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Chile&#39;s footballers have voted to go on strike, forcing the start of the league season to be postponed. 
 
The players union Sifup is unhappy at a decision to reduce promotion and relegation in the new season, a move which it says has cost 120 players their jobs in the top two divisions. It has also complained about unpaid wages at some clubs. 
 
&quot;The professional players unanimously decided to follow the call to stop the national championship,&quot; said Sifup in a statement. 
 
The Chilean FA (ANFP) has ruled that only one team will relegated and one team promoted between the top tier, known as the Primera Division, and second tier, known as the Primera B, at the end of the 2016-17 season. 
 
Meanwhile, there will be no promotion or relegation at all between the second and third tier, known as the Segunda. 
 
Sifup said the decision had &quot;reduced the competitiveness of the domestic tournaments, where the clubs, who do not see themselves as threatened in case of a poor campaign, have drastically cut the costs of their squads.&quot; 
 
It said that 120 players had seen their contracts terminated in the top two tiers and 300 in the third tier. 
 
The ANFP confirmed that the start of the season at the weekend would be postponed and said that the reduced promotion and relegation was for the upcoming season only. 
 
&quot;We regret Sifup&#39;s decision to ratify the strike, a situation which will have negative efforts on the championship, the fans, the players and the sport in general,&quot; it said. 
 
(Reuters)

The players union Sifup is unhappy at a decision to reduce promotion and relegation in the new season

Chile's footballers have voted to go on strike, forcing the start of the league season to be postponed. The players union Sifup is unhappy at a decision to reduce promotion and relegation in the new season, a move which it says has cost 120 players their jobs in the top two divisions. It has also complained about unpaid wages at some clubs. "The professional players unanimously decided to follow the call to stop the national championship," said Sifup in a statement. The Chilean FA (ANFP) has ruled that only one team will relegated and one team promoted between the top tier, known as the Primera Division, and second tier, known as the Primera B, at the end of the 2016-17 season. Meanwhile, there will be no promotion or relegation at all between the second and third tier, known as the Segunda. Sifup said the decision had "reduced the competitiveness of the domestic tournaments, where the clubs, who do not see themselves as threatened in case of a poor campaign, have drastically cut the costs of their squads." It said that 120 players had seen their contracts terminated in the top two tiers and 300 in the third tier. The ANFP confirmed that the start of the season at the weekend would be postponed and said that the reduced promotion and relegation was for the upcoming season only. "We regret Sifup's decision to ratify the strike, a situation which will have negative efforts on the championship, the fans, the players and the sport in general," it said. (Reuters)

Chilean footballers vote to strike, matches called off

Belgium captain Eden Hazard produced an inspired performance, including a fine solo goal, to lead his side to a resounding 4-0 victory over Hungary at Euro 2016 on Sunday and set up a quarter-final clash with Wales. 
 
Hazard, who has finally burst into life at the tournament after a disappointing club season with Chelsea, set up one goal and scored another as Toby Alderweireld, Michy Batshuayi and Yannick Carrasco completed a comfortable victory. 
 
&quot;If he&#39;s feeling good, he&#39;s the best in the world,&quot; Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said of Hazard. &quot;The only thing we might have done better was kill the match off earlier.&quot; 
 
Belgium dominated the opening stages and took the lead after 10 minutes when Kevin De Bruyne swung an inviting cross into the box where centre back Alderweireld rose at the far post to power a header past keeper Gabor Kiraly. 
 
Substitute Batshuayi tapped home Hazard&#39;s low cross with 12 minutes remaining shortly after coming on before the Belgium skipper cut inside Hungary&#39;s box and rifled home a superb low strike for the third, with Carrasco grabbing a late fourth. 
 
&quot;It was an almost perfect match,&quot; said Hazard. &quot;We scored early and pressed very high up the field. It was what the fans want and what we call a real football match. 
 
&quot;As a team I feel we were really solid today. We made a lot of chances and didn&rsquo;t give them too many,&quot; he added. 
 
Hungary coach Bernd Storck praised Belgium&#39;s performance. &quot;We&#39;ve never played against such a good team,&quot; he said. 
 
 
Impressive De Bruyne 
The Hungarians, who lost key midfielder Lazlo Kleinheisler to injury in the warm-up, ceded the initiative early as Belgium found space and set the tone for a one-sided half. 
 
De Bruyne has improved significantly after being criticised by coach Marc Wilmots and was again at the heart of much that was good about Belgium&#39;s play. 
 
He lofted an early shot over the bar and teed up striker Romelu Lukaku to force a sharp save from veteran Kiraly, before testing the keeper himself from the edge of the box. 
 
Predictably, it was De Bruyne who forged the opening to cap off an excellent opening spell. 
 
After provoking a foul on the left, the 24-year-old curled in the resulting free kick and, while his delivery evaded Lukaku, Alderweireld arrived behind his team mate to head home. 
 
It was De Bruyne&#39;s 11th important contribution - goal or assist - in his last 12 internationals, and represented another decisive contribution for one of the Euro&#39;s leading lights. 
 
Hungary were largely reduced to pot shots from distance, with Gergo Lovrencsics and Balazs Dzsudzsak both hoping in vain for a repeat of the latter&#39;s belter against Portugal. 
 
De Bruyne fired a free kick against the bar in the 34th, while the overworked Kiraly denied Dries Mertens and Hazard from close range as Belgium threatened to extend their lead. 
 
 
Hazard shines 
Hungary improved after the break as Dzsudzsak got more of the ball and he fashioned an excellent chance for Adam Szalai, while Adam Pinter&#39;s deflected strike drew a fine save from Courtois and Roland Juhasz sent a low drive just wide. 
 
With Belgium failing to kill off the game, Wilmots turned to Batshuayi, so far unused at the finals, after 76 minutes. 
 
The switch paid off almost immediately as the highly regarded forward scored with his first touch, a simple finish following a sublime cross from Hazard in the 78th. 
 
Just as De Bruyne had imposed himself during the opening stages of the match, so Hazard shone at the finale. 
 
Ninety-four seconds later, the forward killed the game with a magnificent solo effort, cutting in from the left, evading two challenges and thumping the ball home from the edge of the area. 
 
Substitutes Marouane Fellaini and Carrasco combined at the death to add a breakaway fourth as Belgium secured a quarter-final date with Wales in Lille on Friday. 
 
(Reuters)

'It was an almost perfect match,' said captain Eden Hazard

Belgium captain Eden Hazard produced an inspired performance, including a fine solo goal, to lead his side to a resounding 4-0 victory over Hungary at Euro 2016 on Sunday and set up a quarter-final clash with Wales. Hazard, who has finally burst into life at the tournament after a disappointing club season with Chelsea, set up one goal and scored another as Toby Alderweireld, Michy Batshuayi and Yannick Carrasco completed a comfortable victory. "If he's feeling good, he's the best in the world," Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said of Hazard. "The only thing we might have done better was kill the match off earlier." Belgium dominated the opening stages and took the lead after 10 minutes when Kevin De Bruyne swung an inviting cross into the box where centre back Alderweireld rose at the far post to power a header past keeper Gabor Kiraly. Substitute Batshuayi tapped home Hazard's low cross with 12 minutes remaining shortly after coming on before the Belgium skipper cut inside Hungary's box and rifled home a superb low strike for the third, with Carrasco grabbing a late fourth. "It was an almost perfect match," said Hazard. "We scored early and pressed very high up the field. It was what the fans want and what we call a real football match. "As a team I feel we were really solid today. We made a lot of chances and didn’t give them too many," he added. Hungary coach Bernd Storck praised Belgium's performance. "We've never played against such a good team," he said. Impressive De Bruyne The Hungarians, who lost key midfielder Lazlo Kleinheisler to injury in the warm-up, ceded the initiative early as Belgium found space and set the tone for a one-sided half. De Bruyne has improved significantly after being criticised by coach Marc Wilmots and was again at the heart of much that was good about Belgium's play. He lofted an early shot over the bar and teed up striker Romelu Lukaku to force a sharp save from veteran Kiraly, before testing the keeper himself from the edge of the box. Predictably, it was De Bruyne who forged the opening to cap off an excellent opening spell. After provoking a foul on the left, the 24-year-old curled in the resulting free kick and, while his delivery evaded Lukaku, Alderweireld arrived behind his team mate to head home. It was De Bruyne's 11th important contribution - goal or assist - in his last 12 internationals, and represented another decisive contribution for one of the Euro's leading lights. Hungary were largely reduced to pot shots from distance, with Gergo Lovrencsics and Balazs Dzsudzsak both hoping in vain for a repeat of the latter's belter against Portugal. De Bruyne fired a free kick against the bar in the 34th, while the overworked Kiraly denied Dries Mertens and Hazard from close range as Belgium threatened to extend their lead. Hazard shines Hungary improved after the break as Dzsudzsak got more of the ball and he fashioned an excellent chance for Adam Szalai, while Adam Pinter's deflected strike drew a fine save from Courtois and Roland Juhasz sent a low drive just wide. With Belgium failing to kill off the game, Wilmots turned to Batshuayi, so far unused at the finals, after 76 minutes. The switch paid off almost immediately as the highly regarded forward scored with his first touch, a simple finish following a sublime cross from Hazard in the 78th. Just as De Bruyne had imposed himself during the opening stages of the match, so Hazard shone at the finale. Ninety-four seconds later, the forward killed the game with a magnificent solo effort, cutting in from the left, evading two challenges and thumping the ball home from the edge of the area. Substitutes Marouane Fellaini and Carrasco combined at the death to add a breakaway fourth as Belgium secured a quarter-final date with Wales in Lille on Friday. (Reuters)

