Spain&rsquo;s participation at the 2018 World Cup in Russia could be under threat after FIFA raised concerns about political interference within the Spanish football federation (RFEF).

Soccer&#39;s governing body has warned the RFEF that the Spanish government&#39;s involvement in the election for the football federation&#39;s new president could lead to them being expelled from next year&#39;s World Cup.

The RFEF is led by Juan Luis Larrea on an interim basis after former president Angel Maria Villar was forced to step down on corruption charges.

&quot;We can confirm that FIFA recently sent a letter to the RFEF showing its concern with the situation the federation is in and reminding it that... all member associations should manage their affairs independently,&quot; FIFA said in a statement on Friday.

&quot;All associations must be assured that there is no outside interference from third parties in its internal affairs. FIFA is in contact with the RFEF and in the next few weeks a delegation of FIFA and UEFA members will travel to Madrid to analyse the situation the RFEF is in.&quot;

Spanish newspaper El Pais reported that FIFA&#39;s concerns centre around the government&#39;s sports department pushing to hold new federation elections.

A statement from the RFEF said its president Larrea had discussed the situation with FIFA members at the World Cup draw on December&nbsp;1.

&quot;The RFEF passed on these (FIFA&#39;s) concerns to the minister for sport and is expecting to organise a meeting on the matter. The RFEF wants everything to return to normal, that has always been the main objective of the current board of directors.

&quot;We underline that we all want the national team to participate in the 2018 World Cup, especially after its brilliant qualifying campaign.&quot;

Spain captain and Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos, speaking ahead of the Club World Cup final in Abu Dhabi, added: &quot;I cannot believe that Spain could lose what we have worked so hard for on the pitch due to an institutional dispute, I struggle to believe that.&quot;

Spain&#39;s prime minister Mariano Rajoy said he was not concerned by the suggestion his country would be barred from competing in the World Cup.

Spain won the World Cup for the first time in 2010 and are one of the favourites to lift the trophy in Russia next year.

&quot;I cannot contemplate that scenario, I&#39;m absolutely convinced Spain will go to the World Cup and that we are going to win it,&quot; Rajoy told reporters in Brussels after a meeting of European Union member states.

&quot;The government&#39;s behaviour is exemplary and those in charge of the department for sport (CSD) have the total support of the prime minister.&quot;

In 2015 Indonesia were banned from competing in qualifiers for next year&#39;s World Cup after FIFA said the central government had taken over its federation&#39;s affairs.

Spain?s participation at the 2018 World Cup in Russia could be under threat after FIFA raised concerns about political interference within the Spanish football federation (RFEF)

Spain’s participation at the 2018 World Cup in Russia could be under threat after FIFA raised concerns about political interference within the Spanish football federation (RFEF). Soccer's governing body has warned the RFEF that the Spanish government's involvement in the election for the football federation's new president could lead to them being expelled from next year's World Cup. The RFEF is led by Juan Luis Larrea on an interim basis after former president Angel Maria Villar was forced to step down on corruption charges. "We can confirm that FIFA recently sent a letter to the RFEF showing its concern with the situation the federation is in and reminding it that... all member associations should manage their affairs independently," FIFA said in a statement on Friday. "All associations must be assured that there is no outside interference from third parties in its internal affairs. FIFA is in contact with the RFEF and in the next few weeks a delegation of FIFA and UEFA members will travel to Madrid to analyse the situation the RFEF is in." Spanish newspaper El Pais reported that FIFA's concerns centre around the government's sports department pushing to hold new federation elections. A statement from the RFEF said its president Larrea had discussed the situation with FIFA members at the World Cup draw on December 1. "The RFEF passed on these (FIFA's) concerns to the minister for sport and is expecting to organise a meeting on the matter. The RFEF wants everything to return to normal, that has always been the main objective of the current board of directors. "We underline that we all want the national team to participate in the 2018 World Cup, especially after its brilliant qualifying campaign." Spain captain and Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos, speaking ahead of the Club World Cup final in Abu Dhabi, added: "I cannot believe that Spain could lose what we have worked so hard for on the pitch due to an institutional dispute, I struggle to believe that." Spain's prime minister Mariano Rajoy said he was not concerned by the suggestion his country would be barred from competing in the World Cup. Spain won the World Cup for the first time in 2010 and are one of the favourites to lift the trophy in Russia next year. "I cannot contemplate that scenario, I'm absolutely convinced Spain will go to the World Cup and that we are going to win it," Rajoy told reporters in Brussels after a meeting of European Union member states. "The government's behaviour is exemplary and those in charge of the department for sport (CSD) have the total support of the prime minister." In 2015 Indonesia were banned from competing in qualifiers for next year's World Cup after FIFA said the central government had taken over its federation's affairs.

Soccer: Spain face possible World Cup ban as FIFA warns over government interference

Chelsea surrendered the top spot in the Champions League Group C when they drew 1-1 at home against Spain`s Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.

Chelsea, who had already secured their place in the knockout phase, finished second in the group behind Italy`s AS Roma, while Atletico, finalists in 2014 and 2016, will drop into the Europa League after finishing third.&nbsp;

&quot;Football is about finishing at the end of the day and it`s clear we`ve not done that in the Champions League this year and we have paid the price,&quot; Atletico coach Diego Simeone said.&nbsp;

&quot;It`s not good to be out of the Champions League but there is still a long season ahead and we will be assessed at the end of it.

&quot;It`s not a disaster. It`s a situation that can happen.&quot;

Atletico took the lead in the 56th minute when Saul Niguez headed in at the far post after a flick on by former Chelsea striker Fernando Torres following a corner.

The goal was tough on Chelsea who had created a string of chances while Atletico barely troubled the hosts in the first 45 minutes.&nbsp;

Chelsea`s pressure paid off in the 75th minute when Atletico defender Stefan Savic turned an Eden Hazard cross into his own net, setting up a climactic end to the game as both sides pushed for a winning goal.

Spain striker Alvaro Morata fired at Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak when he looked sure to score and Brazil winger Willian wasted an even better chance when he blazed an effort high and wide in the 82nd minute.

Substitute Michy Batshuayi went close in added time when his angled shot flew just wide of Oblak`s post.

Chelsea`s head coach Antonio Conte was at least content with his side`s attacking intent and creativity looking ahead to the next round.

&quot;We tried to play our game and win. In the first half we tried to push, we created many chances to score and we conceded a goal from a corner,&quot; he said.

&quot;When you play this way and create so much you must be satisfied. Our (next) opponent won`t be happy to play against us.&quot;&nbsp;

Atletico took the lead in the 56th minute when Saul Niguez headed in at the far post after a flick on by former Chelsea striker Fernando Torres following a corner

Chelsea surrendered the top spot in the Champions League Group C when they drew 1-1 at home against Spain`s Atletico Madrid on Tuesday. Chelsea, who had already secured their place in the knockout phase, finished second in the group behind Italy`s AS Roma, while Atletico, finalists in 2014 and 2016, will drop into the Europa League after finishing third. "Football is about finishing at the end of the day and it`s clear we`ve not done that in the Champions League this year and we have paid the price," Atletico coach Diego Simeone said. "It`s not good to be out of the Champions League but there is still a long season ahead and we will be assessed at the end of it. "It`s not a disaster. It`s a situation that can happen." Atletico took the lead in the 56th minute when Saul Niguez headed in at the far post after a flick on by former Chelsea striker Fernando Torres following a corner. The goal was tough on Chelsea who had created a string of chances while Atletico barely troubled the hosts in the first 45 minutes. Chelsea`s pressure paid off in the 75th minute when Atletico defender Stefan Savic turned an Eden Hazard cross into his own net, setting up a climactic end to the game as both sides pushed for a winning goal. Spain striker Alvaro Morata fired at Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak when he looked sure to score and Brazil winger Willian wasted an even better chance when he blazed an effort high and wide in the 82nd minute. Substitute Michy Batshuayi went close in added time when his angled shot flew just wide of Oblak`s post. Chelsea`s head coach Antonio Conte was at least content with his side`s attacking intent and creativity looking ahead to the next round. "We tried to play our game and win. In the first half we tried to push, we created many chances to score and we conceded a goal from a corner," he said. "When you play this way and create so much you must be satisfied. Our (next) opponent won`t be happy to play against us."

Champions League: Chelsea surrender top spot after draw with Atletico

Barcelona scored twice in the second half to beat Sporting Lisbon 2-0 at home on Tuesday, rounding off their unbeaten group stage campaign with a fourth win, while knocking the Portuguese side out of the competition.

With Lionel Messi left on the bench, Paco Alcacer gave Barca the lead in the 59th minute with a glancing header from a corner while former Barca defender Jeremy Mathieu clumsily slid Aleix Vidal`s low cross into his own net in stoppage time.

Barca had already secured their place in the last 16 of the competition as Group D winners before the game, while Sporting needed to win and for Juventus not to beat Olympiakos in order to reach the knockouts for the first time in nine seasons.

Their hopes were quickly dashed when Juan Cuadrado put Juventus ahead in the 15th minute in Athens and Federico Bernardeschi made it 2-0 in the 90th to ensure Sporting dropped into the Europa League whatever happened at the Nou Camp.

