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A week after England and Russia supporters clashed, and while flare-throwing and fighting have marred games elsewhere, fans of Iceland say they prefer hugs to hooliganism at Euro 2016. 
 
Having the time of their lives, Icelanders told AFP in Marseille they have come to their first ever European Championships to have fun and feel part of Europe. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m not sure life can get any better, it&#39;s historic, great to be here,&quot; Louise Ragnarsdottir told AFP on the seafront of the southern city.&nbsp;&quot;All my life I watched the tournaments on TV, now we are part of Europe&#39;s party!&quot; said the 28-year-old accountant from Reykjavik. 
 
Some 27,000 Iceland fans have travelled to France, almost 10 per cent of the Nordic island&#39;s 330,000-strong population. No smaller country has ever featured at a Euro finals. 
 
&quot;We live on a faraway island, just to go abroad at all is an experience,&quot; said Ragnarsdottir. 
 
After the Group F tie with Hungary on Saturday pockets of Iceland fans gathered in Marseille&#39;s Vieux Port district to chant &quot;Boom-Boom-Hoooo!&quot;, leaping in unison on the &quot;Hoooo!&quot;. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s our Viking song, synchronised and terrifying,&quot; laughed Arni Gardar, an IT consultant from Reykjavik. 
 
&quot;But we don&#39;t mean to be scary, we are good Vikings not marauders, actually very nice, we come in peace,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;Iceland is N-Iceland!&quot; cried another fan, Jonina Unnur Gunnarsdottir. 
 
&nbsp;&#39;Best fans yet&#39; 
 
&quot;They are the best fans we have seen yet,&quot; said Karim, a cafe owner watching the revelry on the Quai des Belges. &quot;It was different last week,&quot; he recalled. 
 
Nearly a week ago England and Russia fans conducted pitched battles in the worst violence at a football tournament since the 1998 World Cup, prompting police to respond with tear gas and baton charges. 
 
For fans of the Nordic minnows the Euro 2016 violence has been an eye-opening experience. 
 
&quot;We are a peaceful nation, we have no army, no guns, we&#39;re just not into fighting,&quot; Atli Gudmundsson told AFP. &quot;At home families go to football, no-one dreams of ever causing trouble.&quot; 
 
The 29-year-old attended the Croatia-Czech Republic tie in Saint Etienne on Friday where Croatian fans fought among themselves and lit flares, forcing a temporary stoppage in play. 
 
&quot;Torches on the pitch, fighting in the stands, that kind of thing is new to us, it was quite shocking to see,&quot; he said. 
 
&#39;Share the love&#39;&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We just want to hug people, I mean come on, just share the love,&quot; said his friend Daniel Ma&#39;sson. 
 
Hungary brought some 20,000 fans to the game in Marseille. Some scuffled with security guards before the game and threw flares on the pitch. 
 
All the tension was on the other side of the pitch,&quot; Elisabet Thorisdottir told AFP. 
 
&quot;The Hungarians were a little bit aggressive, but very passionate. We had no problem with them or anyone else.&quot; 
 
Around 10,000 Iceland fans were also in the Stade Velodrome and the two sets of fans produced a raucous atmosphere, the Scandinavians holding their own with renditions of &quot;Boom-Boom-Hoooo&quot;. 
 
And leading 1-0 with two minutes to go Iceland were on the brink of a fairytale win to follow the 1-1 draw against Cristiano Ronaldo&#39;s Portugal on their European Championships debut. 
 
Then two minutes from the end an own goal by Birkir Savarsson crushed their dreams. 
 
&quot;The Portugal 1-1 draw was like a win, but the Hungary 1-1 felt like a defeat,&quot; said Iceland fan Bjarni Mak Johanntsson. 
 
But for a country that just four years ago was ranked 131st in the world, their fans will enjoy the rest of Euro 2016 no matter whatever happens in the final group game against Austria in the Stade de France on Wednesday. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re the small guys, always overlooked,&quot; said Hdortur Bjarnason. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s just good to be noticed for once. Europe, we will be back!&quot; he said, punching the air. 
(AFP)

Almost 10% of all Icelanders have come to their first-ever European Championships to have fun

A week after England and Russia supporters clashed, and while flare-throwing and fighting have marred games elsewhere, fans of Iceland say they prefer hugs to hooliganism at Euro 2016. Having the time of their lives, Icelanders told AFP in Marseille they have come to their first ever European Championships to have fun and feel part of Europe. "I'm not sure life can get any better, it's historic, great to be here," Louise Ragnarsdottir told AFP on the seafront of the southern city. "All my life I watched the tournaments on TV, now we are part of Europe's party!" said the 28-year-old accountant from Reykjavik. Some 27,000 Iceland fans have travelled to France, almost 10 per cent of the Nordic island's 330,000-strong population. No smaller country has ever featured at a Euro finals. "We live on a faraway island, just to go abroad at all is an experience," said Ragnarsdottir. After the Group F tie with Hungary on Saturday pockets of Iceland fans gathered in Marseille's Vieux Port district to chant "Boom-Boom-Hoooo!", leaping in unison on the "Hoooo!". "It's our Viking song, synchronised and terrifying," laughed Arni Gardar, an IT consultant from Reykjavik. "But we don't mean to be scary, we are good Vikings not marauders, actually very nice, we come in peace," he said. "Iceland is N-Iceland!" cried another fan, Jonina Unnur Gunnarsdottir. 'Best fans yet' "They are the best fans we have seen yet," said Karim, a cafe owner watching the revelry on the Quai des Belges. "It was different last week," he recalled. Nearly a week ago England and Russia fans conducted pitched battles in the worst violence at a football tournament since the 1998 World Cup, prompting police to respond with tear gas and baton charges. For fans of the Nordic minnows the Euro 2016 violence has been an eye-opening experience. "We are a peaceful nation, we have no army, no guns, we're just not into fighting," Atli Gudmundsson told AFP. "At home families go to football, no-one dreams of ever causing trouble." The 29-year-old attended the Croatia-Czech Republic tie in Saint Etienne on Friday where Croatian fans fought among themselves and lit flares, forcing a temporary stoppage in play. "Torches on the pitch, fighting in the stands, that kind of thing is new to us, it was quite shocking to see," he said. 'Share the love' "We just want to hug people, I mean come on, just share the love," said his friend Daniel Ma'sson. Hungary brought some 20,000 fans to the game in Marseille. Some scuffled with security guards before the game and threw flares on the pitch. All the tension was on the other side of the pitch," Elisabet Thorisdottir told AFP. "The Hungarians were a little bit aggressive, but very passionate. We had no problem with them or anyone else." Around 10,000 Iceland fans were also in the Stade Velodrome and the two sets of fans produced a raucous atmosphere, the Scandinavians holding their own with renditions of "Boom-Boom-Hoooo". And leading 1-0 with two minutes to go Iceland were on the brink of a fairytale win to follow the 1-1 draw against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal on their European Championships debut. Then two minutes from the end an own goal by Birkir Savarsson crushed their dreams. "The Portugal 1-1 draw was like a win, but the Hungary 1-1 felt like a defeat," said Iceland fan Bjarni Mak Johanntsson. But for a country that just four years ago was ranked 131st in the world, their fans will enjoy the rest of Euro 2016 no matter whatever happens in the final group game against Austria in the Stade de France on Wednesday. "We're the small guys, always overlooked," said Hdortur Bjarnason. "It's just good to be noticed for once. Europe, we will be back!" he said, punching the air. (AFP)

'Nice' Iceland fans prefer hugs to hooliganism

Iceland pulled off one of the biggest shocks in European Championship history when they stunned abject England 2-1 on Monday, leading Roy Hodgson to quit and sending the tiny nation into a quarter-final against hosts France. 
 
Although the soccer pedigrees of the two countries could not be more different, Iceland looked the better team in just about every aspect of the game and fully deserved to extend their dream run on their first tournament appearance. 
 
After falling behind to a fourth-minute Wayne Rooney penalty they levelled almost immediately through Ragnar Sigurdsson and struck again in the 18th with a shot by Kolbeinn Sigthorsson. 
 
A ponderous England never looked remotely capable of finding a way back into the game and even at the end when they were reduced to launching long balls into the box, Iceland dealt with everything comfortably. 
 
&ldquo;It feels fantastic to come here as an underdog and perform in this way,&quot; said Iceland joint-coach Lars Lagerback, who also claimed two wins and four draws against England in his days as Sweden manager. 
 
Pundits were quick to rank England&#39;s defeat alongside that against the amateurs of the United States in the 1950 World Cup but such a judgement conveniently overlooks the progress the Icelanders have made in recent seasons, not least in beating the Netherlands home and away to get to France in the first place. 
 
It also fails to take into account England&#39;s miserable European Championship record, where they have won only one knockout match, on penalties at home to Spain in 1996. 
 
Hodgson, who steered the team to 10 straight wins in qualifying, duly became the latest in a long line of England managers to fall on his sword after a failure to get to the business end when it really matters. 
 
&quot;Now is the time for someone else to oversee the progress of a hungry and extremely talented group of players,&quot; Hodgson said, reading a prepared statement. 
 
&quot;They have done fantastically, and done everything asked of them,&quot; he added in a bizarre account of yet another failure to perform at a major tournament. 
 
Hodgson, 68, then refused to take further questions 
 
 
Short lead 
It all looked so different for England at the start when Raheem Sterling was hauled down by keeper Hannes Halldorsson, allowing Rooney to smash them ahead from the penalty spot on his 115th appearance, matching David Beckham&#39;s outfield record. 
 
The lead lasted less than two minutes, though, as Iceland, scored via an Aron Gunnarsson long throw, just as they had predicted. It was flicked on by Kari Arnason to an unmarked Ragnar Sigurdsson to sweep home. 
 
If England&#39;s defending was bad for that goal it was disastrous for the second as Iceland were allowed time and space on the edge of the box to set up Sigthorsson for a low shot that Joe Hart should have saved but merely took the power off as it rolled over the line. 
 
England looked shell-shocked and spent the rest of the half struggling to make any inroads, their front men and attacking midfielders static, and were booed off by their own fans. 
 
England threw on midfielder Jack Wilshere for the second half and then striker Jamie Vardy but the team&#39;s passing was awful and their movement sluggish. 
 
Harry Kane, the Premier League&#39;s leading scorer last season, summed up the poor quality on show when he took three free kicks and launched each one high into the stands without a team mate even close to connecting with the ball. 
 
The final whistle produced extraordinary scenes as the entire Iceland squad and coaches sprinted to the corner of the pitch to celebrate ecstatically with their fans. 
 
They can now look forward to facing France with the prize for the winner being a semi-final against Germany or Italy. 
 
&quot;Everyone started to run towards the fans so I did that too and then I flipped out completely,&quot; said Ragnar Sigurdsson. 
 
