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Northern Ireland&#39;s 2-0 Euro 2016 win over Ukraine on Thursday should help squads of the future to believe they can reach major tournaments more regularly, said defender Gareth McAuley. 
 
The towering center back was named man of the match after a flawless performance in front of his own goal was garnished by an unstoppable header at the other end that put his team 1-0 up early in the second half. 
 
Substitute Niall McGinn put the icing on the cake with a crafty second goal in stoppage time for the Irish who are featuring in a major finals for the first time since 1986. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s been a long time. We have talked about leaving a legacy in this tournament and hopefully we can get to major tournaments more often,&quot; McAuley told a news conference. 
 
&quot;A lot of people did not give us a chance of getting a point when the draw was made but this is what Northern Ireland are all about -- proving people wrong.&quot; 
 
The Irish meet Germany in their final Group C match and McAuley said there was no pressure on his team although they are tantalisingly close to reaching the last 16. 
 
&quot;They are the world champions. It&#39;s going to be a tough, tough game but football is a romantic game too and sometimes the underdogs come through,&quot; he added. 
 
&quot;There is no pressure from the outside, our fans support us no matter what. They are happy to be here and that&#39;s the most important thing for us.&quot; 
 
Coach Michael O&#39;Neill praised his team for bouncing back from their opening 1-0 defeat by Poland and said playing at Olympique Lyonnais&#39; new ground was a factor. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a fantastic stadium to play in,&quot; he explained. &quot;I said to my players when we arrived that if you are not looking forward to playing here, you&#39;re in the wrong industry. 
 
&quot;It was a fantastic performance. We were positive from the outset in every aspect,&quot; added O&#39;Neill. 
 
&quot;When we came here we wanted to make sure we would head into the last game with something to play for and we&#39;ve given ourselves a really good chance of qualification.&quot; 
 
Asked if dropping five starters from the Poland game was crucial, O&#39;Neill said: &quot;I had big decisions to make as it&#39;s never easy to leave players out and thankfully the changes paid off.&quot;

The team snapped back after its opening defeat against Poland

Northern Ireland's 2-0 Euro 2016 win over Ukraine on Thursday should help squads of the future to believe they can reach major tournaments more regularly, said defender Gareth McAuley. The towering center back was named man of the match after a flawless performance in front of his own goal was garnished by an unstoppable header at the other end that put his team 1-0 up early in the second half. Substitute Niall McGinn put the icing on the cake with a crafty second goal in stoppage time for the Irish who are featuring in a major finals for the first time since 1986. "It's been a long time. We have talked about leaving a legacy in this tournament and hopefully we can get to major tournaments more often," McAuley told a news conference. "A lot of people did not give us a chance of getting a point when the draw was made but this is what Northern Ireland are all about -- proving people wrong." The Irish meet Germany in their final Group C match and McAuley said there was no pressure on his team although they are tantalisingly close to reaching the last 16. "They are the world champions. It's going to be a tough, tough game but football is a romantic game too and sometimes the underdogs come through," he added. "There is no pressure from the outside, our fans support us no matter what. They are happy to be here and that's the most important thing for us." Coach Michael O'Neill praised his team for bouncing back from their opening 1-0 defeat by Poland and said playing at Olympique Lyonnais' new ground was a factor. "It's a fantastic stadium to play in," he explained. "I said to my players when we arrived that if you are not looking forward to playing here, you're in the wrong industry. "It was a fantastic performance. We were positive from the outset in every aspect," added O'Neill. "When we came here we wanted to make sure we would head into the last game with something to play for and we've given ourselves a really good chance of qualification." Asked if dropping five starters from the Poland game was crucial, O'Neill said: "I had big decisions to make as it's never easy to leave players out and thankfully the changes paid off."

Northern Ireland 'underdogs' record dramatic win against Ukraine, advance to Euro 2016 major finals

Leonid Slutsky has stepped down as head coach of the national team, the Russian Football Union (RFU) said on Thursday. 
 
Slutsky announced he would not extend his contract after Russia were knocked out of the European Championship last week, finishing bottom of Group B with one point from three games.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The RFU would like to thank Leonid Slutsky, who helped Russia to qualify for the 2016 European Championships, for his professionalism and we wish him all the success in his coaching career,&quot; the RFU said in a statement on its website (www.rfs.ru). &nbsp; 
 
&quot;Information regarding the new coaching staff of the Russian team will be published on the RFU&#39;s official website as soon as there is any information,&quot; it added.&nbsp; 
 
The 45-year-old, who is also CSKA Moscow coach, had been in charge of the national team since August 2015.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

Leonid Slutsky, who is also CSKA Moscow coach, had been in charge of the national team since August 2015

Leonid Slutsky has stepped down as head coach of the national team, the Russian Football Union (RFU) said on Thursday. Slutsky announced he would not extend his contract after Russia were knocked out of the European Championship last week, finishing bottom of Group B with one point from three games. "The RFU would like to thank Leonid Slutsky, who helped Russia to qualify for the 2016 European Championships, for his professionalism and we wish him all the success in his coaching career," the RFU said in a statement on its website (www.rfs.ru). "Information regarding the new coaching staff of the Russian team will be published on the RFU's official website as soon as there is any information," it added. The 45-year-old, who is also CSKA Moscow coach, had been in charge of the national team since August 2015. (Reuters)

Russia coach Slutsky leaves job after Euro 2016 debacle

Wales outplayed Russia 3-0, scoring twice in the opening 20 minutes, as they moved into the round of 16 at Euro 2016 by winning Group B on Monday.

Aaron Ramsey dinked the ball over Igor Akinfeev to finish off a counter-attack in the 11th minute and Neil Taylor added a second, also from a counter-attack nine minutes later as Wales took early control.

Russia had no answer to the fast, incisive Welsh breaks and survived several more chances before Gareth Bale scored his third goal of the tournament to become Euro 2016&#39;s top marksman, flicking the third past Akinfeev in the 67th minute.

Wales topped the group with six points, one ahead of England, who finished second after a 0-0 draw with Slovakia.

Chris Coleman&#39;s team will now play one of the third-placed sides in Paris on Saturday with every hope of reaching the last eight, as they did in 1976. It was a glorious night for Welsh football in what had been described as the country&#39;s biggest game since the 1958 World Cup quarter-final.

Their players and supporters celebrated wildly while Russian fans, who had caused trouble at the end of their first match against England, slunk away.

Russia now go home with much to think about before hosting the World Cup in two years time.

Wales, mostly on the back foot in the previous game against England, rediscovered the attacking brio that had enabled them to beat Slovakia before that.

Bale, the scorer of a direct free kick in each of the two previous games to equal a European Championship record, was close with several fine efforts before becoming the first player since the Czech Milan Baros in 2004 to score in three successive games at the European finals.

Bale was outstanding in running at a Russian defence that allowed far too space to him and Ramsey, and also in breaking in support of Sam Vokes, the surprise selection in attack in place of Hal Robson-Kanu.

The Russian rarguard was not helped by their revamped midfield, which showed three changes from the last game but were outplayed by Joe Ledley and the tigerish Joe Allen.

Wales went at the opposition from the first minute. Bale set the tone by coming inside and hitting a fierce shot that Akinfeev could not hold.

Russia survived that but were behind when Allen played a perfect through ball for Ramsey, just onside, to place his shot over Akinfeev.

Before a quarter of the game had been played they were two goals to the good, Taylor taking advantage of an involuntary jab by Russian captain Roman Shirokov to score at the second attempt.

It was the first international goal from a player who last scored at club level six years ago.

Bale made chances for Vokes and Ramsey before the end of a first half in which Russia&#39;s only threatening moment stemmed from a long clearance by Akinfeev.

Ashley Williams could not control it and Wayne Hennessey had to save from Artem Dzyuba at close range.

As in the 2-1 defeat by Slovakia, Russian coach Leonid Slutski made two early changes in the second half but this time there was no great improvement.

Ramsey, named man of the match, put Bale in for a chip that Akinfeev managed to touch wide of the far post and when the pair repeated their combination, the goalkeeper&#39;s slight touch could not prevent a third goal. 
 
