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France&#39;s run to the Euro 2016 final on home soil has given the country &quot;an escape&quot; after the horror of last November&#39;s Paris attacks, captain Hugo Lloris said today. 
 
The rolling attacks on the French capital, claimed by the Islamic State group, left 130 people dead and led to calls for the tournament to be cancelled. 
 
The France team also experienced pre-competition problems, with striker Karim Benzema dropped over a blackmail plot involving team-mate Mathieu Valbuena, but they have managed to reach Sunday&#39;s final against Portugal. 
 
&quot;Of course we`ve had some very difficult times this year, both with those tragic events, but also with events that have gone on off the field,&quot; Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Lloris told a press conference at Stade de France. 
 
&quot;But we&#39;re even prouder to be on the pitch, to feel the entire French population behind us, to feel this happiness which is shared between the players and the French people. 
 
&quot;That gives us strength and is lovely to see. But we still have that final step to take to finish this competition in the best possible fashion. 
 
&quot;The French people really needed to escape via this competition, and sport has this strength: to unite people. 
 
&quot;We are currently experiencing that. We still have one step to take, the hardest one, but one that`s worth it.&quot; 
 
France will tackle Portugal at their national stadium after overcoming Germany 2-0 in the semi-finals courtesy of a brace from tournament top scorer Antoine Griezmann. 
 
As well as diverting attention from the November attacks, France&#39;s vibrant displays have helped to obscure the memory of the squad&#39;s shameful antics at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. 
 
The players refused to train at their Knysna training base in protest at striker Nicolas Anelka&#39;s expulsion from the squad for insulting coach Raymond Domenech and the team were eliminated in the first round. 
 
There are only five survivors from that campaign in current coach Didier Deschamps&#39;s squad: Lloris, Bacary Sagna, Patrice Evra, Steve Mandanda and Andre-Pierre Gignac. 
 
Reflecting on how the squad&#39;s image has improved since 2010, Manchester City full-back Sagna said: &quot;Knysna is one of the events that marked French football. 
 
&quot;We made a mistake, clearly. We brought French football to its lowest point. We showed a very, very bad image. 
 
&quot;We had to put in a lot of effort and a lot of work to restore our reputation. We`re just getting there six years later. 
 
&quot;We want to give French people something to smile about, to show a completely different image. We can`t change the past, but we can build a better future.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Last November's Paris attacks left 130 people dead and led to calls for the tournament, which France is hosting, to be cancelled

France's run to the Euro 2016 final on home soil has given the country "an escape" after the horror of last November's Paris attacks, captain Hugo Lloris said today. The rolling attacks on the French capital, claimed by the Islamic State group, left 130 people dead and led to calls for the tournament to be cancelled. The France team also experienced pre-competition problems, with striker Karim Benzema dropped over a blackmail plot involving team-mate Mathieu Valbuena, but they have managed to reach Sunday's final against Portugal. "Of course we`ve had some very difficult times this year, both with those tragic events, but also with events that have gone on off the field," Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Lloris told a press conference at Stade de France. "But we're even prouder to be on the pitch, to feel the entire French population behind us, to feel this happiness which is shared between the players and the French people. "That gives us strength and is lovely to see. But we still have that final step to take to finish this competition in the best possible fashion. "The French people really needed to escape via this competition, and sport has this strength: to unite people. "We are currently experiencing that. We still have one step to take, the hardest one, but one that`s worth it." France will tackle Portugal at their national stadium after overcoming Germany 2-0 in the semi-finals courtesy of a brace from tournament top scorer Antoine Griezmann. As well as diverting attention from the November attacks, France's vibrant displays have helped to obscure the memory of the squad's shameful antics at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The players refused to train at their Knysna training base in protest at striker Nicolas Anelka's expulsion from the squad for insulting coach Raymond Domenech and the team were eliminated in the first round. There are only five survivors from that campaign in current coach Didier Deschamps's squad: Lloris, Bacary Sagna, Patrice Evra, Steve Mandanda and Andre-Pierre Gignac. Reflecting on how the squad's image has improved since 2010, Manchester City full-back Sagna said: "Knysna is one of the events that marked French football. "We made a mistake, clearly. We brought French football to its lowest point. We showed a very, very bad image. "We had to put in a lot of effort and a lot of work to restore our reputation. We`re just getting there six years later. "We want to give French people something to smile about, to show a completely different image. We can`t change the past, but we can build a better future." (AFP)

France make it to final, skipper says 'French people really needed to escape'

Roberto Di Matteo has been handed the task of restoring Aston Villa&#39;s fortunes after the seven-times English champions announced the Italian as their new manager today.

