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Julen Lopetegui, who led Spain&#39;s youth teams to international success, was tasked today with breathing new life into La Roja after they crashed out of the 2014 World Cup and Euro 2016. 
 
The Spanish football federation announced the 49-year-old former goalkeeper would take over from Vicente del Bosque as manager of the national team, weeks after the latter resigned following Spain&#39;s defeat to Italy in the last 16 of Euro 2016. 
 
Del Bosque had led Spain to the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 titles, after taking over from Euro 2008-winning coach Luis Aragones. 
 
But the second half of his stint was disappointing, with the 2-0 defeat to Italy following a shock group-stage exit from the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, and he was criticised for not having given the newer generation a chance. 
 
Thanks to his success with Spain&#39;s under-19s and under-21s, Lopetegui has long been a favourite of Spanish FA head Angel Maria Villar, who made the appointment before concentrating on his bid to replace Michel Platini as UEFA chief. 
 
He is reported to have overcome stiff competition from veteran former Sevilla and Athletic Bilbao coach Joaquin Caparros for the post. 
 
Today Vicente del Bosque wished Lopetegui well. 
 
&quot;He&#39;s a man with experience, well trained and with huge enthusiasm and lots of energy,&quot; he told Radio Marca. 
 
&quot;He will know how to manage (the team) like he has done brilliantly in the younger age categories.&quot; 
 
Lopetegui has over his career achieved varying degrees of success on the pitch and as a coach. 
 
His spells as a goalkeeper at Real Madrid and Barcelona saw him spend much of his time on the bench. But he was highly successful at smaller club Logrones from 1991 to 1994 at a time when the team was in the country&#39;s first division. 
 
Retiring from professional football in 2002, he became coach of Madrid-based Rayo Vallecano, a team in Spain&#39;s second tier, where he had last played before retiring. 
 
He then moved on to Real Madrid where he coached the club&#39;s Castilla reserve team, the same post that Zinedine Zidane held before moving on to managing the first team. 
 
But Lopetegui, who hails from the northern Basque country, really made his name when he coached the national team&#39;s under-19s, under-20s and under-21s from 2010 to 2014. 
 
He led his teams to victory in the 2012 European Under-19 Championship and a year later in the Under-21 European Championship which featured David de Gea, Thiago Alcantara and Alvaro Morata, all of whom were at Euro 2016. 
 
Fresh from that success, he took over Porto in 2014 and led them to the quarter-finals of the 2014/15 Champions League. 
 
A famous 3-1 win over Pep Guardiola&#39;s Bayern Munich in the first leg of the quarter-final was quickly forgotten as Bayern bounced back to thrash Lopetegui&#39;s men 6-1 in the second leg, to progress to the last four. 
 
Porto also finished runners-up to rivals Benfica in the Portuguese league in his first season in charge. 
 
Lopetegui signed Iker Casillas from Real Madrid in July 2015, but that did little to help and he was sacked in January with Porto languishing in third behind Benfica and Sporting Lisbon, having been knocked out at the group stages of the Champions League. 
 
Still, influential sports daily Marca said his intimate knowledge of the workings of the national team was &quot;ideal&quot; as Spain seek to re-emerge from a dark patch after failures in Brazil and France. 
 
&quot;Lopetegui has a nice challenge ahead,&quot; it wrote. 
 
&quot;His adventure starts in September with the friendly between La Roja and Belgium.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Lopetegui is reported to have overcome stiff competition from veteran former Sevilla and Athletic Bilbao coach Joaquin Caparros for the post

Julen Lopetegui, who led Spain's youth teams to international success, was tasked today with breathing new life into La Roja after they crashed out of the 2014 World Cup and Euro 2016. The Spanish football federation announced the 49-year-old former goalkeeper would take over from Vicente del Bosque as manager of the national team, weeks after the latter resigned following Spain's defeat to Italy in the last 16 of Euro 2016. Del Bosque had led Spain to the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 titles, after taking over from Euro 2008-winning coach Luis Aragones. But the second half of his stint was disappointing, with the 2-0 defeat to Italy following a shock group-stage exit from the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, and he was criticised for not having given the newer generation a chance. Thanks to his success with Spain's under-19s and under-21s, Lopetegui has long been a favourite of Spanish FA head Angel Maria Villar, who made the appointment before concentrating on his bid to replace Michel Platini as UEFA chief. He is reported to have overcome stiff competition from veteran former Sevilla and Athletic Bilbao coach Joaquin Caparros for the post. Today Vicente del Bosque wished Lopetegui well. "He's a man with experience, well trained and with huge enthusiasm and lots of energy," he told Radio Marca. "He will know how to manage (the team) like he has done brilliantly in the younger age categories." Lopetegui has over his career achieved varying degrees of success on the pitch and as a coach. His spells as a goalkeeper at Real Madrid and Barcelona saw him spend much of his time on the bench. But he was highly successful at smaller club Logrones from 1991 to 1994 at a time when the team was in the country's first division. Retiring from professional football in 2002, he became coach of Madrid-based Rayo Vallecano, a team in Spain's second tier, where he had last played before retiring. He then moved on to Real Madrid where he coached the club's Castilla reserve team, the same post that Zinedine Zidane held before moving on to managing the first team. But Lopetegui, who hails from the northern Basque country, really made his name when he coached the national team's under-19s, under-20s and under-21s from 2010 to 2014. He led his teams to victory in the 2012 European Under-19 Championship and a year later in the Under-21 European Championship which featured David de Gea, Thiago Alcantara and Alvaro Morata, all of whom were at Euro 2016. Fresh from that success, he took over Porto in 2014 and led them to the quarter-finals of the 2014/15 Champions League. A famous 3-1 win over Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich in the first leg of the quarter-final was quickly forgotten as Bayern bounced back to thrash Lopetegui's men 6-1 in the second leg, to progress to the last four. Porto also finished runners-up to rivals Benfica in the Portuguese league in his first season in charge. Lopetegui signed Iker Casillas from Real Madrid in July 2015, but that did little to help and he was sacked in January with Porto languishing in third behind Benfica and Sporting Lisbon, having been knocked out at the group stages of the Champions League. Still, influential sports daily Marca said his intimate knowledge of the workings of the national team was "ideal" as Spain seek to re-emerge from a dark patch after failures in Brazil and France. "Lopetegui has a nice challenge ahead," it wrote. "His adventure starts in September with the friendly between La Roja and Belgium." (AFP)

Julen Lopetegui named as Spain's new coach

French police have made more than 1,000 football-related arrests since the start of Euro 2016 and 34 have been ordered expelled, the interior minister said in an interview published on Monday. 
 
&quot;Since the start of the competition, (police) have carried out more than 1,000 arrests, leading to 600 custody orders and 56 convictions,&quot; interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve told La Provence newspaper. 
 
Supporter clashes around the England-Russia match in Marseille marked the start of the month-long tournament which runs until July 10. 
 
Cazeneuve said 34 people have been ordered expelled from France. He did not give a breakdown, but said many were linked to the violence before the June 11 game in Marseille at which 35 people were injured. At least 23 Russians have been expelled. 
 
French authorities have mobilised about 90,000 security forces and private guards for Euro 2016. 
 
(AFP)

34 people have been expelled from France and authorities have mobilised about 90,000 security forces and private guards for Euro 2016

French police have made more than 1,000 football-related arrests since the start of Euro 2016 and 34 have been ordered expelled, the interior minister said in an interview published on Monday. "Since the start of the competition, (police) have carried out more than 1,000 arrests, leading to 600 custody orders and 56 convictions," interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve told La Provence newspaper. Supporter clashes around the England-Russia match in Marseille marked the start of the month-long tournament which runs until July 10. Cazeneuve said 34 people have been ordered expelled from France. He did not give a breakdown, but said many were linked to the violence before the June 11 game in Marseille at which 35 people were injured. At least 23 Russians have been expelled. French authorities have mobilised about 90,000 security forces and private guards for Euro 2016. (AFP)

French interior minister: More than 1,000 arrests linked to Euro 2016

England captain Wayne Rooney has set his sights on winning the European Championship, buoyed by the belief that the gap between his team and Europe&#39;s continental footballing elite has narrowed considerably in the past few years. 
 
Monday&#39;s 0-0 draw with Slovakia ensured that England finished second in Group B behind Wales, potentially complicating their route to the final as they are now in the same side of the draw as World Cup winners Germany, defending European champions Spain and hosts France. 
 
English FA chairman Greg Dyke had said before the tournament that making the semi-finals or being eliminated at the quarter-final stage by &quot;a good team&quot; would be considered a success, but Rooney has set his sights considerably higher. 
 
&quot;We are here and we want to win it,&quot; England&#39;s all-time leading goalscorer told reporters. &quot;Whether it happens remains to be seen, but we&#39;re not going to say that getting to the quarter finals will be a sign of progress. I believe we are better than that.&quot; 
 
England have not got past the quarter-finals in their last three European Championships and failed to make it out of the group stage at the World Cup in 2014, but Rooney sees cause for optimism this time round. 
 
&quot;If this was four years ago and you were saying you have to play France, Spain and Germany you would have been worried,&quot; he added. &quot;I think the gap has changed, and not just with ourselves, but with the likes of Wales. The gap to get to those teams is not as big.&quot; 
 
Manager Roy Hodgson&#39;s men are aiming for their first major international title since the 1966 World Cup, but will have to find a way past an inspired Iceland in the round of 16 game on Monday. They could face France for a spot in the last four. 
 
Hodgson took six strikers to France, but his team have struggled to turn dominance into goals, scoring three times in three group games and winning only one. 
 
Despite the team&#39;s struggles in the final third, Rooney, who has been pulling the strings from a deeper midfield position, said the talent in the side meant he felt less pressure to deliver. 
 
&quot;I have always gone into a tournament thinking if I don&#39;t play at my best I cannot see us winning it,&quot; said the player who burst on to the international stage as an 18-year old with four goals at Euro 2004. 
 
Rooney has since failed to make a telling impact at the continental championship and though he is yet to open his account in France, he is pleased that the England squad have the talent to ease the burden of expectation on his shoulders. 
 
&quot;I have come into this tournament and we have several players capable of doing magical things. We have five or six match winners in our team and I cannot say we have always had that,&quot; he said. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

Believes the gap between his team and Europe's footballing elite has narrowed considerably in the past few years

England captain Wayne Rooney has set his sights on winning the European Championship, buoyed by the belief that the gap between his team and Europe's continental footballing elite has narrowed considerably in the past few years. Monday's 0-0 draw with Slovakia ensured that England finished second in Group B behind Wales, potentially complicating their route to the final as they are now in the same side of the draw as World Cup winners Germany, defending European champions Spain and hosts France. English FA chairman Greg Dyke had said before the tournament that making the semi-finals or being eliminated at the quarter-final stage by "a good team" would be considered a success, but Rooney has set his sights considerably higher. "We are here and we want to win it," England's all-time leading goalscorer told reporters. "Whether it happens remains to be seen, but we're not going to say that getting to the quarter finals will be a sign of progress. I believe we are better than that." England have not got past the quarter-finals in their last three European Championships and failed to make it out of the group stage at the World Cup in 2014, but Rooney sees cause for optimism this time round. "If this was four years ago and you were saying you have to play France, Spain and Germany you would have been worried," he added. "I think the gap has changed, and not just with ourselves, but with the likes of Wales. The gap to get to those teams is not as big." Manager Roy Hodgson's men are aiming for their first major international title since the 1966 World Cup, but will have to find a way past an inspired Iceland in the round of 16 game on Monday. They could face France for a spot in the last four. Hodgson took six strikers to France, but his team have struggled to turn dominance into goals, scoring three times in three group games and winning only one. Despite the team's struggles in the final third, Rooney, who has been pulling the strings from a deeper midfield position, said the talent in the side meant he felt less pressure to deliver. "I have always gone into a tournament thinking if I don't play at my best I cannot see us winning it," said the player who burst on to the international stage as an 18-year old with four goals at Euro 2004. Rooney has since failed to make a telling impact at the continental championship and though he is yet to open his account in France, he is pleased that the England squad have the talent to ease the burden of expectation on his shoulders. "I have come into this tournament and we have several players capable of doing magical things. We have five or six match winners in our team and I cannot say we have always had that," he said. (Reuters)

England can win Euro 2016, says captain Rooney

Antonio Conte bowed out as Italy coach on Saturday after a Euro 2016 shootout defeat by Germany sounding almost broken-hearted that he was leaving behind a &quot;fantastic&quot; group of players. 
 
