A late goal by Premier League target Radja Nainggolan earned Belgium a last-16 berth with a 1-0 win over Sweden ending superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic&#39;s international career with a defeat. 
 
The Roma midfielder, reportedly wanted by Chelsea, controlled a cross from Eden Hazard outside the area and powered it into the net in the 82nd minute. 
 
After a poor display against Italy in their group opener, Belgium now take on Hungary in Toulouse on June 26 with the momentum of two wins behind them. 
 
&quot;We have got better since the Italy game, kept two clean sheets in a row,&quot; said Marc Wilmots, Belgium&#39;s coach. 
 
&quot;It will be a complicated game, we watched the last minutes of their game against Portugal, Hungary leave 200 per cent on the field,&quot; said Belgium skipper Eden Hazard who was awarded man-of-the-match. 
 
There was to be no salvation for Sweden, nor one more game for Ibrahimovic. 
 
He battled to the end, almost snatching a late equaliser with a half volley on the turn, but the dying minutes were instead marked by the Belgian fans raucously chanting &quot;Bye Bye Ibrahimovic!&quot; 
 
&quot;It&#39;s heavy, it&#39;s disappointing, but at the same time I enjoyed it, we got the possibility to play at &nbsp;the Euros, and represent Sweden,&quot; said Ibrahimovic. 
 
&quot;At the same time I am proud, this was my last game in the national team, I have many fantastic memories.&quot; 
 
Sweden coach Erik Hamren said Ibrahimovic was a &quot;unique&quot; talent that cannot be replaced. 
 
&quot;I hope we can find another player, not a Zlatan as I don&#39;t think in a small country like Sweden you can find someone like that, he&#39;s really unique,&quot; said Hamren. 
 
Sweden finished bottom of the group and will look back with regret on a flat performance in their opener against Ireland. 
 
&quot;Our two last games were not bad, but we couldn&#39;t finish our chances in either,&quot; added Hamren. &quot;Against Ireland we weren&#39;t very good, maybe in attack we could have been better against Italy. But I can&#39;t ask more from my players, I&#39;m proud of them, even though we lost the game,&quot; he said. 
 
Facing elimination if defeated, both teams pushed forward to attack which produced a pulsating first half hour in balmy Nice. 
 
Chances came thick and fast, Sweden almost grabbing a dream start three minutes in when a goalmouth half-volley by Marcus Berg, in for John Giudetti as strike partner to Ibrahimovic, was batted out by Thibaut Courtois. 
 
Belgium launched regular raids with Kevin De Bruyne through the middle and Hazard, roving from wing to wing, at the heart of the danger. 
 
Midway through the half, a backheel from Hazard let the Man City star fire a shot straight at the Isaksson. 
 
At the other end, Ibrahimovic had little joy, bar the occasional half-chance snapshot or attempt at a spectacular volley. 
 
But none came to anything on an ultimately frustrating night for the Swedish legend who announced his international retirement after Euro 2016 on Tuesday. 
 
It was Belgium who nearly entered the break in front, when Meurier headed an inch-perfect De Bruyne cross just wide of Andreas Isaksson&#39;s post. 
 
As the clock ran down in the second half the temperature began rising again as Belgium wasted a host of chances to kill of Swedish hopes. 
 
Isaksson dived at full length to keep out a De Bruyne drive before a powerful Romelu Lukaku break was foiled by Isakksson who spread his body well to block the shot. 
 
A minute later, an identical run by the Everton striker, this time with a neat finish, was ruled offside. 
 
Time was running out on Ibrahimovic when he went close with a free-kick turned away by Courtois with a quarter hour to go before De Bruyne cleared off the line. 
 
But Nainggolan secured a richly-talented Belgian side&#39;s place on the favourable half of the draw with a rasping drive into the far corner. 
 
(AFP)

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who scored 62 goals in 116 international matches, ends his international career in defeat as Sweden fails to qualify

A late goal by Premier League target Radja Nainggolan earned Belgium a last-16 berth with a 1-0 win over Sweden ending superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic's international career with a defeat. The Roma midfielder, reportedly wanted by Chelsea, controlled a cross from Eden Hazard outside the area and powered it into the net in the 82nd minute. After a poor display against Italy in their group opener, Belgium now take on Hungary in Toulouse on June 26 with the momentum of two wins behind them. "We have got better since the Italy game, kept two clean sheets in a row," said Marc Wilmots, Belgium's coach. "It will be a complicated game, we watched the last minutes of their game against Portugal, Hungary leave 200 per cent on the field," said Belgium skipper Eden Hazard who was awarded man-of-the-match. There was to be no salvation for Sweden, nor one more game for Ibrahimovic. He battled to the end, almost snatching a late equaliser with a half volley on the turn, but the dying minutes were instead marked by the Belgian fans raucously chanting "Bye Bye Ibrahimovic!" "It's heavy, it's disappointing, but at the same time I enjoyed it, we got the possibility to play at the Euros, and represent Sweden," said Ibrahimovic. "At the same time I am proud, this was my last game in the national team, I have many fantastic memories." Sweden coach Erik Hamren said Ibrahimovic was a "unique" talent that cannot be replaced. "I hope we can find another player, not a Zlatan as I don't think in a small country like Sweden you can find someone like that, he's really unique," said Hamren. Sweden finished bottom of the group and will look back with regret on a flat performance in their opener against Ireland. "Our two last games were not bad, but we couldn't finish our chances in either," added Hamren. "Against Ireland we weren't very good, maybe in attack we could have been better against Italy. But I can't ask more from my players, I'm proud of them, even though we lost the game," he said. Facing elimination if defeated, both teams pushed forward to attack which produced a pulsating first half hour in balmy Nice. Chances came thick and fast, Sweden almost grabbing a dream start three minutes in when a goalmouth half-volley by Marcus Berg, in for John Giudetti as strike partner to Ibrahimovic, was batted out by Thibaut Courtois. Belgium launched regular raids with Kevin De Bruyne through the middle and Hazard, roving from wing to wing, at the heart of the danger. Midway through the half, a backheel from Hazard let the Man City star fire a shot straight at the Isaksson. At the other end, Ibrahimovic had little joy, bar the occasional half-chance snapshot or attempt at a spectacular volley. But none came to anything on an ultimately frustrating night for the Swedish legend who announced his international retirement after Euro 2016 on Tuesday. It was Belgium who nearly entered the break in front, when Meurier headed an inch-perfect De Bruyne cross just wide of Andreas Isaksson's post. As the clock ran down in the second half the temperature began rising again as Belgium wasted a host of chances to kill of Swedish hopes. Isaksson dived at full length to keep out a De Bruyne drive before a powerful Romelu Lukaku break was foiled by Isakksson who spread his body well to block the shot. A minute later, an identical run by the Everton striker, this time with a neat finish, was ruled offside. Time was running out on Ibrahimovic when he went close with a free-kick turned away by Courtois with a quarter hour to go before De Bruyne cleared off the line. But Nainggolan secured a richly-talented Belgian side's place on the favourable half of the draw with a rasping drive into the far corner. (AFP)

Belgium seal last-16 berth with 1-0 win over Sweden,  Ibrahimovic bows out

Germany thumped Slovakia 3-0 with goals from Jerome Boateng, Mario Gomez and Julian Draxler to cruise into the Euro 2016 quarter-finals on Sunday and confirm their status as tournament favourites with a sparkling performance. 
 
