England&#39;s new manager Sam Allardyce vowed today to break the psychological barrier hindering performance of the country&#39;s big-name players at international level. 
 
Allardyce also revealed he has not yet made a decision on who will captain England, which leaves the Manchester United skipper Wayne Rooney, heavily criticised for his performances at Euro 2016, sweating on whether he will retain the armband. 
 
England&#39;s campaign at last month&#39;s European Championships under predecessor Roy Hodgson culminated in a humiliating exit to Iceland in the last 16, despite boasting a squad packed with Premier League talent. Hodgson quickly quit. 
 
Allardyce, speaking at his first press conference at St George&rsquo;s Park following his appointment, will seek to address that faulty mindset as England bid to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. 
 
&quot;The pressure on players at international level we will be looking at in depth,&quot; said the 61-year-old Englishman, nicknamed &#39;Big Sam&#39;, who lost out to Steve McClaren for the England job 10 years ago. 
 
&quot;I will exploit all areas for the benefit of the players. The key element is to get among the staff in place and talk about the programme going forward, particularly psychologically. 
 
&quot;It&rsquo;s not about potential now. It&rsquo;s about standing up and being counted even though some of those experiences have been bitter. Potential is a word I don&rsquo;t like to use too much. You want the actual quality of the player producing his best immediately.&quot; 
 
&quot;I think this group is very experienced and going forward can be producing more performances and better results. It&rsquo;s not just about qualifying, but going as far as we can.&quot; 
 
It is anticipated that Allardyce, a former manager of many clubs including Bolton, Newcastle, West Ham and most recently Sunderland, will not make a call on Rooney&#39;s captaincy until the players join up for the World Cup qualifier with Slovakia on September 4. 
 
&quot;That&#39;s far too early to make predictions in that area,&quot; Allardyce said, when asked if Rooney would continue as skipper. &quot;I will leave that (the captaincy) until we get together and plan for the qualifiers.&quot; 
 
Allardyce acknowledges England job as &#39;biggest challenge&#39;&nbsp; 
 
Allardyce, who guided Sunderland to Premier League last season having taken over with them in a desperate position, has never won a major trophy and acknowledged the England job is the &quot;biggest challenge&quot; of his managerial career. 
 
Allardyce believes, however, he has the right credentials for the position and remains confident the &quot;Three Lions&quot; will progress under his stewardship. 
 
&quot;This will be the greatest challenge for me in my long career and hopefully I will be as successful as I have in the rest of my career,&quot; said the man who has faced criticism down the years for long-ball football. 
 
Jose Mourinho famously once described Allardyce&#39;s football as &quot;19th century&quot;. 
 
&quot;I can turn things around pretty quickly. I can create a successful journey and that starts with us all pulling together,&quot; added Allardyce. 
 
&quot;What is my style? Pragmatic. Choosing styles and systems depends on who we are playing. My coaching technique is to win a football match, home or away, whether we are at Wembley or not, and adapt to the style we play to the opposition.&quot; 
 
&quot;I think the bonding of the team is exceptionally important. A game of football is to be enjoyed.&quot; 
 
Allardyce confirmed Sammy Lee, his former assistant when he was in charge of Bolton Wanderers, will become part of his backroom staff. 
 
He also called for the introduction of a winter break in the Premier League to help boost the national team&rsquo;s flagging fortunes. 
 
&quot;I have been an advocate of that for 10 years or more. The demand on players is enormous,&quot; he explained. 
 
&quot;The Premier League is the best league in the world so demand has to be on the players. It would help the Premier League and us at international level if we could try and achieve it.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Allardyce will seek to address that faulty mindset as England bid to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia

England's new manager Sam Allardyce vowed today to break the psychological barrier hindering performance of the country's big-name players at international level. Allardyce also revealed he has not yet made a decision on who will captain England, which leaves the Manchester United skipper Wayne Rooney, heavily criticised for his performances at Euro 2016, sweating on whether he will retain the armband. England's campaign at last month's European Championships under predecessor Roy Hodgson culminated in a humiliating exit to Iceland in the last 16, despite boasting a squad packed with Premier League talent. Hodgson quickly quit. Allardyce, speaking at his first press conference at St George’s Park following his appointment, will seek to address that faulty mindset as England bid to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. "The pressure on players at international level we will be looking at in depth," said the 61-year-old Englishman, nicknamed 'Big Sam', who lost out to Steve McClaren for the England job 10 years ago. "I will exploit all areas for the benefit of the players. The key element is to get among the staff in place and talk about the programme going forward, particularly psychologically. "It’s not about potential now. It’s about standing up and being counted even though some of those experiences have been bitter. Potential is a word I don’t like to use too much. You want the actual quality of the player producing his best immediately." "I think this group is very experienced and going forward can be producing more performances and better results. It’s not just about qualifying, but going as far as we can." It is anticipated that Allardyce, a former manager of many clubs including Bolton, Newcastle, West Ham and most recently Sunderland, will not make a call on Rooney's captaincy until the players join up for the World Cup qualifier with Slovakia on September 4. "That's far too early to make predictions in that area," Allardyce said, when asked if Rooney would continue as skipper. "I will leave that (the captaincy) until we get together and plan for the qualifiers." Allardyce acknowledges England job as 'biggest challenge' Allardyce, who guided Sunderland to Premier League last season having taken over with them in a desperate position, has never won a major trophy and acknowledged the England job is the "biggest challenge" of his managerial career. Allardyce believes, however, he has the right credentials for the position and remains confident the "Three Lions" will progress under his stewardship. "This will be the greatest challenge for me in my long career and hopefully I will be as successful as I have in the rest of my career," said the man who has faced criticism down the years for long-ball football. Jose Mourinho famously once described Allardyce's football as "19th century". "I can turn things around pretty quickly. I can create a successful journey and that starts with us all pulling together," added Allardyce. "What is my style? Pragmatic. Choosing styles and systems depends on who we are playing. My coaching technique is to win a football match, home or away, whether we are at Wembley or not, and adapt to the style we play to the opposition." "I think the bonding of the team is exceptionally important. A game of football is to be enjoyed." Allardyce confirmed Sammy Lee, his former assistant when he was in charge of Bolton Wanderers, will become part of his backroom staff. He also called for the introduction of a winter break in the Premier League to help boost the national team’s flagging fortunes. "I have been an advocate of that for 10 years or more. The demand on players is enormous," he explained. "The Premier League is the best league in the world so demand has to be on the players. It would help the Premier League and us at international level if we could try and achieve it." (AFP)

New boss Sam Allardyce vows to improve England team mentality

Belgium striker Michy Batshuayi is set to join Chelsea from Ligue 1 club Olympique Marseille, French sports daily L&#39;Equipe reported today. 
 
The 22-year-old Batshuayi is expected to sign a five-year contract for the Premier League side for a transfer fee of some 40 million euros ($44.30 million), the newspaper said without citing sources. 
 
Marseille had reached a deal with another Premier League club, Crystal Palace, earlier this week but Batshuayi turned down the offer, L&#39;Equipe wrote. 
 
Batshuayi had to pass a medical in Bordeaux, France, where Belgium are based for the European Championship finals, and Chelsea could announce the deal later today, according to the French newspaper. 
 
Batshuayi who joined Marseille from Belgian side Standard Liege in 2014, scored 23 goals in all competitions this season. 
 
Belgium face Wales on Friday in Lille for a place in the semi-finals of Euro 2016. 
 
(Reuters)

Michy Batshuayi who joined Marseille from Belgian side Standard Liege in 2014, scored 23 goals in all competitions this season

Belgium striker Michy Batshuayi is set to join Chelsea from Ligue 1 club Olympique Marseille, French sports daily L'Equipe reported today. The 22-year-old Batshuayi is expected to sign a five-year contract for the Premier League side for a transfer fee of some 40 million euros ($44.30 million), the newspaper said without citing sources. Marseille had reached a deal with another Premier League club, Crystal Palace, earlier this week but Batshuayi turned down the offer, L'Equipe wrote. Batshuayi had to pass a medical in Bordeaux, France, where Belgium are based for the European Championship finals, and Chelsea could announce the deal later today, according to the French newspaper. Batshuayi who joined Marseille from Belgian side Standard Liege in 2014, scored 23 goals in all competitions this season. Belgium face Wales on Friday in Lille for a place in the semi-finals of Euro 2016. (Reuters)

Batshuayi to join Chelsea, L'Equipe reports

Lionel Messi scored a record-equalling 54th international goal as Argentina outclassed Venezuela 4-1 to book their place in the semi-finals of the Copa America Centenario on Saturday. 
 
The Barcelona superstar scored his fourth goal of the tournament in the 60th minute at the Gillette Stadium to equal Gabriel Batistuta&#39;s long-time Argentina international goalscoring record. 
 
Messi also created a goal for Gonzalo Higuain, who scored twice, and second half substitute Erik Lamela as Argentina set up a semi-final against the United States in Houston on Tuesday. 
 
Afterwards Messi played down his goalscoring milestone. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m happy for what it means and it&#39;s nice to be next to &#39;Batigol&#39; (Batistuta), but for me tonight the most important thing is the result,&quot; Messi said. 
 
Messi is determined to lead Argentina to their first trophy in 23 years after a series of agonizing near-misses which include defeats in the finals of last year&#39;s Copa America and the 2014 World Cup final. 
 
&quot;I think people sometimes overlook that we got to two finals, and only focus on the fact that we lost,&quot; Messi said. 
 
&quot;For us to be back in another semi-final of a big tournament like this one is a great achievement for these players.&quot; 
 
Inspirational display 
 
Few would bet against Messi achieving his goal after an inspirational display that left Venezuela chasing shadows in the early part of Saturday&#39;s quarter-final. 
 
Messi&#39;s genius created the opening goal after eight minutes, with the playmaker lofting a sublime curling pass to pick out Higuain&#39;s run into the area. 
 
Napoli forward Higuain still had plenty to do but skillfully directed a first time strike past Venezuela goalkeeper Dani Hernandez for a wonderful goal. 
 
Argentina remained firmly in control but were jolted in the 27th minute when Nicolas Gaitan picked up a needless yellow card for a kick on Alexander Gonzalez that will see him suspended for the semi-final. 
 
Argentina&#39;s dominance clearly had Venezuela rattled, and the Vinotinto&#39;s defensive unease led to the next goal. 
 
A slack backpass from Arquimedes Figuera went straight to Higuain in space, and the striker coolly rounded Hernandez to stroke home his second of the night to make it 2-0 after 29 minutes. 
 
But just when it looked as if the floodgates would open, Venezuela rallied impressively and had Argentina rocking with a series of chances. 
 
Rondon threat 
 
West Bromwich Albion striker Salomon Rondon forced a save from Sergio Romero and hit the woodwork in quick succession. 
 
Romero was left scrambling to save once again just before half-time, when fullback Rolf Feltscher&#39;s long-range shot deflected off Gabriel Mercado and looped up and over the Argentina keeper. 
 
Venezuela looked to have a justifiable claim for a penalty when Higuain brought down Josef Martinez in the box but Mexican referee Roberto Garcia was unmoved. 
 
Seconds later though Garcia was pointing to the spot after Romero clumsily bundled over Martinez for a clear penalty. 
 
But Venezuela&#39;s pressure went unrewarded when Luis Manuel Seijas tried a risky &quot;Panenka&quot; down the middle which Romero read and gathered with ease. 
 
Venezuela were unable to renew their period of pressure in the second half, and Messi effectively put the contest to bed with his record-equalling goal in the 60th minute, which came after Argentina pressed high to force a turnover. 
 
Gaitan won the tackle and passed to Messi, who quickly played a one-two with the Benfica winger before poking his finish between Hernandez&#39;s legs. 
 
Rondon pulled a goal back with a header in the 70th minute, but Messi&#39;s response was instant, threading a pass to Lamela whose shot crept in at Hernandez&#39;s near post. 
(AFP)

Messi seems determined to lead Argentina to its first trophy in 23 years after a series of misses

Lionel Messi scored a record-equalling 54th international goal as Argentina outclassed Venezuela 4-1 to book their place in the semi-finals of the Copa America Centenario on Saturday. The Barcelona superstar scored his fourth goal of the tournament in the 60th minute at the Gillette Stadium to equal Gabriel Batistuta's long-time Argentina international goalscoring record. Messi also created a goal for Gonzalo Higuain, who scored twice, and second half substitute Erik Lamela as Argentina set up a semi-final against the United States in Houston on Tuesday. Afterwards Messi played down his goalscoring milestone. "I'm happy for what it means and it's nice to be next to 'Batigol' (Batistuta), but for me tonight the most important thing is the result," Messi said. Messi is determined to lead Argentina to their first trophy in 23 years after a series of agonizing near-misses which include defeats in the finals of last year's Copa America and the 2014 World Cup final. "I think people sometimes overlook that we got to two finals, and only focus on the fact that we lost," Messi said. "For us to be back in another semi-final of a big tournament like this one is a great achievement for these players." Inspirational display Few would bet against Messi achieving his goal after an inspirational display that left Venezuela chasing shadows in the early part of Saturday's quarter-final. Messi's genius created the opening goal after eight minutes, with the playmaker lofting a sublime curling pass to pick out Higuain's run into the area. Napoli forward Higuain still had plenty to do but skillfully directed a first time strike past Venezuela goalkeeper Dani Hernandez for a wonderful goal. Argentina remained firmly in control but were jolted in the 27th minute when Nicolas Gaitan picked up a needless yellow card for a kick on Alexander Gonzalez that will see him suspended for the semi-final. Argentina's dominance clearly had Venezuela rattled, and the Vinotinto's defensive unease led to the next goal. A slack backpass from Arquimedes Figuera went straight to Higuain in space, and the striker coolly rounded Hernandez to stroke home his second of the night to make it 2-0 after 29 minutes. But just when it looked as if the floodgates would open, Venezuela rallied impressively and had Argentina rocking with a series of chances. Rondon threat West Bromwich Albion striker Salomon Rondon forced a save from Sergio Romero and hit the woodwork in quick succession. Romero was left scrambling to save once again just before half-time, when fullback Rolf Feltscher's long-range shot deflected off Gabriel Mercado and looped up and over the Argentina keeper. Venezuela looked to have a justifiable claim for a penalty when Higuain brought down Josef Martinez in the box but Mexican referee Roberto Garcia was unmoved. Seconds later though Garcia was pointing to the spot after Romero clumsily bundled over Martinez for a clear penalty. But Venezuela's pressure went unrewarded when Luis Manuel Seijas tried a risky "Panenka" down the middle which Romero read and gathered with ease. Venezuela were unable to renew their period of pressure in the second half, and Messi effectively put the contest to bed with his record-equalling goal in the 60th minute, which came after Argentina pressed high to force a turnover. Gaitan won the tackle and passed to Messi, who quickly played a one-two with the Benfica winger before poking his finish between Hernandez's legs. Rondon pulled a goal back with a header in the 70th minute, but Messi's response was instant, threading a pass to Lamela whose shot crept in at Hernandez's near post. (AFP)

Messi scores record goal as Argentina thrash Venezuela

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri is confident Riyad Mahrez will stay at the club after midfielder N&#39;Golo Kante&#39;s Chelsea move triggered speculation that the influential winger could follow suit. 
 