He heaped praise on them for their performance against the Germans which ended in a 6-5 quarter-final loss on penalties after the game finished 1-1 following extra time. 
 
&quot;To be able to keep up with Germany should give us satisfaction but we believed... we believed a lot (that we could win) and there was great delusion at the end,&quot; Conte told a news conference. 
 
&quot;We know that football can bring you joy and can leave a bad taste in your mouth. But these players should go home satisfied, because they gave everything they had to give and for this reason, I will thank them for ever and they will always have a place in my heart because it has been a fantastic two years for me, culminating in the last incredible month and a half. 
 
&quot;To play in the Euros, you need experience of playing at this level to grow. And from this point of view I am very optimistic for the future of the Italy team. I think that these players have left a significant mark (on this tournament) and we need to continue doing this and that the Italian Football Federation will make all the best possible choices to continue this work that we have started, even though it is hard work, but I&#39;m very optimistic for the future.&quot; 
 
Conte now takes the reins at Premier League side Chelsea after two years at the helm of the Italian national side. 
 
While his Azzurri squad was not filled with the array of talent available in previous campaigns, they surpassed expectations by beating fancied Belgium, knocking out holders Spain and on Saturday taking their old rivals down to the wire. 
 
After a Germany win seemed inevitable when Mesut Ozil fired them into the lead in the 65th minute, the Italians stepped up the pressure and equalised 13 minutes later with a penalty and they could even have snatched a winner. 
 
(Reuters)

After two years at the helm of the Italian national side, Conte will now take charge at Premier League side Chelsea

Antonio Conte bowed out as Italy coach on Saturday after a Euro 2016 shootout defeat by Germany sounding almost broken-hearted that he was leaving behind a "fantastic" group of players. He heaped praise on them for their performance against the Germans which ended in a 6-5 quarter-final loss on penalties after the game finished 1-1 following extra time. "To be able to keep up with Germany should give us satisfaction but we believed... we believed a lot (that we could win) and there was great delusion at the end," Conte told a news conference. "We know that football can bring you joy and can leave a bad taste in your mouth. But these players should go home satisfied, because they gave everything they had to give and for this reason, I will thank them for ever and they will always have a place in my heart because it has been a fantastic two years for me, culminating in the last incredible month and a half. "To play in the Euros, you need experience of playing at this level to grow. And from this point of view I am very optimistic for the future of the Italy team. I think that these players have left a significant mark (on this tournament) and we need to continue doing this and that the Italian Football Federation will make all the best possible choices to continue this work that we have started, even though it is hard work, but I'm very optimistic for the future." Conte now takes the reins at Premier League side Chelsea after two years at the helm of the Italian national side. While his Azzurri squad was not filled with the array of talent available in previous campaigns, they surpassed expectations by beating fancied Belgium, knocking out holders Spain and on Saturday taking their old rivals down to the wire. After a Germany win seemed inevitable when Mesut Ozil fired them into the lead in the 65th minute, the Italians stepped up the pressure and equalised 13 minutes later with a penalty and they could even have snatched a winner. (Reuters)

Mournful Conte bids farewell to Italy after Germany loss

France will have the perfect opportunity to avenge their defeat to Germany in the 2014 World Cup when they take on their old foes in the Euro 2016 semi-finals on Thursday, according to star striker Olivier Giroud. 
 
&quot;It will be a great match, we have a lot of desire to get our own back for the World Cup,&quot; Giroud said after his two goals helped France thrash Iceland 5-2 in Sunday&#39;s quarter-final. 
 
A header from Mats Hummels knocked France out in the quarter-final in Rio de Janeiro two years ago and Germany went on to win their fourth global crown. 
 
But an even more painful elimination at German hands lingers in the French sporting memory - the 1982 World Cup, which featured the infamous flooring of Patrick Battiston by Harald &quot;Toni&quot; Schumacher. 
 
Arsenal forward Giroud said the showdown with Germany in Marseille will be &quot;a completely different match&quot; to the romp against the Icelanders. 
 
&quot;They are the world champions and they are often in the last four of major tournaments,&quot; Giroud said. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m very proud of what this France side is achieving and I hope we&#39;ll come out once again with the right result.&quot; 
 
In contrast to France&#39;s straightforward passage, Germany were given a severe test in their quarter-final. Italy took them to an error-strewn penalty shootout in Bordeaux on Saturday before Joachim Loew&#39;s side triumphed 6-5. 
 
The Germans suffered injuries that ruled out Mario Gomez for the rest of the tournament and left key midfielders Sami Khedira and captain Bastian Schweinsteiger struggling to be fit in time. 
 
Despite those setbacks, France coach Didier Deschamps is in no doubt that Germany are the class act of the tournament. 
 
&quot;Germany are the best team, there is no doubt about that, even if Italy gave them a few scares. But we are there in the final four and we&#39;ll give it our all,&quot; Deschamps said. 
 
&quot;They are one of the rare teams which can control a match. It will be a great game but it won&#39;t be a stroll in the park.&quot; 
 
Home advantage 
 
France striker Antoine Griezmann said taking on the Germans in front of a predominantly French crowd at the Stade Velodrome will help. 
 
&quot;We&#39;ll have to give everything we&#39;ve got, it&#39;ll be a semi-final at home, in front of so many supporters,&quot; he said after his goal against Iceland left him top of the Euro 2016 scorers&#39; charts with four. 
 
Hummels will not be there to torture France again as he did on that stifling hot day in Rio since he has been suspended for the semi-final. 
 
Deschamps withdrew Giroud and key defender Laurent Koscielny during the Iceland game as they were at risk of suffering the same fate. 
 
The match on Thursday takes place almost 34 years to the day since the 1982 World Cup semi-final in Seville which ended in a traumatic defeat for Michel Platini&#39;s team. 
 
Schumacher&#39;s shoulder-charge on Battiston left the French substitute with three broken ribs, broken teeth and cracked vertebrae. The German goalkeeper escaped without even a booking as the referee claimed he had not seen the incident. 
 
France roared to a 3-1 lead in extra-time but the Germans fought back to equalise with goals from Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Klaus Fischer. The Germans, inevitably, won the penalty shootout 5-4, but went on to lose to Italy in the final. 
 
(AFP)

France look forward to set right their elimination at German hands in the 2014 World Cup with home ground advantage

France will have the perfect opportunity to avenge their defeat to Germany in the 2014 World Cup when they take on their old foes in the Euro 2016 semi-finals on Thursday, according to star striker Olivier Giroud. "It will be a great match, we have a lot of desire to get our own back for the World Cup," Giroud said after his two goals helped France thrash Iceland 5-2 in Sunday's quarter-final. A header from Mats Hummels knocked France out in the quarter-final in Rio de Janeiro two years ago and Germany went on to win their fourth global crown. But an even more painful elimination at German hands lingers in the French sporting memory - the 1982 World Cup, which featured the infamous flooring of Patrick Battiston by Harald "Toni" Schumacher. Arsenal forward Giroud said the showdown with Germany in Marseille will be "a completely different match" to the romp against the Icelanders. "They are the world champions and they are often in the last four of major tournaments," Giroud said. "I'm very proud of what this France side is achieving and I hope we'll come out once again with the right result." In contrast to France's straightforward passage, Germany were given a severe test in their quarter-final. Italy took them to an error-strewn penalty shootout in Bordeaux on Saturday before Joachim Loew's side triumphed 6-5. The Germans suffered injuries that ruled out Mario Gomez for the rest of the tournament and left key midfielders Sami Khedira and captain Bastian Schweinsteiger struggling to be fit in time. Despite those setbacks, France coach Didier Deschamps is in no doubt that Germany are the class act of the tournament. "Germany are the best team, there is no doubt about that, even if Italy gave them a few scares. But we are there in the final four and we'll give it our all," Deschamps said. "They are one of the rare teams which can control a match. It will be a great game but it won't be a stroll in the park." Home advantage France striker Antoine Griezmann said taking on the Germans in front of a predominantly French crowd at the Stade Velodrome will help. "We'll have to give everything we've got, it'll be a semi-final at home, in front of so many supporters," he said after his goal against Iceland left him top of the Euro 2016 scorers' charts with four. Hummels will not be there to torture France again as he did on that stifling hot day in Rio since he has been suspended for the semi-final. Deschamps withdrew Giroud and key defender Laurent Koscielny during the Iceland game as they were at risk of suffering the same fate. The match on Thursday takes place almost 34 years to the day since the 1982 World Cup semi-final in Seville which ended in a traumatic defeat for Michel Platini's team. Schumacher's shoulder-charge on Battiston left the French substitute with three broken ribs, broken teeth and cracked vertebrae. The German goalkeeper escaped without even a booking as the referee claimed he had not seen the incident. France roared to a 3-1 lead in extra-time but the Germans fought back to equalise with goals from Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Klaus Fischer. The Germans, inevitably, won the penalty shootout 5-4, but went on to lose to Italy in the final. (AFP)

France's Giroud eyes Germany revenge

Hundreds of Argentine soccer fans rallied under the pouring rain at Buenos Aires&#39; landmark obelisk on Saturday to call on national soccer star Lionel Messi to return to the team following his recent decision to leave. 
 
Messi announced last week that he would no longer play for Argentina after the side lost the Copa America final to Chile on penalty kicks. 
 
His decision caused an uproar throughout Argentina with soccer fans pleading for him to change his mind. 
 
&quot;The truth is it&#39;s very painful, what a shame. We have to encourage him and cover the mouths of everyone who criticises him,&quot; said fan Patricio Marquez. 
 
&quot;I see him play and it moves me. He must return. Sorry to get all emotional but it is what I feel. To me, he is out of this world, a god, and if he doesn&#39;t return, he is forgiven.&quot; said fan Juan Alberto Salas. 
 
Saturday&#39;s demo was organised via social media with some 70,000 &nbsp;saying they would attend, but the heavy rain affected turn-out. 
 
Messi, a five times World Player of the Year, missed Argentina&#39;s opening penalty kick in the shootout after the game ended 0-0 and he was shown in tears afterwards while sitting in the team dugout. 
 
The 29-year-old Barcelona striker has played in three Copa America finals in 2007, 2015 and 2016 and the 2014 World Cup final, and was on the losing side every time. Argentina failed to score in all four matches. 
 
Messi currently is on vacation in the Bahamas with his family. 
 
(Reuters)

'I see him play and it moves me. He must return,' a fan said.

Hundreds of Argentine soccer fans rallied under the pouring rain at Buenos Aires' landmark obelisk on Saturday to call on national soccer star Lionel Messi to return to the team following his recent decision to leave. Messi announced last week that he would no longer play for Argentina after the side lost the Copa America final to Chile on penalty kicks. His decision caused an uproar throughout Argentina with soccer fans pleading for him to change his mind. "The truth is it's very painful, what a shame. We have to encourage him and cover the mouths of everyone who criticises him," said fan Patricio Marquez. "I see him play and it moves me. He must return. Sorry to get all emotional but it is what I feel. To me, he is out of this world, a god, and if he doesn't return, he is forgiven." said fan Juan Alberto Salas. Saturday's demo was organised via social media with some 70,000 saying they would attend, but the heavy rain affected turn-out. Messi, a five times World Player of the Year, missed Argentina's opening penalty kick in the shootout after the game ended 0-0 and he was shown in tears afterwards while sitting in the team dugout. The 29-year-old Barcelona striker has played in three Copa America finals in 2007, 2015 and 2016 and the 2014 World Cup final, and was on the losing side every time. Argentina failed to score in all four matches. Messi currently is on vacation in the Bahamas with his family. (Reuters)

Argentines rally to bring Messi back to national team

Lionel Messi will bid to gild his legacy as the greatest footballer of his generation on Sunday, by ending Argentina&#39;s 23-year wait for a major title in a dream final against holders Chile in the Copa America Centenario.&nbsp; 
 
For Messi&#39;s many millions of admirers, the five-time world footballer of the year has already achieved enough in his glittering career to be considered in the same bracket as Pele and Diego Maradona.&nbsp; 
 
Yet the only hole in the Barcelona superstar&#39;s CV is a major tournament title with Argentina, which is invariably, and somewhat unfairly, cited as a justification to delay his elevation to football&#39;s pantheon.&nbsp; 
 
That could all change on Sunday before a sell-out crowd of 81,000 at East Rutherford&#39;s MetLife Stadium, the home of the NFL&#39;s New York Giants, when Argentina face the Chileans in a rematch of last year&#39;s Copa America final.&nbsp; 
 
It is the third final in as many years for Messi and his teammates, who suffered agonizing defeats in the 2014 World Cup final against Germany and to the Chileans on penalties in Santiago. 
 