Barca coach Ernesto Valverde made eight changes to the team that had drawn 2-2 with Celta Vigo on Saturday, including picking Thomas Vermaelen in place of injured Samuel Umtiti and starting without Messi for the second European game in a row.

Messi came on moments after Alcacer had broken the deadlock and the Argentine instantly lifted Barca`s tempo. He went close to doubling their lead three times in quick succession, twice missing the target and forcing a save from visiting goalkeeper Rui Patricio.

At the other end Barca`s reserve goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen made an outstanding save to thwart his Dutch international team mate Bas Dost.

Sporting defender Mathieu left Barca after an inconsistent yet trophy-filled three-year spell at Barca but had the home fans chanting his name ironically after he unwittingly knocked in the second goal to seal the victory.&nbsp;

With Lionel Messi left on the bench, Paco Alcacer gave Barca the lead in the 59th minute

Barcelona scored twice in the second half to beat Sporting Lisbon 2-0 at home on Tuesday, rounding off their unbeaten group stage campaign with a fourth win, while knocking the Portuguese side out of the competition. With Lionel Messi left on the bench, Paco Alcacer gave Barca the lead in the 59th minute with a glancing header from a corner while former Barca defender Jeremy Mathieu clumsily slid Aleix Vidal`s low cross into his own net in stoppage time. Barca had already secured their place in the last 16 of the competition as Group D winners before the game, while Sporting needed to win and for Juventus not to beat Olympiakos in order to reach the knockouts for the first time in nine seasons. Their hopes were quickly dashed when Juan Cuadrado put Juventus ahead in the 15th minute in Athens and Federico Bernardeschi made it 2-0 in the 90th to ensure Sporting dropped into the Europa League whatever happened at the Nou Camp. Barca coach Ernesto Valverde made eight changes to the team that had drawn 2-2 with Celta Vigo on Saturday, including picking Thomas Vermaelen in place of injured Samuel Umtiti and starting without Messi for the second European game in a row. Messi came on moments after Alcacer had broken the deadlock and the Argentine instantly lifted Barca`s tempo. He went close to doubling their lead three times in quick succession, twice missing the target and forcing a save from visiting goalkeeper Rui Patricio. At the other end Barca`s reserve goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen made an outstanding save to thwart his Dutch international team mate Bas Dost. Sporting defender Mathieu left Barca after an inconsistent yet trophy-filled three-year spell at Barca but had the home fans chanting his name ironically after he unwittingly knocked in the second goal to seal the victory.

Champions League: Barca end Sporting's hopes with 2-0 win

Bayern Munich ruined Paris St Germain&#39;s perfect Champions League record this season with a 3-1 victory at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday but their rousing win could not stop the French side advancing as Group B winners.

With both teams already qualified for the knockout stages, Corentin Tolisso&#39;s double and another goal from Robert Lewandowski gave Bayern hope of pulling off the improbable win by a four-goal margin that would see them top the group.

Yet PSG, who had thumped Bayern 3-0 in Paris, always looked likely to avoid that indignity in a high-quality contest once Kylian Mbappe scored just after halftime when they were 2-0 down.

The top-of-the-table clash proved far from a &#39;dead rubber&#39;&nbsp;with both sides determined to demonstrate the qualities that make them among the favourites to lift the title this season.

The German champions started hungrily, Lewandowski having time to turn and score in the eighth minute after being played onside by a careless Dani Alves, before Tolisso headed home James Rodriguez&#39;s cross in the 37th minute.

With the home crowd sensing an extraordinary story, Mbappe ruined the script when heading in from Edinson Cavani&#39;s neat chipped cross five minutes after the break.

Still, the French midfielder Tolisso kept the pressure on, finishing clinically in the 69th minute after David Alaba&#39;s storming run and cross down the left flank.

While PSG and Bayern ended on 15 points each, Celtic took third place, guaranteeing Europa League football, despite losing 1-0 at home to Anderlecht, whose second-half winner came from a Jozo Simunovic own goal.

The win represented the Belgian side`s first success of the competition after five straight defeats but Celtic&#39;s previous 3-0 win at Anderlecht ensured they had the better head-to-head record.

The French side still advanced to the last 16 as Group B winners

Bayern Munich ruined Paris St Germain's perfect Champions League record this season with a 3-1 victory at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday but their rousing win could not stop the French side advancing as Group B winners. With both teams already qualified for the knockout stages, Corentin Tolisso's double and another goal from Robert Lewandowski gave Bayern hope of pulling off the improbable win by a four-goal margin that would see them top the group. Yet PSG, who had thumped Bayern 3-0 in Paris, always looked likely to avoid that indignity in a high-quality contest once Kylian Mbappe scored just after halftime when they were 2-0 down. The top-of-the-table clash proved far from a 'dead rubber' with both sides determined to demonstrate the qualities that make them among the favourites to lift the title this season. The German champions started hungrily, Lewandowski having time to turn and score in the eighth minute after being played onside by a careless Dani Alves, before Tolisso headed home James Rodriguez's cross in the 37th minute. With the home crowd sensing an extraordinary story, Mbappe ruined the script when heading in from Edinson Cavani's neat chipped cross five minutes after the break. Still, the French midfielder Tolisso kept the pressure on, finishing clinically in the 69th minute after David Alaba's storming run and cross down the left flank. While PSG and Bayern ended on 15 points each, Celtic took third place, guaranteeing Europa League football, despite losing 1-0 at home to Anderlecht, whose second-half winner came from a Jozo Simunovic own goal. The win represented the Belgian side`s first success of the competition after five straight defeats but Celtic's previous 3-0 win at Anderlecht ensured they had the better head-to-head record.

Champions League: Bayern end PSG's perfect Euro record with 3-1 win

Manchester United reached the Champions League last-16 as Group A winners after coming from behind to beat CSKA Moscow 2-1 at home and finish ahead of Basel who also went through with a 2-0 win at Benfica on Tuesday.

The result left United top of the section on 15 points, three more than second-placed Basel and six ahead of third-placed CSKA who will carry on in the second-tier Europa League after the winter break.

Having missed a string of good chances in the opening period, United fell behind to a freakish Vitinho goal, heavily deflected off Alan Dzagoev, on the stroke of halftime before Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford struck within a minute to turn the match on its head.&nbsp;

Rashford hit the post in the fourth minute and saw a shot from a tight angle saved by CSKA`s busy keeper Igor Akinfeev, who also kept out a Luke Shaw volley as United`s left back enjoyed a fine evening after making his first start since April.

CSKA struck out of the blue as Mario Fernandes broke down the right and set up Vitinho, whose miscued shot struck Dzagoev in the back and bounced into the net.&nbsp;

United piled the pressure after the break and Akinfeev parried another fierce Rashford shot before the home side`s siege finally paid dividends.&nbsp;

Lukaku used his physical strength to steer in the equaliser in the 64th minute, as he got on the end of a probing Paul Pogba pass despite being tugged by CSKA centre back Viktor Vasin.

Rashford got his reward for tireless work less than a minute later, drilling in a sublime Juan Mata chip with a fierce left-footed shot from 13 metres which gave Akinfeev no chance.

Needing to match CSKA`s result to go through, Basel quickly established their grip on a knockout stage berth as Mohamed Elyounoussi headed the Swiss side into an early lead in Lisbon after Michael Lang`s inch-perfect cross.

Another close-range header by striker Dimitri Oberlin doubled Basel`s lead midway through the second half as Benfica finished bottom of the group with zero points from six games.&nbsp;

They came from behind to beat CSKA Moscow

Manchester United reached the Champions League last-16 as Group A winners after coming from behind to beat CSKA Moscow 2-1 at home and finish ahead of Basel who also went through with a 2-0 win at Benfica on Tuesday. The result left United top of the section on 15 points, three more than second-placed Basel and six ahead of third-placed CSKA who will carry on in the second-tier Europa League after the winter break. Having missed a string of good chances in the opening period, United fell behind to a freakish Vitinho goal, heavily deflected off Alan Dzagoev, on the stroke of halftime before Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford struck within a minute to turn the match on its head. Rashford hit the post in the fourth minute and saw a shot from a tight angle saved by CSKA`s busy keeper Igor Akinfeev, who also kept out a Luke Shaw volley as United`s left back enjoyed a fine evening after making his first start since April. CSKA struck out of the blue as Mario Fernandes broke down the right and set up Vitinho, whose miscued shot struck Dzagoev in the back and bounced into the net. United piled the pressure after the break and Akinfeev parried another fierce Rashford shot before the home side`s siege finally paid dividends. Lukaku used his physical strength to steer in the equaliser in the 64th minute, as he got on the end of a probing Paul Pogba pass despite being tugged by CSKA centre back Viktor Vasin. Rashford got his reward for tireless work less than a minute later, drilling in a sublime Juan Mata chip with a fierce left-footed shot from 13 metres which gave Akinfeev no chance. Needing to match CSKA`s result to go through, Basel quickly established their grip on a knockout stage berth as Mohamed Elyounoussi headed the Swiss side into an early lead in Lisbon after Michael Lang`s inch-perfect cross. Another close-range header by striker Dimitri Oberlin doubled Basel`s lead midway through the second half as Benfica finished bottom of the group with zero points from six games.

