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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Guardiola ready to take on Manchester United without Aguero

France ended the group stage of Euro 2016 in the position they wanted but their coach still seems to be looking for the right formula to bring the best out of a team with high expectations. 
 
Didier Deschamps has been tinkering with the team formula since the start of the tournament, making five changes for Sunday&#39;s goalless draw with Switzerland that allowed the host nation to win their group. 
 
France, who have plenty of talent up front, showed potential in the second half against Albania and in the first against Switzerland but they are yet to produce a full-match performance suggesting they could trouble the big guns. 
 
All they have done so far is win one of the weakest groups in the tournament and it remains to be seen how their back four, arguably their weakest point, will hold against more dangerous opponents. 
 
An astute tactician, Deschamps surprised many observers when he left midfielder Paul Pogba and striker Antoine Griezmann, regarded as France&#39;s most dangerous weapons, on the bench for the opening half against Albania. 
 
With his side struggling in a 4-2-3-1 formation, the coach reacted swiftly by sending on Pogba, and then Griezmann and reverting to a 4-3-3 system that eventually wore down Albania&#39;s defence. 
 
There was another surprise on Sunday when Dimitri Payet, who was instrumental in France&#39;s first two wins with a great goal in each, started on the bench, leaving his spot in the starting 11 to Kingsley Coman. 
 
Deschamps will have been pleased with a few things he saw against Switzerland, notably the fact that Pogba, who was all over the pitch in the first half, showed his class at last after subdued displays in his first two outings. 
 
With Pogba in that form and more of the same from Payet, France, will now almost certainly keep relying on a 4-3-3 formation which is working much better for them, and could step up a gear in the knockout stages. 
 
The pair of Laurent Koscielny and Adil Rami now looking safer after showing signs of nerves in warm-up games and against Romania, the defence is less of a worry for Deschamps, even if left back Patrice Evra is looking his age and might be targeted by opponents to come. 
 
Deschamps, who captained France to victory at the 1998 World Cup and at the European Championship two years later, has a reputation for changing everything he touches into gold. 
 
He&#39;s not quite at that level yet at this tournament but there are a few signs suggesting he is moving in the right direction. 
 
(Reuters)

The win ensured that the host nation ended at the top of their group

France ended the group stage of Euro 2016 in the position they wanted but their coach still seems to be looking for the right formula to bring the best out of a team with high expectations. Didier Deschamps has been tinkering with the team formula since the start of the tournament, making five changes for Sunday's goalless draw with Switzerland that allowed the host nation to win their group. France, who have plenty of talent up front, showed potential in the second half against Albania and in the first against Switzerland but they are yet to produce a full-match performance suggesting they could trouble the big guns. All they have done so far is win one of the weakest groups in the tournament and it remains to be seen how their back four, arguably their weakest point, will hold against more dangerous opponents. An astute tactician, Deschamps surprised many observers when he left midfielder Paul Pogba and striker Antoine Griezmann, regarded as France's most dangerous weapons, on the bench for the opening half against Albania. With his side struggling in a 4-2-3-1 formation, the coach reacted swiftly by sending on Pogba, and then Griezmann and reverting to a 4-3-3 system that eventually wore down Albania's defence. There was another surprise on Sunday when Dimitri Payet, who was instrumental in France's first two wins with a great goal in each, started on the bench, leaving his spot in the starting 11 to Kingsley Coman. Deschamps will have been pleased with a few things he saw against Switzerland, notably the fact that Pogba, who was all over the pitch in the first half, showed his class at last after subdued displays in his first two outings. With Pogba in that form and more of the same from Payet, France, will now almost certainly keep relying on a 4-3-3 formation which is working much better for them, and could step up a gear in the knockout stages. The pair of Laurent Koscielny and Adil Rami now looking safer after showing signs of nerves in warm-up games and against Romania, the defence is less of a worry for Deschamps, even if left back Patrice Evra is looking his age and might be targeted by opponents to come. Deschamps, who captained France to victory at the 1998 World Cup and at the European Championship two years later, has a reputation for changing everything he touches into gold. He's not quite at that level yet at this tournament but there are a few signs suggesting he is moving in the right direction. (Reuters)

France home and dry after goalless draw with Switzerland

Bulgarian police detained 45 Red Star Belgrade fans in connection with violence before their Champions League&#39;s third qualifying match&#39;s first leg at Ludogorets today. 
 
Skirmishes broke out in the Black Sea resort of Sunny Beach early today and two police officers sustained injuries, police department in the southeastern town of Burgas said in a statement.&nbsp;Five more citizens, trying to help police restore order, were also injured. Prosecutors in Burgas have opened pre-trial proceedings regarding the incidents. 
 
Ludogorets, who have won five successive Bulgarian league title, host the 1991 European Cup winners Red Star in Razgrad. The return leg will be played in Belgrade next week. 
 
The Eagles, as Ludogorets are known in the Balkan country, have already knocked out a Serbian opposition, Partizan Belgrade, in the Champions League&#39;s third qualifying round on two occasions in the past three years. 
 
(Reuters)

Skirmishes broke out in the Black Sea resort of Sunny Beach early today and two police officers sustained injuries

Bulgarian police detained 45 Red Star Belgrade fans in connection with violence before their Champions League's third qualifying match's first leg at Ludogorets today. Skirmishes broke out in the Black Sea resort of Sunny Beach early today and two police officers sustained injuries, police department in the southeastern town of Burgas said in a statement. Five more citizens, trying to help police restore order, were also injured. Prosecutors in Burgas have opened pre-trial proceedings regarding the incidents. Ludogorets, who have won five successive Bulgarian league title, host the 1991 European Cup winners Red Star in Razgrad. The return leg will be played in Belgrade next week. The Eagles, as Ludogorets are known in the Balkan country, have already knocked out a Serbian opposition, Partizan Belgrade, in the Champions League's third qualifying round on two occasions in the past three years. (Reuters)

Bulgarian police detain 45 Red Star fans over violence

Albania&#39;s first win at Euro 2016 against Romania on Sunday was the ultimate display of coach Gianni De Biasi&#39;s one-for-all and all-for-one mentality. 
 
The small Balkan nation&#39;s 1-0 victory, which gave them their first three points, meant they still have a chance to reach the knockout phase as the third-placed team behind France and Switzerland. 
 
The encounter was never going to be a goal fest, both teams having qualified thanks to their tight defences. 
 
In his four years as coach, Italian De Biasi has tried various players to find the perfect combination and it seems he found it on Sunday. 
 