On each occasion, Messi has borne the brunt of the backlash from critics in Argentina, who trot out a familiar laundry list of grievances. He has no passion. He doesn&#39;t sing the anthem. He doesn`t &quot;feel&quot; the shirt.&nbsp; 
 
Barely a ball had been kicked in this Copa America before Maradona, a regular sniper, accused him of lacking &quot;personality&quot; and &quot;leadership.&quot; Maradona amped up the rhetoric this week shortly after Argentina booked their place in the final with a 4-0 demolition of the United States.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We will certainly win on Sunday... and if we don&#39;t win, they shouldn&#39;t come back,&quot; Maradona told an Argentinian television network. 
&nbsp; 
Although Messi admits that losing another final would be a &quot;great disappointment&quot;, so far in the tournament he has shown no sign of being overburdened by pressure.&nbsp; 
 
After missing Argentina&#39;s opening group match - a 2-1 win over Sundayss opponents Chile -- he scored an electrifying 19-minute hat-trick against Panama after coming on as a substitute before going on to equal Gabriel Batistuta&#39;s Argentina goals record in the 4-1 quarter-final win over Venezuela.&nbsp; 
 
Against the US on Tuesday, he scored a magnificent curling freekick to become his country&#39;s leading international goalscorer with 55, while setting up two more goals in a magical all-round display.&nbsp; 
 
He even found the time to sign the shirt of an autograph-hunting fan who sprinted onto the pitch at the start of the second half. His smiling, laid back demeanor however masks a fierce determination to lift the title, revealing that Argentina have become a more formidable unit since suffering the pain of multiple final defeats. 
 
&quot;We have grown a lot as a team in the past year, and as a result we are stronger,&quot; Messi said. 
 
&quot;We&#39;ve been in spectacular form up to now, now it&#39;s up to us to do it again on Sunday. We don`t feel any pressure; we&#39;re used to playing in finals -- unfortunately we haven`t won one yet,&quot; he added. 
 
Yet while Argentinian fans -- and many neutrals -- will be willing Messi to victory, Chile have shown that they are more than capable of pulling off another ambush.&nbsp; 
 
Since the opening loss to Argentina on June 6, the Chileans have improved with each game to compile their best run of results since Juan Antonio Pizzi replaced Jorge Sampaoli as manager in January.&nbsp; 
 
They humiliated Mexico with a 7-0 thrashing in the quarter-finals and polished off Colombia 2-0 in the semi-finals.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;They are a team that presses you, and don&#39;t let you play,&quot; Messi warned on Friday. &quot;And when they have the ball they play very well.&quot; 
A dynamic, combative midfield led by Bayern Munich star Arturo Vidal will ensure that Argentina`s skilled attackers such as Messi, Nicolas Gaitan and Ever Banega have nothing like the freedom to operate they have enjoyed so far.&nbsp; 
 
And Chile&#39;s razor sharp attack, which features tournament top scorer Eduardo Vargas (six goals) and Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez, should also pose more questions than Argentina&#39;s back four has been required to answer en route to the final. 
 
(AFP)

It is the third final for Messi and his teammates, who suffered defeats in the 2014 World Cup final against Germany and Chile on penalties

Lionel Messi will bid to gild his legacy as the greatest footballer of his generation on Sunday, by ending Argentina's 23-year wait for a major title in a dream final against holders Chile in the Copa America Centenario. For Messi's many millions of admirers, the five-time world footballer of the year has already achieved enough in his glittering career to be considered in the same bracket as Pele and Diego Maradona. Yet the only hole in the Barcelona superstar's CV is a major tournament title with Argentina, which is invariably, and somewhat unfairly, cited as a justification to delay his elevation to football's pantheon. That could all change on Sunday before a sell-out crowd of 81,000 at East Rutherford's MetLife Stadium, the home of the NFL's New York Giants, when Argentina face the Chileans in a rematch of last year's Copa America final. It is the third final in as many years for Messi and his teammates, who suffered agonizing defeats in the 2014 World Cup final against Germany and to the Chileans on penalties in Santiago. On each occasion, Messi has borne the brunt of the backlash from critics in Argentina, who trot out a familiar laundry list of grievances. He has no passion. He doesn't sing the anthem. He doesn`t "feel" the shirt. Barely a ball had been kicked in this Copa America before Maradona, a regular sniper, accused him of lacking "personality" and "leadership." Maradona amped up the rhetoric this week shortly after Argentina booked their place in the final with a 4-0 demolition of the United States. "We will certainly win on Sunday... and if we don't win, they shouldn't come back," Maradona told an Argentinian television network. Although Messi admits that losing another final would be a "great disappointment", so far in the tournament he has shown no sign of being overburdened by pressure. After missing Argentina's opening group match - a 2-1 win over Sundayss opponents Chile -- he scored an electrifying 19-minute hat-trick against Panama after coming on as a substitute before going on to equal Gabriel Batistuta's Argentina goals record in the 4-1 quarter-final win over Venezuela. Against the US on Tuesday, he scored a magnificent curling freekick to become his country's leading international goalscorer with 55, while setting up two more goals in a magical all-round display. He even found the time to sign the shirt of an autograph-hunting fan who sprinted onto the pitch at the start of the second half. His smiling, laid back demeanor however masks a fierce determination to lift the title, revealing that Argentina have become a more formidable unit since suffering the pain of multiple final defeats. "We have grown a lot as a team in the past year, and as a result we are stronger," Messi said. "We've been in spectacular form up to now, now it's up to us to do it again on Sunday. We don`t feel any pressure; we're used to playing in finals -- unfortunately we haven`t won one yet," he added. Yet while Argentinian fans -- and many neutrals -- will be willing Messi to victory, Chile have shown that they are more than capable of pulling off another ambush. Since the opening loss to Argentina on June 6, the Chileans have improved with each game to compile their best run of results since Juan Antonio Pizzi replaced Jorge Sampaoli as manager in January. They humiliated Mexico with a 7-0 thrashing in the quarter-finals and polished off Colombia 2-0 in the semi-finals. "They are a team that presses you, and don't let you play," Messi warned on Friday. "And when they have the ball they play very well." A dynamic, combative midfield led by Bayern Munich star Arturo Vidal will ensure that Argentina`s skilled attackers such as Messi, Nicolas Gaitan and Ever Banega have nothing like the freedom to operate they have enjoyed so far. And Chile's razor sharp attack, which features tournament top scorer Eduardo Vargas (six goals) and Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez, should also pose more questions than Argentina's back four has been required to answer en route to the final. (AFP)

Messi ready for crowning glory in Copa final

Michael O&#39;Neill&#39;s class of 2016 may not quite possess the flair of their celebrated Northern Ireland predecessors of 1982 but how many teams in this European Championship can match their heart and commitment? 
 
That seemed like a fair question after O&#39;Neill&#39;s side had ended their 34-year wait for a major tournament victory with a 2-0 win over Ukraine that showcased their remarkable spirit. 
 
&quot;You can ask for different things as a manager,&quot; said O&#39;Neill, &quot;but when you get a performance like that, pure commitment and heart, there&#39;s nothing more you can ask.&quot; 
 
While his side may not be able to match their Euro 2016 opponents for class, they demonstrated once more that they are masters of concealing weaknesses and maximising their strengths. 
 
Goals from Gareth McAuley and Niall McGinn against Ukraine ended the long famine that stretched back to the 1982 World Cup, when Gerry Armstrong&#39;s low finish famously downed hosts Spain. 
 
O&#39;Neill was already on the verge of Messianic status after guiding the Irish to their first major tournament in 30 years and deserved all the praise for again getting things right with a bold team selection on Thursday. 
 
He dropped talismanic striker Kyle Lafferty after the opening defeat by Poland, turning instead to the inexperienced Conor Washington, who repaid his coach with tireless chasing and pressurising of the Ukrainian defenders. 
 
That is the Northern Ireland hallmark. O&#39;Neill&#39;s side may not have the sheen of the class of &#39;82, who boasted luminaries like Martin O&#39;Neill (the Ireland coach here), Pat Jennings, Norman Whiteside, Sammy McIlroy and Armstrong in their ranks, yet excellent organisation and meticulous training ground work has made them tough opposition for anybody. For instance, their set-piece routine when McAuley rose to meet Olivier Norwood&#39;s free kick was simple but very effective. 
 
&quot;We like to have something up our sleeve,&quot; smiled a justifiably satisfied O&#39;Neill. 
 
He also has a team which appears to be driven by proving a point to non-believers. 
 
&quot;A few people didn&#39;t give us a chance of getting a point when the draw was made,&quot; McAuley told journalists. &quot;But that&#39;s what Northern Ireland are all about -- proving people wrong.&quot; 
 
They also became the first British side to keep a clean sheet at this tournament after their relentless harrying and defensive discipline stymied Ukraine. 
 
&quot;We&#39;ve talked about leaving a legacy from this tournament,&quot; said McAuley. &quot;Football&#39;s a romantic game, and sometimes the underdogs come through.&quot; 
 
The class of &#39;82 would recognise that better than anybody. &quot;Bring on Germany!&quot; urged 1982 hero Whiteside, now a television pundit. He is not the only Northern Irishman who fancies that O&#39;Neill&#39;s side are not finished with writing history quite yet. 
(Reuters)

Northern Ireland has proved a point to non-believers by becoming what it is -- a fierce competitor

Michael O'Neill's class of 2016 may not quite possess the flair of their celebrated Northern Ireland predecessors of 1982 but how many teams in this European Championship can match their heart and commitment? That seemed like a fair question after O'Neill's side had ended their 34-year wait for a major tournament victory with a 2-0 win over Ukraine that showcased their remarkable spirit. "You can ask for different things as a manager," said O'Neill, "but when you get a performance like that, pure commitment and heart, there's nothing more you can ask." While his side may not be able to match their Euro 2016 opponents for class, they demonstrated once more that they are masters of concealing weaknesses and maximising their strengths. Goals from Gareth McAuley and Niall McGinn against Ukraine ended the long famine that stretched back to the 1982 World Cup, when Gerry Armstrong's low finish famously downed hosts Spain. O'Neill was already on the verge of Messianic status after guiding the Irish to their first major tournament in 30 years and deserved all the praise for again getting things right with a bold team selection on Thursday. He dropped talismanic striker Kyle Lafferty after the opening defeat by Poland, turning instead to the inexperienced Conor Washington, who repaid his coach with tireless chasing and pressurising of the Ukrainian defenders. That is the Northern Ireland hallmark. O'Neill's side may not have the sheen of the class of '82, who boasted luminaries like Martin O'Neill (the Ireland coach here), Pat Jennings, Norman Whiteside, Sammy McIlroy and Armstrong in their ranks, yet excellent organisation and meticulous training ground work has made them tough opposition for anybody. For instance, their set-piece routine when McAuley rose to meet Olivier Norwood's free kick was simple but very effective. "We like to have something up our sleeve," smiled a justifiably satisfied O'Neill. He also has a team which appears to be driven by proving a point to non-believers. "A few people didn't give us a chance of getting a point when the draw was made," McAuley told journalists. "But that's what Northern Ireland are all about -- proving people wrong." They also became the first British side to keep a clean sheet at this tournament after their relentless harrying and defensive discipline stymied Ukraine. "We've talked about leaving a legacy from this tournament," said McAuley. "Football's a romantic game, and sometimes the underdogs come through." The class of '82 would recognise that better than anybody. "Bring on Germany!" urged 1982 hero Whiteside, now a television pundit. He is not the only Northern Irishman who fancies that O'Neill's side are not finished with writing history quite yet. (Reuters)

Commitment and heart pushing O'Neill's 2016 football class to triumph

<div style="text-align: justify;">Iceland defender Kari Arnason has responded angrily to Cristiano Ronaldo&#39;s &quot;small mentality&quot; jibe after the 1-1 draw with Portugal at Euro 2016, saying that the Real Madrid star was no Lionel Messi. 
 
A visibly frustrated Ronaldo was furious at the defensive tactics of Iceland, the smallest country at the tournament, after Tuesday&#39;s Group F clash. 
 
&quot;He&#39;s a fantastic footballer, but he&#39;s not a gracious human being,&quot; Arnason was quoted as saying on The Guardian&#39;s website (www.theguardian.com). 
 