Central defender Boateng, who had been passed fit after an injury, connected perfectly with a clearance in the eighth minute to volley home from 25 metres for his first international goal as the world champions took control from the start. 
 
The Germans, who next face either holders Spain or Italy, saw Mesut Ozil&#39;s weak 13th minute penalty saved but Gomez made no mistake two minutes from halftime when he tapped home a perfect cut back from the marauding Julian Draxler. 
 
Draxler, coming into the starting lineup for the lacklustre Mario Goetze, was then left with far too much space at the far post to volley in their third just past the hour as the Germans kept a fourth straight clean sheet at the finals. 
 
Comfortable with either foot, the winger utilised his speed and intelligence to good effect, helping his side pin the Slovaks in their own half for much of the opening period. 
 
Boateng opened the scoring with a deflected volley following a corner and ran to celebrate with team doctor Hans-Wilhelm Mueller-Wohlfahrt, who helped him recover from a muscle injury sustained in their last group game with Northern Ireland. 
 
Ozil&#39;s weak penalty, well saved by Matus Kozacik, was one of the few blemishes in an otherwise superb Germany performance. 
 
Slovakia may have got the better of the Germans in a pre-Euro 2016 friendly but, apart from a few forays forward, they were all at sea. 
 
Five minutes before halftime Juraj Kucka forced a flying save from Germany captain Manuel Neuer as he sent Peter Pekarik&#39;s cross toward the top corner. 
 
Germany hit back immediately, Draxler turning Kucka inside out before squaring for Gomez to stab the ball home from close range to make it 2-0. 
 
Slovakia were marginally better in the second half but when the excellent Draxler hooked a volley into the top corner in the 63rd minute there was no way back. 
 
Draxler and Boateng were replaced by Lukas Podolski and Benedikt Hoewedes nine minutes later as the game took on the air of a friendly with Germany&#39;s place in the last eight against Spain or Italy already booked. 
 
(Reuters)

Ozil's weak penalty, well saved by Matus Kozacik, was one of the few blemishes in an otherwise superb Germany performance

Germany thumped Slovakia 3-0 with goals from Jerome Boateng, Mario Gomez and Julian Draxler to cruise into the Euro 2016 quarter-finals on Sunday and confirm their status as tournament favourites with a sparkling performance. Central defender Boateng, who had been passed fit after an injury, connected perfectly with a clearance in the eighth minute to volley home from 25 metres for his first international goal as the world champions took control from the start. The Germans, who next face either holders Spain or Italy, saw Mesut Ozil's weak 13th minute penalty saved but Gomez made no mistake two minutes from halftime when he tapped home a perfect cut back from the marauding Julian Draxler. Draxler, coming into the starting lineup for the lacklustre Mario Goetze, was then left with far too much space at the far post to volley in their third just past the hour as the Germans kept a fourth straight clean sheet at the finals. Comfortable with either foot, the winger utilised his speed and intelligence to good effect, helping his side pin the Slovaks in their own half for much of the opening period. Boateng opened the scoring with a deflected volley following a corner and ran to celebrate with team doctor Hans-Wilhelm Mueller-Wohlfahrt, who helped him recover from a muscle injury sustained in their last group game with Northern Ireland. Ozil's weak penalty, well saved by Matus Kozacik, was one of the few blemishes in an otherwise superb Germany performance. Slovakia may have got the better of the Germans in a pre-Euro 2016 friendly but, apart from a few forays forward, they were all at sea. Five minutes before halftime Juraj Kucka forced a flying save from Germany captain Manuel Neuer as he sent Peter Pekarik's cross toward the top corner. Germany hit back immediately, Draxler turning Kucka inside out before squaring for Gomez to stab the ball home from close range to make it 2-0. Slovakia were marginally better in the second half but when the excellent Draxler hooked a volley into the top corner in the 63rd minute there was no way back. Draxler and Boateng were replaced by Lukas Podolski and Benedikt Hoewedes nine minutes later as the game took on the air of a friendly with Germany's place in the last eight against Spain or Italy already booked. (Reuters)

Germany cruise into last eight with 3-0 Slovakia win

Brazil&#39;s Olympic coach Rogerio Micale called up midfielder Douglas Costa and goalkeeper Fernando Prass on Wednesday to join striker Neymar as the three players over the age of 23 to play with Brazil as they try to win Olympic gold at home at the 2016 Rio Olympics. 
 
Neymar, who was already named to the Olympic squad in a deal reached with Barcelona, is the biggest name on the list of 18 players Micale announced at the Brazilian Soccer Confederation (CBF) headquarters in Rio de Janeiro. 
 
Micale said he would not hesitate to reach out to Brazil&#39;s new head coach for the national team, Tite, as he steers his team through the Olympics. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s an honour, a joy to have &#39;Professor Tite&#39; on my side. I&#39;m not going to feel any kind of embarrassment leaning on his wisdom, all the soccer experiences he has seen, the victories he&#39;s had all this time. I want to be very close (to him), because whatever can be added right now will be good for my career,&quot; Micale said. 
 
Brazil are thirsty for a gold medal on their home turf after taking silver to Mexico at the London 2012 Games. 
 
Micale said he was forced to leave players he had hoped to count on out of the line-up after their clubs would not free them up for the Olympics, which are not part of the FIFA calendar for national teams. 
 
Micale said most the players on the squad are leaders at their clubs, both domestically and abroad, and that he is confident in his young team adding that they could take some pressure off of Neymar. 
 
&quot;He&#39;s a player with a different kind of profile, an indisputable quality, one of the best players in the world. I think any coach from any national team in the world would like to be able to count on a player with a profile like his. But on the national team we try to add other leaders, we do have them, yes. I don&#39;t think we can put it all on one player even if he has all the qualities he represents in soccer throughout the world. And my expectations are that he will respond. I know how badly he wants a medal, just like the rest of us,&quot; Micale added. 
 
The 2016 Olympics will be Brazil&#39;s first official competition in Brazil since their failed 2014 World Cup in which they lost 7 to 1 to Germany in the semi-finals and then again to the Netherlands 3 to 0 in the third place match. 
 
Brazil will open their campaign in Group A against South Africa (Aug. 8, Brasilia), Iraq (Aug. 7, Brasilia) and Denmark (Aug. 10, Salvador). 
 