Leicester have already had to fight off advances from several clubs to keep striker Jamie Vardy and left wing-back Jeffrey Schlupp, and Ranieri was certain of retaining the majority of the Premier League title-winning squad. 
 
Mahrez remains the subject of interest from several clubs, including Spanish champions Barcelona, according to the British media, while Vardy rejected Arsenal and signed a new deal at Leicester last month. 
 
&quot;Only Kante wanted to go, that&#39;s okay. But I understood him, he came from a little team in France and had a fantastic season. I said to him, stay with us and have another year with us, but he wanted to go,&quot; Ranieri told British media. 
 
&quot;Everybody here is happy and yes, he wants to stay. No other players will go away. We will stay together. The football continues without Riyad or without Kante, but Riyad will stay with us for all of the years.&nbsp;It&#39;s important to maintain the group, with the spirit, with the humility. That&#39;s important for me.&quot; 
 
Leicester&#39;s head of recruitment Steve Walsh, who was instrumental in bringing both Mahrez and Kante to the club, has been heavily linked with the director of football role at Everton. 
 
Ranieri has already lost a major part of his backroom staff when highly-rated scout Ben Wrigglesworth went to Arsenal in January and Rob MacKenzie was installed as Tottenham Hotspur&#39;s head of talent identification in February.&nbsp;Leicester will kick off their title defence with a trip to the KC Stadium, where they will face promoted Hull City on August 13. 
 
(Reuters)

Leicester have already had to fight off advances from several clubs to keep striker Jamie Vardy and left wing-back Jeffrey Schlupp

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri is confident Riyad Mahrez will stay at the club after midfielder N'Golo Kante's Chelsea move triggered speculation that the influential winger could follow suit. Leicester have already had to fight off advances from several clubs to keep striker Jamie Vardy and left wing-back Jeffrey Schlupp, and Ranieri was certain of retaining the majority of the Premier League title-winning squad. Mahrez remains the subject of interest from several clubs, including Spanish champions Barcelona, according to the British media, while Vardy rejected Arsenal and signed a new deal at Leicester last month. "Only Kante wanted to go, that's okay. But I understood him, he came from a little team in France and had a fantastic season. I said to him, stay with us and have another year with us, but he wanted to go," Ranieri told British media. "Everybody here is happy and yes, he wants to stay. No other players will go away. We will stay together. The football continues without Riyad or without Kante, but Riyad will stay with us for all of the years. It's important to maintain the group, with the spirit, with the humility. That's important for me." Leicester's head of recruitment Steve Walsh, who was instrumental in bringing both Mahrez and Kante to the club, has been heavily linked with the director of football role at Everton. Ranieri has already lost a major part of his backroom staff when highly-rated scout Ben Wrigglesworth went to Arsenal in January and Rob MacKenzie was installed as Tottenham Hotspur's head of talent identification in February. Leicester will kick off their title defence with a trip to the KC Stadium, where they will face promoted Hull City on August 13. (Reuters)

Riyad Mahrez will not follow Kante out of Leicester, says Ranieri

Forget Italy&#39;s image of catenaccio (or &quot;door chain defence&quot;). Antonio Conte&rsquo;s Italy showed in a 2-0 defeat of Spain at Euro 2016 on Monday that they can do unchained attacking football too. 
 
The Azzurri, who will take on world champions Germany in a fascinating quarter-final on Saturday, had promised they would not be afraid to go forward against Spain. 
 
They certainly kept to their word, creating scores of opportunities and forcing David De Gea to make several superb saves. 
 
Italy&rsquo;s defensive performance were outstanding, the back three of Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli shutting down the Spanish forwards and comfortably cutting the wingers&rsquo; crosses throughout. 
 
&ldquo;It was definitely a great performance. I&rsquo;m pleased because this is a team who play football,&rdquo; said coach Conte, who was in the last Italian team to beat Spain in a competitive game at the 1994 World Cup. 
 
&ldquo;People think of Italy as a defensive side, but it&rsquo;s not the case. I don&rsquo;t coach players to counter attack. We are very well organised defensively but we are also organised going forward.&rdquo; 
 
Italy wasted several opportunities but their superiority in midfield, where they always field five players in a 3-5-2 formation, caused Spain plenty of trouble. 
 
The disciplined football was possible because the Azzurri have embraced a club culture, Conte said. 
 
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always said since I took over that the only route forward to achieve some semblance of success, was to try to be a club,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;To try to be a team who play a league season. &ldquo;There is no point in hiding the fact that it&rsquo;s not the rosiest period in terms of football talent for Italy so we need to be a team from every perspective.&rdquo; 
 
Man-of-the-match Bonucci added: &ldquo;We found a national team that has no top talents and we had to create a team, with a game plan, and Conte has been our leader.&quot; 
 
Monday&rsquo;s victory was all the sweeter for Italy since it came four years after they were humbled 4-0 in the Euro 2012 final. 
 
&ldquo;We had revenge on our minds and today we had something extra. We played well, we had positive feelings and so much willingness to do well,&quot; said Chiellini who scored Italy&rsquo;s first in the opening half before Graziano Pelle added a late second. 
 
&quot;After years of Spain dominating, we have been able to get some revenge. This is just the beginning.&rdquo; 
 
Conte may have a midfield problem against Germany, however, since Daniele De Rossi sustained a hip injury and his replacement Thiago Motta, picked up a yellow card and will be suspended. 
 
(Reuters)

The Italians will play Germany in the quarter-finals on Saturday

Forget Italy's image of catenaccio (or "door chain defence"). Antonio Conte’s Italy showed in a 2-0 defeat of Spain at Euro 2016 on Monday that they can do unchained attacking football too. The Azzurri, who will take on world champions Germany in a fascinating quarter-final on Saturday, had promised they would not be afraid to go forward against Spain. They certainly kept to their word, creating scores of opportunities and forcing David De Gea to make several superb saves. Italy’s defensive performance were outstanding, the back three of Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli shutting down the Spanish forwards and comfortably cutting the wingers’ crosses throughout. “It was definitely a great performance. I’m pleased because this is a team who play football,” said coach Conte, who was in the last Italian team to beat Spain in a competitive game at the 1994 World Cup. “People think of Italy as a defensive side, but it’s not the case. I don’t coach players to counter attack. We are very well organised defensively but we are also organised going forward.” Italy wasted several opportunities but their superiority in midfield, where they always field five players in a 3-5-2 formation, caused Spain plenty of trouble. The disciplined football was possible because the Azzurri have embraced a club culture, Conte said. “I’ve always said since I took over that the only route forward to achieve some semblance of success, was to try to be a club,” he said. “To try to be a team who play a league season. “There is no point in hiding the fact that it’s not the rosiest period in terms of football talent for Italy so we need to be a team from every perspective.” Man-of-the-match Bonucci added: “We found a national team that has no top talents and we had to create a team, with a game plan, and Conte has been our leader." Monday’s victory was all the sweeter for Italy since it came four years after they were humbled 4-0 in the Euro 2012 final. “We had revenge on our minds and today we had something extra. We played well, we had positive feelings and so much willingness to do well," said Chiellini who scored Italy’s first in the opening half before Graziano Pelle added a late second. "After years of Spain dominating, we have been able to get some revenge. This is just the beginning.” Conte may have a midfield problem against Germany, however, since Daniele De Rossi sustained a hip injury and his replacement Thiago Motta, picked up a yellow card and will be suspended. (Reuters)

Italy leave defending behind, put two past Spain

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

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

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

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

Jose Mourinho officially started work as Manchester United manager at the club&#39;s Carrington training base on Monday. 
 
The Portuguese man travelled to Manchester by train on Sunday night and posted a video on Instagram showing his arrival at Picadilly station, saying: &quot;I am here/UNITED we can&quot;. 
 
He arrived at Carrington with goalkeeping coach Silvino Louro on Monday morning. 
 
The 53-year-old was appointed as United boss in May after the sacking of Dutchman Louis van Gaal. 
 
Van Gaal won the FA Cup in his final match in charge, but in the Premier League he led the Red Devils to only fourth and fifth-placed finishes in his two seasons. 
 
Mourinho has already begun shaping his new squad to grace Old Trafford next season, with former Paris-Saint Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ivorian defender Eric Bailly high-profile new signings. 
 
The former Chelsea coach is also close to concluding a deal for Borussia Dortmund&#39;s Armenian playmaker Henrikh Mkhitaryan. 
 
The German club announced on Saturday that Mkhitaryan was close to finalising a deal with United after they had accepted an &quot;enormously valuable offer&quot;. 
 
Mourinho, who has won the Champions League with Porto and Inter Milan, saw his second spell at Stamford Bridge unceremoniously ended after a disastrous start to the Blues&#39; league title defence last term. 
 
Mourinho is set to be formally unveiled as United head coach on Tuesday before the players start pre-season training the following day. 
 
The three-time European champions take on Dortmund and rivals Manchester City on their pre-season tour of China later in July. 
 
(AFP)

Other new high-profile signings include former Paris-Saint Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ivorian defender Eric Bailly

Jose Mourinho officially started work as Manchester United manager at the club's Carrington training base on Monday. The Portuguese man travelled to Manchester by train on Sunday night and posted a video on Instagram showing his arrival at Picadilly station, saying: "I am here/UNITED we can". He arrived at Carrington with goalkeeping coach Silvino Louro on Monday morning. The 53-year-old was appointed as United boss in May after the sacking of Dutchman Louis van Gaal. Van Gaal won the FA Cup in his final match in charge, but in the Premier League he led the Red Devils to only fourth and fifth-placed finishes in his two seasons. Mourinho has already begun shaping his new squad to grace Old Trafford next season, with former Paris-Saint Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ivorian defender Eric Bailly high-profile new signings. The former Chelsea coach is also close to concluding a deal for Borussia Dortmund's Armenian playmaker Henrikh Mkhitaryan. The German club announced on Saturday that Mkhitaryan was close to finalising a deal with United after they had accepted an "enormously valuable offer". Mourinho, who has won the Champions League with Porto and Inter Milan, saw his second spell at Stamford Bridge unceremoniously ended after a disastrous start to the Blues' league title defence last term. Mourinho is set to be formally unveiled as United head coach on Tuesday before the players start pre-season training the following day. The three-time European champions take on Dortmund and rivals Manchester City on their pre-season tour of China later in July. (AFP)

Jose Mourinho's coaching reign kicks off in Manchester United

Manchester United are among several leading English Premier League (EPL) clubs to reject invitations from the Football League to have their academy sides play in the revamped English Football League Trophy. 
 
United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur were missing when the draw for the knockout tournament, which traditionally has just been made up from the 48 clubs involved in English football&#39;s third and fourth tiers, was made today. 
 
But Premier League champions Leicester City have agreed that their academy side will take part, with Chelsea also set to have their fledgling players compete in a tournament amid suggestions that Trophy matches would cause fixture clashes for top-flight academy teams, who already had sufficient matches in a season. 
 
In a bid to give a higher profile to the competition, officials announced in June that 16 &#39;category one&#39; academy outfits had been invited to take part. The new tournament will see 64 teams divided into 16 groups of four, on a north/south regional basis, each group containing one &#39;invited&#39; club. 
 
Then the top two from each group will go forward to a regional knockout round of 32, with the last 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals all open draws ahead of a final at London&#39;s Wembley Stadium on April 2. 
 
(AFP)

Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur were missing when the draw for the knockout tournament was made

Manchester United are among several leading English Premier League (EPL) clubs to reject invitations from the Football League to have their academy sides play in the revamped English Football League Trophy. United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur were missing when the draw for the knockout tournament, which traditionally has just been made up from the 48 clubs involved in English football's third and fourth tiers, was made today. But Premier League champions Leicester City have agreed that their academy side will take part, with Chelsea also set to have their fledgling players compete in a tournament amid suggestions that Trophy matches would cause fixture clashes for top-flight academy teams, who already had sufficient matches in a season. In a bid to give a higher profile to the competition, officials announced in June that 16 'category one' academy outfits had been invited to take part. The new tournament will see 64 teams divided into 16 groups of four, on a north/south regional basis, each group containing one 'invited' club. Then the top two from each group will go forward to a regional knockout round of 32, with the last 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals all open draws ahead of a final at London's Wembley Stadium on April 2. (AFP)

Premier League giants refuse English Football League Trophy invites

<div style="text-align: justify;">Italy&nbsp;moved into the knockout stages of Euro 2016 and continued to defy their doubters as Eder scored two minutes from fulltime to secure a 1-0 win over a shot-shy and unadventurous Sweden on Friday. 
Eder ended a great run by firing home to move&nbsp;Italy&nbsp;clear at the top of Group E on six points after two matches following their 2-0 victory over Belgium in their opening encounter. 
The result left Sweden in an uncomfortable position with one point after two games ahead of their final group clash against Belgium next week. 
Sweden were well organised at the back but toothless in attack, with their danger man Zlatan Ibrahimovic looking a shadow of his brilliant best and hardly creating a chance. 
Italy, who came into the tournament with questions surrounding the strength of their squad, but surprised many with their superb performance against a highly-fancied Belgium side, relied on their trademark, tight defence against the Swedes. 
They rarely threatened up front, however, until Marco Parolo hit the crossbar with a header shortly before Eder netted the winner. 
&quot;It was a difficult game,&quot;&nbsp;Italy&nbsp;coach Antonio Conte told Rai Sport. &quot;We struggled in the first half. 
&quot;The boys did well to ride the storm and hurt Sweden when we needed to.&quot; 
Italy&nbsp;had been praised for their unity and work rate in their opening win over Belgium, but appeared to have no answer to Sweden&#39;s organised rearguard until Eder&#39;s late intervention. 
Sweden coach Erik Hamren had criticised their lack of attacking vitality following their opening 1-1 draw with Ireland, and while there was an improvement in their overall performance, Ibrahimovic once again failed to provide a cutting edge and live up to his billing. 
&quot;We were much better than the Italians for periods, but we didn&rsquo;t create really dangerous chances,&quot; Sweden midfielder Albin Ekdal told Swedish broadcaster SVT. 
Sweden are still without a shot on target at the tournament, although Martin Olsson proved a menacing threat down the left, sending an effort just over the bar on 18 minutes having set the tone with an early cross that prompted a nervous clearance from Giorgio Chiellini. 
Olsson&#39;s frequent forays left space for Antonio Candreva, but Andreas Isaksson and Erik Johansson combined to clear his testing deliveries, while Ibrahimovic flashed a close-range header wide towards the end of the first half. 
Having masterminded victory over the Belgians, Conte&#39;s tactics were completely neutralised during the opening 45 minutes in Toulouse and his side appeared unsettled as a result. 
&quot;At halftime Conte told us we were too slow and he was right,&quot; Parolo told Rai Sport. 
&quot;We changed the tempo after the break and we deserved our victory.&quot; 
Conte introduced Simone Zaza in the 60th minute and he had a decisive role in the winner, heading a Chiellini throw in into the path of Eder. 
The forward then cut in from the left -- evading Andreas Granqvist&#39;s attempted tackle -- and sent a curling right-footed shot round Isaksson to take&nbsp;Italy&nbsp;through. 
(Reuters)</div>