The 46-year-old, who won the Champions League during a short spell in charge of Chelsea in 2012, takes over weeks after the club was relegated from the Premier League.
&quot;It&#39;s a wonderful honour for me to become manager of this great football club and I&#39;m looking forward to the challenge of taking Aston Villa back to its rightful place,&quot; Di Matteo said.

Former Chelsea team mate and coach Steve Clarke has been appointed as Di Matteo&#39;s assistant.

Di Matteo has previously worked as a manager in the second-tier Championship, gaining promotion with West Bromwich Albion in 2009-10.

Villa will be hoping that their new manager can have a similar impact after a dreadful season in which they finished bottom with only three wins and sacked two managers, Tim Sherwood in October and his replacement Remi Garde in March.

Swiss-born former Italian midfielder Di Matteo played for Lazio and Chelsea. He once scored after 42 seconds in the 1997 FA Cup final against Middlesbrough.

He won two FA Cups, a League Cup and a UEFA Cup Winners&#39; Cup while at Stamford Bridge and returned to Chelsea as assistant manager to Andre Villas-Boas in 2011, stepping up as interim manager when the Portuguese was sacked in March 2012.

Against all expectations, he guided Chelsea to a Champions League semi-final defeat of Barcelona and then beat Bayern Munich on penalties in the final in their own stadium.

Di Matteo was rewarded by being appointed manager on a permanent basis&nbsp;but by November&nbsp;he had fallen out of favour and was sacked after a Champions League defeat by Juventus.

Since then&nbsp;he managed Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga but resigned in May 2015.

Di Matteo's appointment is a result of the club's performance in the Premier League. This former Italian midfielder had won the Champions League and FA Cup with Chelsea in 2012

Roberto Di Matteo has been handed the task of restoring Aston Villa's fortunes after the seven-times English champions announced the Italian as their new manager today. The 46-year-old, who won the Champions League during a short spell in charge of Chelsea in 2012, takes over weeks after the club was relegated from the Premier League. "It's a wonderful honour for me to become manager of this great football club and I'm looking forward to the challenge of taking Aston Villa back to its rightful place," Di Matteo said. Former Chelsea team mate and coach Steve Clarke has been appointed as Di Matteo's assistant. Di Matteo has previously worked as a manager in the second-tier Championship, gaining promotion with West Bromwich Albion in 2009-10. Villa will be hoping that their new manager can have a similar impact after a dreadful season in which they finished bottom with only three wins and sacked two managers, Tim Sherwood in October and his replacement Remi Garde in March. Swiss-born former Italian midfielder Di Matteo played for Lazio and Chelsea. He once scored after 42 seconds in the 1997 FA Cup final against Middlesbrough. He won two FA Cups, a League Cup and a UEFA Cup Winners' Cup while at Stamford Bridge and returned to Chelsea as assistant manager to Andre Villas-Boas in 2011, stepping up as interim manager when the Portuguese was sacked in March 2012. Against all expectations, he guided Chelsea to a Champions League semi-final defeat of Barcelona and then beat Bayern Munich on penalties in the final in their own stadium. Di Matteo was rewarded by being appointed manager on a permanent basis but by November he had fallen out of favour and was sacked after a Champions League defeat by Juventus. Since then he managed Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga but resigned in May 2015.

Roberto Di Matteo is Aston Villa's new manager

A 90th-minute header by substitute striker Antoine Griezmann and a stoppage-time special by Dimitri Payet secured France a heartstopping 2-0 win over Albania on Wednesday that sent the hosts through as the first team into the last 16 of Euro 2016. 
 
France had struggled to make any impression on a determined Albanian defence and as the clock ticked into the last minute neither team had managed a single shot on target, though both had hit a post. 
 
France had needed an 89th-minute Payet goal to beat Romania in their first game. Against Albania, it came even later when centre back Adil Rami swung in a hopeful cross that Griezmann guided home expertly. 
 
The 67,000 Stade Velodrome crowd, minus 20,000 stunned Albanians, erupted in jubilation, which was repeated five minutes later when Payet cut inside to smash in the second. 
 