(Reuters)

2016 Olympics will be Brazil's first official competition in Brazil since their failed 2014 World Cup in which they lost 7 to 1 to Germany

Brazil's Olympic coach Rogerio Micale called up midfielder Douglas Costa and goalkeeper Fernando Prass on Wednesday to join striker Neymar as the three players over the age of 23 to play with Brazil as they try to win Olympic gold at home at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Neymar, who was already named to the Olympic squad in a deal reached with Barcelona, is the biggest name on the list of 18 players Micale announced at the Brazilian Soccer Confederation (CBF) headquarters in Rio de Janeiro. Micale said he would not hesitate to reach out to Brazil's new head coach for the national team, Tite, as he steers his team through the Olympics. "It's an honour, a joy to have 'Professor Tite' on my side. I'm not going to feel any kind of embarrassment leaning on his wisdom, all the soccer experiences he has seen, the victories he's had all this time. I want to be very close (to him), because whatever can be added right now will be good for my career," Micale said. Brazil are thirsty for a gold medal on their home turf after taking silver to Mexico at the London 2012 Games. Micale said he was forced to leave players he had hoped to count on out of the line-up after their clubs would not free them up for the Olympics, which are not part of the FIFA calendar for national teams. Micale said most the players on the squad are leaders at their clubs, both domestically and abroad, and that he is confident in his young team adding that they could take some pressure off of Neymar. "He's a player with a different kind of profile, an indisputable quality, one of the best players in the world. I think any coach from any national team in the world would like to be able to count on a player with a profile like his. But on the national team we try to add other leaders, we do have them, yes. I don't think we can put it all on one player even if he has all the qualities he represents in soccer throughout the world. And my expectations are that he will respond. I know how badly he wants a medal, just like the rest of us," Micale added. The 2016 Olympics will be Brazil's first official competition in Brazil since their failed 2014 World Cup in which they lost 7 to 1 to Germany in the semi-finals and then again to the Netherlands 3 to 0 in the third place match. Brazil will open their campaign in Group A against South Africa (Aug. 8, Brasilia), Iraq (Aug. 7, Brasilia) and Denmark (Aug. 10, Salvador). (Reuters)

Neymar, Douglas Costa named in Brazil's Olympic squad

Ryan Giggs has rejected an offer to stay at Manchester United and is ready to end his association with the club after 29 years, a British newspaper reported today.&nbsp; 
 
Giggs, who played 963 times for United after joining the club as a 14-year-old, worked as a coach under David Moyes and Louis van Gaal.&nbsp; 
 
But the Daily Mail said he has decided against taking up an offer of a reduced role from new manager Jose Mourinho. 
 
&quot;Giggs representatives are now in negotiations with United over a pay-off for the final year of his contract,&quot; the Mail said.&nbsp; 
 
It was reported that Giggs has not spoken directly to Mourinho, who starts work at United on Monday. 
 
Giggs is likely to be questioned about his future on British television today when he starts work as an ITV pundit ahead of the Euro 2016 quarter-final between Poland and Portugal. 
 
The Welshman had been tipped as a future Manchester United manager but is now expected to seek a role with another club. 
 
(Reuters)

Ryan Giggs played 963 times for United after joining the club as a 14-year-old and also worked as coach under David Moyes and Louis van Gaal

Ryan Giggs has rejected an offer to stay at Manchester United and is ready to end his association with the club after 29 years, a British newspaper reported today. Giggs, who played 963 times for United after joining the club as a 14-year-old, worked as a coach under David Moyes and Louis van Gaal. But the Daily Mail said he has decided against taking up an offer of a reduced role from new manager Jose Mourinho. "Giggs representatives are now in negotiations with United over a pay-off for the final year of his contract," the Mail said. It was reported that Giggs has not spoken directly to Mourinho, who starts work at United on Monday. Giggs is likely to be questioned about his future on British television today when he starts work as an ITV pundit ahead of the Euro 2016 quarter-final between Poland and Portugal. The Welshman had been tipped as a future Manchester United manager but is now expected to seek a role with another club. (Reuters)

Giggs 'set to leave' Manchester United after 29 year of association

Southampton striker Shane Long has signed a new four-year contract that will keep him at St Mary&#39;s until 2020, the Premier League club have said. 
 
The 29-year-old, who joined Southampton from Hull City in 2014, was instrumental for the side last season, scoring 13 goals in all competitions and helping them qualify for the Europa League. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m delighted. I&#39;m excited to be part of what could be a big future in the next four years for this,&quot; the Ireland international told the club&#39;s website. 
 
&quot;I love it here, the set-up, the training ground, the lads as well everyone around the club. It&#39;s a real family feel, and I feel like I&#39;m a big part of that and I feel like I&#39;m playing my best football here as well.&quot; 
 
Long played all four games of Ireland&#39;s Euro 2016 campaign, where they lost to finalists France in the last 16. 
 
Southampton continue to tie up key players on long-term deals after handing new contracts to Ryan Bertrand, Virgil van Dijk, Fraser Forster, James Ward-Prowse and Steven Davis in recent months. 
 
(Reuters)

Shane Long joined Southampton from Hull City in 2014 and was instrumental in helping them to qualify for Europa League

Southampton striker Shane Long has signed a new four-year contract that will keep him at St Mary's until 2020, the Premier League club have said. The 29-year-old, who joined Southampton from Hull City in 2014, was instrumental for the side last season, scoring 13 goals in all competitions and helping them qualify for the Europa League. "I'm delighted. I'm excited to be part of what could be a big future in the next four years for this," the Ireland international told the club's website. "I love it here, the set-up, the training ground, the lads as well everyone around the club. It's a real family feel, and I feel like I'm a big part of that and I feel like I'm playing my best football here as well." Long played all four games of Ireland's Euro 2016 campaign, where they lost to finalists France in the last 16. Southampton continue to tie up key players on long-term deals after handing new contracts to Ryan Bertrand, Virgil van Dijk, Fraser Forster, James Ward-Prowse and Steven Davis in recent months. (Reuters)

Long signs new four-year deal with Southampton

Poland international midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak has signed for French champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) from Sevilla on a five-year deal, both clubs confirmed on Sunday. 
 
The 26-year-old, who started his career at Ligue 1 side Bordeaux, links up again with former Sevilla coach Unai Emery, now at the helm of PSG. 
 
He becomes PSG&#39;s second recruit of the summer after French international midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa from Nice. 
 
Emery&#39;s focus in Paris is to win the Champions League and Krychowiak, who has spent the past two years in Spain, was a key part of Sevilla winning a third consecutive Europa League title, beating Liverpool in the final in May. 
 
The Spanish press have reported the deal for Krychowiak -- part of Poland&#39;s Euro 2016 squad eliminated in the quarter-finals by Portugal -- to be worth around 26 million Euro ($28.9m). 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a feeling of great pride that drives me to return to France to wear the jersey of a club as ambitious as Paris SG,&quot; said Krychowiak in comments reported by his new club. 
 
&quot;To continue working with Unai Emery obviously played a part in my choice. I&#39;m coming to Paris to experience strong emotions and to win as many trophies as possible.&quot; 
 
PSG president Nasser Al-Khela?fi said he was &quot;very satisfied&quot; with the signing. 
 
&quot;These past two seasons, he was very efficient with Sevilla, in particular on the European scene, and he was one of the most prominent players in the Euro (2016).&quot; 
 
&quot;Grzegorz embodies the values of discipline and combativeness that are dear to our club, our fans and our new coach with whom he wanted to continue working,&quot; the Qatari added. 
 
Emery took over last month from Laurent Blanc who won the domestic treble in each of his last two seasons with the club but it was his failure to make substantial progress in the Champions League that proved his undoing. 
 
