional basis, each group containing one 'invited' club. Then the top two from each group will go forward to a regional knockout round of 32, with the last 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals all open draws ahead of a final at London's Wembley Stadium on April 2. (AFP)

Premier League giants refuse English Football League Trophy invites

<div style="text-align: justify;">Italy&nbsp;moved into the knockout stages of Euro 2016 and continued to defy their doubters as Eder scored two minutes from fulltime to secure a 1-0 win over a shot-shy and unadventurous Sweden on Friday. 
Eder ended a great run by firing home to move&nbsp;Italy&nbsp;clear at the top of Group E on six points after two matches following their 2-0 victory over Belgium in their opening encounter. 
The result left Sweden in an uncomfortable position with one point after two games ahead of their final group clash against Belgium next week. 
Sweden were well organised at the back but toothless in attack, with their danger man Zlatan Ibrahimovic looking a shadow of his brilliant best and hardly creating a chance. 
Italy, who came into the tournament with questions surrounding the strength of their squad, but surprised many with their superb performance against a highly-fancied Belgium side, relied on their trademark, tight defence against the Swedes. 
They rarely threatened up front, however, until Marco Parolo hit the crossbar with a header shortly before Eder netted the winner. 
&quot;It was a difficult game,&quot;&nbsp;Italy&nbsp;coach Antonio Conte told Rai Sport. &quot;We struggled in the first half. 
&quot;The boys did well to ride the storm and hurt Sweden when we needed to.&quot; 
Italy&nbsp;had been praised for their unity and work rate in their opening win over Belgium, but appeared to have no answer to Sweden&#39;s organised rearguard until Eder&#39;s late intervention. 
Sweden coach Erik Hamren had criticised their lack of attacking vitality following their opening 1-1 draw with Ireland, and while there was an improvement in their overall performance, Ibrahimovic once again failed to provide a cutting edge and live up to his billing. 
&quot;We were much better than the Italians for periods, but we didn&rsquo;t create really dangerous chances,&quot; Sweden midfielder Albin Ekdal told Swedish broadcaster SVT. 
Sweden are still without a shot on target at the tournament, although Martin Olsson proved a menacing threat down the left, sending an effort just over the bar on 18 minutes having set the tone with an early cross that prompted a nervous clearance from Giorgio Chiellini. 
Olsson&#39;s frequent forays left space for Antonio Candreva, but Andreas Isaksson and Erik Johansson combined to clear his testing deliveries, while Ibrahimovic flashed a close-range header wide towards the end of the first half. 
Having masterminded victory over the Belgians, Conte&#39;s tactics were completely neutralised during the opening 45 minutes in Toulouse and his side appeared unsettled as a result. 
&quot;At halftime Conte told us we were too slow and he was right,&quot; Parolo told Rai Sport. 
&quot;We changed the tempo after the break and we deserved our victory.&quot; 
Conte introduced Simone Zaza in the 60th minute and he had a decisive role in the winner, heading a Chiellini throw in into the path of Eder. 
The forward then cut in from the left -- evading Andreas Granqvist&#39;s attempted tackle -- and sent a curling right-footed shot round Isaksson to take&nbsp;Italy&nbsp;through. 
(Reuters)</div>

Eder scored two minutes from full time to secure the win against Sweden

Italy moved into the knockout stages of Euro 2016 and continued to defy their doubters as Eder scored two minutes from fulltime to secure a 1-0 win over a shot-shy and unadventurous Sweden on Friday. Eder ended a great run by firing home to move Italy clear at the top of Group E on six points after two matches following their 2-0 victory over Belgium in their opening encounter. The result left Sweden in an uncomfortable position with one point after two games ahead of their final group clash against Belgium next week. Sweden were well organised at the back but toothless in attack, with their danger man Zlatan Ibrahimovic looking a shadow of his brilliant best and hardly creating a chance. Italy, who came into the tournament with questions surrounding the strength of their squad, but surprised many with their superb performance against a highly-fancied Belgium side, relied on their trademark, tight defence against the Swedes. They rarely threatened up front, however, until Marco Parolo hit the crossbar with a header shortly before Eder netted the winner. "It was a difficult game," Italy coach Antonio Conte told Rai Sport. "We struggled in the first half. "The boys did well to ride the storm and hurt Sweden when we needed to." Italy had been praised for their unity and work rate in their opening win over Belgium, but appeared to have no answer to Sweden's organised rearguard until Eder's late intervention. Sweden coach Erik Hamren had criticised their lack of attacking vitality following their opening 1-1 draw with Ireland, and while there was an improvement in their overall performance, Ibrahimovic once again failed to provide a cutting edge and live up to his billing. "We were much better than the Italians for periods, but we didn’t create really dangerous chances," Sweden midfielder Albin Ekdal told Swedish broadcaster SVT. Sweden are still without a shot on target at the tournament, although Martin Olsson proved a menacing threat down the left, sending an effort just over the bar on 18 minutes having set the tone with an early cross that prompted a nervous clearance from Giorgio Chiellini. Olsson's frequent forays left space for Antonio Candreva, but Andreas Isaksson and Erik Johansson combined to clear his testing deliveries, while Ibrahimovic flashed a close-range header wide towards the end of the first half. Having masterminded victory over the Belgians, Conte's tactics were completely neutralised during the opening 45 minutes in Toulouse and his side appeared unsettled as a result. "At halftime Conte told us we were too slow and he was right," Parolo told Rai Sport. "We changed the tempo after the break and we deserved our victory." Conte introduced Simone Zaza in the 60th minute and he had a decisive role in the winner, heading a Chiellini throw in into the path of Eder. The forward then cut in from the left -- evading Andreas Granqvist's attempted tackle -- and sent a curling right-footed shot round Isaksson to take Italy through. (Reuters)