Champions League: Man United reach last 16 after 2-1 home win over CSKA

La Liga leaders Barcelona were held to a 2-2 home draw by Celta Vigo on Saturday as their former assistant coach Juan Carlos Unzue dented the title hopes of the Catalans, who dropped points for the second game in a row for the first time this campaign.

Celta striker Iago Aspas silenced the Nou Camp by giving Celta the lead in the 20th minute, knocking in on the rebound after splitting the home defence with a darting run through the middle.

Lionel Messi quickly replied at the other end, finishing off a sweeping team move two minutes later to score for the first time in six games in all competitions and net his 13th league goal of the season.

Messi helped set up what looked to be the winning goal for Luis Suarez in the 62nd minute as the striker thrashed home a Jordi Alba cutback but Barca were denied victory by another Uruguayan striker in Maxi Gomez.

He slotted in from close range after another searing run by Aspas, who capitalised on Barca defender Samuel Umtiti injuring his hamstring as he tried to keep up with the Spanish forward.

Gerard Pique missed a gilt-edged chance to hit the winner but struck the near post from close range while Messi, who also hit the woodwork earlier in the game, sent a free kick deep in stoppage time just wide of the post.

Barca still lead the standings with 36 points but second-placed Valencia can cut their deficit on the leaders down to two if they beat Getafe on Sunday.

Later on Saturday Atletico Madrid, third on 27 points, host Real Sociedad while champions Real Madrid, also on 27, visit struggling Athletic Bilbao.

Celta striker Iago Aspas silenced the Nou Camp by giving Celta the lead in the 20th minute, knocking in on the rebound after splitting the home defence with a darting run through the middle

La Liga leaders Barcelona were held to a 2-2 home draw by Celta Vigo on Saturday as their former assistant coach Juan Carlos Unzue dented the title hopes of the Catalans, who dropped points for the second game in a row for the first time this campaign. Celta striker Iago Aspas silenced the Nou Camp by giving Celta the lead in the 20th minute, knocking in on the rebound after splitting the home defence with a darting run through the middle. Lionel Messi quickly replied at the other end, finishing off a sweeping team move two minutes later to score for the first time in six games in all competitions and net his 13th league goal of the season. Messi helped set up what looked to be the winning goal for Luis Suarez in the 62nd minute as the striker thrashed home a Jordi Alba cutback but Barca were denied victory by another Uruguayan striker in Maxi Gomez. He slotted in from close range after another searing run by Aspas, who capitalised on Barca defender Samuel Umtiti injuring his hamstring as he tried to keep up with the Spanish forward. Gerard Pique missed a gilt-edged chance to hit the winner but struck the near post from close range while Messi, who also hit the woodwork earlier in the game, sent a free kick deep in stoppage time just wide of the post. Barca still lead the standings with 36 points but second-placed Valencia can cut their deficit on the leaders down to two if they beat Getafe on Sunday. Later on Saturday Atletico Madrid, third on 27 points, host Real Sociedad while champions Real Madrid, also on 27, visit struggling Athletic Bilbao.

Barca held 2-2 by Celta despite Messi ending goal drought

Egypt&nbsp;have finally found their Holy Grail, overcoming the disappointment of decades of heartbreaking failure to reach the World Cup finals for the first time since 1990.

Qualifying had become an obsessive weight on the team, whose repeated failures in the World Cup came in stark contrast to their record-breaking achievements in the African Nations Cup, where they repeatedly won the continental championship.

Egypt&nbsp;reached the African playoffs for the last World Cup but a 6-1 hammering in Ghana proved yet another huge setback and when they were paired with the Ghanaians again in qualifying for the 2018 finals, more disappointment was anticipated.

But Ghana started the campaign poorly, including being beaten 2-0 in Alexandria, and&nbsp;Egypt&nbsp;was able to keep their noses in front in the group, even after losing in Uganda and producing unconvincing displays in their last two home matches.

Giddy celebrations followed after qualification was secured with one game to play, with Mohamed Salah tucking away a late penalty to beat Congo 2-1 at home and avoid having to go to Ghana in their last match to try and secure a World Cup place.

Liverpool&rsquo;s Salah was the talisman of the campaign, ending as the leading scorer in the African preliminaries with five goals.

He is among a growing contingent of English-based players in the side, including Ahmed Elmohamady of Aston Villa, Mohamed Elneny of Arsenal, Ahmed Hegazy from West Bromwich Albion and the promising Ramadan Sobhi of Stoke City.

Argentine-born coach Hector Cuper has managed a smooth transition from the aging generation he inherited into a much younger outfit but still relies on the veteran Essam El Hadary in goal.

El Hadary turns 45 in January and if he plays in Russia will set a new record for the tournament&#39;s oldest participant.

Egypt reach the World Cup finals for the first time since 1990

Egypt have finally found their Holy Grail, overcoming the disappointment of decades of heartbreaking failure to reach the World Cup finals for the first time since 1990. Qualifying had become an obsessive weight on the team, whose repeated failures in the World Cup came in stark contrast to their record-breaking achievements in the African Nations Cup, where they repeatedly won the continental championship. Egypt reached the African playoffs for the last World Cup but a 6-1 hammering in Ghana proved yet another huge setback and when they were paired with the Ghanaians again in qualifying for the 2018 finals, more disappointment was anticipated. But Ghana started the campaign poorly, including being beaten 2-0 in Alexandria, and Egypt was able to keep their noses in front in the group, even after losing in Uganda and producing unconvincing displays in their last two home matches. Giddy celebrations followed after qualification was secured with one game to play, with Mohamed Salah tucking away a late penalty to beat Congo 2-1 at home and avoid having to go to Ghana in their last match to try and secure a World Cup place. Liverpool’s Salah was the talisman of the campaign, ending as the leading scorer in the African preliminaries with five goals. He is among a growing contingent of English-based players in the side, including Ahmed Elmohamady of Aston Villa, Mohamed Elneny of Arsenal, Ahmed Hegazy from West Bromwich Albion and the promising Ramadan Sobhi of Stoke City. Argentine-born coach Hector Cuper has managed a smooth transition from the aging generation he inherited into a much younger outfit but still relies on the veteran Essam El Hadary in goal. El Hadary turns 45 in January and if he plays in Russia will set a new record for the tournament's oldest participant.

World Cup football: Egypt finally discover Holy Grail

Liverpool has overcome the instability that contributed to their inconsistent start to the season, manager Juergen Klopp said ahead of Tuesday&#39;s Champions League clash at Sevilla.

A victory in Spain will guarantee Group E leaders Liverpool passage into the knockout stage and Klopp&#39;s side head into the game high on confidence after three successive victories in the Premier League.

&quot;It&#39;s getting really exciting and decisive -- and that&#39;s really cool,&quot; Klopp said. &quot;We&#39;ve had 12 (league) games this season, that&#39;s not even a third of the season, so we have to learn from our experiences and build on our performances.

&quot;That&#39;s what we did in the last few weeks and now what we have to do in the next few weeks... to get points you need to play stable football and that&#39;s what we were lacking. Now it looks much more stable and that was really important for us.&quot;

Liverpool&#39;s blistering form in front of goal has stemmed from the understanding between Philippe Coutinho, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah with the attacking foursome limiting striker Daniel Sturridge&#39;s game time.

However, Klopp said the England international will have a part to play as the season wears on and he was not thinking of selling him in the January transfer window.

&quot;I can imagine a player with his quality is not happy that he is not starting all the time,&quot; Klopp added. &quot;The situation with the player is completely okay. We are in November and need all our players -- even if he feels a little different.

&quot;There is around one-and-a-half months before the window opens and I don&#39;t think about things like this. There are so many games before then and I need all of them (players).&quot;

Klopp will be without defender Joel Matip on Tuesday and hopes he will recover from a thigh strain in time for the visit of Chelsea on Saturday.

Liverpool, who were held to a 2-2 draw by the Spanish side in their opening clash in Europe in September and followed that up with a 1-1 draw at Spartak Moscow, thrashed Maribor 7-0 and 3-0 in their next two games to top Group E.

Liverpool take on Sevilla early Wednesday morning at 1.15 am India Standard Time

Liverpool has overcome the instability that contributed to their inconsistent start to the season, manager Juergen Klopp said ahead of Tuesday's Champions League clash at Sevilla. A victory in Spain will guarantee Group E leaders Liverpool passage into the knockout stage and Klopp's side head into the game high on confidence after three successive victories in the Premier League. "It's getting really exciting and decisive -- and that's really cool," Klopp said. "We've had 12 (league) games this season, that's not even a third of the season, so we have to learn from our experiences and build on our performances. "That's what we did in the last few weeks and now what we have to do in the next few weeks... to get points you need to play stable football and that's what we were lacking. Now it looks much more stable and that was really important for us." Liverpool's blistering form in front of goal has stemmed from the understanding between Philippe Coutinho, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah with the attacking foursome limiting striker Daniel Sturridge's game time. However, Klopp said the England international will have a part to play as the season wears on and he was not thinking of selling him in the January transfer window. "I can imagine a player with his quality is not happy that he is not starting all the time," Klopp added. "The situation with the player is completely okay. We are in November and need all our players -- even if he feels a little different. "There is around one-and-a-half months before the window opens and I don't think about things like this. There are so many games before then and I need all of them (players)." Klopp will be without defender Joel Matip on Tuesday and hopes he will recover from a thigh strain in time for the visit of Chelsea on Saturday. Liverpool, who were held to a 2-2 draw by the Spanish side in their opening clash in Europe in September and followed that up with a 1-1 draw at Spartak Moscow, thrashed Maribor 7-0 and 3-0 in their next two games to top Group E.