&quot;Obviously we&rsquo;re not going to create as many chances as a fantastic team like Portugal but his comments are the reason why Messi is always going to be one step ahead of him. You wouldn&rsquo;t expect Messi to say that. It shows we got under his skin.&quot; 
 
The defender added: &quot;It was lovely to hear that.&quot; 
 
Iceland take on Hungary in their next Group F game on Saturday, before ending their group stage campaign against Austria on June 22. 
 
(Reuters)</div>

Cristiano Ronaldo added: "It was lovely to hear that"

Iceland defender Kari Arnason has responded angrily to Cristiano Ronaldo's "small mentality" jibe after the 1-1 draw with Portugal at Euro 2016, saying that the Real Madrid star was no Lionel Messi. A visibly frustrated Ronaldo was furious at the defensive tactics of Iceland, the smallest country at the tournament, after Tuesday's Group F clash. "He's a fantastic footballer, but he's not a gracious human being," Arnason was quoted as saying on The Guardian's website (www.theguardian.com). "Obviously we’re not going to create as many chances as a fantastic team like Portugal but his comments are the reason why Messi is always going to be one step ahead of him. You wouldn’t expect Messi to say that. It shows we got under his skin." The defender added: "It was lovely to hear that." Iceland take on Hungary in their next Group F game on Saturday, before ending their group stage campaign against Austria on June 22. (Reuters)

Ronaldo is no Messi, counters Iceland's Arnason

Ukraine coach Mykhailo Fomenko says he will quit after his team&#39;s last group game against Poland at Euro 2016 on Tuesday. 
 
Ukraine have no chance of reaching the knockout stages after defeats to Germany and Northern Ireland in Group C. 
 
&ldquo;What sense does it make to continue after failing with the task that was set for the tournament?&rdquo; Fomenko told Ukraine&#39;s national TV channel &ldquo;Football&rdquo;. 
 
&ldquo;I did not feel the united team that clinched the spot at the Euros finals. I paid attention to this during warm-up games against Cyprus and Wales. Everyone saw what was going on at the end of the Ukrainian championship. This situation affected the team&rsquo;s psychology.&rdquo; 
 
Ukraine&#39;s preparations for the tournament suffered a setback after an unseemly row between two of their high-profile players. Shakhtar midfielder Taras Stepanenko and Dynamo Kiev&#39;s Andriy Yarmolenko were involved in a spat during a league game. 
 
&quot;I would like peace and friendship to prevail inside our team,&quot; Fomenko said. &quot;As a man, I am used to being responsible for my actions. I admit my fault. I did it all wrong in that situation.&quot; 
 
Former striker and assistant coach Andriy Shevchenko has been rumoured to be a possible successor. 
 
&ldquo;Why not? He has experience in football, finished coaching courses and has got his PRO-diploma,&quot; Fomenko said. &quot;God bless him to be as good a coach as he was a player.&rdquo; 
 
(Reuters)

Assistant coach, Andriy Shevchenko, has been rumoured to be a possible successor

Ukraine coach Mykhailo Fomenko says he will quit after his team's last group game against Poland at Euro 2016 on Tuesday. Ukraine have no chance of reaching the knockout stages after defeats to Germany and Northern Ireland in Group C. “What sense does it make to continue after failing with the task that was set for the tournament?” Fomenko told Ukraine's national TV channel “Football”. “I did not feel the united team that clinched the spot at the Euros finals. I paid attention to this during warm-up games against Cyprus and Wales. Everyone saw what was going on at the end of the Ukrainian championship. This situation affected the team’s psychology.” Ukraine's preparations for the tournament suffered a setback after an unseemly row between two of their high-profile players. Shakhtar midfielder Taras Stepanenko and Dynamo Kiev's Andriy Yarmolenko were involved in a spat during a league game. "I would like peace and friendship to prevail inside our team," Fomenko said. "As a man, I am used to being responsible for my actions. I admit my fault. I did it all wrong in that situation." Former striker and assistant coach Andriy Shevchenko has been rumoured to be a possible successor. “Why not? He has experience in football, finished coaching courses and has got his PRO-diploma," Fomenko said. "God bless him to be as good a coach as he was a player.” (Reuters)

Ukraine coach Fomenko to quit

Poland face a test of patience and their nerves when they open their Euro 2016 campaign against a Northern Ireland side who want to make themselves &quot;horrible&quot; to play against. 
 
Sunday&#39;s group C match will pit one of the most attack-minded of the 24 teams at Euro 2016 against a team who have made no bones about their intentions. 
 
Spearheaded by the attacking duo of Robert Lewandowski and Arkadiusz Milik, Poland were the highest-scoring team in the qualifying competition with 33 goals, 13 of them coming from Bayern Munich&#39;s Lewandowski. 
 
Coach Adam Nawalka has turned them from a counter-attacking side into one that keeps possession and build attacks carefully. 
 
He has also bucked the trend of teams playing with a single, or no, striker, expressly to give Lewandowski more support, a tactic which has worked wonders so far. 
 
The huge expectations back home, however, will put Poland under considerable pressure as they attempt to pass the group stage at the Euros for the first time, and Northern Ireland are just the team to play on their anxiety. 
 
Northern Ireland have limited resources but manager Michael O&#39;Neill clearly knows their place and makes no apologies for a playing style which is likely to prove a test of endurance for spectators as well as the opposition. 
 
&ldquo;We are going to have to be horrible to play against,&rdquo; he said recently. &ldquo;We are going to be really good without the ball, run further than any other team, drill all the statistics back in their face. Sixty-five per cent possession? We don&rsquo;t expect to have that.&rdquo; 
 
The Euro debutants&#39; squad includes 13 players based with lower-tier sides in England, five from the English Premier League, four from the Scottish Premier League and one from Australia&#39;s A-League. None of them play in continental Europe. 
 
Despite this, they conceded only eight goals in qualifying and are unbeaten in their last 12 matches, a run stretching back to March last year and the longest in the team&#39;s history. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a fantastic achievement to be out here but having achieved that we want to leave our mark on the tournament,&quot; said O&#39;Neill. &quot;There is a sense of excitement for all of us. This is a new experience for myself (and) for all of the players.&quot; 
&nbsp;

And the Irish hope to be "horrible" to play against

Poland face a test of patience and their nerves when they open their Euro 2016 campaign against a Northern Ireland side who want to make themselves "horrible" to play against. Sunday's group C match will pit one of the most attack-minded of the 24 teams at Euro 2016 against a team who have made no bones about their intentions. Spearheaded by the attacking duo of Robert Lewandowski and Arkadiusz Milik, Poland were the highest-scoring team in the qualifying competition with 33 goals, 13 of them coming from Bayern Munich's Lewandowski. Coach Adam Nawalka has turned them from a counter-attacking side into one that keeps possession and build attacks carefully. He has also bucked the trend of teams playing with a single, or no, striker, expressly to give Lewandowski more support, a tactic which has worked wonders so far. The huge expectations back home, however, will put Poland under considerable pressure as they attempt to pass the group stage at the Euros for the first time, and Northern Ireland are just the team to play on their anxiety. Northern Ireland have limited resources but manager Michael O'Neill clearly knows their place and makes no apologies for a playing style which is likely to prove a test of endurance for spectators as well as the opposition. “We are going to have to be horrible to play against,” he said recently. “We are going to be really good without the ball, run further than any other team, drill all the statistics back in their face. Sixty-five per cent possession? We don’t expect to have that.” The Euro debutants' squad includes 13 players based with lower-tier sides in England, five from the English Premier League, four from the Scottish Premier League and one from Australia's A-League. None of them play in continental Europe. Despite this, they conceded only eight goals in qualifying and are unbeaten in their last 12 matches, a run stretching back to March last year and the longest in the team's history. "It's a fantastic achievement to be out here but having achieved that we want to leave our mark on the tournament," said O'Neill. "There is a sense of excitement for all of us. This is a new experience for myself (and) for all of the players."

Poland face test of patience against Northern Ireland

&nbsp;Italy coach Antonio Conte summoned help from astronaut Luca Parmitano to inspire his players ahead of today&#39;s Euro 2016 game against Sweden in Toulouse. 
 
Parmitano, who became the first Italian to take part in a spacewalk in July 2013, gave a talk to the Italy squad this week at the Casa Azzurri in Montpellier, the team&#39;s headquarters in France. 
 
The 39-year-old Parmitano stressed the importance of teamwork, motivation and preparation, something Conte has tried to transmit to his players since he took the reins in 2014. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m not a football expert but I am a fan of the national team,&quot; Parmitano told the Italian FootballFederation (FIGC). &quot;Even we, astronauts, are a small team, we train in a rigorous manner and we wear a blue suit. Just like the players of the national team, we are aware that we represent Italy&#39;s image around the world.&quot; 
 
Italy, runners-up at Euro 2012, arrived in France minus star players and with a squad that many believed to be the country&#39;s weakest in a long time. 
 
However, Conte&#39;s men showed a workmanlike display in their 2-0 triumph over Belgium in their Group E opener on Monday. After the game against Sweden, Italy end the group stages against Ireland in Lille next Wednesday. 
(Reuters)

The Italian coach got Luca Parmitano, the first Italian to go on a spacewalk, to give his team a pep talk

Italy coach Antonio Conte summoned help from astronaut Luca Parmitano to inspire his players ahead of today's Euro 2016 game against Sweden in Toulouse. Parmitano, who became the first Italian to take part in a spacewalk in July 2013, gave a talk to the Italy squad this week at the Casa Azzurri in Montpellier, the team's headquarters in France. The 39-year-old Parmitano stressed the importance of teamwork, motivation and preparation, something Conte has tried to transmit to his players since he took the reins in 2014. "I'm not a football expert but I am a fan of the national team," Parmitano told the Italian FootballFederation (FIGC). "Even we, astronauts, are a small team, we train in a rigorous manner and we wear a blue suit. Just like the players of the national team, we are aware that we represent Italy's image around the world." Italy, runners-up at Euro 2012, arrived in France minus star players and with a squad that many believed to be the country's weakest in a long time. However, Conte's men showed a workmanlike display in their 2-0 triumph over Belgium in their Group E opener on Monday. After the game against Sweden, Italy end the group stages against Ireland in Lille next Wednesday. (Reuters)

Italy aims for the stars, with a little help from an astronaut

A close-range header from Portugal substitute Ricardo Quaresma secured a 1-0 win over Croatia after the game burst into life late in extra time on Saturday and set up a Euro 2016 quarter-final against Poland next week. 
 
Quaresma struck three minutes from the end of the extra period after a Cristiano Ronaldo shot was saved brilliantly by Danijel Subasic to settle the tie just a minute after Croatia&#39;s Ivan Perisic had hit the post with a header. 
 
Croatia almost snatched an equaliser at the death but Domagoj Vida hooked the ball agonisingly wide. 
 
Portugal coach Fernando Santos said: &quot;Both teams were here expecting to win every match, all the way to the final. This was a final. We won, and when you win you&#39;re lucky. Sometimes you don&#39;t win and you&#39;re unlucky. Today, we were the lucky ones.&quot; 
 
Croatia manager Ante Cacic added: &quot;We expected Portugal to counter and we were playing really well for 120 minutes, controlling the match, not conceding any chances except the last one that was our mistake and we were punished for that.&quot; 
 
There was some lovely one-touch play from both sides but plenty of passes also went astray in a tense, cagey last 16 game in which neither side managed to register a shot on target until Ronaldo&#39;s late effort led to the winning goal. 
 
Croatia were on top for most of the first half but Portugal had the first chance when Pepe headed Raphael Guerreiro&#39;s free kick over the bar after Ronaldo was tripped by Perisic. 
 
Perisic, who had a patch of his hair dyed to match the red-and-white checked pattern of his shirt, then cut in from the right but he dragged his shot outside the near post. 
 
Luka Modric and Mario Mandzukic returned from injury for Croatia, with Mandzukic spurning an excellent first-half chance when he headed Dario Srna&#39;s corner wide of the target. 
 
With Mandzukic on his own up front and Nani and Ronaldo shackled, neither side could break the deadlock and a smattering of boos and whistles were heard at the halftime whistle. 
 
Wasteful Finishing 
 
Croatia continued to dominate possession after the break, but their wasteful finishing continued as Marcelo Brozovic narrowly failed to connect with Ivan Strinic&#39;s cross and then followed up by blazing over from the resulting corner. 
 
Substitute Renato Sanches registered Portugal&#39;s first shot of the second half when he broke forward and played a one-two with Joao Mario but steered the ball wide of the target. 
 
Croatia centre-back Vida then had a glorious chance to give his side the lead on the hour but headed wide with the goal at his mercy and Mandzukic lurking behind him. 
 