He left captain Lorik Cana on the bench despite his comeback from suspension following a red card in their opener. The Italian also brought in Migjen Basha for a packed five-man midfield. 
 
A hard-working 4-5-1 formation soaked up early Romanian pressure before gradually wrenching control as their opponents quickly ran out of ideas. 
 
The outstanding Ledian Memushaj was crucial in keeping the Romanian defence occupied while Armando Sadiku&#39;s header just before halftime was all the motivation the Albanians needed as the door for a last-16 spot cracked open. 
 
Desperately fighting off a late Romanian charge, De Biasi&#39;s players showed the determination that helped them qualify for their first tournament with man-of-the-match centre back Arlind Ajeti leading their defence. 
 
They were left with cramps but aware it was their team work that carried them to their first victory. Albania finally finds itself out of football obscurity with this first win against Romania in 68 years. 
 
It could not be more different for Romania coach Angel Iordanescu, whose 100th game on their bench as coach or assistant coach marked a quick end to their Euro hopes with yet another performance lacking guile and creativity. 
 
They may have scored less than Romania during the tournament, but their focus on defence proved decisive on Sunday as Iordanescu&#39;s men could not find the equaliser that would have given a slim chance to progress. 
 
(Reuters)

This was the side's first win at Euro 2016

Albania's first win at Euro 2016 against Romania on Sunday was the ultimate display of coach Gianni De Biasi's one-for-all and all-for-one mentality. The small Balkan nation's 1-0 victory, which gave them their first three points, meant they still have a chance to reach the knockout phase as the third-placed team behind France and Switzerland. The encounter was never going to be a goal fest, both teams having qualified thanks to their tight defences. In his four years as coach, Italian De Biasi has tried various players to find the perfect combination and it seems he found it on Sunday. He left captain Lorik Cana on the bench despite his comeback from suspension following a red card in their opener. The Italian also brought in Migjen Basha for a packed five-man midfield. A hard-working 4-5-1 formation soaked up early Romanian pressure before gradually wrenching control as their opponents quickly ran out of ideas. The outstanding Ledian Memushaj was crucial in keeping the Romanian defence occupied while Armando Sadiku's header just before halftime was all the motivation the Albanians needed as the door for a last-16 spot cracked open. Desperately fighting off a late Romanian charge, De Biasi's players showed the determination that helped them qualify for their first tournament with man-of-the-match centre back Arlind Ajeti leading their defence. They were left with cramps but aware it was their team work that carried them to their first victory. Albania finally finds itself out of football obscurity with this first win against Romania in 68 years. It could not be more different for Romania coach Angel Iordanescu, whose 100th game on their bench as coach or assistant coach marked a quick end to their Euro hopes with yet another performance lacking guile and creativity. They may have scored less than Romania during the tournament, but their focus on defence proved decisive on Sunday as Iordanescu's men could not find the equaliser that would have given a slim chance to progress. (Reuters)

De Biasi's Albania earn victory for the collective

As soccer greats show off their skills in France for UEFA Euro 2016, children at a soccer camp in the Baltic state of Estonia learn how to use an oak tree which sits in the middle of their pitch, to gain an advantage. 
 
The more than 150-year-old oak tree has kept centrestage since the park was made into a sports ground in the late 1940s, in the coastal town of Orissaare on the Island of Saaremaa. 
 
The tree remains despite an attempt by two Soviet tractors to pull it down. The cables broke, the tree stood strong. 
 
The oak, which is about 15 metres high, won the European Tree of the Year vote in 2015 with over 50,000 votes. It dominates one half of the pitch. 
 
&quot;I think it might be a strange sight for others, a tree in the middle of the football field,&quot; said local coach Mati Ruutel. 
 
&quot;I have been here since my childhood, so for me it is perfectly ordinary that it is in the middle of the pitch.&quot; 
 
On this windy day, 40 children aged between 7 and&nbsp;12 were at a soccer camp, keeping their water bottles cool in the tree&#39;s shade as they got on with their training drills. 
 
When a match is on players make use of the tree to help pass the ball and make it harder for opposing players to get possession. 
 
&quot;It is good for training ... if you need to learn passing your opponent with the ball, then it is good,&quot; said ten-year-old Anette Ige.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Like when the opponent comes from the other side of the tree, then you can come here and she will not guess from which side you are coming, so you have the opportunity to take the ball.&quot; 
 
When asked how would their favourite soccer stars play with such an addition to the pitch, Hendrik Ellar, 7, said his favourite player, Ronaldinho, &quot;would come running, kick the ball against the tree, and he would get the pass back and kick into goal.&quot; 
(Reuters)

The oak, which is about 15 metres standing high in the soccer pitch, won the European Tree of the Year vote in 2015 with over 50,000 votes.

As soccer greats show off their skills in France for UEFA Euro 2016, children at a soccer camp in the Baltic state of Estonia learn how to use an oak tree which sits in the middle of their pitch, to gain an advantage. The more than 150-year-old oak tree has kept centrestage since the park was made into a sports ground in the late 1940s, in the coastal town of Orissaare on the Island of Saaremaa. The tree remains despite an attempt by two Soviet tractors to pull it down. The cables broke, the tree stood strong. The oak, which is about 15 metres high, won the European Tree of the Year vote in 2015 with over 50,000 votes. It dominates one half of the pitch. "I think it might be a strange sight for others, a tree in the middle of the football field," said local coach Mati Ruutel. "I have been here since my childhood, so for me it is perfectly ordinary that it is in the middle of the pitch." On this windy day, 40 children aged between 7 and 12 were at a soccer camp, keeping their water bottles cool in the tree's shade as they got on with their training drills. When a match is on players make use of the tree to help pass the ball and make it harder for opposing players to get possession. "It is good for training ... if you need to learn passing your opponent with the ball, then it is good," said ten-year-old Anette Ige. "Like when the opponent comes from the other side of the tree, then you can come here and she will not guess from which side you are coming, so you have the opportunity to take the ball." When asked how would their favourite soccer stars play with such an addition to the pitch, Hendrik Ellar, 7, said his favourite player, Ronaldinho, "would come running, kick the ball against the tree, and he would get the pass back and kick into goal." (Reuters)

Oak tree sits in middle of soccer pitch, what would Ronaldinho do?

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

Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs will leave Old Trafford after rejecting Jose Mourinhos offer of a reduced backroom role, according to British media reports today. 
 
Giggs is the most decorated player in United illustrious history and he amassed a record 963 appearances and 35 major trophies before going on to serve as an assistant to David Moyes and Louis van Gaal. 
 