Late goal allows Italy to enter knockout stages of Euro 2016

Paul Pogba, midfielder 
 
Where will he ply his trade: Manchester United 
Empty nest syndrome: Juventus 
How much moolah did he cost: A world record sum of&nbsp;&euro;105 million. Staggering, yes. 
Why is he making news: As mentioned earlier, the 23-year-old midfield dynamo was bought for a world record fee 
 
Ilkay Gundogan, midfielder 
 
Home sweet home: Manchester City 
Parted away from: Borussia Dortmund 
Moolah: Roughly &euro;24m&nbsp; 
Why is he on the list: Bang for buck. An integral member of Klopp&#39;s team that threatened Bayern Munich&#39;s hegemony in Germany and caused more than a few flutters in Europe 
 
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, striker 
 
New subjects: Manchester United 
Left as a legend from: Paris Saint-Germain (better known as PSG) 
Money cost: He is King Zlatan. Money can&#39;t buy love and Zlatan 
Why did he make news: He is Zlatan, simples 
 
Sadio Mane, winger 
 
Which club will he dazzle: Liverpool 
Which club will miss him: Southampton 
How much did he cost: About&nbsp;&euro;39m 
Why is he making airwaves: He is fast, slippery, scores and creates goals 
 
Michy Batshuayi, striker 
 
He&#39;ll score goals at: Chelsea 
Which club will miss him: Marseille 
Money exchanged for him:&nbsp;&euro;40m 
Why on this list: Still green at 23 but scored 26 goals in 62 matches across the pond&nbsp; 
 
Granit Xhaka, midfielder 
 
Will introduce his silky touch at: Arsenal 
Stricken club: Borussia Monchengladbach 
Price: Roughly&nbsp;&euro;39 million 
Why on this list: Arsene Wenger&#39;s hawkish eye can perceive talent from far. Period 
 
Ahmed Musa, striker 
 
Which club will he scorch: Leicester City (who can leave them out from anything these days?) 
Alma mater: CSKA Moscow 
Price tag:&nbsp;&euro;18.5m (approx.) 
What will he bring to the club: Speed, speed and more speed 
 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

We run the rule on Pogba, Gundogan, Ibrahimovic, Mane, Batshuayi, Xhaka and Musa

Paul Pogba, midfielder Where will he ply his trade: Manchester United Empty nest syndrome: Juventus How much moolah did he cost: A world record sum of €105 million. Staggering, yes. Why is he making news: As mentioned earlier, the 23-year-old midfield dynamo was bought for a world record fee Ilkay Gundogan, midfielder Home sweet home: Manchester City Parted away from: Borussia Dortmund Moolah: Roughly €24m Why is he on the list: Bang for buck. An integral member of Klopp's team that threatened Bayern Munich's hegemony in Germany and caused more than a few flutters in Europe Zlatan Ibrahimovic, striker New subjects: Manchester United Left as a legend from: Paris Saint-Germain (better known as PSG) Money cost: He is King Zlatan. Money can't buy love and Zlatan Why did he make news: He is Zlatan, simples Sadio Mane, winger Which club will he dazzle: Liverpool Which club will miss him: Southampton How much did he cost: About €39m Why is he making airwaves: He is fast, slippery, scores and creates goals Michy Batshuayi, striker He'll score goals at: Chelsea Which club will miss him: Marseille Money exchanged for him: €40m Why on this list: Still green at 23 but scored 26 goals in 62 matches across the pond Granit Xhaka, midfielder Will introduce his silky touch at: Arsenal Stricken club: Borussia Monchengladbach Price: Roughly €39 million Why on this list: Arsene Wenger's hawkish eye can perceive talent from far. Period Ahmed Musa, striker Which club will he scorch: Leicester City (who can leave them out from anything these days?) Alma mater: CSKA Moscow Price tag: €18.5m (approx.) What will he bring to the club: Speed, speed and more speed

Premier League 2016/17: Top transfers, so far

The Euro 2016 draw has opened up for Belgium, but Marc Wilmots&#39; side are still to confirm their title credentials before their round of 16 match against undefeated Hungary on Sunday. 
 