Belgium prove Hazard-ous for Hungary, thump them 4-0

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

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

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

Jose Mourinho's coaching reign kicks off in Manchester United

When the final whistle went in Paris, the disappointment of France&#39;s Euro 2016 loss to Portugal could be felt among their fans but after almost 10 years in the wilderness, coach Didier Deschamps has built a side ready to vie for the next World Cup. 
 
Having come into the tournament with few pundits expecting them to go beyond the semi-finals, let alone defeat Germany for the first time in a competitive game in 58 years, they managed to exceed expectations and lay solid foundations. 
 
There is a youthful togetherness, hunger and swagger about this French team that with a few tweaks will make them stronger as they aim for the World Cup title in Russia in two years&#39; time. 
 
The defeat to Portugal, while cruel in its manner, highlighted that France&#39;s young guns still need to mature after coming up against a more savvy opponent. Great teams are often built on such defeats. 
 
&quot;Our disappointment is immense and will take time to digest. We won together, we suffered together and we lost together,&quot; said Deschamps, laying emphasis on the family feel he has nurtured over the last two years. 
 
Twenty-year-old winger Kingsley Coman, France&#39;s youngest player, summed up the disappointment by storming off straight into the tunnel as the whistle went, but after a word from the staff was back to thank the fans. 
 
At 25, Antoine Griezmann proved with his six goals that he is just at the start of his journey as heir to the great French number 10s of Zinedine Zidane and Michel Platini. 
 
Perhaps the burden on his shoulders after a 70th match of the season was just too much on the day. 
 
It was ironically France&#39;s main strength in the tournament, their attack, that let them down on the night. They lacked that cutting edge and freshness to get them over the line. 
 
But with Karim Benzema, their best striker absent at the tournament, Lyon&#39;s Alexandre Lacazette waiting in the wings and Anthony Martial still developing, the prospects are bright up front. 
 
Solid Spine 
 
The French midfield trio of Blaise Matuidi, Paul Pogba and Moussa Sissoko were on top for much of Sunday&#39;s match. N&#39;Golo Kante, who did not play in the final, has shown that he can add steel to the French midfield. 
 
Pogba still has to show that he can become the great player he aspires to be. His flashes of brilliance were too intermittent throughout the tournament. 
 
But at 23 he has his best years ahead of him and could be the man that drives this team forward. 
 
Prior to the tournament, France&#39;s Achilles heel was in defence. It has, on the whole, defied those critics. With no caps prior to Euro 2016, 22-year-old Samuel Umtiti has proved that he has a future at this level. 
 
The French team were already lacking their top central defensive partnership in Raphael Varane and Mamadou Sakho but are spoiled for choice at centre-back with Kurt Zouma and Aymeric Laporte among those knocking on the door. 
 
Arguably, Deschamps&#39; biggest headache will be replacing his full backs. 
 
While Patrice Evra has played a father figure role in the team, his performances have not justified his place. Layvin Kurzawa and Lucas Digne must now step up. On the right, Bacary Sagna will also step aside, although there is no natural replacement as yet. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m proud of what this group of 23 players achieved. We didn&#39;t get the reward, but we have an exceptional group and that let&#39;s us think that we will have better days,&quot; Deschamps said. 
 
(Reuters)

They might have lost to Portugal but coach Didier Deschamps has built a side ready to vie for the World Cup in two years

When the final whistle went in Paris, the disappointment of France's Euro 2016 loss to Portugal could be felt among their fans but after almost 10 years in the wilderness, coach Didier Deschamps has built a side ready to vie for the next World Cup. Having come into the tournament with few pundits expecting them to go beyond the semi-finals, let alone defeat Germany for the first time in a competitive game in 58 years, they managed to exceed expectations and lay solid foundations. There is a youthful togetherness, hunger and swagger about this French team that with a few tweaks will make them stronger as they aim for the World Cup title in Russia in two years' time. The defeat to Portugal, while cruel in its manner, highlighted that France's young guns still need to mature after coming up against a more savvy opponent. Great teams are often built on such defeats. "Our disappointment is immense and will take time to digest. We won together, we suffered together and we lost together," said Deschamps, laying emphasis on the family feel he has nurtured over the last two years. Twenty-year-old winger Kingsley Coman, France's youngest player, summed up the disappointment by storming off straight into the tunnel as the whistle went, but after a word from the staff was back to thank the fans. At 25, Antoine Griezmann proved with his six goals that he is just at the start of his journey as heir to the great French number 10s of Zinedine Zidane and Michel Platini. Perhaps the burden on his shoulders after a 70th match of the season was just too much on the day. It was ironically France's main strength in the tournament, their attack, that let them down on the night. They lacked that cutting edge and freshness to get them over the line. But with Karim Benzema, their best striker absent at the tournament, Lyon's Alexandre Lacazette waiting in the wings and Anthony Martial still developing, the prospects are bright up front. Solid Spine The French midfield trio of Blaise Matuidi, Paul Pogba and Moussa Sissoko were on top for much of Sunday's match. N'Golo Kante, who did not play in the final, has shown that he can add steel to the French midfield. Pogba still has to show that he can become the great player he aspires to be. His flashes of brilliance were too intermittent throughout the tournament. But at 23 he has his best years ahead of him and could be the man that drives this team forward. Prior to the tournament, France's Achilles heel was in defence. It has, on the whole, defied those critics. With no caps prior to Euro 2016, 22-year-old Samuel Umtiti has proved that he has a future at this level. The French team were already lacking their top central defensive partnership in Raphael Varane and Mamadou Sakho but are spoiled for choice at centre-back with Kurt Zouma and Aymeric Laporte among those knocking on the door. Arguably, Deschamps' biggest headache will be replacing his full backs. While Patrice Evra has played a father figure role in the team, his performances have not justified his place. Layvin Kurzawa and Lucas Digne must now step up. On the right, Bacary Sagna will also step aside, although there is no natural replacement as yet. "I'm proud of what this group of 23 players achieved. We didn't get the reward, but we have an exceptional group and that let's us think that we will have better days," Deschamps said. (Reuters)

Better luck next time France

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

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

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

EURO 2016: Germany lose Sami Khedira for semifinal

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

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

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

Premier League giants refuse English Football League Trophy invites

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

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

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

Late goal allows Italy to enter knockout stages of Euro 2016

The two most expensive players in football go head-to-head on Wednesday when Cristiano Ronaldo leads Portugal against club teammate Gareth Bale and Wales in a Euro 2016 semi-final which could lead one to unprecendented glory. 
 