With six points France are guaranteed to finish in the top two of Group A, with Switzerland, who are on four points after drawing with Romania earlier, favourites to join them in the knockout phase. 
 
Once the euphoria of the moment had elapsed, Payet was able to take a broad view. &quot;It would be good if we could avoid that type of crazy scenario,&quot; he said after picking up his second successive man of the match award. &quot;What we have to do is start matches the way we started the second half. With Paul (Pogba) and Griezou (Griezmann) coming on and a different system, it worked a lot better.&quot; 
 
It needed to. 
 
France were hesitant and risk-averse in a forgettable first half as the ploy of using the speed of Kingsley Coman and Anthony Martial out wide failed to pay dividends. 
 
Albania, desperate to make their mark in their first major tournament defended with gusto and almost went ahead early in the second half when French full back Bacary Sagna bundled the ball against his own post. 
 
With the halftime introduction of Pogba, and then Griezmann, France eventually got moving as Olivier Giroud sent a header wide then thumped another against the post. 
 
However, with Albania taking every opportunity to slow the game, half the team taking it in turns to go down with cramp, it was looking as if France were going to have to settle for a point. 
 
Griezmann, however, who had a fantastic season for Atletico Madrid, showed Giroud how to connect with a header. Payet seemed only too happy to cap off another enterprising display by adding the icing after a quickfire break. 
 
Relieved France coach Didier Deschamps accepted his original approach had not worked but was pleased that the tactical switches paid off. 
 
&quot;We didn&#39;t do enough in the first half but the second half was a lot better,&quot; he said. &quot;The players who came on made a difference. We are not stuck with one format we can switch things, we had a much better balance in the second half. The big teams here are having problems. There are no easy opponents, as you could see again tonight.&quot; 
 
That was certainly true of Albania, who grew in confidence as the night went on. 
 
&quot;We didn&#39;t just defend, we had clear-cut chances,&quot; said their coach Gianni De Biasi. &quot;But if you don&#39;t score, you don&#39;t win.&quot;

A last-gasp finish over Albania sealed the deal for the hosts

A 90th-minute header by substitute striker Antoine Griezmann and a stoppage-time special by Dimitri Payet secured France a heartstopping 2-0 win over Albania on Wednesday that sent the hosts through as the first team into the last 16 of Euro 2016. France had struggled to make any impression on a determined Albanian defence and as the clock ticked into the last minute neither team had managed a single shot on target, though both had hit a post. France had needed an 89th-minute Payet goal to beat Romania in their first game. Against Albania, it came even later when centre back Adil Rami swung in a hopeful cross that Griezmann guided home expertly. The 67,000 Stade Velodrome crowd, minus 20,000 stunned Albanians, erupted in jubilation, which was repeated five minutes later when Payet cut inside to smash in the second. With six points France are guaranteed to finish in the top two of Group A, with Switzerland, who are on four points after drawing with Romania earlier, favourites to join them in the knockout phase. Once the euphoria of the moment had elapsed, Payet was able to take a broad view. "It would be good if we could avoid that type of crazy scenario," he said after picking up his second successive man of the match award. "What we have to do is start matches the way we started the second half. With Paul (Pogba) and Griezou (Griezmann) coming on and a different system, it worked a lot better." It needed to. France were hesitant and risk-averse in a forgettable first half as the ploy of using the speed of Kingsley Coman and Anthony Martial out wide failed to pay dividends. Albania, desperate to make their mark in their first major tournament defended with gusto and almost went ahead early in the second half when French full back Bacary Sagna bundled the ball against his own post. With the halftime introduction of Pogba, and then Griezmann, France eventually got moving as Olivier Giroud sent a header wide then thumped another against the post. However, with Albania taking every opportunity to slow the game, half the team taking it in turns to go down with cramp, it was looking as if France were going to have to settle for a point. Griezmann, however, who had a fantastic season for Atletico Madrid, showed Giroud how to connect with a header. Payet seemed only too happy to cap off another enterprising display by adding the icing after a quickfire break. Relieved France coach Didier Deschamps accepted his original approach had not worked but was pleased that the tactical switches paid off. "We didn't do enough in the first half but the second half was a lot better," he said. "The players who came on made a difference. We are not stuck with one format we can switch things, we had a much better balance in the second half. The big teams here are having problems. There are no easy opponents, as you could see again tonight." That was certainly true of Albania, who grew in confidence as the night went on. "We didn't just defend, we had clear-cut chances," said their coach Gianni De Biasi. "But if you don't score, you don't win."