&quot;This is the biggest thing everyone in the squad has experienced. I don&rsquo;t know how big it is, but it&rsquo;s damn big.&quot; 
 
In contrast England&#39;s players sank to the turf in despair, with a deluge of jeers, boos and whistles raining down from the fans all around them, finally being encouraged to leave the pitch to a chant of &quot;You&#39;re not fit to wear the shirt.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Hodgson quits, Iceland will go on to play hosts France in the quarter-final

Iceland pulled off one of the biggest shocks in European Championship history when they stunned abject England 2-1 on Monday, leading Roy Hodgson to quit and sending the tiny nation into a quarter-final against hosts France. Although the soccer pedigrees of the two countries could not be more different, Iceland looked the better team in just about every aspect of the game and fully deserved to extend their dream run on their first tournament appearance. After falling behind to a fourth-minute Wayne Rooney penalty they levelled almost immediately through Ragnar Sigurdsson and struck again in the 18th with a shot by Kolbeinn Sigthorsson. A ponderous England never looked remotely capable of finding a way back into the game and even at the end when they were reduced to launching long balls into the box, Iceland dealt with everything comfortably. “It feels fantastic to come here as an underdog and perform in this way," said Iceland joint-coach Lars Lagerback, who also claimed two wins and four draws against England in his days as Sweden manager. Pundits were quick to rank England's defeat alongside that against the amateurs of the United States in the 1950 World Cup but such a judgement conveniently overlooks the progress the Icelanders have made in recent seasons, not least in beating the Netherlands home and away to get to France in the first place. It also fails to take into account England's miserable European Championship record, where they have won only one knockout match, on penalties at home to Spain in 1996. Hodgson, who steered the team to 10 straight wins in qualifying, duly became the latest in a long line of England managers to fall on his sword after a failure to get to the business end when it really matters. "Now is the time for someone else to oversee the progress of a hungry and extremely talented group of players," Hodgson said, reading a prepared statement. "They have done fantastically, and done everything asked of them," he added in a bizarre account of yet another failure to perform at a major tournament. Hodgson, 68, then refused to take further questions Short lead It all looked so different for England at the start when Raheem Sterling was hauled down by keeper Hannes Halldorsson, allowing Rooney to smash them ahead from the penalty spot on his 115th appearance, matching David Beckham's outfield record. The lead lasted less than two minutes, though, as Iceland, scored via an Aron Gunnarsson long throw, just as they had predicted. It was flicked on by Kari Arnason to an unmarked Ragnar Sigurdsson to sweep home. If England's defending was bad for that goal it was disastrous for the second as Iceland were allowed time and space on the edge of the box to set up Sigthorsson for a low shot that Joe Hart should have saved but merely took the power off as it rolled over the line. England looked shell-shocked and spent the rest of the half struggling to make any inroads, their front men and attacking midfielders static, and were booed off by their own fans. England threw on midfielder Jack Wilshere for the second half and then striker Jamie Vardy but the team's passing was awful and their movement sluggish. Harry Kane, the Premier League's leading scorer last season, summed up the poor quality on show when he took three free kicks and launched each one high into the stands without a team mate even close to connecting with the ball. The final whistle produced extraordinary scenes as the entire Iceland squad and coaches sprinted to the corner of the pitch to celebrate ecstatically with their fans. They can now look forward to facing France with the prize for the winner being a semi-final against Germany or Italy. "Everyone started to run towards the fans so I did that too and then I flipped out completely," said Ragnar Sigurdsson. "This is the biggest thing everyone in the squad has experienced. I don’t know how big it is, but it’s damn big." In contrast England's players sank to the turf in despair, with a deluge of jeers, boos and whistles raining down from the fans all around them, finally being encouraged to leave the pitch to a chant of "You're not fit to wear the shirt." (Reuters)

England exit another Euro after they lose 2-1 to Iceland

Argentinian football legend Diego Armando Maradona urged Lionel Messi not to follow through on his vow to quit the national team after its defeat in the Copa America Centenario. 
 
&quot;Messi has to stay in the national team. He has to stay because he still has playing days ahead of him,&quot; Maradona was quoted as saying by the Argentinian online newspaper La Nacion. 
 
&quot;He will go to Russia in form to be world champion&quot; at the 2018 World Cup, he added. 
 
Messi, 29, told reporters in the US he had decided to quit after Argentina&#39;s defeat on penalties to Chile on Sunday. 
 
He is widely rated as the best player in the world, but it was his fourth defeat in an international final with the Argentinian jersey. 
 
The 1986 World Cup winner Maradona, 55, blamed Argentina&#39;s recent lack of trophies on the Argentina Footbal Association. 
 
He accused them of not supporting Messi and letting him take the blame for Sunday&#39;s defeat to cover up their shortcomings in managing the sport. 
 
&quot;The lads have to be supported more to help him take the team forward,&quot; Maradona was quoted saying. &quot;Those who are saying he should quit are doing it so that we won&#39;t see what a disaster Argentinian football has become,&quot; he added. 
 
(AFP)

El Pibe de Oro urges Lionel Messi to keep playing on the national team and blames the Argentina Football Association for the recent defeats

Argentinian football legend Diego Armando Maradona urged Lionel Messi not to follow through on his vow to quit the national team after its defeat in the Copa America Centenario. "Messi has to stay in the national team. He has to stay because he still has playing days ahead of him," Maradona was quoted as saying by the Argentinian online newspaper La Nacion. "He will go to Russia in form to be world champion" at the 2018 World Cup, he added. Messi, 29, told reporters in the US he had decided to quit after Argentina's defeat on penalties to Chile on Sunday. He is widely rated as the best player in the world, but it was his fourth defeat in an international final with the Argentinian jersey. The 1986 World Cup winner Maradona, 55, blamed Argentina's recent lack of trophies on the Argentina Footbal Association. He accused them of not supporting Messi and letting him take the blame for Sunday's defeat to cover up their shortcomings in managing the sport. "The lads have to be supported more to help him take the team forward," Maradona was quoted saying. "Those who are saying he should quit are doing it so that we won't see what a disaster Argentinian football has become," he added. (AFP)

Maradona: Messi has to stay

Two-time defending champions Spain meet Italy in a mouthwatering last 16 clash at Euro 2016 today, while Wayne Rooney&#39;s England must overcome outsiders Iceland to reach the quarter-finals. 
 
To keep alive their hopes of a third consecutive European title, Spain must negotiate a repeat of the Euro 2012 final that they won 4-0. 
 
But they come into today&#39;s game at on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Croatia which relegated Vicente Del Bosque&#39;s team to runners-up in Group D and into the path of Italy so early in the tournmant. 
 
It will not get any easier for the winners as world champions Germany await in the quarter-finals. 
 
While Italy arrived at the tournament with low expectations they impressed in their first two matches and Del Bosque insists they will pose a formidable threat at the Stade de France. 
 
&quot;We have a lot of respect for a very strong team like Italy. They are just as much favourites as we are,&quot; he said. 
 
Recent history is on Spain&#39;s side -- they have won all seven of their knockout ties under Del Bosque at the Euros and World Cup. 
 
Italy coach Antonio Conte urged his players to defy the odds in the 1600 GMT kickoff. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t want to go home, the boys don&#39;t want to go home. We are not the sacrifical lamb. Spain have to show they are better on the pitch,&quot; said Conte, who will join Chelsea after the tournament. 
 
Spain will unleash striker Alvaro Morata, the competition&#39;s joint top scorer on three goals, on a solid Italian defence that he knows well from his just-completed two-year spell at Juventus. 
 
Italy will be without Antonio Candreva because of a groin injury, with Alessandro Florenzi likely to replace him on the right side of midfield. 
 
Chance of a lifetime&nbsp; 
 
England were spared the task of facing Cristiano Ronaldo&#39;s Portugal when Iceland grabbed a last-gasp winner against Austria in their final group stage match. 
 
Iceland&#39;s population of 330,000 makes them the smallest nation ever to have qualified for a major tournament and they approach the game in Nice as underdogs. 
 
But the pressure is on England coach Roy Hodgson, who was criticised for weakening the side with six changes in the final group game against Slovakia which ended in a goalless stalemate. 
 
Finishing second in Group B behind Wales put England into the more difficult side of the draw and if they overcome Iceland they will have to face hosts France in the capital on Sunday. 
 
Hodgson has called the match in Nice (kickoff 1900 GMT) a &quot;win or bust&quot; clash and a defeat would call into question his future, but he has insisted he will not &quot;beg&quot; for his job. 
 
&quot;I am prepared to carry on. It is different to wanting it. I&#39;m prepared to carry on if the FA want me to,&quot; Hodgson said. 
 
&quot;If they don&#39;t want me to, then my contract will have run out and that is how that will be. So I&#39;m not begging for the job.&quot; 
 
England captain Rooney, who has yet to score at Euro 2016, said he is wary of an Iceland team that twice defeated the Netherlands in qualifying and held Portugal in their opening group game. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re not going into this game showing a lack of respect for Iceland. We&#39;re showing full respect.&quot; 
 
Iceland&#39;s co-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said the game represents the opportunity of a lifetime for his players. 
 
&quot;If we beat England, their lives will change forever, and significantly. Icelandic football will go up in reputation and the way we approach football will be different,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;But whichever way this goes, these players are winners already.&quot; 
 
Iceland have complained they have only been granted between 3,000 and 3,500 places in the 34,500-capacity Stade de Nice, but thousands of their fans invaded Nice where they were drinking and swapping chants with England fans before the match. 
 
(AFP)

To keep alive their hopes of a third consecutive European title, Spain must negotiate a repeat of the Euro 2012 final which they won by 4-0

Two-time defending champions Spain meet Italy in a mouthwatering last 16 clash at Euro 2016 today, while Wayne Rooney's England must overcome outsiders Iceland to reach the quarter-finals. To keep alive their hopes of a third consecutive European title, Spain must negotiate a repeat of the Euro 2012 final that they won 4-0. But they come into today's game at on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Croatia which relegated Vicente Del Bosque's team to runners-up in Group D and into the path of Italy so early in the tournmant. It will not get any easier for the winners as world champions Germany await in the quarter-finals. While Italy arrived at the tournament with low expectations they impressed in their first two matches and Del Bosque insists they will pose a formidable threat at the Stade de France. "We have a lot of respect for a very strong team like Italy. They are just as much favourites as we are," he said. Recent history is on Spain's side -- they have won all seven of their knockout ties under Del Bosque at the Euros and World Cup. Italy coach Antonio Conte urged his players to defy the odds in the 1600 GMT kickoff. "I don't want to go home, the boys don't want to go home. We are not the sacrifical lamb. Spain have to show they are better on the pitch," said Conte, who will join Chelsea after the tournament. Spain will unleash striker Alvaro Morata, the competition's joint top scorer on three goals, on a solid Italian defence that he knows well from his just-completed two-year spell at Juventus. Italy will be without Antonio Candreva because of a groin injury, with Alessandro Florenzi likely to replace him on the right side of midfield. Chance of a lifetime England were spared the task of facing Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal when Iceland grabbed a last-gasp winner against Austria in their final group stage match. Iceland's population of 330,000 makes them the smallest nation ever to have qualified for a major tournament and they approach the game in Nice as underdogs. But the pressure is on England coach Roy Hodgson, who was criticised for weakening the side with six changes in the final group game against Slovakia which ended in a goalless stalemate. Finishing second in Group B behind Wales put England into the more difficult side of the draw and if they overcome Iceland they will have to face hosts France in the capital on Sunday. Hodgson has called the match in Nice (kickoff 1900 GMT) a "win or bust" clash and a defeat would call into question his future, but he has insisted he will not "beg" for his job. "I am prepared to carry on. It is different to wanting it. I'm prepared to carry on if the FA want me to," Hodgson said. "If they don't want me to, then my contract will have run out and that is how that will be. So I'm not begging for the job." England captain Rooney, who has yet to score at Euro 2016, said he is wary of an Iceland team that twice defeated the Netherlands in qualifying and held Portugal in their opening group game. "We're not going into this game showing a lack of respect for Iceland. We're showing full respect." Iceland's co-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said the game represents the opportunity of a lifetime for his players. "If we beat England, their lives will change forever, and significantly. Icelandic football will go up in reputation and the way we approach football will be different," he said. "But whichever way this goes, these players are winners already." Iceland have complained they have only been granted between 3,000 and 3,500 places in the 34,500-capacity Stade de Nice, but thousands of their fans invaded Nice where they were drinking and swapping chants with England fans before the match. (AFP)

Spain-Italy in 'early final', England eye quarters

UEFA began disciplinary proceedings today against Portugal, Hungary and Belgium for incidents in their Euro 2016 matches the previous day. 
 