Eder scored two minutes from full time to secure the win against Sweden

Italy moved into the knockout stages of Euro 2016 and continued to defy their doubters as Eder scored two minutes from fulltime to secure a 1-0 win over a shot-shy and unadventurous Sweden on Friday. Eder ended a great run by firing home to move Italy clear at the top of Group E on six points after two matches following their 2-0 victory over Belgium in their opening encounter. The result left Sweden in an uncomfortable position with one point after two games ahead of their final group clash against Belgium next week. Sweden were well organised at the back but toothless in attack, with their danger man Zlatan Ibrahimovic looking a shadow of his brilliant best and hardly creating a chance. Italy, who came into the tournament with questions surrounding the strength of their squad, but surprised many with their superb performance against a highly-fancied Belgium side, relied on their trademark, tight defence against the Swedes. They rarely threatened up front, however, until Marco Parolo hit the crossbar with a header shortly before Eder netted the winner. "It was a difficult game," Italy coach Antonio Conte told Rai Sport. "We struggled in the first half. "The boys did well to ride the storm and hurt Sweden when we needed to." Italy had been praised for their unity and work rate in their opening win over Belgium, but appeared to have no answer to Sweden's organised rearguard until Eder's late intervention. Sweden coach Erik Hamren had criticised their lack of attacking vitality following their opening 1-1 draw with Ireland, and while there was an improvement in their overall performance, Ibrahimovic once again failed to provide a cutting edge and live up to his billing. "We were much better than the Italians for periods, but we didn’t create really dangerous chances," Sweden midfielder Albin Ekdal told Swedish broadcaster SVT. Sweden are still without a shot on target at the tournament, although Martin Olsson proved a menacing threat down the left, sending an effort just over the bar on 18 minutes having set the tone with an early cross that prompted a nervous clearance from Giorgio Chiellini. Olsson's frequent forays left space for Antonio Candreva, but Andreas Isaksson and Erik Johansson combined to clear his testing deliveries, while Ibrahimovic flashed a close-range header wide towards the end of the first half. Having masterminded victory over the Belgians, Conte's tactics were completely neutralised during the opening 45 minutes in Toulouse and his side appeared unsettled as a result. "At halftime Conte told us we were too slow and he was right," Parolo told Rai Sport. "We changed the tempo after the break and we deserved our victory." Conte introduced Simone Zaza in the 60th minute and he had a decisive role in the winner, heading a Chiellini throw in into the path of Eder. The forward then cut in from the left -- evading Andreas Granqvist's attempted tackle -- and sent a curling right-footed shot round Isaksson to take Italy through. (Reuters)

Late goal allows Italy to enter knockout stages of Euro 2016

<div style="text-align: justify;">An ambitious project to awaken a sleeping giant of Asian soccer looks like confirming Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen&#39;s famous remark that India pricks up its ears only when comparisons with China are made. 
 
With China embarked on a multi-billion dollar mission to become a soccer superpower by 2050, India looks set to follow suit with its own plan to raise its status in the game to match its burgeoning economic power. 
 
Come&nbsp;October, India,&nbsp;most famously described as soccer&#39;s sleeping giant by former FIFA president Sepp Blatter, will launch a programme to engage more than 11 million children in soccer-related activities. 
 
All India Football Federation (AIFF) officials will not share details of the FIFA-backed programme yet, but according to a government statement, &quot;Mission 11 Million&quot; will be launched in about 30 cities across the country. 
 
As in China, where the soccer revolution was inspired by President Xi Jinping, the desire to improve India&#39;s standing in the world game goes to the very top. 
 
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March lamented India&#39;s decline from one of Asia&#39;s top soccer nations in the 1960s to its current position at 163rd in the FIFA rankings, sandwiched between the Comoros and Tajikistan. 
 
&nbsp;&quot;Unfortunately, over the decades we have slipped to the lowest rungs,&quot; Modi said in his weekly radio talk. 
 
&nbsp;&quot;Today our ranking in FIFA is so low that I feel reluctant even to mention it.&quot; 
 
With India hosting the under-17 World Cup next year, states have been asked to promote football in a pattern similar to the trend across the border in China. 
 
The world&#39;s most populous nation plans to engage 30 million school children by 2020 as the first step towards achieving Xi&#39;s &quot;three wishes&quot; for China - to qualify for a second World Cup finals, to host a World Cup and to eventually win one. 
 
TARGETING DIASPORA 
 
And while the AIFF are looking to engage as many of the country&#39;s 1.3 billion people as possible, they have also cast their net wider with a global scouting programme to identify talent in the Indian diaspora. 
 
&quot;The idea is to increase the talent pool,&quot; former India captain and head of the scouting programme Abhishek Yadav told Reuters. 
 
&nbsp;&quot;We can&#39;t guarantee that we can unearth 20 players overnight. It&#39;s an attempt, which we believe might work. There&#39;s no harm in trying.&quot; 
 
The programme encourages anyone under 16 with an Indian passport to post, on a soon-to-be-launched portal, a two-minute video from a competitive match. 
 
&quot;We wanted to give the message that if you&#39;re talented, location should not be a problem. All you need is a passport and potential,&quot; said the former forward, who played 67 matches for India between 2002-2011. 
 
Yadav and his team are now focusing on the Gulf States, where a large number of expatriates still hold Indian passports. 
 
&quot;Maybe we can then expand it to U.S. and Australia, where we have many Indian students as well as parents who recently migrated there. We will also look at South Africa and Germany.&quot; 
 
While this has added to the buzz in the country around the hosting of the under-17 World Cup, not everyone believes India is standing on the cusp of a soccer resurgence. 
 
&quot;The fundamental difference between the neighbours is that China woke up long ago and played in World Cup finals before veering slightly off-track,&quot; soccer writer Jaydeep Basu told Reuters. 
 
&nbsp;&quot;With state support, they are now trying to get back on track. In contrast, India, I&#39;m afraid, is still in deep slumber,&quot; added Basu, who has written an anecdotal history of Indian soccer. 
 
&nbsp;&quot;&#39;Mission 11 Million&#39; has a nice ring to it but with only 3,000-odd certified coaches around, who&#39;ll teach these kids to play soccer?&quot; 
 
&nbsp;As well as the lack of qualified coaches, Basu cites a fast-shrinking number of pitches - China plans to build 70,000 around the country by 2020 - and paucity of infrastructure as the major handicaps for Indian soccer. 
 
MESSY MERGER OF LEAGUES 
 
The AIFF is also preoccupied with a messy merger of two Indian leagues, which jeopardises the future of several sides, including a couple of century-old clubs in Kolkata. 
 
The franchise-based India Super League (ISL), which is promoted by billionaire Mukesh Ambani&#39;s Reliance Industries and Rupert Murdoch&#39;s Star India TV, looks set to supplant the I-League. 
 
&nbsp;&quot;I&#39;m afraid the ISL franchises have no soccer pedigree and I doubt if they have any long-term commitment to the game either,&quot; Basu said. 
 
&nbsp;&quot;Who can guarantee they won&#39;t switch to another business if they suffer losses in ISL?&quot; 
 
&nbsp;There is, however, no denying the ISL&#39;s spectacular success in gaining a foothold in India&#39;s cricket-dominated sporting landscape since the 2014 launch of the league with celebrity owners. 
 
&nbsp;The ISL debuted as the fourth biggest soccer league with an average attendance lower only than Germany&#39;s Bundesliga, the English Premier League and Spain&#39;s La Liga. 
 
&nbsp;The government hopes next year&#39;s under-17 World Cup will further consolidate football&#39;s popularity in India, attracting kids who would otherwise be picking up bats and heading to the neighbourhood cricket academy. 
 
&nbsp;&quot;Our youth, the children in our schools, should be drenched in sweat just playing football,&quot; Modi said in his radio talk. 
 
&quot;If that happens, we shall have real fun playing the host. So, all of us should make the effort to ensure football reaches every village, street and alley.&quot; 
(Reuters)</div>

The country will launch a programme to engage more than 11 million children in activities related to the sport

An ambitious project to awaken a sleeping giant of Asian soccer looks like confirming Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen's famous remark that India pricks up its ears only when comparisons with China are made. With China embarked on a multi-billion dollar mission to become a soccer superpower by 2050, India looks set to follow suit with its own plan to raise its status in the game to match its burgeoning economic power. Come October, India, most famously described as soccer's sleeping giant by former FIFA president Sepp Blatter, will launch a programme to engage more than 11 million children in soccer-related activities. All India Football Federation (AIFF) officials will not share details of the FIFA-backed programme yet, but according to a government statement, "Mission 11 Million" will be launched in about 30 cities across the country. As in China, where the soccer revolution was inspired by President Xi Jinping, the desire to improve India's standing in the world game goes to the very top. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March lamented India's decline from one of Asia's top soccer nations in the 1960s to its current position at 163rd in the FIFA rankings, sandwiched between the Comoros and Tajikistan. "Unfortunately, over the decades we have slipped to the lowest rungs," Modi said in his weekly radio talk. "Today our ranking in FIFA is so low that I feel reluctant even to mention it." With India hosting the under-17 World Cup next year, states have been asked to promote football in a pattern similar to the trend across the border in China. The world's most populous nation plans to engage 30 million school children by 2020 as the first step towards achieving Xi's "three wishes" for China - to qualify for a second World Cup finals, to host a World Cup and to eventually win one. TARGETING DIASPORA And while the AIFF are looking to engage as many of the country's 1.3 billion people as possible, they have also cast their net wider with a global scouting programme to identify talent in the Indian diaspora. "The idea is to increase the talent pool," former India captain and head of the scouting programme Abhishek Yadav told Reuters. "We can't guarantee that we can unearth 20 players overnight. It's an attempt, which we believe might work. There's no harm in trying." The programme encourages anyone under 16 with an Indian passport to post, on a soon-to-be-launched portal, a two-minute video from a competitive match. "We wanted to give the message that if you're talented, location should not be a problem. All you need is a passport and potential," said the former forward, who played 67 matches for India between 2002-2011. Yadav and his team are now focusing on the Gulf States, where a large number of expatriates still hold Indian passports. "Maybe we can then expand it to U.S. and Australia, where we have many Indian students as well as parents who recently migrated there. We will also look at South Africa and Germany." While this has added to the buzz in the country around the hosting of the under-17 World Cup, not everyone believes India is standing on the cusp of a soccer resurgence. "The fundamental difference between the neighbours is that China woke up long ago and played in World Cup finals before veering slightly off-track," soccer writer Jaydeep Basu told Reuters. "With state support, they are now trying to get back on track. In contrast, India, I'm afraid, is still in deep slumber," added Basu, who has written an anecdotal history of Indian soccer. "'Mission 11 Million' has a nice ring to it but with only 3,000-odd certified coaches around, who'll teach these kids to play soccer?" As well as the lack of qualified coaches, Basu cites a fast-shrinking number of pitches - China plans to build 70,000 around the country by 2020 - and paucity of infrastructure as the major handicaps for Indian soccer. MESSY MERGER OF LEAGUES The AIFF is also preoccupied with a messy merger of two Indian leagues, which jeopardises the future of several sides, including a couple of century-old clubs in Kolkata. The franchise-based India Super League (ISL), which is promoted by billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries and Rupert Murdoch's Star India TV, looks set to supplant the I-League. "I'm afraid the ISL franchises have no soccer pedigree and I doubt if they have any long-term commitment to the game either," Basu said. "Who can guarantee they won't switch to another business if they suffer losses in ISL?" There is, however, no denying the ISL's spectacular success in gaining a foothold in India's cricket-dominated sporting landscape since the 2014 launch of the league with celebrity owners. The ISL debuted as the fourth biggest soccer league with an average attendance lower only than Germany's Bundesliga, the English Premier League and Spain's La Liga. The government hopes next year's under-17 World Cup will further consolidate football's popularity in India, attracting kids who would otherwise be picking up bats and heading to the neighbourhood cricket academy. "Our youth, the children in our schools, should be drenched in sweat just playing football," Modi said in his radio talk. "If that happens, we shall have real fun playing the host. So, all of us should make the effort to ensure football reaches every village, street and alley." (Reuters)

'Mission 11 Million' to kickoff as India follows China's lead

Football Association chairman Greg Dyke has confirmed Sam Allardyce will be hired as England&#39;s next manager at an FA board meeting at Wembley today. 
 
Allardyce has been selected by a three-man panel who decided the Sunderland boss was the best bet on a short-list that also included Hull manager Steve Bruce, Bournemouth chief Eddie Howe and USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann. 
 
It has been reported that the FA&#39;s first choice was Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, but when he snubbed their approach, Allardyce, who had received a strong recommendation from former Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson, shot to the top of their list of candidates to replace Roy Hodgson. 
 
Dyke is due to step down after three years as FA chairman today but, although he was not involved in the head-hunting process, he will be present as FA chief executive Martin Glenn and vice-chairman David Gill present their reasons for nominating Allardyce. 
 
Asked if Allardyce was the man to take over from Hodgson, who stepped down after England&#39;s humiliating Euro 2016 defeat against Iceland, Dyke told Sky Sports News: &quot;Clearly the three-man group are convinced he&#39;s the right man and I go along with that, yes. 
 
&quot;We appointed a three-man committee to go out and look at all the candidates, come back with a recommendation who they thought was the best man. They&#39;ve taken that decision and obviously we&#39;ll agree with them. I think you&#39;d have to ask them but as far as I understand it that&#39;s the discussion.&quot; 
 
Once that is ratified the business of finalising the details will take precedence, with personal terms still to be settled and a compensation package for Sunderland among the outstanding issues. 
 
All parties would prefer for a swift resolution, with the new Premier League season on the horizon and England&#39;s World Cup qualifying campaign beginning on September 4, but it is possible an official announcement on Allardyce&#39;s appointment could be held up by negotiations. 
 
The Black Cats, who appeared to have found stability in the dugout after several seasons of managerial strife, have already made their unhappiness clear and could hold out for a sizeable pay-off. 
 
Allardyce took charge of Sunderland for what should be the final time during a 3-0 friendly win over Hartlepool on Wednesday, but did not re-emerge for the second half as news of his impending appointment broke. 
 