France first to seal last 16 spot at Euro 2016

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

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

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

Julen Lopetegui named as Spain's new coach

Danny Rose scored a second-half equaliser to cancel out James Milner&#39;s penalty as Tottenham Hotspur were fortunate to come from behind to draw 1-1 with Liverpool at White Hart Lane on Saturday. 
 
Erik Lamela nodded Eric Dier&#39;s cross into the path of Rose in the 72nd minute and the England left back controlled the ball and slammed it past Simon Mignolet to extend Spurs&#39; unbeaten start to the season. 
 
Milner beat Michel Vorm from the spot in the 43rd minute after Erik Lamela had tripped Roberto Firmino in the box, as Spurs struggled to deal with Liverpool&#39;s firepower. 
 
&quot;A draw&#39;s probably the fair result,&quot; Rose told Sky Sports. &quot;In the first half, Vorm was our man of the match but I thought we played much better in the second.&quot; 
 
Tottenham missed the presence of suspended Mousa Dembele as Liverpool, who had been toothless in a 2-0 loss at Burnley last weekend, ran riot during the first 45 minutes. 
 
The hosts suffered a setback in the 28th minute Kyle Walker was replaced by new signing Vincent Janssen, although it was Liverpool&#39;s Mane, a 34 million euro ($38 million) signing from Southampton, who dazzled in the first half. 
 
Stand-in goalkeeper Vorm was twice called out of his area to tackle the outstanding Mane and made an excellent save to deny Philippe Coutinho from close range as the visitors created chance after chance during the first half and Spurs&#39; resistance ended when Lamela clipped Firmino. 
 
&quot;Philippe had a brilliant chance,&quot; Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren told Sky Sports. &quot;I think if we went 2-0 up it&#39;s a different result. 
 
&quot;We always want to win so we&#39;re not satisfied. We&#39;re just missing a few goals more.&quot; 
 
Tottenham started slowly last term and looked set for their first defeat of season when Mane tapped in at the back post from Adam Lallana cross, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside. 
 
Simon Mignolet produced two excellent saves to thwart Lamela and Toby Alderweireld as Spurs sought an equaliser before Rose&#39;s decisive intervention, although Harry Kane was again off the pace and his goalless start to the season continued. 
 
&quot;Ultimately, we&#39;re disappointed,&quot; Milner said. &quot;We didn&#39;t do enough in the second half so it was probably a fair result in the end.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Tottenham missed the presence of suspended Mousa Dembele as Liverpool ran riot in the first 45 minutes

Danny Rose scored a second-half equaliser to cancel out James Milner's penalty as Tottenham Hotspur were fortunate to come from behind to draw 1-1 with Liverpool at White Hart Lane on Saturday. Erik Lamela nodded Eric Dier's cross into the path of Rose in the 72nd minute and the England left back controlled the ball and slammed it past Simon Mignolet to extend Spurs' unbeaten start to the season. Milner beat Michel Vorm from the spot in the 43rd minute after Erik Lamela had tripped Roberto Firmino in the box, as Spurs struggled to deal with Liverpool's firepower. "A draw's probably the fair result," Rose told Sky Sports. "In the first half, Vorm was our man of the match but I thought we played much better in the second." Tottenham missed the presence of suspended Mousa Dembele as Liverpool, who had been toothless in a 2-0 loss at Burnley last weekend, ran riot during the first 45 minutes. The hosts suffered a setback in the 28th minute Kyle Walker was replaced by new signing Vincent Janssen, although it was Liverpool's Mane, a 34 million euro ($38 million) signing from Southampton, who dazzled in the first half. Stand-in goalkeeper Vorm was twice called out of his area to tackle the outstanding Mane and made an excellent save to deny Philippe Coutinho from close range as the visitors created chance after chance during the first half and Spurs' resistance ended when Lamela clipped Firmino. "Philippe had a brilliant chance," Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren told Sky Sports. "I think if we went 2-0 up it's a different result. "We always want to win so we're not satisfied. We're just missing a few goals more." Tottenham started slowly last term and looked set for their first defeat of season when Mane tapped in at the back post from Adam Lallana cross, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside. Simon Mignolet produced two excellent saves to thwart Lamela and Toby Alderweireld as Spurs sought an equaliser before Rose's decisive intervention, although Harry Kane was again off the pace and his goalless start to the season continued. "Ultimately, we're disappointed," Milner said. "We didn't do enough in the second half so it was probably a fair result in the end." (Reuters)

EPL: Rose equaliser denies Liverpool victory at Tottenham

AC Milan have appointed former Fiorentina and Sampdoria boss Vincenzo Montella as their new manager on a two-year contract, the Serie A club said on their website on Tuesday. 
 