Champions League: Klopp says Liverpool have overcome early instability

US&nbsp;soccer star Hope Solo accused ex-FIFA President Sepp Blatter of grabbing her buttocks during an awards ceremony five years ago, an allegation that the former head of the international football&rsquo;s governing body denied.

Solo, 36, told a Portuguese newspaper that Blatter touched her inappropriately in January 2013 during the Ballon D&lsquo;or awards ceremony in Lisbon. A spokeswoman for Solo on Saturday confirmed her comments.

&quot;I had Sepp Blatter grab my ass,&rdquo; the former goalkeeper on the US&nbsp;national women&rsquo;s team said in an audio interview with Expresso, posted on Saturday.

&quot;It was at the Ballon D&lsquo;or one year, right before I went on stage,&rdquo; said Solo, who received FIFA&rsquo;s women&rsquo;s player of the year award in 2013. &quot;It&rsquo;s been normalized.&quot;

A spokesman for Blatter said in a phone interview on Saturday that Solo&rsquo;s allegation was &ldquo;absurd and ridiculous, and it is not true.&rdquo;

Solo is the latest celebrity to go public with accusations of sexual misconduct by powerful men in sports and entertainment, including movie producer Harvey Weinstein, actor Kevin Spacey and former Fox News host Bill O&lsquo;Reilly.

The high-profile allegations have inspired <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/metoo-say-sita-and-savitri-23112">an online campaign, tagged #MeToo</a>, that has encouraged men and women in all walks of life to reveal their own experiences with sexual harassment and assault, often years after they occurred.

Solo last month posted a statement on her Instagram page that commended women in the entertainment industry for having courage to reveal their experiences with sexual misconduct and suggested she had been a victim herself.

&ldquo;From inappropriate comments, unwanted advances and grabs of the ass to coaches and GMs and even press officers speaking about players &lsquo;tits&rsquo; and physical appearance, sexual harassment is rampant in the sports world,&rdquo; Solo wrote online.

&ldquo;I always felt I&rsquo;d &lsquo;handled it&rsquo; and stood up for myself in those situations, but there were never any consequences for the perpetrators,&rdquo; she added.

Solo, considered one of the best goalkeepers in the world, played on the U.S. women&rsquo;s soccer team from 2000 to 2016, when it won two Olympic gold medals and a World Cup.

Blatter is in the midst of a six-year ban from all soccer-related duties imposed by Zurich-based FIFA&rsquo;s ethics committee after a corruption scandal.

Solo, accused ex-FIFA President Sepp Blatter that he touched her buttocks in January 2013 during the Ballon D?or awards ceremony in Lisbon, an allegation that the former head of international football?s governing body denied

US soccer star Hope Solo accused ex-FIFA President Sepp Blatter of grabbing her buttocks during an awards ceremony five years ago, an allegation that the former head of the international football’s governing body denied. Solo, 36, told a Portuguese newspaper that Blatter touched her inappropriately in January 2013 during the Ballon D‘or awards ceremony in Lisbon. A spokeswoman for Solo on Saturday confirmed her comments. "I had Sepp Blatter grab my ass,” the former goalkeeper on the US national women’s team said in an audio interview with Expresso, posted on Saturday. "It was at the Ballon D‘or one year, right before I went on stage,” said Solo, who received FIFA’s women’s player of the year award in 2013. "It’s been normalized." A spokesman for Blatter said in a phone interview on Saturday that Solo’s allegation was “absurd and ridiculous, and it is not true.” Solo is the latest celebrity to go public with accusations of sexual misconduct by powerful men in sports and entertainment, including movie producer Harvey Weinstein, actor Kevin Spacey and former Fox News host Bill O‘Reilly. The high-profile allegations have inspired an online campaign, tagged #MeToo, that has encouraged men and women in all walks of life to reveal their own experiences with sexual harassment and assault, often years after they occurred. Solo last month posted a statement on her Instagram page that commended women in the entertainment industry for having courage to reveal their experiences with sexual misconduct and suggested she had been a victim herself. “From inappropriate comments, unwanted advances and grabs of the ass to coaches and GMs and even press officers speaking about players ‘tits’ and physical appearance, sexual harassment is rampant in the sports world,” Solo wrote online. “I always felt I’d ‘handled it’ and stood up for myself in those situations, but there were never any consequences for the perpetrators,” she added. Solo, considered one of the best goalkeepers in the world, played on the U.S. women’s soccer team from 2000 to 2016, when it won two Olympic gold medals and a World Cup. Blatter is in the midst of a six-year ban from all soccer-related duties imposed by Zurich-based FIFA’s ethics committee after a corruption scandal.

US soccer star Hope Solo says ex-FIFA president 'grabbed' her

Manchester City boss Pep&nbsp;Guardiola&nbsp;was named&nbsp;Premier&nbsp;League&nbsp;manager of the month for September on Friday after guiding the club to four&nbsp;wins from four games.

City, who top the table on 19 points and are ahead of local rivals Manchester United on goal difference after seven games, began the month with a 5-0 thumping of Liverpool before beating Watford 6-0 away and Crystal Palace 5-0 at home.

Guardiola&#39;s team, who host Stoke City on Saturday, rounded off their clean sweep in September with a hard-fought 1-0 victory at defending champions Chelsea to take their total to 17 goals scored with none conceded during the month.

The Spaniard fended off competition from fellow nominees Jose Mourinho, Mauricio Pochettino and Arsene Wenger to claim the award for the second time since taking charge of City last season.

Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry&nbsp;Kane&nbsp;was named the&nbsp;player of the month after scoring six goals in four&nbsp;league&nbsp;games.

The 24-year-old opened his domestic account for the season with a brace in Tottenham&#39;s 3-0&nbsp;win at Everton on Sept. 9 but failed to find the net as his side were held to a 0-0 draw by struggling Swansea City in their next&nbsp;league&nbsp;game.

Kane&nbsp;got back on track the following weekend with another double as Tottenham ran out 3-2winners at West Ham United before adding two more goals in their 4-0 demolition of promoted Huddersfield Town on Sept. 30.

&quot;I&#39;m very pleased to have got this award again. Hopefully, there will be a few more from now until the end of the season,&quot;&nbsp;Kane&nbsp;said in a video posted on the Tottenham Twitter account after claiming the award for the fifth time.

Kane&#39;s fifth&nbsp;win&nbsp;drew him level with Everton&#39;s Wayne Rooney and former Manchester United and Arsenal striker Robin van Persie. Only former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has more&nbsp;wins than the trio, with six in total.

City, who top the table on 19 points and are ahead of local rivals Manchester United on goal difference after seven games, began the month with a 5-0 thumping of Liverpool before beating Watford 6-0 away and Crystal Palace 5-0 at home

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola was named Premier League manager of the month for September on Friday after guiding the club to four wins from four games. City, who top the table on 19 points and are ahead of local rivals Manchester United on goal difference after seven games, began the month with a 5-0 thumping of Liverpool before beating Watford 6-0 away and Crystal Palace 5-0 at home. Guardiola's team, who host Stoke City on Saturday, rounded off their clean sweep in September with a hard-fought 1-0 victory at defending champions Chelsea to take their total to 17 goals scored with none conceded during the month. The Spaniard fended off competition from fellow nominees Jose Mourinho, Mauricio Pochettino and Arsene Wenger to claim the award for the second time since taking charge of City last season. Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane was named the player of the month after scoring six goals in four league games. The 24-year-old opened his domestic account for the season with a brace in Tottenham's 3-0 win at Everton on Sept. 9 but failed to find the net as his side were held to a 0-0 draw by struggling Swansea City in their next league game. Kane got back on track the following weekend with another double as Tottenham ran out 3-2winners at West Ham United before adding two more goals in their 4-0 demolition of promoted Huddersfield Town on Sept. 30. "I'm very pleased to have got this award again. Hopefully, there will be a few more from now until the end of the season," Kane said in a video posted on the Tottenham Twitter account after claiming the award for the fifth time. Kane's fifth win drew him level with Everton's Wayne Rooney and former Manchester United and Arsenal striker Robin van Persie. Only former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has more wins than the trio, with six in total.

Guardiola, Kane win monthly Premier League awards

Borussia&nbsp;Dortmund&nbsp;thumped&nbsp;Cologne&nbsp;5-0 on Sunday, their haul including a goal and penalty awarded with help from the video assistant referee (VAR), to leave their opponents bottom of the Bundesliga and pointless after four games.

Cologne&nbsp;were furious about the first&nbsp;VAR&nbsp;incident where the referee initially disallowed a Dortmund&nbsp;goal by Sokratis and awarded them a free kick, before reversing the decision.