(AFP)

Football Association's first choice reportedly was Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger

Football Association chairman Greg Dyke has confirmed Sam Allardyce will be hired as England's next manager at an FA board meeting at Wembley today. Allardyce has been selected by a three-man panel who decided the Sunderland boss was the best bet on a short-list that also included Hull manager Steve Bruce, Bournemouth chief Eddie Howe and USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann. It has been reported that the FA's first choice was Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, but when he snubbed their approach, Allardyce, who had received a strong recommendation from former Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson, shot to the top of their list of candidates to replace Roy Hodgson. Dyke is due to step down after three years as FA chairman today but, although he was not involved in the head-hunting process, he will be present as FA chief executive Martin Glenn and vice-chairman David Gill present their reasons for nominating Allardyce. Asked if Allardyce was the man to take over from Hodgson, who stepped down after England's humiliating Euro 2016 defeat against Iceland, Dyke told Sky Sports News: "Clearly the three-man group are convinced he's the right man and I go along with that, yes. "We appointed a three-man committee to go out and look at all the candidates, come back with a recommendation who they thought was the best man. They've taken that decision and obviously we'll agree with them. I think you'd have to ask them but as far as I understand it that's the discussion." Once that is ratified the business of finalising the details will take precedence, with personal terms still to be settled and a compensation package for Sunderland among the outstanding issues. All parties would prefer for a swift resolution, with the new Premier League season on the horizon and England's World Cup qualifying campaign beginning on September 4, but it is possible an official announcement on Allardyce's appointment could be held up by negotiations. The Black Cats, who appeared to have found stability in the dugout after several seasons of managerial strife, have already made their unhappiness clear and could hold out for a sizeable pay-off. Allardyce took charge of Sunderland for what should be the final time during a 3-0 friendly win over Hartlepool on Wednesday, but did not re-emerge for the second half as news of his impending appointment broke. (AFP)

Sam Allardyce set to become England's next manager

Watford have signed striker Jerome Sinclair from Liverpool on a five-year contract, the Premier League clubs confirmed today. 
 
The 19-year-old has made two appearances for Liverpool last season and played one game for Wigan in the Championship during his three-month loan spell during the 2014-15 campaign. 
 
&quot;Watford FC is pleased to confirm it has agreed terms with Liverpool over the transfer of striker Jerome Sinclair,&quot; the club said in a statement on their website. 
 
&quot;The highly-rated forward has penned a five-year deal at Vicarage Road and becomes the Hornets&#39; first new signing ahead of the 2016-17 Premier League campaign.&quot; 
 
Watford finished 13th in the Premier League last season and reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup. 
 
(Reuters)

Jerome Sinclair, the 19-year-old footballer, holds the record as the youngest player to have played for Liverpool

Watford have signed striker Jerome Sinclair from Liverpool on a five-year contract, the Premier League clubs confirmed today. The 19-year-old has made two appearances for Liverpool last season and played one game for Wigan in the Championship during his three-month loan spell during the 2014-15 campaign. "Watford FC is pleased to confirm it has agreed terms with Liverpool over the transfer of striker Jerome Sinclair," the club said in a statement on their website. "The highly-rated forward has penned a five-year deal at Vicarage Road and becomes the Hornets' first new signing ahead of the 2016-17 Premier League campaign." Watford finished 13th in the Premier League last season and reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup. (Reuters)

Sinclair joins Watford from Liverpool on five-year deal

Poland beat Switzerland 5-4 in a shootout to reach their first European Championship quarter-final, as a riveting clash ended 1-1 after extra time on Saturday, following a brilliant late equaliser by Swiss Xherdan Shaqiri. 
 
Grezgorz Krychowiak drilled in the winning spot-kick after Granit Xhaka had missed Switzerland&rsquo;s second penalty to send the Polish fans at the Geoffroy Guichard stadium into raptures. 
 
The Poles will meet Croatia or Portugal, who play later on Saturday, for a berth in the semis. 
 
Jakub Blaszczykowski had given Poland a 39th-minute lead, before Shaqiri levelled with a spectacular bicycle kick in the 82nd, to send the contest into a dramatic climax. 
 
&quot;We were prepared for this kind of battle,&quot; Poland coach Adam Nawalka said. &quot;The Swiss are a world class side and it was no surprise that they came storming back in the second half. 
 
&quot;But the important thing is that my team showed potential after conceding the equaliser. We are mentally prepared for the quarter-final match in Marseille on Thursday.&quot; 
 
Man of the match Shaqiri, who was superb in the second half and extra time, said the goal meant little after a painful loss. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a great disappointment, we could have achieved something very big,&quot; the 24-year old forward told a news conference. 
 
&quot;It was a beautiful goal and I am always proud to score for my country, but we are out.&quot; 
 
Gaping goal

Poland dominated the first half and should have gone ahead inside the first minute, when Arkadiusz Milik sent his shot over a gaping goal, following a calamitous defensive mix-up. 
 
With striker Robert Lewandowski subdued, the Poles created had to rely on chances created by livewire left winger Kamil Grosicki and the impressive Blaszczykowski on the other flank. 
 
Switzerland captain Stephan Lichsteiner could not keep up with Grosicki, who fired over the bar from 18 metres after a clever run through the middle. 
 
Blaszczykowski broke the deadlock with a composed finish from 10 metres after a darting run by Grosicki and a dummy from Milik gave the winger time and space to pick his spot. 
 
With Shaqiri and striker Haris Seferovic stifled by Poland&rsquo;s rock-solid defence, the Swiss created little in the opening period despite roaring &ldquo;Go Suisse&rdquo; chants by their supporters. 
 
They came out with renewed purpose in the second half and Shaqiri finally showed a glimpse of his talent with a dazzling solo run and a stinging shot which Lukasz Fabianski parried. 
 
Blaszczykowski had Yann Sommer at full stretch as the pace increased with Switzerland throwing men forward. 
 
Shaqiri produced a moment of magic with one of the best goals of the tournament in the 82nd minute, twisting his body in the air to unleash a fierce shot, which gave Fabianski no chance as it went in off the post. 
 
Galvanised by the goal, Switzerland took the upper hand and dominated extra time, forcing several desperate clearances by a defence which had conceded in only one other match in 2016. 
 
Substitute Eren Derdiyok missed a sitter for the Swiss when Fabianski kept out his close-range header and they paid the price as a rattled Poland held on to force the shootout. 
 
(Reuters)

Poland beat Switzerland 5-4 in a shootout to reach their first European Championship quarter-final, as a riveting clash ended 1-1 after extra time on Saturday, following a brilliant late equaliser by Swiss Xherdan Shaqiri. Grezgorz Krychowiak drilled in the winning spot-kick after Granit Xhaka had missed Switzerland’s second penalty to send the Polish fans at the Geoffroy Guichard stadium into raptures. The Poles will meet Croatia or Portugal, who play later on Saturday, for a berth in the semis. Jakub Blaszczykowski had given Poland a 39th-minute lead, before Shaqiri levelled with a spectacular bicycle kick in the 82nd, to send the contest into a dramatic climax. "We were prepared for this kind of battle," Poland coach Adam Nawalka said. "The Swiss are a world class side and it was no surprise that they came storming back in the second half. "But the important thing is that my team showed potential after conceding the equaliser. We are mentally prepared for the quarter-final match in Marseille on Thursday." Man of the match Shaqiri, who was superb in the second half and extra time, said the goal meant little after a painful loss. "It's a great disappointment, we could have achieved something very big," the 24-year old forward told a news conference. "It was a beautiful goal and I am always proud to score for my country, but we are out." Gaping goal Poland dominated the first half and should have gone ahead inside the first minute, when Arkadiusz Milik sent his shot over a gaping goal, following a calamitous defensive mix-up. With striker Robert Lewandowski subdued, the Poles created had to rely on chances created by livewire left winger Kamil Grosicki and the impressive Blaszczykowski on the other flank. Switzerland captain Stephan Lichsteiner could not keep up with Grosicki, who fired over the bar from 18 metres after a clever run through the middle. Blaszczykowski broke the deadlock with a composed finish from 10 metres after a darting run by Grosicki and a dummy from Milik gave the winger time and space to pick his spot. With Shaqiri and striker Haris Seferovic stifled by Poland’s rock-solid defence, the Swiss created little in the opening period despite roaring “Go Suisse” chants by their supporters. They came out with renewed purpose in the second half and Shaqiri finally showed a glimpse of his talent with a dazzling solo run and a stinging shot which Lukasz Fabianski parried. Blaszczykowski had Yann Sommer at full stretch as the pace increased with Switzerland throwing men forward. Shaqiri produced a moment of magic with one of the best goals of the tournament in the 82nd minute, twisting his body in the air to unleash a fierce shot, which gave Fabianski no chance as it went in off the post. Galvanised by the goal, Switzerland took the upper hand and dominated extra time, forcing several desperate clearances by a defence which had conceded in only one other match in 2016. Substitute Eren Derdiyok missed a sitter for the Swiss when Fabianski kept out his close-range header and they paid the price as a rattled Poland held on to force the shootout. (Reuters)

Poland beat Switzerland 5-4 on penalties

Atletico Madrid president, Enrique Cerezo, has ruled out Chelsea forward Diego Costa&#39;s possible return to the Vicente Calderon stadium this summer, despite reports suggesting otherwise. 
 
The arrival of Michy Batshuayi at Chelsea from Marseille has led to reports in England and Spain that Costa, who has scored 36 goals in 77 games since joining Chelsea in 2014, could move back to Atletico, a team he helped capture the La Liga title, a King&#39;s Cup and two Super Cups in his four years with the outfit. 
 
New Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has said the Spain international will stay put, describing him as a player of fundamental importance, and now Cerezo has ruled out his return.&nbsp;Costa is under contract at Chelsea until June 2019. 
 
&quot;He is a great player, who is very much loved, but he is a Chelsea player,&quot; Cerezo told reporters.&nbsp;&quot;The issue is as it was six months ago or even a year ago, he is a Chelsea player. I&#39;ve always said that Costa is a Chelsea player and has a contract with Chelsea. That&#39;s the end of this issue.&nbsp;The day we have a number nine we will announce it. We are looking for one and once we have him, we will announce it.&quot; 
 
The 27-year-old Costa was handed a start for Conte&#39;s first match in charge, a 2-0 pre-season defeat to Rapid Vienna on Saturday. 
 
(Reuters)

New Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has said the Spanish player will stay put, describing him as a player of fundamental importance

Atletico Madrid president, Enrique Cerezo, has ruled out Chelsea forward Diego Costa's possible return to the Vicente Calderon stadium this summer, despite reports suggesting otherwise. The arrival of Michy Batshuayi at Chelsea from Marseille has led to reports in England and Spain that Costa, who has scored 36 goals in 77 games since joining Chelsea in 2014, could move back to Atletico, a team he helped capture the La Liga title, a King's Cup and two Super Cups in his four years with the outfit. New Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has said the Spain international will stay put, describing him as a player of fundamental importance, and now Cerezo has ruled out his return. Costa is under contract at Chelsea until June 2019. "He is a great player, who is very much loved, but he is a Chelsea player," Cerezo told reporters. "The issue is as it was six months ago or even a year ago, he is a Chelsea player. I've always said that Costa is a Chelsea player and has a contract with Chelsea. That's the end of this issue. The day we have a number nine we will announce it. We are looking for one and once we have him, we will announce it." The 27-year-old Costa was handed a start for Conte's first match in charge, a 2-0 pre-season defeat to Rapid Vienna on Saturday. (Reuters)

Atletico Madrid president Cerezo rules out Costa's return this summer

Without the star names that have graced Italy sides in the past, coach Antonio Conte says the secret to their success at Euro 2016 has been to shun the mentality of a national team and behave like a club. 
 
Italy came into the European Championship with an ageing squad shorn of standout talents and with few tipping them for success. 
 
Their tournament performances, however, have confounded expectations and a 2-0 victory over Spain on Monday propelled them into the quarter-finals, where they will face Germany in Bordeaux on Saturday. 
 
Recent Italy teams went into major tournaments with individual talents such as Mario Balotelli or Andrea Pirlo, who attracted enormous amounts of media attention. 
 
For Conte, who has a notorious emphasis on the team ethic and industry over individuality, the way to achieve success is to mould the national team around the model of a club, where a well-drilled tactical system can stifle even the best opponents. 
 
&quot;I&#39;ve always said, right from the start of my work here with the national team, that the only road we can follow if we want a bit of success is to be like a club, to be like a team that play together every week - we cannot allow ourselves to be a selection,&quot; Conte told reporters following the victory over Spain at the Stade de France. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m happy above all for the players. It&#39;s more than a month that we&#39;ve been working tactically, technically, mentally and we&#39;ve been trying to surprise everybody and I think we&#39;ve succeeded to some extent.&quot; 
 
Spain were comprehensively snuffed out, barely posing a threat until the closing stages of the game. 
 
Conte feels next opponents Germany, however, could pose a greater challenge. 
 
The world champions cruised through the group stage and thumped Slovakia 3-0 to reach the last eight. 
 
&quot;We now face the best side at the European Championship next Saturday,&quot; Conte said. &quot;It&#39;s going to be very, very hard in all aspects. We&#39;ve got to do well to recover and prepare for Germany the best way we can. We are without Thiago Motta (suspended) and that&#39;s a big blow, also because (Daniele) De Rossi took a knock to his hip. But we know that in adversity, we give that little bit more.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The team has been winning games despite fielding an ageing squad lacking any big-name talent

Without the star names that have graced Italy sides in the past, coach Antonio Conte says the secret to their success at Euro 2016 has been to shun the mentality of a national team and behave like a club. Italy came into the European Championship with an ageing squad shorn of standout talents and with few tipping them for success. Their tournament performances, however, have confounded expectations and a 2-0 victory over Spain on Monday propelled them into the quarter-finals, where they will face Germany in Bordeaux on Saturday. Recent Italy teams went into major tournaments with individual talents such as Mario Balotelli or Andrea Pirlo, who attracted enormous amounts of media attention. For Conte, who has a notorious emphasis on the team ethic and industry over individuality, the way to achieve success is to mould the national team around the model of a club, where a well-drilled tactical system can stifle even the best opponents. "I've always said, right from the start of my work here with the national team, that the only road we can follow if we want a bit of success is to be like a club, to be like a team that play together every week - we cannot allow ourselves to be a selection," Conte told reporters following the victory over Spain at the Stade de France. "I'm happy above all for the players. It's more than a month that we've been working tactically, technically, mentally and we've been trying to surprise everybody and I think we've succeeded to some extent." Spain were comprehensively snuffed out, barely posing a threat until the closing stages of the game. Conte feels next opponents Germany, however, could pose a greater challenge. The world champions cruised through the group stage and thumped Slovakia 3-0 to reach the last eight. "We now face the best side at the European Championship next Saturday," Conte said. "It's going to be very, very hard in all aspects. We've got to do well to recover and prepare for Germany the best way we can. We are without Thiago Motta (suspended) and that's a big blow, also because (Daniele) De Rossi took a knock to his hip. But we know that in adversity, we give that little bit more." (Reuters)

Italy's Coach Conte says club mentality crucial to success

Born June 24, 1987 in Rosario, Argentina. 
 