(AFP)

Spanish press have reported Krychowiak's five-year deal to be worth around 26 million Euro

Poland international midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak has signed for French champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) from Sevilla on a five-year deal, both clubs confirmed on Sunday. The 26-year-old, who started his career at Ligue 1 side Bordeaux, links up again with former Sevilla coach Unai Emery, now at the helm of PSG. He becomes PSG's second recruit of the summer after French international midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa from Nice. Emery's focus in Paris is to win the Champions League and Krychowiak, who has spent the past two years in Spain, was a key part of Sevilla winning a third consecutive Europa League title, beating Liverpool in the final in May. The Spanish press have reported the deal for Krychowiak -- part of Poland's Euro 2016 squad eliminated in the quarter-finals by Portugal -- to be worth around 26 million Euro ($28.9m). "It's a feeling of great pride that drives me to return to France to wear the jersey of a club as ambitious as Paris SG," said Krychowiak in comments reported by his new club. "To continue working with Unai Emery obviously played a part in my choice. I'm coming to Paris to experience strong emotions and to win as many trophies as possible." PSG president Nasser Al-Khela?fi said he was "very satisfied" with the signing. "These past two seasons, he was very efficient with Sevilla, in particular on the European scene, and he was one of the most prominent players in the Euro (2016)." "Grzegorz embodies the values of discipline and combativeness that are dear to our club, our fans and our new coach with whom he wanted to continue working," the Qatari added. Emery took over last month from Laurent Blanc who won the domestic treble in each of his last two seasons with the club but it was his failure to make substantial progress in the Champions League that proved his undoing. (AFP)

Paris Saint-Germain sign Poland star Grzegorz Krychowiak from Sevilla

Portugal&#39;s press gave a big salute to Cristiano Ronaldo and the entire national team on Thursday after their 2-0 win over Wales clinched a return to the European Championship final for the first time in 12 years. 
 
Daily sports newspaper, A bola, has a photograph of Ronaldo celebrating after scoring with the headline: &quot;Portugal, je t&#39;aime - heroic Selecao, reaches the final in Paris.&quot; 
 
Ronaldo&#39;s impressive header early in the second half put Portugal on their way before the Real Madrid superstar saw his shot turned in by Nani soon after for the team&#39;s second goal. 
 
Fernando Santos&#39;s side had not won a single game in the tournament over 90 minutes until Wednesday&#39;s dominant performance in Lyon. 
 
Ronaldo scored 51 goals in 48 games in all competitions for Real this season and delivered the decisive spot-kick in the penalties during the Champions League final win against Atletico Madrid. But he had been under scrutiny after a poor start to the tournament in France. 
 
His struggles are now in the past, with Lisbon-based Correio da Manha national newspaper shouting in a front headline: &quot;Ronaldo flies to the final.&quot; 
 
Wednesday&#39;s goal, his third of the tournament, saw the 31-year-old equal Michel Platini&#39;s record of nine in European Championship finals. 
 
Sports dailies Record and Ojogo both had photographs of Ronaldo jumping higher than Wales centre-back James Chester to break the deadlock, with the former applauding Ronaldo in a headline that says: &quot;Again he is the man of the match.&quot; 
 
Online national newspaper Diario de Noticias shows Ronaldo celebrating on their front page with a quote from the captain that says: &quot;The dream is here. I believe.&quot; 
 
Ronaldo started in Portugal&#39;s 1-0 defeat to Greece in the final of Euro 2004 and also when the team reached the semi-finals four years ago but were eliminated by Spain on penalties. 
 
The Publico national daily newspaper has a photograph of Ronaldo celebrating with his team mates on its front page with the headline: &quot;All that is left is the Cup.&quot; 
 
According to Ojogo, Ronaldo is showing more determination and resolve than ever before in the hope of leading Portugal to their first European title. 
 
The Sports daily includes a quote from Ronaldo on their front page which reads: &quot;I believe we will win in Paris.&quot; 
 
Portugal will meet hosts France or Germany in Sunday&#39;s final in Paris. 
 
(Reuters)

He had been under scrutiny after a poor start to the Euro

Portugal's press gave a big salute to Cristiano Ronaldo and the entire national team on Thursday after their 2-0 win over Wales clinched a return to the European Championship final for the first time in 12 years. Daily sports newspaper, A bola, has a photograph of Ronaldo celebrating after scoring with the headline: "Portugal, je t'aime - heroic Selecao, reaches the final in Paris." Ronaldo's impressive header early in the second half put Portugal on their way before the Real Madrid superstar saw his shot turned in by Nani soon after for the team's second goal. Fernando Santos's side had not won a single game in the tournament over 90 minutes until Wednesday's dominant performance in Lyon. Ronaldo scored 51 goals in 48 games in all competitions for Real this season and delivered the decisive spot-kick in the penalties during the Champions League final win against Atletico Madrid. But he had been under scrutiny after a poor start to the tournament in France. His struggles are now in the past, with Lisbon-based Correio da Manha national newspaper shouting in a front headline: "Ronaldo flies to the final." Wednesday's goal, his third of the tournament, saw the 31-year-old equal Michel Platini's record of nine in European Championship finals. Sports dailies Record and Ojogo both had photographs of Ronaldo jumping higher than Wales centre-back James Chester to break the deadlock, with the former applauding Ronaldo in a headline that says: "Again he is the man of the match." Online national newspaper Diario de Noticias shows Ronaldo celebrating on their front page with a quote from the captain that says: "The dream is here. I believe." Ronaldo started in Portugal's 1-0 defeat to Greece in the final of Euro 2004 and also when the team reached the semi-finals four years ago but were eliminated by Spain on penalties. The Publico national daily newspaper has a photograph of Ronaldo celebrating with his team mates on its front page with the headline: "All that is left is the Cup." According to Ojogo, Ronaldo is showing more determination and resolve than ever before in the hope of leading Portugal to their first European title. The Sports daily includes a quote from Ronaldo on their front page which reads: "I believe we will win in Paris." Portugal will meet hosts France or Germany in Sunday's final in Paris. (Reuters)

Portuguese press hails goal hero Ronaldo

Defying pouring rain, France supporters at the official fan zone at the foot of the iconic Eiffel Tower celebrated their team&#39;s crushing 5-2 defeat of underdogs Iceland on Sunday. 
 
Hosts France brought Iceland&#39;s dream Euro 2016 run to a grinding halt when they demolished the outsiders in their Euro 2016 quarter-final, setting up a match against Germany. 
 
&quot;The French played really well tonight, they got better since last time, they&#39;re doing better and better and I think they can win against Germany,&quot; said Chloe, a France supporter. 
 
For many of those at the fan zone, the victory was a relief from the aftermath of the November 2015 Islamic State attacks in Paris which killed 130 people and prompted the government to impose an emergency rule. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a good answer to everything that happened in France this year, especially the attacks. We showed tonight that we are here, all together, all united,&quot; said another fan. 
 
Iceland&#39;s resistance was broken after 12 minutes when Blaise Matuidi&#39;s pass over Iceland&#39;s defence sent Olivier Giroud clear and he placed an angled shot past keeper Hannes Halldorsson. 
 
Paul Pogba headed the second in the 20th minute and France ended Iceland&#39;s hopes when Dimitri Payet and Antoine Griezmann scored twice in three minutes to put the hosts 4-0 ahead at halftime. 
 
Kolbeinn Sigthorsson turned in Gylfi Sigurdsson&#39;s cross in the 56th for Iceland but Giroud then scored his second when he headed in Payet&#39;s free kick three minutes later. Iceland&#39;s Birkir Bjarnason got a consolation goal six minutes from time. 
 