Bale is junior partner when the two line up for Real Madrid, despite winning two Champions Leagues in three years since arriving in Spain for a world record fee to team up with Ronaldo. 
 
However, his performances and three goals in France in leading Wales to their first semi-final in a major tournament, allied to his starring role at the end of Madrid&#39;s season, suggest Bale at 26 is in line to take over from Ronaldo now 31. 
 
The key to Bale&#39;s and Wales&#39; success has been built upon a remarkable unity which their star man fosters. 
 
&quot;With our team spirit, it&#39;s like being with your mates on holiday,&quot; said Bale last week, clearly more at ease with the joviality in the Wales camp than the pressure cooker Madrid dressing room. 
 
&#39;Together stronger&#39; has been the moto of Wales&#39; historic campaign. A unity captured perfectly in the goal that kick-started their run after Bale smashed a free-kick into the Slovakia net just 10 minutes into their first match at a major tournament in 58 years. 
 
With much hype and the expectations of a nation resting on his shoulders, Bale wheeled away in celebration and headed straight into a pack of adoring teammates and coaching staff by the Wales bench. 
 
&quot;Balo is just a nice guy, a nice human being, a family guy. He&#39;s livelier on the pitch than off it because he doesn&#39;t say a lot. He&#39;s very much one of the lads. He&#39;s quiet, unassuming - that&#39;s just his personality,&quot; said Wales boss Chris Coleman. 
 
&quot;He has matured a bit more as he got older, but he has always been the same person really &ndash; very quiet and it doesn&rsquo;t float his boat, all the attention he gets.&quot; 
 
Despite the quiet nature, Coleman insists that Bale is a leader in his own right by setting standards for his teammates to match. 
 
&quot;He could be a little bit more demanding because of his game. But that&#39;s why he has got so much respect of the players because he&rsquo;s not like that.&quot; 
 
&quot;They automatically want to gravitate that way to where he is. And that&rsquo;s how it should be, you know. It&rsquo;s not bringing him down to where we are, and myself included, because he is a special talent.&quot; 
 
Ballon d&#39;Or in play 
 
Ronaldo&#39;s road to a third Euros semi-final has been more testing. 
 
Frustrated by Iceland in an opening 1-1 draw, the three-time world player of the year lashed out at the Atlantic islanders&#39; &quot;small mentality&quot; - an outburst at odds with the widespread fondness for Iceland&#39;s fairytale run. 
 
A missed penalty against Austria was papered over by a double against Hungary, which saw him become the first player to score at four European Championship finals. 
 
Ronaldo has subsequently been kept quiet by both Croatia and Poland in the knockout stage, but will still never have a better chance to cap a glorious career with a maiden international triumph as Portugal have progressed to the last four without winning a match in 90 minutes. 
 
&quot;I&#39;ve always said, and I don&#39;t hide it, that I would love to win a title with the national team. We&#39;re on the right road,&quot; he said after squeezing past the Poles on penalties. 
 
However, Ronaldo will also have his eyes on the individual prize when facing Bale in Lyon. 
 
With both having contributed to Madrid&#39;s 11th European Cup win in May - and hot on the heels of Lionel Messi&#39;s retirement from international football - whoever emerges victorious from Ronaldo and Bale&#39;s personal duel will be favourite to win the Ballon d&#39;Or as the world&#39;s best player for 2016. 
 
&quot;Ronaldo is a cannibal. He wants it all. Even in a situation where it seems so difficult to focus on the personal objective like this, he doesn&#39;t lose sight of achieving it,&quot; said Madrid sports daily Marca on Sunday. 
 
&quot;He is not just playing for the first (tournament win for Portugal), but also his fourth (Balon d&#39;Or).&quot; 
 
By contrast, Coleman insists a Zurich gala in January will be the furthest thing from Bale&#39;s mind in Lyon. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think that is in Gareth&#39;s head. Of course he&#39;s a human being. Thoughts will run through his mind, but he&#39;ll be thinking about how we perform in the next game and nothing beyond that.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Bale's recent performances suggest he is in line to take over from club teammate Ronaldo

The two most expensive players in football go head-to-head on Wednesday when Cristiano Ronaldo leads Portugal against club teammate Gareth Bale and Wales in a Euro 2016 semi-final which could lead one to unprecendented glory. Bale is junior partner when the two line up for Real Madrid, despite winning two Champions Leagues in three years since arriving in Spain for a world record fee to team up with Ronaldo. However, his performances and three goals in France in leading Wales to their first semi-final in a major tournament, allied to his starring role at the end of Madrid's season, suggest Bale at 26 is in line to take over from Ronaldo now 31. The key to Bale's and Wales' success has been built upon a remarkable unity which their star man fosters. "With our team spirit, it's like being with your mates on holiday," said Bale last week, clearly more at ease with the joviality in the Wales camp than the pressure cooker Madrid dressing room. 'Together stronger' has been the moto of Wales' historic campaign. A unity captured perfectly in the goal that kick-started their run after Bale smashed a free-kick into the Slovakia net just 10 minutes into their first match at a major tournament in 58 years. With much hype and the expectations of a nation resting on his shoulders, Bale wheeled away in celebration and headed straight into a pack of adoring teammates and coaching staff by the Wales bench. "Balo is just a nice guy, a nice human being, a family guy. He's livelier on the pitch than off it because he doesn't say a lot. He's very much one of the lads. He's quiet, unassuming - that's just his personality," said Wales boss Chris Coleman. "He has matured a bit more as he got older, but he has always been the same person really – very quiet and it doesn’t float his boat, all the attention he gets." Despite the quiet nature, Coleman insists that Bale is a leader in his own right by setting standards for his teammates to match. "He could be a little bit more demanding because of his game. But that's why he has got so much respect of the players because he’s not like that." "They automatically want to gravitate that way to where he is. And that’s how it should be, you know. It’s not bringing him down to where we are, and myself included, because he is a special talent." Ballon d'Or in play Ronaldo's road to a third Euros semi-final has been more testing. Frustrated by Iceland in an opening 1-1 draw, the three-time world player of the year lashed out at the Atlantic islanders' "small mentality" - an outburst at odds with the widespread fondness for Iceland's fairytale run. A missed penalty against Austria was papered over by a double against Hungary, which saw him become the first player to score at four European Championship finals. Ronaldo has subsequently been kept quiet by both Croatia and Poland in the knockout stage, but will still never have a better chance to cap a glorious career with a maiden international triumph as Portugal have progressed to the last four without winning a match in 90 minutes. "I've always said, and I don't hide it, that I would love to win a title with the national team. We're on the right road," he said after squeezing past the Poles on penalties. However, Ronaldo will also have his eyes on the individual prize when facing Bale in Lyon. With both having contributed to Madrid's 11th European Cup win in May - and hot on the heels of Lionel Messi's retirement from international football - whoever emerges victorious from Ronaldo and Bale's personal duel will be favourite to win the Ballon d'Or as the world's best player for 2016. "Ronaldo is a cannibal. He wants it all. Even in a situation where it seems so difficult to focus on the personal objective like this, he doesn't lose sight of achieving it," said Madrid sports daily Marca on Sunday. "He is not just playing for the first (tournament win for Portugal), but also his fourth (Balon d'Or)." By contrast, Coleman insists a Zurich gala in January will be the furthest thing from Bale's mind in Lyon. "I don't think that is in Gareth's head. Of course he's a human being. Thoughts will run through his mind, but he'll be thinking about how we perform in the next game and nothing beyond that." (AFP)

Bale and Ronaldo to go head-to-head

Philippe Coutinho grabbed a hat-trick as Brazil ramped up their Copa America campaign with a resounding 7-1 win over a hapless Haiti yesterday. 
 
Renato Augusto scored a brace and substitutes Lucas Lima and Gabriel also goaled for Brazil while James Marcelin put in Haiti&#39;s consolation goal. 
 
The scoreline, identical to Brazil&#39;s nightmare 7-1 defeat by Germany in the World Cup semi-final two years ago, took Brazil to the top of Group B with four points, ahead of the game between Peru and Ecuador. 
 
