Burnley struck either side of halftime through Jeff Hendrick and Michael Keane to claim a 2-0 Premier League home win over Watford in the first top-flight meeting of the two clubs on Monday.

Forward Hendrick broke the deadlock before defender Keane wrapped up the victory to lift the Clarets into 13th spot where they joined five clubs on seven points from six games, including 11th-placed Watford who they trail on goal difference.

Steven Defour laid on both goals with Hendrick heading home his corner in the 38th minute and Keane rising to nod in the winger&#39;s left wing cross five minutes into the second half.

Watford were aiming for a third straight league win but could not find the form that helped them comfortably beat Manchester United 3-1 and West Ham United 4-2. 
 
(Reuters)

Forward Hendrick broke the deadlock before defender Keane wrapped up the victory to lift the Clarets into 13th spot

Burnley struck either side of halftime through Jeff Hendrick and Michael Keane to claim a 2-0 Premier League home win over Watford in the first top-flight meeting of the two clubs on Monday. Forward Hendrick broke the deadlock before defender Keane wrapped up the victory to lift the Clarets into 13th spot where they joined five clubs on seven points from six games, including 11th-placed Watford who they trail on goal difference. Steven Defour laid on both goals with Hendrick heading home his corner in the 38th minute and Keane rising to nod in the winger's left wing cross five minutes into the second half. Watford were aiming for a third straight league win but could not find the form that helped them comfortably beat Manchester United 3-1 and West Ham United 4-2. (Reuters)

Premier League: Burnley beat Watford 2-0

FIFA on Monday decided to disband its racism task force despite waht many believe is a decision made in haste.&nbsp; 
 
FIFA defended its decision to end the task force&#39;s work that was established in 2013 by former FIFA President Sepp Blatter to eradicate racism in the sport.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;It had a very specific mandate and they came up with very strong recommendations and FIFA is acting on them,&quot; said the new secretary-general Fatma Samoura, insisting the mission had been a success.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We can live with perception but we are taking very seriously our role as football&#39;s governing body to fight discrimination, it is well reflected in the statutes,&quot; Samoura stood by the decision. 
 
Delivering the keynote address at the Soccerex Global Football Convention, she said, &quot;Coming from the UN we must really be firm. It is really on top of the agenda of the FIFA administration. It is zero tolerance to discrimination on grounds of culture, racism colour of the skin and sexual orientation.&quot; 
 
But many criticised the timing of the decision that comes ahead of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, including two-time former FIFA presidential candidate Prine Ali bin Hussein.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Transparency, trust, credibility and integrity are the values that should run through everything FIFA does - Not tackling the plague of racism and discrimination properly is an absolute betrayal of those values,&quot; said the former FIFA vice-president.&nbsp; 
 
And the British anti-discrimination body &#39;Kick It Out&#39; too expressed its disappointment.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;It is clear that organisations that are actively campaigning against racism and discrimination will be deeply disheartened to hear news of the disbandment, as they look to FIFA for leadership in a game which is so popular across the world,&quot; read the statement. 
 
Russia, which is hosting the next World Cup, is known for its notorious fans and their racist and abusive activities.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

FIFA received sharp criticism from the football world over its decision to end the group tasked with fighting discrimination in the sport

FIFA on Monday decided to disband its racism task force despite waht many believe is a decision made in haste. FIFA defended its decision to end the task force's work that was established in 2013 by former FIFA President Sepp Blatter to eradicate racism in the sport. "It had a very specific mandate and they came up with very strong recommendations and FIFA is acting on them," said the new secretary-general Fatma Samoura, insisting the mission had been a success. "We can live with perception but we are taking very seriously our role as football's governing body to fight discrimination, it is well reflected in the statutes," Samoura stood by the decision. Delivering the keynote address at the Soccerex Global Football Convention, she said, "Coming from the UN we must really be firm. It is really on top of the agenda of the FIFA administration. It is zero tolerance to discrimination on grounds of culture, racism colour of the skin and sexual orientation." But many criticised the timing of the decision that comes ahead of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, including two-time former FIFA presidential candidate Prine Ali bin Hussein. "Transparency, trust, credibility and integrity are the values that should run through everything FIFA does - Not tackling the plague of racism and discrimination properly is an absolute betrayal of those values," said the former FIFA vice-president. And the British anti-discrimination body 'Kick It Out' too expressed its disappointment. "It is clear that organisations that are actively campaigning against racism and discrimination will be deeply disheartened to hear news of the disbandment, as they look to FIFA for leadership in a game which is so popular across the world," read the statement. Russia, which is hosting the next World Cup, is known for its notorious fans and their racist and abusive activities. (WION with inputs from agencies)

FIFA defends decision to disband anti-racism task force

Manchester United dismantled Premier League champions Leicester in a ruthless 20-minute burst as Jose Mourinho&#39;s decision to drop Wayne Rooney was rewarded with a 4-1 win at Old Trafford on Saturday. 
 
Leicester imploded defensively as United racked up four goals between the 22nd and 42nd minutes. 
 
It was a stylish display from a United side who had entered the game under pressure after losing their last two league games, against Manchester City and Watford, with Chris Smalling opening the scoring after replacing Rooney as captain. 
 
Juan Mata, Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba, with his first United goal following his world record &pound;89 million ($115 million, 102 million euros) arrival from Juventus, were also on target after England captain Rooney was dropped to the substitutes&#39; bench. 
 
But it was a chastening afternoon for Leicester despite an improved second-half display and a brilliant consolation goal from half-time substitute Demarai Gray. 
 
It was the second successive Premier League away game in which Leicester had shipped four goals after doing so at Liverpool two weeks ago. 
 
Leicester held their own early on with Robert Huth lashing a shot just over but it was United who edged in front in the 22nd minute after some neat play wide on the left had forced a corner. 
 
It was delivered by Daley Blind and Smalling escaped the United defence to power home a header from six yards. 
 
Rashford should have doubled United&#39;s lead moments later when Leicester squandered possession and Zlatan Ibrahimovic galloped forwards and squared for the teenager. 
 
But Rashford&#39;s first touch was heavy and his shot flew over. 
 
Ibrahimovic then went close to a goal after collecting a fabulous pass by Pogba, but the Swede&#39;s effort on the turn just cleared the bar. 
 
Next it was Pogba&#39;s turn to let fly with an outrageous effort from 30 yards that bent towards the top corner but was forced away by Leicester goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler. 
 
United finally added a second goal as they turned on the style eight minutes before half-time. 
 