The 42-year-old will begin work with the Italian side from July 1 and will replace Cristian Brocchi, who took charge on an interim basis after Sinisa Mihajlovic was sacked in April. 
 
The former striker has also managed at Catania after a playing career that took him to Empoli, Genoa, Sampdoria and AS Roma, as well as a brief loan spell at English side Fulham in 2007. 
 
Montella, who took over at Sampdoria last November and led them to 15th in Serie A, represented Italy 20 times between 1999 and 2005, scoring three times for his country. 
 
&quot;It is the belief of the club that the style of play of the new Rossoneri coach will be the basis of an important, fruitful and positive collaboration,&quot; the club said in a statement on their website. 
 
&quot;Heartfelt thanks to Cristian Brocchi for the enthusiasm, preparation and intensity with which he approached his career as Milan coach with the youth sides and the first team.&quot; 
 
Milan, who lost to Juventus in the Coppa Italia final last month, finished seventh in the league last season and will miss out on Europe for a third successive campaign. 
 
(Reuters)

Montella will replace Cristian Brocchi, who took charge on an interim basis after Sinisa Mihajlovic was sacked in April

AC Milan have appointed former Fiorentina and Sampdoria boss Vincenzo Montella as their new manager on a two-year contract, the Serie A club said on their website on Tuesday. The 42-year-old will begin work with the Italian side from July 1 and will replace Cristian Brocchi, who took charge on an interim basis after Sinisa Mihajlovic was sacked in April. The former striker has also managed at Catania after a playing career that took him to Empoli, Genoa, Sampdoria and AS Roma, as well as a brief loan spell at English side Fulham in 2007. Montella, who took over at Sampdoria last November and led them to 15th in Serie A, represented Italy 20 times between 1999 and 2005, scoring three times for his country. "It is the belief of the club that the style of play of the new Rossoneri coach will be the basis of an important, fruitful and positive collaboration," the club said in a statement on their website. "Heartfelt thanks to Cristian Brocchi for the enthusiasm, preparation and intensity with which he approached his career as Milan coach with the youth sides and the first team." Milan, who lost to Juventus in the Coppa Italia final last month, finished seventh in the league last season and will miss out on Europe for a third successive campaign. (Reuters)

Vincenzo Montella named as new AC Milan manager

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

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

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

Ibrahimovic says he is joining Manchester United

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

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

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

West Ham start life at Olympic Stadium with emphatic win

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

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

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

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

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

Ronaldo is no Messi, counters Iceland's Arnason

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

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

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

Germany come face to face with their worst nightmare

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sam Allardyce ready to lead English football: Jose Mourinho

Sam Allardyce was appointed England manager on Friday on a two-year contract, tasked with restoring pride in the national team after their dismal performances at Euro 2016. 
 
Allardyce, at Sunderland since October, will replace Roy Hodgson, who stepped down following England&#39;s shock European Championship defeat by Iceland in the round of 16 last month. 
 
&quot;I am extremely honoured to be appointed England manager especially as it is no secret that this is the role I have always wanted. For me, it is absolutely the best job in English football,&quot; the 61-year-old Allardyce said in a statement. 
 
&quot;I will do everything I can to help England do well and give our nation the success our fans deserve. Above all, we have to make the people and the whole country proud.&quot; 
 
Allardyce was the unanimous choice of a three-man FA selection panel, made up of chief executive Martin Glenn, technical director Dan Ashworth and acting chairman David Gill. 
 
The FA statement added that he would be responsible for shaping &quot;a strong, purposeful team identity&quot; as well as ensuring England qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. 
 
Allardyce has previously managed Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle United, Blackburn Rovers and West Ham United, but much of his coaching career has been spent scrapping in the bottom half of the table rather than challenging for Premier League titles. 
 