Coutinho got Brazil off to a positive start in the Camping World stadium with a goal after 14 minutes when he skipped past a defender and hammered home from 20 metres out. 
 
He doubled Brazil&#39;s lead 15 minutes later thanks to Jonas, who was on hand to poke a loose ball across goal and leave the Liverpool player with the simplest of tap-ins. 
 
Renato Augusto made it three in 35 minutes when he rose unmarked to head home a cross from the right. 
 
Although the eight-times Copa America champions appeared to take their foot off the pedal in the second half, they still created chances at will against 74th-ranked Haiti. 
 
Gabriel scored the fourth just 13 minutes after replacing Jonas at half-time and his Santos team mate Lucas Lima nodded home a Dani Alves cross eight minutes later. 
 
Haitian striker Marcelin delighted the Caribbean contingent in the Orlando crowd by hammering in a rebound but Renato Augusto restored Brazil&#39;s five-goal advantage when he seized on a loose pass and side-footed home from 20 metres. 
 
Coutinho completed his hat-trick in the final minute of injury time with a trademark 25-metre strike. 
 
Brazil, who were held 0-0 by Ecuador in their opener, next face Peru on Sunday. Haiti, who also lost their opener to Peru 1-0, will take on Ecuador.

The scoreline took Brazil to the top of Group B ahead of the game between Peru and Ecuador

Philippe Coutinho grabbed a hat-trick as Brazil ramped up their Copa America campaign with a resounding 7-1 win over a hapless Haiti yesterday. Renato Augusto scored a brace and substitutes Lucas Lima and Gabriel also goaled for Brazil while James Marcelin put in Haiti's consolation goal. The scoreline, identical to Brazil's nightmare 7-1 defeat by Germany in the World Cup semi-final two years ago, took Brazil to the top of Group B with four points, ahead of the game between Peru and Ecuador. Coutinho got Brazil off to a positive start in the Camping World stadium with a goal after 14 minutes when he skipped past a defender and hammered home from 20 metres out. He doubled Brazil's lead 15 minutes later thanks to Jonas, who was on hand to poke a loose ball across goal and leave the Liverpool player with the simplest of tap-ins. Renato Augusto made it three in 35 minutes when he rose unmarked to head home a cross from the right. Although the eight-times Copa America champions appeared to take their foot off the pedal in the second half, they still created chances at will against 74th-ranked Haiti. Gabriel scored the fourth just 13 minutes after replacing Jonas at half-time and his Santos team mate Lucas Lima nodded home a Dani Alves cross eight minutes later. Haitian striker Marcelin delighted the Caribbean contingent in the Orlando crowd by hammering in a rebound but Renato Augusto restored Brazil's five-goal advantage when he seized on a loose pass and side-footed home from 20 metres. Coutinho completed his hat-trick in the final minute of injury time with a trademark 25-metre strike. Brazil, who were held 0-0 by Ecuador in their opener, next face Peru on Sunday. Haiti, who also lost their opener to Peru 1-0, will take on Ecuador.

Brazil hammer hapless Haiti 7-1 in Copa America massacre

Argentinian striker Lionel Messi became his country&#39;s all-time top goalscorer on Tuesday when he scored in the Copa America semi-final against the United States to take his international tally to 55 goals. 
 
The five-time world player of the year scored in the 32nd minute of the match in Houston to give Argentina a 2-0 lead. 
 
The goal in his 112th international lifts him above Gabriel Batistuta, who scored 54 goals in 78 games for the two-time world champions. 
 
Messi&#39;s goal was a glorious free kick from 25 yards out that gave U.S. goalkeeper Brad Guzan little chance. He took the kick after being cynically felled as he burst forward by Chris Wondolowski, the American receiving a yellow card. 
 
It doubled Argentina&#39;s lead after Ezequiel Lavezzi put them one up in just three minutes. 
 
The Barcelona striker now has five goals in the Centenary Copa America and is one behind Chilean Eduardo Vargas in the race to become the tournament&#39;s top goalscorer. 
 
He has achieved his tally despite not starting in Argentina&#39;s first three games because of a back injury. 
 
His form has nevertheless been outstanding with the 28-year old scoring a hat-trick in 19 minutes after coming on as a substitute in a 5-0 win over Paraguay last week. 
 
Argentina are hot favourites to win the Copa and end a trophy drought that extends back to 1993, when they won the Copa in Ecuador. 
 
They reached the finals of the Copa America in 2015 and the World Cup in 2014 but narrowly lost both matches. 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

The goal in his 112th international lifts him above Gabriel Batistuta who scored 54 goals in 78 games

Argentinian striker Lionel Messi became his country's all-time top goalscorer on Tuesday when he scored in the Copa America semi-final against the United States to take his international tally to 55 goals. The five-time world player of the year scored in the 32nd minute of the match in Houston to give Argentina a 2-0 lead. The goal in his 112th international lifts him above Gabriel Batistuta, who scored 54 goals in 78 games for the two-time world champions. Messi's goal was a glorious free kick from 25 yards out that gave U.S. goalkeeper Brad Guzan little chance. He took the kick after being cynically felled as he burst forward by Chris Wondolowski, the American receiving a yellow card. It doubled Argentina's lead after Ezequiel Lavezzi put them one up in just three minutes. The Barcelona striker now has five goals in the Centenary Copa America and is one behind Chilean Eduardo Vargas in the race to become the tournament's top goalscorer. He has achieved his tally despite not starting in Argentina's first three games because of a back injury. His form has nevertheless been outstanding with the 28-year old scoring a hat-trick in 19 minutes after coming on as a substitute in a 5-0 win over Paraguay last week. Argentina are hot favourites to win the Copa and end a trophy drought that extends back to 1993, when they won the Copa in Ecuador. They reached the finals of the Copa America in 2015 and the World Cup in 2014 but narrowly lost both matches. (Reuters)

Messi becomes Argentina's all-time top goalscorer

Football threw up another unlikely hero on Sunday when journeyman professional Eder scored the goal that won Euro 2016 for Portugal. 
 
Coach Fernando Santos said the &quot;ugly duckling has become beautiful&quot; after Eder, jeered by Portugal fans during a game in March, fired in a long-range goal 11 minutes from the end of extra-time to give Portugal an unexpected 1-0 win. 
 
Cristiano Ronaldo has dominated the Portuguese team for the last decade but, after the three-times world player of the year limped off injured, it was the 28-year-old Eder, born in Guinea-Bissau, who stole the headlines. 
 
Eder played 13 games for English Premier League Swansea City without scoring a goal last season before being loaned to French club Lille. 
 
&quot;I felt that Fernando Santos knows about my qualities ever since the day the squad was named,&quot; Eder told reporters. &quot;He put his confidence in me and today, I paid him back. I&#39;m very happy.&quot; 
 
His presence in the 23-man squad was in doubt until the very last minute and his goal on Sunday was only his fourth in 29 international appearances. 
 
Eder is one of five members of the Portuguese squad who were born outside Europe along with Danilo (Guinea Bissau), Pepe (Brazil), Nani (Cape Verde) and William Carvalho (Angola). 
 
Full name Ederzito Antonio Macedo Lopes, he has never played for any of the big three clubs in his homeland. 
 
After starting his career with third tier side Tourizense, he moved on to Academica Coimbra for four seasons before spending three seasons with slightly less unfashionable Braga. 
 
He made his international debut against Azerbaijan in 2014 but since then has only been a fringe player. 
 
Eder was brought on in the 79th minute of Sunday&#39;s game after Santos decided he needed a more physical presence in attack. 
 
&quot;I understood that Eder was the player who had to come on to hold up the ball in attack and create problems for France in the air,&quot; Santos said. 
 
