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

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

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

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

Colombia became the first side to book a spot in the Copa America Centenario quarter-finals after beating Paraguay in Pasadena yesterday. The United States kept their hopes of advancing alive by thrashing Costa Rica 4-0. 
 
Colombia&#39;s 2-1 win put them top of Group A on six points, with the United States on three and the other two teams on one point each. 
 
After losing their opener 2-0 to Colombia, the United States were in clinical form against the Costa Ricans in Chicago and scored three times in the first half through Clint Dempsey, Jermaine Jones and Bobby Wood. 
 
Substitute Graham Zusi added a fourth in the 86th minute to cap the win and improve the hosts&#39; goal difference. 
 
&quot;It was important for us to get off to an early start,&quot; said Dempsey. &quot;Once the second went in and the third we got into a bit of a rhythm.&quot; 
 
Dempsey got the first, his 50th international goal, from the penalty spot after Cristian Gamboa was adjudged to have pushed Wood in the box with six minutes gone. 
 
Dempsey was involved in the Americans&#39; second after 36 minutes when his run at the Costa Rica defence saw the ball fall to Jones, who struck a low shot from the edge of the box past the outstretched hand of goalkeeper Patrick Pemberton. 
 
The third goal came five minutes later and once again it was Dempsey who set it up. Wood won the ball in midfield and played a one-two with Dempsey before turning to strike home a low drive from 15 yards out. 
 
Costa Rica, who reached the World Cup quarter-finals in 2014, improved in the second half with captain Bryan Ruiz playing a more influential role, but they were ineffective in the last third of the field. 
 
Ruiz hit the post with a header midway through the second half but Costa Rica lost a fourth goal in the dying moments when Zusi stole the ball in midfield and strode forward before slotting the ball home from 15 yards. 
 
In the second Group A game, played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, Colombia took a 2-0 lead in the first half but were pushed hard in the second. 
 
Carlos Bacca scored the opener in the 12th minute with a header before James Rodriguez doubled Colombia&#39;s lead with a left-foot strike on the half-hour mark. 
 
Paraguay gradually played their way back into the match and hit the woodwork before half-time before forcing David Ospina into a world-class save in the 62nd minute. Colombia&#39;s goalkeeper dived full stretch to turn a header around the post. 
 
Paraguay continued to dominate the second half and were rewarded when midfielder Victor Ayala scored with a stunning 30-yard rocket in the 71st minute. 
 
However, they could not force an equaliser and Colombia hung on to take all three points and claim a berth in the next round. Paraguay must now beat the United States on Saturday to have any chance of advancing to the quarters.

United States player Clint Dempsey scored his 50th international goal in this match apart from assisting two other goals

Colombia became the first side to book a spot in the Copa America Centenario quarter-finals after beating Paraguay in Pasadena yesterday. The United States kept their hopes of advancing alive by thrashing Costa Rica 4-0. Colombia's 2-1 win put them top of Group A on six points, with the United States on three and the other two teams on one point each. After losing their opener 2-0 to Colombia, the United States were in clinical form against the Costa Ricans in Chicago and scored three times in the first half through Clint Dempsey, Jermaine Jones and Bobby Wood. Substitute Graham Zusi added a fourth in the 86th minute to cap the win and improve the hosts' goal difference. "It was important for us to get off to an early start," said Dempsey. "Once the second went in and the third we got into a bit of a rhythm." Dempsey got the first, his 50th international goal, from the penalty spot after Cristian Gamboa was adjudged to have pushed Wood in the box with six minutes gone. Dempsey was involved in the Americans' second after 36 minutes when his run at the Costa Rica defence saw the ball fall to Jones, who struck a low shot from the edge of the box past the outstretched hand of goalkeeper Patrick Pemberton. The third goal came five minutes later and once again it was Dempsey who set it up. Wood won the ball in midfield and played a one-two with Dempsey before turning to strike home a low drive from 15 yards out. Costa Rica, who reached the World Cup quarter-finals in 2014, improved in the second half with captain Bryan Ruiz playing a more influential role, but they were ineffective in the last third of the field. Ruiz hit the post with a header midway through the second half but Costa Rica lost a fourth goal in the dying moments when Zusi stole the ball in midfield and strode forward before slotting the ball home from 15 yards. In the second Group A game, played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, Colombia took a 2-0 lead in the first half but were pushed hard in the second. Carlos Bacca scored the opener in the 12th minute with a header before James Rodriguez doubled Colombia's lead with a left-foot strike on the half-hour mark. Paraguay gradually played their way back into the match and hit the woodwork before half-time before forcing David Ospina into a world-class save in the 62nd minute. Colombia's goalkeeper dived full stretch to turn a header around the post. Paraguay continued to dominate the second half and were rewarded when midfielder Victor Ayala scored with a stunning 30-yard rocket in the 71st minute. However, they could not force an equaliser and Colombia hung on to take all three points and claim a berth in the next round. Paraguay must now beat the United States on Saturday to have any chance of advancing to the quarters.

US hammer Costa Rica, Colombia advance at Copa America

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

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

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

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

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique is expecting another gruelling game at Athletic Bilbao when the La Liga champions visit San Mames on Sunday. 
 
Barca scrapped a 1-0 win in the fixture last season thanks to a second-half strike from Luis Suarez after Lionel Messi missed a penalty. 
 
The Catalans were also thrashed 4-0 at San Mames in the Spanish Super Cup, the only domestic competition they failed to win last season. 
 
Athletic only field players who were born in or brought up in the Basque Country but finished fifth in La Liga last season, missing out on Champions League football by two points and reaching the Europa League quarter-finals. 
 
Although Barca won four of six meetings with Athletic last term, winning both legs of their King&#39;s Cup quarter-final tie as well as both league games, Luis Enrique is prepared for another testing game against Ernesto Valverde&#39;s side. 
 
&quot;It is one of the most difficult games you can play away from home,&quot; Luis Enrique told a news conference on Saturday. 
 
&quot;The fact Athletic have a limited market to choose from, and the fact they have the same coach, means it will be the same as always. 
 
&quot;We are excited to play at San Mames, a stadium we love with an atmosphere you get at few other grounds in the league,&quot; the coach added. 
 
&quot;We&#39;ll focus on the problems Valverde will cause us, pressuring us when we&#39;re on the ball and giving us problems on the counter.&quot; 
 
Barca lead the La Liga table on goal difference after thrashing Real Betis 6-2 in their opening game and are boosted by the return of Javier Mascherano and Marc-Andre ter Stegen from injury. 
 
Neymar, meanwhile, has been given an extended break after helping Brazil win their first Olympic Gold medal in soccer. 
 
Germany goalkeeper Ter Stegen will make his eighth league appearance for Barca following the departure of Claudio Bravo to Manchester City, and Luis Enrique praised the Chile international for his service to the club. 
 
&quot;I would like to praise the work of Claudio Bravo over the last two seasons, he did a unique and exceptional job and gave the club a lot, with performances of the highest level,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;I want to highlight the attitude shown by our three goalkeepers, who recognised that the most important thing is collective success.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The La Liga champions expect another gruelling game at San Mames on Sunday

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique is expecting another gruelling game at Athletic Bilbao when the La Liga champions visit San Mames on Sunday. Barca scrapped a 1-0 win in the fixture last season thanks to a second-half strike from Luis Suarez after Lionel Messi missed a penalty. The Catalans were also thrashed 4-0 at San Mames in the Spanish Super Cup, the only domestic competition they failed to win last season. Athletic only field players who were born in or brought up in the Basque Country but finished fifth in La Liga last season, missing out on Champions League football by two points and reaching the Europa League quarter-finals. Although Barca won four of six meetings with Athletic last term, winning both legs of their King's Cup quarter-final tie as well as both league games, Luis Enrique is prepared for another testing game against Ernesto Valverde's side. "It is one of the most difficult games you can play away from home," Luis Enrique told a news conference on Saturday. "The fact Athletic have a limited market to choose from, and the fact they have the same coach, means it will be the same as always. "We are excited to play at San Mames, a stadium we love with an atmosphere you get at few other grounds in the league," the coach added. "We'll focus on the problems Valverde will cause us, pressuring us when we're on the ball and giving us problems on the counter." Barca lead the La Liga table on goal difference after thrashing Real Betis 6-2 in their opening game and are boosted by the return of Javier Mascherano and Marc-Andre ter Stegen from injury. Neymar, meanwhile, has been given an extended break after helping Brazil win their first Olympic Gold medal in soccer. Germany goalkeeper Ter Stegen will make his eighth league appearance for Barca following the departure of Claudio Bravo to Manchester City, and Luis Enrique praised the Chile international for his service to the club. "I would like to praise the work of Claudio Bravo over the last two seasons, he did a unique and exceptional job and gave the club a lot, with performances of the highest level," he said. "I want to highlight the attitude shown by our three goalkeepers, who recognised that the most important thing is collective success." (Reuters)

Athletic Bilbao one of the hardest away games for Barcelona, says Luis Enrique

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter mounted his final appeal today against his six-year ban from football, in a long-shot quest for redemption after his career ended in scandal. 
 
Blatter was at the world&#39;s top sports court for a one-day hearing seeking to overturn a suspension imposed by FIFA over ethics violations. 
 
&quot;I will accept the verdict,&quot; Blatter, 80, told journalists outside the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland.&nbsp;&quot;I do hope it will be positive for me, but we are footballers. We learn to win but also we learn to lose,&quot; he said. 
 
The case that triggered Blatter&#39;s downfall first emerged in September of last year, when Swiss prosecutors said they were investigating him over a suspect two million Swiss Franc payment ($2 million, 1.8 million Euros) he authorised in 2011 to his one-time heir apparent, Michel Platini. 
 
Platini, the former head of European football, was also sanctioned by FIFA over the funds.&nbsp;The Frenchman lost his CAS appeal in a May verdict that likely diminishes Blatter&#39;s hopes of victory. 
 
Speaking to reporters before appearing to give evidence at the closed-door hearing, Platini said Blatter&#39;s fate may already be sealed. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m not sure if a decision hasn&#39;t already been made,&quot; he said, pledging, to tell the truth about the infamous payment &quot;for the umpteenth time&quot;. 
 
CAS secretary general Matthieu Reeb said the hearing may not wrap up until 7.00 pm (1700 GMT), citing delays. A decision may take several weeks. 
 
Blatter arrived at the tree-lined courthouse in a black Mercedes Sedan and flanked by his Zurich-based lawyer Lorenz Erni.&nbsp;Restating a justification for the Platini payment he has made repeatedly over the last year, Blatter insisted FIFA owed money to the ex-Juventus star. 
 