Portugal is charged with allowing a pitch invasion, Hungary for allowing crowd disturbances and other offences and Belgium for its fans setting off fireworks and throwing objects. 
 
A fan ran on to the pitch in Portugal&#39;s 0-0 draw with Austria at the Parc des Princes in Paris on Saturday and posed for a selfie with Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. 
 
In Marseille, Hungarian fans clashed with stewards in the Stade Velodrome as they tried to climb a fence to join up with another group of Hungarians before the 1-1 draw with Iceland. 
 
Hungary is also accused of allowing its fans to set off fireworks and throwing objects. 
 
The punishment in that case will be announced on Tuesday. 
 
Belgium also faces charges that its supporters threw fireworks and other objects during the 3-0 win against the Republic of Ireland in Bordeaux. 
 
UEFA said it was yet to decide a date for its disciplinary committee to meet on the cases of Belgium and Portugal. 
(AFP)

A fan ran on to the pitch after Portugal's 0-0 draw with Austria in Paris and posed for a selfie with Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo

UEFA began disciplinary proceedings today against Portugal, Hungary and Belgium for incidents in their Euro 2016 matches the previous day. Portugal is charged with allowing a pitch invasion, Hungary for allowing crowd disturbances and other offences and Belgium for its fans setting off fireworks and throwing objects. A fan ran on to the pitch in Portugal's 0-0 draw with Austria at the Parc des Princes in Paris on Saturday and posed for a selfie with Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. In Marseille, Hungarian fans clashed with stewards in the Stade Velodrome as they tried to climb a fence to join up with another group of Hungarians before the 1-1 draw with Iceland. Hungary is also accused of allowing its fans to set off fireworks and throwing objects. The punishment in that case will be announced on Tuesday. Belgium also faces charges that its supporters threw fireworks and other objects during the 3-0 win against the Republic of Ireland in Bordeaux. UEFA said it was yet to decide a date for its disciplinary committee to meet on the cases of Belgium and Portugal. (AFP)

UEFA opens disciplinary probes against Portugal, Hungary and Belgium

Pep Guardiola&#39;s Manchester City career got off to a winning start as they beat Sunderland 2-1 on Saturday but the Spaniard knows there is much work to do to build a title-winning team. 
 
Paddy McNair&#39;s late own goal gave the hosts victory on the opening day of the Premier League season after Jermain Defoe&#39;s Sunderland strike had cancelled out Sergio Aguero&#39;s early penalty. 
 
City dominated possession but were short on the incisive attacking play that was a hallmark of Guardiola&#39;s Barcelona and Bayern Munich teams. 
 
&quot;Sometimes you are a little lucky,&quot; City&#39;s new manager told reporters. &quot;We should have been a bit more aggressive but these kind of things have to happen to know how to get better in the next game.&quot; 
 
The match was an intriguing glimpse into what the fans can expect from Guardiola. 
 
He showed his ruthlessness by dropping England goalkeeper Joe Hart to the bench and completely omitting Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure. 
 
&quot;They are professionals,&quot; Guardiola said, &quot;and are going to fight for their places.&quot; 
 
He acknowledged it would take time for City to adapt to his methods although there was evidence of a new approach. 
 
Captain David Silva started in a deeper midfield role from where he was expected to instigate attacking moves while the full backs came inside to congest the middle, in a similar way to Bayern under Guardiola. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m very pleased about the performance,&quot; said the manager. &quot;The second half we played really well. 
 
&quot;Maybe we should attack quicker. We have to learn.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

City dominated possession but were short on the incisive attacking play that was a hallmark of Guardiola's Barcelona and Bayern Munich teams

Pep Guardiola's Manchester City career got off to a winning start as they beat Sunderland 2-1 on Saturday but the Spaniard knows there is much work to do to build a title-winning team. Paddy McNair's late own goal gave the hosts victory on the opening day of the Premier League season after Jermain Defoe's Sunderland strike had cancelled out Sergio Aguero's early penalty. City dominated possession but were short on the incisive attacking play that was a hallmark of Guardiola's Barcelona and Bayern Munich teams. "Sometimes you are a little lucky," City's new manager told reporters. "We should have been a bit more aggressive but these kind of things have to happen to know how to get better in the next game." The match was an intriguing glimpse into what the fans can expect from Guardiola. He showed his ruthlessness by dropping England goalkeeper Joe Hart to the bench and completely omitting Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure. "They are professionals," Guardiola said, "and are going to fight for their places." He acknowledged it would take time for City to adapt to his methods although there was evidence of a new approach. Captain David Silva started in a deeper midfield role from where he was expected to instigate attacking moves while the full backs came inside to congest the middle, in a similar way to Bayern under Guardiola. "I'm very pleased about the performance," said the manager. "The second half we played really well. "Maybe we should attack quicker. We have to learn." (Reuters)

Premier League: Guardiola's City beat Sunderland 2-1, says luck favoured

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

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

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

Euro Cup glory earns Portugal's Fernando Santos new contract

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

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

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

In-form Wales take on Portugal

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

But he will skip friendly against England on Thursday

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

Ronaldo to lead Portugal at Euro 2016

FIFA&#39;s ethics committee today recommended a ban of at least four years from all football activities for former Thailand federation president Worawi Makudi. Worawi, a FIFA exective committee member until last year, is in the dock for violating the sports ruling body&#39;s &quot;general rules&quot; and &quot;forgery and falsification&quot;, FIFA&#39;s adjudicatory chamber revealed in a statement. 
 
The suspension was called for after a final report on Worawi was submitted by the investigatory arm of FIFA&#39;s ethics committee. &quot;The investigatory chamber recommends a ban from all football-related activity for no less than four years and a fine of CHF 25,000 ($25,000),&quot; the judging body announced. 
 
&quot;For reasons linked to privacy rights and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, the adjudicatory chamber will not publish further details at the moment,&quot; its statement added.&nbsp; 
 
Thai football has been mired in division and controversy after a cascade of scandals linked to the deposed Football Association of Thailand (FAT) chief. Worawi was found guilty in July 2015 by a Thai court of forgery in his re-election as head of FAT. He has denied all wrongdoing. 
 
Worawi was for years a staunch ally of disgraced ex-FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who has been banned from football for six years over ethics violation. 
 
(AFP)

Worawi was found guilty in July 2015 by a Thai court of forgery in his re-election as head of Football Association of Thailand

FIFA's ethics committee today recommended a ban of at least four years from all football activities for former Thailand federation president Worawi Makudi. Worawi, a FIFA exective committee member until last year, is in the dock for violating the sports ruling body's "general rules" and "forgery and falsification", FIFA's adjudicatory chamber revealed in a statement. The suspension was called for after a final report on Worawi was submitted by the investigatory arm of FIFA's ethics committee. "The investigatory chamber recommends a ban from all football-related activity for no less than four years and a fine of CHF 25,000 ($25,000)," the judging body announced. "For reasons linked to privacy rights and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, the adjudicatory chamber will not publish further details at the moment," its statement added. Thai football has been mired in division and controversy after a cascade of scandals linked to the deposed Football Association of Thailand (FAT) chief. Worawi was found guilty in July 2015 by a Thai court of forgery in his re-election as head of FAT. He has denied all wrongdoing. Worawi was for years a staunch ally of disgraced ex-FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who has been banned from football for six years over ethics violation. (AFP)

FIFA recommends four-year ban for ex-federation boss Worawi Makudi

Defending European champions, Spain booked their place in the last 16 round of Euro 2016 on Friday with a convincing 3-0 win against Turkey in Nice. 
 
Vicente del Bosque&#39;s men bossed the Group D tie from the kickoff, with a double by Juventus&#39; Alvaro Morato and a first competitive international goal from Nolito sealing a comfortable win. 
 
&quot;We showed our winning mentality and great team spirit here tonight,&quot; said Andres Iniesta, who was awarded man-of-the-match. 
 
&quot;It depends on ourselves how far we go here, the feelings we have are very positive at the moment,&quot; he said. 
 
Turkey could also face UEFA sanctions after sections of their support lit flares and threw firecrackers onto the pitch at full-time. 
 
Spain, aiming for an unprecedented third consecutive Euros title, can seal top spot in the pool with just a draw against Croatia in their final group game on Tuesday. 
 
Turkey need to beat the Czech Republic in their final match and hope other results go their way to have any chance of progressing as one of the four best third-placed sides from the six groups. 
 
&quot;We have completed our first objective, to qualify for the next round, we controlled the game almost for the whole 90 minutes and we scored goals, so it was perfect,&quot; Del Bosque said. 
 
&quot;But we haven&#39;t won anything yet, we are on a good path but there is still a long way to go,&quot; he added. 
 
Before the game Turkey coach Fatih Terim had called for more &quot;fight&quot; from his side to keep their Euro 2016 hopes alive after an out-of-sorts display against Croatia on Sunday, and for a while his players responded. 
 
Sitting deep and launching the occasional counter-attack, Hakan Calhanoglu roused Turkey&#39;s raucous fans by sending a free-kick just over David de Gea&#39;s crossbar on 25 minutes. 
 
From the half-hour though, Spain moved up a gear, starving Turkey of possession and, with Iniesta pulling the strings in midfield, carving out chance after chance. 
 
And Terim lambasted his players for not giving their all for the cause. 
 
&quot;Today our national team threw in the towel, I didn&#39;t like it,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;Spain are a special team, one of the strongest sides in the tournament, the first 30 minutes was ok but afterwards we didn&#39;t play well,&quot; he said. 
 
First Sergio Busquets teed up Nolito for a right-footed curler just wide of left post. 
 
Then the busy Celta Vigo winger scuffed wide under pressure after a cutback from Juanfran. 
 
On 34 minutes, though, Nolito turned provider to greater effect. 
 
Looking up, he spotted Morato unmarked in front of goal and curled a pass over the defence to the marksman whose header gave Spain the lead. 
 
Three minutes later, Vicente del Bosque&#39;s men went two-up, this time with Nolito as the finisher. 
 
A chip into the box by Cesc Fabregas should not have reached its target but Mehmet Topal, off-balance, headed backward to the lurking Nolito who half-volleyed on the turn past Volkan Babacan. 
 
After the break, despite some brief flurries of Turkish resistance, Spain quickly added a third on 48 minutes. 
 
Iniesta, immaculate throughout, threaded a ball through the Turkish defence to Jordi Alba who squared to Morato for his second of the night, a tap-in through Babacan&#39;s legs. 
 
It was all too easy after that for the two-time defending champions. 
 
Substitute Bruno Soriano nearly scored a fourth midway through the half, forcing a Babacan to tip round the post. 
 
Then two minutes from the end he ballooned over when well-placed. 
 
It was another desperately disappointing day for Turkey who had come into the tournament in fine form. 
 
Individual mistakes caused at least one of the goals, said the 62-year-old Terim who guided Turkey to the European Championship semi-final in 2008. 
 
&quot;One of them was unbelievable, even the smallest chances you can&#39;t give Spain, otherwise there is no way to resist them&quot;. 
 