(Reuters)

France will now play Germany in the semi-finals

Defying pouring rain, France supporters at the official fan zone at the foot of the iconic Eiffel Tower celebrated their team's crushing 5-2 defeat of underdogs Iceland on Sunday. Hosts France brought Iceland's dream Euro 2016 run to a grinding halt when they demolished the outsiders in their Euro 2016 quarter-final, setting up a match against Germany. "The French played really well tonight, they got better since last time, they're doing better and better and I think they can win against Germany," said Chloe, a France supporter. For many of those at the fan zone, the victory was a relief from the aftermath of the November 2015 Islamic State attacks in Paris which killed 130 people and prompted the government to impose an emergency rule. "It's a good answer to everything that happened in France this year, especially the attacks. We showed tonight that we are here, all together, all united," said another fan. Iceland's resistance was broken after 12 minutes when Blaise Matuidi's pass over Iceland's defence sent Olivier Giroud clear and he placed an angled shot past keeper Hannes Halldorsson. Paul Pogba headed the second in the 20th minute and France ended Iceland's hopes when Dimitri Payet and Antoine Griezmann scored twice in three minutes to put the hosts 4-0 ahead at halftime. Kolbeinn Sigthorsson turned in Gylfi Sigurdsson's cross in the 56th for Iceland but Giroud then scored his second when he headed in Payet's free kick three minutes later. Iceland's Birkir Bjarnason got a consolation goal six minutes from time. (Reuters)

France end Iceland's dream Euro 2016 run

Belgium sacked national coach Marc Wilmots today after their highly fancied team of talents failed to advance beyond the quarter-finals at Euro 2016 this month, Belgian Football Association president Francois De Keersmaecker said. 
 
&quot;The objectives set for the Euros were not achieved. We need a new momentum,&quot; he told a news conference. 
 
A search was under way for a coach with international experience to take over before a friendly against Spain on September 1 ahead of the World Cup qualifiers. 
 
He thanked Wilmots for his achievements over the past four years and said an understanding had been reached over Wilmots contract, which had a compensation clause if he were sacked. 
 
The former Schalke midfielder, 47, took the Red Devils to the quarter-finals of the last World Cup and top of FIFAs world ranking chart with a team built around Chelseas Eden Hazard and Manchester City pair Vincent Kompany and Kevin De Bruyne. 
 
But a clueless and disjointed 3-1 defeat to Wales in the Euro 2016 quarters left critics calling for Wilmotshead and Belgian fans wondering what happened to the team that many had hoped would deliver the countrys first major trophy. 
 
(Reuters)

A search is under way for a coach with international experience to take over on September 1 ahead of the World Cup qualifiers

Belgium sacked national coach Marc Wilmots today after their highly fancied team of talents failed to advance beyond the quarter-finals at Euro 2016 this month, Belgian Football Association president Francois De Keersmaecker said. "The objectives set for the Euros were not achieved. We need a new momentum," he told a news conference. A search was under way for a coach with international experience to take over before a friendly against Spain on September 1 ahead of the World Cup qualifiers. He thanked Wilmots for his achievements over the past four years and said an understanding had been reached over Wilmots contract, which had a compensation clause if he were sacked. The former Schalke midfielder, 47, took the Red Devils to the quarter-finals of the last World Cup and top of FIFAs world ranking chart with a team built around Chelseas Eden Hazard and Manchester City pair Vincent Kompany and Kevin De Bruyne. But a clueless and disjointed 3-1 defeat to Wales in the Euro 2016 quarters left critics calling for Wilmotshead and Belgian fans wondering what happened to the team that many had hoped would deliver the countrys first major trophy. (Reuters)

Belgium sack coach Wilmots after Euro disappointment

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

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

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

Roberto Di Matteo is Aston Villa's new manager

France will have the perfect opportunity to avenge their defeat to Germany in the 2014 World Cup when they take on their old foes in the Euro 2016 semi-finals on Thursday, according to star striker Olivier Giroud. 
 
&quot;It will be a great match, we have a lot of desire to get our own back for the World Cup,&quot; Giroud said after his two goals helped France thrash Iceland 5-2 in Sunday&#39;s quarter-final. 
 
A header from Mats Hummels knocked France out in the quarter-final in Rio de Janeiro two years ago and Germany went on to win their fourth global crown. 
 
But an even more painful elimination at German hands lingers in the French sporting memory - the 1982 World Cup, which featured the infamous flooring of Patrick Battiston by Harald &quot;Toni&quot; Schumacher. 
 
Arsenal forward Giroud said the showdown with Germany in Marseille will be &quot;a completely different match&quot; to the romp against the Icelanders. 
 
&quot;They are the world champions and they are often in the last four of major tournaments,&quot; Giroud said. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m very proud of what this France side is achieving and I hope we&#39;ll come out once again with the right result.&quot; 
 
In contrast to France&#39;s straightforward passage, Germany were given a severe test in their quarter-final. Italy took them to an error-strewn penalty shootout in Bordeaux on Saturday before Joachim Loew&#39;s side triumphed 6-5. 
 
The Germans suffered injuries that ruled out Mario Gomez for the rest of the tournament and left key midfielders Sami Khedira and captain Bastian Schweinsteiger struggling to be fit in time. 
 
Despite those setbacks, France coach Didier Deschamps is in no doubt that Germany are the class act of the tournament. 
 
&quot;Germany are the best team, there is no doubt about that, even if Italy gave them a few scares. But we are there in the final four and we&#39;ll give it our all,&quot; Deschamps said. 
 
&quot;They are one of the rare teams which can control a match. It will be a great game but it won&#39;t be a stroll in the park.&quot; 
 
Home advantage 
 
France striker Antoine Griezmann said taking on the Germans in front of a predominantly French crowd at the Stade Velodrome will help. 
 
&quot;We&#39;ll have to give everything we&#39;ve got, it&#39;ll be a semi-final at home, in front of so many supporters,&quot; he said after his goal against Iceland left him top of the Euro 2016 scorers&#39; charts with four. 
 
Hummels will not be there to torture France again as he did on that stifling hot day in Rio since he has been suspended for the semi-final. 
 
Deschamps withdrew Giroud and key defender Laurent Koscielny during the Iceland game as they were at risk of suffering the same fate. 
 
The match on Thursday takes place almost 34 years to the day since the 1982 World Cup semi-final in Seville which ended in a traumatic defeat for Michel Platini&#39;s team. 
 
Schumacher&#39;s shoulder-charge on Battiston left the French substitute with three broken ribs, broken teeth and cracked vertebrae. The German goalkeeper escaped without even a booking as the referee claimed he had not seen the incident. 
 
France roared to a 3-1 lead in extra-time but the Germans fought back to equalise with goals from Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Klaus Fischer. The Germans, inevitably, won the penalty shootout 5-4, but went on to lose to Italy in the final. 
 