Early Career 
 
* Joined Barcelona as a 13-year-old in 2000 and shone in the youth ranks before then-coach Frank Rijkaard gave him his senior debut at the age of 16 in a friendly against Porto in 2003.&nbsp; 
 
* Made his La Liga debut in October 2004 and scored his first La Liga goal the following May in a match against Albacete at the Nou Camp.&nbsp; 
 
* Scored six goals in 17 appearances in 2005-06 as Barca won La Liga for the second year in a row but did not feature in their 2-1 victory over Arsenal in the Champions League final.&nbsp; 
 
* Messi played a key role as Barca claimed six trophies in the calendar year of 2009 including the Champions League, La Liga, the King`s Cup and the Club World Cup.&nbsp; 
 
* Won the first of four consecutive World Player of the Year awards.&nbsp; 
 
* Won La Liga again in 2010 and retained the World Player award, beating shortlisted Spanish World Cup winners and Barca team mates Andres Iniesta and Xavi.&nbsp; 
 
* Inspired Barcelona to a 3-1 win against Manchester United in the 2011 Champions League final, scoring one goal and creating another.&nbsp; 
 
* Helped Barca to a third consecutive La Liga title in 2010-11 and was on the scoresheet as they beat Santos 4-0 to win the Club World Cup.&nbsp; 
 
* While Barcelona failed to retain either La Liga or the Champions League, Messi completed 2012 with an extraordinary total of 91 goals in all competitions, a record for a calendar year.&nbsp; 
 
* He smashed the La Liga scoring record for one season in 2011-12 with 50 goals.&nbsp; 
 
* Equalled the Champions League scoring record of 71 goals set by former Real Madrid and Schalke 04 forward Raul when he struck twice against Ajax Amsterdam at the end of 2014. Has since been overtaken by current Real forward Cristiano Ronaldo.&nbsp; 
 
* Turned in a series of scintillating performances in 2014-15 as Barca romped to a treble of Champions League, La Liga and King`s Cup titles.&nbsp; 
 
* Won his eighth La Liga title and fourth Spanish Cup with Barcelona in 2015-16&nbsp; 
 
Argentina 
 
* Led Argentina to the title at the 2005 World Youth Championship, scoring two penalties in a 2-1 victory over Nigeria in the final.&nbsp; 
 
* Made his debut for the senior side in a friendly against Hungary in August 2005 but was sent off less than a minute after coming on as a substitute for elbowing an opponent who had pulled his shirt.&nbsp; 
 
* Played only a bit-part role at the 2006 World Cup. Argentina were knocked out in the quarter-finals by hosts Germany after a penalty shootout.&nbsp; 
 
* Led Argentina to &nbsp;Gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. 
 
* Part of the Argentina side coached by Diego Maradona at the 2010 World Cup that was beaten 4-0 by Germany in the quarter-finals. Messi failed to score and struggled to find his best form at the tournament in South Africa.&nbsp; 
 
* After a season disrupted by injury, captained Argentina to the final of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where they lost 1-0 to Germany. Messi, who scored four goals at the finals, won the Golden Ball award for the tournament`s best player. 
 
* Played his second Copa America final for Argentina in Chile in 2015, losing the final on penalties to the host nation. 
 
* Scored a hat-trick in 18 minutes after coming off the bench in Argentina`s 5-0 win over Panama in the 2016 Centenary Copa America in 
Chicago. 
 
* Set a record of 55 goals for Argentina when he scored in the 4-0 win over the United States in the semi-finals. 
 
* Was on the losing side again after a penalty shootout defeat by Chile in the centenary final and said he was retiring from internationals. 
 
(Reuters)

Messi led Argentina to Gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games

Born June 24, 1987 in Rosario, Argentina. Early Career * Joined Barcelona as a 13-year-old in 2000 and shone in the youth ranks before then-coach Frank Rijkaard gave him his senior debut at the age of 16 in a friendly against Porto in 2003. * Made his La Liga debut in October 2004 and scored his first La Liga goal the following May in a match against Albacete at the Nou Camp. * Scored six goals in 17 appearances in 2005-06 as Barca won La Liga for the second year in a row but did not feature in their 2-1 victory over Arsenal in the Champions League final. * Messi played a key role as Barca claimed six trophies in the calendar year of 2009 including the Champions League, La Liga, the King`s Cup and the Club World Cup. * Won the first of four consecutive World Player of the Year awards. * Won La Liga again in 2010 and retained the World Player award, beating shortlisted Spanish World Cup winners and Barca team mates Andres Iniesta and Xavi. * Inspired Barcelona to a 3-1 win against Manchester United in the 2011 Champions League final, scoring one goal and creating another. * Helped Barca to a third consecutive La Liga title in 2010-11 and was on the scoresheet as they beat Santos 4-0 to win the Club World Cup. * While Barcelona failed to retain either La Liga or the Champions League, Messi completed 2012 with an extraordinary total of 91 goals in all competitions, a record for a calendar year. * He smashed the La Liga scoring record for one season in 2011-12 with 50 goals. * Equalled the Champions League scoring record of 71 goals set by former Real Madrid and Schalke 04 forward Raul when he struck twice against Ajax Amsterdam at the end of 2014. Has since been overtaken by current Real forward Cristiano Ronaldo. * Turned in a series of scintillating performances in 2014-15 as Barca romped to a treble of Champions League, La Liga and King`s Cup titles. * Won his eighth La Liga title and fourth Spanish Cup with Barcelona in 2015-16 Argentina * Led Argentina to the title at the 2005 World Youth Championship, scoring two penalties in a 2-1 victory over Nigeria in the final. * Made his debut for the senior side in a friendly against Hungary in August 2005 but was sent off less than a minute after coming on as a substitute for elbowing an opponent who had pulled his shirt. * Played only a bit-part role at the 2006 World Cup. Argentina were knocked out in the quarter-finals by hosts Germany after a penalty shootout. * Led Argentina to Gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. * Part of the Argentina side coached by Diego Maradona at the 2010 World Cup that was beaten 4-0 by Germany in the quarter-finals. Messi failed to score and struggled to find his best form at the tournament in South Africa. * After a season disrupted by injury, captained Argentina to the final of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where they lost 1-0 to Germany. Messi, who scored four goals at the finals, won the Golden Ball award for the tournament`s best player. * Played his second Copa America final for Argentina in Chile in 2015, losing the final on penalties to the host nation. * Scored a hat-trick in 18 minutes after coming off the bench in Argentina`s 5-0 win over Panama in the 2016 Centenary Copa America in Chicago. * Set a record of 55 goals for Argentina when he scored in the 4-0 win over the United States in the semi-finals. * Was on the losing side again after a penalty shootout defeat by Chile in the centenary final and said he was retiring from internationals. (Reuters)

Lionel Messi: A peek into the career of La Pulga

Wales manager Chris Coleman has rewarded Hal Robson-Kanu for coming on and scoring the winner against Slovakia with a place in the starting lineup against an unchanged England side in their Group B clash at Euro 2016. 
 
Coleman has made three changes to the side that started against the Slovaks, with Wayne Hennessey starting in goal instead of Danny Ward and Joe Ledley replacing David Edwards, while Robson-Kanu takes the place of Jonathan Williams. 
 
Currently without a club, Robson-Kanu came off the bench to net the winner in the 2-1 victory over Slovakia, while England drew their first game 1-1 after conceding a late goal to Russia. 
 
Wales currently top Group B by three points and can secure their passage to the knockout stages with a win over England in Lens. 
 
England manager Roy Hodgson resisted the temptation to make changes to his side after a lively display against Russia, which means striker Harry Kane and winger Raheem Sterling retain their places despite disappointing in the opener. 
(Reuters)

Wales currently top Group B by three points and can secure their passage to the knockout stages with a win over England in Lens

Wales manager Chris Coleman has rewarded Hal Robson-Kanu for coming on and scoring the winner against Slovakia with a place in the starting lineup against an unchanged England side in their Group B clash at Euro 2016. Coleman has made three changes to the side that started against the Slovaks, with Wayne Hennessey starting in goal instead of Danny Ward and Joe Ledley replacing David Edwards, while Robson-Kanu takes the place of Jonathan Williams. Currently without a club, Robson-Kanu came off the bench to net the winner in the 2-1 victory over Slovakia, while England drew their first game 1-1 after conceding a late goal to Russia. Wales currently top Group B by three points and can secure their passage to the knockout stages with a win over England in Lens. England manager Roy Hodgson resisted the temptation to make changes to his side after a lively display against Russia, which means striker Harry Kane and winger Raheem Sterling retain their places despite disappointing in the opener. (Reuters)

Robson-Kanu starts as Wales make three changes for England clash

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

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

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

'Nice' Iceland fans prefer hugs to hooliganism

England&#39;s under-21 football coach Gareth Southgate looks likely to be put in temporary charge of the national team after the resignation of Roy Hodgson following the side&#39;s Euro 2016 exit, British media reported on Wednesday. 
 
&quot;Southgate is believed to have already been asked whether he is prepared to take over on a temporary basis and has indicated that he is,&quot; the Daily Telegraph said. 
 
A three-man Football Association (FA) panel has begun the job of finding a successor to Hodgson, who resigned in the wake of England&#39;s humiliating 2-1 defeat by Iceland in the last 16 of the European Championship on Monday. 
 
FA chief executive Martin Glenn has suggested that England might wait to fill the post because it is &quot;such an important decision&quot;, meaning it is unlikely they will have a new man permanently in place before their first World Cup qualifier away to Slovakia on Sept. 4. 
 
British media said that opened the way for former England centre-half Southgate. 
 
The prospect of a delay has intensified speculation that Frenchman Arsene Wenger could take the post in the long term. 
 
Wenger is the final year of his contract with Arsenal and was reported to be open to the idea of talking to England&#39;s football authorities about the job, but the FA may be unwilling to wait a year for the 66-year-old who has always maintained that he would never break a contract. 
 
Other names linked with the job include Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe, possibly in tandem with former England international Steven Gerrard, Hull City&#39;s Steve Bruce, former England manager Glenn Hoddle and Italian Claudio Ranieri, who won many admirers by steering Leicester City to their first Premier League title last month. 
 
The FA would have to move quickly to secure Ranieri, who is expected to sign an improved contract with Leicester next month. 
 
Glenn told a news conference on Tuesday: &quot;We clearly need an inspirational manager who can harness all of the resources that the English game... has got, everything we have now got at (the national football centre) St George&#39;s Park, to make us more resilient in tournaments. 
 
&quot;That I think is the brief... it is for an inspirational manager and management team to get the best out of a squad which has got high potential.&rdquo; 
 
(Reuters)

It is unlikely that the Football Association will have a new man in place before their first World Cup qualifier away to Slovakia

England's under-21 football coach Gareth Southgate looks likely to be put in temporary charge of the national team after the resignation of Roy Hodgson following the side's Euro 2016 exit, British media reported on Wednesday. "Southgate is believed to have already been asked whether he is prepared to take over on a temporary basis and has indicated that he is," the Daily Telegraph said. A three-man Football Association (FA) panel has begun the job of finding a successor to Hodgson, who resigned in the wake of England's humiliating 2-1 defeat by Iceland in the last 16 of the European Championship on Monday. FA chief executive Martin Glenn has suggested that England might wait to fill the post because it is "such an important decision", meaning it is unlikely they will have a new man permanently in place before their first World Cup qualifier away to Slovakia on Sept. 4. British media said that opened the way for former England centre-half Southgate. The prospect of a delay has intensified speculation that Frenchman Arsene Wenger could take the post in the long term. Wenger is the final year of his contract with Arsenal and was reported to be open to the idea of talking to England's football authorities about the job, but the FA may be unwilling to wait a year for the 66-year-old who has always maintained that he would never break a contract. Other names linked with the job include Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe, possibly in tandem with former England international Steven Gerrard, Hull City's Steve Bruce, former England manager Glenn Hoddle and Italian Claudio Ranieri, who won many admirers by steering Leicester City to their first Premier League title last month. The FA would have to move quickly to secure Ranieri, who is expected to sign an improved contract with Leicester next month. Glenn told a news conference on Tuesday: "We clearly need an inspirational manager who can harness all of the resources that the English game... has got, everything we have now got at (the national football centre) St George's Park, to make us more resilient in tournaments. "That I think is the brief... it is for an inspirational manager and management team to get the best out of a squad which has got high potential.” (Reuters)

Reports say Southgate may be England's temporary manager

Manchester United are closing in on the signing of Borussia Dortmund&#39;s Henrikh Mkhitaryan after making an &quot;improved offer&quot; for the midfielder, the Bundesliga club&#39;s CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has said. 
 
The Armenia international has been linked by British media with a move to Old Trafford under new manager Jose Mourinho. 
 
&quot;The situation is now different. Manchester have made a much improved offer,&quot; Watzke told Sport Bild magazine. 
 
&quot;In situations like this there are always a lot of different things to consider and in the end at one point we have to make a decision. 
 
&quot;As we are back in training on Monday we will decide at the weekend. I have contacted the relevant people and we will weigh things up ...then the board will make the decision.&quot; 
 
The 27-year-old scored 11 goals in 31 league games as Dortmund finished second last season and could be Mourinho&#39;s second signing at United after defender Eric Bailly&#39;s arrival from Villarreal. 
 
(Reuters)

The midfielder displayed good form for the German club which finished second in the Bundesliga last season

Manchester United are closing in on the signing of Borussia Dortmund's Henrikh Mkhitaryan after making an "improved offer" for the midfielder, the Bundesliga club's CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has said. The Armenia international has been linked by British media with a move to Old Trafford under new manager Jose Mourinho. "The situation is now different. Manchester have made a much improved offer," Watzke told Sport Bild magazine. "In situations like this there are always a lot of different things to consider and in the end at one point we have to make a decision. "As we are back in training on Monday we will decide at the weekend. I have contacted the relevant people and we will weigh things up ...then the board will make the decision." The 27-year-old scored 11 goals in 31 league games as Dortmund finished second last season and could be Mourinho's second signing at United after defender Eric Bailly's arrival from Villarreal. (Reuters)

United make 'improved offer' for Dortmund's Mkhitaryan

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

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

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

Milovan Rajevac confirmed as new coach of Algeria

FIFA&#39;s ethics committee today banned Wolfgang Niersbach, former president of the German Football Association (DFB), for one year over misconduct surrounding the country&#39;s successful 2006 World Cup bid. 
 
&quot;Mr Niersbach has been banned for one year from all football-related activities,&quot; a statement from FIFA&#39;s in-house court said, noting that the German official &quot;failed to report findings about possible misconduct concerning the awarding of the 2006 FIFA World Cup&quot;. 
 
Niersbach served as vice-president of the 2006 World Cup organising committee. 
 
He resigned from the German federation last November amid accusations that the DFB used a slush fund of 10 million Swiss francs (6.7 million euros, $8 million, according to the exchange rate at that time) in 2000 to buy the right to host the tournament. 
 
The 65-year-old has said he will now consider whether to appeal the decision. &quot;This decision hits me very hard,&quot; Niersbach told SID, an AFP subsidiary. 
 
&quot;I think this sanction is inappropriate and over the top.&quot; &quot;I will let my lawyer advise me as to whether I will appeal against the decision.&quot; 
 
&quot;After the hearing in Zurich, I was confident that the Ethics Commission would impose no sanction. I have once again acknowledged and regretted my mistakes.&quot; 
 
Niersbach had insisted that quitting his job should have been punishment enough because he was not directly accused of paying bribes or financially benefitting from corruption. 
 
FIFA prosecutors sought a two-year ban, however, arguing that Niersbach should have spoken up sooner when he learned of possible wrongdoing. 
 
The ethics committee suspension will force his immediate removal from posts he currently holds on the FIFA Council and UEFA executive committee. 
 