Platini had been hired by FIFA as a consultant from 1999 to 2002 and had apparently not received his full compensation. 
 
&quot;I am sure, at the end that the panel will understand that the payment made to Platini was really a debt that we had&quot; with him, Blatter said today.&nbsp;&quot;This is a principle: if you have debts you pay them.&quot; 
 
FIFA&#39;s ethics committee was not convinced by the explanation, banning both Blatter and Platini for eight years in December. Those suspensions were however cut to six years on appeal in February. 
 
CAS however, judged FIFA&#39;s sanctions against Platini &quot;too severe&quot; and trimmed his suspension to four years. 
 
That outcome would likely offer little comfort to the ageing Blatter, whose four-decade career as a football broker is likely over. 
 
Separate from today&#39;s appeal, Blatter is also the target of a criminal investigation by Swiss prosecutors over the Platini payment and alleged mismanagement during his 17-year tenure as FIFA president.&nbsp;He was replaced in that job by fellow Swiss national and former UEFA number two Gianni Infantino in February. 
 
An investigation commissioned by Infantino&#39;s administration also accused Blatter and two top deputies, Jerome Valcke and Markus Kattner, of awarding themselves nearly $80 million worth of improper salary increases and bonuses during their final five years in office.&nbsp;Both Valcke and Kattner have been sacked by FIFA. Valcke is also the subject of a Swiss criminal probe. 
 
Blatter and Platini were the most prominent casualties during more than a year of unprecedented scandal that upended world football, but many others have fallen. 
 
Prosecutors in New York have indicted 40 football and sports marketing executives over allegedly receiving tens of millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks. 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP)

Blatter is seeking to overturn a suspension imposed by FIFA over ethics violations

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter mounted his final appeal today against his six-year ban from football, in a long-shot quest for redemption after his career ended in scandal. Blatter was at the world's top sports court for a one-day hearing seeking to overturn a suspension imposed by FIFA over ethics violations. "I will accept the verdict," Blatter, 80, told journalists outside the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland. "I do hope it will be positive for me, but we are footballers. We learn to win but also we learn to lose," he said. The case that triggered Blatter's downfall first emerged in September of last year, when Swiss prosecutors said they were investigating him over a suspect two million Swiss Franc payment ($2 million, 1.8 million Euros) he authorised in 2011 to his one-time heir apparent, Michel Platini. Platini, the former head of European football, was also sanctioned by FIFA over the funds. The Frenchman lost his CAS appeal in a May verdict that likely diminishes Blatter's hopes of victory. Speaking to reporters before appearing to give evidence at the closed-door hearing, Platini said Blatter's fate may already be sealed. "I'm not sure if a decision hasn't already been made," he said, pledging, to tell the truth about the infamous payment "for the umpteenth time". CAS secretary general Matthieu Reeb said the hearing may not wrap up until 7.00 pm (1700 GMT), citing delays. A decision may take several weeks. Blatter arrived at the tree-lined courthouse in a black Mercedes Sedan and flanked by his Zurich-based lawyer Lorenz Erni. Restating a justification for the Platini payment he has made repeatedly over the last year, Blatter insisted FIFA owed money to the ex-Juventus star. Platini had been hired by FIFA as a consultant from 1999 to 2002 and had apparently not received his full compensation. "I am sure, at the end that the panel will understand that the payment made to Platini was really a debt that we had" with him, Blatter said today. "This is a principle: if you have debts you pay them." FIFA's ethics committee was not convinced by the explanation, banning both Blatter and Platini for eight years in December. Those suspensions were however cut to six years on appeal in February. CAS however, judged FIFA's sanctions against Platini "too severe" and trimmed his suspension to four years. That outcome would likely offer little comfort to the ageing Blatter, whose four-decade career as a football broker is likely over. Separate from today's appeal, Blatter is also the target of a criminal investigation by Swiss prosecutors over the Platini payment and alleged mismanagement during his 17-year tenure as FIFA president. He was replaced in that job by fellow Swiss national and former UEFA number two Gianni Infantino in February. An investigation commissioned by Infantino's administration also accused Blatter and two top deputies, Jerome Valcke and Markus Kattner, of awarding themselves nearly $80 million worth of improper salary increases and bonuses during their final five years in office. Both Valcke and Kattner have been sacked by FIFA. Valcke is also the subject of a Swiss criminal probe. Blatter and Platini were the most prominent casualties during more than a year of unprecedented scandal that upended world football, but many others have fallen. Prosecutors in New York have indicted 40 football and sports marketing executives over allegedly receiving tens of millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Sepp Blatter wages final FIFA ban appeal

Italy are wary of the threat that Sweden captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic poses, but they can win Friday&#39;s Euro 2016 match in the same way they defeated Belgium, said midfielder Daniele De Rossi. 
 
The 34-year-old Ibrahimovic, who has scored 62 goals for Sweden, failed to make an impact in his team&#39;s 1-1 draw with Ireland. 
 
De Rossi compared the former Paris St Germain striker to Dutch great Marco van Basten. 
 
&quot;Maybe they have less talent than Belgium so they will probably wait in their half and try to play counterattack with long balls,&quot; De Rossi told reporters in France. 
 
&quot;Ibrahimovic is the best forward since the time of Van Basten, except for Ronaldo, but they are different players. 
 
&quot;We are a little bit scared of his power and his talent but we can beat them the same way that we can beat Belgium with organisation and by working hard on the training pitch.&quot; 
 
Italy, who began their campaign with a 2-0 win over Belgium to top Group E, face Ireland in their final group stage match. 
 
(Reuters)

The 34-year-old Ibrahimovic, who has scored 62 goals for Sweden, failed to make an impact in his team's 1-1 draw with Ireland

Italy are wary of the threat that Sweden captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic poses, but they can win Friday's Euro 2016 match in the same way they defeated Belgium, said midfielder Daniele De Rossi. The 34-year-old Ibrahimovic, who has scored 62 goals for Sweden, failed to make an impact in his team's 1-1 draw with Ireland. De Rossi compared the former Paris St Germain striker to Dutch great Marco van Basten. "Maybe they have less talent than Belgium so they will probably wait in their half and try to play counterattack with long balls," De Rossi told reporters in France. "Ibrahimovic is the best forward since the time of Van Basten, except for Ronaldo, but they are different players. "We are a little bit scared of his power and his talent but we can beat them the same way that we can beat Belgium with organisation and by working hard on the training pitch." Italy, who began their campaign with a 2-0 win over Belgium to top Group E, face Ireland in their final group stage match. (Reuters)

Italy can overcome Ibrahimovic threat to beat Sweden - De Rossi

Bordeaux: Belgium rediscovered their most blistering form to batter group E rivals Ireland 3-0 thanks to a brace from Romelu Lukaku and an Axel Witsel header on Saturday. 
 
The victory of the world&#39;s second-ranked team was in stark contrast to their limp defeat in their opening Euro 2016 match against Italy. 
 
Despite dominating the opening half, it still took until the opening minutes of the second period for Belgium to take the lead when Lukaku finished a counter-attack by rifling a shot into the far corner. 
 
Ireland had a brief positive spell but Witsel made it two for Belgium with a pinpoint header after 61 minutes, and Lukaku completed the rout with a simple finish after another counter-attack nine minutes later. 
 
With Italy having beaten both the Belgians and Sweden to win the group, the victory puts Belgium in second place on three points with the Irish and Sweden stuck on a point apiece. 
 
&quot;We were under pressure before today,&quot; Belgium&#39;s Kevin De Bruyne, the game&#39;s outstanding player, said. &quot;And we came out with the right reponse.&quot; 
 
Coach Marc Wilmots made three changes to the Belgium line-up that struggled against Italy, and they immediately appeared more vibrant and cohesive. 
 
Their speed and fluidity improved, with the introduction of Thomas Meunier and Yannick Carrasco giving them a menace out wide which had been missing in their opener. 
 
De Bruyne kept his place despite a subdued showing against Italy and, vastly improved, he set the tone with a searing 13th-minute corner which Toby Alderweireld headed wide, before finding his range with a free kick. 
 
Ireland were not without their own threat, as Meunier&#39;s adventures down the right flank left space for Shane Long to exploit, although Martin O&#39;Neill&#39;s side ultimately failed to register a single shot on target during the entire 90 minutes. 
 
Belgium began to dominate, with De Bruyne&#39;s teasing delivery forcing a diving header from John O&#39;Shea on 20 minutes, which inadvertently set up Eden Hazard to fire over. 
 
Wes Hoolahan then cleared off the line as Alderweireld headed another fine De Bruyne corner goalwards. 
 
As Irish resolve strengthened, Wilmots was again left pondering how to forge an effective attacking unit from the Golden Generation&#39;s wealth of striking talent. 
 
It took only three second-half minutes for an answer to emerge, as De Bruyne tore down the right before crossing for Lukaku, who opened his body and sent a curling left-foot effort into the corner of the net. 
 
The goal seemed to release the pressure on Belgium, who celebrated furiously with Wilmots in the corner while their supporters threw flares onto the pitch. 
 
Yet Ireland were justifiably left seething as Alderweireld&#39;s penalty-box high foot on Long in the build-up went unpunished. 
 
Witsel put the contest beyond the Irish 13 minutes later, arriving in the box to head the impressive Meunier&#39;s cross beyond Randolph, whose outstretched hand could not quite divert the thumping effort wide. 
 
In the 70th minute, Belgium added a third in a delicious move that encapsulated the invention and panache that has long been expected from this talented squad. 
 
Meunier, again influential, dispossessed McClean and sent a long ball forward for Hazard down the right. 
 
The attacker, outrageously lapping the linesman on the outside, raced to meet the pass before crossing for Lukaku who swept home with aplomb as Belgium secured their biggest winning scoreline at a major international tournament in 46 years. 
 
&quot;As a team, we had to give a response to everybody who watched the game against Italy,&quot; Hazard said. &quot;The way we responded was good and we really deserved this victory.&quot; 
 
For Ireland, though, there was nothing but disappointment as their winless run at the European Championships was extended to seven games. 
 
&quot;When you&#39;re attacking you&#39;re at your most vulnerable,&quot; O&#39;Shea said. &quot;So we&#39;ll have to work on that.&quot; 
 
This was an emphatic response from Belgium to their critics. 
 