Earning his 100th cap, Nani had a penalty appeal turned down when he went sprawling in the box under pressure from Strinic. 
 
Ronaldo did not fare much better and, despite occasional flashes of skill, he was kept quiet for most of the game. 
 
The match finished scoreless and went into extra time with Nikola Kalinic, who replaced Mandzukic, blasting a shot wide halfway through the first period. 
 
Croatia still looked livelier and Vida was frustrated again as he headed another corner just over with Portugal keeper Rui Patricio stranded after coming out for the cross. 
 
Perisic flashed the ball across the goal and then saw a header come back off the post before Portugal countered and Ronaldo&#39;s shot was parried into the path of Quaresma who scored. 
 
Croatia poured forward in search of an equaliser and Vida made it a hat-trick of misses as he hooked the ball wide leaving Portugal to go through to face Poland in Marseille on Thursday. 
 
(Reuters)

He struck three minutes from the end of the extra period after a Cristiano shot was saved brilliantly by Danijel Subasic

A close-range header from Portugal substitute Ricardo Quaresma secured a 1-0 win over Croatia after the game burst into life late in extra time on Saturday and set up a Euro 2016 quarter-final against Poland next week. Quaresma struck three minutes from the end of the extra period after a Cristiano Ronaldo shot was saved brilliantly by Danijel Subasic to settle the tie just a minute after Croatia's Ivan Perisic had hit the post with a header. Croatia almost snatched an equaliser at the death but Domagoj Vida hooked the ball agonisingly wide. Portugal coach Fernando Santos said: "Both teams were here expecting to win every match, all the way to the final. This was a final. We won, and when you win you're lucky. Sometimes you don't win and you're unlucky. Today, we were the lucky ones." Croatia manager Ante Cacic added: "We expected Portugal to counter and we were playing really well for 120 minutes, controlling the match, not conceding any chances except the last one that was our mistake and we were punished for that." There was some lovely one-touch play from both sides but plenty of passes also went astray in a tense, cagey last 16 game in which neither side managed to register a shot on target until Ronaldo's late effort led to the winning goal. Croatia were on top for most of the first half but Portugal had the first chance when Pepe headed Raphael Guerreiro's free kick over the bar after Ronaldo was tripped by Perisic. Perisic, who had a patch of his hair dyed to match the red-and-white checked pattern of his shirt, then cut in from the right but he dragged his shot outside the near post. Luka Modric and Mario Mandzukic returned from injury for Croatia, with Mandzukic spurning an excellent first-half chance when he headed Dario Srna's corner wide of the target. With Mandzukic on his own up front and Nani and Ronaldo shackled, neither side could break the deadlock and a smattering of boos and whistles were heard at the halftime whistle. Wasteful Finishing Croatia continued to dominate possession after the break, but their wasteful finishing continued as Marcelo Brozovic narrowly failed to connect with Ivan Strinic's cross and then followed up by blazing over from the resulting corner. Substitute Renato Sanches registered Portugal's first shot of the second half when he broke forward and played a one-two with Joao Mario but steered the ball wide of the target. Croatia centre-back Vida then had a glorious chance to give his side the lead on the hour but headed wide with the goal at his mercy and Mandzukic lurking behind him. Earning his 100th cap, Nani had a penalty appeal turned down when he went sprawling in the box under pressure from Strinic. Ronaldo did not fare much better and, despite occasional flashes of skill, he was kept quiet for most of the game. The match finished scoreless and went into extra time with Nikola Kalinic, who replaced Mandzukic, blasting a shot wide halfway through the first period. Croatia still looked livelier and Vida was frustrated again as he headed another corner just over with Portugal keeper Rui Patricio stranded after coming out for the cross. Perisic flashed the ball across the goal and then saw a header come back off the post before Portugal countered and Ronaldo's shot was parried into the path of Quaresma who scored. Croatia poured forward in search of an equaliser and Vida made it a hat-trick of misses as he hooked the ball wide leaving Portugal to go through to face Poland in Marseille on Thursday. (Reuters)

Quaresma late goal takes Portugal into Euro quarters

A French court today jailed three Russian football supporters for up to two years for their role in violence in Marseille before the England-Russia Euro 2016 match. 
 
Alexei Yerunov, Nikolai Morozov and Sergei Gorbachev were among 43 Russian supporters detained by French police in southern France on Tuesday after the pitched battles which left more than 30 people injured. 
 
Yerunov, 29, who is supporters&#39; liaison officer at Lokomotiv Moscow according to the club&#39;s website, received the longest prison sentence of 24 months. 
 
He admitted he was at the scene of an attack on an English supporter who was left in a critical state after being beaten around the head with an iron bar. He denied being responsible. 
 
&quot;I apologise. I recognise that I was there but I didn&#39;t hit anyone. My hands are clean,&quot; he told the court. 
 
Gorbachev, who leads a supporters&#39; club at Russian second division club Arsenal Tula, was jailed for 18 months. 
 
Morozov, 28, received the shortest sentence of 12 months. 
 
Prosecutor Andre Ribe described the Russians&#39; behaviour in the chaotic scenes in Marseille on Saturday: &quot;It was a hunt. They ran off together, staying in a group and keeping enough energy for what they call &#39;the fight&#39;.&quot; 
(AFP)

Alexei Yerunov, Nikolai Morozov and Sergei Gorbachev were among 43 Russian supporters detained by French police on Tuesday

A French court today jailed three Russian football supporters for up to two years for their role in violence in Marseille before the England-Russia Euro 2016 match. Alexei Yerunov, Nikolai Morozov and Sergei Gorbachev were among 43 Russian supporters detained by French police in southern France on Tuesday after the pitched battles which left more than 30 people injured. Yerunov, 29, who is supporters' liaison officer at Lokomotiv Moscow according to the club's website, received the longest prison sentence of 24 months. He admitted he was at the scene of an attack on an English supporter who was left in a critical state after being beaten around the head with an iron bar. He denied being responsible. "I apologise. I recognise that I was there but I didn't hit anyone. My hands are clean," he told the court. Gorbachev, who leads a supporters' club at Russian second division club Arsenal Tula, was jailed for 18 months. Morozov, 28, received the shortest sentence of 12 months. Prosecutor Andre Ribe described the Russians' behaviour in the chaotic scenes in Marseille on Saturday: "It was a hunt. They ran off together, staying in a group and keeping enough energy for what they call 'the fight'." (AFP)

Russian fans jailed for up to 2 years for Euro 2016 violence

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho today backed Sam Allardyce&#39;s impending appointment as England manager saying he was a &quot;good choice&quot; for the job. 
 
&quot;I think it&#39;s the right person for that job,&quot; Mourinho told a news conference in Shanghai on the eve of the International Champions Cup match against Borussia Dortmund. 
 
&quot;I think he&#39;s a good choice. I think Sam never had a big chance at the highest level; lots of experience in the Premier League but never that big one and now he has the big one. 
 
&quot;I think he&#39;s more than ready.&quot; 
 
Allardyce is set to be chosen as new England manager at a Football Association board meeting at Wembley today, FA chairman Greg Dyke said. 
 
&quot;Big Sam&quot;, as the Sunderland manager is known, has been selected by a three-man FA panel from a shortlist that included Hull manager Steve Bruce, Bournemouth chief Eddie Howe and USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann. 
 
Allardyce is also thought to have received a strong recommendation from former Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson and the new Old Trafford boss agrees. 
 
&quot;I think he&#39;s a good motivator. I think he can create a good team spirit with his players,&quot; said Mourinho. 
 
&quot;And I wish him the best from my side and not just as a friend but as a Manchester United manager. 
 
&quot;The only thing I can promise is that I am going to try to support him in the best way ...to have English players always available in conditions to help him. 
 
&quot;So good luck to Sam.&quot; 
 
Dyke told the UK&#39;s Sky Sports News that the board were due to rubber-stamp Allardyce&#39;s appointment. 
 
&quot;Clearly the three-man group are convinced he&#39;s the right man and I go along with that, yes. 
 
&quot;We appointed a three-man committee to go out and look at all the candidates, come back with a recommendation who they thought was the best man. 
 
&quot;They&#39;ve taken that decision and obviously we&#39;ll agree with them.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Big Sam, as the Sunderland manager is known, has been selected by a three-man Football Association panel

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho today backed Sam Allardyce's impending appointment as England manager saying he was a "good choice" for the job. "I think it's the right person for that job," Mourinho told a news conference in Shanghai on the eve of the International Champions Cup match against Borussia Dortmund. "I think he's a good choice. I think Sam never had a big chance at the highest level; lots of experience in the Premier League but never that big one and now he has the big one. "I think he's more than ready." Allardyce is set to be chosen as new England manager at a Football Association board meeting at Wembley today, FA chairman Greg Dyke said. "Big Sam", as the Sunderland manager is known, has been selected by a three-man FA panel from a shortlist that included Hull manager Steve Bruce, Bournemouth chief Eddie Howe and USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann. Allardyce is also thought to have received a strong recommendation from former Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson and the new Old Trafford boss agrees. "I think he's a good motivator. I think he can create a good team spirit with his players," said Mourinho. "And I wish him the best from my side and not just as a friend but as a Manchester United manager. "The only thing I can promise is that I am going to try to support him in the best way ...to have English players always available in conditions to help him. "So good luck to Sam." Dyke told the UK's Sky Sports News that the board were due to rubber-stamp Allardyce's appointment. "Clearly the three-man group are convinced he's the right man and I go along with that, yes. "We appointed a three-man committee to go out and look at all the candidates, come back with a recommendation who they thought was the best man. "They've taken that decision and obviously we'll agree with them." (AFP)

Sam Allardyce ready to lead English football: Jose Mourinho

Liverpool&#39;s Daniel Sturridge struck deep into stoppage time to hand England a 2-1 win over rivals Wales to move top of Euro 2016 Group B in Lens on today. 
 
Real Madrid star Gareth Bale&#39;s free-kick from 35 metres was helped into his own net by England goalkeeper Joe Hart to give Wales the lead just before the break. 
 
However, after being introduced at half-time, substitutes Jamie Vardy and Sturridge turned the match around to put England on course for the last 16. 
(AFP)

Substitutes Vardy and Sturridge turned the match around to give England the win

Liverpool's Daniel Sturridge struck deep into stoppage time to hand England a 2-1 win over rivals Wales to move top of Euro 2016 Group B in Lens on today. Real Madrid star Gareth Bale's free-kick from 35 metres was helped into his own net by England goalkeeper Joe Hart to give Wales the lead just before the break. However, after being introduced at half-time, substitutes Jamie Vardy and Sturridge turned the match around to put England on course for the last 16. (AFP)

England beat Wales 2-1 at Euro 2016 to top Group B

Animated Chelsea manager Antonio Conte launched his Premier League career with a battling 2-1 victory over West Ham United thanks to Eden Hazard`s penalty and a last-gasp Diego Costa strike in an intense London derby on Monday. 
 
Fiery Spain striker Costa, lucky to be on the pitch after a wild challenge on keeper Adrian, thumped a low shot into the net in the 89th minute, sending Conte jumping for joy and embracing his coaching staff and several fans behind the dugout. 
 
&quot;I think the team played a good game with a great intensity and spirit,&quot; said Conte. &quot;It is important to find the right spirit and intensity, we know we can improve and we must improve a lot, but today I am pleased for my players.&quot; 
 
Conte, 47, has worked his new squad hard in the run-up to the season, with double training sessions. 
 
&quot;I saw a lot of good things, lots of things they were working on in the last days,&quot; he said. &quot;We have been working for only one month... I know we can improve through the work. But today it was important to get the victory.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
West Ham`s James Collins had threatened to spoil the Italian`s debut with a fine half-volleyed goal in the 78th. 
 
Hazard had given the home side a deserved lead straight after halftime, smashing the ball into the roof of the net from the penalty spot after Michail Antonio needlessly tripped up Chelsea`s Spanish full back Cesar Azpilicueta in the area.&nbsp; 
 
Furious pace 
 
For Conte, who took Italy to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals, the match at Stamford Bridge offered a taste of the physical side of English football and his charges looked ready for it.&nbsp; 
 
The contest had started at a furious pace, although first-night nerves sometimes got in the way of quality football. 
 
Chelsea midfielder N`Golo Kante, signed from last season`s surprise champions Leicester City, got an early yellow card for bringing down striker Andy Carroll in the fourth minute. 
 
But there were also touches of brilliance from the 2015 league champions, who plunged down the table last season losing manager Jose Mourinho to the sack in the process. 
 