Fancied by some as dark horses to at least escape the group, they didn&#39;t manage a shot on target, while their fans even took to booing their star player Barcelona&#39;s Arda Turan late on. 
(AFP)&nbsp;

They're aiming for an unprecedented third consecutive Euro title

Defending European champions, Spain booked their place in the last 16 round of Euro 2016 on Friday with a convincing 3-0 win against Turkey in Nice. Vicente del Bosque's men bossed the Group D tie from the kickoff, with a double by Juventus' Alvaro Morato and a first competitive international goal from Nolito sealing a comfortable win. "We showed our winning mentality and great team spirit here tonight," said Andres Iniesta, who was awarded man-of-the-match. "It depends on ourselves how far we go here, the feelings we have are very positive at the moment," he said. Turkey could also face UEFA sanctions after sections of their support lit flares and threw firecrackers onto the pitch at full-time. Spain, aiming for an unprecedented third consecutive Euros title, can seal top spot in the pool with just a draw against Croatia in their final group game on Tuesday. Turkey need to beat the Czech Republic in their final match and hope other results go their way to have any chance of progressing as one of the four best third-placed sides from the six groups. "We have completed our first objective, to qualify for the next round, we controlled the game almost for the whole 90 minutes and we scored goals, so it was perfect," Del Bosque said. "But we haven't won anything yet, we are on a good path but there is still a long way to go," he added. Before the game Turkey coach Fatih Terim had called for more "fight" from his side to keep their Euro 2016 hopes alive after an out-of-sorts display against Croatia on Sunday, and for a while his players responded. Sitting deep and launching the occasional counter-attack, Hakan Calhanoglu roused Turkey's raucous fans by sending a free-kick just over David de Gea's crossbar on 25 minutes. From the half-hour though, Spain moved up a gear, starving Turkey of possession and, with Iniesta pulling the strings in midfield, carving out chance after chance. And Terim lambasted his players for not giving their all for the cause. "Today our national team threw in the towel, I didn't like it," he said. "Spain are a special team, one of the strongest sides in the tournament, the first 30 minutes was ok but afterwards we didn't play well," he said. First Sergio Busquets teed up Nolito for a right-footed curler just wide of left post. Then the busy Celta Vigo winger scuffed wide under pressure after a cutback from Juanfran. On 34 minutes, though, Nolito turned provider to greater effect. Looking up, he spotted Morato unmarked in front of goal and curled a pass over the defence to the marksman whose header gave Spain the lead. Three minutes later, Vicente del Bosque's men went two-up, this time with Nolito as the finisher. A chip into the box by Cesc Fabregas should not have reached its target but Mehmet Topal, off-balance, headed backward to the lurking Nolito who half-volleyed on the turn past Volkan Babacan. After the break, despite some brief flurries of Turkish resistance, Spain quickly added a third on 48 minutes. Iniesta, immaculate throughout, threaded a ball through the Turkish defence to Jordi Alba who squared to Morato for his second of the night, a tap-in through Babacan's legs. It was all too easy after that for the two-time defending champions. Substitute Bruno Soriano nearly scored a fourth midway through the half, forcing a Babacan to tip round the post. Then two minutes from the end he ballooned over when well-placed. It was another desperately disappointing day for Turkey who had come into the tournament in fine form. Individual mistakes caused at least one of the goals, said the 62-year-old Terim who guided Turkey to the European Championship semi-final in 2008. "One of them was unbelievable, even the smallest chances you can't give Spain, otherwise there is no way to resist them". Fancied by some as dark horses to at least escape the group, they didn't manage a shot on target, while their fans even took to booing their star player Barcelona's Arda Turan late on. (AFP)

Euro: Spain walk all over Turkey, then cruise to last 16 with 3-0 win

Poland face a test of patience and their nerves when they open their Euro 2016 campaign against a Northern Ireland side who want to make themselves &quot;horrible&quot; to play against. 
 
Sunday&#39;s group C match will pit one of the most attack-minded of the 24 teams at Euro 2016 against a team who have made no bones about their intentions. 
 
Spearheaded by the attacking duo of Robert Lewandowski and Arkadiusz Milik, Poland were the highest-scoring team in the qualifying competition with 33 goals, 13 of them coming from Bayern Munich&#39;s Lewandowski. 
 
Coach Adam Nawalka has turned them from a counter-attacking side into one that keeps possession and build attacks carefully. 
 
He has also bucked the trend of teams playing with a single, or no, striker, expressly to give Lewandowski more support, a tactic which has worked wonders so far. 
 
The huge expectations back home, however, will put Poland under considerable pressure as they attempt to pass the group stage at the Euros for the first time, and Northern Ireland are just the team to play on their anxiety. 
 
Northern Ireland have limited resources but manager Michael O&#39;Neill clearly knows their place and makes no apologies for a playing style which is likely to prove a test of endurance for spectators as well as the opposition. 
 
&ldquo;We are going to have to be horrible to play against,&rdquo; he said recently. &ldquo;We are going to be really good without the ball, run further than any other team, drill all the statistics back in their face. Sixty-five per cent possession? We don&rsquo;t expect to have that.&rdquo; 
 
The Euro debutants&#39; squad includes 13 players based with lower-tier sides in England, five from the English Premier League, four from the Scottish Premier League and one from Australia&#39;s A-League. None of them play in continental Europe. 
 
Despite this, they conceded only eight goals in qualifying and are unbeaten in their last 12 matches, a run stretching back to March last year and the longest in the team&#39;s history. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a fantastic achievement to be out here but having achieved that we want to leave our mark on the tournament,&quot; said O&#39;Neill. &quot;There is a sense of excitement for all of us. This is a new experience for myself (and) for all of the players.&quot; 
&nbsp;

And the Irish hope to be "horrible" to play against

Poland face a test of patience and their nerves when they open their Euro 2016 campaign against a Northern Ireland side who want to make themselves "horrible" to play against. Sunday's group C match will pit one of the most attack-minded of the 24 teams at Euro 2016 against a team who have made no bones about their intentions. Spearheaded by the attacking duo of Robert Lewandowski and Arkadiusz Milik, Poland were the highest-scoring team in the qualifying competition with 33 goals, 13 of them coming from Bayern Munich's Lewandowski. Coach Adam Nawalka has turned them from a counter-attacking side into one that keeps possession and build attacks carefully. He has also bucked the trend of teams playing with a single, or no, striker, expressly to give Lewandowski more support, a tactic which has worked wonders so far. The huge expectations back home, however, will put Poland under considerable pressure as they attempt to pass the group stage at the Euros for the first time, and Northern Ireland are just the team to play on their anxiety. Northern Ireland have limited resources but manager Michael O'Neill clearly knows their place and makes no apologies for a playing style which is likely to prove a test of endurance for spectators as well as the opposition. “We are going to have to be horrible to play against,” he said recently. “We are going to be really good without the ball, run further than any other team, drill all the statistics back in their face. Sixty-five per cent possession? We don’t expect to have that.” The Euro debutants' squad includes 13 players based with lower-tier sides in England, five from the English Premier League, four from the Scottish Premier League and one from Australia's A-League. None of them play in continental Europe. Despite this, they conceded only eight goals in qualifying and are unbeaten in their last 12 matches, a run stretching back to March last year and the longest in the team's history. "It's a fantastic achievement to be out here but having achieved that we want to leave our mark on the tournament," said O'Neill. "There is a sense of excitement for all of us. This is a new experience for myself (and) for all of the players."

Poland face test of patience against Northern Ireland

&nbsp;Italy coach Antonio Conte summoned help from astronaut Luca Parmitano to inspire his players ahead of today&#39;s Euro 2016 game against Sweden in Toulouse. 
 
Parmitano, who became the first Italian to take part in a spacewalk in July 2013, gave a talk to the Italy squad this week at the Casa Azzurri in Montpellier, the team&#39;s headquarters in France. 
 
The 39-year-old Parmitano stressed the importance of teamwork, motivation and preparation, something Conte has tried to transmit to his players since he took the reins in 2014. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m not a football expert but I am a fan of the national team,&quot; Parmitano told the Italian FootballFederation (FIGC). &quot;Even we, astronauts, are a small team, we train in a rigorous manner and we wear a blue suit. Just like the players of the national team, we are aware that we represent Italy&#39;s image around the world.&quot; 
 
Italy, runners-up at Euro 2012, arrived in France minus star players and with a squad that many believed to be the country&#39;s weakest in a long time. 
 
However, Conte&#39;s men showed a workmanlike display in their 2-0 triumph over Belgium in their Group E opener on Monday. After the game against Sweden, Italy end the group stages against Ireland in Lille next Wednesday. 
(Reuters)

The Italian coach got Luca Parmitano, the first Italian to go on a spacewalk, to give his team a pep talk

Italy coach Antonio Conte summoned help from astronaut Luca Parmitano to inspire his players ahead of today's Euro 2016 game against Sweden in Toulouse. Parmitano, who became the first Italian to take part in a spacewalk in July 2013, gave a talk to the Italy squad this week at the Casa Azzurri in Montpellier, the team's headquarters in France. The 39-year-old Parmitano stressed the importance of teamwork, motivation and preparation, something Conte has tried to transmit to his players since he took the reins in 2014. "I'm not a football expert but I am a fan of the national team," Parmitano told the Italian FootballFederation (FIGC). "Even we, astronauts, are a small team, we train in a rigorous manner and we wear a blue suit. Just like the players of the national team, we are aware that we represent Italy's image around the world." Italy, runners-up at Euro 2012, arrived in France minus star players and with a squad that many believed to be the country's weakest in a long time. However, Conte's men showed a workmanlike display in their 2-0 triumph over Belgium in their Group E opener on Monday. After the game against Sweden, Italy end the group stages against Ireland in Lille next Wednesday. (Reuters)

Italy aims for the stars, with a little help from an astronaut

Spain go into Friday&#39;s EURO 2016 game against Turkey determined to be more efficient in front of goal and no fan is more eager for that to happen than Antonio Banderas. 
 
The 55-year-old Spanish actor and director, a fervent supporter of his home club Malaga and of the national team, posted a photograph on his Twitter feed on Friday of himself in the Spanish team kit and ready to volley a football. 
 
The caption read: &quot;Ready for today&#39;s game. Do you think they will call me in?&quot; 
 
Spain, winners of Euro 2008 and 2012, began their title defence with a 1-0 victory over the Czech Republic on Monday. After Friday&#39;s game against Turkey in Nice, they end Group D against Croatia in Bordeaux next Tuesday. 
(Reuters)

Spanish actor and director Antonio Banderas displayed his support for Spain at EURO 2016 via twitter

Spain go into Friday's EURO 2016 game against Turkey determined to be more efficient in front of goal and no fan is more eager for that to happen than Antonio Banderas. The 55-year-old Spanish actor and director, a fervent supporter of his home club Malaga and of the national team, posted a photograph on his Twitter feed on Friday of himself in the Spanish team kit and ready to volley a football. The caption read: "Ready for today's game. Do you think they will call me in?" Spain, winners of Euro 2008 and 2012, began their title defence with a 1-0 victory over the Czech Republic on Monday. After Friday's game against Turkey in Nice, they end Group D against Croatia in Bordeaux next Tuesday. (Reuters)

Banderas offers his services to Spain

A close-range header from Portugal substitute Ricardo Quaresma secured a 1-0 win over Croatia after the game burst into life late in extra time on Saturday and set up a Euro 2016 quarter-final against Poland next week. 
 
Quaresma struck three minutes from the end of the extra period after a Cristiano Ronaldo shot was saved brilliantly by Danijel Subasic to settle the tie just a minute after Croatia&#39;s Ivan Perisic had hit the post with a header. 
 
Croatia almost snatched an equaliser at the death but Domagoj Vida hooked the ball agonisingly wide. 
 