With their first clean sheet in nine matches and a dazzling second-half performance, they had finally realised their potential in a high-profile fixture, reaffirming their title credentials with clinical precision and real style. 
(Reuters)

Team were a changed side from their opening defeat to Italy

Bordeaux: Belgium rediscovered their most blistering form to batter group E rivals Ireland 3-0 thanks to a brace from Romelu Lukaku and an Axel Witsel header on Saturday. The victory of the world's second-ranked team was in stark contrast to their limp defeat in their opening Euro 2016 match against Italy. Despite dominating the opening half, it still took until the opening minutes of the second period for Belgium to take the lead when Lukaku finished a counter-attack by rifling a shot into the far corner. Ireland had a brief positive spell but Witsel made it two for Belgium with a pinpoint header after 61 minutes, and Lukaku completed the rout with a simple finish after another counter-attack nine minutes later. With Italy having beaten both the Belgians and Sweden to win the group, the victory puts Belgium in second place on three points with the Irish and Sweden stuck on a point apiece. "We were under pressure before today," Belgium's Kevin De Bruyne, the game's outstanding player, said. "And we came out with the right reponse." Coach Marc Wilmots made three changes to the Belgium line-up that struggled against Italy, and they immediately appeared more vibrant and cohesive. Their speed and fluidity improved, with the introduction of Thomas Meunier and Yannick Carrasco giving them a menace out wide which had been missing in their opener. De Bruyne kept his place despite a subdued showing against Italy and, vastly improved, he set the tone with a searing 13th-minute corner which Toby Alderweireld headed wide, before finding his range with a free kick. Ireland were not without their own threat, as Meunier's adventures down the right flank left space for Shane Long to exploit, although Martin O'Neill's side ultimately failed to register a single shot on target during the entire 90 minutes. Belgium began to dominate, with De Bruyne's teasing delivery forcing a diving header from John O'Shea on 20 minutes, which inadvertently set up Eden Hazard to fire over. Wes Hoolahan then cleared off the line as Alderweireld headed another fine De Bruyne corner goalwards. As Irish resolve strengthened, Wilmots was again left pondering how to forge an effective attacking unit from the Golden Generation's wealth of striking talent. It took only three second-half minutes for an answer to emerge, as De Bruyne tore down the right before crossing for Lukaku, who opened his body and sent a curling left-foot effort into the corner of the net. The goal seemed to release the pressure on Belgium, who celebrated furiously with Wilmots in the corner while their supporters threw flares onto the pitch. Yet Ireland were justifiably left seething as Alderweireld's penalty-box high foot on Long in the build-up went unpunished. Witsel put the contest beyond the Irish 13 minutes later, arriving in the box to head the impressive Meunier's cross beyond Randolph, whose outstretched hand could not quite divert the thumping effort wide. In the 70th minute, Belgium added a third in a delicious move that encapsulated the invention and panache that has long been expected from this talented squad. Meunier, again influential, dispossessed McClean and sent a long ball forward for Hazard down the right. The attacker, outrageously lapping the linesman on the outside, raced to meet the pass before crossing for Lukaku who swept home with aplomb as Belgium secured their biggest winning scoreline at a major international tournament in 46 years. "As a team, we had to give a response to everybody who watched the game against Italy," Hazard said. "The way we responded was good and we really deserved this victory." For Ireland, though, there was nothing but disappointment as their winless run at the European Championships was extended to seven games. "When you're attacking you're at your most vulnerable," O'Shea said. "So we'll have to work on that." This was an emphatic response from Belgium to their critics. With their first clean sheet in nine matches and a dazzling second-half performance, they had finally realised their potential in a high-profile fixture, reaffirming their title credentials with clinical precision and real style. (Reuters)

Belgium batter Ireland, Lukaku scores twice

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

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

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

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

Host nation France came from behind to beat 10-man Ireland 2-1 and reach the Euro 2016 quarter-finals after forward Antoine Griezmann struck twice in the second half to cancel out Robbie Brady&#39;s second-minute penalty on Sunday. 
 
The French, who celebrated their first knockout-stage win in the competition since winning Euro 2000, were stunned when Paul Pogba gave away a clumsy spot-kick and Brady converted it to score the tournament&#39;s fastest goal at Parc OL. 
 
A disjointed France came to life in the second half as the introduction of winger Kingsley Coman injected pace and bite up front, with Griezmann heading home the equaliser in the 58th minute after a superb cross by Bacary Sagna. 
 
The 25-year-old turned the match on its head three minutes later after Olivier Giroud headed a long ball into his stride for a clinical finish. Ireland had centre back Shane Duffy sent off midway through the second half after he hauled down Griezmann who was through on goal. France will play either England or Iceland for a semi-final place. 
 
(Reuters)

Forward Antoine Griezmann struck twice in the second half to cancel out Robbie Brady's second-minute penalty

Host nation France came from behind to beat 10-man Ireland 2-1 and reach the Euro 2016 quarter-finals after forward Antoine Griezmann struck twice in the second half to cancel out Robbie Brady's second-minute penalty on Sunday. The French, who celebrated their first knockout-stage win in the competition since winning Euro 2000, were stunned when Paul Pogba gave away a clumsy spot-kick and Brady converted it to score the tournament's fastest goal at Parc OL. A disjointed France came to life in the second half as the introduction of winger Kingsley Coman injected pace and bite up front, with Griezmann heading home the equaliser in the 58th minute after a superb cross by Bacary Sagna. The 25-year-old turned the match on its head three minutes later after Olivier Giroud headed a long ball into his stride for a clinical finish. Ireland had centre back Shane Duffy sent off midway through the second half after he hauled down Griezmann who was through on goal. France will play either England or Iceland for a semi-final place. (Reuters)

France enters Euro 2016 last eight with 2-1 win against Ireland

England manager Roy Hodgson has said he is prepared to remain in the job after Euro 2016 but will not be &#39;begging&#39; for a new deal. 
 
Hodgson&#39;s contract expires after the tournament in France and Football Association (FA) chairman Greg Dyke indicated last week that the 68-year-old may have to lead the team to the semi-finals to guarantee staying on. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m not begging for the job. I am prepared to carry on,&quot; Hodgson told British media ahead of Monday&#39;s last-16 match against Iceland in Nice. &quot;It is different to wanting it. I&#39;m prepared to carry on if the FA want me to. If they don&#39;t want me to, then my contract will have run out and that is how it will be. I believe in the team I am working with and believe the team is showing such potential that it will go on to do good things and if the FA want me to continue with me looking after them, I will be happy to do so.&quot; 
 
England reached the last 16 after finishing second to Wales, who have already reached the quarter-finals, in Group B. 
 
They beat Wales 2-1 but draws against Russia and Slovakia left them in what turned out to be a much tougher half of the draw. They have scored three goals from their three games to date. 
 
If they beat Iceland, their next opponents will be either hosts France or Ireland. 
 
World champions Germany are also in that half of the draw, along with holders Spain and Italy. 
 
Hodgson&#39;s decision to make six changes for the final group game against Slovakia, which ended goalless, drew some criticism although FA chief executive Martin Glenn denied that he and Dyke had any problems with Hodgson&#39;s decisions. 
 
&quot;He has our full support, he has been a great manager and I think we are going to do great things in this tournament,&quot; said Glenn. 
 
Asked about the criticism of his tactics, Hodgson indicated that it came from the media rather than from within the England hierarchy. 
 
&quot;The FA will make the decision on what they want to do,&quot; he said. &quot;One hopes they will do it on their thinking and their observations and judgement and analysis on what is happening with the national team and not because some journalist has written something contrary to that.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

England reached the last 16 after finishing second to Wales, who have already reached the quarter-finals, in Group B

England manager Roy Hodgson has said he is prepared to remain in the job after Euro 2016 but will not be 'begging' for a new deal. Hodgson's contract expires after the tournament in France and Football Association (FA) chairman Greg Dyke indicated last week that the 68-year-old may have to lead the team to the semi-finals to guarantee staying on. "I'm not begging for the job. I am prepared to carry on," Hodgson told British media ahead of Monday's last-16 match against Iceland in Nice. "It is different to wanting it. I'm prepared to carry on if the FA want me to. If they don't want me to, then my contract will have run out and that is how it will be. I believe in the team I am working with and believe the team is showing such potential that it will go on to do good things and if the FA want me to continue with me looking after them, I will be happy to do so." England reached the last 16 after finishing second to Wales, who have already reached the quarter-finals, in Group B. They beat Wales 2-1 but draws against Russia and Slovakia left them in what turned out to be a much tougher half of the draw. They have scored three goals from their three games to date. If they beat Iceland, their next opponents will be either hosts France or Ireland. World champions Germany are also in that half of the draw, along with holders Spain and Italy. Hodgson's decision to make six changes for the final group game against Slovakia, which ended goalless, drew some criticism although FA chief executive Martin Glenn denied that he and Dyke had any problems with Hodgson's decisions. "He has our full support, he has been a great manager and I think we are going to do great things in this tournament," said Glenn. Asked about the criticism of his tactics, Hodgson indicated that it came from the media rather than from within the England hierarchy. "The FA will make the decision on what they want to do," he said. "One hopes they will do it on their thinking and their observations and judgement and analysis on what is happening with the national team and not because some journalist has written something contrary to that." (Reuters)

Euro 2016: Hodgson happy to continue, but will not 'beg' to stay

Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is joining Premier League club Manchester United, he said on Twitter today. 
 
&quot;Time to let the world know my next destination is @Manutd,&quot; the 34-year-old said. 
 
Ibrahimovic had been widely expected to make the move to England after announcing he was leaving French side Paris St Germain. 
 
United will be the eighth club in a career which began at Malmo in 1999 and has included spells at Ajax Amsterdam, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona and AC Milan. 
 
At Old Trafford he will play under new United manager Jose Mourinho. 
 
(Reuters)

Zlatan Ibrahimovic will play under new United manager Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford

Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is joining Premier League club Manchester United, he said on Twitter today. "Time to let the world know my next destination is @Manutd," the 34-year-old said. Ibrahimovic had been widely expected to make the move to England after announcing he was leaving French side Paris St Germain. United will be the eighth club in a career which began at Malmo in 1999 and has included spells at Ajax Amsterdam, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona and AC Milan. At Old Trafford he will play under new United manager Jose Mourinho. (Reuters)

Ibrahimovic says he is joining Manchester United

West Ham United marked their first match at the Olympic Stadium with a 3-0 win over Slovenian side NK Domzale on Thursday, Cheikhou Kouyate scoring twice to help secure a place in the Europa League playoff round. 
 
West Ham left the Boleyn Ground, their home for 112 years, at the end of last season after agreeing&nbsp;to a 99-year lease with the London Legacy Development Corporation to rent the 60,000-seater venue built for the 2012 Olympic Games. 
 
Kouyate took eight minutes to bag the first goal at the club&#39;s new stadium when he cleverly flicked home Sam Byram&#39;s cross in the return game against Domzale who had won the first leg 2-1. 
 