Monday`s Chelsea side looked leaner, fitter and more motivated than under Mourinho at the start of last season. 
 
The lively Hazard proved a constant irritation to the east Londoners, who were missing several players through injury, and the Belgian international won the man-of-the-match award.&nbsp; 
 
In the second half Bilic`s Hammers side found it tough to string more than two passes together.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Let`s be honest. Apart from the first 15 minutes and the time we equalised, they were better than us,&quot; Bilic added. 
 
The home team did suffer a scare when the bearded Costa, looking like a swashbuckling pirate, threw himself into a studs up challenge with Adrian and was lucky not to get a red card. 
 
&quot;I didn&rsquo;t see the situation,&quot; said Conte. &quot;I saw him put the pressure on the keeper and then try to stop. In my opinion I think the referee took the right decision.&quot; 
 
Costa`s escape was certainly lucky for Chelsea after the Spaniard received a pass from new signing Michy Batshuayi and fired a low shot into the net for the late winner. 
 
(Reuters)

The fiery striker struck a 89th-minute winner, although he was lucky to have stayed on the pitch after a rash tackle on West Ham keeper

Animated Chelsea manager Antonio Conte launched his Premier League career with a battling 2-1 victory over West Ham United thanks to Eden Hazard`s penalty and a last-gasp Diego Costa strike in an intense London derby on Monday. Fiery Spain striker Costa, lucky to be on the pitch after a wild challenge on keeper Adrian, thumped a low shot into the net in the 89th minute, sending Conte jumping for joy and embracing his coaching staff and several fans behind the dugout. "I think the team played a good game with a great intensity and spirit," said Conte. "It is important to find the right spirit and intensity, we know we can improve and we must improve a lot, but today I am pleased for my players." Conte, 47, has worked his new squad hard in the run-up to the season, with double training sessions. "I saw a lot of good things, lots of things they were working on in the last days," he said. "We have been working for only one month... I know we can improve through the work. But today it was important to get the victory." West Ham`s James Collins had threatened to spoil the Italian`s debut with a fine half-volleyed goal in the 78th. Hazard had given the home side a deserved lead straight after halftime, smashing the ball into the roof of the net from the penalty spot after Michail Antonio needlessly tripped up Chelsea`s Spanish full back Cesar Azpilicueta in the area. Furious pace For Conte, who took Italy to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals, the match at Stamford Bridge offered a taste of the physical side of English football and his charges looked ready for it. The contest had started at a furious pace, although first-night nerves sometimes got in the way of quality football. Chelsea midfielder N`Golo Kante, signed from last season`s surprise champions Leicester City, got an early yellow card for bringing down striker Andy Carroll in the fourth minute. But there were also touches of brilliance from the 2015 league champions, who plunged down the table last season losing manager Jose Mourinho to the sack in the process. Monday`s Chelsea side looked leaner, fitter and more motivated than under Mourinho at the start of last season. The lively Hazard proved a constant irritation to the east Londoners, who were missing several players through injury, and the Belgian international won the man-of-the-match award. In the second half Bilic`s Hammers side found it tough to string more than two passes together. "Let`s be honest. Apart from the first 15 minutes and the time we equalised, they were better than us," Bilic added. The home team did suffer a scare when the bearded Costa, looking like a swashbuckling pirate, threw himself into a studs up challenge with Adrian and was lucky not to get a red card. "I didn’t see the situation," said Conte. "I saw him put the pressure on the keeper and then try to stop. In my opinion I think the referee took the right decision." Costa`s escape was certainly lucky for Chelsea after the Spaniard received a pass from new signing Michy Batshuayi and fired a low shot into the net for the late winner. (Reuters)

Costa's last-gasp strike gives Conte a winning start

Lionel Messi came off the bench to score a hat-trick in just 18 minutes on Friday as Argentina hammered Panama 5-0 and eased into the quarter-finals of the Copa America. 
 
Argentina were 1-0 up at half-time thanks to a Nicolas Otamendi goal after just six minutes. 
 
Panama lost Anibal Godoy to a red card after half an hour but the Central Americans held on until Messi, who missed Argentina&#39;s opening win against Chile with a sore back, replaced Augusto Fernandez after 61 minutes. 
 
The Barcelona forward started gingerly but grabbed Argentina&#39;s second in the 68th minute by steering home a left foot shot after a rebound fell to him in the Panama box. 
 
He scored a gorgeous second with a 25-yard free kick just nine minutes later and then with some fancy footwork in the box gave himself enough space to slot home his third and Argentina&#39;s fourth in the 86th minute. 
 
Sergio Aguero, another substitute, made it 5-0 with a header in the final moments. 
 
&quot;My back was a bit painful at the start but it went away,&quot; said Messi, who was cheered every time he touched the ball by the 53,000 crowd in Chicago. 
 
&quot;I think we are where we want to be, which is getting better,&quot; he told reporters after the game. 
 
The result came after Chile had beaten Bolivia in the other Group D game. Argentina have six points from two games, while Bolivia have none and are out. 
 
Chile and Panama both have three and will face off on Tuesday to decide who join Argentina in the quarter-finals. 
 
Goals in the first and last minutes of the second half from Bayern Munich midfielder Arturo Vidal were enough to help the reigning champions overcome Bolivia in Boston. 
 
Chile had 75 per cent of the possession and 18 shots at goal to Bolivia&#39;s three and were far superior against the lowest-ranked team in the tournament. 
 
Vidal put the Chileans ahead in the 46th minute but substitute Jhasmani Campos got an equaliser for Bolivia on the hour mark with a superb free kick. 
 
Vidal then took advantage of a controversial penalty decision for handball to score the winner in the dying seconds.

Lionel Messi came off the bench to score a hat-trick in just 18 minutes on Friday as Argentina hammered Panama 5-0 and eased into the quarter-finals of the Copa America. Argentina were 1-0 up at half-time thanks to a Nicolas Otamendi goal after just six minutes. Panama lost Anibal Godoy to a red card after half an hour but the Central Americans held on until Messi, who missed Argentina's opening win against Chile with a sore back, replaced Augusto Fernandez after 61 minutes. The Barcelona forward started gingerly but grabbed Argentina's second in the 68th minute by steering home a left foot shot after a rebound fell to him in the Panama box. He scored a gorgeous second with a 25-yard free kick just nine minutes later and then with some fancy footwork in the box gave himself enough space to slot home his third and Argentina's fourth in the 86th minute. Sergio Aguero, another substitute, made it 5-0 with a header in the final moments. "My back was a bit painful at the start but it went away," said Messi, who was cheered every time he touched the ball by the 53,000 crowd in Chicago. "I think we are where we want to be, which is getting better," he told reporters after the game. The result came after Chile had beaten Bolivia in the other Group D game. Argentina have six points from two games, while Bolivia have none and are out. Chile and Panama both have three and will face off on Tuesday to decide who join Argentina in the quarter-finals. Goals in the first and last minutes of the second half from Bayern Munich midfielder Arturo Vidal were enough to help the reigning champions overcome Bolivia in Boston. Chile had 75 per cent of the possession and 18 shots at goal to Bolivia's three and were far superior against the lowest-ranked team in the tournament. Vidal put the Chileans ahead in the 46th minute but substitute Jhasmani Campos got an equaliser for Bolivia on the hour mark with a superb free kick. Vidal then took advantage of a controversial penalty decision for handball to score the winner in the dying seconds.

Messi's hat-trick sends Argentina through to Copa quarters

Chinese investors are close to agreeing an 80 per cent stake buy in football club AC Milan and will acquire the remaining 20 per cent in the next two to three years, the China Daily newspaper reported on Friday. 
 
&quot;Two parties are discussing the 80 per cent takeover by the Chinese investors and the negotiations are still continuing,&quot; the newspaper quoted an unidentified person familiar with the talks as saying. 
 
Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, whose family holding company Fininvest owns AC Milan, opened exclusive talks in May with the Chinese consortium about selling a majority stake to try to inject new capital into a club which has failed to win a major competition in the past five years. 
 
Reuters reported at the time that the Chinese were valuing the club at up to 750 million euros ($832.73 million), including debt, and that talks had envisaged an initial sale of 70 per cent. 
 
The source also told China Daily that Fininvest is confident that a final agreement can be&nbsp;reached in the next week, although some important legal and financial details had still to be agreed and would need approval by Berlusconi. 
 
Chinese electronics retailer Suning Commerce Group Co. Ltd. last month agreed to buy nearly 70 per cent of the club&#39;s Italian rivals Inter Milan for 270 million euros, in the highest-profile takeover of a European team by a Chinese firm. 
 
(Reuters)

'They are close to an 80 per cent stake buy in the football club and will acquire the remaining 20 per cent in the next two to three years'

Chinese investors are close to agreeing an 80 per cent stake buy in football club AC Milan and will acquire the remaining 20 per cent in the next two to three years, the China Daily newspaper reported on Friday. "Two parties are discussing the 80 per cent takeover by the Chinese investors and the negotiations are still continuing," the newspaper quoted an unidentified person familiar with the talks as saying. Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, whose family holding company Fininvest owns AC Milan, opened exclusive talks in May with the Chinese consortium about selling a majority stake to try to inject new capital into a club which has failed to win a major competition in the past five years. Reuters reported at the time that the Chinese were valuing the club at up to 750 million euros ($832.73 million), including debt, and that talks had envisaged an initial sale of 70 per cent. The source also told China Daily that Fininvest is confident that a final agreement can be reached in the next week, although some important legal and financial details had still to be agreed and would need approval by Berlusconi. Chinese electronics retailer Suning Commerce Group Co. Ltd. last month agreed to buy nearly 70 per cent of the club's Italian rivals Inter Milan for 270 million euros, in the highest-profile takeover of a European team by a Chinese firm. (Reuters)

Chinese investors in talks to acquire AC Milan

Wayne Hennessey, Joe Ledley and Hal Robson-Kanu returned to give Wales a full-strength starting XI for their Euro 2016 clash with England, who were unchanged, in Lens today.&nbsp; 
 
Goalkeeper Hennessey missed Wales&#39;s 2-1 win over Slovakia due to a back spasm, with Danny Ward deputising, while Ledley and Robson-Kanu came off the bench, the latter scoring an 81st-minute winner. 
 
Ledley is playing for Wales at the tournament despite fracturing a fibula while playing for Crystal Palace on May 7. 
 
England manager Roy Hodgson named the same team that started last Saturday&#39;s 1-1 draw with Russia in Marseille, so captain Wayne Rooney was once again aligned in a midfield three. 
 
Harry Kane was named as a lone striker, with Raheem Sterling keeping his place on the left flank in a 4-3-3 formation despite a disappointing showing at Stade Velodrome. 
 
It is the 102nd meeting between the neighbouring countries, but the first at a major tournament. 
 
Wales will qualify for the last 16 if they win, but victory for England would give them top spot in Group B ahead of the final round of games. 
 
Starting lineups in the Euro 2016 Group B match between England and Wales at Stade Bollaert-Delelis in Lens today.&nbsp; 
(AFP)

Wales will qualify for the last 16 if they win, but England will grab a top spot in group B ahead of the final games if they win

Wayne Hennessey, Joe Ledley and Hal Robson-Kanu returned to give Wales a full-strength starting XI for their Euro 2016 clash with England, who were unchanged, in Lens today. Goalkeeper Hennessey missed Wales's 2-1 win over Slovakia due to a back spasm, with Danny Ward deputising, while Ledley and Robson-Kanu came off the bench, the latter scoring an 81st-minute winner. Ledley is playing for Wales at the tournament despite fracturing a fibula while playing for Crystal Palace on May 7. England manager Roy Hodgson named the same team that started last Saturday's 1-1 draw with Russia in Marseille, so captain Wayne Rooney was once again aligned in a midfield three. Harry Kane was named as a lone striker, with Raheem Sterling keeping his place on the left flank in a 4-3-3 formation despite a disappointing showing at Stade Velodrome. It is the 102nd meeting between the neighbouring countries, but the first at a major tournament. Wales will qualify for the last 16 if they win, but victory for England would give them top spot in Group B ahead of the final round of games. Starting lineups in the Euro 2016 Group B match between England and Wales at Stade Bollaert-Delelis in Lens today. (AFP)

Euro 2016: Wales trio return in clash against England

Five facts on Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic after he announced that&nbsp;he is signing for English Premier League giants Manchester United today:

League titles but no Champions League crown

Ibrahimovic&#39;s goals have delivered league titles wherever he has gone, from the Netherlands to Italy to Spain and France, but never has he touched the Champions League trophy. Inter Milan and Barcelona won it, but after he had left them. United cannot give him it next season either as they failed to qualify, so he will just have to hope that they get a crack at it for the 2017-18 campaign and that he is still on the playing staff.