But the 42-year-old is set to quit United because he feels snubbed both by the clubs hierarchy, who reportedly told him he would be offered the chance to succeed van Gaal when the Dutchman left, and Mourinho, who opted not to give him a senior role in his coaching team. 
 
Giggs had one more year on his contract as assistant manager, but Mourinho was said to be concerned the former Wales winger had distanced himself from both Moyes and van Gaal rather than offering public support during the teams struggles in recent years. 
 
Mourinho was also believed to be worried that Paul Scholes, a close friend and former United colleague of Giggs, had become a very vocal critic of Moyes and van Gaal. 
 
Instead of risking a similar scenario during his reign, Mourinho, who officially starts work with United this week after his May appointment, will give the role of assistant manager to his long-time associate Rui Faria. 
 
Mourinhos only concession to Giggs was reported to have been the offer of a position overseeing the connection between United youth teams and the first team. 
 
But, after considering his options on a holiday in Dubai, he decided he was dissatisfied with that role and how the club has been run during the post-Alex Ferguson era.Although United hoped Giggs could be persuaded to stay on in a different role, he has decided to call time on almost three decades with the club. 
 
Giggs, who won two of his four matches as Uniteds caretaker manager following Moyes sacking in 2014, this week worked as a television pundit during Euro 2016. 
 
But, rather than go into the media, he is said to be keen to land a permanent managerial position and, according to the Daily Mail, United are in negotiations with his advisors over a pay-off for the final year of his contract, with an official statement expected in the coming days. 
 
Giggs has passed all his coaching badges, was linked with the managers job at Swansea last season and is unlikely to be short of coaching offers once the first managers are axed next season. Giggs, who joined United on his 14th birthday in 1987, contributed to some of the greatest moments in the clubs history during the golden reign of Ferguson, who was the Welshman`s only club manager until he retired in 2013. 
 
He turned professional aged 17 in November 1990 and made his first team debut against Everton in March 1991. 
 
Eventually becoming the most decorated British player of all time, Giggs won 13 Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues, four FA Cups, four League Cups, the Club World Cup, the Intercontinental Cup, the European Super Cup and nine Community Shields. 
 
(AFP)

The Welsh winger played 963 times for United and won 35 major trophies before serving as an assistant to David Moyes and Louis van Gaal

Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs will leave Old Trafford after rejecting Jose Mourinhos offer of a reduced backroom role, according to British media reports today. Giggs is the most decorated player in United illustrious history and he amassed a record 963 appearances and 35 major trophies before going on to serve as an assistant to David Moyes and Louis van Gaal. But the 42-year-old is set to quit United because he feels snubbed both by the clubs hierarchy, who reportedly told him he would be offered the chance to succeed van Gaal when the Dutchman left, and Mourinho, who opted not to give him a senior role in his coaching team. Giggs had one more year on his contract as assistant manager, but Mourinho was said to be concerned the former Wales winger had distanced himself from both Moyes and van Gaal rather than offering public support during the teams struggles in recent years. Mourinho was also believed to be worried that Paul Scholes, a close friend and former United colleague of Giggs, had become a very vocal critic of Moyes and van Gaal. Instead of risking a similar scenario during his reign, Mourinho, who officially starts work with United this week after his May appointment, will give the role of assistant manager to his long-time associate Rui Faria. Mourinhos only concession to Giggs was reported to have been the offer of a position overseeing the connection between United youth teams and the first team. But, after considering his options on a holiday in Dubai, he decided he was dissatisfied with that role and how the club has been run during the post-Alex Ferguson era.Although United hoped Giggs could be persuaded to stay on in a different role, he has decided to call time on almost three decades with the club. Giggs, who won two of his four matches as Uniteds caretaker manager following Moyes sacking in 2014, this week worked as a television pundit during Euro 2016. But, rather than go into the media, he is said to be keen to land a permanent managerial position and, according to the Daily Mail, United are in negotiations with his advisors over a pay-off for the final year of his contract, with an official statement expected in the coming days. Giggs has passed all his coaching badges, was linked with the managers job at Swansea last season and is unlikely to be short of coaching offers once the first managers are axed next season. Giggs, who joined United on his 14th birthday in 1987, contributed to some of the greatest moments in the clubs history during the golden reign of Ferguson, who was the Welshman`s only club manager until he retired in 2013. He turned professional aged 17 in November 1990 and made his first team debut against Everton in March 1991. Eventually becoming the most decorated British player of all time, Giggs won 13 Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues, four FA Cups, four League Cups, the Club World Cup, the Intercontinental Cup, the European Super Cup and nine Community Shields. (AFP)

Ryan Giggs ends 29-year association with Man U on sour note

Hawk-Eye technology will be used to decide whether the ball has crossed the goal-line at next month&#39;s Copa America Centenario in the US, the tournament&#39;s organising committee said on Wednesday.

The British&nbsp;camera-based system, utilised widely in tennis and cricket and at the 2014 FIFA World Cup final, will be installed in all 10 stadiums hosting football&#39;s oldest international championship.

Hawk-Eye was also used during the 2015 Women&#39;s World Cup, and in several of the world&#39;s leading football leagues and federations, including UEFA, the English Premier League and Germany&#39;s Bundesliga.

The system uses seven cameras to track the flight of the ball, indicating to the referee via a vibration device whether a goal has been scored. Referees will still be helped by additional assistant referees.

The Copa America is a 16-team version of the South American championship that has expanded by four teams and is being staged outside the South American CONMEBOL nations for the first time.

United&nbsp;States, who will be&nbsp;the host this yead, will launch the tournament with a Group A match against Colombia at Levi&#39;s Stadium in Santa Clara, California on June 3.

The final will be held on June 26 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The technology, which has been widely utilised in tennis and cricket, was also used at the 2014 FIFA World Cup final

Hawk-Eye technology will be used to decide whether the ball has crossed the goal-line at next month's Copa America Centenario in the US, the tournament's organising committee said on Wednesday. The British camera-based system, utilised widely in tennis and cricket and at the 2014 FIFA World Cup final, will be installed in all 10 stadiums hosting football's oldest international championship. Hawk-Eye was also used during the 2015 Women's World Cup, and in several of the world's leading football leagues and federations, including UEFA, the English Premier League and Germany's Bundesliga. The system uses seven cameras to track the flight of the ball, indicating to the referee via a vibration device whether a goal has been scored. Referees will still be helped by additional assistant referees. The Copa America is a 16-team version of the South American championship that has expanded by four teams and is being staged outside the South American CONMEBOL nations for the first time. United States, who will be the host this yead, will launch the tournament with a Group A match against Colombia at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California on June 3. The final will be held on June 26 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

At Copa America, Hawk-Eye will tell if a goal has been scored

Chile upset favourites Argentina with a penalty shootout victory in the Copa America final at MetLife Stadium on Sunday to retain their title in the world`s oldest continental soccer competition. 
 