(Reuters)

It was a glorious night for Welsh football in what had been described as the country's biggest game since the 1958 World Cup quarter-final

Wales outplayed Russia 3-0, scoring twice in the opening 20 minutes, as they moved into the round of 16 at Euro 2016 by winning Group B on Monday. Aaron Ramsey dinked the ball over Igor Akinfeev to finish off a counter-attack in the 11th minute and Neil Taylor added a second, also from a counter-attack nine minutes later as Wales took early control. Russia had no answer to the fast, incisive Welsh breaks and survived several more chances before Gareth Bale scored his third goal of the tournament to become Euro 2016's top marksman, flicking the third past Akinfeev in the 67th minute. Wales topped the group with six points, one ahead of England, who finished second after a 0-0 draw with Slovakia. Chris Coleman's team will now play one of the third-placed sides in Paris on Saturday with every hope of reaching the last eight, as they did in 1976. It was a glorious night for Welsh football in what had been described as the country's biggest game since the 1958 World Cup quarter-final. Their players and supporters celebrated wildly while Russian fans, who had caused trouble at the end of their first match against England, slunk away. Russia now go home with much to think about before hosting the World Cup in two years time. Wales, mostly on the back foot in the previous game against England, rediscovered the attacking brio that had enabled them to beat Slovakia before that. Bale, the scorer of a direct free kick in each of the two previous games to equal a European Championship record, was close with several fine efforts before becoming the first player since the Czech Milan Baros in 2004 to score in three successive games at the European finals. Bale was outstanding in running at a Russian defence that allowed far too space to him and Ramsey, and also in breaking in support of Sam Vokes, the surprise selection in attack in place of Hal Robson-Kanu. The Russian rarguard was not helped by their revamped midfield, which showed three changes from the last game but were outplayed by Joe Ledley and the tigerish Joe Allen. Wales went at the opposition from the first minute. Bale set the tone by coming inside and hitting a fierce shot that Akinfeev could not hold. Russia survived that but were behind when Allen played a perfect through ball for Ramsey, just onside, to place his shot over Akinfeev. Before a quarter of the game had been played they were two goals to the good, Taylor taking advantage of an involuntary jab by Russian captain Roman Shirokov to score at the second attempt. It was the first international goal from a player who last scored at club level six years ago. Bale made chances for Vokes and Ramsey before the end of a first half in which Russia's only threatening moment stemmed from a long clearance by Akinfeev. Ashley Williams could not control it and Wayne Hennessey had to save from Artem Dzyuba at close range. As in the 2-1 defeat by Slovakia, Russian coach Leonid Slutski made two early changes in the second half but this time there was no great improvement. Ramsey, named man of the match, put Bale in for a chip that Akinfeev managed to touch wide of the far post and when the pair repeated their combination, the goalkeeper's slight touch could not prevent a third goal. (Reuters)

Wales thump Russia 3-0 to top group, move into last 16

Germany thumped Slovakia 3-0 with goals from Jerome Boateng, Mario Gomez and Julian Draxler to cruise into the Euro 2016 quarter-finals on Sunday and confirmed their status as tournament favourites with a sparkling performance. 
 
Central defender Boateng, who had been passed fit after an injury, connected perfectly with a clearance in the eighth minute to volley home from 25 metres for his first international goal as the world champions took control from the start. 
 
The Germans, who next face either holders Spain or Italy, saw Mesut Ozil&#39;s weak 13th minute penalty saved but Gomez made no mistake two minutes from halftime when he tapped home a perfect cut back from the marauding Julian Draxler. 
 
Draxler, coming into the starting lineup for the lacklustre Mario Goetze, was then left with far too much space at the far post to volley in their third just past the hour as the Germans kept a fourth straight clean sheet at the finals. 
 
Comfortable with either foot, the winger utilised his speed and intelligence to good effect, helping his side pin the Slovaks in their own half for much of the opening period. 
 
Deflected volley 
 
Boateng opened the scoring with a deflected volley following a corner and ran to celebrate with team doctor Hans-Wilhelm Mueller-Wohlfahrt, who helped him recover from a muscle injury sustained in their last group game with Northern Ireland. 
 
Ozil&#39;s weak penalty, well saved by Matus Kozacik, was one of the few blemishes in an otherwise superb Germany performance. 
 
Slovakia may have got the better of the Germans in a pre-Euro 2016 friendly but, apart from a few forays forward, they were all at sea. 
 
Five minutes before halftime Juraj Kucka forced a flying save from Germany captain Manuel Neuer as he sent Peter Pekarik&#39;s cross toward the top corner. 
 
Germany hit back immediately, Draxler turning Kucka inside out before squaring for Gomez to stab the ball home from close range to make it 2-0. 
 
Slovakia were marginally better in the second half but when the excellent Draxler hooked a volley into the top corner in the 63rd minute there was no way back. 
 
Draxler and Boateng were replaced by Lukas Podolski and Benedikt Hoewedes nine minutes later as the game took on the air of a friendly with Germany&#39;s place in the last eight against Spain or Italy already booked. 
 
(Reuters)

Slovakia were slightly better in the 2nd half, but when Draxler hooked a volley into top corner in the 63rd minute, there was no way back

Germany thumped Slovakia 3-0 with goals from Jerome Boateng, Mario Gomez and Julian Draxler to cruise into the Euro 2016 quarter-finals on Sunday and confirmed their status as tournament favourites with a sparkling performance. Central defender Boateng, who had been passed fit after an injury, connected perfectly with a clearance in the eighth minute to volley home from 25 metres for his first international goal as the world champions took control from the start. The Germans, who next face either holders Spain or Italy, saw Mesut Ozil's weak 13th minute penalty saved but Gomez made no mistake two minutes from halftime when he tapped home a perfect cut back from the marauding Julian Draxler. Draxler, coming into the starting lineup for the lacklustre Mario Goetze, was then left with far too much space at the far post to volley in their third just past the hour as the Germans kept a fourth straight clean sheet at the finals. Comfortable with either foot, the winger utilised his speed and intelligence to good effect, helping his side pin the Slovaks in their own half for much of the opening period. Deflected volley Boateng opened the scoring with a deflected volley following a corner and ran to celebrate with team doctor Hans-Wilhelm Mueller-Wohlfahrt, who helped him recover from a muscle injury sustained in their last group game with Northern Ireland. Ozil's weak penalty, well saved by Matus Kozacik, was one of the few blemishes in an otherwise superb Germany performance. Slovakia may have got the better of the Germans in a pre-Euro 2016 friendly but, apart from a few forays forward, they were all at sea. Five minutes before halftime Juraj Kucka forced a flying save from Germany captain Manuel Neuer as he sent Peter Pekarik's cross toward the top corner. Germany hit back immediately, Draxler turning Kucka inside out before squaring for Gomez to stab the ball home from close range to make it 2-0. Slovakia were marginally better in the second half but when the excellent Draxler hooked a volley into the top corner in the 63rd minute there was no way back. Draxler and Boateng were replaced by Lukas Podolski and Benedikt Hoewedes nine minutes later as the game took on the air of a friendly with Germany's place in the last eight against Spain or Italy already booked. (Reuters)

Euro 2016: Germany cruise into last eight with sparkling 3-0 Slovakia win

Switzerland winger Xherdan Shaqiri said he hoped sportswear maker Puma &quot;doesn&#39;t make condoms&quot; after several Swiss players ended their Euro 2016 match with France with shredded jerseys. 
 
The German company blamed a material flaw after four Swiss players -- Admir Mehmedi, Breel Embolo, Blerim Dzemaili and Granit Xhaka -- had to change their shirts in the first half of the goalless draw in Lille on Sunday. 
 
Recent Arsenal recruit Xhaka had to change his shirt again in the second half. 
 
&quot;I hope Puma doesn&#39;t make condoms,&quot; Shaqiri told Switzerland&#39;s SRF broadcaster. 
 
Former England striker Gary Lineker took the opportunity to poke fun on Twitter, writing: &quot;Swiss team&#39;s Puma shirts tearing like paper. Adidas ball bursting. You can never rely on German efficiency!&quot; 
 
During the same match, the Adidas ball used burst in a tackle by Swiss midfielder Valon Behrami. 
 
In a statement, Puma said that &quot;our five Puma teams have played 10 games at Euro 2016 before this without experiencing this problem&quot;. 
 
It later followed up to say that, in all, seven jerseys were ripped Sunday in &quot;grabbing and tugging by French opponents&quot; in the European Championship match. 
 
It said its investigation had found that &quot;there was a faulty batch of material in which the yarn was damaged during production&quot;. 
 
It blamed incorrect application of heat and pressure in the manufacturing process in a workshop in Turkey and promised that &quot;there will not be a repetition&quot; of the flaw. 
 
Puma is also the supplier for the teams of Austria, Czech Republic, Italy and Slovakia. 
 
All of them had &quot;confirmed that they had no problems of this kind and are very satisfied with the quality, functionality and design of the shirts,&quot; said the company. 
 
&quot;Puma regrets the incident and apologises to the Swiss Football Association and its players,&quot; it added. 
 
The Swiss shirts will be needed for at least one more match as the team has qualified for the second round. 
 
Puma&#39;s German rival Adidas said today that it had agreed a four-year deal to remain kit supplier to Germany until 2022, worth more than 50 million euros ($56.5 million) a year. 
 