(AFP)

France look forward to set right their elimination at German hands in the 2014 World Cup with home ground advantage

France will have the perfect opportunity to avenge their defeat to Germany in the 2014 World Cup when they take on their old foes in the Euro 2016 semi-finals on Thursday, according to star striker Olivier Giroud. "It will be a great match, we have a lot of desire to get our own back for the World Cup," Giroud said after his two goals helped France thrash Iceland 5-2 in Sunday's quarter-final. A header from Mats Hummels knocked France out in the quarter-final in Rio de Janeiro two years ago and Germany went on to win their fourth global crown. But an even more painful elimination at German hands lingers in the French sporting memory - the 1982 World Cup, which featured the infamous flooring of Patrick Battiston by Harald "Toni" Schumacher. Arsenal forward Giroud said the showdown with Germany in Marseille will be "a completely different match" to the romp against the Icelanders. "They are the world champions and they are often in the last four of major tournaments," Giroud said. "I'm very proud of what this France side is achieving and I hope we'll come out once again with the right result." In contrast to France's straightforward passage, Germany were given a severe test in their quarter-final. Italy took them to an error-strewn penalty shootout in Bordeaux on Saturday before Joachim Loew's side triumphed 6-5. The Germans suffered injuries that ruled out Mario Gomez for the rest of the tournament and left key midfielders Sami Khedira and captain Bastian Schweinsteiger struggling to be fit in time. Despite those setbacks, France coach Didier Deschamps is in no doubt that Germany are the class act of the tournament. "Germany are the best team, there is no doubt about that, even if Italy gave them a few scares. But we are there in the final four and we'll give it our all," Deschamps said. "They are one of the rare teams which can control a match. It will be a great game but it won't be a stroll in the park." Home advantage France striker Antoine Griezmann said taking on the Germans in front of a predominantly French crowd at the Stade Velodrome will help. "We'll have to give everything we've got, it'll be a semi-final at home, in front of so many supporters," he said after his goal against Iceland left him top of the Euro 2016 scorers' charts with four. Hummels will not be there to torture France again as he did on that stifling hot day in Rio since he has been suspended for the semi-final. Deschamps withdrew Giroud and key defender Laurent Koscielny during the Iceland game as they were at risk of suffering the same fate. The match on Thursday takes place almost 34 years to the day since the 1982 World Cup semi-final in Seville which ended in a traumatic defeat for Michel Platini's team. Schumacher's shoulder-charge on Battiston left the French substitute with three broken ribs, broken teeth and cracked vertebrae. The German goalkeeper escaped without even a booking as the referee claimed he had not seen the incident. France roared to a 3-1 lead in extra-time but the Germans fought back to equalise with goals from Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Klaus Fischer. The Germans, inevitably, won the penalty shootout 5-4, but went on to lose to Italy in the final. (AFP)

France's Giroud eyes Germany revenge

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

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

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

Poland face test of patience against Northern Ireland

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Julen Lopetegui named as Spain's new coach

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

But he will skip friendly against England on Thursday

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

Ronaldo to lead Portugal at Euro 2016

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

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

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

Quaresma late goal takes Portugal into Euro quarters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

&nbsp;Two of the noisiest sets of supporters at Euro 2016 witnessed the first surprise result of the finals on Tuesday when Austria lost 2-0 to old rivals Hungary in the opening match of Group F. 
 
The Austrians had been unimpressive in some friendly matches since reeling off nine successive victories to win their qualifying section but they were still strong favourites. 
 
Hungary were therefore all the more delighted to achieve unexpected success in the 138th meeting between the countries with goals by Adam Szalai and substitute Zoltan Stieber. 
 
They appear to have surprised even themselves, since coach Bernd Storck had said victory would be &quot;a miracle&quot;. 
 
Perhaps he realised it was a day for the unexpected when centre forward Szalai scored. 
 
That had not happened for the national team since October 2014, against the might of the Faroe Islands. Nor had the former Real Madrid reserve player been exactly prolific at his various German clubs. 
 
Szalai showed more than one touch of class, however, in the 62nd minute, chesting down for man of the match Laszlo Kleinheisler, then sliding the return pass past the previously untroubled goalkeeper Robert Almer. 
 
TWO INCIDENTS 
 
That was the first of two incidents in as many minutes that turned the game. 
 
Austria retaliated almost immediately as Martin Hinteregger&#39;s shot beat keeper Gabor Kiraly but the referee ruled it out for a late tackle by their centre back Aleksandar Dragovic, who received his second yellow card and was sent off. 
 
Kiraly, the first 40-year-old to play in the European Championship, made an excellent save from Zlatko Junuzovic 10 minutes before halftime. 
 
His evening got better and better after almost suffering the worst possible start, when David Alaba&#39;s shot in the first minute flew past him but hit the post. 
 
Austria were the better side in the first half, but Alaba&#39;s influence in midfield slowly waned, causing coach Marcel Koller to wonder whether the Bayern Munich man might be better reverting to his club position in the back four. 
 
Koller has much else to ponder before the meeting with short-odds group favourites Portugal in Paris on Saturday, including an injury to the influential number 10 Junuzovic and Dragovic&#39;s suspension. 
 
The full back&#39;s ban is expected to bring an opportunity for Gyorgy Garics, who decided to stay with the squad after his father died of cancer last week. 
 
Meanwhile, the Hungarians, having qualified for the first time since reaching the 1972 semi-final, will be newly confident of claiming a place in the last-16 when they play Iceland earlier on Saturday. 
 
They have made the most of their preparation, unlike Austria, who may have been lured into complacency after their stunning qualification campaign. 
 
&quot;We got our reward for three weeks of hard work. Our recent friendlies helped. What we did in the second half was brilliant. Congratulations to the whole team,&quot; Storck said.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

Even their coach had said victory would be a 'miracle'

Two of the noisiest sets of supporters at Euro 2016 witnessed the first surprise result of the finals on Tuesday when Austria lost 2-0 to old rivals Hungary in the opening match of Group F. The Austrians had been unimpressive in some friendly matches since reeling off nine successive victories to win their qualifying section but they were still strong favourites. Hungary were therefore all the more delighted to achieve unexpected success in the 138th meeting between the countries with goals by Adam Szalai and substitute Zoltan Stieber. They appear to have surprised even themselves, since coach Bernd Storck had said victory would be "a miracle". Perhaps he realised it was a day for the unexpected when centre forward Szalai scored. That had not happened for the national team since October 2014, against the might of the Faroe Islands. Nor had the former Real Madrid reserve player been exactly prolific at his various German clubs. Szalai showed more than one touch of class, however, in the 62nd minute, chesting down for man of the match Laszlo Kleinheisler, then sliding the return pass past the previously untroubled goalkeeper Robert Almer. TWO INCIDENTS That was the first of two incidents in as many minutes that turned the game. Austria retaliated almost immediately as Martin Hinteregger's shot beat keeper Gabor Kiraly but the referee ruled it out for a late tackle by their centre back Aleksandar Dragovic, who received his second yellow card and was sent off. Kiraly, the first 40-year-old to play in the European Championship, made an excellent save from Zlatko Junuzovic 10 minutes before halftime. His evening got better and better after almost suffering the worst possible start, when David Alaba's shot in the first minute flew past him but hit the post. Austria were the better side in the first half, but Alaba's influence in midfield slowly waned, causing coach Marcel Koller to wonder whether the Bayern Munich man might be better reverting to his club position in the back four. Koller has much else to ponder before the meeting with short-odds group favourites Portugal in Paris on Saturday, including an injury to the influential number 10 Junuzovic and Dragovic's suspension. The full back's ban is expected to bring an opportunity for Gyorgy Garics, who decided to stay with the squad after his father died of cancer last week. Meanwhile, the Hungarians, having qualified for the first time since reaching the 1972 semi-final, will be newly confident of claiming a place in the last-16 when they play Iceland earlier on Saturday. They have made the most of their preparation, unlike Austria, who may have been lured into complacency after their stunning qualification campaign. "We got our reward for three weeks of hard work. Our recent friendlies helped. What we did in the second half was brilliant. Congratulations to the whole team," Storck said. (Reuters)

Another surprise result, Hungary beat old foes Austria 2-0

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

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

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

Ronaldo is no Messi, counters Iceland's Arnason

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

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

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

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

New England manager Sam Allardyce admitted Wayne Rooney has a significant part to play in his plans but refused to give assurances about the player&#39;s future as captain. 
 