Chile earned themselves bragging rights as South America`s dominant team as they beat heavyweights Argentina 4-2 on penalties for a second straight year. 
 
Lionel Messi missed from the spot in the shootout, cutting a dejected figure after the result was sealed and Argentina`s trophy drought had been extended to 23 years. 
 
&quot;We are an historic group and we proved that today,&quot; Chilean striker Eduardo Vargas told TV cameras after the game. 
 
The two sides were deadlocked 0-0 after 90 minutes and also after another half an hour of extra time in a match where both teams were reduced to 10 men in the first half. 
 
Chilean substitute Francisco Silva placed his penalty low and to the right of Sergio Romero to score the decider after Messi and Lucas Biglia missed for Argentina and Arturo Vidal missed for Chile. 
 
The win was the second Copa America in a row for Chile, who won their first Copa title at home last year in exactly the same fashion, beating Argentina on penalties after the teams had drawn 0-0 after extra time. 
 
The excitement of the penalty finish barely made up for a disappointing game in which both teams failed to provide many memorable moments for the announced sellout 82,000 crowd in New Jersey. 
 
The bulk of first half action involved referee Heber Lopes in an overly physical encounter. 
 
The Brazilian sent off Marcelo Diaz on 27 minutes for a second crude challenge on Messi, and then he levelled the sides 15 minutes later when he showed Marcos Rojo a straight red for a harsh tackle on Vidal. 
 
Three others were booked, including Messi for diving inside the box, in a first half that had as many cards as shots on goal. 
 
The second half provided more of the same and although Chile, who have never beaten Argentina in open play in 26 previous Copa America encounters, at least managed to call Romero into action, neither side created any clear cut chances. 
 
The 30 minutes of extra time was more of the same, although Vargas came close for Chile and substitute Sergio Aguero had a nice header tipped over by Claudio Bravo. 
 
The Centenary Copa America was played in the United States for the first time this year to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the inaugural Copa America in 1916. 
 
The tournament was expanded to 16 teams, 10 from South America and six from the CONCACAF region of North and central America and the Caribbean. 
 
(Reuters) 
 
 
(Reuters)

Win on penalties. Both sides were reduced to 10 men in the first half

Chile upset favourites Argentina with a penalty shootout victory in the Copa America final at MetLife Stadium on Sunday to retain their title in the world`s oldest continental soccer competition. Chile earned themselves bragging rights as South America`s dominant team as they beat heavyweights Argentina 4-2 on penalties for a second straight year. Lionel Messi missed from the spot in the shootout, cutting a dejected figure after the result was sealed and Argentina`s trophy drought had been extended to 23 years. "We are an historic group and we proved that today," Chilean striker Eduardo Vargas told TV cameras after the game. The two sides were deadlocked 0-0 after 90 minutes and also after another half an hour of extra time in a match where both teams were reduced to 10 men in the first half. Chilean substitute Francisco Silva placed his penalty low and to the right of Sergio Romero to score the decider after Messi and Lucas Biglia missed for Argentina and Arturo Vidal missed for Chile. The win was the second Copa America in a row for Chile, who won their first Copa title at home last year in exactly the same fashion, beating Argentina on penalties after the teams had drawn 0-0 after extra time. The excitement of the penalty finish barely made up for a disappointing game in which both teams failed to provide many memorable moments for the announced sellout 82,000 crowd in New Jersey. The bulk of first half action involved referee Heber Lopes in an overly physical encounter. The Brazilian sent off Marcelo Diaz on 27 minutes for a second crude challenge on Messi, and then he levelled the sides 15 minutes later when he showed Marcos Rojo a straight red for a harsh tackle on Vidal. Three others were booked, including Messi for diving inside the box, in a first half that had as many cards as shots on goal. The second half provided more of the same and although Chile, who have never beaten Argentina in open play in 26 previous Copa America encounters, at least managed to call Romero into action, neither side created any clear cut chances. The 30 minutes of extra time was more of the same, although Vargas came close for Chile and substitute Sergio Aguero had a nice header tipped over by Claudio Bravo. The Centenary Copa America was played in the United States for the first time this year to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the inaugural Copa America in 1916. The tournament was expanded to 16 teams, 10 from South America and six from the CONCACAF region of North and central America and the Caribbean. (Reuters) (Reuters)

Chile upset favourites Argentina, keep the Copa

Brazilian striker Neymar will sign a new five-year contract with Barcelona this week, his agents said Thursday, ending speculation over his future at the Spanish champions. 
 
The international forward, 24, is widely regarded as one of the finest talents in the world, and is part of the much-feared attacking trident alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez at Barcelona. 
 
&quot;The athlete, along with his family, has decided to stay with FC Barcelona and will renew his contract for five more years,&quot; said NN Consultoria, the agency representing the international forward, 24. 
 
&quot;The contract will be formalised this week. The decision puts an end to speculation about the star&#39;s future.&quot; 
 
Neymar wrote on Twitter: &quot;I am very happy to continue living this dream. Long live Barca and long live Catalonia!&quot; 
 
The Catalan club&#39;s president Josep Maria Bartomeu had earlier rejected rumours over Neymar&#39;s possible transfer to another club, with Manchester United among the teams supposedly chasing him. 
 
The prolific Neymar was already under contract until 2018 with Barcelona, having transferred in 2013 from Brazil&#39;s Santos. That transfer deal has haunted the club because of alleged hidden payments that have sparked legal action. 
 
Speculation had mounted around whether or not Neymar would extend his stay at the Camp Nou or make another lucrative move. 
 
Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, United and Manchester City had been named as possible suitors. 
 
&quot;I read that there are many clubs interested in Neymar. It&#39;s normal they are, but Neymar has never said he wants to leave Barca, just the opposite,&quot; Bartomeu said. 
 
&quot;Neymar wants to continue at Barca and Barca wants Neymar to continue with us.&quot; 
 
Neymar transfer woes 
 
Neymar has been a huge success for Barca on the pitch but a judicial nightmare off it. 
 
He helped them win the Spanish league last season for the second year in a row, narrowly beating their fierce rivals Real Madrid. 
 
But he has been investigated in Brazil and Spain over his transfer from Santos. 
 