Carrot and stick approach needed for Ibracadabra magic

Ibrahimovic is such a contrary character that his coach at a previous club AC Milan Massimiliano Allegri says he needs constant attention if he is to be temperamentally ready to produce his magic turn on the pitch. &quot;With him, you have to use both the stick and the carrot,&quot; he was quoted in The Guardian in 2012. &quot;Ibra is a strong personality and needs to be relaxed at times, while in other occasions he has to be stimulated, otherwise he falls asleep.&quot; Swedish national coach Erik Hamren called him out when he retired from international football in 2009 telling him do come back but not as the depressed donkey Eeyore but as Winnie The Pooh.

Opponents pay homage to &#39;God&#39;

Fair to say Ibrahimovic through his exploits, his superstar appeal and lively temperament lit up a pretty moribund Ligue 1 for the past few seasons.&nbsp;Even opposing clubs felt compelled to offer their &quot;thanks&quot;&nbsp;for his presence, even if he hurt them by scoring goals against them. Such a case was Toulouse, who would have pleased him with the divine being they compared him to given his penchant for adorning himself with epithets in 2014. &quot;Today is your birthday, 33, the age of Christ, your son. Happy birthday and long live the Z! Despite the perverse pleasure you took scoring goals against us the last two seasons, we are not vindictive. We want to thank you. For everything.&quot;

Bikes, bed and docks

No one can begrudge Ibrahimovic his riches given he has fought hard to rise to the top, and at one point would have stuck with working on the docks in Malmo rather than attempting to carve out a football career. His youth team manager at the time persuaded him to stick with the &quot;beautiful game&quot;. Not that he needed a father figure, for despite his Bosnian caretaker dad splitting from his Croatian mother when he was just two, he spent more time with his dad Sefik, who nevertheless was badly affected by the Balkan War even though he had left Bosnia years before. Ibrahimovic -- who during his youth once stole a bicycle to get himself to training -- related to The Guardian in 2014 a moving story about his impoverished father shelling out for an IKEA bed&nbsp;for him. However, they had no way of getting it back home. &quot;We carried it home between us. It&#39;s fantastic what we did. I had time with my mother but I really lived with my father. One time he gave all his salary so I could travel to a training camp. He couldn&rsquo;t pay the rent but he did that.&quot;

Literary Roth of God

Most footballer&#39;s autobiographies generally don&#39;t provide much insight or indeed entertainment, but Ibrahimovic&#39;s &#39;I am Zlatan Ibrahimovic&#39; unsurprisingly bucked the trend. Not often in such tomes will you read anecdotes such as this, about his companion and mother of his children, Helena Seger: &quot;She came from a model family from Lindesberg, one of those families where they say, &#39;Darling, would you please pass me the milk?&#39;, whereas we at table mostly we just hurled death threats at each other.&quot; Indeed one critic compared it to US literary legend Philip Roth&#39;s fictional biography Portnoy&#39;s Complaint, both about growing up as immigrants. 
 
(AFP)

'Time to let the world know my next destination is @Manutd', the 34-year-old said on Twitter today

Five facts on Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic after he announced that he is signing for English Premier League giants Manchester United today: League titles but no Champions League crown Ibrahimovic's goals have delivered league titles wherever he has gone, from the Netherlands to Italy to Spain and France, but never has he touched the Champions League trophy. Inter Milan and Barcelona won it, but after he had left them. United cannot give him it next season either as they failed to qualify, so he will just have to hope that they get a crack at it for the 2017-18 campaign and that he is still on the playing staff. Carrot and stick approach needed for Ibracadabra magic Ibrahimovic is such a contrary character that his coach at a previous club AC Milan Massimiliano Allegri says he needs constant attention if he is to be temperamentally ready to produce his magic turn on the pitch. "With him, you have to use both the stick and the carrot," he was quoted in The Guardian in 2012. "Ibra is a strong personality and needs to be relaxed at times, while in other occasions he has to be stimulated, otherwise he falls asleep." Swedish national coach Erik Hamren called him out when he retired from international football in 2009 telling him do come back but not as the depressed donkey Eeyore but as Winnie The Pooh. Opponents pay homage to 'God' Fair to say Ibrahimovic through his exploits, his superstar appeal and lively temperament lit up a pretty moribund Ligue 1 for the past few seasons. Even opposing clubs felt compelled to offer their "thanks" for his presence, even if he hurt them by scoring goals against them. Such a case was Toulouse, who would have pleased him with the divine being they compared him to given his penchant for adorning himself with epithets in 2014. "Today is your birthday, 33, the age of Christ, your son. Happy birthday and long live the Z! Despite the perverse pleasure you took scoring goals against us the last two seasons, we are not vindictive. We want to thank you. For everything." Bikes, bed and docks No one can begrudge Ibrahimovic his riches given he has fought hard to rise to the top, and at one point would have stuck with working on the docks in Malmo rather than attempting to carve out a football career. His youth team manager at the time persuaded him to stick with the "beautiful game". Not that he needed a father figure, for despite his Bosnian caretaker dad splitting from his Croatian mother when he was just two, he spent more time with his dad Sefik, who nevertheless was badly affected by the Balkan War even though he had left Bosnia years before. Ibrahimovic -- who during his youth once stole a bicycle to get himself to training -- related to The Guardian in 2014 a moving story about his impoverished father shelling out for an IKEA bed for him. However, they had no way of getting it back home. "We carried it home between us. It's fantastic what we did. I had time with my mother but I really lived with my father. One time he gave all his salary so I could travel to a training camp. He couldn’t pay the rent but he did that." Literary Roth of God Most footballer's autobiographies generally don't provide much insight or indeed entertainment, but Ibrahimovic's 'I am Zlatan Ibrahimovic' unsurprisingly bucked the trend. Not often in such tomes will you read anecdotes such as this, about his companion and mother of his children, Helena Seger: "She came from a model family from Lindesberg, one of those families where they say, 'Darling, would you please pass me the milk?', whereas we at table mostly we just hurled death threats at each other." Indeed one critic compared it to US literary legend Philip Roth's fictional biography Portnoy's Complaint, both about growing up as immigrants. (AFP)

Five Facts about Manchester United's sensational signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Iceland were in a relaxed mood at training today as they continued to prepare for their Euro 2016 quarter-final against France, but they were determined to make history in that match on Sunday. 
 
Iceland, in their first major tournament, have already taken the competition by storm, advancing past the group stage before humiliating England 2-1 on Monday. The players had a day off on Wednesday, during which they played golf. 
 
Now, fully turning their attention to France, the players admit were feeling confident the likes of Paul Pogba would find it hard to break Iceland down. 
 
&quot;Pogba is a great player, of course, but I think we all will be ready, I don&#39;t think one player will decide this game, I think it will be really hard to break us down as everybody has seen and I think they (France) need more than one player,&quot; Iceland midfielder Birkir Bjarnason told reporters before training at their team base in Annecy. 
 
&quot;For us it is probably the biggest game in our history, so to meet France in France is fantastic I think. The atmosphere and all the things around the game will be amazing and I think the players will enjoy it.&quot; 
 
Iceland defenders, Kari Arnason and Ragnar Sigurdsson both admitted it would be a tough match. 
 
&quot;I think France at the minute has probably got more quality in their camp, so, it is going to be a tough game, and, we knew the England game was going to be tough but this one probably be even tougher,&quot; Arnason said. 
 
Sigurdsson, added: &quot;We can to try to keep the ball a little bit more, play more offensive - we have been defending a lot - so, that is what we want to do, but it is not easy against the good teams to keep the ball, it is very difficult.&quot; 
 
Up to this stage of the tournament Iceland have always been the unfancied team but Bjarnason doesn&#39;t think they are seen as a weak team any longer. 
 
&quot;In this tournament, on this stage, we will always be underdogs,&quot; Bjarnason said. &quot;It doesn&#39;t matter which teams we meet, we will be the underdogs, and it probably has helped us so far, but as I said earlier, I don&#39;t think, I don&#39;t think anyone will underestimate us at this point.&quot; 
 
Iceland co-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said his players were only improving and he believes that trend can continue against France. 
 
&quot;We have been playing better and better throughout the competition so hopefully our best game is yet to come,&quot; he said. &quot;And like you were asking, we&#39;re really proud of the players because they seem to be growing every game we play. So let&#39;s hope we will continue on growing in every game we have left in the competition.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Iceland have already taken the competition by storm, advancing past the group stage before beating England by 2-1 on Monday

Iceland were in a relaxed mood at training today as they continued to prepare for their Euro 2016 quarter-final against France, but they were determined to make history in that match on Sunday. Iceland, in their first major tournament, have already taken the competition by storm, advancing past the group stage before humiliating England 2-1 on Monday. The players had a day off on Wednesday, during which they played golf. Now, fully turning their attention to France, the players admit were feeling confident the likes of Paul Pogba would find it hard to break Iceland down. "Pogba is a great player, of course, but I think we all will be ready, I don't think one player will decide this game, I think it will be really hard to break us down as everybody has seen and I think they (France) need more than one player," Iceland midfielder Birkir Bjarnason told reporters before training at their team base in Annecy. "For us it is probably the biggest game in our history, so to meet France in France is fantastic I think. The atmosphere and all the things around the game will be amazing and I think the players will enjoy it." Iceland defenders, Kari Arnason and Ragnar Sigurdsson both admitted it would be a tough match. "I think France at the minute has probably got more quality in their camp, so, it is going to be a tough game, and, we knew the England game was going to be tough but this one probably be even tougher," Arnason said. Sigurdsson, added: "We can to try to keep the ball a little bit more, play more offensive - we have been defending a lot - so, that is what we want to do, but it is not easy against the good teams to keep the ball, it is very difficult." Up to this stage of the tournament Iceland have always been the unfancied team but Bjarnason doesn't think they are seen as a weak team any longer. "In this tournament, on this stage, we will always be underdogs," Bjarnason said. "It doesn't matter which teams we meet, we will be the underdogs, and it probably has helped us so far, but as I said earlier, I don't think, I don't think anyone will underestimate us at this point." Iceland co-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said his players were only improving and he believes that trend can continue against France. "We have been playing better and better throughout the competition so hopefully our best game is yet to come," he said. "And like you were asking, we're really proud of the players because they seem to be growing every game we play. So let's hope we will continue on growing in every game we have left in the competition." (Reuters)

Iceland gear up for the biggest game in their history

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was relaxed about the possibility of losing star forward Sergio Aguero to suspension after television footage appeared to show him elbowing West Ham United&#39;s Winston Reid on Sunday. 
 
Aguero could face retrospective action by the Football Association, and suspension, if the incident in City&#39;s 3-1 Premier League win is judged to have been deliberate.&nbsp; 
 
That would rule him out of City&#39;s next game, the eagerly-awaited derby away to Manchester United at Old Trafford on September 10. 
 
&quot;I didn&#39;t see it,&quot; said Guardiola of the incident at Eastlands following a win that left City top of the table on goal difference.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I am new here so I don&#39;t know how it works,&quot; the Spaniard added. &quot;I didn&#39;t see so I cannot comment. Hopefully nothing happens. If it happens, we accept and adapt. If we lose him, we lose him. We are going to play with 11.&quot; 
 
Two goals from Raheem Sterling and one from Fernandinho clinched a fifth win in as many league and cup games under Guardiola&#39;s management, although a header from Michail Antonio -- called up into the England squad for the first time later Sunday -- brought West Ham back to 2-1 and provided City with some anxious moments. 
 
However, for all the changes former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss Guardiola has made at his new club in fewer than two months, the form of Sterling has been most startling after a difficult debut season with the club and a terrible European Championship campaign with England in France. 
 
&quot;What have I done to him? Nothing,&quot; insisted Guardiola. &quot;I have tried to do the best for all the players.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Raz (Sterling) has scored two goals, was good but the games before was more brilliant than today (Sunday). &quot; 
 
&quot;Today in the first half he scored a goal but didn&#39;t win too many defensive duels. Second half he was better, but of course we are so pleased.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;He can play right, left centre. He is so dynamic. I am so happy he is playing good. 
 
&quot;Raz is quality. We try to help him to say, &#39;if you stay in that position, you receive the ball quicker&#39;.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;After when he receives the ball, it is completely his talent. Manchester City bought this player because they believe.&quot; 
 
Nasri chance&nbsp; 
The game also offered a rare chance for Samir Nasri, who appeared to be surplus to requirements under City&#39;s new management, to come on as a substitute and make an impact against West Ham. 
 