Portugal coach Fernando Santos said: &quot;Both teams were here expecting to win every match, all the way to the final. This was a final. We won, and when you win you&#39;re lucky. Sometimes you don&#39;t win and you&#39;re unlucky. Today, we were the lucky ones.&quot; 
 
Croatia manager Ante Cacic added: &quot;We expected Portugal to counter and we were playing really well for 120 minutes, controlling the match, not conceding any chances except the last one that was our mistake and we were punished for that.&quot; 
 
There was some lovely one-touch play from both sides but plenty of passes also went astray in a tense, cagey last 16 game in which neither side managed to register a shot on target until Ronaldo&#39;s late effort led to the winning goal. 
 
Croatia were on top for most of the first half but Portugal had the first chance when Pepe headed Raphael Guerreiro&#39;s free kick over the bar after Ronaldo was tripped by Perisic. 
 
Perisic, who had a patch of his hair dyed to match the red-and-white checked pattern of his shirt, then cut in from the right but he dragged his shot outside the near post. 
 
Luka Modric and Mario Mandzukic returned from injury for Croatia, with Mandzukic spurning an excellent first-half chance when he headed Dario Srna&#39;s corner wide of the target. 
 
With Mandzukic on his own up front and Nani and Ronaldo shackled, neither side could break the deadlock and a smattering of boos and whistles were heard at the halftime whistle. 
 
Wasteful Finishing 
 
Croatia continued to dominate possession after the break, but their wasteful finishing continued as Marcelo Brozovic narrowly failed to connect with Ivan Strinic&#39;s cross and then followed up by blazing over from the resulting corner. 
 
Substitute Renato Sanches registered Portugal&#39;s first shot of the second half when he broke forward and played a one-two with Joao Mario but steered the ball wide of the target. 
 
Croatia centre-back Vida then had a glorious chance to give his side the lead on the hour but headed wide with the goal at his mercy and Mandzukic lurking behind him. 
 
Earning his 100th cap, Nani had a penalty appeal turned down when he went sprawling in the box under pressure from Strinic. 
 
Ronaldo did not fare much better and, despite occasional flashes of skill, he was kept quiet for most of the game. 
 
The match finished scoreless and went into extra time with Nikola Kalinic, who replaced Mandzukic, blasting a shot wide halfway through the first period. 
 
Croatia still looked livelier and Vida was frustrated again as he headed another corner just over with Portugal keeper Rui Patricio stranded after coming out for the cross. 
 
Perisic flashed the ball across the goal and then saw a header come back off the post before Portugal countered and Ronaldo&#39;s shot was parried into the path of Quaresma who scored. 
 
Croatia poured forward in search of an equaliser and Vida made it a hat-trick of misses as he hooked the ball wide leaving Portugal to go through to face Poland in Marseille on Thursday. 
 
(Reuters)

He struck three minutes from the end of the extra period after a Cristiano shot was saved brilliantly by Danijel Subasic

A close-range header from Portugal substitute Ricardo Quaresma secured a 1-0 win over Croatia after the game burst into life late in extra time on Saturday and set up a Euro 2016 quarter-final against Poland next week. Quaresma struck three minutes from the end of the extra period after a Cristiano Ronaldo shot was saved brilliantly by Danijel Subasic to settle the tie just a minute after Croatia's Ivan Perisic had hit the post with a header. Croatia almost snatched an equaliser at the death but Domagoj Vida hooked the ball agonisingly wide. Portugal coach Fernando Santos said: "Both teams were here expecting to win every match, all the way to the final. This was a final. We won, and when you win you're lucky. Sometimes you don't win and you're unlucky. Today, we were the lucky ones." Croatia manager Ante Cacic added: "We expected Portugal to counter and we were playing really well for 120 minutes, controlling the match, not conceding any chances except the last one that was our mistake and we were punished for that." There was some lovely one-touch play from both sides but plenty of passes also went astray in a tense, cagey last 16 game in which neither side managed to register a shot on target until Ronaldo's late effort led to the winning goal. Croatia were on top for most of the first half but Portugal had the first chance when Pepe headed Raphael Guerreiro's free kick over the bar after Ronaldo was tripped by Perisic. Perisic, who had a patch of his hair dyed to match the red-and-white checked pattern of his shirt, then cut in from the right but he dragged his shot outside the near post. Luka Modric and Mario Mandzukic returned from injury for Croatia, with Mandzukic spurning an excellent first-half chance when he headed Dario Srna's corner wide of the target. With Mandzukic on his own up front and Nani and Ronaldo shackled, neither side could break the deadlock and a smattering of boos and whistles were heard at the halftime whistle. Wasteful Finishing Croatia continued to dominate possession after the break, but their wasteful finishing continued as Marcelo Brozovic narrowly failed to connect with Ivan Strinic's cross and then followed up by blazing over from the resulting corner. Substitute Renato Sanches registered Portugal's first shot of the second half when he broke forward and played a one-two with Joao Mario but steered the ball wide of the target. Croatia centre-back Vida then had a glorious chance to give his side the lead on the hour but headed wide with the goal at his mercy and Mandzukic lurking behind him. Earning his 100th cap, Nani had a penalty appeal turned down when he went sprawling in the box under pressure from Strinic. Ronaldo did not fare much better and, despite occasional flashes of skill, he was kept quiet for most of the game. The match finished scoreless and went into extra time with Nikola Kalinic, who replaced Mandzukic, blasting a shot wide halfway through the first period. Croatia still looked livelier and Vida was frustrated again as he headed another corner just over with Portugal keeper Rui Patricio stranded after coming out for the cross. Perisic flashed the ball across the goal and then saw a header come back off the post before Portugal countered and Ronaldo's shot was parried into the path of Quaresma who scored. Croatia poured forward in search of an equaliser and Vida made it a hat-trick of misses as he hooked the ball wide leaving Portugal to go through to face Poland in Marseille on Thursday. (Reuters)

Quaresma late goal takes Portugal into Euro quarters

A Northern Ireland fan collapsed and died during their 2-0 win over Ukraine at Euro 2016 on Thursday, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said. 
 
&quot;The man, in his sixties, collapsed in the upper part of the ground and was treated by paramedics but they were unable to revive him,&quot; a PSNI statement said. 
 
The man is the second Northern Ireland fan to die during the tournament after Darren Rodgers, from Ballymena, fell eight metres to his death on Monday after landing on his head on a stone beach having scaled a seafront railing in Nice. 
 
The Irish Football Association issued a statement saying it was &quot;deeply saddened&quot; by the news of the latest death. 
 
&quot;The fan passed away as he was watching the game in the stadium. This puts any result of a football match into perspective,&quot; said Irish FA chief executive Patrick Nelson. 
 
&quot;The thoughts of the board, management, players and staff are with his family and friends at this sad time.&quot; 
 
The stadium was filled with Northern Ireland fans who had travelled to France to watch their country&#39;s first major finals since the 1986 World Cup. 
 
The supporters had earlier applauded the 24-year-old Rodgers&#39; memory during the 24th minute of Thursday&#39;s match. 
 
Rodgers was the first supporter to die during the month-long tournament, which has been marred by off-pitch violence between fans since Friday&#39;s opening. 
 
Northern Ireland coach Michael O&#39;Neill had said Rodgers&#39; death put his side&#39;s 1-0 defeat by Poland in their opening game on Sunday into perspective. 
(Reuters)

This is the second death of a supporter from the country. The first died after he scaled a seafront railing and fell on his head

A Northern Ireland fan collapsed and died during their 2-0 win over Ukraine at Euro 2016 on Thursday, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said. "The man, in his sixties, collapsed in the upper part of the ground and was treated by paramedics but they were unable to revive him," a PSNI statement said. The man is the second Northern Ireland fan to die during the tournament after Darren Rodgers, from Ballymena, fell eight metres to his death on Monday after landing on his head on a stone beach having scaled a seafront railing in Nice. The Irish Football Association issued a statement saying it was "deeply saddened" by the news of the latest death. "The fan passed away as he was watching the game in the stadium. This puts any result of a football match into perspective," said Irish FA chief executive Patrick Nelson. "The thoughts of the board, management, players and staff are with his family and friends at this sad time." The stadium was filled with Northern Ireland fans who had travelled to France to watch their country's first major finals since the 1986 World Cup. The supporters had earlier applauded the 24-year-old Rodgers' memory during the 24th minute of Thursday's match. Rodgers was the first supporter to die during the month-long tournament, which has been marred by off-pitch violence between fans since Friday's opening. Northern Ireland coach Michael O'Neill had said Rodgers' death put his side's 1-0 defeat by Poland in their opening game on Sunday into perspective. (Reuters)

Northern Ireland's win over Ukraine marred by fan's death

Erik Lamela&#39;s second-half header rescued a 1-1 draw for Tottenham Hotspur and denied new Everton manager Ronald Koeman a winning start at Goodison Park today. 
 
Lamela equalised in the 59th minute after Everton had claimed a deserved lead through Ross Barkley&#39;s early goal. 
 
Everton had the better of the first half but Mauricio Pochettino&#39;s side came back well after the interval and Argentine midfielder Lamela ensured their pressure paid off. 
 
Only two fine saves late on from debutant Everton goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg denied Spurs an opening day victory as the north Londoners look to emulate last season&#39;s title challenge. 
 
Everton went ahead in just the fifth minute. 
 
Tottenham&#39;s Kenya midfielder Victor Wanyama, signed from Southampton in the close-season, was penalised as he tripped Kevin Mirallas to halt the Belgian&#39;s progress towards goal. 
 
Barkley delivered a free-kick that eluded everyone, including Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris, who delayed his dive anticipating a touch from an Everton head and watched the ball nestle inside his left-hand post. 
 
The goal brought the game to life and Everton might have doubled their lead when makeshift centre forward Gerard Deulofeu skipped past two challenges but saw his shot from the edge of the Spurs box held low down by Lloris. 
 
Everton went close again on 15 minutes when Barkley lofted a free-kick into the penalty area and a looping header by Phil Jagielka forced a scrambling Lloris to push the ball over his crossbar. 
 
The hosts continued to dominate and threatened once more when Deulofeu linked up neatly with Mirallas on 21 minutes but Lloris made a comfortable save at his near post. 
 
Crucial interventions 
 
Stekelenburg had been a spectator early on but the Dutchman displayed solid handling on 28 minutes to hold a Christian Eriksen shot after a rare moment of promise from the visitors. 
 
And there was a further blow for Tottenham 10 minutes before half-time when captain Lloris was forced off by a hamstring injury and replaced by Michel Vorm. 
 
Tottenham began to escape their half more frequently as half-time approached, but they were unable to force Stekelenburg into action. 
 
The hosts ought to have doubled their lead in first-half stoppage-time, when Deulofeu seized on a poor backpass from Danny Rose and raced clear of Jan Vertonghen, but was denied by a smart save from Vorm. 
 
Everton started the second half on the front foot and Tottenham&#39;s Eric Dier had to make two crucial interventions, first to block Deulofeu&#39;s path to goal with a sliding tackle and then to head the resulting corner over his own crossbar. 
 
Pochettino introduced pre-season signing Vincent Janssen to the fray 13 minutes into the second half and the striker created an opening immediately when he drifted out wide, collected possession and crossed for Dele Alli. 
 
But the England midfielder curled a shot well wide from the edge of the area. 
 
There was no stopping Spurs just before the hour-mark, however, as Kyle Walker found room on the right and Lamela got the better of Everton debutant Mason Holgate to head past a helpless Stekelenburg. 
 
That goal rocked Everton, who were forced back for a spell, but they caused a moment of concern for Tottenham when the impressive Idrissa Gueye exchanged passes with substitute Arouna Kone but had his progress halted by Toby Alderweireld. 
 