Barcelona agreed on June 13 to pay a 5.5-million-Euro ($6.2 million) fine over the transfer in a deal with prosecutors that see the club avoid trial on tax evasion charges. 
 
&quot;It was better to accept this agreement than continue on with the uncertainty that has dragged on for a long time over the Neymar case,&quot; Bartomeu told reporters at the time. 
 
Neymar was named on Wednesday as the star of a young Brazil Olympic football squad for next month&#39;s Games in Rio de Janeiro. 
 
Brazil are looking to bounce back from a humiliating group stage exit from the Copa America Centenario this month. 
 
They are also hoping Olympic gold will help soothe the trauma of their devastating 7-1 semi-final loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup on home soil. 
 
&quot;Neymar is different. He is one of the best players in the world. Any national team would want to have a player of his profile,&quot; the Olympic squad&#39;s coach Rogerio Micale told a news conference. 
 
&quot;He will mean a lot for the team. I hope he will be able to help the younger players.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

The Brazilian football player helped Bacelona win the Spanish league last season for the second year in a row

Brazilian striker Neymar will sign a new five-year contract with Barcelona this week, his agents said Thursday, ending speculation over his future at the Spanish champions. The international forward, 24, is widely regarded as one of the finest talents in the world, and is part of the much-feared attacking trident alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez at Barcelona. "The athlete, along with his family, has decided to stay with FC Barcelona and will renew his contract for five more years," said NN Consultoria, the agency representing the international forward, 24. "The contract will be formalised this week. The decision puts an end to speculation about the star's future." Neymar wrote on Twitter: "I am very happy to continue living this dream. Long live Barca and long live Catalonia!" The Catalan club's president Josep Maria Bartomeu had earlier rejected rumours over Neymar's possible transfer to another club, with Manchester United among the teams supposedly chasing him. The prolific Neymar was already under contract until 2018 with Barcelona, having transferred in 2013 from Brazil's Santos. That transfer deal has haunted the club because of alleged hidden payments that have sparked legal action. Speculation had mounted around whether or not Neymar would extend his stay at the Camp Nou or make another lucrative move. Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, United and Manchester City had been named as possible suitors. "I read that there are many clubs interested in Neymar. It's normal they are, but Neymar has never said he wants to leave Barca, just the opposite," Bartomeu said. "Neymar wants to continue at Barca and Barca wants Neymar to continue with us." Neymar transfer woes Neymar has been a huge success for Barca on the pitch but a judicial nightmare off it. He helped them win the Spanish league last season for the second year in a row, narrowly beating their fierce rivals Real Madrid. But he has been investigated in Brazil and Spain over his transfer from Santos. Barcelona agreed on June 13 to pay a 5.5-million-Euro ($6.2 million) fine over the transfer in a deal with prosecutors that see the club avoid trial on tax evasion charges. "It was better to accept this agreement than continue on with the uncertainty that has dragged on for a long time over the Neymar case," Bartomeu told reporters at the time. Neymar was named on Wednesday as the star of a young Brazil Olympic football squad for next month's Games in Rio de Janeiro. Brazil are looking to bounce back from a humiliating group stage exit from the Copa America Centenario this month. They are also hoping Olympic gold will help soothe the trauma of their devastating 7-1 semi-final loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup on home soil. "Neymar is different. He is one of the best players in the world. Any national team would want to have a player of his profile," the Olympic squad's coach Rogerio Micale told a news conference. "He will mean a lot for the team. I hope he will be able to help the younger players." (AFP)

Neymar extends Barcelona contract to 2021

Hosts France enjoyed an uplifting start to Euro 2016 as Dimitri Payet&#39;s superb last-gasp strike bailed out Les Bleus in a 2-1 victory over a stubborn Romania side at the Stade de France on a peaceful night in the capital on Friday. 
 
Starting the month-long tournament amid strikes to protest against a labour law and terror fears seven months after Islamic attacks on Paris killed 130, the national team lightened the mood thanks to Payet&#39;s 20-metre drive into the top corner. 
 
Didier Deschamps&#39; team seemed to be heading for a gloomy draw but a moment of magic from talismanic West Ham United player Payet left the home fans celebrating a memorable win on a serene Paris evening to get the finals off to a fine start. 
 
There were no incidents reported in and around the stadium, where there was a heavy security presence, or at the fan zone, where some 90,000 people were expected to watch the Group A game on giant screens near the Eiffel tower. 
 
French president Francois Hollande, who last November was rushed away from the stadium with German Chancellor Angela Merkel after suicide bombers detonated devices near the arena, was seen shaking hands with fans on his way out on Friday. 
 
Security was tight at the Stade de France and fans had been urged to arrive early to have time to go through a double security perimeter with two successive security checks under the watchful eyes of armed police with bulletproof vests. 
 
There were only cheers inside the stadium, however, as Payet wrapped up the three points following Olivier Giroud&#39;s headed opening goal for the hosts just before the hour that was cancelled out by Bogdan Stancu&#39;s penalty eight minutes later. 
 
A kitsch opening ceremony, featuring about 100 can-can dancers, a techno cover of Edith Piaf&#39;s &#39;La Vie En Rose&#39; and aerobatics by the Patrouille de France jets, launched the event. 
 
France had not played a competitive game in two years and Romania, who had only conceded twice in the qualifying campaign, were a stern reminder that Les Bleus need to be on their toes if they are to win a first title since their Euro 2000 triumph. 
 
&quot;Had we won by two or three goals that might have misled us slightly whereas the fact we won late in the day, that shows there are going to be no easy matches,&quot; man-of-the-match Payet told reporters. 
 
France, who top the group ahead of Saturday&#39;s clash between Albania and Switzerland, got off to a nervous start, looking a pale shadow of the team who breezed past their recent opponents. 
 
Captain Hugo Lloris had to make a point-blank save early on and France failed to manage a shot on target in the first half. 
 
After 57 minutes Giroud silenced his critics when he headed home from Payet&#39;s cross after Romania keeper Ciprian Tatarusanu completely missed the ball as he jumped with the France striker. 
 
Eight minutes later, however, Stancu coolly converted a penalty after Patrice Evra&#39;s clumsy foul on Nicolae Stanciu. 
 
However, the impressive Payet, who had been behind almost every France opportunity, was on hand to save the day. 
 
Collecting the ball from N&#39;Golo Kante, Payet cut inside and struck a vicious drive into the top corner, sending the crowd into raptures. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s quite easy in football when you can bang it into the top corner. It solves quite a lot of problems,&quot; said Deschamps. 
 