Ander Herrera started the move with a fine ball to Mata before a clever pass by Pogba and a fine flick by Jesse Lingard allowed Mata to blast past Zieler. 
 
And the third goal arrived just two minutes later as Leicester handed a chance to Rashford which the youngster snapped up. 
 
The visitors were caught napping as Blind took a quick corner and Mata was free to square for an unmarked Rashford to finish from close range. 
 
Double change&nbsp;

It was 4-0 before half-time as another corner by Blind was headed in by Pogba as he leapt above Christian Fuchs. 
 
Leicester made a double change at half-time with key duo Vardy and Riyad Mahrez withdrawn ahead of the Champions League meeting with FC Porto on Tuesday. 
 
And they almost had some joy when David De Gea dived at the feet of Islam Slimani but gifted possession back to the visitors with a poor throw. 
 
Fuchs wasted the chance, however, with a poor cross. 
 
And at the other end Mata tried to add his second goal with a firm shot that Zieler parried well. 
 
It was one of the half-time substitutes who salvaged a modicum of respectability for Leicester with a goal of real quality on the hour-mark. 
 
Gray collected a crossfield pass from Daniel Amartey and cut inside Lingard before lashing a brilliant shot past a helpless De Gea from 25 yards. 
 
But United were soon back on the attack as Zieler made a smart save from Ibrahimovic. 
 
Two more Leicester substitutes combined for what should have been a second goal but Andy King produced a tame shot from a Jeff Schlupp cross and De Gea saved easily. 
 
Gray then went within a whisker of replicating his stunning goal with an almost identical effort which De Gea scrambled back to push over the bar. 
 
(AFP)

The United side had entered the game under pressure after losing their last two league games

Manchester United dismantled Premier League champions Leicester in a ruthless 20-minute burst as Jose Mourinho's decision to drop Wayne Rooney was rewarded with a 4-1 win at Old Trafford on Saturday. Leicester imploded defensively as United racked up four goals between the 22nd and 42nd minutes. It was a stylish display from a United side who had entered the game under pressure after losing their last two league games, against Manchester City and Watford, with Chris Smalling opening the scoring after replacing Rooney as captain. Juan Mata, Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba, with his first United goal following his world record £89 million ($115 million, 102 million euros) arrival from Juventus, were also on target after England captain Rooney was dropped to the substitutes' bench. But it was a chastening afternoon for Leicester despite an improved second-half display and a brilliant consolation goal from half-time substitute Demarai Gray. It was the second successive Premier League away game in which Leicester had shipped four goals after doing so at Liverpool two weeks ago. Leicester held their own early on with Robert Huth lashing a shot just over but it was United who edged in front in the 22nd minute after some neat play wide on the left had forced a corner. It was delivered by Daley Blind and Smalling escaped the United defence to power home a header from six yards. Rashford should have doubled United's lead moments later when Leicester squandered possession and Zlatan Ibrahimovic galloped forwards and squared for the teenager. But Rashford's first touch was heavy and his shot flew over. Ibrahimovic then went close to a goal after collecting a fabulous pass by Pogba, but the Swede's effort on the turn just cleared the bar. Next it was Pogba's turn to let fly with an outrageous effort from 30 yards that bent towards the top corner but was forced away by Leicester goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler. United finally added a second goal as they turned on the style eight minutes before half-time. Ander Herrera started the move with a fine ball to Mata before a clever pass by Pogba and a fine flick by Jesse Lingard allowed Mata to blast past Zieler. And the third goal arrived just two minutes later as Leicester handed a chance to Rashford which the youngster snapped up. The visitors were caught napping as Blind took a quick corner and Mata was free to square for an unmarked Rashford to finish from close range. Double change It was 4-0 before half-time as another corner by Blind was headed in by Pogba as he leapt above Christian Fuchs. Leicester made a double change at half-time with key duo Vardy and Riyad Mahrez withdrawn ahead of the Champions League meeting with FC Porto on Tuesday. And they almost had some joy when David De Gea dived at the feet of Islam Slimani but gifted possession back to the visitors with a poor throw. Fuchs wasted the chance, however, with a poor cross. And at the other end Mata tried to add his second goal with a firm shot that Zieler parried well. It was one of the half-time substitutes who salvaged a modicum of respectability for Leicester with a goal of real quality on the hour-mark. Gray collected a crossfield pass from Daniel Amartey and cut inside Lingard before lashing a brilliant shot past a helpless De Gea from 25 yards. But United were soon back on the attack as Zieler made a smart save from Ibrahimovic. Two more Leicester substitutes combined for what should have been a second goal but Andy King produced a tame shot from a Jeff Schlupp cross and De Gea saved easily. Gray then went within a whisker of replicating his stunning goal with an almost identical effort which De Gea scrambled back to push over the bar. (AFP)

EPL: United thrash Leicester 4-1 without Rooney

Watford dealt Manchester United a third successive defeat in eight days with a deserved 3-1 Premier League win that left Jose Mourinho raging at a rare run of failure. 
 
Goals from Etienne Capoue, Juan Zuniga and a stoppage time penalty from Troy Deeney overwhelmed the visitors, who had levelled with a solitary strike from Marcus Rashford, in Sunday&#39;s big match. 
 
It was the first time Watford had beaten United since 1986. 
 
The Premier League said it was also the first time Mourinho had lost three consecutive games as a manager since 2006. 
 
Although the &#39;Special One&#39; did suffer three successive defeats at Chelsea in 2015, before he was sacked by the Londoners, one of those was on penalties after a draw in the Capital One (League) Cup. 
 
For all their possession, United were unsettled by Watford&#39;s harrying game and went behind on 32 minutes after Anthony Martial, still groggy from an earlier clash of heads, was robbed by Miguel Britos. 
 
Daryl Janmaat picked up the ball and crossed for Capoue to fire his fourth goal of the season. 
 
Mourinho said his expensively-assembled team had to improve but also suggested the referee should have blown for a foul in the lead-up to the goal. 
 
&quot;It was an obvious situation but it is something I cannot control. I cannot improve the referees or officials and luck will arrive when she wants to. But, yes, individual performances have to improve,&quot; the Portuguese told reporters. 
 
United lost the derby to Manchester City last weekend and were then beaten by Feyenoord in their midweek Europa League clash. 
 
A half-time switch, which pushed Wayne Rooney further forward, settled United and they equalised on 62 minutes when Rashford scrambled the ball home after his header bounced back to him off a defender. 
 