However, with 10 minutes remaining Everton needed a superb save from Stekelenburg to prevent the visitors taking the lead. 
 
A shot from Rose was blocked by James McCarthy but fell for Janssen, whose crisp strike was clawed away one-handed by his fellow Dutchman at full stretch. 
 
And the keeper made another fine stop moments later to divert a Lamela shot over the crossbar after it deflected off Holgate. 
 
(AFP)

Lamela equalised in the 59th minute after Everton had claimed a deserved lead through Ross Barkley's early goal

Erik Lamela's second-half header rescued a 1-1 draw for Tottenham Hotspur and denied new Everton manager Ronald Koeman a winning start at Goodison Park today. Lamela equalised in the 59th minute after Everton had claimed a deserved lead through Ross Barkley's early goal. Everton had the better of the first half but Mauricio Pochettino's side came back well after the interval and Argentine midfielder Lamela ensured their pressure paid off. Only two fine saves late on from debutant Everton goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg denied Spurs an opening day victory as the north Londoners look to emulate last season's title challenge. Everton went ahead in just the fifth minute. Tottenham's Kenya midfielder Victor Wanyama, signed from Southampton in the close-season, was penalised as he tripped Kevin Mirallas to halt the Belgian's progress towards goal. Barkley delivered a free-kick that eluded everyone, including Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris, who delayed his dive anticipating a touch from an Everton head and watched the ball nestle inside his left-hand post. The goal brought the game to life and Everton might have doubled their lead when makeshift centre forward Gerard Deulofeu skipped past two challenges but saw his shot from the edge of the Spurs box held low down by Lloris. Everton went close again on 15 minutes when Barkley lofted a free-kick into the penalty area and a looping header by Phil Jagielka forced a scrambling Lloris to push the ball over his crossbar. The hosts continued to dominate and threatened once more when Deulofeu linked up neatly with Mirallas on 21 minutes but Lloris made a comfortable save at his near post. Crucial interventions Stekelenburg had been a spectator early on but the Dutchman displayed solid handling on 28 minutes to hold a Christian Eriksen shot after a rare moment of promise from the visitors. And there was a further blow for Tottenham 10 minutes before half-time when captain Lloris was forced off by a hamstring injury and replaced by Michel Vorm. Tottenham began to escape their half more frequently as half-time approached, but they were unable to force Stekelenburg into action. The hosts ought to have doubled their lead in first-half stoppage-time, when Deulofeu seized on a poor backpass from Danny Rose and raced clear of Jan Vertonghen, but was denied by a smart save from Vorm. Everton started the second half on the front foot and Tottenham's Eric Dier had to make two crucial interventions, first to block Deulofeu's path to goal with a sliding tackle and then to head the resulting corner over his own crossbar. Pochettino introduced pre-season signing Vincent Janssen to the fray 13 minutes into the second half and the striker created an opening immediately when he drifted out wide, collected possession and crossed for Dele Alli. But the England midfielder curled a shot well wide from the edge of the area. There was no stopping Spurs just before the hour-mark, however, as Kyle Walker found room on the right and Lamela got the better of Everton debutant Mason Holgate to head past a helpless Stekelenburg. That goal rocked Everton, who were forced back for a spell, but they caused a moment of concern for Tottenham when the impressive Idrissa Gueye exchanged passes with substitute Arouna Kone but had his progress halted by Toby Alderweireld. However, with 10 minutes remaining Everton needed a superb save from Stekelenburg to prevent the visitors taking the lead. A shot from Rose was blocked by James McCarthy but fell for Janssen, whose crisp strike was clawed away one-handed by his fellow Dutchman at full stretch. And the keeper made another fine stop moments later to divert a Lamela shot over the crossbar after it deflected off Holgate. (AFP)

Premier League: Spurs hold Everton to 1-1 draw

Russian hooligans prepared for &quot;ultra-rapid, ultra-violent action&quot; were involved in the worst of the fighting that hit Marseille at the start of the Euro 2016 football tournament, the French city&#39;s chief prosecutor said on Monday. 
 
An Englishman in his 50s remained in a critical condition in hospital after he was assaulted, one of 35 people injured during three days of fighting involving Russian, English and French fans in Marseille&#39;s Vieux Port (Old Port). 
 
European football&#39;s governing body, UEFA, said it was &quot;disgusted&quot; by melees inside and outside the stadium in Marseille, where the English and Russian sides played on Saturday, and has threatened to expel both teams from the championship if the violence persists. 
 
&quot;There were 150 Russian supporters who in reality were hooligans,&quot; Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin told a news conference. &quot;These people were well prepared for ultra-rapid, ultra-violent action.&quot; 
 
Scenes of rival fans wielding metal bars and hurling beer bottles in street clashes in Marseille, as well as incidents in Nice, Lille and Paris, underscore the challenge football federations in Europe face in stamping out hooliganism. 
 
Further along, the Mediterranean coast from Marseille, Nice&#39;s prosecutor said violence there involving Northern Irish fans on Saturday night was instigated by remnants of the now-disbanded French fan group. 
 
England fans have said they were ambushed by squads of Russian assailants in at least one incident, though the Marseille prosecutor made clear that England supporters were responsible for some of the skirmishes in Marseille. 
 
On Monday, a Marseille court began hearing fast-track trials of 10 people held in police custody; six Britons, three French nationals and an Austrian. All were charged with violence involving a weapon, mostly against law enforcement officers. 
 
In the first cases to be heard, five England fans were sentenced to jail terms of between one and three months, while a Frenchman received a two-year term. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m truly sorry. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but I&#39;m no hooligan,&quot; English cook Alexander Booth, 20, told the judge before his two-month sentence was read out. 
 
After the weekend clashes, some Russians posted photos of themselves on social media holding stolen English supporters&#39; flags upside down, some spotted with blood, as trophies. The 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. 
 
No Russians were arrested over the weekend, Robin acknowledged. Asked why not, the prosecutor said they had carried out lightning strikes which made arrests difficult and that closed-circuit television footage was still being studied. &quot;These are highly trained people,&quot; Robin said. 
 
Robin said some Russian supporters were turned back on arrival at Marseille international airport but others had arrived overland. 
 
French officials say 3,000 England football fans had been slapped with banning orders to block their travel to France due to previous offences, while only 30 Russian supporters were prevented from travelling. 
 
A spokeswoman for British Prime Minister David Cameron said his government welcomed the UEFA investigation and that it was also vital to review crowd-control methods inside stadiums. 
 
Asked whether a complaint had been made about Russian fan behaviour, she said: &quot;We have raised our concerns&quot;.

English fans say they were ambushed by Russian attackers in at least of the incidents in Marseille

Russian hooligans prepared for "ultra-rapid, ultra-violent action" were involved in the worst of the fighting that hit Marseille at the start of the Euro 2016 football tournament, the French city's chief prosecutor said on Monday. An Englishman in his 50s remained in a critical condition in hospital after he was assaulted, one of 35 people injured during three days of fighting involving Russian, English and French fans in Marseille's Vieux Port (Old Port). European football's governing body, UEFA, said it was "disgusted" by melees inside and outside the stadium in Marseille, where the English and Russian sides played on Saturday, and has threatened to expel both teams from the championship if the violence persists. "There were 150 Russian supporters who in reality were hooligans," Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin told a news conference. "These people were well prepared for ultra-rapid, ultra-violent action." Scenes of rival fans wielding metal bars and hurling beer bottles in street clashes in Marseille, as well as incidents in Nice, Lille and Paris, underscore the challenge football federations in Europe face in stamping out hooliganism. Further along, the Mediterranean coast from Marseille, Nice's prosecutor said violence there involving Northern Irish fans on Saturday night was instigated by remnants of the now-disbanded French fan group. England fans have said they were ambushed by squads of Russian assailants in at least one incident, though the Marseille prosecutor made clear that England supporters were responsible for some of the skirmishes in Marseille. On Monday, a Marseille court began hearing fast-track trials of 10 people held in police custody; six Britons, three French nationals and an Austrian. All were charged with violence involving a weapon, mostly against law enforcement officers. In the first cases to be heard, five England fans were sentenced to jail terms of between one and three months, while a Frenchman received a two-year term. "I'm truly sorry. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but I'm no hooligan," English cook Alexander Booth, 20, told the judge before his two-month sentence was read out. After the weekend clashes, some Russians posted photos of themselves on social media holding stolen English supporters' flags upside down, some spotted with blood, as trophies. The 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. No Russians were arrested over the weekend, Robin acknowledged. Asked why not, the prosecutor said they had carried out lightning strikes which made arrests difficult and that closed-circuit television footage was still being studied. "These are highly trained people," Robin said. Robin said some Russian supporters were turned back on arrival at Marseille international airport but others had arrived overland. French officials say 3,000 England football fans had been slapped with banning orders to block their travel to France due to previous offences, while only 30 Russian supporters were prevented from travelling. A spokeswoman for British Prime Minister David Cameron said his government welcomed the UEFA investigation and that it was also vital to review crowd-control methods inside stadiums. Asked whether a complaint had been made about Russian fan behaviour, she said: "We have raised our concerns".

150 Russian hooligans ready for 'ultra-rapid' action involved in Euro 2016 violence

Serbian Milovan Rajevac has been appointed the new coach of Algeria, the country&#39;s football federation has confirmed. 
 
Rajevac came close to helping Ghana, who became the first African side to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2010 and takes over from Christian Gourcuff, who resigned in April ahead of a move to French Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais. 
 
Rajevac, 62, will be expected to lead Algeria to the World Cup in Russia but faces a difficult qualification group that also contains Nigeria, Cameroon and Zambia. Only the top team advances to the finals. 
 
Algeria have already qualified for the African Nations Cup finals in Gabon starting next January. 
 
(Reuters)

He takes over from Christian Gourcuff who resigned in April ahead of a move to French Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais

Serbian Milovan Rajevac has been appointed the new coach of Algeria, the country's football federation has confirmed. Rajevac came close to helping Ghana, who became the first African side to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2010 and takes over from Christian Gourcuff, who resigned in April ahead of a move to French Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais. Rajevac, 62, will be expected to lead Algeria to the World Cup in Russia but faces a difficult qualification group that also contains Nigeria, Cameroon and Zambia. Only the top team advances to the finals. Algeria have already qualified for the African Nations Cup finals in Gabon starting next January. (Reuters)

Milovan Rajevac confirmed as new coach of Algeria

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

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

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

Corinthians furious after Tite accepts Brazil job

Michael O&#39;Neill&#39;s class of 2016 may not quite possess the flair of their celebrated Northern Ireland predecessors of 1982 but how many teams in this European Championship can match their heart and commitment? 
 
That seemed like a fair question after O&#39;Neill&#39;s side had ended their 34-year wait for a major tournament victory with a 2-0 win over Ukraine that showcased their remarkable spirit. 
 
&quot;You can ask for different things as a manager,&quot; said O&#39;Neill, &quot;but when you get a performance like that, pure commitment and heart, there&#39;s nothing more you can ask.&quot; 
 
While his side may not be able to match their Euro 2016 opponents for class, they demonstrated once more that they are masters of concealing weaknesses and maximising their strengths. 
 
Goals from Gareth McAuley and Niall McGinn against Ukraine ended the long famine that stretched back to the 1982 World Cup, when Gerry Armstrong&#39;s low finish famously downed hosts Spain. 
 
O&#39;Neill was already on the verge of Messianic status after guiding the Irish to their first major tournament in 30 years and deserved all the praise for again getting things right with a bold team selection on Thursday. 
 