Belgium finished second in Group E after an opening defeat by Italy, but Wilmots refuses to see it as a blessing in disguise, even if the draw means they will avoid Spain, Germany, France, England and the Italians until the final. 
 
Concerned about the pressure on his team, the coach hinted that he would rather face one of the heavyweights. 
 
&quot;These are games in which you have nothing to lose,&quot; he told reporters. &quot;Matches like we played against Brazil in the 2002 World Cup are nicer.&nbsp;In this Euro there are no easy games, no small teams,&quot; he added. &quot;They criticised us for losing to Wales (during qualification) and look where they are now.&quot; 
 
Belgium&#39;s prospects have improved with the draw - bookmaker William Hill has slash their championship odds from 11/1 to 11/2 - but Wilmots is yet to prove he can make the most of his talented squad. 
 
They were outworked and outthought against Italy, but romped to victory against Ireland in perhaps the best performance yet by this collection of talented players. 
 
Despite Wilmots&#39; bullish response to critics after this match, hopes Belgium had turned the corner were deflated when they again lacked fluency against Sweden. 
 
Wilmots insisted Belgium had grown since their opener, but conceded that there was still much to improve. 
 
Euro 2016 joint top scorers Hungary may have a taste for blood after giving Portugal an almighty scare in a 3-3 draw on Wednesday, but they will face a sterner test from a Belgium defence eyeing a third straight clean sheet. 
 
That thrilling game also exposed Hungary&#39;s defensive deficiencies and they should provide Belgium with ample opportunity to rediscover the attacking coherency they demonstrated against Ireland. 
 
For that match, the introduction of Mousa Dembele was decisive in providing midfield mobility that had previously been lacking, although an ankle knock picked up in that match may mean Radja Nainggolan again partners Axel Witsel. 
 
Hungary coach Bernd Storck has demonstrated an admirable tactical flexibility, giving all of his 20 outfield players some action, and has hinted at more changes for Sunday&#39;s match. 
 
Adam Lang will likely continue at right back with Attila Fiola injured and attacking midfielder Zoltan Gera should return after being injured against Portugal. 
 
(Reuters)

Marc Wilmots insisted Belgium had grown since their opener, but conceded there was still much to improve

The Euro 2016 draw has opened up for Belgium, but Marc Wilmots' side are still to confirm their title credentials before their round of 16 match against undefeated Hungary on Sunday. Belgium finished second in Group E after an opening defeat by Italy, but Wilmots refuses to see it as a blessing in disguise, even if the draw means they will avoid Spain, Germany, France, England and the Italians until the final. Concerned about the pressure on his team, the coach hinted that he would rather face one of the heavyweights. "These are games in which you have nothing to lose," he told reporters. "Matches like we played against Brazil in the 2002 World Cup are nicer. In this Euro there are no easy games, no small teams," he added. "They criticised us for losing to Wales (during qualification) and look where they are now." Belgium's prospects have improved with the draw - bookmaker William Hill has slash their championship odds from 11/1 to 11/2 - but Wilmots is yet to prove he can make the most of his talented squad. They were outworked and outthought against Italy, but romped to victory against Ireland in perhaps the best performance yet by this collection of talented players. Despite Wilmots' bullish response to critics after this match, hopes Belgium had turned the corner were deflated when they again lacked fluency against Sweden. Wilmots insisted Belgium had grown since their opener, but conceded that there was still much to improve. Euro 2016 joint top scorers Hungary may have a taste for blood after giving Portugal an almighty scare in a 3-3 draw on Wednesday, but they will face a sterner test from a Belgium defence eyeing a third straight clean sheet. That thrilling game also exposed Hungary's defensive deficiencies and they should provide Belgium with ample opportunity to rediscover the attacking coherency they demonstrated against Ireland. For that match, the introduction of Mousa Dembele was decisive in providing midfield mobility that had previously been lacking, although an ankle knock picked up in that match may mean Radja Nainggolan again partners Axel Witsel. Hungary coach Bernd Storck has demonstrated an admirable tactical flexibility, giving all of his 20 outfield players some action, and has hinted at more changes for Sunday's match. Adam Lang will likely continue at right back with Attila Fiola injured and attacking midfielder Zoltan Gera should return after being injured against Portugal. (Reuters)

Belgium yet to prove themselves as Hungary awaits

New England manager Sam Allardyce admitted Wayne Rooney has a significant part to play in his plans but refused to give assurances about the player&#39;s future as captain. 
 
Rooney recently expressed a desire to continue as skipper, despite criticism following England`s disastrous campaign at the 2016 European Championship in France. 
 