Watford keeper Heurelho Gomes denied Zlatan Ibrahimovic with a flying save but United always looked vulnerable and Zuniga scored from a cutback by Roberto Pereyra less than a minute after coming on. 
 
Zuniga was then brought down by Marouane Fellaini inside the area late on to allow Deeney to score from the spot. 
 
(Reuters)

This is the first time United manager Jose Mourinho has lost three consecutive games as a manager since 2006

Watford dealt Manchester United a third successive defeat in eight days with a deserved 3-1 Premier League win that left Jose Mourinho raging at a rare run of failure. Goals from Etienne Capoue, Juan Zuniga and a stoppage time penalty from Troy Deeney overwhelmed the visitors, who had levelled with a solitary strike from Marcus Rashford, in Sunday's big match. It was the first time Watford had beaten United since 1986. The Premier League said it was also the first time Mourinho had lost three consecutive games as a manager since 2006. Although the 'Special One' did suffer three successive defeats at Chelsea in 2015, before he was sacked by the Londoners, one of those was on penalties after a draw in the Capital One (League) Cup. For all their possession, United were unsettled by Watford's harrying game and went behind on 32 minutes after Anthony Martial, still groggy from an earlier clash of heads, was robbed by Miguel Britos. Daryl Janmaat picked up the ball and crossed for Capoue to fire his fourth goal of the season. Mourinho said his expensively-assembled team had to improve but also suggested the referee should have blown for a foul in the lead-up to the goal. "It was an obvious situation but it is something I cannot control. I cannot improve the referees or officials and luck will arrive when she wants to. But, yes, individual performances have to improve," the Portuguese told reporters. United lost the derby to Manchester City last weekend and were then beaten by Feyenoord in their midweek Europa League clash. A half-time switch, which pushed Wayne Rooney further forward, settled United and they equalised on 62 minutes when Rashford scrambled the ball home after his header bounced back to him off a defender. Watford keeper Heurelho Gomes denied Zlatan Ibrahimovic with a flying save but United always looked vulnerable and Zuniga scored from a cutback by Roberto Pereyra less than a minute after coming on. Zuniga was then brought down by Marouane Fellaini inside the area late on to allow Deeney to score from the spot. (Reuters)

Watford condemns Manchester United to third straight defeat

Lawyers for football legend Franz Beckenbauer Wednesday rejected claims he was paid millions as chairman of Germany&#39;s World Cup organising committee and sought to hide the sum from tax authorities. 
 
News website Spiegel Online had reported that Beckenbauer drew a fee of more than five million euros ($5.6 million) and that he failed to report the payment to tax authorities.&nbsp; 
 
The report was yet another embarrassment for Beckenbauer, 71, who is being investigated by Swiss authorities in relation to corruption allegations over the awarding of the 2006 World Cup to Germany. 
 
According to Spiegel, the payment to Beckenbauer was taken from a donation of 12 million euros made by a World Cup sponsor, the gambling company Oddset. 
 
But Beckenbauer&#39;s attorneys at Nesselhauf law firm rejected the claim, saying in a statement that the earning arose from his advertising work and that he had &quot;been promptly taxed at his Austrian residence&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
Separately, Theo Zwanziger, who was then boss of the German Football Federation, also told Die Welt daily that the sum was &quot;not payment for his work at the organisation committee&quot;. 
 
Rather, it was a fee for Beckenbauer&#39;s PR work with the tournament&#39;s sponsors, he said. 
 
But the Spiegel claims had sparked anger from current DFB boss Reinhard Grindel, who accused the man nicknamed &quot;the Kaiser&quot; (the emperor) of lying and misleading the public. 
 
&#39;Unaware he was paid&#39; 
 
&quot;We know that Franz Beckenbauer worked for Oddset in the context of the World Cup. But we were not aware that he drew a sum of 5.5 million euros ($6.2 million) from the budget of the organisation of World Cup 2006,&quot; Grindel said in a statement. 
 
&quot;Obviously, given these conditions, we cannot say that he had worked on an unpaid basis for the organising committee,&quot; the DFB boss added in a statement from Athens, where he was attending a UEFA congress. 
 
Beckenbauer did not declare the sum to tax authorities for four years, according to Spiegel. 
 
But following checks by tax authorities, the DFB was ordered to pay a million euros in withholding taxes on the sum in 2010. Beckenbauer subsequently repaid those taxes levied to the DFB. 
 
His lawyers Wednesday confirmed the repayment&nbsp;and said the withholding tax had been levied because Beckenbauer was not a German resident then. 
 
Beckenbauer captained Germany to the 1974 World Cup and coached the side that won the trophy in Italy in 1990. 
 
But his reputation has been badly tarnished by his role in the ongoing scandal over the awarding of the 2006 World Cup finals to Germany. 
 
Swiss authorities are investigating him, along with three other members of the organising committee over &quot;allegations of fraud, criminal mismanagement, money laundering and misappropriation&quot;. 
 
The probe came after a Spiegel report last October that a secret fund of 10 million Swiss francs was used to buy the hosting rights of the 2006 World Cup.&nbsp; 
 
The money allegedly came from the late Robert Louis-Dreyfus, ex-boss of Adidas, at Beckenbauer&#39;s request, and was handed over in 2000, just before Germany were awarded the 2006 finals by a narrow vote.&nbsp; 
 
In May, an independent inquiry commissioned by the DFB said it could not rule out that Germany bought votes to secure the 2006 World Cup. 
 
Beckenbauer has always denied any wrongdoing. 
 
(AFP)

Spiegel Online had reported that Beckenbauer drew a fee of more than $5.6 million, but failed to report the payment to the tax authorities