He dropped talismanic striker Kyle Lafferty after the opening defeat by Poland, turning instead to the inexperienced Conor Washington, who repaid his coach with tireless chasing and pressurising of the Ukrainian defenders. 
 
That is the Northern Ireland hallmark. O&#39;Neill&#39;s side may not have the sheen of the class of &#39;82, who boasted luminaries like Martin O&#39;Neill (the Ireland coach here), Pat Jennings, Norman Whiteside, Sammy McIlroy and Armstrong in their ranks, yet excellent organisation and meticulous training ground work has made them tough opposition for anybody. For instance, their set-piece routine when McAuley rose to meet Olivier Norwood&#39;s free kick was simple but very effective. 
 
&quot;We like to have something up our sleeve,&quot; smiled a justifiably satisfied O&#39;Neill. 
 
He also has a team which appears to be driven by proving a point to non-believers. 
 
&quot;A few people didn&#39;t give us a chance of getting a point when the draw was made,&quot; McAuley told journalists. &quot;But that&#39;s what Northern Ireland are all about -- proving people wrong.&quot; 
 
They also became the first British side to keep a clean sheet at this tournament after their relentless harrying and defensive discipline stymied Ukraine. 
 
&quot;We&#39;ve talked about leaving a legacy from this tournament,&quot; said McAuley. &quot;Football&#39;s a romantic game, and sometimes the underdogs come through.&quot; 
 
The class of &#39;82 would recognise that better than anybody. &quot;Bring on Germany!&quot; urged 1982 hero Whiteside, now a television pundit. He is not the only Northern Irishman who fancies that O&#39;Neill&#39;s side are not finished with writing history quite yet. 
(Reuters)

Northern Ireland has proved a point to non-believers by becoming what it is -- a fierce competitor

Michael O'Neill's class of 2016 may not quite possess the flair of their celebrated Northern Ireland predecessors of 1982 but how many teams in this European Championship can match their heart and commitment? That seemed like a fair question after O'Neill's side had ended their 34-year wait for a major tournament victory with a 2-0 win over Ukraine that showcased their remarkable spirit. "You can ask for different things as a manager," said O'Neill, "but when you get a performance like that, pure commitment and heart, there's nothing more you can ask." While his side may not be able to match their Euro 2016 opponents for class, they demonstrated once more that they are masters of concealing weaknesses and maximising their strengths. Goals from Gareth McAuley and Niall McGinn against Ukraine ended the long famine that stretched back to the 1982 World Cup, when Gerry Armstrong's low finish famously downed hosts Spain. O'Neill was already on the verge of Messianic status after guiding the Irish to their first major tournament in 30 years and deserved all the praise for again getting things right with a bold team selection on Thursday. He dropped talismanic striker Kyle Lafferty after the opening defeat by Poland, turning instead to the inexperienced Conor Washington, who repaid his coach with tireless chasing and pressurising of the Ukrainian defenders. That is the Northern Ireland hallmark. O'Neill's side may not have the sheen of the class of '82, who boasted luminaries like Martin O'Neill (the Ireland coach here), Pat Jennings, Norman Whiteside, Sammy McIlroy and Armstrong in their ranks, yet excellent organisation and meticulous training ground work has made them tough opposition for anybody. For instance, their set-piece routine when McAuley rose to meet Olivier Norwood's free kick was simple but very effective. "We like to have something up our sleeve," smiled a justifiably satisfied O'Neill. He also has a team which appears to be driven by proving a point to non-believers. "A few people didn't give us a chance of getting a point when the draw was made," McAuley told journalists. "But that's what Northern Ireland are all about -- proving people wrong." They also became the first British side to keep a clean sheet at this tournament after their relentless harrying and defensive discipline stymied Ukraine. "We've talked about leaving a legacy from this tournament," said McAuley. "Football's a romantic game, and sometimes the underdogs come through." The class of '82 would recognise that better than anybody. "Bring on Germany!" urged 1982 hero Whiteside, now a television pundit. He is not the only Northern Irishman who fancies that O'Neill's side are not finished with writing history quite yet. (Reuters)

Commitment and heart pushing O'Neill's 2016 football class to triumph

Animated Chelsea manager Antonio Conte launched his Premier League career with a battling 2-1 victory over West Ham United thanks to Eden Hazard`s penalty and a last-gasp Diego Costa strike in an intense London derby on Monday. 
 
Fiery Spain striker Costa, lucky to be on the pitch after a wild challenge on keeper Adrian, thumped a low shot into the net in the 89th minute, sending Conte jumping for joy and embracing his coaching staff and several fans behind the dugout. 
 
&quot;I think the team played a good game with a great intensity and spirit,&quot; said Conte. &quot;It is important to find the right spirit and intensity, we know we can improve and we must improve a lot, but today I am pleased for my players.&quot; 
 
Conte, 47, has worked his new squad hard in the run-up to the season, with double training sessions. 
 
&quot;I saw a lot of good things, lots of things they were working on in the last days,&quot; he said. &quot;We have been working for only one month... I know we can improve through the work. But today it was important to get the victory.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
West Ham`s James Collins had threatened to spoil the Italian`s debut with a fine half-volleyed goal in the 78th. 
 
Hazard had given the home side a deserved lead straight after halftime, smashing the ball into the roof of the net from the penalty spot after Michail Antonio needlessly tripped up Chelsea`s Spanish full back Cesar Azpilicueta in the area.&nbsp; 
 
Furious pace 
 
For Conte, who took Italy to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals, the match at Stamford Bridge offered a taste of the physical side of English football and his charges looked ready for it.&nbsp; 
 
The contest had started at a furious pace, although first-night nerves sometimes got in the way of quality football. 
 
Chelsea midfielder N`Golo Kante, signed from last season`s surprise champions Leicester City, got an early yellow card for bringing down striker Andy Carroll in the fourth minute. 
 
But there were also touches of brilliance from the 2015 league champions, who plunged down the table last season losing manager Jose Mourinho to the sack in the process. 
 
Monday`s Chelsea side looked leaner, fitter and more motivated than under Mourinho at the start of last season. 
 
The lively Hazard proved a constant irritation to the east Londoners, who were missing several players through injury, and the Belgian international won the man-of-the-match award.&nbsp; 
 
In the second half Bilic`s Hammers side found it tough to string more than two passes together.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Let`s be honest. Apart from the first 15 minutes and the time we equalised, they were better than us,&quot; Bilic added. 
 
The home team did suffer a scare when the bearded Costa, looking like a swashbuckling pirate, threw himself into a studs up challenge with Adrian and was lucky not to get a red card. 
 
&quot;I didn&rsquo;t see the situation,&quot; said Conte. &quot;I saw him put the pressure on the keeper and then try to stop. In my opinion I think the referee took the right decision.&quot; 
 
Costa`s escape was certainly lucky for Chelsea after the Spaniard received a pass from new signing Michy Batshuayi and fired a low shot into the net for the late winner. 
 
(Reuters)

The fiery striker struck a 89th-minute winner, although he was lucky to have stayed on the pitch after a rash tackle on West Ham keeper

Animated Chelsea manager Antonio Conte launched his Premier League career with a battling 2-1 victory over West Ham United thanks to Eden Hazard`s penalty and a last-gasp Diego Costa strike in an intense London derby on Monday. Fiery Spain striker Costa, lucky to be on the pitch after a wild challenge on keeper Adrian, thumped a low shot into the net in the 89th minute, sending Conte jumping for joy and embracing his coaching staff and several fans behind the dugout. "I think the team played a good game with a great intensity and spirit," said Conte. "It is important to find the right spirit and intensity, we know we can improve and we must improve a lot, but today I am pleased for my players." Conte, 47, has worked his new squad hard in the run-up to the season, with double training sessions. "I saw a lot of good things, lots of things they were working on in the last days," he said. "We have been working for only one month... I know we can improve through the work. But today it was important to get the victory." West Ham`s James Collins had threatened to spoil the Italian`s debut with a fine half-volleyed goal in the 78th. Hazard had given the home side a deserved lead straight after halftime, smashing the ball into the roof of the net from the penalty spot after Michail Antonio needlessly tripped up Chelsea`s Spanish full back Cesar Azpilicueta in the area. Furious pace For Conte, who took Italy to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals, the match at Stamford Bridge offered a taste of the physical side of English football and his charges looked ready for it. The contest had started at a furious pace, although first-night nerves sometimes got in the way of quality football. Chelsea midfielder N`Golo Kante, signed from last season`s surprise champions Leicester City, got an early yellow card for bringing down striker Andy Carroll in the fourth minute. But there were also touches of brilliance from the 2015 league champions, who plunged down the table last season losing manager Jose Mourinho to the sack in the process. Monday`s Chelsea side looked leaner, fitter and more motivated than under Mourinho at the start of last season. The lively Hazard proved a constant irritation to the east Londoners, who were missing several players through injury, and the Belgian international won the man-of-the-match award. In the second half Bilic`s Hammers side found it tough to string more than two passes together. "Let`s be honest. Apart from the first 15 minutes and the time we equalised, they were better than us," Bilic added. The home team did suffer a scare when the bearded Costa, looking like a swashbuckling pirate, threw himself into a studs up challenge with Adrian and was lucky not to get a red card. "I didn’t see the situation," said Conte. "I saw him put the pressure on the keeper and then try to stop. In my opinion I think the referee took the right decision." Costa`s escape was certainly lucky for Chelsea after the Spaniard received a pass from new signing Michy Batshuayi and fired a low shot into the net for the late winner. (Reuters)

Costa's last-gasp strike gives Conte a winning start

Lionel Messi came off the bench to score a hat-trick in just 18 minutes on Friday as Argentina hammered Panama 5-0 and eased into the quarter-finals of the Copa America. 
 
Argentina were 1-0 up at half-time thanks to a Nicolas Otamendi goal after just six minutes. 
 
Panama lost Anibal Godoy to a red card after half an hour but the Central Americans held on until Messi, who missed Argentina&#39;s opening win against Chile with a sore back, replaced Augusto Fernandez after 61 minutes. 
 
The Barcelona forward started gingerly but grabbed Argentina&#39;s second in the 68th minute by steering home a left foot shot after a rebound fell to him in the Panama box. 
 
He scored a gorgeous second with a 25-yard free kick just nine minutes later and then with some fancy footwork in the box gave himself enough space to slot home his third and Argentina&#39;s fourth in the 86th minute. 
 
Sergio Aguero, another substitute, made it 5-0 with a header in the final moments. 
 
&quot;My back was a bit painful at the start but it went away,&quot; said Messi, who was cheered every time he touched the ball by the 53,000 crowd in Chicago. 
 
&quot;I think we are where we want to be, which is getting better,&quot; he told reporters after the game. 
 
The result came after Chile had beaten Bolivia in the other Group D game. Argentina have six points from two games, while Bolivia have none and are out. 
 
Chile and Panama both have three and will face off on Tuesday to decide who join Argentina in the quarter-finals. 
 
Goals in the first and last minutes of the second half from Bayern Munich midfielder Arturo Vidal were enough to help the reigning champions overcome Bolivia in Boston. 
 
Chile had 75 per cent of the possession and 18 shots at goal to Bolivia&#39;s three and were far superior against the lowest-ranked team in the tournament. 
 
Vidal put the Chileans ahead in the 46th minute but substitute Jhasmani Campos got an equaliser for Bolivia on the hour mark with a superb free kick. 
 
Vidal then took advantage of a controversial penalty decision for handball to score the winner in the dying seconds.