The Senegal midfielder then made it 2-0 in the 25th minute as he poked the ball into the net following good work by striker Andy Carroll to the delight of the 54,000 sell-out crowd in the reduced capacity venue. 
 
Algeria winger Sofiane Feghouli, who joined West Ham on a free transfer from Valencia in the close season, clinched a 4-2 aggregate win when he drove home a low shot with nine minutes to go. 
 
&quot;Thank you for being part of history tonight, all 54,000 of you,&quot; the club said on their Twitter account. West Ham manager Slaven Bilic described it as &quot;a special kind of game&quot;. 
 
&quot;It was brilliant to go out in front of a packed, loud stadium,&quot; said Bilic. &quot;We played some good stuff and the crowd could enjoy some of our beautiful moves. I liked the way we defended and attacked. It was totally different to the game in Slovenia, the early goal helped.&quot; West Ham host Serie A champions Juventus in a friendly on Sunday before launching their Premier League season at London rivals Chelsea on August 15. 
 
(Reuters)

'Thank you for being part of history tonight, all 54,000 of you,' the club said on Twitter, describing it as a special kind of game

West Ham United marked their first match at the Olympic Stadium with a 3-0 win over Slovenian side NK Domzale on Thursday, Cheikhou Kouyate scoring twice to help secure a place in the Europa League playoff round. West Ham left the Boleyn Ground, their home for 112 years, at the end of last season after agreeing to a 99-year lease with the London Legacy Development Corporation to rent the 60,000-seater venue built for the 2012 Olympic Games. Kouyate took eight minutes to bag the first goal at the club's new stadium when he cleverly flicked home Sam Byram's cross in the return game against Domzale who had won the first leg 2-1. The Senegal midfielder then made it 2-0 in the 25th minute as he poked the ball into the net following good work by striker Andy Carroll to the delight of the 54,000 sell-out crowd in the reduced capacity venue. Algeria winger Sofiane Feghouli, who joined West Ham on a free transfer from Valencia in the close season, clinched a 4-2 aggregate win when he drove home a low shot with nine minutes to go. "Thank you for being part of history tonight, all 54,000 of you," the club said on their Twitter account. West Ham manager Slaven Bilic described it as "a special kind of game". "It was brilliant to go out in front of a packed, loud stadium," said Bilic. "We played some good stuff and the crowd could enjoy some of our beautiful moves. I liked the way we defended and attacked. It was totally different to the game in Slovenia, the early goal helped." West Ham host Serie A champions Juventus in a friendly on Sunday before launching their Premier League season at London rivals Chelsea on August 15. (Reuters)

West Ham start life at Olympic Stadium with emphatic win

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is open to managing England but will not break his current contract with the Premier League club. 
 
The Frenchman, who has one year remaining on his current deal with Arsenal, was linked by British media to replace Roy Hodgson after England&#39;s Round of 16 exit against Iceland at the Euro 2016. 
 
A three-man panel of the Football Association staff began the job of finding Hodgson&#39;s successor last month. 
 
&quot;Could I manage England? Why not? I would never rule that out, but I am happy and focused in club football,&quot; Wenger told British media. 
 
&quot;I have one more year to go with Arsenal and I have been with them for a long time. 
 
&quot;I have always respected all my contracts and will continue to do that. What will I do after that? Honestly, I don&#39;t know. 
 
&quot;England is my second country. I was absolutely on my knees when England went out against Iceland.&quot; 
 
Wenger, who led Arsenal to second in the league table last season, took over as manager in 1996 and has led them to a top-four finish in every season since. 
 
England&#39;s under-21 manager Gareth Southgate, the bookmakers&#39; favourite to be the new England manager, was tipped to take over on a temporary basis but is apparently not interested in the job. 
 
According to local media, Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce will be interviewed for the job this week while US head coach Jurgen Klinsmann&#39;s name is also doing the rounds. 
 
(Reuters)

Arsene Wenger was linked by British media to replace Roy Hodgson after England's Round of 16 exit against Iceland at the Euro 2016

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is open to managing England but will not break his current contract with the Premier League club. The Frenchman, who has one year remaining on his current deal with Arsenal, was linked by British media to replace Roy Hodgson after England's Round of 16 exit against Iceland at the Euro 2016. A three-man panel of the Football Association staff began the job of finding Hodgson's successor last month. "Could I manage England? Why not? I would never rule that out, but I am happy and focused in club football," Wenger told British media. "I have one more year to go with Arsenal and I have been with them for a long time. "I have always respected all my contracts and will continue to do that. What will I do after that? Honestly, I don't know. "England is my second country. I was absolutely on my knees when England went out against Iceland." Wenger, who led Arsenal to second in the league table last season, took over as manager in 1996 and has led them to a top-four finish in every season since. England's under-21 manager Gareth Southgate, the bookmakers' favourite to be the new England manager, was tipped to take over on a temporary basis but is apparently not interested in the job. According to local media, Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce will be interviewed for the job this week while US head coach Jurgen Klinsmann's name is also doing the rounds. (Reuters)

Wenger does not rule out England job after Arsenal deal ends

Zlatan Ibrahimovic said today&nbsp;that he is joining Manchester United, ending intense speculation about where the 34-year-old Swedish superstar forward will be playing next season.

Ibrahimovic, who was a free agent after ending a hugely successful stay at Paris Saint-Germain, becomes the second signing of new United boss Jose Mourinho after that of highly rated Ivory Coast centre-back Eric Bailly from the Spanish outfit Villarreal.

&quot;Time to let the world know. My next destination is Manchester United,&quot; he wrote on Instagram and Facebook, complete with a picture of the United badge, as comments approving of the move,&nbsp;one of the biggest of the summer so far,&nbsp;flooded in.

Ibrahimovic reunites with Mourinho, after they enjoyed a good relationship while together at Italians Inter Milan, in what is likely to be the last major move in a career spanning five countries, starting with Malmo.

The towering Swede, who hit 62 goals in 116 international matches, had toyed with questioners for weeks about where he would be going and it will be his first time playing in the Premier League.

Ibrahimovic, who quit international football after Sweden crashed out of Euro 2016, has also played at Ajax, Juventus, Barcelona and AC Milan during a career in which he has become as well known for his colourful personality as his prowess in front of goal.

He had also been linked with a return to AC Milan and his agent had suggested that Major League Soccer in the United States was another potential destination. 
 
Mourinho means &#39;action&#39;&nbsp;

Ibrahimovic will bolster a forward line at Old Trafford that looked desperately short of ideas, depth and talent last season under Louis van Gaal.

Wayne Rooney could well play deeper next season, in midfield, while French starlet Anthony Martial had to carry the United attack despite his tender years until youngster Marcus Rashford burst onto the scene late on in the campaign.

Van Gaal paid out heavily for his fellow Dutchman Memphis Depay, but he failed to deliver and spent the second half of the season on the bench.

Ibrahimovic said weeks ago that he knew where he would be playing football next season, but kept the football world guessing -- typical of his mercurial personality.

&quot;Yes, I have made my choice,&quot; Ibrahimovic tantalisingly told a press conference at a training camp near Stockholm for the Swedish national team ahead of Euro 2016.

He said then that he had decided &quot;long ago&quot; but dodged all questions about whether that team was Manchester United, where Mourinho has replaced van Gaal after the Dutchman&#39;s troubled two-year reign at Old Trafford came to a bitter end.

Asked a direct question about whether he had received an offer from United, Ibrahimovic&#39;s hesitancy in answering spoke volumes.

He drummed his fingers on the table, smiled and eventually replied: &quot;Let&#39;s see what happens.&quot;

&quot;There are concrete offers from England, Italy... all countries. There are even some from outside Europe,&quot; he said.

&quot;There are many, many alternatives.&quot;

But when asked whether he was tempted to work again with Mourinho, Ibrahimovic said only that they had worked well together at Inter Milan, where the Swede played from 2006 to 2009.

&quot;You want action, you bring Mourinho. I believe he&#39;s the man to bring them back to the top. Wherever he went he won,&quot; the Swede said of Mourinho taking over at United, where he will be tasked with bringing back the glory days sorely missing under van Gaal.

There was no immediate word from United on Ibrahimovic. 
 
(AFP)

Zlatan Ibrahimovic said today that he is joining Manchester United, ending intense speculation about where the 34-year-old Swedish superstar forward will be playing next season. Ibrahimovic, who was a free agent after ending a hugely successful stay at Paris Saint-Germain, becomes the second signing of new United boss Jose Mourinho after that of highly rated Ivory Coast centre-back Eric Bailly from the Spanish outfit Villarreal. "Time to let the world know. My next destination is Manchester United," he wrote on Instagram and Facebook, complete with a picture of the United badge, as comments approving of the move, one of the biggest of the summer so far, flooded in. Ibrahimovic reunites with Mourinho, after they enjoyed a good relationship while together at Italians Inter Milan, in what is likely to be the last major move in a career spanning five countries, starting with Malmo. The towering Swede, who hit 62 goals in 116 international matches, had toyed with questioners for weeks about where he would be going and it will be his first time playing in the Premier League. Ibrahimovic, who quit international football after Sweden crashed out of Euro 2016, has also played at Ajax, Juventus, Barcelona and AC Milan during a career in which he has become as well known for his colourful personality as his prowess in front of goal. He had also been linked with a return to AC Milan and his agent had suggested that Major League Soccer in the United States was another potential destination. Mourinho means 'action' Ibrahimovic will bolster a forward line at Old Trafford that looked desperately short of ideas, depth and talent last season under Louis van Gaal. Wayne Rooney could well play deeper next season, in midfield, while French starlet Anthony Martial had to carry the United attack despite his tender years until youngster Marcus Rashford burst onto the scene late on in the campaign. Van Gaal paid out heavily for his fellow Dutchman Memphis Depay, but he failed to deliver and spent the second half of the season on the bench. Ibrahimovic said weeks ago that he knew where he would be playing football next season, but kept the football world guessing -- typical of his mercurial personality. "Yes, I have made my choice," Ibrahimovic tantalisingly told a press conference at a training camp near Stockholm for the Swedish national team ahead of Euro 2016. He said then that he had decided "long ago" but dodged all questions about whether that team was Manchester United, where Mourinho has replaced van Gaal after the Dutchman's troubled two-year reign at Old Trafford came to a bitter end. Asked a direct question about whether he had received an offer from United, Ibrahimovic's hesitancy in answering spoke volumes. He drummed his fingers on the table, smiled and eventually replied: "Let's see what happens." "There are concrete offers from England, Italy... all countries. There are even some from outside Europe," he said. "There are many, many alternatives." But when asked whether he was tempted to work again with Mourinho, Ibrahimovic said only that they had worked well together at Inter Milan, where the Swede played from 2006 to 2009. "You want action, you bring Mourinho. I believe he's the man to bring them back to the top. Wherever he went he won," the Swede said of Mourinho taking over at United, where he will be tasked with bringing back the glory days sorely missing under van Gaal. There was no immediate word from United on Ibrahimovic. (AFP)

Chile advanced to the Copa America quarter-finals on Tuesday after two goals in the first half from Eduardo Vargas and two in the second from Alexis Sanchez gave them a 4-2 win over Panama, while Argentina took top spot by beating Bolivia 3-0 in Group D. 
 