&quot;The opening match of a competition is bit like playing in a cup final so we were maybe just a little bit timid in the opening 25 minutes... we put four attacking players on the pitch to try to grind out the victory.&quot; 
 
France next take on Albania in Marseille on Wednesday after Romania play Switzerland in Paris. 
 
On Saturday England take on Russia in Group B amid fears of trouble between their fans in Marseille, where there was a stand-off between supporters on Friday, 18 years after England followers caused chaos in the Port city at the World Cup.

The hosts downed a stubborn Romanian side 2-1

Hosts France enjoyed an uplifting start to Euro 2016 as Dimitri Payet's superb last-gasp strike bailed out Les Bleus in a 2-1 victory over a stubborn Romania side at the Stade de France on a peaceful night in the capital on Friday. Starting the month-long tournament amid strikes to protest against a labour law and terror fears seven months after Islamic attacks on Paris killed 130, the national team lightened the mood thanks to Payet's 20-metre drive into the top corner. Didier Deschamps' team seemed to be heading for a gloomy draw but a moment of magic from talismanic West Ham United player Payet left the home fans celebrating a memorable win on a serene Paris evening to get the finals off to a fine start. There were no incidents reported in and around the stadium, where there was a heavy security presence, or at the fan zone, where some 90,000 people were expected to watch the Group A game on giant screens near the Eiffel tower. French president Francois Hollande, who last November was rushed away from the stadium with German Chancellor Angela Merkel after suicide bombers detonated devices near the arena, was seen shaking hands with fans on his way out on Friday. Security was tight at the Stade de France and fans had been urged to arrive early to have time to go through a double security perimeter with two successive security checks under the watchful eyes of armed police with bulletproof vests. There were only cheers inside the stadium, however, as Payet wrapped up the three points following Olivier Giroud's headed opening goal for the hosts just before the hour that was cancelled out by Bogdan Stancu's penalty eight minutes later. A kitsch opening ceremony, featuring about 100 can-can dancers, a techno cover of Edith Piaf's 'La Vie En Rose' and aerobatics by the Patrouille de France jets, launched the event. France had not played a competitive game in two years and Romania, who had only conceded twice in the qualifying campaign, were a stern reminder that Les Bleus need to be on their toes if they are to win a first title since their Euro 2000 triumph. "Had we won by two or three goals that might have misled us slightly whereas the fact we won late in the day, that shows there are going to be no easy matches," man-of-the-match Payet told reporters. France, who top the group ahead of Saturday's clash between Albania and Switzerland, got off to a nervous start, looking a pale shadow of the team who breezed past their recent opponents. Captain Hugo Lloris had to make a point-blank save early on and France failed to manage a shot on target in the first half. After 57 minutes Giroud silenced his critics when he headed home from Payet's cross after Romania keeper Ciprian Tatarusanu completely missed the ball as he jumped with the France striker. Eight minutes later, however, Stancu coolly converted a penalty after Patrice Evra's clumsy foul on Nicolae Stanciu. However, the impressive Payet, who had been behind almost every France opportunity, was on hand to save the day. Collecting the ball from N'Golo Kante, Payet cut inside and struck a vicious drive into the top corner, sending the crowd into raptures. "It's quite easy in football when you can bang it into the top corner. It solves quite a lot of problems," said Deschamps. "The opening match of a competition is bit like playing in a cup final so we were maybe just a little bit timid in the opening 25 minutes... we put four attacking players on the pitch to try to grind out the victory." France next take on Albania in Marseille on Wednesday after Romania play Switzerland in Paris. On Saturday England take on Russia in Group B amid fears of trouble between their fans in Marseille, where there was a stand-off between supporters on Friday, 18 years after England followers caused chaos in the Port city at the World Cup.

France start Euro 2016 party with win over Romania

We take a look back at some of the best quotes from the Euro 2016 group stage: 
 
&quot;Iceland didn&rsquo;t try nothing, they just defend, defend, defend, they had two chances and scored a goal, it was a lucky night for them. We&#39;re frustrated, they didn&#39;t try and play. It&#39;s why I think they will do nothing here. In my opinion, it&rsquo;s a small mentality.&quot; 
 
- Cristiano Ronaldo lashes out at Iceland&#39;s defensive approach after a 1-1 draw in their opening Group F match. 
 
&quot;He&#39;s a fantastic footballer, but he&#39;s not a gracious human being and the thing is we almost nicked the win, so him saying we weren&#39;t going for the win contradicts that.&quot; 
 
- Iceland&#39;s Kari Arnason hits back at Ronaldo&#39;s claims. 
 
&quot;I hope Puma does not produce condoms.&quot; 
 
- Xherdan Shaqiri after four Switzerland players&#39; shirts ripped during the 0-0 draw with France. 
 
&quot;I believe 80 per cent of you (journalists) and me as well, sometimes scratch your nuts from time to time.&quot; 
 
- Lukas Podolski defends Joachim Loew after the Germany coach was caught scratching his genitals by television cameras. 
 
&quot;I think we&#39;ve got a lot more passion and pride about us than them. We&#39;ll definitely show that on the day. They big themselves up before they&#39;ve done anything, so we&#39;re going to go there and we believe we can beat them.&quot; 
 
- Gareth Bale on England. 
 
&quot;So that&#39;s football. Sometimes you&#39;re the dog, sometimes you&#39;re the tree. That&#39;s part of the business.&quot; 
 
- Germany&rsquo;s Mario Goetze on criticism of his performances at Euro 2016, two years after his goal won the 2014 World Cup final. 
 
&quot;I would guess we will change the national holiday. It&#39;s normally on June 17, but they will probably change it now.&quot; 
 
- Iceland&#39;s joint coach Heimir Hallgrimsson after their historic 2-1 win over Austria sent the country into the last 16. 
 
&quot;The legend can still deliver.&quot; 
 
- Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic before the tournament. His team crashed out with just a single point as he called time on his international career. 
 
&quot;This is not a street fighting championship, this is football.&quot; 
 
- Russia&#39;s Artem Dzyuba on the violence before his side&#39;s clash with England. 
 
&quot;He&#39;s fine. We locked him up about 25 minutes ago. He&#39;s caged in at this minute, as his beard gets longer, and uglier. But he&#39;s good. He&#39;s the werewolf of Manchester.&quot; 
 
- Republic of Ireland coach Martin O&#39;Neill on his assistant and Manchester United legend Roy Keane. 
 