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho last week promised the 30-year-old that he would keep the armband at club level.&nbsp;But Allardyce, speaking at his first press conference since taking over from Roy Hodgson, did not follow suit. 
 
Instead England`s record goalscorer will have a nervous wait until September when Allardyce will meet his players for the first time ahead of their World Cup qualifier with Slovakia. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t want to put myself out in the open just yet. It&#39;s a decision that I&#39;ll make once I&#39;ve got my feet under the table,&quot; Allardyce said, when asked if Rooney would retain the captaincy. 
 
&quot;I have got to leave that until we reach all the players and get the coaching staff together and plan for the internationals in September.&nbsp;Will I wait until I meet the players? I think so. Put it this way - I still think Wayne Rooney still has a massive place to play in the England side. I don&#39;t think there is any doubt about that.&quot; 
 
Allardyce would not be drawn on whether he thinks Rooney is more suited to a midfield or striking role, and plans to follow Mourinho`s lead on where to deploy the player. 
 
&quot;What`s Rooney`s best position? I&#39;m not saying! I think Jose will determine that,&quot; added Allardyce. 
 
&quot;Because if Jose says he is not going to play him in centre midfield and he is playing up front and scoring goals for Manchester United then it would be pointless me bringing him into England and playing him in centre midfield,&quot; Allardyce, 61, acknowledged it is inevitable there will be occasions when he clashes with Premier League managers now he has crossed over into international management. 
 
He said: &quot;The demands on Premier League managers and demand on me as England manager is bound to cause some conflict down the line because the pressures are far greater than ever before. 
 
&quot;I think we suffered more sackings than ever before. So they are bound to want to protect their players and that is what I have to try and overcome with a little bit of give and take, hopefully.&quot; 
 
Allardyce, who signed a two-year contract to manage England, has promised his players that they will work in a &quot;fun&quot; environment while he is in charge. 
 
&quot;We don`t have to make it too monotonous when we are actually together,&quot; he explained. 
 
&quot;My style is very much in terms of man-management having a good relationship with the players. Not being distant. That`s not my style. I like to be in amongst the banter.&quot; 
 
Martin Glenn, the Football Association&#39;s chief executive, claimed that Allardyce was the only candidate that was offered the England job. 
 
And the former Blackburn, Bolton, Newcastle and Sunderland boss received a positive endorsement from legendary Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, who was consulted over the appointment. 
 
&quot;The single biggest thing (Ferguson said) was he`s a winner. He`s got the edge. Winners can sometimes be a bit awkward. That was his phrase. He`s a winner,&quot; Glenn said. 
 
Sammy Lee, Allardyce`s former assistant at Bolton Wanderers, will be part of England`s backroom staff while Glenn also confirmed that the FA are holding talks with Bayern Munich assistant coach Paul Clement over a part-time role. 
 
(AFP)

He gave no assurance about Rooney's future as captain saying, 'It's a decision that I'll make once I've got my feet under the table'

New England manager Sam Allardyce admitted Wayne Rooney has a significant part to play in his plans but refused to give assurances about the player's future as captain. Rooney recently expressed a desire to continue as skipper, despite criticism following England`s disastrous campaign at the 2016 European Championship in France. Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho last week promised the 30-year-old that he would keep the armband at club level. But Allardyce, speaking at his first press conference since taking over from Roy Hodgson, did not follow suit. Instead England`s record goalscorer will have a nervous wait until September when Allardyce will meet his players for the first time ahead of their World Cup qualifier with Slovakia. "I don't want to put myself out in the open just yet. It's a decision that I'll make once I've got my feet under the table," Allardyce said, when asked if Rooney would retain the captaincy. "I have got to leave that until we reach all the players and get the coaching staff together and plan for the internationals in September. Will I wait until I meet the players? I think so. Put it this way - I still think Wayne Rooney still has a massive place to play in the England side. I don't think there is any doubt about that." Allardyce would not be drawn on whether he thinks Rooney is more suited to a midfield or striking role, and plans to follow Mourinho`s lead on where to deploy the player. "What`s Rooney`s best position? I'm not saying! I think Jose will determine that," added Allardyce. "Because if Jose says he is not going to play him in centre midfield and he is playing up front and scoring goals for Manchester United then it would be pointless me bringing him into England and playing him in centre midfield," Allardyce, 61, acknowledged it is inevitable there will be occasions when he clashes with Premier League managers now he has crossed over into international management. He said: "The demands on Premier League managers and demand on me as England manager is bound to cause some conflict down the line because the pressures are far greater than ever before. "I think we suffered more sackings than ever before. So they are bound to want to protect their players and that is what I have to try and overcome with a little bit of give and take, hopefully." Allardyce, who signed a two-year contract to manage England, has promised his players that they will work in a "fun" environment while he is in charge. "We don`t have to make it too monotonous when we are actually together," he explained. "My style is very much in terms of man-management having a good relationship with the players. Not being distant. That`s not my style. I like to be in amongst the banter." Martin Glenn, the Football Association's chief executive, claimed that Allardyce was the only candidate that was offered the England job. And the former Blackburn, Bolton, Newcastle and Sunderland boss received a positive endorsement from legendary Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, who was consulted over the appointment. "The single biggest thing (Ferguson said) was he`s a winner. He`s got the edge. Winners can sometimes be a bit awkward. That was his phrase. He`s a winner," Glenn said. Sammy Lee, Allardyce`s former assistant at Bolton Wanderers, will be part of England`s backroom staff while Glenn also confirmed that the FA are holding talks with Bayern Munich assistant coach Paul Clement over a part-time role. (AFP)