The agreement with the world champions came in the face of competition from US giant Nike for the prestigious contract. 
(AFP)

Puma blamed for material flaw after four Swiss players had to change their shirts in the first half of the goalless draw in Lille on Sunday

Switzerland winger Xherdan Shaqiri said he hoped sportswear maker Puma "doesn't make condoms" after several Swiss players ended their Euro 2016 match with France with shredded jerseys. The German company blamed a material flaw after four Swiss players -- Admir Mehmedi, Breel Embolo, Blerim Dzemaili and Granit Xhaka -- had to change their shirts in the first half of the goalless draw in Lille on Sunday. Recent Arsenal recruit Xhaka had to change his shirt again in the second half. "I hope Puma doesn't make condoms," Shaqiri told Switzerland's SRF broadcaster. Former England striker Gary Lineker took the opportunity to poke fun on Twitter, writing: "Swiss team's Puma shirts tearing like paper. Adidas ball bursting. You can never rely on German efficiency!" During the same match, the Adidas ball used burst in a tackle by Swiss midfielder Valon Behrami. In a statement, Puma said that "our five Puma teams have played 10 games at Euro 2016 before this without experiencing this problem". It later followed up to say that, in all, seven jerseys were ripped Sunday in "grabbing and tugging by French opponents" in the European Championship match. It said its investigation had found that "there was a faulty batch of material in which the yarn was damaged during production". It blamed incorrect application of heat and pressure in the manufacturing process in a workshop in Turkey and promised that "there will not be a repetition" of the flaw. Puma is also the supplier for the teams of Austria, Czech Republic, Italy and Slovakia. All of them had "confirmed that they had no problems of this kind and are very satisfied with the quality, functionality and design of the shirts," said the company. "Puma regrets the incident and apologises to the Swiss Football Association and its players," it added. The Swiss shirts will be needed for at least one more match as the team has qualified for the second round. Puma's German rival Adidas said today that it had agreed a four-year deal to remain kit supplier to Germany until 2022, worth more than 50 million euros ($56.5 million) a year. The agreement with the world champions came in the face of competition from US giant Nike for the prestigious contract. (AFP)

?'I hope Puma don't make condoms' says Shaqiri

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said that despite security measures in place, there is &quot;not zero risk&quot; of &quot;terrorist crimes&quot; during the the Euro 2016 tournament. 
 
Cazeneuve made the remarks at a news conference after attending a meeting of the ministerial committee on security in Paris today 
 
&quot;We can always be confronted, when taking all the precautions, by individual acts from covert people or groups who have used encrypted ways to commit terrorist crimes. So we have to have the lucidity to say that the sum of precautions that we are taking does not mean there is zero risk, even if these precautions have allowed until now for the competition to carry on under good conditions,&quot; he said. 
 
Cazeneuve said French police had arrested 557 people to date for violence or other unlawful behaviour. Several were handed immediate jail sentences and 21 others were expelled from French territory. 
 
The prospect of a militant Islamist attack remained the main preoccupation, he said. 
 
&quot;The key word for what concerns me and the for what concerns the organisation teams and security teams is absolute vigilance and zero tolerance,&quot; said UEFA Euro 2016 president Jacques Lambert, who also attended the news conference along with the French minister for Cities, Youth and Sport Patrick Kanner. 
 
France is on high alert for such an assault since the November 13 attacks in Paris claimed by Islamic State. A state of emergency remains in place for the duration of the tournament.

French police had arrested 557 people to date for violence and 21 others were expelled from French territory

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said that despite security measures in place, there is "not zero risk" of "terrorist crimes" during the the Euro 2016 tournament. Cazeneuve made the remarks at a news conference after attending a meeting of the ministerial committee on security in Paris today "We can always be confronted, when taking all the precautions, by individual acts from covert people or groups who have used encrypted ways to commit terrorist crimes. So we have to have the lucidity to say that the sum of precautions that we are taking does not mean there is zero risk, even if these precautions have allowed until now for the competition to carry on under good conditions," he said. Cazeneuve said French police had arrested 557 people to date for violence or other unlawful behaviour. Several were handed immediate jail sentences and 21 others were expelled from French territory. The prospect of a militant Islamist attack remained the main preoccupation, he said. "The key word for what concerns me and the for what concerns the organisation teams and security teams is absolute vigilance and zero tolerance," said UEFA Euro 2016 president Jacques Lambert, who also attended the news conference along with the French minister for Cities, Youth and Sport Patrick Kanner. France is on high alert for such an assault since the November 13 attacks in Paris claimed by Islamic State. A state of emergency remains in place for the duration of the tournament.

Threat remains despite security precautions during Euro games - French Interior Minister

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

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

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

New boss Sam Allardyce vows to improve England team mentality

The thousands of Welsh supporters who have brought their nation&#39;s famed singing, not to mention plenty of plastic dragons, to a major tournament after a wait of more that half-a-century are steeling themselves to hit the heights -- or rock bottom -- on Monday. 
 
Currently in second place in Euro 2016 group B with three points, Wales could finish either top or bottom of their section, depending on their own result against Russia here and England&#39;s against Slovakia. 
 
If they beat the Russians, who have only one point, and neighbours England fail to win, Chris Coleman&#39;s side would be proud group winners, qualifying for a round of 16 match in the Parc des Princes next Saturday against a third-placed team. 
 
At the other extreme, defeat, and at least a point for Slovakia, would leave them fourth. 
 
A modicum of pride would undoubtedly remain, but such an outcome would be a real anti-climax after the excitement of beating the Slovaks 2-1 in the opening game and then holding England until the final minute in a 2-1 defeat. 
 
Russia&#39;s 2-1 defeat by Slovakia undid all the good work of their resilience in snatching a late equaliser against England and leaves them vulnerable to an early return home and charges of under-achievement. 
 
In historic and geo-political terms there should be no contest between a nation of 144 million people and one with a population of three million -- larger than only Albania, Northern Ireland and Iceland of the 24 countries here. 
 
Russia have never lost to Wales in their four meetings, but the margins have been tight, like so many matches at this low-scoring tournament. 
 
Coach Leonid Slutski knows his team must avoid conceding free kicks within shooting range for Gareth Bale, a mistake that both Slovakia and England were punished for making. 
 
The Real Madrid player scored with direct long range efforts, bringing back memories of Michel Platini&#39;s ability with a dead ball when France last hosted the European Championship in 1984. 
 
Coleman knows he can count on his one superstar. He will be more concerned about a defence that conceded only four goals in the qualifying campaign but has been beaten almost as many times in two games here. 
 
Changing from his system of three at the back is a possibility, but perhaps too radical a departure at this late and crucial stage. 
 
(Reuters)

Wales is in second place in Group B with three points, and their fate depends on their result against Russia and England against Slovakia

The thousands of Welsh supporters who have brought their nation's famed singing, not to mention plenty of plastic dragons, to a major tournament after a wait of more that half-a-century are steeling themselves to hit the heights -- or rock bottom -- on Monday. Currently in second place in Euro 2016 group B with three points, Wales could finish either top or bottom of their section, depending on their own result against Russia here and England's against Slovakia. If they beat the Russians, who have only one point, and neighbours England fail to win, Chris Coleman's side would be proud group winners, qualifying for a round of 16 match in the Parc des Princes next Saturday against a third-placed team. At the other extreme, defeat, and at least a point for Slovakia, would leave them fourth. A modicum of pride would undoubtedly remain, but such an outcome would be a real anti-climax after the excitement of beating the Slovaks 2-1 in the opening game and then holding England until the final minute in a 2-1 defeat. Russia's 2-1 defeat by Slovakia undid all the good work of their resilience in snatching a late equaliser against England and leaves them vulnerable to an early return home and charges of under-achievement. In historic and geo-political terms there should be no contest between a nation of 144 million people and one with a population of three million -- larger than only Albania, Northern Ireland and Iceland of the 24 countries here. Russia have never lost to Wales in their four meetings, but the margins have been tight, like so many matches at this low-scoring tournament. Coach Leonid Slutski knows his team must avoid conceding free kicks within shooting range for Gareth Bale, a mistake that both Slovakia and England were punished for making. The Real Madrid player scored with direct long range efforts, bringing back memories of Michel Platini's ability with a dead ball when France last hosted the European Championship in 1984. Coleman knows he can count on his one superstar. He will be more concerned about a defence that conceded only four goals in the qualifying campaign but has been beaten almost as many times in two games here. Changing from his system of three at the back is a possibility, but perhaps too radical a departure at this late and crucial stage. (Reuters)

Wales could hit heights or depths in final countdown

Cristiano Ronaldo predicted Portugal&#39;s Euro 2016 hero Eder would score the winning goal in their 1-0 extra-time triumph over France and gave him the encouragement to settle Sunday&#39;s final. 
 
Eder came on in the 79th minute and, having played only 13 minutes at the tournament before his introduction, struck the winner with a venomous long-range strike in the 109th minute. 
 