Lawyers for football legend Franz Beckenbauer Wednesday rejected claims he was paid millions as chairman of Germany's World Cup organising committee and sought to hide the sum from tax authorities. News website Spiegel Online had reported that Beckenbauer drew a fee of more than five million euros ($5.6 million) and that he failed to report the payment to tax authorities. The report was yet another embarrassment for Beckenbauer, 71, who is being investigated by Swiss authorities in relation to corruption allegations over the awarding of the 2006 World Cup to Germany. According to Spiegel, the payment to Beckenbauer was taken from a donation of 12 million euros made by a World Cup sponsor, the gambling company Oddset. But Beckenbauer's attorneys at Nesselhauf law firm rejected the claim, saying in a statement that the earning arose from his advertising work and that he had "been promptly taxed at his Austrian residence". Separately, Theo Zwanziger, who was then boss of the German Football Federation, also told Die Welt daily that the sum was "not payment for his work at the organisation committee". Rather, it was a fee for Beckenbauer's PR work with the tournament's sponsors, he said. But the Spiegel claims had sparked anger from current DFB boss Reinhard Grindel, who accused the man nicknamed "the Kaiser" (the emperor) of lying and misleading the public. 'Unaware he was paid' "We know that Franz Beckenbauer worked for Oddset in the context of the World Cup. But we were not aware that he drew a sum of 5.5 million euros ($6.2 million) from the budget of the organisation of World Cup 2006," Grindel said in a statement. "Obviously, given these conditions, we cannot say that he had worked on an unpaid basis for the organising committee," the DFB boss added in a statement from Athens, where he was attending a UEFA congress. Beckenbauer did not declare the sum to tax authorities for four years, according to Spiegel. But following checks by tax authorities, the DFB was ordered to pay a million euros in withholding taxes on the sum in 2010. Beckenbauer subsequently repaid those taxes levied to the DFB. His lawyers Wednesday confirmed the repayment and said the withholding tax had been levied because Beckenbauer was not a German resident then. Beckenbauer captained Germany to the 1974 World Cup and coached the side that won the trophy in Italy in 1990. But his reputation has been badly tarnished by his role in the ongoing scandal over the awarding of the 2006 World Cup finals to Germany. Swiss authorities are investigating him, along with three other members of the organising committee over "allegations of fraud, criminal mismanagement, money laundering and misappropriation". The probe came after a Spiegel report last October that a secret fund of 10 million Swiss francs was used to buy the hosting rights of the 2006 World Cup. The money allegedly came from the late Robert Louis-Dreyfus, ex-boss of Adidas, at Beckenbauer's request, and was handed over in 2000, just before Germany were awarded the 2006 finals by a narrow vote. In May, an independent inquiry commissioned by the DFB said it could not rule out that Germany bought votes to secure the 2006 World Cup. Beckenbauer has always denied any wrongdoing. (AFP)

Football: Beckenbauer was 'paid millions' as WC2006 chair

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri wants more from his title-winning squad this season and is eager to see how his team will compete against Europe&#39;s top clubs in their Champions League debut. 
 
Ranieri led the 5,0000-1 outsiders to a historic league title last season and they have been drawn in Group G along with Porto, Club Bruges and FC Copenhagen. 
 
&quot;Last season was wonderful but I want more. Now we are in the Champions League and we have another wonderful opportunity to show our quality,&quot; Ranieri told the club&#39;s website. (www.lcfc.com) 
 
&quot;Now that the teams have been drawn that excitement is building even more and although it won&#39;t be easy against great champions like Porto, like everyone, I&#39;m curious to see how my players perform. 
 
&quot;It will be tough, but we come into this competition to win games and we want so much to progress into the knockout stages.&quot; 
 
The Italian conceded that his side would be underdogs. 
 
&quot;For this reason we must fight for everything,&quot; he said. &quot;I want to see my players fight against the best in Europe. 
 
&quot;Every team in the competition will fight like champions and we must give 100 percent to make our supporters proud. 
 
(Reuters)

Ranieri had led the team to a historic league title last season

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri wants more from his title-winning squad this season and is eager to see how his team will compete against Europe's top clubs in their Champions League debut. Ranieri led the 5,0000-1 outsiders to a historic league title last season and they have been drawn in Group G along with Porto, Club Bruges and FC Copenhagen. "Last season was wonderful but I want more. Now we are in the Champions League and we have another wonderful opportunity to show our quality," Ranieri told the club's website. (www.lcfc.com) "Now that the teams have been drawn that excitement is building even more and although it won't be easy against great champions like Porto, like everyone, I'm curious to see how my players perform. "It will be tough, but we come into this competition to win games and we want so much to progress into the knockout stages." The Italian conceded that his side would be underdogs. "For this reason we must fight for everything," he said. "I want to see my players fight against the best in Europe. "Every team in the competition will fight like champions and we must give 100 percent to make our supporters proud. (Reuters)

Leicester manager urges players to deliver in Champions League

Bayern Munich will aim for its fifth successive Bundesliga title in the season&nbsp;which kicks off on Friday. 
 
Pep Guardiola has won the Bundesliga in each of his three seasons and has&nbsp;been replaced by coach Carlo Ancelotti. 
 
In sync with its history of buying players from rivals Borussia Dortmund,&nbsp;Bayern have spent an estimated 35 million euros ($39.4 million) on Germany&nbsp;defender Mats Hummels. 
 
The also paid a similar amound for 19-year-old midfielder Renato Sanches&nbsp;from Benfica, a Euro 2016 winner with Portugal. 
 
Borussia Moenchengladbach let go of Granit Xhaka to Arsenal for around 45&nbsp;million euros and Schalke 04 pocketed some 50 million euros for 20-year-old&nbsp;Leroy Sane who has moved to Manchester City. 
 
This has led to a hasty rebuilding for Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel, who led&nbsp;his side to second place last season. 
 
Dortmund have spent more than 100 million euros on replacements, including&nbsp;Andre Schuerrle, Mario Goetze, Raphael Guerreiro and Ousmane Dembele. 
 
The new season will also feature newcomers RB Leipzig. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

Bayern Munich continue to remain all-time favourites to win their fifth successive title

Bayern Munich will aim for its fifth successive Bundesliga title in the season which kicks off on Friday. Pep Guardiola has won the Bundesliga in each of his three seasons and has been replaced by coach Carlo Ancelotti. In sync with its history of buying players from rivals Borussia Dortmund, Bayern have spent an estimated 35 million euros ($39.4 million) on Germany defender Mats Hummels. The also paid a similar amound for 19-year-old midfielder Renato Sanches from Benfica, a Euro 2016 winner with Portugal. Borussia Moenchengladbach let go of Granit Xhaka to Arsenal for around 45 million euros and Schalke 04 pocketed some 50 million euros for 20-year-old Leroy Sane who has moved to Manchester City. This has led to a hasty rebuilding for Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel, who led his side to second place last season. Dortmund have spent more than 100 million euros on replacements, including Andre Schuerrle, Mario Goetze, Raphael Guerreiro and Ousmane Dembele. The new season will also feature newcomers RB Leipzig. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Another season of Bayern Bundesliga dominance beckons

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger hit back today at suggestions he is afraid to spend in the transfer market amid concerns the Gunners are losing ground to other leading Premier League clubs. 
 
The north London club, who were last crowned Premier League champions back in 2004, are estimated to have cash reserves in the region of &pound;200 million ($263 million, 232 million Euros). 
 