Defending champions Chile will play Mexico in the next round on Saturday with Argentina facing Venezuela the same day. 
 
&ldquo;This was important for me and for the team,&rdquo; said Chile&#39;s Vargas. &ldquo;It has boosted our confidence for the games to come. 
 
&ldquo;We are Copa America champions but we haven&rsquo;t played as well as we did in the last Copa America and this will give us confidence.&rdquo; 
 
Chile went behind to an early goal but roared back thanks tooutstanding performances from their front pair, who ran the Panamanian defence ragged. 
 
Panama took the lead in the fourth minute after a mistake by Chilean goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, who let Miguel Camargo&#39;s shot from almost 30 yards squirm through his hands and into the net. 
 
Chile fought back and were soon 2-1 up. 
 
Artur Vidal and Sanchez worked a one-two in the box after 14 minutes and Sanchez&#39;s shot was only parried by Jaime Penedo and Vargas followed up to smash it home. 
 
Three minutes before half time striker Vargas rose to glance home a header to put Chile ahead. 
 
Sanchez was in captivating form and scored one of the goals of the tournament after 49 minutes. 
 
Vargas was the provider this time, creating space for himself in the box before chipping to Sanchez, who volleyed home in spectacular fashion. 
 
Panama kept fighting and pulled one back after 74 minutes and again Bravo was at fault, failing to stop Abdiel Arroyo&#39;s header from going in at his near post. 
 
Sanchez had the last word, however, when he rose unmarked to head home a cross with two minutes left to make it 4-2. 
 
ONE UP ON OBATISTUTA?&nbsp; 
In Seattle, few were expecting anything other than an Argentine win over already-eliminated Bolivia and most of the attention was focused on whether Lionel Messi would surpass Gabriel Batistuta&#39;s record of 54 goals for his country. Needing one to tie the mark, Messi came on as a second-half substitute with his team already 3-0 up through Erik Lamela, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Victor Cuesta. 
 
The closest Messi came to scoring was from a free kick in the 61st minute but his curled effort sailed just wide. 
 
(Reuters)

Defending champions Chile will play Mexico on Saturday, Argentina will take on Venezuela.

Chile advanced to the Copa America quarter-finals on Tuesday after two goals in the first half from Eduardo Vargas and two in the second from Alexis Sanchez gave them a 4-2 win over Panama, while Argentina took top spot by beating Bolivia 3-0 in Group D. Defending champions Chile will play Mexico in the next round on Saturday with Argentina facing Venezuela the same day. “This was important for me and for the team,” said Chile's Vargas. “It has boosted our confidence for the games to come. “We are Copa America champions but we haven’t played as well as we did in the last Copa America and this will give us confidence.” Chile went behind to an early goal but roared back thanks tooutstanding performances from their front pair, who ran the Panamanian defence ragged. Panama took the lead in the fourth minute after a mistake by Chilean goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, who let Miguel Camargo's shot from almost 30 yards squirm through his hands and into the net. Chile fought back and were soon 2-1 up. Artur Vidal and Sanchez worked a one-two in the box after 14 minutes and Sanchez's shot was only parried by Jaime Penedo and Vargas followed up to smash it home. Three minutes before half time striker Vargas rose to glance home a header to put Chile ahead. Sanchez was in captivating form and scored one of the goals of the tournament after 49 minutes. Vargas was the provider this time, creating space for himself in the box before chipping to Sanchez, who volleyed home in spectacular fashion. Panama kept fighting and pulled one back after 74 minutes and again Bravo was at fault, failing to stop Abdiel Arroyo's header from going in at his near post. Sanchez had the last word, however, when he rose unmarked to head home a cross with two minutes left to make it 4-2. ONE UP ON OBATISTUTA? In Seattle, few were expecting anything other than an Argentine win over already-eliminated Bolivia and most of the attention was focused on whether Lionel Messi would surpass Gabriel Batistuta's record of 54 goals for his country. Needing one to tie the mark, Messi came on as a second-half substitute with his team already 3-0 up through Erik Lamela, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Victor Cuesta. The closest Messi came to scoring was from a free kick in the 61st minute but his curled effort sailed just wide. (Reuters)

Argentina wins group, goes to the Copa quarters along with Chile

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

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

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

UEFA dismisses doping case against Sakho

Portugal&#39;s Cristiano Ronaldo, winning a record 128th cap, missed a penalty and had a late headed effort disallowed for offside as they were held 0-0 by Austria at Euro 2016 on Saturday (June 18) for their second straight draw. 
 
Portugal dominated the Group F match with Ronaldo in the thick of the action and had a golden chance to win when they were awarded a penalty when he went down under a challenge from Martin Hinteregger in the 78th minute. 
 
However, Ronaldo sent his effort against the foot of the post for his fourth miss in his last five spot kicks. 
 
Ronaldo also sidefooted wide from a good position in the first half and forced two good saves from Robert Almer in quick succession after halftime. Nani also headed against the post just before the half hour. 
 
Hungary lead the group with four points, followed by Portugal and Iceland on two and Austria on one. Portugal meet Hungary in their last game. 
 
(Reuters)

Portugal dominated the Group F match with Ronaldo in the thick of the action and had a golden chance to win when they were awarded a penalty

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, winning a record 128th cap, missed a penalty and had a late headed effort disallowed for offside as they were held 0-0 by Austria at Euro 2016 on Saturday (June 18) for their second straight draw. Portugal dominated the Group F match with Ronaldo in the thick of the action and had a golden chance to win when they were awarded a penalty when he went down under a challenge from Martin Hinteregger in the 78th minute. However, Ronaldo sent his effort against the foot of the post for his fourth miss in his last five spot kicks. Ronaldo also sidefooted wide from a good position in the first half and forced two good saves from Robert Almer in quick succession after halftime. Nani also headed against the post just before the half hour. Hungary lead the group with four points, followed by Portugal and Iceland on two and Austria on one. Portugal meet Hungary in their last game. (Reuters)

Ronaldo misses penalty as Portugal held by Austria

Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas has given a strong indication that he will retire from international football after 16 years. 
 
The 35-year-old did not play in any of Spain&#39;s four games at Euro 2016 with national team coach Vicente del Bosque picking Manchester United&#39;s David De Gea in goal. 
 
Casillas, who made his debut in 2000 and is Spain&#39;s most capped player with 167 appearances, posted a video on his twitter account (@casillasworld) of a Rambo film with the dialogue saying: &quot;I don&#39;t know where but I&#39;m going.&quot; 
 
&quot;He then posted a message which said: &quot;I&#39;m proud to feel the love of the people today and as always, everyone together for the national team.&quot; 
 
De Gea made a string of saves to keep Spain within striking distance of Italy on Monday before Antonio Conte&#39;s men got a late second goal for a 2-0 second-round win. 
 
The goalkeeper also expressed hope for the future of the national team. He tweeted on @D_DeGea: &quot;Losing is part of the sport as well as getting up after a defeat. We&#39;ll come back!&quot; 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Iker Casillas, who made his debut in 2000 is Spain's most capped player with 167 appearances

Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas has given a strong indication that he will retire from international football after 16 years. The 35-year-old did not play in any of Spain's four games at Euro 2016 with national team coach Vicente del Bosque picking Manchester United's David De Gea in goal. Casillas, who made his debut in 2000 and is Spain's most capped player with 167 appearances, posted a video on his twitter account (@casillasworld) of a Rambo film with the dialogue saying: "I don't know where but I'm going." "He then posted a message which said: "I'm proud to feel the love of the people today and as always, everyone together for the national team." De Gea made a string of saves to keep Spain within striking distance of Italy on Monday before Antonio Conte's men got a late second goal for a 2-0 second-round win. The goalkeeper also expressed hope for the future of the national team. He tweeted on @D_DeGea: "Losing is part of the sport as well as getting up after a defeat. We'll come back!" (Reuters)

Spain veteran Casillas hints at retirement

Title contenders Germany will come face to face with their ultimate tournament nightmare when they take on Italy in their Euro 2016 quarter-final in Bordeaux on Saturday. 
 
The world champions have lost every single tournament knockout game to the Italians going back almost half a century but are confident they can end a streak that includes one World Cup final and two semi-finals and the Euro 2012 last four. 
 
There are signs that it will be Germany&#39;s turn to smile on Saturday, with the 2014 World Cup winners having yet to concede a goal in the tournament. 
 
After topping Group C with two wins and a draw, they quickly disposed of Slovakia 3-0 in the round of 16 with an impressive performance in which their frontline burst into life after three below-par performances. 
 
Forward Mario Gomez, initially left on the bench, has now struck once in each of their last two matches and looks set to spearhead their attack again. 
 
&quot;We know that everything will be demanded from us&quot;, said team manager Oliver Bierhoff. &quot;This is a new game, maybe the Italians are even stronger than in 2012 and we have been warned. But the game will start from zero for both teams and the past does not interest us.&quot; 
 
Coach Joachim Loew will have a full squad to choose from with Jonas Hector having recovered from the flu and captain Bastian Schweinsteiger fully fit after playing only a minor role so far following a long-term injury. 
 
&quot;I feel Bastian is ready now. He belongs to the players that Loew can now count on 100 per cent&quot;, Bierhoff said. 
 
Antonio Conte&#39;s Italy lack the big names of the past but were among four teams unbeaten in qualifying for the tournament and have kept their momentum going in France, conceding just one goal in their four matches. 
 
Their so-called three-man BBC defence, led by Giorgio Chiellini playing alongside Juventus teammates Andrea Barzagli and Leonardo Bonucci, has been key to their success. 
 
&quot;We have the Juve trio who guide us, they&#39;ve not been winning for five years for nothing,&quot; said fellow defender Mattia De Sciglio. 
 
Conte will likely be without midfielder Daniele De Rossi, who picked up a thigh injury in Monday&#39;s 2-0 win over holders Spain. Thiago Motta, his usual replacement, is missing through suspension. 
 
That is unlikely to deter the Italians, according to De Sciglio. 
 