FIFA opened a probe on March 22 targeting six people including Niersbach and Franz Beckenbauer, the German football legend and World Cup organising committee chief, over their roles in the bidding process, amid allegations of bribery. 
 
The FIFA investigation followed the release of a report commissioned by the DFB which found that Germany may have bought votes to secure the tournament. 
 
The report linked Beckenbauer to a suspect deal with disgraced former FIFA bigwig Jack Warner. 
 
(AFP)

FIFA prosecutors sought a two-year ban, however, arguing that Niersbach should have spoken up sooner when he learned of possible wrongdoing

FIFA's ethics committee today banned Wolfgang Niersbach, former president of the German Football Association (DFB), for one year over misconduct surrounding the country's successful 2006 World Cup bid. "Mr Niersbach has been banned for one year from all football-related activities," a statement from FIFA's in-house court said, noting that the German official "failed to report findings about possible misconduct concerning the awarding of the 2006 FIFA World Cup". Niersbach served as vice-president of the 2006 World Cup organising committee. He resigned from the German federation last November amid accusations that the DFB used a slush fund of 10 million Swiss francs (6.7 million euros, $8 million, according to the exchange rate at that time) in 2000 to buy the right to host the tournament. The 65-year-old has said he will now consider whether to appeal the decision. "This decision hits me very hard," Niersbach told SID, an AFP subsidiary. "I think this sanction is inappropriate and over the top." "I will let my lawyer advise me as to whether I will appeal against the decision." "After the hearing in Zurich, I was confident that the Ethics Commission would impose no sanction. I have once again acknowledged and regretted my mistakes." Niersbach had insisted that quitting his job should have been punishment enough because he was not directly accused of paying bribes or financially benefitting from corruption. FIFA prosecutors sought a two-year ban, however, arguing that Niersbach should have spoken up sooner when he learned of possible wrongdoing. The ethics committee suspension will force his immediate removal from posts he currently holds on the FIFA Council and UEFA executive committee. FIFA opened a probe on March 22 targeting six people including Niersbach and Franz Beckenbauer, the German football legend and World Cup organising committee chief, over their roles in the bidding process, amid allegations of bribery. The FIFA investigation followed the release of a report commissioned by the DFB which found that Germany may have bought votes to secure the tournament. The report linked Beckenbauer to a suspect deal with disgraced former FIFA bigwig Jack Warner. (AFP)

FIFA bans former German boss Wolfgang Niersbach

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has called on FIFA to investigate Russia&#39;s sports minister Vitaly Mutko, a member of the football world body&#39;s executive, over drug failures in football. 
 
A bombshell report on &quot;state-dictated&quot; doping in Russia, which will host the 2018 World Cup, said the manipulation of tainted Russian samples was controlled by Mutko&#39;s ministry. 
 
The investigation by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren, released on Monday, did not provide evidence of a detailed implication by Mutko in decisions to protect drug-cheat athletes. 
 
But it said Mutko, president of the Russian football federation and chief organiser of the 2018 World Cup, took the decision to hide the doping case of a foreign player in the Russian football league. 
 
McLaren quoted Russian whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov as saying it was &quot;inconceivable&quot; that Mutko did not know about the whole doping system. 
 
WADA called on FIFA to act on Mutko, a 57-year-old ally of President Vladimir Putin and sports minister since 2008. 
 
&quot;Another notable finding within the (McLaren) report is the role that one of FIFA&#39;s executive committee members, Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, played within the system,&quot; said a WADA statement. 
 
&quot;Accordingly, WADA urges the FIFA ethics committee to look into the allegations concerning football and the role played by this member.&quot; 
 
The McLaren report said deputy sports minister Yuri Nagornykh had almost a daily responsibility for deciding which athletes would get a &quot;SAVE&quot; order and have failed tests manipulated or be put under &quot;QUARANTINE&quot;. 
 
The report added however that McLaren &quot;is aware of at least one foreign footballer playing in the Russian league who had that benefit of a SAVE order.&quot; 
 
&quot;That SAVE decision was made by Minister Mutko and not Deputy Minister Nagornykh.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
It said 11 footballers in all had drug cases covered up. 
 
It quoted email evidence as saying that &quot;the SAVE decision for the football players was the final decision of &#39;VL&#39;. 
 
&quot;VL is the first name and patronymic name initials of the Minister of Sport Vitaly Leontiyevich Mutko, who is also the president of the Russian football federation.&quot; 
 
FIFA acknowledged the WADA call but said its ethics committee is independent &quot;and only it can decide what actions to take in respect to this issue. 
 
&quot;For its part, FIFA will request from WADA all details concerning the individual cases of doping in Russian football that are referenced in the McLaren report. Once FIFA receives this information from WADA, it will take the appropriate next steps.&quot; 
 
Mutko is due to stand for re-election to FIFA in March.&nbsp; 
 
The Kremlin said officials &quot;directly&quot; implicated by the report would be suspended but did not name them and attacked what it called the &quot;dangerous&quot; new &quot;interference of politics in sport.&quot; 
 
WADA president Craig Reedie demanded that the Russian government sack all sports ministry officials &quot;implicated&quot; by the McLaren report, but did not name any individuals. 
 
Much of the McLaren report is based on evidence provided by Rodchenkov, former director of the Moscow anti-doping laboratory now in hiding in the United States. 
 
Rodchenkov told the inquiry that in meetings with deputy minister Nagornykh on the doping cover-up, &quot;Nagornykh told him that Minister of Sport Mutko was aware of everything that they were discussing. 
 
&quot;Dr Rodchenkov`s evidence is that it is inconceivable that Minister Mutko was not aware of the doping cover-up scheme.&quot; 
 
The Kremlin has slammed Rodchenkov as &quot;a person with a scandalous reputation.&quot; 
&nbsp; 
Rodchenkov is now under criminal investigation by Russian authorities. 
&nbsp; 
The McLaren report said however that there were &quot;several documents which tend to corroborate Dr Rodechenkov&#39;s conclusion.&quot; 
 
Rodchenkov said he discussed a response to a German television documentary last year on doping in Russian athletics with Mutko. 
 
The whistleblower added that he met with Mutko before the Sochi Olympics. &quot;Dr Rodchenkov`s evidence is that the doping cover up plan for Sochi was discussed at those meetings.&quot; 
 
Rodchenkov also testified that Mutko knew about bribes allegedly paid to former International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) president Lamine Diack to cover up doping failures by race walkers. 
 
&quot;Dr Rodchenkov&#39;s evidence is that in September 2012 he met with Minister Mutko to discuss the IAAF&#39;s extorsion demand. 
 
&quot;At that meeting, Minister Mutko asked Dr Rodchenkov whether the situation was really so bad he needed to pay all of that money, thereby exposing his knowledge of the doping problem in Russian athletics.&quot; 
 
McLaren made clear the power of the sports ministry, refered to as the MofS, over the Moscow and Sochi doping laboratories during the Winter Olympics and other events. 
 
&quot;The Moscow laboratory was effectively caught up in the jaws of a vice. It was a key player in the successful operation of a state imposed and rigorously imposed programme which was overall managed and dictated by the MofS.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

The investigation by lawyer Richard McLaren revealed that the manipulation of samples was controlled by Vitaly Mutko's ministry

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has called on FIFA to investigate Russia's sports minister Vitaly Mutko, a member of the football world body's executive, over drug failures in football. A bombshell report on "state-dictated" doping in Russia, which will host the 2018 World Cup, said the manipulation of tainted Russian samples was controlled by Mutko's ministry. The investigation by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren, released on Monday, did not provide evidence of a detailed implication by Mutko in decisions to protect drug-cheat athletes. But it said Mutko, president of the Russian football federation and chief organiser of the 2018 World Cup, took the decision to hide the doping case of a foreign player in the Russian football league. McLaren quoted Russian whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov as saying it was "inconceivable" that Mutko did not know about the whole doping system. WADA called on FIFA to act on Mutko, a 57-year-old ally of President Vladimir Putin and sports minister since 2008. "Another notable finding within the (McLaren) report is the role that one of FIFA's executive committee members, Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, played within the system," said a WADA statement. "Accordingly, WADA urges the FIFA ethics committee to look into the allegations concerning football and the role played by this member." The McLaren report said deputy sports minister Yuri Nagornykh had almost a daily responsibility for deciding which athletes would get a "SAVE" order and have failed tests manipulated or be put under "QUARANTINE". The report added however that McLaren "is aware of at least one foreign footballer playing in the Russian league who had that benefit of a SAVE order." "That SAVE decision was made by Minister Mutko and not Deputy Minister Nagornykh." It said 11 footballers in all had drug cases covered up. It quoted email evidence as saying that "the SAVE decision for the football players was the final decision of 'VL'. "VL is the first name and patronymic name initials of the Minister of Sport Vitaly Leontiyevich Mutko, who is also the president of the Russian football federation." FIFA acknowledged the WADA call but said its ethics committee is independent "and only it can decide what actions to take in respect to this issue. "For its part, FIFA will request from WADA all details concerning the individual cases of doping in Russian football that are referenced in the McLaren report. Once FIFA receives this information from WADA, it will take the appropriate next steps." Mutko is due to stand for re-election to FIFA in March. The Kremlin said officials "directly" implicated by the report would be suspended but did not name them and attacked what it called the "dangerous" new "interference of politics in sport." WADA president Craig Reedie demanded that the Russian government sack all sports ministry officials "implicated" by the McLaren report, but did not name any individuals. Much of the McLaren report is based on evidence provided by Rodchenkov, former director of the Moscow anti-doping laboratory now in hiding in the United States. Rodchenkov told the inquiry that in meetings with deputy minister Nagornykh on the doping cover-up, "Nagornykh told him that Minister of Sport Mutko was aware of everything that they were discussing. "Dr Rodchenkov`s evidence is that it is inconceivable that Minister Mutko was not aware of the doping cover-up scheme." The Kremlin has slammed Rodchenkov as "a person with a scandalous reputation." Rodchenkov is now under criminal investigation by Russian authorities. The McLaren report said however that there were "several documents which tend to corroborate Dr Rodechenkov's conclusion." Rodchenkov said he discussed a response to a German television documentary last year on doping in Russian athletics with Mutko. The whistleblower added that he met with Mutko before the Sochi Olympics. "Dr Rodchenkov`s evidence is that the doping cover up plan for Sochi was discussed at those meetings." Rodchenkov also testified that Mutko knew about bribes allegedly paid to former International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) president Lamine Diack to cover up doping failures by race walkers. "Dr Rodchenkov's evidence is that in September 2012 he met with Minister Mutko to discuss the IAAF's extorsion demand. "At that meeting, Minister Mutko asked Dr Rodchenkov whether the situation was really so bad he needed to pay all of that money, thereby exposing his knowledge of the doping problem in Russian athletics." McLaren made clear the power of the sports ministry, refered to as the MofS, over the Moscow and Sochi doping laboratories during the Winter Olympics and other events. "The Moscow laboratory was effectively caught up in the jaws of a vice. It was a key player in the successful operation of a state imposed and rigorously imposed programme which was overall managed and dictated by the MofS." (AFP)

Russian sports minister Mutko in doping controversy spotlight

Line&#39;s dream is about to become a reality, the 14-year-old Jordanian girl will make history later this year when she takes part in her first ever football world cup. 
 
FIFA&#39;s U-17 Women&#39;s World Cup will kick off on September 30 in Jordan, the first time a Middle Eastern country hosts an international women&#39;s football competition. 
 
Line and 20 other girl footballers, including devout Muslims, their heads covered by a scarf, have been practising hard for the tournament with a British coach. 
 
&quot;Here in Jordan... it was frowned upon to see a girl play football. But now things have changed,&quot; Line said. 
 
She still remembers how she defied social conventions in the conservative kingdom when at a younger age she decided to join the boys of her neighbourhood in a game of football. 
 
Jordan - a key ally of the West - is a Muslim country with a Christian minority but both communities are weighed down by religious and social constraints like other nations in the Middle East. 
 
For decades football was hands off for women but that changed in 2005 when the Jordanian federation - headed by Prince Ali, a half-brother of King Abdullah II - formed the first national female team. 
 
Ali, an ex-vice president of FIFA who ran but failed to be elected president of football&#39;s world governing body, is credited with having helped Jordan&#39;s bid to host the under-17 girls&#39; tournament. 
 
In May, FIFA said on its website that the first Jordanian women players who took to the pitch more than a decade ago &quot;have impressed&quot; and &quot;did not disappoint&quot;. 
 
British coach Robbie Johnson is confident that the under-17 girls team will shine at the upcoming world cup. 
 
Break stereotypes 
 
&quot;This particular group are certainly keen to make a mark and certainly put the Middle East on the map,&quot; Johnson told AFP as he worked the girls on one practice night. 
 
&quot;It can be definitely the start of something to say to women, particularly in the Middle East or in the Gulf states as well: Look you can actually play and compete,&quot; he said. 
 
The girls&#39; training for the big day is tough. 
 
Line - a striker - and teammates listen carefully as the coach details his strategy with specific instructions to the wingers and goalkeepers, while parents sit back and watch the practice unfold. 
 
&quot;My goal is to get these players as competitive as possible and then who knows what may happen,&quot; said Johnson. 
 
Organisers of the tournament say it will reverberate beyond the pitch and contribute to change in Jordan and the wider Arab world. 
 
&quot;We are using football like a platform for social change,&quot; said Samar Nassar, a former member of Jordan&#39;s national swimming team who heads the kingdom&#39;s organising committee. 
 
The upcoming tournament &quot;is an opportunity to create a durable heritage for Jordan and the region,&quot; that would help challenge stereotypes and empower women, she said. 
 
Line agrees. Football &quot;has taught me many things. I feel more responsible and I have become more sociable.&quot; 
 
&#39;Unforgettable experience&#39; 
 
Jordanian female athlete Yasmeen Khair, is one such woman whose name is linked to change. 
 
A gymnast who won several awards over the years and the nickname &quot;the kingdom&#39;s butterfly&quot;, Khair was among the first women football players to play for Jordan. 
 
FIFA chose her as &quot;ambassador&quot; of the under-17 world cup. 
 
Her mission is two-fold, to promote the tournament and raise awareness of girls&#39; football. 
 
&quot;I speak to girls a lot. I tell them they must live this rich and unforgettable experience,&quot; she said. 
 
Khair said the beginnings of women&#39;s football in 2005 was tough. 
 
&quot;We had to face a lot of difficulties but bit by bit things began to change,&quot; she said, recalling how interest in female football grew in Jordan &quot;especially that we won more tournaments than the men&quot;. 
 
On its webpage, FIFA quoted Khader Eid, a former coach of the women&#39;s national team, recalling some of the hurdles that had to be overcome. 
 
&quot;We were conscious of the difficulties we would encounter to coach these young girls while respecting traditions and getting through to their families,&quot; he said. 
 
Jordan now counts 720 registered women players, a small number in a country with a population of 6.6 million but still a &quot;decisive step&quot; for women&#39;s football, according to FIFA. 
 