But their only signing this summer has been that of Switzerland midfielder Granit Xhaka for a reported &pound;30 million from Borussia Moenchengladbach. 
 
That is in stark contrast to the transfer activity elsewhere, including Manchester United&#39;s world-record &pound;89 million move to bring the French midfielder Paul Pogba back to Old Trafford from Juventus amid several signings. 
 
With centre-backs Gabriel and Per Mertesacker injured, veteran French manager Wenger decided against recalling defender Laurent Koscielny, as well as Olivier Giroud and Mesut Ozil, for Sunday&#39;s Premier League opener against Liverpool after they were all involved at Euro 2016. 
 
Buying not the only way&nbsp; 
 
As a result, the fledgling partnership of Calum Chambers and Rob Holding started in a 4-3 defeat -- a result that raised fresh questions about the strength of Arsenal&#39;s defence and the scope of their ambition amid accusations they&#39;ve &#39;settled&#39; for finishing in the top four and a place in the Champions League 
 
But Wenger, speaking ahead of Arsenal&#39;s trip to champions Leicester City on Saturday, said: &quot;You (the media) are absolutely convinced that I do not want to spend the money, but I reassure you we are ready to spend the money. 
 
&quot;Buying calms the fans, of course, but we have to make sure...it is important to spend money but we have to spend it the right way,&quot; the 66-year-old, in charge of Arsenal since 1996, added. 
 
&quot;What I fight against is to think that the only way in football to deal, is to buy. 
 
&quot;It is right when you need the players and you identify the players and we are not scared to spend money, but to buy in itself is not a quality but to buy the good players is a quality, and I think this club has been built on that. 
 
&quot;We had great success in the last 20 years in improving our structures and the main thing is based on a transfer policy.&quot; 
 
Wenger did try to sign striker Jamie Vardy from Leicester, only for the England forward to decide to sign a new contract with the Midlands club. 
 
&quot;You have to respect the decisions of people and that&#39;s part of it and I think on every transfer market you have one or two who have decisions to make and you have to respect them,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think he has something special against us, I don&#39;t see why he would.&quot; 
 
Arsenal beat Leicester home and away last season but still finished 10 points behind the shock champions. 
 
Leicester started the defence of their Premier League crown with a surprise 2-1 loss away to Hull City last weekend and Wenger said: &quot;The challenge for them is to do well again and to show that their last year was not a one-off. 
 
&quot;They need to be capable of challenging and will need to be to show if they can be considered as one of the top teams in England.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Arsenal's only signing this summer has been Switzerland midfielder Granit Xhaka for a reported ?30 million from Borussia Moenchengladbach

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger hit back today at suggestions he is afraid to spend in the transfer market amid concerns the Gunners are losing ground to other leading Premier League clubs. The north London club, who were last crowned Premier League champions back in 2004, are estimated to have cash reserves in the region of £200 million ($263 million, 232 million Euros). But their only signing this summer has been that of Switzerland midfielder Granit Xhaka for a reported £30 million from Borussia Moenchengladbach. That is in stark contrast to the transfer activity elsewhere, including Manchester United's world-record £89 million move to bring the French midfielder Paul Pogba back to Old Trafford from Juventus amid several signings. With centre-backs Gabriel and Per Mertesacker injured, veteran French manager Wenger decided against recalling defender Laurent Koscielny, as well as Olivier Giroud and Mesut Ozil, for Sunday's Premier League opener against Liverpool after they were all involved at Euro 2016. Buying not the only way As a result, the fledgling partnership of Calum Chambers and Rob Holding started in a 4-3 defeat -- a result that raised fresh questions about the strength of Arsenal's defence and the scope of their ambition amid accusations they've 'settled' for finishing in the top four and a place in the Champions League But Wenger, speaking ahead of Arsenal's trip to champions Leicester City on Saturday, said: "You (the media) are absolutely convinced that I do not want to spend the money, but I reassure you we are ready to spend the money. "Buying calms the fans, of course, but we have to make sure...it is important to spend money but we have to spend it the right way," the 66-year-old, in charge of Arsenal since 1996, added. "What I fight against is to think that the only way in football to deal, is to buy. "It is right when you need the players and you identify the players and we are not scared to spend money, but to buy in itself is not a quality but to buy the good players is a quality, and I think this club has been built on that. "We had great success in the last 20 years in improving our structures and the main thing is based on a transfer policy." Wenger did try to sign striker Jamie Vardy from Leicester, only for the England forward to decide to sign a new contract with the Midlands club. "You have to respect the decisions of people and that's part of it and I think on every transfer market you have one or two who have decisions to make and you have to respect them," he said. "I don't think he has something special against us, I don't see why he would." Arsenal beat Leicester home and away last season but still finished 10 points behind the shock champions. Leicester started the defence of their Premier League crown with a surprise 2-1 loss away to Hull City last weekend and Wenger said: "The challenge for them is to do well again and to show that their last year was not a one-off. "They need to be capable of challenging and will need to be to show if they can be considered as one of the top teams in England." (AFP)

Wenger adamant he's ready to spend

AS Roma suffered another European humiliation on Tuesday when they had two players sent off, lost 3-0 at home to Porto and missed out on the Champions League group stage. 
 
After drawing 1-1 in Portugal in the first leg of the playoff tie, Roma started as favourites but never recovered after Felipe gave the visitors an eighth-minute lead. 
 
They imploded completely when Daniele De Rossi and his replacement Emerson Palmieri were shown straight red cards either side of halftime. 
 
Monaco joined Porto when they beat Villarreal 1-0 after a late penalty by Fabinho sealed a 3-1 aggregate win, and Legia Warsaw, Celtic and Ludogorets Razgrad also qualified, although none of them won on the night. 
 
Ten-man Legia drew 1-1 at home with Irish part-timers Dundalk, but progressed 3-1 on aggregate to become the first Polish side to reach the group stage of Europe&#39;s premier club competition for 20 years. 
 
Former European champions Celtic squeezed past Hapoel Beer Sheva 5-4 on aggregate despite a 2-0 loss in Israel and Ludogorets held Viktoria Plzen 2-2 away to secure a 4-2 aggregate win. 
 
Roma became the third successive Serie A team, and the sixth in the last eight seasons, to lose in the playoff round, leaving Italy with only two representatives - Juventus and Napoli - in Thursday&#39;s group-stage draw. 
 
Roma have had their fair share of recent European disasters after losing 6-1 to Barcelona last season and 7-1 at home to Bayern Munich two years ago, but not even they could not have imagined how Tuesday&#39;s game would unfold. 
 