Rooney recently expressed a desire to continue as skipper, despite criticism following England`s disastrous campaign at the 2016 European Championship in France. 
 
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho last week promised the 30-year-old that he would keep the armband at club level.&nbsp;But Allardyce, speaking at his first press conference since taking over from Roy Hodgson, did not follow suit. 
 
Instead England`s record goalscorer will have a nervous wait until September when Allardyce will meet his players for the first time ahead of their World Cup qualifier with Slovakia. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t want to put myself out in the open just yet. It&#39;s a decision that I&#39;ll make once I&#39;ve got my feet under the table,&quot; Allardyce said, when asked if Rooney would retain the captaincy. 
 
&quot;I have got to leave that until we reach all the players and get the coaching staff together and plan for the internationals in September.&nbsp;Will I wait until I meet the players? I think so. Put it this way - I still think Wayne Rooney still has a massive place to play in the England side. I don&#39;t think there is any doubt about that.&quot; 
 
Allardyce would not be drawn on whether he thinks Rooney is more suited to a midfield or striking role, and plans to follow Mourinho`s lead on where to deploy the player. 
 
&quot;What`s Rooney`s best position? I&#39;m not saying! I think Jose will determine that,&quot; added Allardyce. 
 
&quot;Because if Jose says he is not going to play him in centre midfield and he is playing up front and scoring goals for Manchester United then it would be pointless me bringing him into England and playing him in centre midfield,&quot; Allardyce, 61, acknowledged it is inevitable there will be occasions when he clashes with Premier League managers now he has crossed over into international management. 
 
He said: &quot;The demands on Premier League managers and demand on me as England manager is bound to cause some conflict down the line because the pressures are far greater than ever before. 
 
&quot;I think we suffered more sackings than ever before. So they are bound to want to protect their players and that is what I have to try and overcome with a little bit of give and take, hopefully.&quot; 
 
Allardyce, who signed a two-year contract to manage England, has promised his players that they will work in a &quot;fun&quot; environment while he is in charge. 
 
&quot;We don`t have to make it too monotonous when we are actually together,&quot; he explained. 
 
&quot;My style is very much in terms of man-management having a good relationship with the players. Not being distant. That`s not my style. I like to be in amongst the banter.&quot; 
 
Martin Glenn, the Football Association&#39;s chief executive, claimed that Allardyce was the only candidate that was offered the England job. 
 
And the former Blackburn, Bolton, Newcastle and Sunderland boss received a positive endorsement from legendary Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, who was consulted over the appointment. 
 
&quot;The single biggest thing (Ferguson said) was he`s a winner. He`s got the edge. Winners can sometimes be a bit awkward. That was his phrase. He`s a winner,&quot; Glenn said. 
 
Sammy Lee, Allardyce`s former assistant at Bolton Wanderers, will be part of England`s backroom staff while Glenn also confirmed that the FA are holding talks with Bayern Munich assistant coach Paul Clement over a part-time role. 
 
(AFP)

He gave no assurance about Rooney's future as captain saying, 'It's a decision that I'll make once I've got my feet under the table'

New England manager Sam Allardyce admitted Wayne Rooney has a significant part to play in his plans but refused to give assurances about the player's future as captain. Rooney recently expressed a desire to continue as skipper, despite criticism following England`s disastrous campaign at the 2016 European Championship in France. Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho last week promised the 30-year-old that he would keep the armband at club level. But Allardyce, speaking at his first press conference since taking over from Roy Hodgson, did not follow suit. Instead England`s record goalscorer will have a nervous wait until September when Allardyce will meet his players for the first time ahead of their World Cup qualifier with Slovakia. "I don't want to put myself out in the open just yet. It's a decision that I'll make once I've got my feet under the table," Allardyce said, when asked if Rooney would retain the captaincy. "I have got to leave that until we reach all the players and get the coaching staff together and plan for the internationals in September. Will I wait until I meet the players? I think so. Put it this way - I still think Wayne Rooney still has a massive place to play in the England side. I don't think there is any doubt about that." Allardyce would not be drawn on whether he thinks Rooney is more suited to a midfield or striking role, and plans to follow Mourinho`s lead on where to deploy the player. "What`s Rooney`s best position? I'm not saying! I think Jose will determine that," added Allardyce. "Because if Jose says he is not going to play him in centre midfield and he is playing up front and scoring goals for Manchester United then it would be pointless me bringing him into England and playing him in centre midfield," Allardyce, 61, acknowledged it is inevitable there will be occasions when he clashes with Premier League managers now he has crossed over into international management. He said: "The demands on Premier League managers and demand on me as England manager is bound to cause some conflict down the line because the pressures are far greater than ever before. "I think we suffered more sackings than ever before. So they are bound to want to protect their players and that is what I have to try and overcome with a little bit of give and take, hopefully." Allardyce, who signed a two-year contract to manage England, has promised his players that they will work in a "fun" environment while he is in charge. "We don`t have to make it too monotonous when we are actually together," he explained. "My style is very much in terms of man-management having a good relationship with the players. Not being distant. That`s not my style. I like to be in amongst the banter." Martin Glenn, the Football Association's chief executive, claimed that Allardyce was the only candidate that was offered the England job. And the former Blackburn, Bolton, Newcastle and Sunderland boss received a positive endorsement from legendary Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, who was consulted over the appointment. "The single biggest thing (Ferguson said) was he`s a winner. He`s got the edge. Winners can sometimes be a bit awkward. That was his phrase. He`s a winner," Glenn said. Sammy Lee, Allardyce`s former assistant at Bolton Wanderers, will be part of England`s backroom staff while Glenn also confirmed that the FA are holding talks with Bayern Munich assistant coach Paul Clement over a part-time role. (AFP)

Jose Mourinho will determine Rooney's best position, says Allardyce

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane confirmed today that Spanish forward Jese Rodriguez is in talks over a move away from the club to sign for Paris St Germain. 
 
The 23-year-old has one season remaining on his contract with the Champions League winners, but the desire for more playing time appears to be the motivation for a possible transfer to Ligue 1. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s not a done deal but negotiations are going well,&quot; Zidane told the club&#39;s official website ahead of the pre-season friendly against Bayern Munich in New Jersey today.&nbsp;&quot;Once we return to Madrid, we will know more about this issue.&quot; 
 
Jese scored six goals and assisted on six more in 39 appearances for Real in the 2015-16 campaign, but only started 12 of those games.&nbsp;The return of Spanish forward Alvaro Morata after two seasons with Italian champions Juventus will further limit Jese&#39;s playing time in an already star-studded attack that includes Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema. 
 
Zidane believes a move to PSG would be the best option for the player. 
 
&quot;I think it&#39;s the ideal place for him because it&#39;s a good team and he will score many goals there,&quot; Zidane added. &quot;It&#39;s an important club.&quot; 
 
A Real Madrid youth product, Jese was promoted to the first team in 2013 and scored eight goals in 31 appearances in his first season with the side. However, a knee injury limited him to just 23 appearances in the following campaign. 
 
Spanish sports daily Marca reported this week that Jese has agreed to sign a four-year deal with the French champions and would move to Paris for a fee of 25 million Euros ($27.98 million). 
 
Zidane did give a strong indication that Real may include a buy-back clause in Jese&#39;s contract, just as the club did when Morata joined Juventus two years ago. 
 