The club&#39;s sporting director Joerg Schmadtke said the referee had not followed protocol and that they would demand a replay.

Maximilian Philipp and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang each scored a brace, the latter in the space of two minutes, as&nbsp;Cologne&nbsp;returned to the harsh realities of the Bundesliga after their midweek European adventure in London. Borussia, meanwhile, went top with 10 points, ahead of Hanover 96 on goal difference.

An estimated 20,000&nbsp;Cologne&nbsp;fans marched through London on Thursday to celebrate their team&#39;s first European match in 25 years as they visited Arsenal.

Despite the festive atmosphere, many of them did not have tickets and the match, won 3-1 by Arsenal, was delayed for an hour by crowd problems.

The Billy Goats barely had time to settle on Sunday before Philipp headed in Andriy Yarmolenko&#39;s cross after two minutes.

Cologne&nbsp;pulled themselves together and held their own until the stroke of halftime when their goalkeeper Timo Horn dropped the ball at a corner and&nbsp;Dortmund&nbsp;defender Sokratis tapped it in.

Referee Patrick Ittrich at first awarded&nbsp;Cologne&nbsp;a free kick but, after consulting with the&nbsp;VAR, changed his mind and gave the goal. However,&nbsp;Cologne&nbsp;said that the referee had blown his whistle before the ball entered the goal, meaning that he could not subsequently award it no matter what the video showed.

&quot;We will naturally lodge a protest,&quot; said Schmadtke. &quot;If a decision is made against the framework of rules, then a replay is necessary and that is what we will seek.&quot;

&quot;We need a protocol where it is clearly established when the (VAR) assistant can intervene and when he can&#39;t,&quot; he added.

The German league did not immediately comment, nor did referee Ittrich.

The&nbsp;VAR&nbsp;was again&nbsp;decisive&nbsp;in the 59th minute when&nbsp;Cologne&#39;s Lukas Kluenter raised his arm to a Yarmolenko cross and the referee, after another consultation, awarded the penalty which Aubameyang converted.

The Gabon forward struck again the following minute when he turned in another Yarmolenko cross and Philipp dinked the ball over Horn for the fifth goal in the 69th minute.

Kevin Volland scored twice as Bayer Leverkusen beat Freiburg 4-0 to claim their first win of the season and leave the Black Forest side winless.

Hoffenheim, 2-0 winners over Bayern Munich the previous weekend, were held 1-1 at home by Hertha Berlin, leaving them with eight points.

Cologne?were furious about the first?VAR?incident where the referee initially disallowed a Dortmund?goal by Sokratis and awarded them a free kick, before reversing the decision.

Borussia Dortmund thumped Cologne 5-0 on Sunday, their haul including a goal and penalty awarded with help from the video assistant referee (VAR), to leave their opponents bottom of the Bundesliga and pointless after four games. Cologne were furious about the first VAR incident where the referee initially disallowed a Dortmund goal by Sokratis and awarded them a free kick, before reversing the decision. The club's sporting director Joerg Schmadtke said the referee had not followed protocol and that they would demand a replay. Maximilian Philipp and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang each scored a brace, the latter in the space of two minutes, as Cologne returned to the harsh realities of the Bundesliga after their midweek European adventure in London. Borussia, meanwhile, went top with 10 points, ahead of Hanover 96 on goal difference. An estimated 20,000 Cologne fans marched through London on Thursday to celebrate their team's first European match in 25 years as they visited Arsenal. Despite the festive atmosphere, many of them did not have tickets and the match, won 3-1 by Arsenal, was delayed for an hour by crowd problems. The Billy Goats barely had time to settle on Sunday before Philipp headed in Andriy Yarmolenko's cross after two minutes. Cologne pulled themselves together and held their own until the stroke of halftime when their goalkeeper Timo Horn dropped the ball at a corner and Dortmund defender Sokratis tapped it in. Referee Patrick Ittrich at first awarded Cologne a free kick but, after consulting with the VAR, changed his mind and gave the goal. However, Cologne said that the referee had blown his whistle before the ball entered the goal, meaning that he could not subsequently award it no matter what the video showed. "We will naturally lodge a protest," said Schmadtke. "If a decision is made against the framework of rules, then a replay is necessary and that is what we will seek." "We need a protocol where it is clearly established when the (VAR) assistant can intervene and when he can't," he added. The German league did not immediately comment, nor did referee Ittrich. The VAR was again decisive in the 59th minute when Cologne's Lukas Kluenter raised his arm to a Yarmolenko cross and the referee, after another consultation, awarded the penalty which Aubameyang converted. The Gabon forward struck again the following minute when he turned in another Yarmolenko cross and Philipp dinked the ball over Horn for the fifth goal in the 69th minute. Kevin Volland scored twice as Bayer Leverkusen beat Freiburg 4-0 to claim their first win of the season and leave the Black Forest side winless. Hoffenheim, 2-0 winners over Bayern Munich the previous weekend, were held 1-1 at home by Hertha Berlin, leaving them with eight points.

German Bundesliga: Borussia?Dortmund blast Cologne

Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo is set to appear in court in Madrid today over accusations of evading millions of euros in taxes.&nbsp;

Prosecutors have accused Ronaldo of having evaded 14.7 million euros ($17.3 million) in tax.

They accuse the Portuguese footballer of taking &quot;advantage of a company structure created in 2010 to hide income generated in Spain from his image rights from tax authorities&quot;.

The prosecutors allege that Ronaldo only declared 11.5 million euros of Spanish-related income from 2011 to 2014, while he really earned close to 43 million euros during the time.&nbsp;

He is also accused of &ldquo;voluntarily&rdquo; refusing to include 28.4 million euros in income associated with the sale of his image rights for the 2015 to 2020 period to a Spanish company.

In his defence, Ronaldo has said his &quot;conscience is clear&quot;.

His agent&#39;s company Gestifute has also denied any &quot;fiscal set-up&quot; and said, &quot;the player didn&#39;t hide anything&quot;.

If put on trial and found guilty, the Real Madrid striker risks &quot;a fine of at least 28 million&quot; euros and a possible jail-term of three-and-a-half years, the Gestha union of experts at Spain&#39;s Inland Revenue has said, AFP reported.

Ronaldo is accused of evading 14.7 million euros ($17.3 million) in tax

Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo is set to appear in court in Madrid today over accusations of evading millions of euros in taxes. Prosecutors have accused Ronaldo of having evaded 14.7 million euros ($17.3 million) in tax. They accuse the Portuguese footballer of taking "advantage of a company structure created in 2010 to hide income generated in Spain from his image rights from tax authorities". The prosecutors allege that Ronaldo only declared 11.5 million euros of Spanish-related income from 2011 to 2014, while he really earned close to 43 million euros during the time. He is also accused of “voluntarily” refusing to include 28.4 million euros in income associated with the sale of his image rights for the 2015 to 2020 period to a Spanish company. In his defence, Ronaldo has said his "conscience is clear". His agent's company Gestifute has also denied any "fiscal set-up" and said, "the player didn't hide anything". If put on trial and found guilty, the Real Madrid striker risks "a fine of at least 28 million" euros and a possible jail-term of three-and-a-half years, the Gestha union of experts at Spain's Inland Revenue has said, AFP reported.

Football: Ronaldo to appear in court today over tax evasion claims

Manchester United face Ajax Amsterdam in the final of the Europa League tonight in Stockholm. Can their record in previous competitions give us an idea of what&#39;s going to happen? Here&#39;s some numbers to help you make sense of where these clubs have been and where they&#39;re headed.

How many European titles have they won?

Interestingly, Manchester United (Man United) has never won the Europa League or its previous incarnation, the UEFA Cup. Ajax Amsterdam did win the UEFA Cup back in 1992.

Ajax has won four Champions League titles (or European Cups as it used to be called before 1991) while Manchester United has won three.

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What is their record against each other? 

For two clubs with such a history in European competition, they have faced each other just four times, all in the Europa League or UEFA Cup. The first two matches were in 1976 as part of two-leg tie in the first round of the UEFA Cup back in 1976. The next two matches were part of a two-leg tie in 2012 as part of the Round of 32 in the Europa League. Man United won both those ties on aggregate.

How do they perform&nbsp;against teams from each other&#39;s countries?

The last time Man United played a Dutch team was in 2016 when they played Feyenoord in the group stage of the Europa League. Man Utd. won that match at home 4-0. The last time Ajax played an English team was five years ago in 2012 when they played Manchester City in Manchester in the group stage of the Champions League. That match was drawn 2-2. They did beat Manchester City that same year though 3-1&nbsp;in Amsterdam.

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How have they fared in Europe over the past five seasons?

It&#39;s been a long time since Ajax have progressed this far in European competition. Otherwise over the past five seasons, they have gone past the Round of 32 just once in 2014/15. Man United hasn&#39;t done much better either, with the Champions League quarterfinals in 2013/14 the furthest they&#39;ve gone in the past five years.

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How have they done domestically over the past five seasons?

Let&#39;s leave Europe aside for a moment and see if their domestic form gives us any pointers on how strong these teams actually are.&nbsp;Neither side has much to crow about though, as it&#39;s been a long time since either club won their domestic title. The last time Man United won the Premier League was in 2013 and they even&nbsp;placed as low as sixth this season in England. Ajax last won the title in 2014 but have not fallen out of the top two since.