Their initial confidence was shattered when Felipe headed Porto in front from Otavio&#39;s cross but the real trouble began in the 39th minute when midfielder De Rossi was sent off for a high tackle on Maxi Pereira. 
 
Amid angry Roma protests, he was replaced by Palmieri who lasted only 11 minutes before he was dismissed for a shocking lunge. 
 
Roma goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny booked his place in rogue&#39;s gallery with a reckless charge out of his goal which allowed Miguel Layun to slot Porto&#39;s second into an empty net. 
 
Almost immediately, Jesus Corona turned his marker inside out before scoring the third. 
 
Dundalk, beaten 2-0 at home, made a brave effort in Poland and went ahead when Robert Benson thundered home an unstoppable volley in the 19th minute. 
 
The Irish side were given further hope when Legia&#39;s Adam Hlousek was sent off in the 67th minute, but they were caught on the break as Michal Kucharczyk levelled in stoppage time, ending their dream. 
 
(Reuters)

Roma suffered another European humiliation when they had two players sent off

AS Roma suffered another European humiliation on Tuesday when they had two players sent off, lost 3-0 at home to Porto and missed out on the Champions League group stage. After drawing 1-1 in Portugal in the first leg of the playoff tie, Roma started as favourites but never recovered after Felipe gave the visitors an eighth-minute lead. They imploded completely when Daniele De Rossi and his replacement Emerson Palmieri were shown straight red cards either side of halftime. Monaco joined Porto when they beat Villarreal 1-0 after a late penalty by Fabinho sealed a 3-1 aggregate win, and Legia Warsaw, Celtic and Ludogorets Razgrad also qualified, although none of them won on the night. Ten-man Legia drew 1-1 at home with Irish part-timers Dundalk, but progressed 3-1 on aggregate to become the first Polish side to reach the group stage of Europe's premier club competition for 20 years. Former European champions Celtic squeezed past Hapoel Beer Sheva 5-4 on aggregate despite a 2-0 loss in Israel and Ludogorets held Viktoria Plzen 2-2 away to secure a 4-2 aggregate win. Roma became the third successive Serie A team, and the sixth in the last eight seasons, to lose in the playoff round, leaving Italy with only two representatives - Juventus and Napoli - in Thursday's group-stage draw. Roma have had their fair share of recent European disasters after losing 6-1 to Barcelona last season and 7-1 at home to Bayern Munich two years ago, but not even they could not have imagined how Tuesday's game would unfold. Their initial confidence was shattered when Felipe headed Porto in front from Otavio's cross but the real trouble began in the 39th minute when midfielder De Rossi was sent off for a high tackle on Maxi Pereira. Amid angry Roma protests, he was replaced by Palmieri who lasted only 11 minutes before he was dismissed for a shocking lunge. Roma goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny booked his place in rogue's gallery with a reckless charge out of his goal which allowed Miguel Layun to slot Porto's second into an empty net. Almost immediately, Jesus Corona turned his marker inside out before scoring the third. Dundalk, beaten 2-0 at home, made a brave effort in Poland and went ahead when Robert Benson thundered home an unstoppable volley in the 19th minute. The Irish side were given further hope when Legia's Adam Hlousek was sent off in the 67th minute, but they were caught on the break as Michal Kucharczyk levelled in stoppage time, ending their dream. (Reuters)

Champions League: Roma loses 0-3 to Porto, miss group stage

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

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

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

Ibrahimovic says he is joining Manchester United

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

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

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

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

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

Germany's Jerome Boateng back in training for Slovakia game

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

This was the side's first win at Euro 2016

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

De Biasi's Albania earn victory for the collective

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

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

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

Bulgarian police detain 45 Red Star fans over violence

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

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

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

France home and dry after goalless draw with Switzerland

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

Team were a changed side from their opening defeat to Italy

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

Belgium batter Ireland, Lukaku scores twice

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Van Gaal was contender for Belgium job: Media reports

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

They finish second in group B behind surprise toppers Wales

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vincenzo Montella named as new AC Milan manager

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

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

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

England appoints Sam Allardyce as manager after Euro disappointment

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

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

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

Football Association blocks England squad's plan for Somme homage

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wanyama rejoins old boss Pochettino at Spurs

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

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

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

Spain veteran Casillas hints at retirement

Chile beat Colombia 2-0 in the Copa America semi-final on Wednesday and will face Argentina in Sunday&#39;s final after surviving a tumultuous match in Chicago that was halted for more than two hours due to a torrential rain storm. 
 
Chile were already two goals up at half time, but the second half was delayed as an electrical storm powered towards Soldier Field and drenched the stadium with rain. 
 
The teams came back to a waterlogged pitch and Colombia, who had a man sent off early in the second period, could not reduce the deficit. 
 
&quot;We played well but Chile are a very strong side,&quot; Colombian midfielder Juan Cuadrado said after the final whistle. 
 
&quot;We thought a comeback was possible but sometimes things don&#39;t work out like you want.&quot; 
 
The result takes Chile into a mouth-watering final against Argentina in New Jersey on Sunday. The game will be a repeat of last year&#39;s final in Santiago that the host nation won on penalties. 
 
The reigning champions came into the game on a high after beating Mexico 7-0 and took only six minutes to make their mark again. 
 
Former Chelsea midfielder Cuadrado misdirected a header across his own goal straight to Charles Aranguiz and the Leverkusen midfielder had the straightforward task of sidefooting past David Ospina. 
 
Chile doubled their lead four minutes later after an Alexis Sanchez shot rebounded off the post into the path of Jose Pedro Fuenzalida. 
 
With Ospina beaten, the Universidad Catolica full back scored one of the easiest goals of his career by sidefooting into the empty net. 
 
Chile, who were already missing midfielders Arturo Vidal and Marcelo Diaz, lost Pedro Pablo Hernandez after half an hour when he limped off injured and the resulting reshuffle took the wind out of their sails. 
 
Colombia came back into the game, with James Rodriguez coming close with two shots and creating chances for Roger Martinez and Edwin Carmona. 
 
However, Claudio Bravo was in fine form and it stayed 2-0 at the break. 
 
Colombia pushed on after the restart with a lively Rodriguez leading the attack but were dealt a huge blow in the 56th minute when influential midfielder Carlos Sanchez was sent off for a second yellow card offence. 
 
Colombia did not give up and came close on several occasions but conditions underfoot were difficult for both sides and the score remained 2-0. 
 