Portugal were outsiders to win the final and were dealt a significant blow early on when their talismanic captain Ronaldo had to be replaced through injury in the 25th minute. 
 
Eder, who plays for French side Lille, said his captain&#39;s words had inspired him to make the decisive contribution. 
 
&quot;(Ronaldo) told me I would score the winning goal for the team,&quot; the striker told O Jogo. &quot;He gave me this strength, this energy and it was vital. 
 
&quot;It was a goal I&#39;ve been working for from the first minute of the Euros. 
 
&quot;For all the work we did, for all of the Portuguese, it&#39;s fantastic,&quot; he added. &quot;It&#39;s well deserved and we should all be congratulated.&quot; 
 
France had better chances in regular time but were unable to capitalise on their superiority despite Ronaldo&#39;s exit. 
 
Portugal coach Fernando Santos brought on Eder for Renato Sanches and he broke the deadlock in the extra period after muscling his way past defender Laurent Koscielny before firing a low right-foot shot into the corner of Hugo Lloris&#39;s goal. 
 
&quot;The disappointment is immense,&quot; his club Lille wrote on their official Twitter account, &quot;but there is considerable pride to be able to count such an attacker in our ranks.&quot; 
 
Eder&#39;s winner gave Portugal their first major title and ended a run of 10 straight defeats by France since 1975. 
 
(Reuters)

Eder came on in the 79th minute, struck the winner with a long-range strike in the 109th minute

Cristiano Ronaldo predicted Portugal's Euro 2016 hero Eder would score the winning goal in their 1-0 extra-time triumph over France and gave him the encouragement to settle Sunday's final. Eder came on in the 79th minute and, having played only 13 minutes at the tournament before his introduction, struck the winner with a venomous long-range strike in the 109th minute. Portugal were outsiders to win the final and were dealt a significant blow early on when their talismanic captain Ronaldo had to be replaced through injury in the 25th minute. Eder, who plays for French side Lille, said his captain's words had inspired him to make the decisive contribution. "(Ronaldo) told me I would score the winning goal for the team," the striker told O Jogo. "He gave me this strength, this energy and it was vital. "It was a goal I've been working for from the first minute of the Euros. "For all the work we did, for all of the Portuguese, it's fantastic," he added. "It's well deserved and we should all be congratulated." France had better chances in regular time but were unable to capitalise on their superiority despite Ronaldo's exit. Portugal coach Fernando Santos brought on Eder for Renato Sanches and he broke the deadlock in the extra period after muscling his way past defender Laurent Koscielny before firing a low right-foot shot into the corner of Hugo Lloris's goal. "The disappointment is immense," his club Lille wrote on their official Twitter account, "but there is considerable pride to be able to count such an attacker in our ranks." Eder's winner gave Portugal their first major title and ended a run of 10 straight defeats by France since 1975. (Reuters)

Ronaldo told me I'd score the winner, says Portugal's Eder

'This is what the country is about,' he said. 'Proving people wrong'

We want to leave a legacy, says Northern Ireland's Auley

Mexico&#39;s Jesus Manuel Corona weaved his way past five players before firing home in the 80th minute to give his side a 1-1 draw with Venezuela. The draw assured Mexico of the top spot in Group C of the Copa America on Monday. 
 
By topping the group Mexico are likely to avoid Argentina in the quarter-finals. Argentina require just a point in their final game against Bolivia to be sure of top spot in Group D. 
 
Mexico and Venezuela each finished with seven points from their three matches but &#39;El Tri&#39; had a superior goal difference. 
 
Venezuela had seized the advantage in the 10th minute when Jose Manuel Velazquez silenced the pro-Mexico crown in Houston with a sensational overhead kick. 
 
Venezuela&rsquo;s Josef Martinez came close to scoring with a bicycle kick but Mexico goalkeeper Jose de Jesus Corona saved well. Venezuela keeper Daniel Hernandez also produced a string of saves before conceding his first goal of the tournament. 
 
In the group&#39;s other match, Uruguay finished thetournament on a high with a 3-0 victory over Jamaica in Santa Clara, California. 
 
With both teams already eliminated after losing their opening two games, Uruguay went ahead through Abel Hernandez in the 21st minute, doubled their lead on an own goal in the 66th minute before Mathias Corujo made it 3-0. 
 
Jamaica ended the tournament without picking up a point or scoring a goal.

Mexico are now top of group C at Copa America 2016

Mexico's Jesus Manuel Corona weaved his way past five players before firing home in the 80th minute to give his side a 1-1 draw with Venezuela. The draw assured Mexico of the top spot in Group C of the Copa America on Monday. By topping the group Mexico are likely to avoid Argentina in the quarter-finals. Argentina require just a point in their final game against Bolivia to be sure of top spot in Group D. Mexico and Venezuela each finished with seven points from their three matches but 'El Tri' had a superior goal difference. Venezuela had seized the advantage in the 10th minute when Jose Manuel Velazquez silenced the pro-Mexico crown in Houston with a sensational overhead kick. Venezuela’s Josef Martinez came close to scoring with a bicycle kick but Mexico goalkeeper Jose de Jesus Corona saved well. Venezuela keeper Daniel Hernandez also produced a string of saves before conceding his first goal of the tournament. In the group's other match, Uruguay finished thetournament on a high with a 3-0 victory over Jamaica in Santa Clara, California. With both teams already eliminated after losing their opening two games, Uruguay went ahead through Abel Hernandez in the 21st minute, doubled their lead on an own goal in the 66th minute before Mathias Corujo made it 3-0. Jamaica ended the tournament without picking up a point or scoring a goal.

Mexico draws with Venezuela, Uruguay beat Jamaica

Louis van Gaal was a contender to take over as Belgium&#39;s coach but in the end made himself unavailable, Belgian newspapers reported today two days after Roberto Martinez was handed the post. 
 
Van Gaal, dismissed by Manchester United despite winning the FA Cup in May, had a discussion about the job with Belgian football association vice president Bert Verhaeghe, according to Het Nieuwsblad. 
 
He decided not to pursue discussions, saying he would keep a promise to his wife to take a year away from the game, but a future role was not ruled out, reports added. 
 
The Belgians named former Everton manager Martinez as coach on Wednesday but had also discussed the post, which fell vacant when Marc Wilmots was sacked after the European Championship, with Dick Advocaat, Rolf Rangnick and Rudi Garcia. 
 
Martinez had been out of work since being sacked by Everton in May after a frustrating season when they finished 11th in the Premier League amid considerable supporter unrest at Goodison Park. 
 
His first match in charge will be against his native Spain on Sept. 1. 
 
Belgium boast a number of high-profile, talented players such as Chelsea&#39;s Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois and Manchester City&#39;s Vincent Kompany and Kevin De Bruyne. 
 
They have climbed to second in FIFA&#39;s world rankings but failed to live up to their potential under Wilmots, falling short of expectations at the 2014 World Cup and at Euro 2016, where they lost to Wales in the quarter-finals. 
 
(Reuters)

The Belgians named former Everton manager Roberto Martinez as coach on Wednesday

Louis van Gaal was a contender to take over as Belgium's coach but in the end made himself unavailable, Belgian newspapers reported today two days after Roberto Martinez was handed the post. Van Gaal, dismissed by Manchester United despite winning the FA Cup in May, had a discussion about the job with Belgian football association vice president Bert Verhaeghe, according to Het Nieuwsblad. He decided not to pursue discussions, saying he would keep a promise to his wife to take a year away from the game, but a future role was not ruled out, reports added. The Belgians named former Everton manager Martinez as coach on Wednesday but had also discussed the post, which fell vacant when Marc Wilmots was sacked after the European Championship, with Dick Advocaat, Rolf Rangnick and Rudi Garcia. Martinez had been out of work since being sacked by Everton in May after a frustrating season when they finished 11th in the Premier League amid considerable supporter unrest at Goodison Park. His first match in charge will be against his native Spain on Sept. 1. Belgium boast a number of high-profile, talented players such as Chelsea's Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois and Manchester City's Vincent Kompany and Kevin De Bruyne. They have climbed to second in FIFA's world rankings but failed to live up to their potential under Wilmots, falling short of expectations at the 2014 World Cup and at Euro 2016, where they lost to Wales in the quarter-finals. (Reuters)

Van Gaal was contender for Belgium job: Media reports

Any sliver of a doubt over whether Cristiano Ronaldo would lead Portugal into the Euro 2016 was erased on Tuesday when he was named in their 23-man squad for the finals.

The 31-year-old forward, who scored the decisive penalty as Real Madrid won their 11th European Cup last weekend, will skip Portugal&#39;s friendly against England at Wembley on Thursday.

Ronaldo is merely recharging his batteries on holiday in Ibiza after a long season, however, and will join up with the squad in plenty of time for their opening fixture against Iceland on June 14 in Saint Etienne.