&quot;Conte would be on the pitch with us if he could be,&quot; he said. &quot;He has taught us to fight for every inch. Fighting for every ball is our strength as we do not possess superstars.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The world champions have lost every single tournament knockout game to the Italians going back almost half a century

Title contenders Germany will come face to face with their ultimate tournament nightmare when they take on Italy in their Euro 2016 quarter-final in Bordeaux on Saturday. The world champions have lost every single tournament knockout game to the Italians going back almost half a century but are confident they can end a streak that includes one World Cup final and two semi-finals and the Euro 2012 last four. There are signs that it will be Germany's turn to smile on Saturday, with the 2014 World Cup winners having yet to concede a goal in the tournament. After topping Group C with two wins and a draw, they quickly disposed of Slovakia 3-0 in the round of 16 with an impressive performance in which their frontline burst into life after three below-par performances. Forward Mario Gomez, initially left on the bench, has now struck once in each of their last two matches and looks set to spearhead their attack again. "We know that everything will be demanded from us", said team manager Oliver Bierhoff. "This is a new game, maybe the Italians are even stronger than in 2012 and we have been warned. But the game will start from zero for both teams and the past does not interest us." Coach Joachim Loew will have a full squad to choose from with Jonas Hector having recovered from the flu and captain Bastian Schweinsteiger fully fit after playing only a minor role so far following a long-term injury. "I feel Bastian is ready now. He belongs to the players that Loew can now count on 100 per cent", Bierhoff said. Antonio Conte's Italy lack the big names of the past but were among four teams unbeaten in qualifying for the tournament and have kept their momentum going in France, conceding just one goal in their four matches. Their so-called three-man BBC defence, led by Giorgio Chiellini playing alongside Juventus teammates Andrea Barzagli and Leonardo Bonucci, has been key to their success. "We have the Juve trio who guide us, they've not been winning for five years for nothing," said fellow defender Mattia De Sciglio. Conte will likely be without midfielder Daniele De Rossi, who picked up a thigh injury in Monday's 2-0 win over holders Spain. Thiago Motta, his usual replacement, is missing through suspension. That is unlikely to deter the Italians, according to De Sciglio. "Conte would be on the pitch with us if he could be," he said. "He has taught us to fight for every inch. Fighting for every ball is our strength as we do not possess superstars." (Reuters)

Germany come face to face with their worst nightmare

Ultra-nationalist and schooled in their country&#39;s historical grievances, Russian soccer hooligans see themselves as fighting the Kremlin&#39;s geopolitical battles in miniature when they clash with foreign fans at the Euro 2016 tournament. 
 
&quot;Our fans in Marseille are a copy of Russian foreign policy&quot;, Professor Sergei Medvedev from Moscow&#39;s Higher School of Economics, wrote on social media after Saturday&#39;s clashes around the England-Russia game in the French city of Marseille. 
 
Describing the mentality of the Russian hooligans, he said: &quot;&#39;We won&#39;t win the championship but lets at least put on a brave face, beat some people up, and have the whole world talking about us&quot;. 
 
Not subject to the kind of travel bans imposed on English fans who have committed violence, Russian hooligans are free to travel if they have enough money and can get a Schengen visa giving them access to much of Europe. 
 
They represent a strand of nationalism which has become more strident since Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and state media ratcheted up its narrative that the West is enemy number one. 
 
Their conduct in Marseille drew praise in some political circles where sport is seen as an extension of what the Kremlin casts as Russia&#39;s battle for influence on the world stage. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t see anything terrible about fans fighting&quot;, Igor Lebedev, a nationalist who is a deputy speaker in the lower house of parliament and a member of the Russian Football Union&#39;s executive committee, wrote on social media on Monday. 
 
&quot;On the contrary, our guys were great. Keep it up!&quot; 
 
French authorities said about 150 hard-core Russian fans took part in the violence in Marseille. Marseille&#39;s chief prosecutor said some of the Russians involved in the worst of the violence had been trained to fight. 
 
European soccer&#39;s governing body, UEFA, has threatened to expel the Russian and English teams from the championship if the violence persists. 
 
The Russian authorities, already embroiled in a sports doping scandal before the Rio Olympics, have appealed to fans not to do anything to endanger the country&#39;s ability to host the World Cup soccer finals in 2018. 
 
The Russian hooligans, who often refer to themselves as &#39;ultras&#39;, belong to an organised tradition of hooliganism which has its roots mainly around clubs in Moscow and St Petersburg. They belong to &quot;firms&quot; modelled on what they view as the 1970s heyday of English soccer fans&#39; thuggery. 
 
After Saturday&#39;s clashes, some posted photos of themselves on social media holding stolen English supporters&#39; flags upside down -- some spotted with blood -- as trophies. 
 
&quot;So-called &#39;active fans&#39; have their own European championships&quot;, said Komsomolskaya Pravda, a tabloid newspaper. &quot;And in the alternative Euros the Russian team&#39;s fans are the clear favourites and will try to prove their supremacy&quot;. 
 
Many are tattooed with nationalist and Orthodox Christian slogans. Some have links to white supremacist far-right groups and, at matches in Russia, have unfurled Nazi flags and taunted black players by throwing banana skins on to the pitch and making monkey sounds. 
 
Although Russian authorities have banned the worst offenders from domestic stadiums, high-level political criticism of their behaviour has been rare. 
 
Russian soccer fan sites were on Monday awash with praise for what they portrayed as a famous victory over soft English soccer hooligans in France. 
 
&quot;The stupid (Anglo-) Saxons&quot;, wrote a fan nicknamed Red Bear (RedMedved). &quot;They saw &#39;barbaric&#39; Russia face-to-face and all their courage evaporated and they ran away&quot;. 
 
Some people saw the violence as part of Russia&#39;s geopolitical standoff with the West. 
 
&quot;Take my word for it. This is purely our symbolic reply to your sanctions and interference in our internal affairs in Ukraine,&quot; Valentin Polyakov, from the city of Rostov-on-Don, said of the Marseille violence on Komsomolskaya Pravda&#39;s site. 
 
His view reflects Russian frustration -- fuelled by state media -- over Western sanctions on Russia over Moscow&#39;s role in Ukraine, where Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists are locked in a low-level conflict. 
 
Russians supporters complained of what they called English &quot;provocations&quot; including rude songs about Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova, suspended after testing positive for a banned substance, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. 
 
Some state media reported how 250 Russian fans had managed to get the better of more than 1,000 England supporters. 
 
Russian fans have a history of violence, including a rampage in Moscow in which cars were overturned and two people were killed after Japan beat their team in the 2002 World Cup. 
 
They also rioted near the Kremlin in 2010 after a Spartak Moscow fan was shot dead in a fight with men from Russia&#39;s mainly Muslim North Caucasus area, brawling with riot police and attacking dark-skinned passers-by. 
 
Trouble flared again at the Euro 2012 tournament hosted by Poland and Ukraine when Russian fans fought with Polish supporters and hurled racist abuse at a black player.

They see themselves as fighting the Kremlin's geopolitical battles in miniature

Ultra-nationalist and schooled in their country's historical grievances, Russian soccer hooligans see themselves as fighting the Kremlin's geopolitical battles in miniature when they clash with foreign fans at the Euro 2016 tournament. "Our fans in Marseille are a copy of Russian foreign policy", Professor Sergei Medvedev from Moscow's Higher School of Economics, wrote on social media after Saturday's clashes around the England-Russia game in the French city of Marseille. Describing the mentality of the Russian hooligans, he said: "'We won't win the championship but lets at least put on a brave face, beat some people up, and have the whole world talking about us". Not subject to the kind of travel bans imposed on English fans who have committed violence, Russian hooligans are free to travel if they have enough money and can get a Schengen visa giving them access to much of Europe. They represent a strand of nationalism which has become more strident since Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and state media ratcheted up its narrative that the West is enemy number one. Their conduct in Marseille drew praise in some political circles where sport is seen as an extension of what the Kremlin casts as Russia's battle for influence on the world stage. "I don't see anything terrible about fans fighting", Igor Lebedev, a nationalist who is a deputy speaker in the lower house of parliament and a member of the Russian Football Union's executive committee, wrote on social media on Monday. "On the contrary, our guys were great. Keep it up!" French authorities said about 150 hard-core Russian fans took part in the violence in Marseille. Marseille's chief prosecutor said some of the Russians involved in the worst of the violence had been trained to fight. European soccer's governing body, UEFA, has threatened to expel the Russian and English teams from the championship if the violence persists. The Russian authorities, already embroiled in a sports doping scandal before the Rio Olympics, have appealed to fans not to do anything to endanger the country's ability to host the World Cup soccer finals in 2018. The Russian hooligans, who often refer to themselves as 'ultras', belong to an organised tradition of hooliganism which has its roots mainly around clubs in Moscow and St Petersburg. They belong to "firms" modelled on what they view as the 1970s heyday of English soccer fans' thuggery. After Saturday's clashes, some posted photos of themselves on social media holding stolen English supporters' flags upside down -- some spotted with blood -- as trophies. "So-called 'active fans' have their own European championships", said Komsomolskaya Pravda, a tabloid newspaper. "And in the alternative Euros the Russian team's fans are the clear favourites and will try to prove their supremacy". Many are tattooed with nationalist and Orthodox Christian slogans. Some have links to white supremacist far-right groups and, at matches in Russia, have unfurled Nazi flags and taunted black players by throwing banana skins on to the pitch and making monkey sounds. Although Russian authorities have banned the worst offenders from domestic stadiums, high-level political criticism of their behaviour has been rare. Russian soccer fan sites were on Monday awash with praise for what they portrayed as a famous victory over soft English soccer hooligans in France. "The stupid (Anglo-) Saxons", wrote a fan nicknamed Red Bear (RedMedved). "They saw 'barbaric' Russia face-to-face and all their courage evaporated and they ran away". Some people saw the violence as part of Russia's geopolitical standoff with the West. "Take my word for it. This is purely our symbolic reply to your sanctions and interference in our internal affairs in Ukraine," Valentin Polyakov, from the city of Rostov-on-Don, said of the Marseille violence on Komsomolskaya Pravda's site. His view reflects Russian frustration -- fuelled by state media -- over Western sanctions on Russia over Moscow's role in Ukraine, where Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists are locked in a low-level conflict. Russians supporters complained of what they called English "provocations" including rude songs about Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova, suspended after testing positive for a banned substance, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Some state media reported how 250 Russian fans had managed to get the better of more than 1,000 England supporters. Russian fans have a history of violence, including a rampage in Moscow in which cars were overturned and two people were killed after Japan beat their team in the 2002 World Cup. They also rioted near the Kremlin in 2010 after a Spartak Moscow fan was shot dead in a fight with men from Russia's mainly Muslim North Caucasus area, brawling with riot police and attacking dark-skinned passers-by. Trouble flared again at the Euro 2012 tournament hosted by Poland and Ukraine when Russian fans fought with Polish supporters and hurled racist abuse at a black player.