The Andean side will now play hosts United States in the third-fourth place playoff on Saturday. 
 
Argentina beat the United States 4-0 on Tuesday night to reach their second consecutive Copa America final. 
 
(Reuters)

Chile were already two goals up at half time, but the second half was delayed as an electrical storm powered towards Soldier Field

Chile beat Colombia 2-0 in the Copa America semi-final on Wednesday and will face Argentina in Sunday's final after surviving a tumultuous match in Chicago that was halted for more than two hours due to a torrential rain storm. Chile were already two goals up at half time, but the second half was delayed as an electrical storm powered towards Soldier Field and drenched the stadium with rain. The teams came back to a waterlogged pitch and Colombia, who had a man sent off early in the second period, could not reduce the deficit. "We played well but Chile are a very strong side," Colombian midfielder Juan Cuadrado said after the final whistle. "We thought a comeback was possible but sometimes things don't work out like you want." The result takes Chile into a mouth-watering final against Argentina in New Jersey on Sunday. The game will be a repeat of last year's final in Santiago that the host nation won on penalties. The reigning champions came into the game on a high after beating Mexico 7-0 and took only six minutes to make their mark again. Former Chelsea midfielder Cuadrado misdirected a header across his own goal straight to Charles Aranguiz and the Leverkusen midfielder had the straightforward task of sidefooting past David Ospina. Chile doubled their lead four minutes later after an Alexis Sanchez shot rebounded off the post into the path of Jose Pedro Fuenzalida. With Ospina beaten, the Universidad Catolica full back scored one of the easiest goals of his career by sidefooting into the empty net. Chile, who were already missing midfielders Arturo Vidal and Marcelo Diaz, lost Pedro Pablo Hernandez after half an hour when he limped off injured and the resulting reshuffle took the wind out of their sails. Colombia came back into the game, with James Rodriguez coming close with two shots and creating chances for Roger Martinez and Edwin Carmona. However, Claudio Bravo was in fine form and it stayed 2-0 at the break. Colombia pushed on after the restart with a lively Rodriguez leading the attack but were dealt a huge blow in the 56th minute when influential midfielder Carlos Sanchez was sent off for a second yellow card offence. Colombia did not give up and came close on several occasions but conditions underfoot were difficult for both sides and the score remained 2-0. The Andean side will now play hosts United States in the third-fourth place playoff on Saturday. Argentina beat the United States 4-0 on Tuesday night to reach their second consecutive Copa America final. (Reuters)

Copa America Centenario report: Chile beats Colombia 2-0 to set up final against Argentina

UEFA said today that it regretted the unrest on the streets of Lille overnight on the eve of the Euro 2016 soccer match between England and Wales, but it stopped taking any action to punish fan violence. 
 
French riot police charged and used tear gas to disperse rowdy English soccer fans on yesterday night. Police said about 50 people were hurt during Wednesday, 16 of whom were hospitalised. 
 
&quot;UEFA regrets the skirmishes which occurred in Lille last night. Police forces made several arrests and were quick to restore order and keep the situation under control,&quot; said UEFA, European soccer&#39;s governing body,in their statement. 
 
It made no reference to any action it might take. 
 
After violence in the Mediterranean port of Marseille before and after England&#39;s 1-1 draw with Russia on Saturday, UEFA warned England that a repetition of fans&#39; violent behaviour could see the team expelled. 
 
UEFA also told Russia that it would be disqualified if there was repeat of their fans&#39; violent behaviour, which included attacks on England supporters in the stadium as the match ended. 
 
Lille was seen as a potential flashpoint for trouble, with Russia also playing in the northern town on Wednesday. The Russians lost 2-1 to Slovakia. 
 
England&#39;s match with Wales in the same Euro 2016 group was due to take place in nearby Lens later on Thursday. 
 
One England fan complained that police had over-reacted on Wednesday night. 
 
&quot;This is a bunch of good fans having a good time. What&#39;s happening is the police are trying to enclose people,&quot; he told Reuters. &quot;It&#39;s not hooliganism at all, it&#39;s just a bunch of guys having a good time, having a good drink, that&#39;s it.&quot; 
 
Separately, police in Lyon in southeast France said two fans suffered stab wounds in a fan zone there. 
 
Lyon police said one of those wounded, a Frenchman, had told them that one of his attackers wore an Albania football shirt. 
 
France beat Albania 2-0 in another of Wednesday&#39;s games. 
 
Marseille police also said a further 20 Russian fans were to be expelled from France, while three others were to go on trial. 
(Reuters)

After violence in Marseille, UEFA warned English fans that repetition of hooliganism can disqualify England from the event

UEFA said today that it regretted the unrest on the streets of Lille overnight on the eve of the Euro 2016 soccer match between England and Wales, but it stopped taking any action to punish fan violence. French riot police charged and used tear gas to disperse rowdy English soccer fans on yesterday night. Police said about 50 people were hurt during Wednesday, 16 of whom were hospitalised. "UEFA regrets the skirmishes which occurred in Lille last night. Police forces made several arrests and were quick to restore order and keep the situation under control," said UEFA, European soccer's governing body,in their statement. It made no reference to any action it might take. After violence in the Mediterranean port of Marseille before and after England's 1-1 draw with Russia on Saturday, UEFA warned England that a repetition of fans' violent behaviour could see the team expelled. UEFA also told Russia that it would be disqualified if there was repeat of their fans' violent behaviour, which included attacks on England supporters in the stadium as the match ended. Lille was seen as a potential flashpoint for trouble, with Russia also playing in the northern town on Wednesday. The Russians lost 2-1 to Slovakia. England's match with Wales in the same Euro 2016 group was due to take place in nearby Lens later on Thursday. One England fan complained that police had over-reacted on Wednesday night. "This is a bunch of good fans having a good time. What's happening is the police are trying to enclose people," he told Reuters. "It's not hooliganism at all, it's just a bunch of guys having a good time, having a good drink, that's it." Separately, police in Lyon in southeast France said two fans suffered stab wounds in a fan zone there. Lyon police said one of those wounded, a Frenchman, had told them that one of his attackers wore an Albania football shirt. France beat Albania 2-0 in another of Wednesday's games. Marseille police also said a further 20 Russian fans were to be expelled from France, while three others were to go on trial. (Reuters)

UEFA "regrets" overnight soccer violence ahead of England-Wales match

Battling outsiders Iceland enjoyed a memorable big-stage debut as they clinched a shock 1-1 draw against Euro 2016 Group F favourites Portugal in a captivating match on Tuesday. 
 