Coach Fernando Santos, whose team will also meet Hungary and Austria in Group F, was able to confirm the squad he announced on May 17.

Goalkeepers: Anthony Lopes (Olympique Lyon), Eduardo (D?namo Zagreb), Rui Patricio (Sporting)

Defenders: Bruno Alves (Fenerbah?e), Cedric (Southampton), Jose Fonte (Southampton), Eliseu (Benfica), Pepe (Real Madrid), Raphael Guerreiro (Lorient), Ricardo Carvalho (Monaco), Vieirinha (VfL Wolfsburg).

Midfielders: Adrien Silva (Sporting), Joao Mario (Sporting), William Carvalho (Sporting), Andre Gomes (Valencia), Danilo Pereira (Porto), Renato Sanches (Benfica), Joao Moutinho (Monaco)

Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Eder (Lille), Nani (Fenerbahce), Rafa (Braga), Ricardo Quaresma (Besiktas)

But he will skip friendly against England on Thursday

Any sliver of a doubt over whether Cristiano Ronaldo would lead Portugal into the Euro 2016 was erased on Tuesday when he was named in their 23-man squad for the finals. The 31-year-old forward, who scored the decisive penalty as Real Madrid won their 11th European Cup last weekend, will skip Portugal's friendly against England at Wembley on Thursday. Ronaldo is merely recharging his batteries on holiday in Ibiza after a long season, however, and will join up with the squad in plenty of time for their opening fixture against Iceland on June 14 in Saint Etienne. Coach Fernando Santos, whose team will also meet Hungary and Austria in Group F, was able to confirm the squad he announced on May 17. Goalkeepers: Anthony Lopes (Olympique Lyon), Eduardo (D?namo Zagreb), Rui Patricio (Sporting) Defenders: Bruno Alves (Fenerbah?e), Cedric (Southampton), Jose Fonte (Southampton), Eliseu (Benfica), Pepe (Real Madrid), Raphael Guerreiro (Lorient), Ricardo Carvalho (Monaco), Vieirinha (VfL Wolfsburg). Midfielders: Adrien Silva (Sporting), Joao Mario (Sporting), William Carvalho (Sporting), Andre Gomes (Valencia), Danilo Pereira (Porto), Renato Sanches (Benfica), Joao Moutinho (Monaco) Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Eder (Lille), Nani (Fenerbahce), Rafa (Braga), Ricardo Quaresma (Besiktas)

Ronaldo to lead Portugal at Euro 2016

Argentina football legend Diego Maradona was unable to travel to Dubai because his passport was &quot;stolen&quot;, the World Cup winner&#39;s lawyer said. 
 
&quot;They (Buenos Aires airport authorities) told him his passport&nbsp;had been reported as stolen despite Diego holding it in his hands!&quot; Diego Morla, Maradona&#39;s lawyer said. 
 
&quot;Diego is really surprised by this saga, which has strangely happened right after he criticised the government,&quot; Morla told AFP. 
 
Maradona had recently slammed the new government. He had said the country had fallen to its knees ever since the Mauricio Macri administration had come to power. 
 
&quot;Logically, I&#39;d like for Macri to turn things around and give some joy to the people, but for now all I see is firings,&quot; Maradona had told Argentina&#39;s radio La Red.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP)

The football legend was unable to travel to the Middle East despite him carrying his passport with him

Argentina football legend Diego Maradona was unable to travel to Dubai because his passport was "stolen", the World Cup winner's lawyer said. "They (Buenos Aires airport authorities) told him his passport had been reported as stolen despite Diego holding it in his hands!" Diego Morla, Maradona's lawyer said. "Diego is really surprised by this saga, which has strangely happened right after he criticised the government," Morla told AFP. Maradona had recently slammed the new government. He had said the country had fallen to its knees ever since the Mauricio Macri administration had come to power. "Logically, I'd like for Macri to turn things around and give some joy to the people, but for now all I see is firings," Maradona had told Argentina's radio La Red. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Maradona denied Dubai travel over 'stolen' passport

FIFA officials on Saturday expressed satisfaction with the pace of work in India&#39;s southern Kochi city, which is one of the provisional venues for its Under-17 World Cup next year. 
 
Earlier in the day, state chief of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, chaired a high-level meet with Tournament Director of FIFA Under 17&#39;s Local Organising Committee (LOC), Jevier Ceppi, and other officials to review the preparations. The delegation later visited the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, where construction work is underway. 
 
&quot;Work is moving, which is something that is important. Work needs to keep at the pace or even improve the pace to make sure that everything is ready by October 2016. So I am sure that now with government assuring that everything will be ready, I am agreeing that everything will be ready by October 2016. They make all their best efforts to happen,&quot; said Ceppi. 
 
He added that six Indian cities have been provisionally selected, and if preparations are not up to the mark, these particular cities might not host the mega event. 
 
An evaluation team from the FIFA will visit the venues in October to inspect their level of preparedness. Apart from Kochi, the other shortlisted venues are New Delhi, Navi Mumbai, Kolkata, Guwahati, and Margao. 
 
This will be the first time India hosts the FIFA World Cup tournament and also makes its World Cup debut. The host nation automatically enters the tournament. The event will take place sometime around October 2017. 
 
It will be the biggest soccer tournament staged in India, who won the nomination by beating bids from 2010 World Cup hosts South Africa and Uzbekistan. 
 
(Reuters) 
 
&nbsp;

This will be the first time India hosts the FIFA World Cup tournament and also makes its World Cup debut. The event will take place in 2017

FIFA officials on Saturday expressed satisfaction with the pace of work in India's southern Kochi city, which is one of the provisional venues for its Under-17 World Cup next year. Earlier in the day, state chief of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, chaired a high-level meet with Tournament Director of FIFA Under 17's Local Organising Committee (LOC), Jevier Ceppi, and other officials to review the preparations. The delegation later visited the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, where construction work is underway. "Work is moving, which is something that is important. Work needs to keep at the pace or even improve the pace to make sure that everything is ready by October 2016. So I am sure that now with government assuring that everything will be ready, I am agreeing that everything will be ready by October 2016. They make all their best efforts to happen," said Ceppi. He added that six Indian cities have been provisionally selected, and if preparations are not up to the mark, these particular cities might not host the mega event. An evaluation team from the FIFA will visit the venues in October to inspect their level of preparedness. Apart from Kochi, the other shortlisted venues are New Delhi, Navi Mumbai, Kolkata, Guwahati, and Margao. This will be the first time India hosts the FIFA World Cup tournament and also makes its World Cup debut. The host nation automatically enters the tournament. The event will take place sometime around October 2017. It will be the biggest soccer tournament staged in India, who won the nomination by beating bids from 2010 World Cup hosts South Africa and Uzbekistan. (Reuters)

FIFA satisfied with preparations in southern Indian city ahead of U-17 World Cup

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

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

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

Batshuayi to join Chelsea, L'Equipe reports

Argentina and Chile advanced to the semi-finals of the Copa America on Saturday with Chile beating Mexico 7-0 and Lionel Messi getting a goal in Argentina&#39;s 4-1 win over Venezuela to equal his country&#39;s all-time scoring record. 
 
Messi scored in the 60th minute to take his career tally for Argentina to 54 goals, matching the record held by Gabriel Batistuta. 
 
Argentina will now face the United States in the first semi-final on Tuesday in Houston. 
 
Reigning champions Chile joined them in the last four after a 7-0 demolition of Mexico in Santa Clara. 
 
Hoffenheim striker Eduardo Vargas scored four goals to help them set up a semi-final date with Colombia on Wednesday. 
 
Messi won the Man-of-the-Match award in an action-packed game against underdogs Venezuela in Foxborough. 
 
Argentina got off to the perfect start after just seven minutes when Gonzalo Higuain dived to turn a delicate cross from Messi past goalkeeper Dani Hernandez. 
 
The in-form Napoli striker doubled the lead 20 minutes later when he latched on to a slack back pass to round the goalkeeper and slot the ball into the empty net. 
 
Salomon Rondon twice came close for Venezuela and his side should have pulled a goal back two minutes from half time after Sergio Romero brought down Josef Martinez in the box. 
 
However, the Manchester United goalkeeper redeemed himself when he stood firm and Seijas&#39; carelessly dinked penalty sailed right into his arms. 
 
Messi, who started for the first time in the tournament after three substitute appearances, put Argentina 3-0 ahead when he worked a lovely one-two with Nicolas Gaitan and then poked the ball under Hernandez with his left foot. 
 
Venezuela were not out of it, though, and Rondon got the lightest of touches on a cross to head home and make it 3-1 after 70 minutes. 
 
However, their hopes were short-lived as just seconds later Erik Lamela, who had been on the field for only four minutes, shot home from 12 yards to make it 4-1 for Argentina. 
 
Chile were unstoppable in the other quarter-final in Santa Clara as they hammered a surprisingly fragile Mexico. 
 