Lionel Messi came off the bench to score a hat-trick in just 18 minutes on Friday as Argentina hammered Panama 5-0 and eased into the quarter-finals of the Copa America. Argentina were 1-0 up at half-time thanks to a Nicolas Otamendi goal after just six minutes. Panama lost Anibal Godoy to a red card after half an hour but the Central Americans held on until Messi, who missed Argentina's opening win against Chile with a sore back, replaced Augusto Fernandez after 61 minutes. The Barcelona forward started gingerly but grabbed Argentina's second in the 68th minute by steering home a left foot shot after a rebound fell to him in the Panama box. He scored a gorgeous second with a 25-yard free kick just nine minutes later and then with some fancy footwork in the box gave himself enough space to slot home his third and Argentina's fourth in the 86th minute. Sergio Aguero, another substitute, made it 5-0 with a header in the final moments. "My back was a bit painful at the start but it went away," said Messi, who was cheered every time he touched the ball by the 53,000 crowd in Chicago. "I think we are where we want to be, which is getting better," he told reporters after the game. The result came after Chile had beaten Bolivia in the other Group D game. Argentina have six points from two games, while Bolivia have none and are out. Chile and Panama both have three and will face off on Tuesday to decide who join Argentina in the quarter-finals. Goals in the first and last minutes of the second half from Bayern Munich midfielder Arturo Vidal were enough to help the reigning champions overcome Bolivia in Boston. Chile had 75 per cent of the possession and 18 shots at goal to Bolivia's three and were far superior against the lowest-ranked team in the tournament. Vidal put the Chileans ahead in the 46th minute but substitute Jhasmani Campos got an equaliser for Bolivia on the hour mark with a superb free kick. Vidal then took advantage of a controversial penalty decision for handball to score the winner in the dying seconds.

Messi's hat-trick sends Argentina through to Copa quarters

AC Milan striker Carlos Bacca scored the only goal as Colombia defeated the United States 1-0 to clinch third place in the Copa America Centenario on Saturday. 
 
Bacca, 29, bundled home the winner on 31 minutes, nudging in from close range to settle a hard-fought contest. 
 
The US, beaten 4-0 by Argentina in the semi-finals on Tuesday, rallied desperately to get back into the game but ultimately were frustrated by some superb goalkeeping from David Ospina. 
 
It was the second time the US had been beaten by Colombia in this tournament. The Colombians also defeated them 2-0 in the tournament&#39;s opening match. 
 
US coach Jurgen Klinsmann had blamed his side for being &quot;too nice&quot; against Argentina in the semi-finals, when they failed to register a single shot either on or off target. 
 
However they were unlucky not to score during an entertaining game in Arizona. 
 
Colombia had gone closest to scoring first, Real Madrid star James Rodriguez being denied by a fine Tim Howard save on 12 minutes. 
 
Rodriguez was the architect for Colombia&#39;s goal just after the half hour mark, chipping a wonderful pass into the path of Santiago Arias, who headed across the six yard box for Bacca to score. 
 
The US responded gamely to the setback however, with Jermaine Jones almost equalising when his low shot deflected off Arias and just missed the target. 
 
Seattle Sounders veteran Clint Dempsey, arguably the best US player of the tournament, had another good game but was unable to add to his Copa tally of three goals and three assists. 
 
Dempsey almost laid on a goal for Hamburg&#39;s Bobby Wood, but the Bundesliga-based striker was unable to get his shot away cleanly. 
 
Dempsey produced the best American chance of the second half, with his long-range curling free-kick drawing a brilliant save from Ospina, clawing the ball away one-handed as it rocketed towards the top corner. 
 
US coach Klinsmann later bemoaned his team&#39;s inability to finish off any of the several chances created throughout. 
 
&quot;Ultimately they were clinical,&quot; Klinsmann told reporters. 
 
&quot;They took their one chance in the first half -- we couldn&#39;t take ours. There were enough chances for us to put one in but we just weren&#39;t clinical enough and the players know that.&quot; 
 
However Klinsmann was satisfied with what he described as a successful campaign. 
 
&quot;The players realised tonight that if they raise the level of commitment and aggressiveness they can compete with these kinds of teams,&quot; Klinsmann said. 
 
&quot;Getting in the final four of such a huge competition is a wonderful achievement and they should be very proud of themselves.&quot; 
 
The final of the Copa America takes place on Sunday, with Argentina facing Chile in East Rutherford, New Jersey. 
 
(AFP)

The US rallied desperately after losing 4-0 in the semi-final to Argentina but were frustrated by some superb goalkeeping from David Ospina

AC Milan striker Carlos Bacca scored the only goal as Colombia defeated the United States 1-0 to clinch third place in the Copa America Centenario on Saturday. Bacca, 29, bundled home the winner on 31 minutes, nudging in from close range to settle a hard-fought contest. The US, beaten 4-0 by Argentina in the semi-finals on Tuesday, rallied desperately to get back into the game but ultimately were frustrated by some superb goalkeeping from David Ospina. It was the second time the US had been beaten by Colombia in this tournament. The Colombians also defeated them 2-0 in the tournament's opening match. US coach Jurgen Klinsmann had blamed his side for being "too nice" against Argentina in the semi-finals, when they failed to register a single shot either on or off target. However they were unlucky not to score during an entertaining game in Arizona. Colombia had gone closest to scoring first, Real Madrid star James Rodriguez being denied by a fine Tim Howard save on 12 minutes. Rodriguez was the architect for Colombia's goal just after the half hour mark, chipping a wonderful pass into the path of Santiago Arias, who headed across the six yard box for Bacca to score. The US responded gamely to the setback however, with Jermaine Jones almost equalising when his low shot deflected off Arias and just missed the target. Seattle Sounders veteran Clint Dempsey, arguably the best US player of the tournament, had another good game but was unable to add to his Copa tally of three goals and three assists. Dempsey almost laid on a goal for Hamburg's Bobby Wood, but the Bundesliga-based striker was unable to get his shot away cleanly. Dempsey produced the best American chance of the second half, with his long-range curling free-kick drawing a brilliant save from Ospina, clawing the ball away one-handed as it rocketed towards the top corner. US coach Klinsmann later bemoaned his team's inability to finish off any of the several chances created throughout. "Ultimately they were clinical," Klinsmann told reporters. "They took their one chance in the first half -- we couldn't take ours. There were enough chances for us to put one in but we just weren't clinical enough and the players know that." However Klinsmann was satisfied with what he described as a successful campaign. "The players realised tonight that if they raise the level of commitment and aggressiveness they can compete with these kinds of teams," Klinsmann said. "Getting in the final four of such a huge competition is a wonderful achievement and they should be very proud of themselves." The final of the Copa America takes place on Sunday, with Argentina facing Chile in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (AFP)

Colombia beat America 1-0, take Copa third spot

Chinese investors are close to agreeing an 80 per cent stake buy in football club AC Milan and will acquire the remaining 20 per cent in the next two to three years, the China Daily newspaper reported on Friday. 
 
&quot;Two parties are discussing the 80 per cent takeover by the Chinese investors and the negotiations are still continuing,&quot; the newspaper quoted an unidentified person familiar with the talks as saying. 
 
Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, whose family holding company Fininvest owns AC Milan, opened exclusive talks in May with the Chinese consortium about selling a majority stake to try to inject new capital into a club which has failed to win a major competition in the past five years. 
 
Reuters reported at the time that the Chinese were valuing the club at up to 750 million euros ($832.73 million), including debt, and that talks had envisaged an initial sale of 70 per cent. 
 
The source also told China Daily that Fininvest is confident that a final agreement can be&nbsp;reached in the next week, although some important legal and financial details had still to be agreed and would need approval by Berlusconi. 
 
Chinese electronics retailer Suning Commerce Group Co. Ltd. last month agreed to buy nearly 70 per cent of the club&#39;s Italian rivals Inter Milan for 270 million euros, in the highest-profile takeover of a European team by a Chinese firm. 
 
(Reuters)

'They are close to an 80 per cent stake buy in the football club and will acquire the remaining 20 per cent in the next two to three years'

Chinese investors are close to agreeing an 80 per cent stake buy in football club AC Milan and will acquire the remaining 20 per cent in the next two to three years, the China Daily newspaper reported on Friday. "Two parties are discussing the 80 per cent takeover by the Chinese investors and the negotiations are still continuing," the newspaper quoted an unidentified person familiar with the talks as saying. Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, whose family holding company Fininvest owns AC Milan, opened exclusive talks in May with the Chinese consortium about selling a majority stake to try to inject new capital into a club which has failed to win a major competition in the past five years. Reuters reported at the time that the Chinese were valuing the club at up to 750 million euros ($832.73 million), including debt, and that talks had envisaged an initial sale of 70 per cent. The source also told China Daily that Fininvest is confident that a final agreement can be reached in the next week, although some important legal and financial details had still to be agreed and would need approval by Berlusconi. Chinese electronics retailer Suning Commerce Group Co. Ltd. last month agreed to buy nearly 70 per cent of the club's Italian rivals Inter Milan for 270 million euros, in the highest-profile takeover of a European team by a Chinese firm. (Reuters)

Chinese investors in talks to acquire AC Milan

Wayne Hennessey, Joe Ledley and Hal Robson-Kanu returned to give Wales a full-strength starting XI for their Euro 2016 clash with England, who were unchanged, in Lens today.&nbsp; 
 
Goalkeeper Hennessey missed Wales&#39;s 2-1 win over Slovakia due to a back spasm, with Danny Ward deputising, while Ledley and Robson-Kanu came off the bench, the latter scoring an 81st-minute winner. 
 
Ledley is playing for Wales at the tournament despite fracturing a fibula while playing for Crystal Palace on May 7. 
 
England manager Roy Hodgson named the same team that started last Saturday&#39;s 1-1 draw with Russia in Marseille, so captain Wayne Rooney was once again aligned in a midfield three. 
 
Harry Kane was named as a lone striker, with Raheem Sterling keeping his place on the left flank in a 4-3-3 formation despite a disappointing showing at Stade Velodrome. 
 
It is the 102nd meeting between the neighbouring countries, but the first at a major tournament. 
 
Wales will qualify for the last 16 if they win, but victory for England would give them top spot in Group B ahead of the final round of games. 
 
Starting lineups in the Euro 2016 Group B match between England and Wales at Stade Bollaert-Delelis in Lens today.&nbsp; 
(AFP)

Wales will qualify for the last 16 if they win, but England will grab a top spot in group B ahead of the final games if they win

Wayne Hennessey, Joe Ledley and Hal Robson-Kanu returned to give Wales a full-strength starting XI for their Euro 2016 clash with England, who were unchanged, in Lens today. Goalkeeper Hennessey missed Wales's 2-1 win over Slovakia due to a back spasm, with Danny Ward deputising, while Ledley and Robson-Kanu came off the bench, the latter scoring an 81st-minute winner. Ledley is playing for Wales at the tournament despite fracturing a fibula while playing for Crystal Palace on May 7. England manager Roy Hodgson named the same team that started last Saturday's 1-1 draw with Russia in Marseille, so captain Wayne Rooney was once again aligned in a midfield three. Harry Kane was named as a lone striker, with Raheem Sterling keeping his place on the left flank in a 4-3-3 formation despite a disappointing showing at Stade Velodrome. It is the 102nd meeting between the neighbouring countries, but the first at a major tournament. Wales will qualify for the last 16 if they win, but victory for England would give them top spot in Group B ahead of the final round of games. Starting lineups in the Euro 2016 Group B match between England and Wales at Stade Bollaert-Delelis in Lens today. (AFP)

Euro 2016: Wales trio return in clash against England

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