(AFP)

Jordan will hold FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, an international women's football competition, for the first time on September 30

Line's dream is about to become a reality, the 14-year-old Jordanian girl will make history later this year when she takes part in her first ever football world cup. FIFA's U-17 Women's World Cup will kick off on September 30 in Jordan, the first time a Middle Eastern country hosts an international women's football competition. Line and 20 other girl footballers, including devout Muslims, their heads covered by a scarf, have been practising hard for the tournament with a British coach. "Here in Jordan... it was frowned upon to see a girl play football. But now things have changed," Line said. She still remembers how she defied social conventions in the conservative kingdom when at a younger age she decided to join the boys of her neighbourhood in a game of football. Jordan - a key ally of the West - is a Muslim country with a Christian minority but both communities are weighed down by religious and social constraints like other nations in the Middle East. For decades football was hands off for women but that changed in 2005 when the Jordanian federation - headed by Prince Ali, a half-brother of King Abdullah II - formed the first national female team. Ali, an ex-vice president of FIFA who ran but failed to be elected president of football's world governing body, is credited with having helped Jordan's bid to host the under-17 girls' tournament. In May, FIFA said on its website that the first Jordanian women players who took to the pitch more than a decade ago "have impressed" and "did not disappoint". British coach Robbie Johnson is confident that the under-17 girls team will shine at the upcoming world cup. Break stereotypes "This particular group are certainly keen to make a mark and certainly put the Middle East on the map," Johnson told AFP as he worked the girls on one practice night. "It can be definitely the start of something to say to women, particularly in the Middle East or in the Gulf states as well: Look you can actually play and compete," he said. The girls' training for the big day is tough. Line - a striker - and teammates listen carefully as the coach details his strategy with specific instructions to the wingers and goalkeepers, while parents sit back and watch the practice unfold. "My goal is to get these players as competitive as possible and then who knows what may happen," said Johnson. Organisers of the tournament say it will reverberate beyond the pitch and contribute to change in Jordan and the wider Arab world. "We are using football like a platform for social change," said Samar Nassar, a former member of Jordan's national swimming team who heads the kingdom's organising committee. The upcoming tournament "is an opportunity to create a durable heritage for Jordan and the region," that would help challenge stereotypes and empower women, she said. Line agrees. Football "has taught me many things. I feel more responsible and I have become more sociable." 'Unforgettable experience' Jordanian female athlete Yasmeen Khair, is one such woman whose name is linked to change. A gymnast who won several awards over the years and the nickname "the kingdom's butterfly", Khair was among the first women football players to play for Jordan. FIFA chose her as "ambassador" of the under-17 world cup. Her mission is two-fold, to promote the tournament and raise awareness of girls' football. "I speak to girls a lot. I tell them they must live this rich and unforgettable experience," she said. Khair said the beginnings of women's football in 2005 was tough. "We had to face a lot of difficulties but bit by bit things began to change," she said, recalling how interest in female football grew in Jordan "especially that we won more tournaments than the men". On its webpage, FIFA quoted Khader Eid, a former coach of the women's national team, recalling some of the hurdles that had to be overcome. "We were conscious of the difficulties we would encounter to coach these young girls while respecting traditions and getting through to their families," he said. Jordan now counts 720 registered women players, a small number in a country with a population of 6.6 million but still a "decisive step" for women's football, according to FIFA. (AFP)

Jordan women take to football pitch to end stereotypes

The open-top bus for the victory parade was ready and President Francois Hollande said France&#39;s success at Euro 2016 was helping the country to heal from the Paris attacks, but the party fell flat. 
 
Authorities had braced for mass celebrations if France, a country still on high terrorist alert, won Sunday&#39;s final against Cristiano Ronaldo&#39;s Portugal, but the 1-0 defeat crushed the host nation&#39;s hopes. 
 
Portuguese fans were the only ones celebrating at the Stade de France and the 90,000 crowd at the fan zone under the Eiffel Tower fell silent when Eder scored Portugal&#39;s long-range winner. 
 
&quot;With everything that has happened, the attacks, the demonstrations, the economic crisis, we deserved something to make us feel better,&quot; said Lazaro de Santana, 31, as he joined thousands who filed away dejected. 
 
The night was also scarred by disgruntled supporters&#39; clashing with riot police after they were denied entry to the filled-to-capacity fan zone. 
 
Police fired teargas after fans pelted them with bottles. Other youths lit a bonfire near the Eiffel Tower. 
 
The buildup to Euro 2016 had been overshadowed by fears of more jihadist attacks. In the days before it kicked off, unions disrupted trains and grounded planes and uncollected rubbish built up in the streets in strikes and protests against labour reforms. 
 
But once the football began, the crowds at the fan zones grew with every match featuring France, while restaurants and cafes showing Les Bleus&#39; matches were reservation-only by the time of the final. 
 
&quot;The French people needed to find their way again,&quot; Hollande said in a commentary on the wave of support for the national team. 
 
&quot;We saw it at the time of the attacks. We came together in the dramas, we had to find ourselves in the happiness, to come together,&quot; he wrote in the Journal du Dimanche. 
 
The November 13 attacks across Paris left 130 dead. The Stade de France where France were playing Germany at the time was one of the sites targeted by suicide bombers along with the Bataclan concert hall and cafes. 
 
&nbsp;France &#39;marked&#39;&nbsp; 
 
Hollande said Didier Deschamps&#39; French team had been &quot;very marked&quot; by the attacks. 
 
&quot;The attacks were the same for them,&quot; he wrote. 
 
&quot;They have decided they want to bring joy to the French people who experienced those events. 
 
&quot;They want to give happiness. Deschamps has given them this desire to make people happy. They know that this isn&#39;t just any ordinary moment in time,&quot; Hollande said. 
 
France, with its young lineup built around striker Antoine Griezmann and charismatic midfielder Paul Pogba, were hot favourites against Cristiano Ronaldo&#39;s Portugal. 
 
Organisers had even prepared a bus for a victory parade with &quot;Thanks&quot; on the back and &quot;European Champions 2016&quot; on the side, according to video taken by a motorist who spotted it on a main road into Paris before Sunday&#39;s final. 
 
Victory would have been &quot;good for France after the attacks to have revenge against the Islamists and all the lows we&#39;ve had recently,&quot; said 18-year-old Shanel Aoudi, a barmaid in Paris. 
 
&quot;We would have put all that aside,&quot; said Elliot Fromentin, 20, tears in his eyes after the bitter defeat. 
 
Before attending the final, Hollande admitted that reality would eventually crowd in even if France had won. 
 
&quot;Sport allows people to come together but politics divides people,&quot; the president said. 
 
&quot;The Euro sweeps away everything else, it brings people together, but life will resume afterwards.&quot; 
 
Hollande has recorded some of the lowest popularity scores for a post-war French president, but the Socialist might still stand for re-election next year. 
 
&quot;I support the French team, I go to all their matches but I don&#39;t want to use sport for politics. That&#39;s not good for sport or for politics,&quot; the president said. 
 
(AFP)

Authorities had braced for mass celebrations if France, a country still on high terrorist alert, won but the party fell flat

The open-top bus for the victory parade was ready and President Francois Hollande said France's success at Euro 2016 was helping the country to heal from the Paris attacks, but the party fell flat. Authorities had braced for mass celebrations if France, a country still on high terrorist alert, won Sunday's final against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal, but the 1-0 defeat crushed the host nation's hopes. Portuguese fans were the only ones celebrating at the Stade de France and the 90,000 crowd at the fan zone under the Eiffel Tower fell silent when Eder scored Portugal's long-range winner. "With everything that has happened, the attacks, the demonstrations, the economic crisis, we deserved something to make us feel better," said Lazaro de Santana, 31, as he joined thousands who filed away dejected. The night was also scarred by disgruntled supporters' clashing with riot police after they were denied entry to the filled-to-capacity fan zone. Police fired teargas after fans pelted them with bottles. Other youths lit a bonfire near the Eiffel Tower. The buildup to Euro 2016 had been overshadowed by fears of more jihadist attacks. In the days before it kicked off, unions disrupted trains and grounded planes and uncollected rubbish built up in the streets in strikes and protests against labour reforms. But once the football began, the crowds at the fan zones grew with every match featuring France, while restaurants and cafes showing Les Bleus' matches were reservation-only by the time of the final. "The French people needed to find their way again," Hollande said in a commentary on the wave of support for the national team. "We saw it at the time of the attacks. We came together in the dramas, we had to find ourselves in the happiness, to come together," he wrote in the Journal du Dimanche. The November 13 attacks across Paris left 130 dead. The Stade de France where France were playing Germany at the time was one of the sites targeted by suicide bombers along with the Bataclan concert hall and cafes. France 'marked' Hollande said Didier Deschamps' French team had been "very marked" by the attacks. "The attacks were the same for them," he wrote. "They have decided they want to bring joy to the French people who experienced those events. "They want to give happiness. Deschamps has given them this desire to make people happy. They know that this isn't just any ordinary moment in time," Hollande said. France, with its young lineup built around striker Antoine Griezmann and charismatic midfielder Paul Pogba, were hot favourites against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal. Organisers had even prepared a bus for a victory parade with "Thanks" on the back and "European Champions 2016" on the side, according to video taken by a motorist who spotted it on a main road into Paris before Sunday's final. Victory would have been "good for France after the attacks to have revenge against the Islamists and all the lows we've had recently," said 18-year-old Shanel Aoudi, a barmaid in Paris. "We would have put all that aside," said Elliot Fromentin, 20, tears in his eyes after the bitter defeat. Before attending the final, Hollande admitted that reality would eventually crowd in even if France had won. "Sport allows people to come together but politics divides people," the president said. "The Euro sweeps away everything else, it brings people together, but life will resume afterwards." Hollande has recorded some of the lowest popularity scores for a post-war French president, but the Socialist might still stand for re-election next year. "I support the French team, I go to all their matches but I don't want to use sport for politics. That's not good for sport or for politics," the president said. (AFP)

France goes into mourning

Brazilian football legend Pele is getting married on Tuesday for the third time, tying the knot with his girlfriend of six years Marcia Cibele Aoki. 
 
Pele, 75, told O Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper that this time, he has found &quot;love forever.&quot; 
 
Pele and Aoki met in New York in the 1980s but only started seeing each other in 2010, when they crossed paths in an elevator in Sao Paulo. 
 
Aoki, a 42-year-old businesswoman, has been by the three-time world champion&#39;s side for nearly all his public appearances since 2012, as well as during his repeated hospital visits in recent years. 
 
Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pele is held by many as being the greatest footballer in history. 
 
He scored 1,281 goals in 1,363 matches, appeared 91 times for Brazil between 1957 and 1971 and played his club football for Brazil&#39;s FC Santos as well as the New York Cosmos. 
 
(AFP)

Says this time he has found 'love forever'

Brazilian football legend Pele is getting married on Tuesday for the third time, tying the knot with his girlfriend of six years Marcia Cibele Aoki. Pele, 75, told O Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper that this time, he has found "love forever." Pele and Aoki met in New York in the 1980s but only started seeing each other in 2010, when they crossed paths in an elevator in Sao Paulo. Aoki, a 42-year-old businesswoman, has been by the three-time world champion's side for nearly all his public appearances since 2012, as well as during his repeated hospital visits in recent years. Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pele is held by many as being the greatest footballer in history. He scored 1,281 goals in 1,363 matches, appeared 91 times for Brazil between 1957 and 1971 and played his club football for Brazil's FC Santos as well as the New York Cosmos. (AFP)

Pele to marry for a third time at 75

In China&#39;s eastern city of Hangzhou, Li could barely watch as Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo lined up a penalty kick in a finely-balanced Euro 2016 group match against Austria. Li had a reason to be nervous: He had bet tens of thousands of yuan on Portugal to win. 
 
With 10 minutes to go in the game in Paris, Real Madrid star Ronaldo hit the post, the game ended in a draw, and Li lost the money he had bet using Tencent Holdings Ltd&#39;s popular messaging app WeChat. 
 
Amid a surge of Chinese interest in global soccer, a side-effect has been a record spike in illegal gambling online, prompting multi-million dollar busts by police on betting rings, and tech giants like Tencent and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd cracking down on gambling activity on their apps. 
 
&quot;There are so many gamblers, groups and platforms during the European Cup though that I think it&#39;s really hard to find all of them,&quot; said Li, who asked only to use his surname as most online gambling in China is illegal. 
 
Li said he used a private chat group on WeChat where most of the betters were friends. Winnings were distributed via bank transfer, Alibaba-linked Alipay, WeChat or &#39;red packets&#39;, digital versions of traditional envelopes stuffed with cash. 
 
In the run-up to the UEFA European Football Championship final in Paris next Sunday, Chinese police say they have seen a surge in illegal online gambling. In a single bust last week, police in southern Guangdong arrested 147 people and froze funds worth nearly 100 million yuan ($15 million). 
 
Alibaba and Tencent acknowledge the issue and have anti-gambling systems in place to spot illegal behaviour. 
 
Ant Financial, the Alibaba affiliate which operates Alipay, has a three-tiered system to spot gambling, with computer systems analysing user behaviour and a line of human checks. 
 
&quot;If we find suspicious accounts, then we are going to freeze the account directly. It only takes a few hours from the first to the last step,&quot; said spokeswoman Miranda Shek, adding the firm was looking to add more anti-gambling staff. 
 
Reiterating a previous statement, Tencent said it is doing more to stamp out gambling on its platforms like WeChat, including restricting groups suspected of gambling behaviour and punishing individual account holders. It said it has put limits on more than 8,000 WeChat groups, and has limited the payment and &#39;red packet&#39; capabilities on more than 6,000 accounts. 
 
Soccer boom 
 
A soccer investment boom in China has helped propel interest in the game. Chinese firms have invested in overseas clubs, player agencies and media rights firms, and global soccer stars have moved to China in multi-million dollar deals. 
 
&quot;With the European Cup, everyone&#39;s betting on soccer but also over the last couple of years China&#39;s soccer market has developed rapidly. Big investments and star names create a real lure,&quot; said Hu Naijun, an assistant professor at the University of Science and Technology Beijing. 
 
The organiser of an online gambling group, who gave his name as Bao, said he and four other organisers had a pot of 5 million Yuan ($750,706) and that dozens of people would join for each game. 
 
&quot;In one night there will be millions placed in bets,&quot; he said, adding it had become a lucrative business. &quot;For the final, we&#39;ll probably go to Macau or Hong Kong and spend the whole week in the presidential suite.&quot; 
 
Li says he&#39;s still backing Portugal - who are through to the semi-finals - for Euro 2016 glory. 
 
&quot;I often can&#39;t watch, my heart just can&#39;t take it, I feel nervous at every chance. Especially when Ronaldo missed the penalty, I almost passed out,&quot; he said. 
 