Russian football fans a copy of the country's foreign policy

Midfield enforcer Victor Wanyama became the first player from Southampton to join up with former manager Mauricio Pochettino when he signed for Tottenham from their Premier League rivals on Thursday. 
 
The 24-year-old Kenyan international, who Southampton refused to sell to Spurs last year, will cost a reported $13.4 million although with add-ons it could rise to more than $16 million. 
 
Wanyama signed a five-year contract and is Pochettino&#39;s first signing of the close season, as he builds a side not only for the Premier League campaign but also the Champions League after they finished third last term. 
 
Wanyama said in an open letter that he was sad to leave the club that in 2013 gave him the chance to become the first Kenyan to play in the Premier League. 
 
&quot;I write to you with a heavy heart to announce that I will be leaving Southampton Football Club,&quot; he said. &quot;As you can imagine it is very emotional for me to say goodbye to the club that gave me the chance to be the first Kenyan to play in Premier League.&quot; 
 
&quot;Firstly, I would like to thank the most important part of every club, the fans. It took a while for me to win you all over but I can truly say that with your support and affection I have grown as a player and a person. I will never forget my time in Southampton Football Club, I will keep the club forever in my heart.&quot; 
 
Wanyama, who made his international debut at only 15-years-old, impressed for the Saints last season as they finished a best-ever sixth in the Premier League. 
 
The Kenyan player, who scored four goals in 85 league appearances and had a year to run on his contract, is the second big loss to Southampton in the past week, after manager Ronald Koeman left to take over at Everton. 
 
Pochettino was the man responsible for bringing Wanyama to Southampton, signing him from Celtic for the 2013-14 campaign, but the Argentine left for the Spurs at the end of that season.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)

The 24-year-old Kenyan international, who Southampton refused to sell to Spurs last year, will cost up to $16 million

Midfield enforcer Victor Wanyama became the first player from Southampton to join up with former manager Mauricio Pochettino when he signed for Tottenham from their Premier League rivals on Thursday. The 24-year-old Kenyan international, who Southampton refused to sell to Spurs last year, will cost a reported $13.4 million although with add-ons it could rise to more than $16 million. Wanyama signed a five-year contract and is Pochettino's first signing of the close season, as he builds a side not only for the Premier League campaign but also the Champions League after they finished third last term. Wanyama said in an open letter that he was sad to leave the club that in 2013 gave him the chance to become the first Kenyan to play in the Premier League. "I write to you with a heavy heart to announce that I will be leaving Southampton Football Club," he said. "As you can imagine it is very emotional for me to say goodbye to the club that gave me the chance to be the first Kenyan to play in Premier League." "Firstly, I would like to thank the most important part of every club, the fans. It took a while for me to win you all over but I can truly say that with your support and affection I have grown as a player and a person. I will never forget my time in Southampton Football Club, I will keep the club forever in my heart." Wanyama, who made his international debut at only 15-years-old, impressed for the Saints last season as they finished a best-ever sixth in the Premier League. The Kenyan player, who scored four goals in 85 league appearances and had a year to run on his contract, is the second big loss to Southampton in the past week, after manager Ronald Koeman left to take over at Everton. Pochettino was the man responsible for bringing Wanyama to Southampton, signing him from Celtic for the 2013-14 campaign, but the Argentine left for the Spurs at the end of that season. (AFP)

Wanyama rejoins old boss Pochettino at Spurs

Barcelona have launched a campaign in support of Lionel Messi and his father Jorge after the Argentine pair were sentenced to prison terms this week over tax fraud. 
 
The campaign, under the hashtag #WeAreAllLeoMessi, asks Barcelona fans to &quot;express their sympathy for the greatest footballer in the world by voicing their unconditional support on social networks.&quot; 
 
Messi, 29, has played his entire club career for Barcelona. 
 
&quot;We want Leo to know that he is not alone,&quot; the club said on their website (www.cfbarcelona.com). &quot;All members, supporters clubs, fans, athletes, media and everyone else are invited to participate.&quot; 
 
Club president Josep Maria Bartomeu also tweeted: &quot;Leo, those who attack you are attacking Barca and its history. We&rsquo;ll defend you to the end. Together forever!&quot; 
 
A Barcelona city court sentenced Messi and his father on Wednesday to prison terms of 21 months after they were found guilty of three counts of tax fraud, although it is unlikely they will spend time behind bars. 
 
Spanish law is such that any sentence under two years for a non-violent crime rarely requires a defendant without previous convictions to serve jail time and a spokeswoman for the court confirmed Messi was unlikely to be imprisoned. 
 
It is the second campaign in support of Messi in the last two weeks. 
 
Argentines have called on him to reverse his retirement from international football, a decision he took after his country&#39;s loss on penalties to Chile in the Copa America Centenario final in the United States on June 26. 
 
It was the fourth final in a major international tournament and third as Argentina captain that Messi has been on the losing side, including the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. 
 
(Reuters)

Under the hashtag #WeAreAllLeoMessi, the campaign asks Barcelona fans to voice their support 'for the greatest footballer in the world'

Barcelona have launched a campaign in support of Lionel Messi and his father Jorge after the Argentine pair were sentenced to prison terms this week over tax fraud. The campaign, under the hashtag #WeAreAllLeoMessi, asks Barcelona fans to "express their sympathy for the greatest footballer in the world by voicing their unconditional support on social networks." Messi, 29, has played his entire club career for Barcelona. "We want Leo to know that he is not alone," the club said on their website (www.cfbarcelona.com). "All members, supporters clubs, fans, athletes, media and everyone else are invited to participate." Club president Josep Maria Bartomeu also tweeted: "Leo, those who attack you are attacking Barca and its history. We’ll defend you to the end. Together forever!" A Barcelona city court sentenced Messi and his father on Wednesday to prison terms of 21 months after they were found guilty of three counts of tax fraud, although it is unlikely they will spend time behind bars. Spanish law is such that any sentence under two years for a non-violent crime rarely requires a defendant without previous convictions to serve jail time and a spokeswoman for the court confirmed Messi was unlikely to be imprisoned. It is the second campaign in support of Messi in the last two weeks. Argentines have called on him to reverse his retirement from international football, a decision he took after his country's loss on penalties to Chile in the Copa America Centenario final in the United States on June 26. It was the fourth final in a major international tournament and third as Argentina captain that Messi has been on the losing side, including the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. (Reuters)

Barcelona launch campaign backing sentenced Messi

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho today admitted that the club needs one more signing before the season starts but would not confirm it would be record target Paul Pogba. 
 
Media reports in the UK on Wednesday suggested United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward had pulled out of the club&#39;s pre-season tour to China so he could meet and agree personal terms with Pogba&#39;s agent Mino Raiola. 
 
Mourinho was asked directly at a news conference in Shanghai whether he could confirm the reports. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t confirm and I don&#39;t deny. I cannot tell you,&quot; Mourinho said on the eve of the International Champions Cup match against Borussia Dortmund in Shanghai Friday. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think it&#39;s correct to speak about players of other clubs, and he&#39;s a Juventus player and not a Manchester United player. The only thing I can tell you is that my board, my directors they did fantastic work to do 75 percent of the job I asked them to do,&quot; said Mourinho. 
 
&quot;I asked them for four players. To be more accurate I asked them for four or five players I need. I gave them a few options and they did for me 75 percent of the job with (Zlatan) Ibrahimovic, (Henrikh) Mikitharyan and (Eric) Bailly and they have just 25 percent to do until the 31st of August.&quot; 
 
&quot;We are calm. We have three faces to fill the profile. I am confident Mr Woodward will get the player we need to get a good balance.&quot; 
 
Mourinho has reportedly made French international Pogba his top transfer target as he bids to make a big impact in his first season at Old Trafford but it could cost the club a record-breaking &pound;100 million ($130 million, 119 million euros) to land the midfielder. 
 
United are believed to have had an opening bid of &pound;86 million rejected by Juventus and an improved offer could shatter the previous world record fee of &pound;85 million paid by Real Madrid for Gareth Bale in 2013. 
 
Mourinho has already spent more than &pound;50 million on defender Bailly from Villarreal and midfielder Mkhitaryan from Friday&#39;s opponents Dortmund, as well as recruiting Ibrahimovic who left PSG on a free transfer. 
 
Pogba, 23, had a spell at United but was allowed to leave for Juventus on a 2012 free transfer while still a teenager after just a handful of appearances under then manager Alex Ferguson, who slammed him for showing no respect to the club. 
 
Pogba has since emerged as one of the top midfielders in Europe, playing an integral part in the France side that reached the Euro 2016 final and helping Juventus win four successive Serie A titles. 
 
Manchester United round off their China tour against fierce rivals Manchester City in Beijing on Monday. 
 
(AFP)

Reportedly Mourinho has made Pogba his top transfer target as he bids to make a big impact in his first season at Old Trafford

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho today admitted that the club needs one more signing before the season starts but would not confirm it would be record target Paul Pogba. Media reports in the UK on Wednesday suggested United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward had pulled out of the club's pre-season tour to China so he could meet and agree personal terms with Pogba's agent Mino Raiola. Mourinho was asked directly at a news conference in Shanghai whether he could confirm the reports. "I don't confirm and I don't deny. I cannot tell you," Mourinho said on the eve of the International Champions Cup match against Borussia Dortmund in Shanghai Friday. "I don't think it's correct to speak about players of other clubs, and he's a Juventus player and not a Manchester United player. The only thing I can tell you is that my board, my directors they did fantastic work to do 75 percent of the job I asked them to do," said Mourinho. "I asked them for four players. To be more accurate I asked them for four or five players I need. I gave them a few options and they did for me 75 percent of the job with (Zlatan) Ibrahimovic, (Henrikh) Mikitharyan and (Eric) Bailly and they have just 25 percent to do until the 31st of August." "We are calm. We have three faces to fill the profile. I am confident Mr Woodward will get the player we need to get a good balance." Mourinho has reportedly made French international Pogba his top transfer target as he bids to make a big impact in his first season at Old Trafford but it could cost the club a record-breaking £100 million ($130 million, 119 million euros) to land the midfielder. United are believed to have had an opening bid of £86 million rejected by Juventus and an improved offer could shatter the previous world record fee of £85 million paid by Real Madrid for Gareth Bale in 2013. Mourinho has already spent more than £50 million on defender Bailly from Villarreal and midfielder Mkhitaryan from Friday's opponents Dortmund, as well as recruiting Ibrahimovic who left PSG on a free transfer. Pogba, 23, had a spell at United but was allowed to leave for Juventus on a 2012 free transfer while still a teenager after just a handful of appearances under then manager Alex Ferguson, who slammed him for showing no respect to the club. Pogba has since emerged as one of the top midfielders in Europe, playing an integral part in the France side that reached the Euro 2016 final and helping Juventus win four successive Serie A titles. Manchester United round off their China tour against fierce rivals Manchester City in Beijing on Monday. (AFP)

Jose Mourinho tight-lipped on Paul Pogba's purported Manchester United move

Corinthians manager Tite has accepted an offer to coach Brazil but his appointment was met with fury at his former club, who have accused the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) of underhand tactics and unethical behaviour. 
 