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Manchester United face Ajax Amsterdam hoping to win their first European title in nine years. Here are some numbers to give you a perspective on the final

Manchester United face Ajax Amsterdam in the final of the Europa League tonight in Stockholm. Can their record in previous competitions give us an idea of what's going to happen? Here's some numbers to help you make sense of where these clubs have been and where they're headed. How many European titles have they won? Interestingly, Manchester United (Man United) has never won the Europa League or its previous incarnation, the UEFA Cup. Ajax Amsterdam did win the UEFA Cup back in 1992. Ajax has won four Champions League titles (or European Cups as it used to be called before 1991) while Manchester United has won three. What is their record against each other? For two clubs with such a history in European competition, they have faced each other just four times, all in the Europa League or UEFA Cup. The first two matches were in 1976 as part of two-leg tie in the first round of the UEFA Cup back in 1976. The next two matches were part of a two-leg tie in 2012 as part of the Round of 32 in the Europa League. Man United won both those ties on aggregate. How do they perform against teams from each other's countries? The last time Man United played a Dutch team was in 2016 when they played Feyenoord in the group stage of the Europa League. Man Utd. won that match at home 4-0. The last time Ajax played an English team was five years ago in 2012 when they played Manchester City in Manchester in the group stage of the Champions League. That match was drawn 2-2. They did beat Manchester City that same year though 3-1 in Amsterdam. How have they fared in Europe over the past five seasons? It's been a long time since Ajax have progressed this far in European competition. Otherwise over the past five seasons, they have gone past the Round of 32 just once in 2014/15. Man United hasn't done much better either, with the Champions League quarterfinals in 2013/14 the furthest they've gone in the past five years. How have they done domestically over the past five seasons? Let's leave Europe aside for a moment and see if their domestic form gives us any pointers on how strong these teams actually are. Neither side has much to crow about though, as it's been a long time since either club won their domestic title. The last time Man United won the Premier League was in 2013 and they even placed as low as sixth this season in England. Ajax last won the title in 2014 but have not fallen out of the top two since.

Analysis: Can Manchester United win the Europa League tonight?

The true value of Arsenal&#39;s table-topping display against Basel will not become clear until Monday&#39;s draw for the Champions League last 16 but a 4-1 win proved they are starting to punch&nbsp;their weight again in the competition.

Despite 19 consecutive group stage campaigns, defeat at the last 16 stage for the past six seasons has reduced Arsenal to members of the supporting cast.

While the A-listers -- the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich -- march into Spring eyeing Europe&#39;s most prized club trophy, Arsenal have sloped away for domestic chores. Not even a title chase, rather just grinding out a top-four spot in the Premier League.

Things might just be different this season though.

Beaten only twice in 23 matches in all competitions so far, Arsenal look far more resilient than in recent seasons, without losing any of their customary flair.

Hat-trick man Lucas Perez&#39;s second goal on Tuesday was the end product of a 33-pass move -- the longest sequence to goal so far in this season&#39;s Champions League. Arsenal went through Group A undefeated, the first time they had managed that since the 2005/06 season, and qualified for the last 16 as group winners for the first time since 2011/12.

That will guarantee they are spared a meeting with Lionel Messi&#39;s Barcelona in the last 16, although Bayern Munich or any two from Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus and Sevilla could be blocking their path after Christmas.

Arsenal will also enjoy a home second leg in the last 16, an advantage they have not had since 2012, although that year they were thumped 4-0 by Milan in the San Siro leaving them mission impossible in the return.

&quot;It&#39;s difficult to know (the advantages of finishing top) you feel a bit less guilty,&quot; Wenger said. &quot;At least we have done our job and let&#39;s see what happens.&quot;

In some respects the Champions League winter break may have come at the wrong time for Arsenal.

Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez, scorer of a hat-trick in Saturday&#39;s 5-1 thrashing of West Ham United, is playing some of his best football since joining the club, while Mesut Ozil in also in a rich vein of form.

On Tuesday, Wenger left the talents of Theo Walcott, Olivier Giroud and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on the bench while Lucas, a 17 million pounds ($21.54 million) signing from Deportivo La Coruna in August, grabbed his chance to shine.

Captain Laurent Koscielny said Arsenal&#39;s win maintained the momentum.

&quot;We needed to finish the group stage well to have no regrets and we started the game well by scoring two early goals,&quot; he said. &quot;It was a good win for us to have after our big win on Saturday. It&#39;s important to finish first because we have the second game at home.&quot;

(Reuters)

Arsenal went through Group A undefeated, the first time they had managed that since the 2005/06 season

The true value of Arsenal's table-topping display against Basel will not become clear until Monday's draw for the Champions League last 16 but a 4-1 win proved they are starting to punch their weight again in the competition. Despite 19 consecutive group stage campaigns, defeat at the last 16 stage for the past six seasons has reduced Arsenal to members of the supporting cast. While the A-listers -- the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich -- march into Spring eyeing Europe's most prized club trophy, Arsenal have sloped away for domestic chores. Not even a title chase, rather just grinding out a top-four spot in the Premier League. Things might just be different this season though. Beaten only twice in 23 matches in all competitions so far, Arsenal look far more resilient than in recent seasons, without losing any of their customary flair. Hat-trick man Lucas Perez's second goal on Tuesday was the end product of a 33-pass move -- the longest sequence to goal so far in this season's Champions League. Arsenal went through Group A undefeated, the first time they had managed that since the 2005/06 season, and qualified for the last 16 as group winners for the first time since 2011/12. That will guarantee they are spared a meeting with Lionel Messi's Barcelona in the last 16, although Bayern Munich or any two from Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus and Sevilla could be blocking their path after Christmas. Arsenal will also enjoy a home second leg in the last 16, an advantage they have not had since 2012, although that year they were thumped 4-0 by Milan in the San Siro leaving them mission impossible in the return. "It's difficult to know (the advantages of finishing top) you feel a bit less guilty," Wenger said. "At least we have done our job and let's see what happens." In some respects the Champions League winter break may have come at the wrong time for Arsenal. Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez, scorer of a hat-trick in Saturday's 5-1 thrashing of West Ham United, is playing some of his best football since joining the club, while Mesut Ozil in also in a rich vein of form. On Tuesday, Wenger left the talents of Theo Walcott, Olivier Giroud and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on the bench while Lucas, a 17 million pounds ($21.54 million) signing from Deportivo La Coruna in August, grabbed his chance to shine. Captain Laurent Koscielny said Arsenal's win maintained the momentum. "We needed to finish the group stage well to have no regrets and we started the game well by scoring two early goals," he said. "It was a good win for us to have after our big win on Saturday. It's important to finish first because we have the second game at home." (Reuters)

Arsenal punching their weight again in Europe

Real Madrid defender Pepe is likely to be out of action for a month after suffering a thigh injury.

The Portugal international was replaced during the first half of Real&#39;s 4-1 win at Alaves on Saturday.

&quot;After tests carried out today on Pepe, he has been diagnosed with a grade 2 muscle injury in the femoral biceps of his left leg. His recovery will continue to be monitored,&quot; Real said in a statement on Monday.

The 33-year-old centre back, who has started eight games in all competitions for Real this season, is unlikely to return before December, ruling him out of six games, including the city derby at Atletico Madrid on Nov. 19.

He will also miss Portugal&#39;s World Cup qualifier at home to Latvia.

La Liga leaders Real play travel to Legia Warsaw in the Champions League on Wednesday. They visit arch-rivals Barcelona in the first Clasico of the season on Dec. 4.

(Reuters)

The Portugal international was replaced during the first half of Real's 4-1 win at Alaves on Saturday

Real Madrid defender Pepe is likely to be out of action for a month after suffering a thigh injury. The Portugal international was replaced during the first half of Real's 4-1 win at Alaves on Saturday. "After tests carried out today on Pepe, he has been diagnosed with a grade 2 muscle injury in the femoral biceps of his left leg. His recovery will continue to be monitored," Real said in a statement on Monday. The 33-year-old centre back, who has started eight games in all competitions for Real this season, is unlikely to return before December, ruling him out of six games, including the city derby at Atletico Madrid on Nov. 19. He will also miss Portugal's World Cup qualifier at home to Latvia. La Liga leaders Real play travel to Legia Warsaw in the Champions League on Wednesday. They visit arch-rivals Barcelona in the first Clasico of the season on Dec. 4. (Reuters)

Real Madrid's Pepe faces a month out

Defeating all odds, an 11-year-old football player from Odisha&#39;s Sabar Sahi slum has made the country proud by making his way to Germany&#39;s Bayern Munich Club. 
 
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PVceV-lv_o4?list=PLmWa9ZZLlCjt0Jlg7kN3JBNX4LH1sRsGh" width="970"></iframe> &nbsp; 
 
The young football genius, Chandan Nayak, has been chosen to travel to Munich to get a two-month training at the reputed club. Nayak, who hails from an extremely underprivileged family, will stay there as an academy player in an all-expenses-paid junior football camp. 
 