Jose Mourinho will determine Rooney's best position, says Allardyce

Thierry&nbsp;Henry&#39;s&nbsp;handball&nbsp;sent such shockwaves that barely anyone remembers it was actually William Gallas who scored the infamous goal in France that ruined Ireland&#39;s chances of a World Cup appearance more than six years ago.

On Sunday, Les Bleus face the&nbsp;Irish&nbsp;in Lyon in a Euro 2016 last-16 clash in which the host nation will start as heavy favourites.

In the stands, there is little doubt the&nbsp;Irish&nbsp;fans, who are enjoying growing popularity in France thanks to their good-natured presence in the streets across the country, will outsing the local supporters.

Qualification for a quarter-final against Iceland or England, however, will be decided on the field, where the&nbsp;Irish&nbsp;will take&nbsp;extra&nbsp;motivation&nbsp;from the drama at the Stade de France in 2009.

&quot;It is absolutely (extra&nbsp;motivation), but we&#39;ve got all the&nbsp;motivation&nbsp;in the world here regardless of that, we&#39;ve got a side that are prepared and actually love playing for their country and that&#39;s very, very important. It&#39;s a driving force,&quot; Ireland manager Martin O&#39;Neill told reporters.

His assistant Roy Keane believes the team have the qualities to trouble the French, who have been remarkably quiet on the&nbsp;Henry&nbsp;incident.

&quot;It&#39;s massive game against France who will be red-hot favourites,&quot; he said, adding that Ireland&#39;s goal was to create another bit of history.

Keane hopes Ireland will make the most of their set pieces.

&quot;I&#39;d like to think every time we get the ball in the box their fans will be nervous wrecks,&quot; he said.

France, who have yet to play a full match at their best in the tournament, have only conceded one goal in three matches, a penalty, but the back four have not been really tested.

Coach Didier Deschamps is likely to field the team who beat Romania in the tournament&#39;s curtain-raiser, with striker Olivier Giroud supported by Antoine Griezmann and Dimitri Payet,&nbsp;himself a lethal weapon on set pieces.

France played their last group game on Sunday and will have had three more days to prepare than Ireland, who clinched their qualification with a last-gasp 1-0 win over a depleted Italy team on Wednesday.

&quot;In the past, some teams have had a lot of time to get ready and they were knocked out,&quot; France assistant coach Guy Stephan said.

&quot;You have to find the balance between recovery, preparation and training. It was difficult because at the beginning of the week we did not know who we would face.&quot;

Giroud and defender Adil Rami missed a training session each to nurse minor problems but will be fit for Sunday.

(Reuters)

Ireland looks for vengeance against team that eliminated them from World Cup over 6 years ago

Thierry Henry's handball sent such shockwaves that barely anyone remembers it was actually William Gallas who scored the infamous goal in France that ruined Ireland's chances of a World Cup appearance more than six years ago. On Sunday, Les Bleus face the Irish in Lyon in a Euro 2016 last-16 clash in which the host nation will start as heavy favourites. In the stands, there is little doubt the Irish fans, who are enjoying growing popularity in France thanks to their good-natured presence in the streets across the country, will outsing the local supporters. Qualification for a quarter-final against Iceland or England, however, will be decided on the field, where the Irish will take extra motivation from the drama at the Stade de France in 2009. "It is absolutely (extra motivation), but we've got all the motivation in the world here regardless of that, we've got a side that are prepared and actually love playing for their country and that's very, very important. It's a driving force," Ireland manager Martin O'Neill told reporters. His assistant Roy Keane believes the team have the qualities to trouble the French, who have been remarkably quiet on the Henry incident. "It's massive game against France who will be red-hot favourites," he said, adding that Ireland's goal was to create another bit of history. Keane hopes Ireland will make the most of their set pieces. "I'd like to think every time we get the ball in the box their fans will be nervous wrecks," he said. France, who have yet to play a full match at their best in the tournament, have only conceded one goal in three matches, a penalty, but the back four have not been really tested. Coach Didier Deschamps is likely to field the team who beat Romania in the tournament's curtain-raiser, with striker Olivier Giroud supported by Antoine Griezmann and Dimitri Payet, himself a lethal weapon on set pieces. France played their last group game on Sunday and will have had three more days to prepare than Ireland, who clinched their qualification with a last-gasp 1-0 win over a depleted Italy team on Wednesday. "In the past, some teams have had a lot of time to get ready and they were knocked out," France assistant coach Guy Stephan said. "You have to find the balance between recovery, preparation and training. It was difficult because at the beginning of the week we did not know who we would face." Giroud and defender Adil Rami missed a training session each to nurse minor problems but will be fit for Sunday. (Reuters)

Henry handball gives Irish extra motivation vs France

<div style="text-align: justify;">An ambitious project to awaken a sleeping giant of Asian soccer looks like confirming Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen&#39;s famous remark that India pricks up its ears only when comparisons with China are made. 
 