He had been the favourite for the job since Sunderland confirmed last week that they had given the FA permission to speak to their manager about the vacant England position. 
 
Hull City manager Steve Bruce was also interviewed for the post while British media reported that the FA had spoken to United States head coach Juergen Klinsmann and Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe. 
 
Allardyce was first interviewed for the England position following Sven-Goran Eriksson&#39;s departure after the 2006 World Cup but he was overlooked in favour of Steve McClaren. 
 
&quot;Sam Allardyce is the right man for the England job,&quot; FA chief executive Martin Glenn said. 
 
&quot;His excellent managerial credentials, including his ability to realise the potential of players and teams, develop a strong team ethos and embrace modern methods that enhance performance, made him the outstanding choice.&quot; 
 
Allardyce will select his first England squad towards the end of August for a friendly on Sept. 1 before their first World Cup qualifier against Slovakia in Trnava three days later. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Allardyce, the unanimous choice of a three-man FA selection panel, tasked with restoring English pride

Sam Allardyce was appointed England manager on Friday on a two-year contract, tasked with restoring pride in the national team after their dismal performances at Euro 2016. Allardyce, at Sunderland since October, will replace Roy Hodgson, who stepped down following England's shock European Championship defeat by Iceland in the round of 16 last month. "I am extremely honoured to be appointed England manager especially as it is no secret that this is the role I have always wanted. For me, it is absolutely the best job in English football," the 61-year-old Allardyce said in a statement. "I will do everything I can to help England do well and give our nation the success our fans deserve. Above all, we have to make the people and the whole country proud." Allardyce was the unanimous choice of a three-man FA selection panel, made up of chief executive Martin Glenn, technical director Dan Ashworth and acting chairman David Gill. The FA statement added that he would be responsible for shaping "a strong, purposeful team identity" as well as ensuring England qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Allardyce has previously managed Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle United, Blackburn Rovers and West Ham United, but much of his coaching career has been spent scrapping in the bottom half of the table rather than challenging for Premier League titles. He had been the favourite for the job since Sunderland confirmed last week that they had given the FA permission to speak to their manager about the vacant England position. Hull City manager Steve Bruce was also interviewed for the post while British media reported that the FA had spoken to United States head coach Juergen Klinsmann and Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe. Allardyce was first interviewed for the England position following Sven-Goran Eriksson's departure after the 2006 World Cup but he was overlooked in favour of Steve McClaren. "Sam Allardyce is the right man for the England job," FA chief executive Martin Glenn said. "His excellent managerial credentials, including his ability to realise the potential of players and teams, develop a strong team ethos and embrace modern methods that enhance performance, made him the outstanding choice." Allardyce will select his first England squad towards the end of August for a friendly on Sept. 1 before their first World Cup qualifier against Slovakia in Trnava three days later. (Reuters)

England appoints Sam Allardyce as manager after Euro disappointment

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

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

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

US hammer Costa Rica, Colombia advance at Copa America

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

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

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

Sepp Blatter wages final FIFA ban appeal

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

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

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

Italy can overcome Ibrahimovic threat to beat Sweden - De Rossi

Pep Guardiola drew first blood in his renewed managerial duel with Jose Mourinho as Manchester City deservedly won an absorbing Premier League derby 2-1 against Manchester United at Old Trafford today. 
 
Kevin de Bruyne, who was never appreciated by Mourinho when they were at Chelsea together, proved instrumental in City&#39;s magnificent win, scoring the opener and making the second for Kelechi Iheanacho before halftime. 
 
With his side being outpassed and outclassed in a one-sided first half, Zlatan Ibrahimovic brought United back into the match just before the break after a mistake by City&#39;s new goalkeeper Claudio Bravo. 
 
Bravo&#39;s error on a hugely unconvincing debut inspired a much more even second half and Ibrahimovic had goal ruled out for offside before man of the match De Bruyne hit the post as City maintained their 100 percent record this season to move three points clear at the top of the table. 
 
After months of hype in Manchester - and well beyond -following the appointment of the two great managerial foes, it was Guardiola&#39;s side who initially took complete control of a game that was being billed as one the whole world was watching. 
 
For much of the first half, City&#39;s slick passing and neat movement brought back memories of the way Guardiola&#39;s old Barcelona side would once often pass rings round Mourinho&#39;s Real Madrid. 
 