Bayern Munich is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria, best known for its professional football team, which plays in the Bundesliga. It is the most successful club in German football history, having won a record 26 national titles and 18 national cups.

Nayak will stay there as an academy player in an all-expenses-paid junior football camp

Defeating all odds, an 11-year-old football player from Odisha's Sabar Sahi slum has made the country proud by making his way to Germany's Bayern Munich Club. The young football genius, Chandan Nayak, has been chosen to travel to Munich to get a two-month training at the reputed club. Nayak, who hails from an extremely underprivileged family, will stay there as an academy player in an all-expenses-paid junior football camp. Bayern Munich is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria, best known for its professional football team, which plays in the Bundesliga. It is the most successful club in German football history, having won a record 26 national titles and 18 national cups.

Video: An Indian village boy makes it to Germany's top football club

Former president of the Costa Rican soccer federation, Eduardo Li, on Friday pleaded guilty to extortion and fraud in a corruption case that has also touched dozens of former leaders of soccer&rsquo;s world governing body.

The 57-year-old had pleaded not guilty in December 2015.

As the president of the Costa Rican federation since 2007 Li was looking to becoming a member of the executive committee of FIFA, when the Swiss authorities arrested him in May 2015.

Investigators said that Li used his influence to help a private company obtain the marketing rights to several matches by the Costa Rican national team, and for another company to be represented on the team&rsquo;s jerseys, AFP reported.

Li is also accused of siphoning off FIFA funds intended for the Costa Rican federation.

Investigators said that Li received more than half-a- million dollars in exchange, AFP reported.

The charges against him include extortion, fraud and criminal conspiracy to commit a fraud. Each of these charges carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years, according to a statement Friday from Robert Capers, the US attorney for the eastern district of New York, AFP reported.

In a plea deal, Li has agreed to pay a fine of $668,000.

About a third of the 40 people implicated in the FIFA scandal have entered guilty pleas, avoiding trial and most of those implicated were executives either of FIFA, of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf), or of sports marketing companies.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

 
&nbsp;

Eduardo Li pleaded guilty to three charges including extortion, fraud and criminal conspiracy to commit a fraud

Former president of the Costa Rican soccer federation, Eduardo Li, on Friday pleaded guilty to extortion and fraud in a corruption case that has also touched dozens of former leaders of soccer’s world governing body. The 57-year-old had pleaded not guilty in December 2015. As the president of the Costa Rican federation since 2007 Li was looking to becoming a member of the executive committee of FIFA, when the Swiss authorities arrested him in May 2015. Investigators said that Li used his influence to help a private company obtain the marketing rights to several matches by the Costa Rican national team, and for another company to be represented on the team’s jerseys, AFP reported. Li is also accused of siphoning off FIFA funds intended for the Costa Rican federation. Investigators said that Li received more than half-a- million dollars in exchange, AFP reported. The charges against him include extortion, fraud and criminal conspiracy to commit a fraud. Each of these charges carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years, according to a statement Friday from Robert Capers, the US attorney for the eastern district of New York, AFP reported. In a plea deal, Li has agreed to pay a fine of $668,000. About a third of the 40 people implicated in the FIFA scandal have entered guilty pleas, avoiding trial and most of those implicated were executives either of FIFA, of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf), or of sports marketing companies. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Former Costa Rican soccer chief pleads guilty in FIFA fraud case

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

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

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

Leicester manager urges players to deliver in Champions League

Hope Solo, the US women&#39;s football goalkeeper, was banned for six months from international football following her &quot;bunch of cowards&quot; comment at the Rio Olympics. 
 
The comment was directed at the (defensive-minded) Swedish football team, who beat the United States 4-3 on penalty kicks after their quarter-final match ended 1-1. 
 
&quot;The comments by Hope Solo after the match against Sweden during the 2016&nbsp;Olympics were unacceptable and do not meet the standard of conduct we&nbsp;require from our national team players,&quot; US Soccer President Sunil Gulati said&nbsp;in a statement. 
 
&quot;Taking into consideration the past incidents involving Hope, as well as the&nbsp;private conversations we&#39;ve had requiring her to conduct herself in a manner&nbsp;befitting a US national team member, US Soccer determined this is the&nbsp;appropriate disciplinary action,&quot; it stated. 
 
Solo, who was previously suspended for 30 days in 2015,&nbsp;will start her suspension immediately. 
 
The 35-year-old also made news in January last year over a domestic violence case&nbsp;that was dismissed after she pleaded not guilty. 
 
Solo has been a part of US Olympic gold medal-winning teams in 2008 and 2012. 
 
&quot;For 17 years, I dedicated my life to the US women&#39;s national team and did the&nbsp;job of a pro athlete the only way I knew how - with passion, tenacity, an&nbsp;unrelenting commitment to be the best goalkeeper in the world, not just for my&nbsp;country, but to elevate the sport for the next generation of female athletes. In&nbsp;those commitments, I have never wavered,&quot; she said. 
 
&quot;I think we played a bunch of cowards. The best team did not win today,&quot; Solo&nbsp;had said after the match against Sweden in Brasilia on August 12. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

Solo had made the comment at the Rio Olympics after Sweden beat USA

Hope Solo, the US women's football goalkeeper, was banned for six months from international football following her "bunch of cowards" comment at the Rio Olympics. The comment was directed at the (defensive-minded) Swedish football team, who beat the United States 4-3 on penalty kicks after their quarter-final match ended 1-1. "The comments by Hope Solo after the match against Sweden during the 2016 Olympics were unacceptable and do not meet the standard of conduct we require from our national team players," US Soccer President Sunil Gulati said in a statement. "Taking into consideration the past incidents involving Hope, as well as the private conversations we've had requiring her to conduct herself in a manner befitting a US national team member, US Soccer determined this is the appropriate disciplinary action," it stated. Solo, who was previously suspended for 30 days in 2015, will start her suspension immediately. The 35-year-old also made news in January last year over a domestic violence case that was dismissed after she pleaded not guilty. Solo has been a part of US Olympic gold medal-winning teams in 2008 and 2012. "For 17 years, I dedicated my life to the US women's national team and did the job of a pro athlete the only way I knew how - with passion, tenacity, an unrelenting commitment to be the best goalkeeper in the world, not just for my country, but to elevate the sport for the next generation of female athletes. In those commitments, I have never wavered," she said. "I think we played a bunch of cowards. The best team did not win today," Solo had said after the match against Sweden in Brasilia on August 12. (WION with inputs from agencies)

US goalkeeper Solo slapped with six-month ban over 'bunch of cowards' comment

Germany won their first ever Olympic gold medal in women&#39;s football on Friday when they turned in a superior second half performance to beat Sweden 2-1. 
 
The no 2 ranked Germans, who are now one of only three women&#39;s teams to win both the Olympics and World Cup, scored two goals in the second half, and although the Swedes got a goal back they could not get a second to take the game into extra time. 
 
Sweden, who scored just three goals in their five games before the final, started more positively than their previous form suggested, but Germany started to impose themselves as time went on and the best chance of the half fell to Anja Mittag after 25 minutes. 
 
Leonie Maier&#39;s curling shot was only parried by the Swedish keeper and the ball fell to Mittag just yards from goal but she blasted the ball high and wide. 
 
The sides were evenly match but things changed in the second half and it was the Germans who deservedly took the lead three minutes into the second period. 
 
When they did it was a goal worthy of a cup final. Dzsenifer Maroszan gathered a cross ball on the edge of the box and had time to steady herself before curling a perfect strike into the top right hand corner of the net. 
 
They extended their lead 14 minutes later thanks to an unfortunate own goal. A Sara Daebritz free kick from 20 yards smacked the post and Linda Sembrandt tried to clear but instead kneed the ball into her own goal from just a few yards out. 
 
Sweden reacted almost immediately and just five minutes later Stina Blackstenius pulled them back into the game. Olivia Schough hit a beautiful low cross into the box from the right and Blackstenius slid in between two defenders and poked the ball home to cut the deficit. 
 
Schough had a great chance to level the scores three minutes from time but her shot was blocked just yards from goal. 
 
The win was a perfect farewell for German coach Silvia Neid, who was managing the side in her last match. 
 
Germany missed out on the Olympics in 2012 but won the bronze the last three times they played, in 2000, 2004 and 2008. 
 