With China embarked on a multi-billion dollar mission to become a soccer superpower by 2050, India looks set to follow suit with its own plan to raise its status in the game to match its burgeoning economic power. 
 
Come&nbsp;October, India,&nbsp;most famously described as soccer&#39;s sleeping giant by former FIFA president Sepp Blatter, will launch a programme to engage more than 11 million children in soccer-related activities. 
 
All India Football Federation (AIFF) officials will not share details of the FIFA-backed programme yet, but according to a government statement, &quot;Mission 11 Million&quot; will be launched in about 30 cities across the country. 
 
As in China, where the soccer revolution was inspired by President Xi Jinping, the desire to improve India&#39;s standing in the world game goes to the very top. 
 
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March lamented India&#39;s decline from one of Asia&#39;s top soccer nations in the 1960s to its current position at 163rd in the FIFA rankings, sandwiched between the Comoros and Tajikistan. 
 
&nbsp;&quot;Unfortunately, over the decades we have slipped to the lowest rungs,&quot; Modi said in his weekly radio talk. 
 
&nbsp;&quot;Today our ranking in FIFA is so low that I feel reluctant even to mention it.&quot; 
 
With India hosting the under-17 World Cup next year, states have been asked to promote football in a pattern similar to the trend across the border in China. 
 
The world&#39;s most populous nation plans to engage 30 million school children by 2020 as the first step towards achieving Xi&#39;s &quot;three wishes&quot; for China - to qualify for a second World Cup finals, to host a World Cup and to eventually win one. 
 
TARGETING DIASPORA 
 
And while the AIFF are looking to engage as many of the country&#39;s 1.3 billion people as possible, they have also cast their net wider with a global scouting programme to identify talent in the Indian diaspora. 
 
&quot;The idea is to increase the talent pool,&quot; former India captain and head of the scouting programme Abhishek Yadav told Reuters. 
 
&nbsp;&quot;We can&#39;t guarantee that we can unearth 20 players overnight. It&#39;s an attempt, which we believe might work. There&#39;s no harm in trying.&quot; 
 
The programme encourages anyone under 16 with an Indian passport to post, on a soon-to-be-launched portal, a two-minute video from a competitive match. 
 
&quot;We wanted to give the message that if you&#39;re talented, location should not be a problem. All you need is a passport and potential,&quot; said the former forward, who played 67 matches for India between 2002-2011. 
 
Yadav and his team are now focusing on the Gulf States, where a large number of expatriates still hold Indian passports. 
 
&quot;Maybe we can then expand it to U.S. and Australia, where we have many Indian students as well as parents who recently migrated there. We will also look at South Africa and Germany.&quot; 
 
While this has added to the buzz in the country around the hosting of the under-17 World Cup, not everyone believes India is standing on the cusp of a soccer resurgence. 
 
&quot;The fundamental difference between the neighbours is that China woke up long ago and played in World Cup finals before veering slightly off-track,&quot; soccer writer Jaydeep Basu told Reuters. 
 
&nbsp;&quot;With state support, they are now trying to get back on track. In contrast, India, I&#39;m afraid, is still in deep slumber,&quot; added Basu, who has written an anecdotal history of Indian soccer. 
 
&nbsp;&quot;&#39;Mission 11 Million&#39; has a nice ring to it but with only 3,000-odd certified coaches around, who&#39;ll teach these kids to play soccer?&quot; 
 
&nbsp;As well as the lack of qualified coaches, Basu cites a fast-shrinking number of pitches - China plans to build 70,000 around the country by 2020 - and paucity of infrastructure as the major handicaps for Indian soccer. 
 
MESSY MERGER OF LEAGUES 
 
The AIFF is also preoccupied with a messy merger of two Indian leagues, which jeopardises the future of several sides, including a couple of century-old clubs in Kolkata. 
 
The franchise-based India Super League (ISL), which is promoted by billionaire Mukesh Ambani&#39;s Reliance Industries and Rupert Murdoch&#39;s Star India TV, looks set to supplant the I-League. 
 
&nbsp;&quot;I&#39;m afraid the ISL franchises have no soccer pedigree and I doubt if they have any long-term commitment to the game either,&quot; Basu said. 
 