($1 = 6.6604 Chinese yuan renminbi) 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

Investment boom has spiked public interest with betting rings reaping the benefit. Tencent and Alibaba are trying to stop gambling via apps

In China's eastern city of Hangzhou, Li could barely watch as Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo lined up a penalty kick in a finely-balanced Euro 2016 group match against Austria. Li had a reason to be nervous: He had bet tens of thousands of yuan on Portugal to win. With 10 minutes to go in the game in Paris, Real Madrid star Ronaldo hit the post, the game ended in a draw, and Li lost the money he had bet using Tencent Holdings Ltd's popular messaging app WeChat. Amid a surge of Chinese interest in global soccer, a side-effect has been a record spike in illegal gambling online, prompting multi-million dollar busts by police on betting rings, and tech giants like Tencent and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd cracking down on gambling activity on their apps. "There are so many gamblers, groups and platforms during the European Cup though that I think it's really hard to find all of them," said Li, who asked only to use his surname as most online gambling in China is illegal. Li said he used a private chat group on WeChat where most of the betters were friends. Winnings were distributed via bank transfer, Alibaba-linked Alipay, WeChat or 'red packets', digital versions of traditional envelopes stuffed with cash. In the run-up to the UEFA European Football Championship final in Paris next Sunday, Chinese police say they have seen a surge in illegal online gambling. In a single bust last week, police in southern Guangdong arrested 147 people and froze funds worth nearly 100 million yuan ($15 million). Alibaba and Tencent acknowledge the issue and have anti-gambling systems in place to spot illegal behaviour. Ant Financial, the Alibaba affiliate which operates Alipay, has a three-tiered system to spot gambling, with computer systems analysing user behaviour and a line of human checks. "If we find suspicious accounts, then we are going to freeze the account directly. It only takes a few hours from the first to the last step," said spokeswoman Miranda Shek, adding the firm was looking to add more anti-gambling staff. Reiterating a previous statement, Tencent said it is doing more to stamp out gambling on its platforms like WeChat, including restricting groups suspected of gambling behaviour and punishing individual account holders. It said it has put limits on more than 8,000 WeChat groups, and has limited the payment and 'red packet' capabilities on more than 6,000 accounts. Soccer boom A soccer investment boom in China has helped propel interest in the game. Chinese firms have invested in overseas clubs, player agencies and media rights firms, and global soccer stars have moved to China in multi-million dollar deals. "With the European Cup, everyone's betting on soccer but also over the last couple of years China's soccer market has developed rapidly. Big investments and star names create a real lure," said Hu Naijun, an assistant professor at the University of Science and Technology Beijing. The organiser of an online gambling group, who gave his name as Bao, said he and four other organisers had a pot of 5 million Yuan ($750,706) and that dozens of people would join for each game. "In one night there will be millions placed in bets," he said, adding it had become a lucrative business. "For the final, we'll probably go to Macau or Hong Kong and spend the whole week in the presidential suite." Li says he's still backing Portugal - who are through to the semi-finals - for Euro 2016 glory. "I often can't watch, my heart just can't take it, I feel nervous at every chance. Especially when Ronaldo missed the penalty, I almost passed out," he said. ($1 = 6.6604 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Reuters)

In China football boom sparks online gambling craze

India has sent a letter of request (LoR) to the US seeking to purchase patrol drones for protection and vigilance of its maritime assets in the Indian Ocean, sources said. 
 
The letter of request (LoR) sent by New Delhi last week comes less than a fortnight after India was inducted into Missile Technology 
 
Control Regime (MTCR) and recognised by the US as a &quot;major defence partner&quot; after the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Barack Obama, earlier this month. 
 
This is part of the Modi Government&#39;s effort to fast track its goal to secure the country&#39;s maritime assets, particularly in the Indian Ocean and, detect any untoward intrusion like the Mumbai terrorist attack. 
 
The letter seeks purchase of state-of-the-art multi-mission maritime patrol Predator Guardian UAV&#39;s (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) from General Atomics, they said. 
 
It provides high-altitude wide area and has long endurance maritime ISR capability, which will help India to safeguard its maritime assets in the Indian Ocean, both east and west coast. 
 
Flying at an altitude of 50,000 feet these drones have the capacity to fly non-stop for more than 24 hours and monitor the movement of objects as small as a football, sources said. 
 
India had previously shown interest in purchasing these drones from the US, but the Obama administration was unable to process these request as India was not a member of MTCR. 
 
After India got the MTCR membership earlier this month, the US has started looking into the proposal and is believed to be moving ahead with the next phase of letter of acceptance. 
 
&quot;Earlier this month, President Obama and Prime Minister Modi affirmed their support for US-India cooperation in promoting maritime security,&quot; they said. 
 
The issue of drones was discussed by the Prime Minister with President Obama who gave a favourable response. 
 
Referring to the India-US joint statement on June 7 at the White House, the sources said the two leaders reiterated the importance they attach to ensure freedom of navigation and overflight and exploitation of resources as per international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and settlement of territorial disputes by peaceful means. 
 
It is estimated that India could be looking at over 250 Predator Guardian UAV&#39;s over the next few years, estimated at over USD 5 billion. 
 
&quot;Its Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) mode provides a quick and easy method for locating moving vehicles,&quot; Dr Lall, an aerospace scientist said. 
 
&quot;The radar&#39;s Maritime Wide Area Search (MWAS) mode provides the capability to complete a variety of maritime missions successfully, including coastal surveillance, long-range surveillance, small target detection, and search and rescue operations. These are also equipped with an Automatic Identification System (AIS) for identifying vessels at sea,&quot; he added. 
 
(PTI)

The 'Predator Guardian' drones can fly at 50,000 feet non-stop for over 24 hours and monitor the movement of objects as small as a football

India has sent a letter of request (LoR) to the US seeking to purchase patrol drones for protection and vigilance of its maritime assets in the Indian Ocean, sources said. The letter of request (LoR) sent by New Delhi last week comes less than a fortnight after India was inducted into Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and recognised by the US as a "major defence partner" after the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Barack Obama, earlier this month. This is part of the Modi Government's effort to fast track its goal to secure the country's maritime assets, particularly in the Indian Ocean and, detect any untoward intrusion like the Mumbai terrorist attack. The letter seeks purchase of state-of-the-art multi-mission maritime patrol Predator Guardian UAV's (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) from General Atomics, they said. It provides high-altitude wide area and has long endurance maritime ISR capability, which will help India to safeguard its maritime assets in the Indian Ocean, both east and west coast. Flying at an altitude of 50,000 feet these drones have the capacity to fly non-stop for more than 24 hours and monitor the movement of objects as small as a football, sources said. India had previously shown interest in purchasing these drones from the US, but the Obama administration was unable to process these request as India was not a member of MTCR. After India got the MTCR membership earlier this month, the US has started looking into the proposal and is believed to be moving ahead with the next phase of letter of acceptance. "Earlier this month, President Obama and Prime Minister Modi affirmed their support for US-India cooperation in promoting maritime security," they said. The issue of drones was discussed by the Prime Minister with President Obama who gave a favourable response. Referring to the India-US joint statement on June 7 at the White House, the sources said the two leaders reiterated the importance they attach to ensure freedom of navigation and overflight and exploitation of resources as per international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and settlement of territorial disputes by peaceful means. It is estimated that India could be looking at over 250 Predator Guardian UAV's over the next few years, estimated at over USD 5 billion. "Its Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) mode provides a quick and easy method for locating moving vehicles," Dr Lall, an aerospace scientist said. "The radar's Maritime Wide Area Search (MWAS) mode provides the capability to complete a variety of maritime missions successfully, including coastal surveillance, long-range surveillance, small target detection, and search and rescue operations. These are also equipped with an Automatic Identification System (AIS) for identifying vessels at sea," he added. (PTI)

India seeks to buy estimated 250 US drones for over $5 billion

Japan striker Takashi Usami, one of the country&#39;s most coveted players, is set to join German Bundesliga side Augsburg, his J-League club, Gamba Osaka said today. 
 
The 24-year-old, who helped Gamba achieve a domestic treble in 2014 and has previously had spells at Bayern Munich and Hoffenheim, will play his final J-League game at home to Nagoya Grampus this weekend. 
 
Usami joined German giants Bayern on loan as a teenager in 2011 amid much fanfare in Japan, scoring six goals in 18 appearances but ultimately failing to force his way into the side for Bundesliga games. 
 
The former J-League young player of the year subsequently moved on to Hoffenheim, where he endured a season of frustration before returning to Osaka, helping them return to the top flight after a season in division two. 
 
Augsburg, who finished 12th in the Bundesliga last season, currently have three South Korean internationals on their books, including former skipper Koo Ja-Cheol and former Sunderland striker Ji Dong-Won. 
 
(AFP)

Takashi Usami joined Bayern Munich on loan as a teenager in 2011 amid much fanfare in Japan, scoring six goals in 18 appearances

Japan striker Takashi Usami, one of the country's most coveted players, is set to join German Bundesliga side Augsburg, his J-League club, Gamba Osaka said today. The 24-year-old, who helped Gamba achieve a domestic treble in 2014 and has previously had spells at Bayern Munich and Hoffenheim, will play his final J-League game at home to Nagoya Grampus this weekend. Usami joined German giants Bayern on loan as a teenager in 2011 amid much fanfare in Japan, scoring six goals in 18 appearances but ultimately failing to force his way into the side for Bundesliga games. The former J-League young player of the year subsequently moved on to Hoffenheim, where he endured a season of frustration before returning to Osaka, helping them return to the top flight after a season in division two. Augsburg, who finished 12th in the Bundesliga last season, currently have three South Korean internationals on their books, including former skipper Koo Ja-Cheol and former Sunderland striker Ji Dong-Won. (AFP)

Japan striker Usami set for Augsburg switch

Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said on Wednesday that he could not rule out Russian soccer fans being involved in more violence at the Euro 2016 tournament in France because they were constantly being provoked, the TASS news agency reported. 
 
Russia, whose fans fought pitched battles in Marseille at the weekend with their English counterparts, is due to play Slovakia later on Wednesday in Lille where English and Welsh fans have gathered ahead of their two teams&#39; game on Thursday. 
 
&quot;I do not have any certainty that disorder involving Russian fans will not be repeated,&quot; TASS quoted Mutko as saying. &quot;Our fans are constantly being provoked. And whatever happens it is immediately said that the Russians are guilty.&quot; 
 
Russian state TV on Wednesday broadcast what it said was footage of an English football fan stamping on a Russian flag in Lille, part of what Russian officials say has been a pattern of offensive provocations towards Russian supporters. 
 
UEFA has said Russia will be thrown out of the tournament if there is a repeat of the violence by Russia fans which marred the end of last Saturday&#39;s match against England. 
 
&quot;There are now 15-20,000 Russians in different towns (in France),&quot; Mutko was cited as saying. &quot;Most of them want to watch good football.&quot; 
(Reuters)

The team will be disqualified from the prestigious tournament if Russian soccer fans are provoked to mob violence by another soccer game

Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said on Wednesday that he could not rule out Russian soccer fans being involved in more violence at the Euro 2016 tournament in France because they were constantly being provoked, the TASS news agency reported. Russia, whose fans fought pitched battles in Marseille at the weekend with their English counterparts, is due to play Slovakia later on Wednesday in Lille where English and Welsh fans have gathered ahead of their two teams' game on Thursday. "I do not have any certainty that disorder involving Russian fans will not be repeated," TASS quoted Mutko as saying. "Our fans are constantly being provoked. And whatever happens it is immediately said that the Russians are guilty." Russian state TV on Wednesday broadcast what it said was footage of an English football fan stamping on a Russian flag in Lille, part of what Russian officials say has been a pattern of offensive provocations towards Russian supporters. UEFA has said Russia will be thrown out of the tournament if there is a repeat of the violence by Russia fans which marred the end of last Saturday's match against England. "There are now 15-20,000 Russians in different towns (in France)," Mutko was cited as saying. "Most of them want to watch good football." (Reuters)

Russian sports minister doesn't rule our more fan violence at Euro Cup, saying 'disorder' was 'provoked'

<div style="text-align: justify;">Diego Maradona has offered to support new FIFA chief Gianni Infantino&#39;s bid to improve the running of football in Argentina. 
Speaking upon his arrival in Buenos Aires on Tuesday, the Argentine legend said: &quot;I&#39;m not going to be a FIFA observer, I&#39;m coming to collaborate directly with Gianni Infantino. 
&quot;I&#39;m not going to arrive at AFA (the Argentine Federation) to drop a bomb and start everything again from zero. On the contrary, I want Argentine football to become strong again, as it&#39;s always been, but with transparency.&quot; 
Elected in February to succeed Sepp Blatter, Infantino &quot;had a very positive and constructive meeting&quot; with Maradona in Paris on June 10, a FIFA spokesperson told AFP. 
&quot;It is important that true legends of the game like Diego Maradona are interested in the future of the game and involve themselves in the promotion and development of football.&quot; 
Maradona, who starred in Argentina&#39;s 1986 World Cup triumph, has often in the past been critical of world football authorities, last year saying Blatter had made a &quot;disgrace&quot; of the game. 
&quot;This was another step in implementing the FIFA President&#39;s vision to reconnect FIFA with the players who have made the history of the game,&quot; the FIFA spokesperson added. 
&quot;FIFA is committed to help and assist find a sustainable solution for the governance of Argentinian football. And Diego Maradona has offered his support.&quot; 
A joint FIFA and South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) mission is presently visiting Argentina. 
The Argentina Football Association (AFA) has been left reeling following the death of long-time president Julio Grondona in 2014, which unleashed an internal power struggle, and the FIFA corruption scandal, which implicated several figures in the world of Argentine football. 
AFA is also under investigation for suspected misuse of millions of dollars it received from the Argentine government under a programme called Football for All, in which matches were broadcast for free. (AFP)</div>

Says he wants Argentine football to become strong again, 'but with transparency'

Diego Maradona has offered to support new FIFA chief Gianni Infantino's bid to improve the running of football in Argentina. Speaking upon his arrival in Buenos Aires on Tuesday, the Argentine legend said: "I'm not going to be a FIFA observer, I'm coming to collaborate directly with Gianni Infantino. "I'm not going to arrive at AFA (the Argentine Federation) to drop a bomb and start everything again from zero. On the contrary, I want Argentine football to become strong again, as it's always been, but with transparency." Elected in February to succeed Sepp Blatter, Infantino "had a very positive and constructive meeting" with Maradona in Paris on June 10, a FIFA spokesperson told AFP. "It is important that true legends of the game like Diego Maradona are interested in the future of the game and involve themselves in the promotion and development of football." Maradona, who starred in Argentina's 1986 World Cup triumph, has often in the past been critical of world football authorities, last year saying Blatter had made a "disgrace" of the game. "This was another step in implementing the FIFA President's vision to reconnect FIFA with the players who have made the history of the game," the FIFA spokesperson added. "FIFA is committed to help and assist find a sustainable solution for the governance of Argentinian football. And Diego Maradona has offered his support." A joint FIFA and South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) mission is presently visiting Argentina. The Argentina Football Association (AFA) has been left reeling following the death of long-time president Julio Grondona in 2014, which unleashed an internal power struggle, and the FIFA corruption scandal, which implicated several figures in the world of Argentine football. AFA is also under investigation for suspected misuse of millions of dollars it received from the Argentine government under a programme called Football for All, in which matches were broadcast for free. (AFP)

Maradona offers to help new FIFA chief improve running of game in Argentina

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