Edson Puch got his first international goal after 15 minutes when he fired home after keeper Guillermo Ochoa could only parry a long-range shot. 
 
Vargas got a second just before half time when he was first to pounce on a cross ball. 
 
Alexis Sanchez was involved in most of Chile&#39;s great work and he made it 3-0 just three minutes into the second half. 
 
Three minutes later Vargas got his second and Chile&#39;s fourth as Mexico -- without captain Rafael Marquez, who was left on the bench -- wilted under the pressure. 
 
Mexico had no answer to the pace and running of Sanchez and Arturo Vidal, and it was Sanchez who helped Vargas to a hat-trick when the Hoffenheim striker hammered home from close-in after Ochoa had parried Sanchez&#39;s shot. 
 
Vargas got a fourth after 73 minutes when he blasted the ball into the roof of the net after dithering Mexican defenders failed to clear. 
 
Puch completed the rout in the 87th minute when he dinked the ball over Ochoa after a fast break by Sanchez. 
(Reuters)

Eduardo Vargas scored 4 goals for Chile; Man-of-the -Match Messi's 54th goal tied country's all-time scoring record

Argentina and Chile advanced to the semi-finals of the Copa America on Saturday with Chile beating Mexico 7-0 and Lionel Messi getting a goal in Argentina's 4-1 win over Venezuela to equal his country's all-time scoring record. Messi scored in the 60th minute to take his career tally for Argentina to 54 goals, matching the record held by Gabriel Batistuta. Argentina will now face the United States in the first semi-final on Tuesday in Houston. Reigning champions Chile joined them in the last four after a 7-0 demolition of Mexico in Santa Clara. Hoffenheim striker Eduardo Vargas scored four goals to help them set up a semi-final date with Colombia on Wednesday. Messi won the Man-of-the-Match award in an action-packed game against underdogs Venezuela in Foxborough. Argentina got off to the perfect start after just seven minutes when Gonzalo Higuain dived to turn a delicate cross from Messi past goalkeeper Dani Hernandez. The in-form Napoli striker doubled the lead 20 minutes later when he latched on to a slack back pass to round the goalkeeper and slot the ball into the empty net. Salomon Rondon twice came close for Venezuela and his side should have pulled a goal back two minutes from half time after Sergio Romero brought down Josef Martinez in the box. However, the Manchester United goalkeeper redeemed himself when he stood firm and Seijas' carelessly dinked penalty sailed right into his arms. Messi, who started for the first time in the tournament after three substitute appearances, put Argentina 3-0 ahead when he worked a lovely one-two with Nicolas Gaitan and then poked the ball under Hernandez with his left foot. Venezuela were not out of it, though, and Rondon got the lightest of touches on a cross to head home and make it 3-1 after 70 minutes. However, their hopes were short-lived as just seconds later Erik Lamela, who had been on the field for only four minutes, shot home from 12 yards to make it 4-1 for Argentina. Chile were unstoppable in the other quarter-final in Santa Clara as they hammered a surprisingly fragile Mexico. Edson Puch got his first international goal after 15 minutes when he fired home after keeper Guillermo Ochoa could only parry a long-range shot. Vargas got a second just before half time when he was first to pounce on a cross ball. Alexis Sanchez was involved in most of Chile's great work and he made it 3-0 just three minutes into the second half. Three minutes later Vargas got his second and Chile's fourth as Mexico -- without captain Rafael Marquez, who was left on the bench -- wilted under the pressure. Mexico had no answer to the pace and running of Sanchez and Arturo Vidal, and it was Sanchez who helped Vargas to a hat-trick when the Hoffenheim striker hammered home from close-in after Ochoa had parried Sanchez's shot. Vargas got a fourth after 73 minutes when he blasted the ball into the roof of the net after dithering Mexican defenders failed to clear. Puch completed the rout in the 87th minute when he dinked the ball over Ochoa after a fast break by Sanchez. (Reuters)

Copa report: Chile romp to stunning 7-0 defeat over Mexico, Argentina bests Venezuela 4-1

Italy coach Antonio Conte said before Euro 2016 that his side would have to make up for their lack of talent with tactical cunning, and they did exactly that to sink Belgium 2-0 on Monday. 
 
In terms of pure footballing ability, Italy&#39;s current team is regarded as one of the country&#39;s weakest in years. Yet, they were still too streetwise for a Belgium team that once again failed to live up to expectations. 
 
The Azzurri&#39;s shortage of talent is such that 38-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is seen as their standout performer while Daniele De Rossi, once a purely destructive presence, has been recalled to dictate the passing in midfield. 
 
Riccardo Montolivo, Marco Verratti and Claudio Marchisio, who might have added some class, are injured while maverick forward Mario Balotelli&#39;s career has gone so far off the rails that his exclusion from the squad went almost unnoticed. 
 
Monday&#39;s opening Group E performance was typical of Conte who won three successive Serie A titles in as many years at Juventus. 
 
In the last few months he has talked about understanding the importance of &quot;wearing the shirt&quot;, to the exclusion of almost anything else, and the players seem to have got the message. 
 
Italy appeared to line up with a 3-5-2 formation but this quickly reverted to a back line of five when the opposition had the ball and changed to an attacking four when they went forward. 
 
It required extraordinary work from the players and Italy were wilting by the end. 
 
The defence, featuring Juventus trio Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli, was outstanding but this was by no means the sort of negative or cynical performance that has marred Italy&#39;s reputation in the past. 
 
Conte&#39;s men looked to attack in numbers when they had the chance and, for all of Belgium&#39;s possession, Thibaut Courtois was the busier goalkeeper. 
 
There was some gamesmanship to start with, but it didn&#39;t last. Having cleverly avoided any yellow cards in the first hour, Italy picked up four in the last third of the match as they stopped counter-attacks at all cost. 
 
Two excellent goals from Emanuele Giaccherini and Graziano Pelle capped Italy&#39;s display. Giaccherini&#39;s goal was his first in internationals since the Confederations Cup three years ago. 
 
In the meantime he has gone from a fringe player at Juventus to struggling for a place at Sunderland and finally to unglamorous Bologna, an example of how workmenlike players have replaced Italian artists such as Andrea Pirlo.

Conte's Azzuri battled from start to finish in the win

Italy coach Antonio Conte said before Euro 2016 that his side would have to make up for their lack of talent with tactical cunning, and they did exactly that to sink Belgium 2-0 on Monday. In terms of pure footballing ability, Italy's current team is regarded as one of the country's weakest in years. Yet, they were still too streetwise for a Belgium team that once again failed to live up to expectations. The Azzurri's shortage of talent is such that 38-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is seen as their standout performer while Daniele De Rossi, once a purely destructive presence, has been recalled to dictate the passing in midfield. Riccardo Montolivo, Marco Verratti and Claudio Marchisio, who might have added some class, are injured while maverick forward Mario Balotelli's career has gone so far off the rails that his exclusion from the squad went almost unnoticed. Monday's opening Group E performance was typical of Conte who won three successive Serie A titles in as many years at Juventus. In the last few months he has talked about understanding the importance of "wearing the shirt", to the exclusion of almost anything else, and the players seem to have got the message. Italy appeared to line up with a 3-5-2 formation but this quickly reverted to a back line of five when the opposition had the ball and changed to an attacking four when they went forward. It required extraordinary work from the players and Italy were wilting by the end. The defence, featuring Juventus trio Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli, was outstanding but this was by no means the sort of negative or cynical performance that has marred Italy's reputation in the past. Conte's men looked to attack in numbers when they had the chance and, for all of Belgium's possession, Thibaut Courtois was the busier goalkeeper. There was some gamesmanship to start with, but it didn't last. Having cleverly avoided any yellow cards in the first hour, Italy picked up four in the last third of the match as they stopped counter-attacks at all cost. Two excellent goals from Emanuele Giaccherini and Graziano Pelle capped Italy's display. Giaccherini's goal was his first in internationals since the Confederations Cup three years ago. In the meantime he has gone from a fringe player at Juventus to struggling for a place at Sunderland and finally to unglamorous Bologna, an example of how workmenlike players have replaced Italian artists such as Andrea Pirlo.

Scrappy Italy take Belgium down

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Italy leave defending behind, put two past Spain

It will be virgin territory for Wales when they face Portugal in the Euro 2016 semi-finals yet their opponents could be forgiven a sense of deja vu as they step on to the pitch in Lyon today. 
 
This will be Portugal&#39;s fourth semi-final in the last five editions of the competition stretching back to 2000, but for all their success in reaching the latter stages of the tournament, there has been little glory along the way. 
 
Only once have they overcome the last-four hurdle and then they were beaten in the final by Greece as hosts at Euro 2004. 
 
If their defeat in the semi-finals of the 2006 World Cup and the loss at the Euros in 1984 are taken into account, they are becoming all too familiar with the pitfalls of this stage of major tournaments. 
 