&nbsp;&quot;Who can guarantee they won&#39;t switch to another business if they suffer losses in ISL?&quot; 
 
&nbsp;There is, however, no denying the ISL&#39;s spectacular success in gaining a foothold in India&#39;s cricket-dominated sporting landscape since the 2014 launch of the league with celebrity owners. 
 
&nbsp;The ISL debuted as the fourth biggest soccer league with an average attendance lower only than Germany&#39;s Bundesliga, the English Premier League and Spain&#39;s La Liga. 
 
&nbsp;The government hopes next year&#39;s under-17 World Cup will further consolidate football&#39;s popularity in India, attracting kids who would otherwise be picking up bats and heading to the neighbourhood cricket academy. 
 
&nbsp;&quot;Our youth, the children in our schools, should be drenched in sweat just playing football,&quot; Modi said in his radio talk. 
 
&quot;If that happens, we shall have real fun playing the host. So, all of us should make the effort to ensure football reaches every village, street and alley.&quot; 
(Reuters)</div>

The country will launch a programme to engage more than 11 million children in activities related to the sport

An ambitious project to awaken a sleeping giant of Asian soccer looks like confirming Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen's famous remark that India pricks up its ears only when comparisons with China are made. With China embarked on a multi-billion dollar mission to become a soccer superpower by 2050, India looks set to follow suit with its own plan to raise its status in the game to match its burgeoning economic power. Come October, India, most famously described as soccer's sleeping giant by former FIFA president Sepp Blatter, will launch a programme to engage more than 11 million children in soccer-related activities. All India Football Federation (AIFF) officials will not share details of the FIFA-backed programme yet, but according to a government statement, "Mission 11 Million" will be launched in about 30 cities across the country. As in China, where the soccer revolution was inspired by President Xi Jinping, the desire to improve India's standing in the world game goes to the very top. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March lamented India's decline from one of Asia's top soccer nations in the 1960s to its current position at 163rd in the FIFA rankings, sandwiched between the Comoros and Tajikistan. "Unfortunately, over the decades we have slipped to the lowest rungs," Modi said in his weekly radio talk. "Today our ranking in FIFA is so low that I feel reluctant even to mention it." With India hosting the under-17 World Cup next year, states have been asked to promote football in a pattern similar to the trend across the border in China. The world's most populous nation plans to engage 30 million school children by 2020 as the first step towards achieving Xi's "three wishes" for China - to qualify for a second World Cup finals, to host a World Cup and to eventually win one. TARGETING DIASPORA And while the AIFF are looking to engage as many of the country's 1.3 billion people as possible, they have also cast their net wider with a global scouting programme to identify talent in the Indian diaspora. "The idea is to increase the talent pool," former India captain and head of the scouting programme Abhishek Yadav told Reuters. "We can't guarantee that we can unearth 20 players overnight. It's an attempt, which we believe might work. There's no harm in trying." The programme encourages anyone under 16 with an Indian passport to post, on a soon-to-be-launched portal, a two-minute video from a competitive match. "We wanted to give the message that if you're talented, location should not be a problem. All you need is a passport and potential," said the former forward, who played 67 matches for India between 2002-2011. Yadav and his team are now focusing on the Gulf States, where a large number of expatriates still hold Indian passports. "Maybe we can then expand it to U.S. and Australia, where we have many Indian students as well as parents who recently migrated there. We will also look at South Africa and Germany." While this has added to the buzz in the country around the hosting of the under-17 World Cup, not everyone believes India is standing on the cusp of a soccer resurgence. "The fundamental difference between the neighbours is that China woke up long ago and played in World Cup finals before veering slightly off-track," soccer writer Jaydeep Basu told Reuters. "With state support, they are now trying to get back on track. In contrast, India, I'm afraid, is still in deep slumber," added Basu, who has written an anecdotal history of Indian soccer. "'Mission 11 Million' has a nice ring to it but with only 3,000-odd certified coaches around, who'll teach these kids to play soccer?" As well as the lack of qualified coaches, Basu cites a fast-shrinking number of pitches - China plans to build 70,000 around the country by 2020 - and paucity of infrastructure as the major handicaps for Indian soccer. MESSY MERGER OF LEAGUES The AIFF is also preoccupied with a messy merger of two Indian leagues, which jeopardises the future of several sides, including a couple of century-old clubs in Kolkata. The franchise-based India Super League (ISL), which is promoted by billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries and Rupert Murdoch's Star India TV, looks set to supplant the I-League. "I'm afraid the ISL franchises have no soccer pedigree and I doubt if they have any long-term commitment to the game either," Basu said. "Who can guarantee they won't switch to another business if they suffer losses in ISL?" There is, however, no denying the ISL's spectacular success in gaining a foothold in India's cricket-dominated sporting landscape since the 2014 launch of the league with celebrity owners. The ISL debuted as the fourth biggest soccer league with an average attendance lower only than Germany's Bundesliga, the English Premier League and Spain's La Liga. The government hopes next year's under-17 World Cup will further consolidate football's popularity in India, attracting kids who would otherwise be picking up bats and heading to the neighbourhood cricket academy. "Our youth, the children in our schools, should be drenched in sweat just playing football," Modi said in his radio talk. "If that happens, we shall have real fun playing the host. So, all of us should make the effort to ensure football reaches every village, street and alley." (Reuters)