&quot;When he went on, he said he would score the goal, and he did. He deserves congratulations. The ugly duckling turned into a beautiful one.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Portuguese coach Fernando Santos says of goalscorer Eder, whose presence in the 23-man squad was in doubt till the very last minute

Football threw up another unlikely hero on Sunday when journeyman professional Eder scored the goal that won Euro 2016 for Portugal. Coach Fernando Santos said the "ugly duckling has become beautiful" after Eder, jeered by Portugal fans during a game in March, fired in a long-range goal 11 minutes from the end of extra-time to give Portugal an unexpected 1-0 win. Cristiano Ronaldo has dominated the Portuguese team for the last decade but, after the three-times world player of the year limped off injured, it was the 28-year-old Eder, born in Guinea-Bissau, who stole the headlines. Eder played 13 games for English Premier League Swansea City without scoring a goal last season before being loaned to French club Lille. "I felt that Fernando Santos knows about my qualities ever since the day the squad was named," Eder told reporters. "He put his confidence in me and today, I paid him back. I'm very happy." His presence in the 23-man squad was in doubt until the very last minute and his goal on Sunday was only his fourth in 29 international appearances. Eder is one of five members of the Portuguese squad who were born outside Europe along with Danilo (Guinea Bissau), Pepe (Brazil), Nani (Cape Verde) and William Carvalho (Angola). Full name Ederzito Antonio Macedo Lopes, he has never played for any of the big three clubs in his homeland. After starting his career with third tier side Tourizense, he moved on to Academica Coimbra for four seasons before spending three seasons with slightly less unfashionable Braga. He made his international debut against Azerbaijan in 2014 but since then has only been a fringe player. Eder was brought on in the 79th minute of Sunday's game after Santos decided he needed a more physical presence in attack. "I understood that Eder was the player who had to come on to hold up the ball in attack and create problems for France in the air," Santos said. "When he went on, he said he would score the goal, and he did. He deserves congratulations. The ugly duckling turned into a beautiful one." (Reuters)

The 'ugly duckling has become beautiful'

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

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

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

Premier League 2016/17: Top transfers, so far

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

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

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

Belgium yet to prove themselves as Hungary awaits

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

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

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

Henry handball gives Irish extra motivation vs France

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

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

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

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

Barcelona thumped English Premier League champions Leicester City 4-2 in a pre-season friendly in Sweden on Wednesday but Claudio Ranieri&#39;s side was given hope by a second-half brace from new boy Ahmed Musa. 
 
Lionel Messi&#39;s sumptuous pass set up the first of Munir El Haddadi&#39;s two first-half goals while Luis Suarez netted in between as the Spanish champions exposed the Foxes&#39; defence. 
 
Nigerian winger Musa, signed from CSKA Moscow, came out with all guns blazing as one of seven second-half changes for Leicester to score after a lightning 50-yard solo run and shot on 47 minutes. 
 
He then won and converted a penalty after 66 minutes. 
 
But with the scores at 3-2 Barcelona then sealed the International Champions Cup tournament match with a late winner from Rafa Mujica. 
 
The English side who shocked the football world with their fairytale run to the Premier League title last season were beaten 4-0 last weekend by Paris Saint-Germain. 
 
(AFP)

Messi's grand pass resulted in the first of the two first-half goals, second of which was secured by Luis Suarez

Barcelona thumped English Premier League champions Leicester City 4-2 in a pre-season friendly in Sweden on Wednesday but Claudio Ranieri's side was given hope by a second-half brace from new boy Ahmed Musa. Lionel Messi's sumptuous pass set up the first of Munir El Haddadi's two first-half goals while Luis Suarez netted in between as the Spanish champions exposed the Foxes' defence. Nigerian winger Musa, signed from CSKA Moscow, came out with all guns blazing as one of seven second-half changes for Leicester to score after a lightning 50-yard solo run and shot on 47 minutes. He then won and converted a penalty after 66 minutes. But with the scores at 3-2 Barcelona then sealed the International Champions Cup tournament match with a late winner from Rafa Mujica. The English side who shocked the football world with their fairytale run to the Premier League title last season were beaten 4-0 last weekend by Paris Saint-Germain. (AFP)

Barcelona take over Leicester at 4-2 in Sweden

England coach Roy Hodgson&#39;s plan to visit the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing with a few members of his squad have been dashed by Dave Reddin, the Football Association&#39;s(FA) head of performance services, according to British media reports. 
 
The memorial stands as testament to thousands of British and South African servicemen who died in the Battles of the Somme between 1915 and 1918 and is a three-hour round trip from England&#39;s European Championship base at Chantilly. 
 
The names of 37 footballers, including Evelyn Lintott, a former England player and the first chairman of the Professional Footballers&#39; Association (PFA), are also commemorated here. 
 
Reddin, along with the squad&#39;s sports scientists, said the trip would be too draining and likely to impact on the team&#39;s performance at the tournament, according to the Times. 
 
FA chief executive Martin Glenn will represent the FA and England at Thiepval later on Tuesday. 
 
Midfielder James Milner and goalkeeper Joe Hart made video messages after being blocked from travelling to the memorial. 
 
&quot;Among those who died were football players -- professional and amateur -- and of course football fans. Others were so badly injured they could never again play the game I love,&quot; Milner said. 
 
England, who are in Group B, play their first match of the tournament against Russia in Marseille on Saturday. Wales and Slovakia are the other teams in the group.

Reportedly FA head Dave Reddin believes, the trip to the memorial will be a very exhausting one and may affect the team's performance

England coach Roy Hodgson's plan to visit the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing with a few members of his squad have been dashed by Dave Reddin, the Football Association's(FA) head of performance services, according to British media reports. The memorial stands as testament to thousands of British and South African servicemen who died in the Battles of the Somme between 1915 and 1918 and is a three-hour round trip from England's European Championship base at Chantilly. The names of 37 footballers, including Evelyn Lintott, a former England player and the first chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), are also commemorated here. Reddin, along with the squad's sports scientists, said the trip would be too draining and likely to impact on the team's performance at the tournament, according to the Times. FA chief executive Martin Glenn will represent the FA and England at Thiepval later on Tuesday. Midfielder James Milner and goalkeeper Joe Hart made video messages after being blocked from travelling to the memorial. "Among those who died were football players -- professional and amateur -- and of course football fans. Others were so badly injured they could never again play the game I love," Milner said. England, who are in Group B, play their first match of the tournament against Russia in Marseille on Saturday. Wales and Slovakia are the other teams in the group.

Football Association blocks England squad's plan for Somme homage

<div style="text-align: justify;">Cristiano Ronaldo will not be the only number seven hoping to redeem himself when his Portugal side meet Austria in their Euro 2016 group F match on Saturday. 
 
Ronaldo&#39;s less heralded opposite number for Austria, Marko Arnautovic, also came into the tournament with high hopes only to start with a below-par display made worse by a sulky attitude. 
 
Ronaldo missed a late chance, repeatedly wasted free kicks, protested to the referee and then made some unsporting comments about the opposition after Portugal drew 1-1 against rank outsiders Iceland. 
 
Arnautovic fared little better in Austria&#39;s 2-0 defeat by Hungary, losing heart as he was effectively marked out of the game. 
 
He went to ground far too easily, moaned at the match officials and his body language bore the hallmarks of a man who felt the world was against him. 
 
Arnautovic&#39;s temperament has often threatened to override his talent, with his career marked by some bizarre episodes. 
 
He famously borrowed a Bentley belonging to team mate Samuel Eto&#39;o at Inter Milan, only to have it stolen while he was eating at a restaurant. 
 
During a stint at Werder Bremen, he was pulled over for speeding in the early hours of the morning on the day of the game and he once injured his knee playing with his dog. 
 
But Austria coach Marcel Koller and his club coach Mark Hughes at Stoke City have between them managed to tame a man who was compared to a child by Jose Mourinho at Inter. 
 
Asked at a press conference earlier in the tournament how he had managed to curb Arnautovic&#39;s excesses, Koller said it was not an issue he could adequately explain &quot;in a few minutes&quot;. 
 
But he did give a feel for the efforts that have gone into keeping Arnautovic on the straight and narrow. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s always been important to look at his qualities as a footballer, he&#39;s always had ability from that perspective but he wasn&#39;t necessarily able to harness that ability on the pitch,&quot; said Koller. 
 