&quot;Yeah, it depends on the player but he can play,&quot; said Guardiola when asked if the Frenchman still had a future at the club.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Samir arrived overweight but after one week, 10 days, it was fantastic how he trained, how he competed. His quality is on another level but it depends on him. If you want to help us, want to stay, want to be part of something, it depends on him, not me.&quot; 
 
Should City be without Aguero for the derby game, there is considerable consolation in the fact that they will have three big pre-season signings -- Leroy Sane, Ilkay Gundogan and goalkeeper Claudio Bravo -- available for selection in their first meeting of the season with Jose Mourinho&#39;s club. 
 
&quot;Of course we can do better,&quot; said Guardiola. &quot;No doubt about that. But we are just one and a half, two months here.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We created many chances so we deserved to win clearly with more goals. The performance is good. We need Ilkay and Sane and all the guys because the guys who play today cannot play every three days.&quot; 
 
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic had no complaints about Aguero&#39;s alleged elbow on Reid, saying he did not see the incident, and with so many injured players unavailable at Eastlands, took some consolation from the performance. 
 
&quot;With so many players we are missing, you have to praise the team,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Especially in the second half. We can&#39;t play much better than that when you&#39;re missing six, seven, eight top players and you&#39;re playing against them (City).&quot; 
 
(AFP) 
 
&nbsp;

Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero might face suspension after a TV footage showed him elbowing West Ham's Winston Reid

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was relaxed about the possibility of losing star forward Sergio Aguero to suspension after television footage appeared to show him elbowing West Ham United's Winston Reid on Sunday. Aguero could face retrospective action by the Football Association, and suspension, if the incident in City's 3-1 Premier League win is judged to have been deliberate. That would rule him out of City's next game, the eagerly-awaited derby away to Manchester United at Old Trafford on September 10. "I didn't see it," said Guardiola of the incident at Eastlands following a win that left City top of the table on goal difference. "I am new here so I don't know how it works," the Spaniard added. "I didn't see so I cannot comment. Hopefully nothing happens. If it happens, we accept and adapt. If we lose him, we lose him. We are going to play with 11." Two goals from Raheem Sterling and one from Fernandinho clinched a fifth win in as many league and cup games under Guardiola's management, although a header from Michail Antonio -- called up into the England squad for the first time later Sunday -- brought West Ham back to 2-1 and provided City with some anxious moments. However, for all the changes former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss Guardiola has made at his new club in fewer than two months, the form of Sterling has been most startling after a difficult debut season with the club and a terrible European Championship campaign with England in France. "What have I done to him? Nothing," insisted Guardiola. "I have tried to do the best for all the players. "Raz (Sterling) has scored two goals, was good but the games before was more brilliant than today (Sunday). " "Today in the first half he scored a goal but didn't win too many defensive duels. Second half he was better, but of course we are so pleased. "He can play right, left centre. He is so dynamic. I am so happy he is playing good. "Raz is quality. We try to help him to say, 'if you stay in that position, you receive the ball quicker'. "After when he receives the ball, it is completely his talent. Manchester City bought this player because they believe." Nasri chance The game also offered a rare chance for Samir Nasri, who appeared to be surplus to requirements under City's new management, to come on as a substitute and make an impact against West Ham. "Yeah, it depends on the player but he can play," said Guardiola when asked if the Frenchman still had a future at the club. "Samir arrived overweight but after one week, 10 days, it was fantastic how he trained, how he competed. His quality is on another level but it depends on him. If you want to help us, want to stay, want to be part of something, it depends on him, not me." Should City be without Aguero for the derby game, there is considerable consolation in the fact that they will have three big pre-season signings -- Leroy Sane, Ilkay Gundogan and goalkeeper Claudio Bravo -- available for selection in their first meeting of the season with Jose Mourinho's club. "Of course we can do better," said Guardiola. "No doubt about that. But we are just one and a half, two months here. "We created many chances so we deserved to win clearly with more goals. The performance is good. We need Ilkay and Sane and all the guys because the guys who play today cannot play every three days." West Ham manager Slaven Bilic had no complaints about Aguero's alleged elbow on Reid, saying he did not see the incident, and with so many injured players unavailable at Eastlands, took some consolation from the performance. "With so many players we are missing, you have to praise the team," he said. "Especially in the second half. We can't play much better than that when you're missing six, seven, eight top players and you're playing against them (City)." (AFP)

Guardiola ready to take on Manchester United without Aguero

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

Germany&#39;s World Cup winner Lukas Podolski announced his retirement from international football on Monday, bringing to an end a glittering 12-year career. 
 
Podolski retires as Germany&#39;s third highest capped player with 129 appearances, behind only Lothar Matthaeus and Miroslav Klose, having scored 48 goals. 
 
&quot;Everything has its time, and my time with the DFB (the German Football Federation) is over,&quot; Podolski said in a statement on his Instagram account. 
 
The 31-year-old said he has informed coach Joachim Loew of his decision. 
 
&quot;I am dedicating myself more to other things, mainly my family,&quot; he explained. &quot;The national team has always been in my heart, and they always will be, but I felt after the Euros and the vacation that my focus has shifted.&quot; 
 
Podolski, who currently plays for Galatarasaray, was an unused substitute in the 2014 World Cup final when Germany edged Argentina in extra-time to claim a fourth title. 
 
He made one brief substitute appearance at his seventh major tournament as Germany reached the semi-finals of Euro 2016 where they were defeated by France. 
 
He made his Germany debut as a teenager in 2004 despite interest from Poland, the land of his birth, and was voted best young player of the 2006 World Cup on home soil. 
 
&quot;From a two-year-old Polish boy who came to Germany with a ball under his arm to a world champion,&quot; he added. &quot;That&#39;s more than I have ever dreamed about. 
 
&quot;12 years, 129 matches. It was amazing! It was great! It was an honour to be part of Germany.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

He retires as Germany's third-highest capped player with 129 appearances, having scored 48 goals

Germany's World Cup winner Lukas Podolski announced his retirement from international football on Monday, bringing to an end a glittering 12-year career. Podolski retires as Germany's third highest capped player with 129 appearances, behind only Lothar Matthaeus and Miroslav Klose, having scored 48 goals. "Everything has its time, and my time with the DFB (the German Football Federation) is over," Podolski said in a statement on his Instagram account. The 31-year-old said he has informed coach Joachim Loew of his decision. "I am dedicating myself more to other things, mainly my family," he explained. "The national team has always been in my heart, and they always will be, but I felt after the Euros and the vacation that my focus has shifted." Podolski, who currently plays for Galatarasaray, was an unused substitute in the 2014 World Cup final when Germany edged Argentina in extra-time to claim a fourth title. He made one brief substitute appearance at his seventh major tournament as Germany reached the semi-finals of Euro 2016 where they were defeated by France. He made his Germany debut as a teenager in 2004 despite interest from Poland, the land of his birth, and was voted best young player of the 2006 World Cup on home soil. "From a two-year-old Polish boy who came to Germany with a ball under his arm to a world champion," he added. "That's more than I have ever dreamed about. "12 years, 129 matches. It was amazing! It was great! It was an honour to be part of Germany." (Reuters)

Germany's Lukas Podolski ends international career

A statue of Argentina soccer star Lionel Messi was unveiled in Buenos Aires on Tuesday, just days after the Barcelona forward announced he was walking away from international play. 
 
The statue was uncovered by Buenos Aires Mayor Horacio Rodriguez Larreta, who said the inauguration of the statue was just on time to call on Messi to reconsider his decision to leave the national team. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a very opportune moment we have today with the inauguration of his statue. And I think a good way to ask Lio to come with us, for him to remain together with us and for him to take us by the hand and to win, and I don&#39;t have any doubts that we&#39;d win the World Cup in Russia, is for those who can, Portenos or Argentines who come here to visit; to come, take your picture with the statue of Lio and post it on social media as a way to ask Lio to stick with us,&quot; Rodriguez Larreta said. 
 
Argentina&#39;s failure to defeat Chile in the final of the Copa America Centenario in the United States, a fourth lost final with the national team for Messi, proved too much for the little magician, leading him to quit international football on June 26. 
 
Taking into account the Confederations Cup, Argentina have lost seven major finals since 1995, three of them to arch-rivals Brazil, and four since Messi&#39;s debut in 2005, including the 2014 World Cup final defeat by Germany. 
 
Members from Argentina&#39;s 1986 World Cup championship team also weighed in on Messi&#39;s departure. 
 
&quot;I think it is just a hot moment, of frustration for not being able to achieve anything, but hopefully, God willing, he will reevaluate what he said and remain on the national team,&quot; said Hector Enrique of the 1986 squad. 
 
&quot;There&#39;s nothing to say to Messi. He just needs to talk with himself and his family,&quot; said Carlos Bilbardo who led the 1986 team as coach. 
 
&quot;Messi&#39;s retirement is due to the difficult moment he is going through. It is definitely his toughest moment as far as soccer goes, but I don&#39;t think this is the end. He will analyse it, evaluate it, and Messi is going to continue to play with the Argentine national team. Maybe that&#39;s just what I think. We&#39;ll have to see how he feels,&quot; added Luis Islas who was a substitute goalkeeper for the 1986 side. 
 
Messi&#39;s only major international honour has been Olympic gold at the 2008 Beijing Games, even though at club level he has won four Champions Leagues with Spain&#39;s Barcelona. 
 
Messi has been named World Player of the year five times and he surpassed Gabriel Batistuta as Argentina&#39;s top scorer in the Copa America semi-final against the United States. 
 
The statue, made of polyester resin and reinforced fibreglass built around a medal interior, was designed by realist sculptor Carlos Benavidez. 
 
The statue stands at Buenos Aires&#39; Paseo de la Gloria &quot;Glory Way&quot; which honours national sports heroes in the city&#39;s Costanera Sur Park near the Puerto Madero neighbourhood. 
 
(Reuters)

Lionel Messi statue stands at Buenos Aires' 'Glory Way', in a city park honouring national sports heroes

A statue of Argentina soccer star Lionel Messi was unveiled in Buenos Aires on Tuesday, just days after the Barcelona forward announced he was walking away from international play. The statue was uncovered by Buenos Aires Mayor Horacio Rodriguez Larreta, who said the inauguration of the statue was just on time to call on Messi to reconsider his decision to leave the national team. "It's a very opportune moment we have today with the inauguration of his statue. And I think a good way to ask Lio to come with us, for him to remain together with us and for him to take us by the hand and to win, and I don't have any doubts that we'd win the World Cup in Russia, is for those who can, Portenos or Argentines who come here to visit; to come, take your picture with the statue of Lio and post it on social media as a way to ask Lio to stick with us," Rodriguez Larreta said. Argentina's failure to defeat Chile in the final of the Copa America Centenario in the United States, a fourth lost final with the national team for Messi, proved too much for the little magician, leading him to quit international football on June 26. Taking into account the Confederations Cup, Argentina have lost seven major finals since 1995, three of them to arch-rivals Brazil, and four since Messi's debut in 2005, including the 2014 World Cup final defeat by Germany. Members from Argentina's 1986 World Cup championship team also weighed in on Messi's departure. "I think it is just a hot moment, of frustration for not being able to achieve anything, but hopefully, God willing, he will reevaluate what he said and remain on the national team," said Hector Enrique of the 1986 squad. "There's nothing to say to Messi. He just needs to talk with himself and his family," said Carlos Bilbardo who led the 1986 team as coach. "Messi's retirement is due to the difficult moment he is going through. It is definitely his toughest moment as far as soccer goes, but I don't think this is the end. He will analyse it, evaluate it, and Messi is going to continue to play with the Argentine national team. Maybe that's just what I think. We'll have to see how he feels," added Luis Islas who was a substitute goalkeeper for the 1986 side. Messi's only major international honour has been Olympic gold at the 2008 Beijing Games, even though at club level he has won four Champions Leagues with Spain's Barcelona. Messi has been named World Player of the year five times and he surpassed Gabriel Batistuta as Argentina's top scorer in the Copa America semi-final against the United States. The statue, made of polyester resin and reinforced fibreglass built around a medal interior, was designed by realist sculptor Carlos Benavidez. The statue stands at Buenos Aires' Paseo de la Gloria "Glory Way" which honours national sports heroes in the city's Costanera Sur Park near the Puerto Madero neighbourhood. (Reuters)

Argentina inaugurates Messi statue days after legend announces retirement from international play

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