Portugal&#39;s conquerors in their recent last-four clashes have included football powerhouses France, at Euro 2000 and the World Cup in 2006, and Spain at Euro 2012. 
 
If they lose to Wales, playing their first major tournament in 58 years and their first ever semi-final, it would be a devastating blow. 
 
Yet Wales are arguably the form team coming into the match. 
 
Chris Coleman&#39;s side have revelled in their underdog status to win their group, which also included England, Russia and Slovakia, ease out British rivals Northern Ireland in the last 16 and sweep past heavy favourites Belgium in the quarters. 
 
Portugal are yet to win a match at the tournament inside 90 minutes, having drawn all three group games, beaten Croatia in extra time and squeezed past Poland on penalties. 
 
Things are yet to click for Portugal, and for captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who has at times looked exasperated by his team mates attacking shortcomings. 
 
Yet Portugal are unbeaten in 12 competitive internationals since Fernando Santos took over as coach at the start of the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign. 
 
With Ronaldo&#39;s Real Madrid team mate Pepe marshalling an increasingly assured defence, they will be tough to break down. 
 
Especially for a Wales side deprived of one of their most talented creative influences in midfielder Aaron Ramsey, who will be suspended after picking up a booking in the win over Belgium. 
 
While Gareth Bale has been Wales&#39;s attacking talisman, scoring three times to lift them out of their group, Ramsey has been arguably their most influential player, scoring one and producing four assists in the run to the last four. 
 
The match is likely to be billed as a contest between the two most expensive players in the world - Ronaldo, who will play a record third European Championship semi-final, and his Real Madrid team mate Bale. 
 
Perhaps ominously for Wales, Ronaldo has netted twice in each of his last two games in Lyon for club and country. 
 
(Reuters)

Things are yet to click for the Portuguese and their captain Ronaldo, who has at times looked exasperated by his teammates' shortcomings

It will be virgin territory for Wales when they face Portugal in the Euro 2016 semi-finals yet their opponents could be forgiven a sense of deja vu as they step on to the pitch in Lyon today. This will be Portugal's fourth semi-final in the last five editions of the competition stretching back to 2000, but for all their success in reaching the latter stages of the tournament, there has been little glory along the way. Only once have they overcome the last-four hurdle and then they were beaten in the final by Greece as hosts at Euro 2004. If their defeat in the semi-finals of the 2006 World Cup and the loss at the Euros in 1984 are taken into account, they are becoming all too familiar with the pitfalls of this stage of major tournaments. Portugal's conquerors in their recent last-four clashes have included football powerhouses France, at Euro 2000 and the World Cup in 2006, and Spain at Euro 2012. If they lose to Wales, playing their first major tournament in 58 years and their first ever semi-final, it would be a devastating blow. Yet Wales are arguably the form team coming into the match. Chris Coleman's side have revelled in their underdog status to win their group, which also included England, Russia and Slovakia, ease out British rivals Northern Ireland in the last 16 and sweep past heavy favourites Belgium in the quarters. Portugal are yet to win a match at the tournament inside 90 minutes, having drawn all three group games, beaten Croatia in extra time and squeezed past Poland on penalties. Things are yet to click for Portugal, and for captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who has at times looked exasperated by his team mates attacking shortcomings. Yet Portugal are unbeaten in 12 competitive internationals since Fernando Santos took over as coach at the start of the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign. With Ronaldo's Real Madrid team mate Pepe marshalling an increasingly assured defence, they will be tough to break down. Especially for a Wales side deprived of one of their most talented creative influences in midfielder Aaron Ramsey, who will be suspended after picking up a booking in the win over Belgium. While Gareth Bale has been Wales's attacking talisman, scoring three times to lift them out of their group, Ramsey has been arguably their most influential player, scoring one and producing four assists in the run to the last four. The match is likely to be billed as a contest between the two most expensive players in the world - Ronaldo, who will play a record third European Championship semi-final, and his Real Madrid team mate Bale. Perhaps ominously for Wales, Ronaldo has netted twice in each of his last two games in Lyon for club and country. (Reuters)

In-form Wales take on Portugal

Germany&#39;s World Cup winning goalscorer Mario Goetze has returned to Borussia Dortmund after a frustrating three seasons with Bayern Munich, the clubs announced Thursday. The 24-year-old has never established himself with the German champions. The clubs did not give a transfer fee but Bild newspaper said Dortmund paid between 22 and 25 million euros ($24-27.5 million). 
 
That would mean Bayern have booked a loss of about 13 million euros on the price they paid for Goetze. Bayern president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge called the deal &quot;a good solution for all sides&quot;. 
 
The player said he now has &quot;a different view&quot; of his decision to move. 
 
&quot;I want to try to convince everyone with my performances, especially those who are welcoming me with open arms,&quot; Goetze said. 
 
Goetze scored the winning goal in Germany&#39;s World Cup final triumph over Argentina in 2014. But under Pep Guardiola, he was often on the Bayern substitutes&#39; bench. He was also often among the replacements for Germany at Euro 2016. 
 
Bayern&#39;s new coach Carlo Ancelotti had hinted in recent weeks that he has told Goetze to find a new club. 
 
Dortmund fans repeatedly jeered Goetze when he appeared for Bayern against his old team. 
 
In recent weeks, Dortmund have lost defender Mats Hummels to Bayern, midfielder Henrich Mchitarjan to Manchester United and defender Ilkay Gundogan to Manchester City. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Bayern Munich books a loss of 13 million euros on the price paid for German goalscorer Mario Goetze

Germany's World Cup winning goalscorer Mario Goetze has returned to Borussia Dortmund after a frustrating three seasons with Bayern Munich, the clubs announced Thursday. The 24-year-old has never established himself with the German champions. The clubs did not give a transfer fee but Bild newspaper said Dortmund paid between 22 and 25 million euros ($24-27.5 million). That would mean Bayern have booked a loss of about 13 million euros on the price they paid for Goetze. Bayern president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge called the deal "a good solution for all sides". The player said he now has "a different view" of his decision to move. "I want to try to convince everyone with my performances, especially those who are welcoming me with open arms," Goetze said. Goetze scored the winning goal in Germany's World Cup final triumph over Argentina in 2014. But under Pep Guardiola, he was often on the Bayern substitutes' bench. He was also often among the replacements for Germany at Euro 2016. Bayern's new coach Carlo Ancelotti had hinted in recent weeks that he has told Goetze to find a new club. Dortmund fans repeatedly jeered Goetze when he appeared for Bayern against his old team. In recent weeks, Dortmund have lost defender Mats Hummels to Bayern, midfielder Henrich Mchitarjan to Manchester United and defender Ilkay Gundogan to Manchester City. (AFP)

Goetze moves back to Dortmund after dismal season with Bayern

Portugal coach Fernando Santos will remain in charge of the Euro 2016 winners until after the next European Championship, the national football federation said on Wednesday. 
 
&quot;The Portuguese Football Federation and the national team coach Fernando Santos reached an agreement to renew the contract that they have had since September 2014,&quot; the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) said in a statement. 
 
&quot;The new agreement between the FPF and Fernando Santos will run until after Euro 2020, coinciding with the end of the current mandate of the directors of the Portuguese Football Federation.&quot; 
 
The 61-year old led Portugal to its first European title with an extra-time triumph over hosts France in Paris earlier this month. 
 
The victory has earned him a contract extension from his employers. 
 
Portugal begin their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign on September 6 against Switzerland in Basel. 
 
(Reuters)

Santos led Portugal to its first European title with an extra-time triumph over hosts France in Paris earlier this month

Portugal coach Fernando Santos will remain in charge of the Euro 2016 winners until after the next European Championship, the national football federation said on Wednesday. "The Portuguese Football Federation and the national team coach Fernando Santos reached an agreement to renew the contract that they have had since September 2014," the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) said in a statement. "The new agreement between the FPF and Fernando Santos will run until after Euro 2020, coinciding with the end of the current mandate of the directors of the Portuguese Football Federation." The 61-year old led Portugal to its first European title with an extra-time triumph over hosts France in Paris earlier this month. The victory has earned him a contract extension from his employers. Portugal begin their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign on September 6 against Switzerland in Basel. (Reuters)

Euro Cup glory earns Portugal's Fernando Santos new contract

Rafa Benitez got his first bitter taste of life in the Championship (second tier) as his relegated Newcastle United side suffered a 1-0 defeat at Fulham in the first match of the English league season yesterday. 
 
Fulham scored a deserved winner on the stroke of halftime when Matt Smith rose above a flat-footed defence to power home a header from a corner with Newcastle generally second best. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a wake-up call. We will have games more difficult than this one,&quot; Benitez was quoted as saying by the BBC. &quot;If we play for something more important than the first game of the season maybe the anxiety will be even higher, we need to make sure we can manage that and play better.&quot; 
 
His side might have had better luck, though, with two penalty claims turned down. 
 