It was a miserable evening for Portugal&#39;s top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo even though he equalled Luis Figo&#39;s record of 127 caps for his country. 
 
Iceland produced a typically industrious performance in their maiden appearance at a major tournament with winger Birkir Bjarnason cancelling out Nani&#39;s first-half opener. 
 
Although Portugal dominated for long spells, the result was no more than Iceland deserved. 
 
&quot;We should have scored more goals but we didn&#39;t and pragmatic Iceland took full advantage,&quot; Portugal coach Fernando Santos said in a news conference. 
 
&quot;It was by no means a brilliant performance by us. We have to move better between the lines and keep our focus in defence. 
 
&quot;Considering today&#39;s results, our next game against Austria could have a huge impact. I always said this was a complex group and I still think anything can happen,&quot; added Santos. 
 
With Hungary beating Austria 2-0 earlier, a fascinating battle for late-16 berths looms with Iceland taking on Hungary in their next game. 
 
A string of good saves by goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson, coupled with Ronaldo&#39;s wasteful finishing, was a significant factor for the Nordic nation who fulfilled their pre-match promise to show no nerves. 
 
They went close in the third minute when keeper Rui Patricio denied Gylfi Sigurdsson with a double stop, smothering the rebound after parrying the midfielder&#39;s first effort. 
 
Portugal eventually got into their stride but the final pass kept going astray in the opening 20 minutes, with Iceland&#39;s back four able to close down Ronaldo and Nani. 
 
PERFECT CROSS 
 
The pattern changed after Nani drew a superb reflex save from Halldorsson who kept out his close-range header after Ronaldo delivered a perfect cross from the left. 
 
Iceland saw little of the ball from there on as Ronaldo sent a looping header over the bar and then scuffed his shot straight at Halldorsson after a defence-splitting pass by Pepe. 
 
Portugal, who had 67 percent possession in the first half, made their dominance count after a sweeping one-two between Vieirinha and Andre Gomes on the right handed Nani a simple task to steer the ball home from seven metres. 
 
Roared on by their fans, Iceland equalised out of the blue in the 50th minute as Bjarnason swept in a teasing Johann Gudmundsson centre that caught out Vieirinha. 
 
It seemed to take the wind out of Portugal&#39;s sails, with Ronaldo looking short of pace, although Nani came close to restoring their lead after a glancing header sailed just wide. 
 
Halldorsson then stopped dangerous shots by Gomes and Raphael Guerreiro as well as a deflected Ricardo Quaresma effort before substitute Alfred Finnbogason almost grabbed what would have been a remarkable winner at the other end. 
 
Rui Patricio was barely able to palm away the striker&#39;s stinging drive from the edge of the penalty area as Portugal ended up running out of ideas. 
 
Iceland co-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson, who shares the job with Swede Lars Lagerback, said the draw boosted his team&#39;s hopes of reaching the last 16. 
 
&quot;With a win against Hungary we&#39;d probably be almost there and holding the group&#39;s strongest team to a draw should be a massive confidence boost,&quot; he explained. 
 
&quot;Our defending was fantastic, we were well organised and worked really hard. It&#39;s difficult to single out any individual player as they all deserve credit for a stirring team effort. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s really good to have a point. We can go a little bit more relaxed into the next game,&quot; said Hallgrimsson. 
 
(Reuters)

Ronaldo equalled Luis Figo's record of 127 caps for his team, but that was pretty much it

Battling outsiders Iceland enjoyed a memorable big-stage debut as they clinched a shock 1-1 draw against Euro 2016 Group F favourites Portugal in a captivating match on Tuesday. It was a miserable evening for Portugal's top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo even though he equalled Luis Figo's record of 127 caps for his country. Iceland produced a typically industrious performance in their maiden appearance at a major tournament with winger Birkir Bjarnason cancelling out Nani's first-half opener. Although Portugal dominated for long spells, the result was no more than Iceland deserved. "We should have scored more goals but we didn't and pragmatic Iceland took full advantage," Portugal coach Fernando Santos said in a news conference. "It was by no means a brilliant performance by us. We have to move better between the lines and keep our focus in defence. "Considering today's results, our next game against Austria could have a huge impact. I always said this was a complex group and I still think anything can happen," added Santos. With Hungary beating Austria 2-0 earlier, a fascinating battle for late-16 berths looms with Iceland taking on Hungary in their next game. A string of good saves by goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson, coupled with Ronaldo's wasteful finishing, was a significant factor for the Nordic nation who fulfilled their pre-match promise to show no nerves. They went close in the third minute when keeper Rui Patricio denied Gylfi Sigurdsson with a double stop, smothering the rebound after parrying the midfielder's first effort. Portugal eventually got into their stride but the final pass kept going astray in the opening 20 minutes, with Iceland's back four able to close down Ronaldo and Nani. PERFECT CROSS The pattern changed after Nani drew a superb reflex save from Halldorsson who kept out his close-range header after Ronaldo delivered a perfect cross from the left. Iceland saw little of the ball from there on as Ronaldo sent a looping header over the bar and then scuffed his shot straight at Halldorsson after a defence-splitting pass by Pepe. Portugal, who had 67 percent possession in the first half, made their dominance count after a sweeping one-two between Vieirinha and Andre Gomes on the right handed Nani a simple task to steer the ball home from seven metres. Roared on by their fans, Iceland equalised out of the blue in the 50th minute as Bjarnason swept in a teasing Johann Gudmundsson centre that caught out Vieirinha. It seemed to take the wind out of Portugal's sails, with Ronaldo looking short of pace, although Nani came close to restoring their lead after a glancing header sailed just wide. Halldorsson then stopped dangerous shots by Gomes and Raphael Guerreiro as well as a deflected Ricardo Quaresma effort before substitute Alfred Finnbogason almost grabbed what would have been a remarkable winner at the other end. Rui Patricio was barely able to palm away the striker's stinging drive from the edge of the penalty area as Portugal ended up running out of ideas. Iceland co-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson, who shares the job with Swede Lars Lagerback, said the draw boosted his team's hopes of reaching the last 16. "With a win against Hungary we'd probably be almost there and holding the group's strongest team to a draw should be a massive confidence boost," he explained. "Our defending was fantastic, we were well organised and worked really hard. It's difficult to single out any individual player as they all deserve credit for a stirring team effort. "It's really good to have a point. We can go a little bit more relaxed into the next game," said Hallgrimsson. (Reuters)

Debutants Iceland hold Portugal to shock 1-1 draw

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