Tite, who led Corinthians to two Serie A titles, the Copa Libertadores and the World Club Cup, will replace Dunga, who was fired on Tuesday after Brazil were knocked out of the Copa America at the group stage for the first time since 1987. 
 
The 55-year-old Tite, whose proper name is Adenor Leonardo Bacchi, is expected to sign a deal on Thursday, although details have yet to be hashed out, the CBF said in a statement. 
 
Corinthians president Roberto de Andrade, however, hit out at the confederation. 
 
&quot;I am furious with the CBF,&quot; Andrade told reporters. &quot;They didn&#39;t even call us once. It wouldn&#39;t have changed anything if they&#39;d called us and asked for permission to talk to the manager. Of course I&#39;d have said yes.&quot; 
 
&quot;Tite deserves the national side for the work he has done and for the person he is,&quot; Andrade added. &quot;The national side doesn&#39;t deserve Tite. The CBF doesn&#39;t deserve a person like Tite. They aren&#39;t used to dealing with ethical people.&quot; 
 
The CBF responded by saying they had tried calling Andrade on Wednesday morning after spending three hours in talks with Tite but were unable to reach him via phone or text. 
 
&quot;The CBF has only respect for Brazilians clubs and their interests,&quot; the governing body added in a statement. 
 
Although Andrade&#39;s comments were unusually outspoken they were not the first public criticism of the CBF over the last six months. 
 
The last three CBF presidents, including the current boss Marco Polo Del Nero, were indicted in the United States for bribery and racketeering offences as part of the FIFA corruption scandal. Tite himself was one of 100 people who signed an open letter last December calling for Del Nero to resign. 
 
Del Nero did not respond to the letter, which was signed by Pele, Zico and Rai among others, and he did not accompany Brazil to the U.S. for either the Copa America or friendly matches played there. 
 
Tite, who has a reputation as an honest man who knows how to organise even limited sides, will have his work cut out at the national team. Brazil have lost their way in recent years and have failed to win a major tournament since 2007, when Dunga led them to the Copa America during his first spell in charge. 
 
He was replaced after Brazil fell to the Netherlands in the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup but returned in 2014 after they were hammered 7-1 by Germany in their home World Cup. That result exemplified Brazil&#39;s decline and Dunga was hired to stop the rot and restore some pride. 
 
However, he failed miserably and was fired after Brazil lost 1-0 to Peru on Sunday and went out of the Centenary Copa America which is being played in the United States. 
 
They also sit in sixth place in the South American qualifying group for the 2018 World Cup, presenting the almost unthinkable prospect of the five-times champions missing out on global soccer&#39;s showpiece tournament. The top four teams qualify automatically for Russia and the fifth-placed side enter an inter-continental playoff. 
 
(Reuters)

He will replace Dunga who was fired on Tuesday after Brazil's exit from Copa America

Corinthians manager Tite has accepted an offer to coach Brazil but his appointment was met with fury at his former club, who have accused the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) of underhand tactics and unethical behaviour. Tite, who led Corinthians to two Serie A titles, the Copa Libertadores and the World Club Cup, will replace Dunga, who was fired on Tuesday after Brazil were knocked out of the Copa America at the group stage for the first time since 1987. The 55-year-old Tite, whose proper name is Adenor Leonardo Bacchi, is expected to sign a deal on Thursday, although details have yet to be hashed out, the CBF said in a statement. Corinthians president Roberto de Andrade, however, hit out at the confederation. "I am furious with the CBF," Andrade told reporters. "They didn't even call us once. It wouldn't have changed anything if they'd called us and asked for permission to talk to the manager. Of course I'd have said yes." "Tite deserves the national side for the work he has done and for the person he is," Andrade added. "The national side doesn't deserve Tite. The CBF doesn't deserve a person like Tite. They aren't used to dealing with ethical people." The CBF responded by saying they had tried calling Andrade on Wednesday morning after spending three hours in talks with Tite but were unable to reach him via phone or text. "The CBF has only respect for Brazilians clubs and their interests," the governing body added in a statement. Although Andrade's comments were unusually outspoken they were not the first public criticism of the CBF over the last six months. The last three CBF presidents, including the current boss Marco Polo Del Nero, were indicted in the United States for bribery and racketeering offences as part of the FIFA corruption scandal. Tite himself was one of 100 people who signed an open letter last December calling for Del Nero to resign. Del Nero did not respond to the letter, which was signed by Pele, Zico and Rai among others, and he did not accompany Brazil to the U.S. for either the Copa America or friendly matches played there. Tite, who has a reputation as an honest man who knows how to organise even limited sides, will have his work cut out at the national team. Brazil have lost their way in recent years and have failed to win a major tournament since 2007, when Dunga led them to the Copa America during his first spell in charge. He was replaced after Brazil fell to the Netherlands in the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup but returned in 2014 after they were hammered 7-1 by Germany in their home World Cup. That result exemplified Brazil's decline and Dunga was hired to stop the rot and restore some pride. However, he failed miserably and was fired after Brazil lost 1-0 to Peru on Sunday and went out of the Centenary Copa America which is being played in the United States. They also sit in sixth place in the South American qualifying group for the 2018 World Cup, presenting the almost unthinkable prospect of the five-times champions missing out on global soccer's showpiece tournament. The top four teams qualify automatically for Russia and the fifth-placed side enter an inter-continental playoff. (Reuters)

Corinthians furious after Tite accepts Brazil job

France did their homework to make sure they did not follow England&#39;s example and fall to giantkillers Iceland, said goalscorer Dimitri Payet. 
 
&quot;We worked on their weaknesses and their strengths,&quot; Payet said, after the 5-2 quarter-final win at Stade de France. &quot;That is what allowed us to win tonight.&quot; 
 
Payet also praised his understanding with Antoine Griezmann, now the leading scorer in the tournament with four goals. The Atletico Madrid striker set up Payet for his goal. 
 
&quot;It is a joy to link up with a player like that. We don&#39;t tread on each other&#39;s toes.&quot; He said Griezmann&#39;s pass for his goal had been &quot;a gift&quot;. 
 
Payet said France had to ignore Germany&#39;s injury problems going into the semi-final on Thursday. 
 
&quot;What we are going to remember is that they are the world champions. We know what to expect, we know they have qualities. But we have become stronger tonight.&quot; 
 
Two goal man-of-the match Olivier Giroud said his side would be out to avenge their 2014 World Cup quarter-final defeat to Germany. France lost the game in Brazil 1-0. 
 
&quot;It will be a completely different match, they&#39;re the world champions and often in the last four of major tournaments,&quot; said Giroud. 
 
&quot;It will be a great match, we have a lot of desire to get our own back for the World Cup.&quot; 
 
&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; 
 
(AFP)

5-2 quarter-final win over the underdogs was because the French team worked on their opponent's weaknesses and strengths, said Payet

France did their homework to make sure they did not follow England's example and fall to giantkillers Iceland, said goalscorer Dimitri Payet. "We worked on their weaknesses and their strengths," Payet said, after the 5-2 quarter-final win at Stade de France. "That is what allowed us to win tonight." Payet also praised his understanding with Antoine Griezmann, now the leading scorer in the tournament with four goals. The Atletico Madrid striker set up Payet for his goal. "It is a joy to link up with a player like that. We don't tread on each other's toes." He said Griezmann's pass for his goal had been "a gift". Payet said France had to ignore Germany's injury problems going into the semi-final on Thursday. "What we are going to remember is that they are the world champions. We know what to expect, we know they have qualities. But we have become stronger tonight." Two goal man-of-the match Olivier Giroud said his side would be out to avenge their 2014 World Cup quarter-final defeat to Germany. France lost the game in Brazil 1-0. "It will be a completely different match, they're the world champions and often in the last four of major tournaments," said Giroud. "It will be a great match, we have a lot of desire to get our own back for the World Cup." "I'm very proud of what this France side is achieving and I hope we'll come out once again with the right result." (AFP)

France did reconnaissance on Iceland marauders: Payet

Hungary and Portugal reached the Euro 2016 knockout stages after a rip-roaring 3-3 draw in which Cristiano Ronaldo netted twice and became the first player to score at four European Championship finals on Wednesday 
 
The Portuguese came from behind three times as Ronaldo, who also set a tournament record of 17 appearances, finally rediscovered his touch to help Portugal make the last 16, where they will meet Croatia in Lens on Saturday. 
 
Group F winners Hungary finished above Iceland, who also qualified after a last-gasp 2-1 win over Austria in Paris, and third-placed Portugal. 
 
Hungary will play the Group E runners-up, which will be decided later on Wednesday between Belgium, Sweden and Ireland, while Iceland will face England. 
 
Ronaldo equalised twice in the second half after Zoltan Gera&#39;s early strike was cancelled out by Nani just before the break. Hungary captain Balazs Dzsudzsak had twice put his side ahead before Ronaldo burst into life with a double strike. 
 
(Reuters)

Ronaldo became the first player to score at four European championship finals in his 17th match in a Euro tournament

Hungary and Portugal reached the Euro 2016 knockout stages after a rip-roaring 3-3 draw in which Cristiano Ronaldo netted twice and became the first player to score at four European Championship finals on Wednesday The Portuguese came from behind three times as Ronaldo, who also set a tournament record of 17 appearances, finally rediscovered his touch to help Portugal make the last 16, where they will meet Croatia in Lens on Saturday. Group F winners Hungary finished above Iceland, who also qualified after a last-gasp 2-1 win over Austria in Paris, and third-placed Portugal. Hungary will play the Group E runners-up, which will be decided later on Wednesday between Belgium, Sweden and Ireland, while Iceland will face England. Ronaldo equalised twice in the second half after Zoltan Gera's early strike was cancelled out by Nani just before the break. Hungary captain Balazs Dzsudzsak had twice put his side ahead before Ronaldo burst into life with a double strike. (Reuters)

Hungary and Portugal reach knockout stages after thrilling 3-3 draw

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