&quot;I hope that everything goes well for him and that he returns to Real Madrid, which is his home,&quot; Zidane said.&nbsp;&quot;Perhaps it will be a year and he then comes back.&quot; 
 
Spanish coach Unai Emery, who replaced Laurent Blanc at PSG last month, recently declared his admiration for Jese, a player he previously attempted to acquire during his three-and-a-half year stint with Sevilla.&nbsp;Should the deal be completed, Jese will become the first player from Real&#39;s first team to leave the club this off-season 
 
(Reuters)

Rodriguez was promoted to the first team in 2013 and scored eight goals in 31 appearances in his first season with the side

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane confirmed today that Spanish forward Jese Rodriguez is in talks over a move away from the club to sign for Paris St Germain. The 23-year-old has one season remaining on his contract with the Champions League winners, but the desire for more playing time appears to be the motivation for a possible transfer to Ligue 1. "It's not a done deal but negotiations are going well," Zidane told the club's official website ahead of the pre-season friendly against Bayern Munich in New Jersey today. "Once we return to Madrid, we will know more about this issue." Jese scored six goals and assisted on six more in 39 appearances for Real in the 2015-16 campaign, but only started 12 of those games. The return of Spanish forward Alvaro Morata after two seasons with Italian champions Juventus will further limit Jese's playing time in an already star-studded attack that includes Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema. Zidane believes a move to PSG would be the best option for the player. "I think it's the ideal place for him because it's a good team and he will score many goals there," Zidane added. "It's an important club." A Real Madrid youth product, Jese was promoted to the first team in 2013 and scored eight goals in 31 appearances in his first season with the side. However, a knee injury limited him to just 23 appearances in the following campaign. Spanish sports daily Marca reported this week that Jese has agreed to sign a four-year deal with the French champions and would move to Paris for a fee of 25 million Euros ($27.98 million). Zidane did give a strong indication that Real may include a buy-back clause in Jese's contract, just as the club did when Morata joined Juventus two years ago. "I hope that everything goes well for him and that he returns to Real Madrid, which is his home," Zidane said. "Perhaps it will be a year and he then comes back." Spanish coach Unai Emery, who replaced Laurent Blanc at PSG last month, recently declared his admiration for Jese, a player he previously attempted to acquire during his three-and-a-half year stint with Sevilla. Should the deal be completed, Jese will become the first player from Real's first team to leave the club this off-season (Reuters)

Jese Rodriguez in talks to join PSG, confirms Real Madrid Coach

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

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

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

Premier League: Spurs hold Everton to 1-1 draw

Romania face mounting injury problems ahead of their decisive Euro 2016 tie with Albania following a bruising 1-1 draw with Switzerland on Wednesday. The result means Anghel Iordanescu&rsquo;s men can still qualify for the last 16 from Group A, provided they can win against tournament debutants Albania on Sunday. 
 
However, Romania&rsquo;s prospects appear grim after central midfielder Mihai Pintilii and talismanic left back Razvan Rat hobbled off with injuries at Parc des Princes on Wednesday night. 
 
&ldquo;Pintilii has some physical problems. I don&rsquo;t know if he will be ready for the next game,&rdquo; Romania coach Anghel Iordanescu told a news conference. &ldquo;Rat asked to be substituted. It&rsquo;s difficult to say whether he will play.&rdquo; 
 
Iordanescu, in his third stint in charge of the national team, said Rat&rsquo;s second-half replacement Steliano Filip was also hurt, while goal scorer Bogdan Stancu was suffering from muscle pains. 
 
Romania began well against Switzerland, taking the lead through Stancu&rsquo;s 18th-minute penalty, but they tired after half-time as the Swiss equalised via Admir Mehmedi&rsquo;s fierce 57th-minute half-volley. The Swiss continued to push for a winner that would have guaranteed Vladimir Petkovic&rsquo;s men a place in the knockout rounds, but it was not to be. 
 
&ldquo;We went through two completely opposite halves. First half we controlled the ball, linked play and &hellip; created some other chances,&rdquo; added Iordanescu. &ldquo;We suffered a lot during the second half and were facing huge pressure from Switzerland.&rdquo; 
 
Switzerland again lacked ruthlessness in front of goal, converting only one of their 19 attempts, of which six were on target. 
 
Striker Haris Seferovic, who has struggled at Eintracht Frankfurt this season, wasted two simple chances in the first half. The effort from the rest of the team also seemed patchy.&nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t say we&rsquo;re very happy with the result,&rdquo; said man-of-the-match Granit Xhaka. &ldquo;It was one of the best performances our national team has shown, we have created so many chances but unfortunately we couldn&rsquo;t win because we didn&rsquo;t finish.&rdquo; 
 
A point against France in their final group match would lift Switzerland to five points, guaranteeing a top-two finish. 
(Reuters)

Central midfielder Mihai Pintilii and left back Razvan Rat had to hobble off the field

Romania face mounting injury problems ahead of their decisive Euro 2016 tie with Albania following a bruising 1-1 draw with Switzerland on Wednesday. The result means Anghel Iordanescu’s men can still qualify for the last 16 from Group A, provided they can win against tournament debutants Albania on Sunday. However, Romania’s prospects appear grim after central midfielder Mihai Pintilii and talismanic left back Razvan Rat hobbled off with injuries at Parc des Princes on Wednesday night. “Pintilii has some physical problems. I don’t know if he will be ready for the next game,” Romania coach Anghel Iordanescu told a news conference. “Rat asked to be substituted. It’s difficult to say whether he will play.” Iordanescu, in his third stint in charge of the national team, said Rat’s second-half replacement Steliano Filip was also hurt, while goal scorer Bogdan Stancu was suffering from muscle pains. Romania began well against Switzerland, taking the lead through Stancu’s 18th-minute penalty, but they tired after half-time as the Swiss equalised via Admir Mehmedi’s fierce 57th-minute half-volley. The Swiss continued to push for a winner that would have guaranteed Vladimir Petkovic’s men a place in the knockout rounds, but it was not to be. “We went through two completely opposite halves. First half we controlled the ball, linked play and … created some other chances,” added Iordanescu. “We suffered a lot during the second half and were facing huge pressure from Switzerland.” Switzerland again lacked ruthlessness in front of goal, converting only one of their 19 attempts, of which six were on target. Striker Haris Seferovic, who has struggled at Eintracht Frankfurt this season, wasted two simple chances in the first half. The effort from the rest of the team also seemed patchy. “I can’t say we’re very happy with the result,” said man-of-the-match Granit Xhaka. “It was one of the best performances our national team has shown, we have created so many chances but unfortunately we couldn’t win because we didn’t finish.” A point against France in their final group match would lift Switzerland to five points, guaranteeing a top-two finish. (Reuters)

Romania face injury woes after draw with Switzerland

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

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

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

US hammer Costa Rica, Colombia advance at Copa America

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

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

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

Italy can overcome Ibrahimovic threat to beat Sweden - De Rossi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bale and Ronaldo to go head-to-head

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

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

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

Messi becomes Argentina's all-time top goalscorer

From Bhubaneshwar to Germany: 11-year old slum boy made it to training at Bayern Munich football club.

Indian slum boy makes it to Bayern Munich Football Club

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Belgium seal last-16 berth with 1-0 win over Sweden, Ibrahimovic bows out