Fulham&rsquo;s Ryan Tunnicliffe appeared to handle a shot from Matt Ritchie in the 35th minute but the referee waved play on with replays suggesting he could have awarded a penalty. Benitez did not use the decision as justification for his side failing to take a point. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s not an excuse, we have to be better,&quot; said the former Real Madrid and Liverpool coach. &quot;We have to trust referees, but they can make mistakes.&quot; 
 
Another penalty appeal by Newcastle for handball by Tomas Kalas two minutes from time was also turned down, again after a shot by Scotland&#39;s former Bournemouth midfielder Ritchie, one of the signings Benitez has made to help strengthen his side. 
 
Fulham looked more comfortable in a division they have played in for the last two seasons but Newcastle need to adjust fast if they are to bounce straight back to the Premier League. 
 
&quot;At the beginning we were nervous, in the second half we made the wrong decisions,&quot; added Benitez, whose team host Huddersfield Town at St James&#39; Park next weekend. 
 
(Reuters)

'It's a wake-up call. We will have games more difficult than this one,' Benitez said

Rafa Benitez got his first bitter taste of life in the Championship (second tier) as his relegated Newcastle United side suffered a 1-0 defeat at Fulham in the first match of the English league season yesterday. Fulham scored a deserved winner on the stroke of halftime when Matt Smith rose above a flat-footed defence to power home a header from a corner with Newcastle generally second best. "It's a wake-up call. We will have games more difficult than this one," Benitez was quoted as saying by the BBC. "If we play for something more important than the first game of the season maybe the anxiety will be even higher, we need to make sure we can manage that and play better." His side might have had better luck, though, with two penalty claims turned down. Fulham’s Ryan Tunnicliffe appeared to handle a shot from Matt Ritchie in the 35th minute but the referee waved play on with replays suggesting he could have awarded a penalty. Benitez did not use the decision as justification for his side failing to take a point. "It's not an excuse, we have to be better," said the former Real Madrid and Liverpool coach. "We have to trust referees, but they can make mistakes." Another penalty appeal by Newcastle for handball by Tomas Kalas two minutes from time was also turned down, again after a shot by Scotland's former Bournemouth midfielder Ritchie, one of the signings Benitez has made to help strengthen his side. Fulham looked more comfortable in a division they have played in for the last two seasons but Newcastle need to adjust fast if they are to bounce straight back to the Premier League. "At the beginning we were nervous, in the second half we made the wrong decisions," added Benitez, whose team host Huddersfield Town at St James' Park next weekend. (Reuters)

Benitez's Newcastle lose 1-0 at Fulham in Championship opener

Spain&#39;s right back Juanfran says his costly penalty shootout miss in Atletico Madrid&#39;s Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid has made him a better player at Euro 2016. 
 
Less than three weeks have passed since the veteran&#39;s spot kick hit the post and Cristiano Ronaldo converted the winning penalty for Real Madrid. 
 
Juanfran started in Spain&#39;s 1-0 victory over the Czech Republic in Group D on Monday and is expected to be in the lineup again when the champions take on Turkey on Friday. 
 
&quot;I&#39;ve always overcome difficult times,&quot; the 31-year-old told Marca. &quot;I knew this would make me stronger, even from a personal standpoint. I&#39;m better than I was and after that final, I&#39;m ready for anything.&quot; 
 
&quot;I will never forget it but you learn to live with it. Each game represents a re-match and Monday&#39;s game was a new opportunity for me.&quot; 
 
Juanfran says he has received nothing but support since the setback to Real and even the sales of his Atletico jersey have increased. He is convinced the national team has the potential to win a third straight title. 
 
&quot;We are our biggest opponents and it all depends on the hunger we have,&quot; he said. &quot;If we want to reach the final and we are convinced of it and we give all that we have then, we will make it.&nbsp;We need work, show humility and the quality will do the rest.&quot; 
(Reuters)

The Spanish right back is convinced that the national team has potential to win a third straight title

Spain's right back Juanfran says his costly penalty shootout miss in Atletico Madrid's Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid has made him a better player at Euro 2016. Less than three weeks have passed since the veteran's spot kick hit the post and Cristiano Ronaldo converted the winning penalty for Real Madrid. Juanfran started in Spain's 1-0 victory over the Czech Republic in Group D on Monday and is expected to be in the lineup again when the champions take on Turkey on Friday. "I've always overcome difficult times," the 31-year-old told Marca. "I knew this would make me stronger, even from a personal standpoint. I'm better than I was and after that final, I'm ready for anything." "I will never forget it but you learn to live with it. Each game represents a re-match and Monday's game was a new opportunity for me." Juanfran says he has received nothing but support since the setback to Real and even the sales of his Atletico jersey have increased. He is convinced the national team has the potential to win a third straight title. "We are our biggest opponents and it all depends on the hunger we have," he said. "If we want to reach the final and we are convinced of it and we give all that we have then, we will make it. We need work, show humility and the quality will do the rest." (Reuters)

I am ready for anything, says Spain's Juanfran

Thousands of England and Wales fans gathered in the French town of Lens and Lille for their team&#39;s Euro 2016 soccer showdown today. 
 
Both sets of fans were in good spirits but police were braced to prevent more of the violence that has brought England and Russia the risk of expulsion from the tournament. 
 
French riot police charged and used tear gas to disperse rowdy English soccer fans in the nearby northern city of Lille on Wednesday night. Police said about 50 people were hurt, 16 of them hospitalised. 
 
UEFA said today that it regretted the violence but it stopped short of action to punish the fans or teams. 
 
The governing body of European soccer said it was planning no Executive Committee meeting in the wake of the overnight violence on the streets of Lille. 
 
The decision effectively means England are not under any immediate threat of disqualification over their fans&#39; behaviour as any decision to expel England for crowd disturbances outside the stadium would need to be taken by the executive committee. 
 
Today&#39;s Group B match between England and Wales in the Euro 2016 group has been dubbed &quot;The Battle of Britain&quot;. 
 
Lens Prefect Fabienne Bucchio told reporters the town was quiet so far. Only nine people were detained by police overnight, she said, all in connection with minor incidents of drunkenness. Eight of them were French. 
 
After violence in the Mediterranean port of Marseille before and after England&#39;s 1-1 draw with Russia on Saturday, UEFA warned England that a repetition of fans&#39; violent behaviour could see the team expelled. 
 
UEFA also told Russia that it would be disqualified if there was a repeat of their fans&#39; violent behaviour, which included attacks on England supporters in the stadium as the match ended. 
 
Throughout Wednesday (June 15), 36 people were arrested for various offences as Russia lost to Slovakia in Lille and England prepared to play Wales, police said. 
 
This morning, police checked fans&#39; boarding trains from Lille to Lens to ensure none were travelling with alcohol, leading to long queues. A heavy police team carried out similar checks in pouring rain on arrival 45 minutes later in Lens. 
(Reuters)

Today's match between England and Wales has been dubbed 'The Battle of Britain'

Thousands of England and Wales fans gathered in the French town of Lens and Lille for their team's Euro 2016 soccer showdown today. Both sets of fans were in good spirits but police were braced to prevent more of the violence that has brought England and Russia the risk of expulsion from the tournament. French riot police charged and used tear gas to disperse rowdy English soccer fans in the nearby northern city of Lille on Wednesday night. Police said about 50 people were hurt, 16 of them hospitalised. UEFA said today that it regretted the violence but it stopped short of action to punish the fans or teams. The governing body of European soccer said it was planning no Executive Committee meeting in the wake of the overnight violence on the streets of Lille. The decision effectively means England are not under any immediate threat of disqualification over their fans' behaviour as any decision to expel England for crowd disturbances outside the stadium would need to be taken by the executive committee. Today's Group B match between England and Wales in the Euro 2016 group has been dubbed "The Battle of Britain". Lens Prefect Fabienne Bucchio told reporters the town was quiet so far. Only nine people were detained by police overnight, she said, all in connection with minor incidents of drunkenness. Eight of them were French. After violence in the Mediterranean port of Marseille before and after England's 1-1 draw with Russia on Saturday, UEFA warned England that a repetition of fans' violent behaviour could see the team expelled. UEFA also told Russia that it would be disqualified if there was a repeat of their fans' violent behaviour, which included attacks on England supporters in the stadium as the match ended. Throughout Wednesday (June 15), 36 people were arrested for various offences as Russia lost to Slovakia in Lille and England prepared to play Wales, police said. This morning, police checked fans' boarding trains from Lille to Lens to ensure none were travelling with alcohol, leading to long queues. A heavy police team carried out similar checks in pouring rain on arrival 45 minutes later in Lens. (Reuters)

England and Wales fans gear up for Euro 2016 match

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