(AFP) 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

'I hope Puma does not produce condoms,' said Xherdan Shaqiri

We take a look back at some of the best quotes from the Euro 2016 group stage: "Iceland didn’t try nothing, they just defend, defend, defend, they had two chances and scored a goal, it was a lucky night for them. We're frustrated, they didn't try and play. It's why I think they will do nothing here. In my opinion, it’s a small mentality." - Cristiano Ronaldo lashes out at Iceland's defensive approach after a 1-1 draw in their opening Group F match. "He's a fantastic footballer, but he's not a gracious human being and the thing is we almost nicked the win, so him saying we weren't going for the win contradicts that." - Iceland's Kari Arnason hits back at Ronaldo's claims. "I hope Puma does not produce condoms." - Xherdan Shaqiri after four Switzerland players' shirts ripped during the 0-0 draw with France. "I believe 80 per cent of you (journalists) and me as well, sometimes scratch your nuts from time to time." - Lukas Podolski defends Joachim Loew after the Germany coach was caught scratching his genitals by television cameras. "I think we've got a lot more passion and pride about us than them. We'll definitely show that on the day. They big themselves up before they've done anything, so we're going to go there and we believe we can beat them." - Gareth Bale on England. "So that's football. Sometimes you're the dog, sometimes you're the tree. That's part of the business." - Germany’s Mario Goetze on criticism of his performances at Euro 2016, two years after his goal won the 2014 World Cup final. "I would guess we will change the national holiday. It's normally on June 17, but they will probably change it now." - Iceland's joint coach Heimir Hallgrimsson after their historic 2-1 win over Austria sent the country into the last 16. "The legend can still deliver." - Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic before the tournament. His team crashed out with just a single point as he called time on his international career. "This is not a street fighting championship, this is football." - Russia's Artem Dzyuba on the violence before his side's clash with England. "He's fine. We locked him up about 25 minutes ago. He's caged in at this minute, as his beard gets longer, and uglier. But he's good. He's the werewolf of Manchester." - Republic of Ireland coach Martin O'Neill on his assistant and Manchester United legend Roy Keane. (AFP)

Quotable quotes: The best lines from Euro 2016

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Germany's Lukas Podolski ends international career

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The team snapped back after its opening defeat against Poland

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

German striker Mario Gomez, the top scorer in Turkey&#39;s Super Lig last season, on Wednesday said he was leaving Istanbul club Besiktas after just one year due to the political situation in the wake of the failed coup. 
 
&quot;I have to tell you Besiktas fans personally that it is very heavy for me that I will not be playing for this great club in front of you wonderful fans in this unique stadium anymore,&quot; he said in a statement on his Facebook page. 
 
&quot;It is purely down to the terrible events that happened in the last few days. I hope you can understand that.&quot; 
 
Gomez is so far the first big football name to quit Turkey after the coup, which resulted in terrifying scenes in Istanbul and Ankara.&nbsp;Several top European stars play in Istanbul, such as the Netherlands&#39; Robin van Persie with Fenerbahce and Germany&#39;s Lukas Podolski at Galatasaray. 
 
Gomez, who was on a one-season loan from Fiorentina but had been widely expected to stay on in a full transfer, helped Besiktas last season surge to their first Turkish title since 2009.&nbsp;He rapidly became a firm favourite with the club faithful, scoring 26 goals in a special season for Besiktas that also saw the club move to a sparkling new stadium on the shores of the Bosphorus. 
 
&quot;The reason for this is completely down to the political situation,&quot; said Gomez in the heavy-hearted statement.&nbsp;&quot;There are no sporting or any other reasons that have made me make this decision. It is purely down to the terrible events that happened in the last few days,&quot; he added. 
 
He said that &quot;it was a fantastic year with the championship providing the absolute highlight&quot;. 
 
&quot;I hope that these political problems can be solved in a peaceful manner soon. Then it would be my great wish to play for Besiktas again. The club and the country grew very close to my heart in this past year.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Gomez is so far the first big football name to quit Turkey because of the political turbulence

German striker Mario Gomez, the top scorer in Turkey's Super Lig last season, on Wednesday said he was leaving Istanbul club Besiktas after just one year due to the political situation in the wake of the failed coup. "I have to tell you Besiktas fans personally that it is very heavy for me that I will not be playing for this great club in front of you wonderful fans in this unique stadium anymore," he said in a statement on his Facebook page. "It is purely down to the terrible events that happened in the last few days. I hope you can understand that." Gomez is so far the first big football name to quit Turkey after the coup, which resulted in terrifying scenes in Istanbul and Ankara. Several top European stars play in Istanbul, such as the Netherlands' Robin van Persie with Fenerbahce and Germany's Lukas Podolski at Galatasaray. Gomez, who was on a one-season loan from Fiorentina but had been widely expected to stay on in a full transfer, helped Besiktas last season surge to their first Turkish title since 2009. He rapidly became a firm favourite with the club faithful, scoring 26 goals in a special season for Besiktas that also saw the club move to a sparkling new stadium on the shores of the Bosphorus. "The reason for this is completely down to the political situation," said Gomez in the heavy-hearted statement. "There are no sporting or any other reasons that have made me make this decision. It is purely down to the terrible events that happened in the last few days," he added. He said that "it was a fantastic year with the championship providing the absolute highlight". "I hope that these political problems can be solved in a peaceful manner soon. Then it would be my great wish to play for Besiktas again. The club and the country grew very close to my heart in this past year." (AFP)

Top scorer Mario Gomez set to leave Besiktas after Turkey coup attempt

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

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

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

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

Centenary Copa America officials say homophobic chanting at international matches &quot;must stop&quot; but they have opted not to take action against offending teams. 
 
&quot;The Confederation of North, Central America and the Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) and the Confederation of South American Football (CONMEBOL) take any chants or actions that are derogatory or offensive during our matches very seriously,&quot; organisers said in a joint statement on Thursday. 
 
&quot;This behaviour does not reflect the true spirit of football and must be stopped.&quot; 
 
The confederations said they launched an &#39;Embrace Diversity&#39; campaign before the tournament and promised more initiatives in the future. 
 
However, unlike football&#39;s ruling body FIFA, which fined Argentina, Chile, Honduras, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay for homophobic chants by fans earlier this year, the confederations decided to take no action. 
 
The shouts have been heard at many matches at the Centenary Copa America in the United States and usually come when goalkeepers run up to take goal kicks. 
 