&quot;It is important that he has confidence even if he makes a mistake. Right from the outset, we knew we needed to support him, to try and talk to him, to try and help him to improve. 
 
&quot;I think he really has adapted very well. He has his own family, he has got a wife and two kids, he has calmed down and we are delighted he is finally able to harness his ability as a footballer on the field, and he can really help us.&quot; 
 
Koller will doubtless have his arm around Arnautovic&#39;s shoulder again in the run-up to Saturday&#39;s match.</div>

Portugal take on Austria on Saturday. Both their no. 7's have silky skills, but they haven't shown up as yet

Cristiano Ronaldo will not be the only number seven hoping to redeem himself when his Portugal side meet Austria in their Euro 2016 group F match on Saturday. Ronaldo's less heralded opposite number for Austria, Marko Arnautovic, also came into the tournament with high hopes only to start with a below-par display made worse by a sulky attitude. Ronaldo missed a late chance, repeatedly wasted free kicks, protested to the referee and then made some unsporting comments about the opposition after Portugal drew 1-1 against rank outsiders Iceland. Arnautovic fared little better in Austria's 2-0 defeat by Hungary, losing heart as he was effectively marked out of the game. He went to ground far too easily, moaned at the match officials and his body language bore the hallmarks of a man who felt the world was against him. Arnautovic's temperament has often threatened to override his talent, with his career marked by some bizarre episodes. He famously borrowed a Bentley belonging to team mate Samuel Eto'o at Inter Milan, only to have it stolen while he was eating at a restaurant. During a stint at Werder Bremen, he was pulled over for speeding in the early hours of the morning on the day of the game and he once injured his knee playing with his dog. But Austria coach Marcel Koller and his club coach Mark Hughes at Stoke City have between them managed to tame a man who was compared to a child by Jose Mourinho at Inter. Asked at a press conference earlier in the tournament how he had managed to curb Arnautovic's excesses, Koller said it was not an issue he could adequately explain "in a few minutes". But he did give a feel for the efforts that have gone into keeping Arnautovic on the straight and narrow. "It's always been important to look at his qualities as a footballer, he's always had ability from that perspective but he wasn't necessarily able to harness that ability on the pitch," said Koller. "It is important that he has confidence even if he makes a mistake. Right from the outset, we knew we needed to support him, to try and talk to him, to try and help him to improve. "I think he really has adapted very well. He has his own family, he has got a wife and two kids, he has calmed down and we are delighted he is finally able to harness his ability as a footballer on the field, and he can really help us." Koller will doubtless have his arm around Arnautovic's shoulder again in the run-up to Saturday's match.

Two sulky number sevens look for redemption

Cristiano Ronaldo has vowed to come back stronger for the coming season after suffering a knee injury in Portugal&#39;s triumphant Euro 2016 final earlier this month. 
 
The Real Madrid forward, who is in this year&#39;s Best Player in Europe shortlist, was carried off the pitch on a stretcher after 25 minutes in the final against hosts France. 
 
&quot;I just wanted to thank all my fans,&quot; Ronaldo said in a video on his Instagram account. 
 
&quot;I wanted to tell them that all is well and that I will come back much stronger. Thank you, long live Portugal.&quot; 
 
The thirty-one-year-old, who racked up 51 goals in 48 games last season, scored the decisive penalty to seal Real&#39;s second Champions League final success over local rivals Atletico Madrid in three years. 
 
La Liga runners-up Real begin their 2016-17 campaign, in what will be manager Zinedine Zidane&#39;s first full season in charge, away to Real Sociedad on August 21. 
 
(Reuters)

The Portuguese forward was forced to leave the field due to an injury after 25 minutes in the 2016 Euro final

Cristiano Ronaldo has vowed to come back stronger for the coming season after suffering a knee injury in Portugal's triumphant Euro 2016 final earlier this month. The Real Madrid forward, who is in this year's Best Player in Europe shortlist, was carried off the pitch on a stretcher after 25 minutes in the final against hosts France. "I just wanted to thank all my fans," Ronaldo said in a video on his Instagram account. "I wanted to tell them that all is well and that I will come back much stronger. Thank you, long live Portugal." The thirty-one-year-old, who racked up 51 goals in 48 games last season, scored the decisive penalty to seal Real's second Champions League final success over local rivals Atletico Madrid in three years. La Liga runners-up Real begin their 2016-17 campaign, in what will be manager Zinedine Zidane's first full season in charge, away to Real Sociedad on August 21. (Reuters)

Cristiano Ronaldo pledges to come back stronger after knee injury

Atletico Madrid president, Enrique Cerezo, has ruled out Chelsea forward Diego Costa&#39;s possible return to the Vicente Calderon stadium this summer, despite reports suggesting otherwise. 
 
The arrival of Michy Batshuayi at Chelsea from Marseille has led to reports in England and Spain that Costa, who has scored 36 goals in 77 games since joining Chelsea in 2014, could move back to Atletico, a team he helped capture the La Liga title, a King&#39;s Cup and two Super Cups in his four years with the outfit. 
 
New Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has said the Spain international will stay put, describing him as a player of fundamental importance, and now Cerezo has ruled out his return.&nbsp;Costa is under contract at Chelsea until June 2019. 
 
&quot;He is a great player, who is very much loved, but he is a Chelsea player,&quot; Cerezo told reporters.&nbsp;&quot;The issue is as it was six months ago or even a year ago, he is a Chelsea player. I&#39;ve always said that Costa is a Chelsea player and has a contract with Chelsea. That&#39;s the end of this issue.&nbsp;The day we have a number nine we will announce it. We are looking for one and once we have him, we will announce it.&quot; 
 
The 27-year-old Costa was handed a start for Conte&#39;s first match in charge, a 2-0 pre-season defeat to Rapid Vienna on Saturday. 
 
(Reuters)

New Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has said the Spanish player will stay put, describing him as a player of fundamental importance

Atletico Madrid president, Enrique Cerezo, has ruled out Chelsea forward Diego Costa's possible return to the Vicente Calderon stadium this summer, despite reports suggesting otherwise. The arrival of Michy Batshuayi at Chelsea from Marseille has led to reports in England and Spain that Costa, who has scored 36 goals in 77 games since joining Chelsea in 2014, could move back to Atletico, a team he helped capture the La Liga title, a King's Cup and two Super Cups in his four years with the outfit. New Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has said the Spain international will stay put, describing him as a player of fundamental importance, and now Cerezo has ruled out his return. Costa is under contract at Chelsea until June 2019. "He is a great player, who is very much loved, but he is a Chelsea player," Cerezo told reporters. "The issue is as it was six months ago or even a year ago, he is a Chelsea player. I've always said that Costa is a Chelsea player and has a contract with Chelsea. That's the end of this issue. The day we have a number nine we will announce it. We are looking for one and once we have him, we will announce it." The 27-year-old Costa was handed a start for Conte's first match in charge, a 2-0 pre-season defeat to Rapid Vienna on Saturday. (Reuters)

Atletico Madrid president Cerezo rules out Costa's return this summer

Slovakia forward Vladimir Weiss is backing his country to beat England in their crucial Euro 2016 Group B game.&nbsp;The teams meet on Monday in Saint-Etienne with both sides looking to book a place in the last 16 of the competition. 
 
&quot;We have beaten big teams before and if we play at our best we can beat anyone, even England,&quot; said Weiss. 
 
England currently top the group with four points, one point ahead of third-placed Slovakia.&nbsp;A draw could be enough for both teams to progress but a defeat for either team in the high-stakes match could see one of them return home. 
 
The sides will approach the game with confidence having both won their second group matches 2-1 -- England against Wales and Weiss&#39;s Slovakia against Russia. 
 
&quot;The win against Russia gives us a lot of confidence going into the last game.&nbsp;We needed a win and we&#39;re very happy that we got it.&nbsp;I am sure England have seen our game against Russia and they know we will give it everything to get something from the final game to qualify,&quot; he told the website of Qatar&#39;s World Cup organising committee, the Supreme Committee for Delivery &amp; Legacy. 
 