Yet the initial breakthrough came from an unGuardiola-like route one approach in the 15th minute, Aleksandar Kolarov&#39;s hoofed ball being met by a flicked header from Iheanacho which allowed the excellent De Bruyne to nip in past a leaden-footed Daley Blind and fire home. 
 
Iheanacho, ensuring that suspended Sergio Aguero was not unduly missed up front, underlined City&#39;s dominance, tapping home after De Bruyne&#39;s 36th-minute left-footed strike had come back off the post. 
 
United were offered a lifeline when Bravo, whose signing to replace City favourite Joe Hart has been the most controversial move of Guardiola&#39;s brief reign, failed to claim a straightforward free kick from the right flank. 
 
He dropped the ball under no great pressure, allowing the alert Ibrahimovic to volley home from the edge of the box and quite transform the game&#39;s dynamic. 
 
Bravo looked a bag of nerves and nearly presented United with an equaliser before halftime and when Mourinho sought a more positive approach from his side with a double substitution at halftime, youngster Marcus Rashford made an immediate impact. 
 
The teenager&#39;s 70th-minute shot left Bravo well beaten but the goal was ruled out as it had brushed off the shin of Ibrahimovic, who was standing offside. 
 
The hapless Bravo could easily have given away a penalty with a studs-up challenge on an infuriated Wayne Rooney but City regained their composure, defended with resolve and could have wrapped up a more emphatic victory when De Bruyne&#39;s late shot hit the post and ran across the face of goal. 
 
(Reuters)

Kevin de Bruyne, never appreciated by Mourinho when they were at Chelsea together, proved instrumental in City's magnificent win

Pep Guardiola drew first blood in his renewed managerial duel with Jose Mourinho as Manchester City deservedly won an absorbing Premier League derby 2-1 against Manchester United at Old Trafford today. Kevin de Bruyne, who was never appreciated by Mourinho when they were at Chelsea together, proved instrumental in City's magnificent win, scoring the opener and making the second for Kelechi Iheanacho before halftime. With his side being outpassed and outclassed in a one-sided first half, Zlatan Ibrahimovic brought United back into the match just before the break after a mistake by City's new goalkeeper Claudio Bravo. Bravo's error on a hugely unconvincing debut inspired a much more even second half and Ibrahimovic had goal ruled out for offside before man of the match De Bruyne hit the post as City maintained their 100 percent record this season to move three points clear at the top of the table. After months of hype in Manchester - and well beyond -following the appointment of the two great managerial foes, it was Guardiola's side who initially took complete control of a game that was being billed as one the whole world was watching. For much of the first half, City's slick passing and neat movement brought back memories of the way Guardiola's old Barcelona side would once often pass rings round Mourinho's Real Madrid. Yet the initial breakthrough came from an unGuardiola-like route one approach in the 15th minute, Aleksandar Kolarov's hoofed ball being met by a flicked header from Iheanacho which allowed the excellent De Bruyne to nip in past a leaden-footed Daley Blind and fire home. Iheanacho, ensuring that suspended Sergio Aguero was not unduly missed up front, underlined City's dominance, tapping home after De Bruyne's 36th-minute left-footed strike had come back off the post. United were offered a lifeline when Bravo, whose signing to replace City favourite Joe Hart has been the most controversial move of Guardiola's brief reign, failed to claim a straightforward free kick from the right flank. He dropped the ball under no great pressure, allowing the alert Ibrahimovic to volley home from the edge of the box and quite transform the game's dynamic. Bravo looked a bag of nerves and nearly presented United with an equaliser before halftime and when Mourinho sought a more positive approach from his side with a double substitution at halftime, youngster Marcus Rashford made an immediate impact. The teenager's 70th-minute shot left Bravo well beaten but the goal was ruled out as it had brushed off the shin of Ibrahimovic, who was standing offside. The hapless Bravo could easily have given away a penalty with a studs-up challenge on an infuriated Wayne Rooney but City regained their composure, defended with resolve and could have wrapped up a more emphatic victory when De Bruyne's late shot hit the post and ran across the face of goal. (Reuters)

Manchester derby: Guardiola 2, Mourinho 1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wenger does not rule out England job after Arsenal deal ends

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

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

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

Wanyama rejoins old boss Pochettino at Spurs

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

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

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

Spain veteran Casillas hints at retirement

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ronaldo misses penalty as Portugal held by Austria

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

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

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

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

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