The practice described by FIFA as &quot;insulting and discriminatory chants&quot; has been particularly noticeable in games involving Mexico. 
(Reuters)

Derogatory slogans have been heard at a number of matches but none of the offending countries have been punished

Centenary Copa America officials say homophobic chanting at international matches "must stop" but they have opted not to take action against offending teams. "The Confederation of North, Central America and the Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) and the Confederation of South American Football (CONMEBOL) take any chants or actions that are derogatory or offensive during our matches very seriously," organisers said in a joint statement on Thursday. "This behaviour does not reflect the true spirit of football and must be stopped." The confederations said they launched an 'Embrace Diversity' campaign before the tournament and promised more initiatives in the future. However, unlike football's ruling body FIFA, which fined Argentina, Chile, Honduras, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay for homophobic chants by fans earlier this year, the confederations decided to take no action. The shouts have been heard at many matches at the Centenary Copa America in the United States and usually come when goalkeepers run up to take goal kicks. The practice described by FIFA as "insulting and discriminatory chants" has been particularly noticeable in games involving Mexico. (Reuters)

Copa chiefs say homophobic chants 'must stop' but then do little else

England had to settle for a goalless draw against Slovakia on Monday although that was enough for Roy Hodgson&#39;s team to reach the knockout phase by finishing second in Group B behind Wales. 
 
England dominated the match but their failure to beat Slovakia, who came third and should also go through to the last 16, means they will face the runners-up of Group F. 
 
England made six changes and their new-look lineup created several chances, with Jamie Vardy, Adam Lallana, Nathaniel Clyne and substitute Deli Alli making efforts to break the deadlock. 
 
But despite the roar of their fans, who vastly outnumbered Slovakia&#39;s in the St Etienne stadium, known locally as the cauldron, they could not find a way through the Slovak defence. 
 
England are second in the group with five points, one behind first-placed Wales who beat Russia 3-0 and will play their last 16 tie in Nice on June 27. 
 
If England had finished top, they would have played a third-placed team in Paris two days earlier in a location much closer to their training base which would have suited Hodgson. 
 
Slovakia, on four points, must wait to see if they go through as one of the four best third-placed teams. 
 
Hodgson took a major gamble by revamping the side that beat Wales 2-1 last Thursday, including resting captain Wayne Rooney, and saw his team make a bright start. 
 
Vardy posed a constant threat in the first half and full back Clyne, replacing Kyle Walker, regularly troubled the Slovak defence with probing runs down the right wing. 
 
Vardy fired just over the bar in the opening minutes, and then flicked on a header that set up a chance for strike partner Daniel Sturridge. 
 
Soon after, Vardy outsprinted fullback Martin Skrtel, running onto a long ball inside the penalty area but firing his shot straight at keeper Matus Kozacik. 
 
In one of England&#39;s best moves, a pass from Clyne set up Lallana for a stinging shot that forced a diving two-handed save from Kozacik. 
 
For Slovakia, Viktor Pecovsky shot harmlessly over the bar, and Marek Hamsik wriggled clear of centre-half Gary Cahill and fired across the face of goal. 
 
With Wales leading Russia at halftime, England came out for the second half knowing they needed to score in their quest to finish top. 
 
They had anxious moments when a mix-up between goalkeeper Joe Hart and defender Chris Smalling nearly let in Robert Mak, and Vladimir Weiss had a low shot saved, but otherwise they continued to put Slovakia under pressure. 
 
Clyne&#39;s shot from a narrow angle bounced off the keeper&#39;s shoulder and Alli, with his first touch after coming off the bench, forced a goal line clearance from Skrtel. 
 
Sturridge just failed to get a touch on a long pass into the penalty area and Rooney, on as substitute, had a shot from 20 metres deflected wide.&nbsp; 
 
Striker Harry Kane also came on and put a header wide, while a Gary Cahill header from a corner went straight at Kozacik. 
 
With Prince William, among the crowd, grimacing and holding his head at a series of near-misses, England kept pushing for a goal but to no avail. 
 
(Reuters)

They finish second in group B behind surprise toppers Wales

England had to settle for a goalless draw against Slovakia on Monday although that was enough for Roy Hodgson's team to reach the knockout phase by finishing second in Group B behind Wales. England dominated the match but their failure to beat Slovakia, who came third and should also go through to the last 16, means they will face the runners-up of Group F. England made six changes and their new-look lineup created several chances, with Jamie Vardy, Adam Lallana, Nathaniel Clyne and substitute Deli Alli making efforts to break the deadlock. But despite the roar of their fans, who vastly outnumbered Slovakia's in the St Etienne stadium, known locally as the cauldron, they could not find a way through the Slovak defence. England are second in the group with five points, one behind first-placed Wales who beat Russia 3-0 and will play their last 16 tie in Nice on June 27. If England had finished top, they would have played a third-placed team in Paris two days earlier in a location much closer to their training base which would have suited Hodgson. Slovakia, on four points, must wait to see if they go through as one of the four best third-placed teams. Hodgson took a major gamble by revamping the side that beat Wales 2-1 last Thursday, including resting captain Wayne Rooney, and saw his team make a bright start. Vardy posed a constant threat in the first half and full back Clyne, replacing Kyle Walker, regularly troubled the Slovak defence with probing runs down the right wing. Vardy fired just over the bar in the opening minutes, and then flicked on a header that set up a chance for strike partner Daniel Sturridge. Soon after, Vardy outsprinted fullback Martin Skrtel, running onto a long ball inside the penalty area but firing his shot straight at keeper Matus Kozacik. In one of England's best moves, a pass from Clyne set up Lallana for a stinging shot that forced a diving two-handed save from Kozacik. For Slovakia, Viktor Pecovsky shot harmlessly over the bar, and Marek Hamsik wriggled clear of centre-half Gary Cahill and fired across the face of goal. With Wales leading Russia at halftime, England came out for the second half knowing they needed to score in their quest to finish top. They had anxious moments when a mix-up between goalkeeper Joe Hart and defender Chris Smalling nearly let in Robert Mak, and Vladimir Weiss had a low shot saved, but otherwise they continued to put Slovakia under pressure. Clyne's shot from a narrow angle bounced off the keeper's shoulder and Alli, with his first touch after coming off the bench, forced a goal line clearance from Skrtel. Sturridge just failed to get a touch on a long pass into the penalty area and Rooney, on as substitute, had a shot from 20 metres deflected wide. Striker Harry Kane also came on and put a header wide, while a Gary Cahill header from a corner went straight at Kozacik. With Prince William, among the crowd, grimacing and holding his head at a series of near-misses, England kept pushing for a goal but to no avail. (Reuters)

England draw Slovakia 0-0 but go through to last 16

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

Team were a changed side from their opening defeat to Italy

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

Belgium batter Ireland, Lukaku scores twice

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