Weiss currently plays his team football in Qatar with Al-Gharafa.&nbsp;With the opening goal against Russia, Weiss made history by becoming the first-ever player based outside Europe to score at the championships since they were first contested in 1960. 
 
The 26-year-old former Rangers and Manchester City player said he knew was going to hit the net before he shot. 
 
&quot;Once I turned inside the two defenders, I knew I was going to score.&nbsp;I was already thinking where I would go to celebrate the goal and I went to my parents.&nbsp;I dedicated the goal to my mum, she knew I wasn&#39;t happy after the first game.&nbsp;She said my time will come, and it did,&quot; he said. 
(AFP)

The teams meet Monday in Saint-Etienne, with both sides looking to book a place in the last 16 of the competition

Slovakia forward Vladimir Weiss is backing his country to beat England in their crucial Euro 2016 Group B game. The teams meet on Monday in Saint-Etienne with both sides looking to book a place in the last 16 of the competition. "We have beaten big teams before and if we play at our best we can beat anyone, even England," said Weiss. England currently top the group with four points, one point ahead of third-placed Slovakia. A draw could be enough for both teams to progress but a defeat for either team in the high-stakes match could see one of them return home. The sides will approach the game with confidence having both won their second group matches 2-1 -- England against Wales and Weiss's Slovakia against Russia. "The win against Russia gives us a lot of confidence going into the last game. We needed a win and we're very happy that we got it. I am sure England have seen our game against Russia and they know we will give it everything to get something from the final game to qualify," he told the website of Qatar's World Cup organising committee, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy. Weiss currently plays his team football in Qatar with Al-Gharafa. With the opening goal against Russia, Weiss made history by becoming the first-ever player based outside Europe to score at the championships since they were first contested in 1960. The 26-year-old former Rangers and Manchester City player said he knew was going to hit the net before he shot. "Once I turned inside the two defenders, I knew I was going to score. I was already thinking where I would go to celebrate the goal and I went to my parents. I dedicated the goal to my mum, she knew I wasn't happy after the first game. She said my time will come, and it did," he said. (AFP)

Slovakia can beat England says goal scorer Weiss

Germany central defender Jerome Boateng returned to training today after overcoming a muscle injury, and appeared fit for Sunday&#39;s Euro 2016 round of 16 clash against Slovakia. 
 
Boateng picked up a calf muscle injury towards the end of their 1-0 victory over Northern Ireland this week, and his participation on Sunday was in doubt. 
 
He did not train with the team on Friday, undergoing an individual session involving cycling and jogging, and seemed fit on Saturday, as Germany prepare for their departure to Lille later in the day. 
 
The 27-year-old, who has resumed his World-Cup winning partnership in central defence with Mats Hummels, has helped the world champions keep a clean sheet in all three of their group stage matches in the tournament so far. 
 
The winner of the round of 16 match will next play either Italy or Euro holders Spain in the quarter-finals. 
 
(Reuters)

Boateng injured his calf towards the end of their 1-0 victory over Northern Ireland and his participation on Sunday was in doubt

Germany central defender Jerome Boateng returned to training today after overcoming a muscle injury, and appeared fit for Sunday's Euro 2016 round of 16 clash against Slovakia. Boateng picked up a calf muscle injury towards the end of their 1-0 victory over Northern Ireland this week, and his participation on Sunday was in doubt. He did not train with the team on Friday, undergoing an individual session involving cycling and jogging, and seemed fit on Saturday, as Germany prepare for their departure to Lille later in the day. The 27-year-old, who has resumed his World-Cup winning partnership in central defence with Mats Hummels, has helped the world champions keep a clean sheet in all three of their group stage matches in the tournament so far. The winner of the round of 16 match will next play either Italy or Euro holders Spain in the quarter-finals. (Reuters)

Germany's Jerome Boateng back in training for Slovakia game

Bayern Munich crushed Champions League newcomers Rostov 5-0 on Tuesday with two goals from youngster Joshua Kimmich to kick off their Group D campaign and set a competition record with their 13th consecutive home victory. 
 
The 21-year-old Germany international struck twice in the second half after striker Robert Lewandowski converted a 28th-minute penalty and Thomas Mueller added another goal on the stroke of half-time to kill off any chances of a Russian comeback. 
 
Kimmich&#39;s two goals in eight minutes confirmed his fine scoring form for club and country after he grabbed his first ever league goal last week and also netted in Germany&#39;s World Cup qualifier earlier this month. Juan Bernat swept home Bayern&#39;s fifth in the 90th minute. 
 
The Russians, making their first group stage appearance, defended well for the first 20 minutes but were eventually overrun by the Germans, who beat Manchester United&#39;s previous record of 12 consecutive home victories in the competition. 
 
Bayern, who gave new coach Carlo Ancelotti a winning start in the competition, next play Atletico Madrid, who beat them in last season&#39;s semi-finals. They also face PSV Eindhoven in their group. 
 
(Reuters)

21-year-old Joshua Kimmich struck twice in the second half confirming his fine scoring form for Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich crushed Champions League newcomers Rostov 5-0 on Tuesday with two goals from youngster Joshua Kimmich to kick off their Group D campaign and set a competition record with their 13th consecutive home victory. The 21-year-old Germany international struck twice in the second half after striker Robert Lewandowski converted a 28th-minute penalty and Thomas Mueller added another goal on the stroke of half-time to kill off any chances of a Russian comeback. Kimmich's two goals in eight minutes confirmed his fine scoring form for club and country after he grabbed his first ever league goal last week and also netted in Germany's World Cup qualifier earlier this month. Juan Bernat swept home Bayern's fifth in the 90th minute. The Russians, making their first group stage appearance, defended well for the first 20 minutes but were eventually overrun by the Germans, who beat Manchester United's previous record of 12 consecutive home victories in the competition. Bayern, who gave new coach Carlo Ancelotti a winning start in the competition, next play Atletico Madrid, who beat them in last season's semi-finals. They also face PSV Eindhoven in their group. (Reuters)

Bayern romp to 5-0 win over Champions League newcomers Rostov

Without the star names that have graced Italy sides in the past, coach Antonio Conte says the secret to their success at Euro 2016 has been to shun the mentality of a national team and behave like a club. 
 
Italy came into the European Championship with an ageing squad shorn of standout talents and with few tipping them for success. 
 
Their tournament performances, however, have confounded expectations and a 2-0 victory over Spain on Monday propelled them into the quarter-finals, where they will face Germany in Bordeaux on Saturday. 
 
Recent Italy teams went into major tournaments with individual talents such as Mario Balotelli or Andrea Pirlo, who attracted enormous amounts of media attention. 
 
For Conte, who has a notorious emphasis on the team ethic and industry over individuality, the way to achieve success is to mould the national team around the model of a club, where a well-drilled tactical system can stifle even the best opponents. 
 
&quot;I&#39;ve always said, right from the start of my work here with the national team, that the only road we can follow if we want a bit of success is to be like a club, to be like a team that play together every week - we cannot allow ourselves to be a selection,&quot; Conte told reporters following the victory over Spain at the Stade de France. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m happy above all for the players. It&#39;s more than a month that we&#39;ve been working tactically, technically, mentally and we&#39;ve been trying to surprise everybody and I think we&#39;ve succeeded to some extent.&quot; 
 
Spain were comprehensively snuffed out, barely posing a threat until the closing stages of the game. 
 
Conte feels next opponents Germany, however, could pose a greater challenge. 
 
The world champions cruised through the group stage and thumped Slovakia 3-0 to reach the last eight. 
 