'Mission 11 Million' to kickoff as India follows China's lead

Germany&#39;s defence will be put to the test in their opening Euro 2016 group match against Ukraine in Lille on Sunday with major questions still to be answered about the world champions&#39; new-look rearguard. 
 
Coach Joachim Loew&#39;s team will be without key central defender Mats Hummels, still recovering from a muscle injury, as they kick off their Group C campaign. 
 
Hummels&#39; replacement Antonio Ruediger was ruled out with torn cruciate knee ligaments this week. 
 
Holding midfielder and captain Bastian Schweinsteiger, still working on his comeback from injury, is also absent, further complicating Loew&#39;s defensive conundrum. 
 
Benedikt Hoewedes and Jerome Boateng are the two likely central defenders, but both had a long injury break late in the season and are in desperate need of match practice. 
 
Jonathan Tah, the 20-year-old who was only called up this week following Ruediger&#39;s injury, is expected to be on the bench. 
 
Toni Kroos, who will shoulder the biggest responsibility of connecting Germany&#39;s defensive and attacking game, is brimming with confidence following his Champions League win with Real Madrid. 
 
Assistant coach Thomas Schneider sounded confident on Friday that the team would quickly find their cohesion at the back. 
 
&quot;In the last few matches we thought a lot about our defensive operation and we came up with a few things, including for defensive set pieces,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;We have worked on that in training and everyone knows their job&quot;. 
 
Ukraine, while outsiders, are certain to test the Germans&#39; new-look defence with quick wingers Andriy Yarmolenko and Yevhen Konoplyanka capable of inflicting severe damage. 
 
It will be up to Loew&#39;s full backs to neutralise that threat but they must also break down a steely Ukraine defence. 
 
The Germans, eyeing their fourth Euro triumph but first since 1996, have never lost an opening match at the European Championship, and are aware a slip-up could prove costly. 
 
&quot;The first game is extremely important and it will determine our run in this tournament,&quot; attacking midfielder Julian Draxler said. 
 
Ukraine managed to keep six clean sheets in 10 qualifiers with coach Mykhailo Fomenko having taken over after the co-hosts&#39; disappointing Euro 2012 campaign. 
 
They then came out on top against Slovenia in a playoff last year, with the 67-year-old having moulded them into an efficient unit.

Joachim Loew's men are without key central defender Mats Hummels

Germany's defence will be put to the test in their opening Euro 2016 group match against Ukraine in Lille on Sunday with major questions still to be answered about the world champions' new-look rearguard. Coach Joachim Loew's team will be without key central defender Mats Hummels, still recovering from a muscle injury, as they kick off their Group C campaign. Hummels' replacement Antonio Ruediger was ruled out with torn cruciate knee ligaments this week. Holding midfielder and captain Bastian Schweinsteiger, still working on his comeback from injury, is also absent, further complicating Loew's defensive conundrum. Benedikt Hoewedes and Jerome Boateng are the two likely central defenders, but both had a long injury break late in the season and are in desperate need of match practice. Jonathan Tah, the 20-year-old who was only called up this week following Ruediger's injury, is expected to be on the bench. Toni Kroos, who will shoulder the biggest responsibility of connecting Germany's defensive and attacking game, is brimming with confidence following his Champions League win with Real Madrid. Assistant coach Thomas Schneider sounded confident on Friday that the team would quickly find their cohesion at the back. "In the last few matches we thought a lot about our defensive operation and we came up with a few things, including for defensive set pieces," he said. "We have worked on that in training and everyone knows their job". Ukraine, while outsiders, are certain to test the Germans' new-look defence with quick wingers Andriy Yarmolenko and Yevhen Konoplyanka capable of inflicting severe damage. It will be up to Loew's full backs to neutralise that threat but they must also break down a steely Ukraine defence. The Germans, eyeing their fourth Euro triumph but first since 1996, have never lost an opening match at the European Championship, and are aware a slip-up could prove costly. "The first game is extremely important and it will determine our run in this tournament," attacking midfielder Julian Draxler said. Ukraine managed to keep six clean sheets in 10 qualifiers with coach Mykhailo Fomenko having taken over after the co-hosts' disappointing Euro 2012 campaign. They then came out on top against Slovenia in a playoff last year, with the 67-year-old having moulded them into an efficient unit.

Ukraine speed to test new-look Germany defence

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