&quot;We now face the best side at the European Championship next Saturday,&quot; Conte said. &quot;It&#39;s going to be very, very hard in all aspects. We&#39;ve got to do well to recover and prepare for Germany the best way we can. We are without Thiago Motta (suspended) and that&#39;s a big blow, also because (Daniele) De Rossi took a knock to his hip. But we know that in adversity, we give that little bit more.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The team has been winning games despite fielding an ageing squad lacking any big-name talent

Without the star names that have graced Italy sides in the past, coach Antonio Conte says the secret to their success at Euro 2016 has been to shun the mentality of a national team and behave like a club. Italy came into the European Championship with an ageing squad shorn of standout talents and with few tipping them for success. Their tournament performances, however, have confounded expectations and a 2-0 victory over Spain on Monday propelled them into the quarter-finals, where they will face Germany in Bordeaux on Saturday. Recent Italy teams went into major tournaments with individual talents such as Mario Balotelli or Andrea Pirlo, who attracted enormous amounts of media attention. For Conte, who has a notorious emphasis on the team ethic and industry over individuality, the way to achieve success is to mould the national team around the model of a club, where a well-drilled tactical system can stifle even the best opponents. "I've always said, right from the start of my work here with the national team, that the only road we can follow if we want a bit of success is to be like a club, to be like a team that play together every week - we cannot allow ourselves to be a selection," Conte told reporters following the victory over Spain at the Stade de France. "I'm happy above all for the players. It's more than a month that we've been working tactically, technically, mentally and we've been trying to surprise everybody and I think we've succeeded to some extent." Spain were comprehensively snuffed out, barely posing a threat until the closing stages of the game. Conte feels next opponents Germany, however, could pose a greater challenge. The world champions cruised through the group stage and thumped Slovakia 3-0 to reach the last eight. "We now face the best side at the European Championship next Saturday," Conte said. "It's going to be very, very hard in all aspects. We've got to do well to recover and prepare for Germany the best way we can. We are without Thiago Motta (suspended) and that's a big blow, also because (Daniele) De Rossi took a knock to his hip. But we know that in adversity, we give that little bit more." (Reuters)

Italy's Coach Conte says club mentality crucial to success

A Ciaran Clark own goal earned Sweden a fortunate 1-1 draw against a spirited Ireland side in their Euro 2016 Group E opener at the Stade de France on Monday. 
 
Returning to the scene of Thierry Henry&#39;s infamous handball for France that crushed their 2010 World Cup qualifying dreams in an unforgettable playoff, Ireland were the better side for most of the game. 
 
They were rewarded for their domination three minutes into the second period when Wes Hoolahan scored with a splendid half-volley. 
 
However, they then lost their composure under Swedish pressure and centre back Clark headed a Zlatan Ibrahimovic cross into his own net in the 71st minute. 
 
&quot;The boys were unlucky but we&#39;ll take the point. We created a lot of chances&quot;, said Hoolahan. 
 
&quot;In the first half, we were excellent and at the start of the second as well. The boys should be proud of themselves, it&#39;s a great point in the end.&quot; 
 
Drawn in a tough group that also features Belgium and Italy, who meet in Lyon later on Monday, the two sides now face a battle to reach the last 16. 
 
After both were eliminated in the first round at the 2012 European Championship, Sweden and Ireland had a point to prove. 
 
The Irish had the first clear chance in the 10th minute when Jeff Hendrick&#39;s attempt from just outside the box was saved by Andreas Isaksson. 
 
John O&#39;Shea, in front of an open goal, then missed the ball by millimetres after Clark headed on a corner. 
 
Sweden were toothless in attack and misplaced several routine passes. 
 
Ireland came close again on the half-hour, Robbie Brady&#39;s missile from 18 metres shaving the bar. 
 
Three minutes later Hendrick&#39;s curled effort smashed against the woodwork as Ireland built some momentum but they could not make their domination count. 
 
They continued to push forward after the break and in the 48th minute half of the Stade de France roared with joy as Hoolahan produced a delightful shot from Seamus Coleman&#39;s centre. 
 
It spurred Sweden into action and Ireland defended stoutly until Ibrahimovic broke down the left, a rare foray by the striker, and his cross was nodded into the net by Clark. 
 
With 10 minutes left Irish coach Martin O&#39;Neill sent on Robbie Keane for Hoolahan as his men refused to settle for a draw. 
 
Ibrahimovic then went close in the 83rd minute, failing to connect with Martin Olsson&#39;s cross. 
 
Sweden, who remained unbeaten against Ireland in seven competitive matches, next face Italy on Friday.

Ireland scores within 3 minutes of second half, but lose composure under Swedish pressure

A Ciaran Clark own goal earned Sweden a fortunate 1-1 draw against a spirited Ireland side in their Euro 2016 Group E opener at the Stade de France on Monday. Returning to the scene of Thierry Henry's infamous handball for France that crushed their 2010 World Cup qualifying dreams in an unforgettable playoff, Ireland were the better side for most of the game. They were rewarded for their domination three minutes into the second period when Wes Hoolahan scored with a splendid half-volley. However, they then lost their composure under Swedish pressure and centre back Clark headed a Zlatan Ibrahimovic cross into his own net in the 71st minute. "The boys were unlucky but we'll take the point. We created a lot of chances", said Hoolahan. "In the first half, we were excellent and at the start of the second as well. The boys should be proud of themselves, it's a great point in the end." Drawn in a tough group that also features Belgium and Italy, who meet in Lyon later on Monday, the two sides now face a battle to reach the last 16. After both were eliminated in the first round at the 2012 European Championship, Sweden and Ireland had a point to prove. The Irish had the first clear chance in the 10th minute when Jeff Hendrick's attempt from just outside the box was saved by Andreas Isaksson. John O'Shea, in front of an open goal, then missed the ball by millimetres after Clark headed on a corner. Sweden were toothless in attack and misplaced several routine passes. Ireland came close again on the half-hour, Robbie Brady's missile from 18 metres shaving the bar. Three minutes later Hendrick's curled effort smashed against the woodwork as Ireland built some momentum but they could not make their domination count. They continued to push forward after the break and in the 48th minute half of the Stade de France roared with joy as Hoolahan produced a delightful shot from Seamus Coleman's centre. It spurred Sweden into action and Ireland defended stoutly until Ibrahimovic broke down the left, a rare foray by the striker, and his cross was nodded into the net by Clark. With 10 minutes left Irish coach Martin O'Neill sent on Robbie Keane for Hoolahan as his men refused to settle for a draw. Ibrahimovic then went close in the 83rd minute, failing to connect with Martin Olsson's cross. Sweden, who remained unbeaten against Ireland in seven competitive matches, next face Italy on Friday.

Clark own goal earns Sweden lucky 1-1 tie against Ireland

A man has been jailed for four weeks after attempting to break into Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho&#39;s London home, British police said today. 
 
Gabor Roman, a 25-year-old of no fixed address, was arrested on July 10 in the plush London street where the Portuguese boss lives.&nbsp;He appeared before a London court on Tuesday charged with attempted burglary. 
 
&quot;He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four weeks in prison,&quot; London&#39;s Metropolitan Police said in a statement. 
 
The Sun newspaper, which carried the story on its front page, said the incident took place while Mourinho was watching Portugal win the European Championships on television. 
 
The tabloid said his maid screamed as she saw Roman trying to get in a basement door.&nbsp;A private security guard hired by local residents noticed his unusual behaviour, going from house to house trying the doors.&nbsp;Following the scream, the guard blocked Roman as he tried to get away, The Sun said. 
 
It had a picture of Mourinho and his wife looking out of the window as Roman was arrested. 
 
(AFP)

Gabor Roman pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four weeks in prison. The incident happened when Mourinho was watching the Euro 2016 final

A man has been jailed for four weeks after attempting to break into Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho's London home, British police said today. Gabor Roman, a 25-year-old of no fixed address, was arrested on July 10 in the plush London street where the Portuguese boss lives. He appeared before a London court on Tuesday charged with attempted burglary. "He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four weeks in prison," London's Metropolitan Police said in a statement. The Sun newspaper, which carried the story on its front page, said the incident took place while Mourinho was watching Portugal win the European Championships on television. The tabloid said his maid screamed as she saw Roman trying to get in a basement door. A private security guard hired by local residents noticed his unusual behaviour, going from house to house trying the doors. Following the scream, the guard blocked Roman as he tried to get away, The Sun said. It had a picture of Mourinho and his wife looking out of the window as Roman was arrested. (AFP)

Man jailed for attempting to break into Mourinho's home

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