(Reuters)

The win was a perfect farewell for German coach Silvia Neid, who was managing the side in her last match

Germany won their first ever Olympic gold medal in women's football on Friday when they turned in a superior second half performance to beat Sweden 2-1. The no 2 ranked Germans, who are now one of only three women's teams to win both the Olympics and World Cup, scored two goals in the second half, and although the Swedes got a goal back they could not get a second to take the game into extra time. Sweden, who scored just three goals in their five games before the final, started more positively than their previous form suggested, but Germany started to impose themselves as time went on and the best chance of the half fell to Anja Mittag after 25 minutes. Leonie Maier's curling shot was only parried by the Swedish keeper and the ball fell to Mittag just yards from goal but she blasted the ball high and wide. The sides were evenly match but things changed in the second half and it was the Germans who deservedly took the lead three minutes into the second period. When they did it was a goal worthy of a cup final. Dzsenifer Maroszan gathered a cross ball on the edge of the box and had time to steady herself before curling a perfect strike into the top right hand corner of the net. They extended their lead 14 minutes later thanks to an unfortunate own goal. A Sara Daebritz free kick from 20 yards smacked the post and Linda Sembrandt tried to clear but instead kneed the ball into her own goal from just a few yards out. Sweden reacted almost immediately and just five minutes later Stina Blackstenius pulled them back into the game. Olivia Schough hit a beautiful low cross into the box from the right and Blackstenius slid in between two defenders and poked the ball home to cut the deficit. Schough had a great chance to level the scores three minutes from time but her shot was blocked just yards from goal. The win was a perfect farewell for German coach Silvia Neid, who was managing the side in her last match. Germany missed out on the Olympics in 2012 but won the bronze the last three times they played, in 2000, 2004 and 2008. (Reuters)

Rio Olympics 2016: Germany wins women's soccer gold after beating Sweden

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

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

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

Italy can overcome Ibrahimovic threat to beat Sweden - De Rossi

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

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

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

Van Gaal was contender for Belgium job: Media reports

Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs will leave Old Trafford after rejecting Jose Mourinhos offer of a reduced backroom role, according to British media reports today. 
 
Giggs is the most decorated player in United illustrious history and he amassed a record 963 appearances and 35 major trophies before going on to serve as an assistant to David Moyes and Louis van Gaal. 
 
But the 42-year-old is set to quit United because he feels snubbed both by the clubs hierarchy, who reportedly told him he would be offered the chance to succeed van Gaal when the Dutchman left, and Mourinho, who opted not to give him a senior role in his coaching team. 
 
Giggs had one more year on his contract as assistant manager, but Mourinho was said to be concerned the former Wales winger had distanced himself from both Moyes and van Gaal rather than offering public support during the teams struggles in recent years. 
 
Mourinho was also believed to be worried that Paul Scholes, a close friend and former United colleague of Giggs, had become a very vocal critic of Moyes and van Gaal. 
 
Instead of risking a similar scenario during his reign, Mourinho, who officially starts work with United this week after his May appointment, will give the role of assistant manager to his long-time associate Rui Faria. 
 
Mourinhos only concession to Giggs was reported to have been the offer of a position overseeing the connection between United youth teams and the first team. 
 
But, after considering his options on a holiday in Dubai, he decided he was dissatisfied with that role and how the club has been run during the post-Alex Ferguson era.Although United hoped Giggs could be persuaded to stay on in a different role, he has decided to call time on almost three decades with the club. 
 
Giggs, who won two of his four matches as Uniteds caretaker manager following Moyes sacking in 2014, this week worked as a television pundit during Euro 2016. 
 
But, rather than go into the media, he is said to be keen to land a permanent managerial position and, according to the Daily Mail, United are in negotiations with his advisors over a pay-off for the final year of his contract, with an official statement expected in the coming days. 
 
Giggs has passed all his coaching badges, was linked with the managers job at Swansea last season and is unlikely to be short of coaching offers once the first managers are axed next season. Giggs, who joined United on his 14th birthday in 1987, contributed to some of the greatest moments in the clubs history during the golden reign of Ferguson, who was the Welshman`s only club manager until he retired in 2013. 
 
He turned professional aged 17 in November 1990 and made his first team debut against Everton in March 1991. 
 
Eventually becoming the most decorated British player of all time, Giggs won 13 Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues, four FA Cups, four League Cups, the Club World Cup, the Intercontinental Cup, the European Super Cup and nine Community Shields. 
 
(AFP)

The Welsh winger played 963 times for United and won 35 major trophies before serving as an assistant to David Moyes and Louis van Gaal

Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs will leave Old Trafford after rejecting Jose Mourinhos offer of a reduced backroom role, according to British media reports today. Giggs is the most decorated player in United illustrious history and he amassed a record 963 appearances and 35 major trophies before going on to serve as an assistant to David Moyes and Louis van Gaal. But the 42-year-old is set to quit United because he feels snubbed both by the clubs hierarchy, who reportedly told him he would be offered the chance to succeed van Gaal when the Dutchman left, and Mourinho, who opted not to give him a senior role in his coaching team. Giggs had one more year on his contract as assistant manager, but Mourinho was said to be concerned the former Wales winger had distanced himself from both Moyes and van Gaal rather than offering public support during the teams struggles in recent years. Mourinho was also believed to be worried that Paul Scholes, a close friend and former United colleague of Giggs, had become a very vocal critic of Moyes and van Gaal. Instead of risking a similar scenario during his reign, Mourinho, who officially starts work with United this week after his May appointment, will give the role of assistant manager to his long-time associate Rui Faria. Mourinhos only concession to Giggs was reported to have been the offer of a position overseeing the connection between United youth teams and the first team. But, after considering his options on a holiday in Dubai, he decided he was dissatisfied with that role and how the club has been run during the post-Alex Ferguson era.Although United hoped Giggs could be persuaded to stay on in a different role, he has decided to call time on almost three decades with the club. Giggs, who won two of his four matches as Uniteds caretaker manager following Moyes sacking in 2014, this week worked as a television pundit during Euro 2016. But, rather than go into the media, he is said to be keen to land a permanent managerial position and, according to the Daily Mail, United are in negotiations with his advisors over a pay-off for the final year of his contract, with an official statement expected in the coming days. Giggs has passed all his coaching badges, was linked with the managers job at Swansea last season and is unlikely to be short of coaching offers once the first managers are axed next season. Giggs, who joined United on his 14th birthday in 1987, contributed to some of the greatest moments in the clubs history during the golden reign of Ferguson, who was the Welshman`s only club manager until he retired in 2013. He turned professional aged 17 in November 1990 and made his first team debut against Everton in March 1991. Eventually becoming the most decorated British player of all time, Giggs won 13 Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues, four FA Cups, four League Cups, the Club World Cup, the Intercontinental Cup, the European Super Cup and nine Community Shields. (AFP)

Ryan Giggs ends 29-year association with Man U on sour note

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

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

As soccer greats show off their skills in France for UEFA Euro 2016, children at a soccer camp in the Baltic state of Estonia learn how to use an oak tree which sits in the middle of their pitch, to gain an advantage. 
 
The more than 150-year-old oak tree has kept centrestage since the park was made into a sports ground in the late 1940s, in the coastal town of Orissaare on the Island of Saaremaa. 
 
The tree remains despite an attempt by two Soviet tractors to pull it down. The cables broke, the tree stood strong. 
 
The oak, which is about 15 metres high, won the European Tree of the Year vote in 2015 with over 50,000 votes. It dominates one half of the pitch. 
 
&quot;I think it might be a strange sight for others, a tree in the middle of the football field,&quot; said local coach Mati Ruutel. 
 
&quot;I have been here since my childhood, so for me it is perfectly ordinary that it is in the middle of the pitch.&quot; 
 
On this windy day, 40 children aged between 7 and&nbsp;12 were at a soccer camp, keeping their water bottles cool in the tree&#39;s shade as they got on with their training drills. 
 
When a match is on players make use of the tree to help pass the ball and make it harder for opposing players to get possession. 
 
&quot;It is good for training ... if you need to learn passing your opponent with the ball, then it is good,&quot; said ten-year-old Anette Ige.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Like when the opponent comes from the other side of the tree, then you can come here and she will not guess from which side you are coming, so you have the opportunity to take the ball.&quot; 
 
When asked how would their favourite soccer stars play with such an addition to the pitch, Hendrik Ellar, 7, said his favourite player, Ronaldinho, &quot;would come running, kick the ball against the tree, and he would get the pass back and kick into goal.&quot; 
(Reuters)

The oak, which is about 15 metres standing high in the soccer pitch, won the European Tree of the Year vote in 2015 with over 50,000 votes.

As soccer greats show off their skills in France for UEFA Euro 2016, children at a soccer camp in the Baltic state of Estonia learn how to use an oak tree which sits in the middle of their pitch, to gain an advantage. The more than 150-year-old oak tree has kept centrestage since the park was made into a sports ground in the late 1940s, in the coastal town of Orissaare on the Island of Saaremaa. The tree remains despite an attempt by two Soviet tractors to pull it down. The cables broke, the tree stood strong. The oak, which is about 15 metres high, won the European Tree of the Year vote in 2015 with over 50,000 votes. It dominates one half of the pitch. "I think it might be a strange sight for others, a tree in the middle of the football field," said local coach Mati Ruutel. "I have been here since my childhood, so for me it is perfectly ordinary that it is in the middle of the pitch." On this windy day, 40 children aged between 7 and 12 were at a soccer camp, keeping their water bottles cool in the tree's shade as they got on with their training drills. When a match is on players make use of the tree to help pass the ball and make it harder for opposing players to get possession. "It is good for training ... if you need to learn passing your opponent with the ball, then it is good," said ten-year-old Anette Ige. "Like when the opponent comes from the other side of the tree, then you can come here and she will not guess from which side you are coming, so you have the opportunity to take the ball." When asked how would their favourite soccer stars play with such an addition to the pitch, Hendrik Ellar, 7, said his favourite player, Ronaldinho, "would come running, kick the ball against the tree, and he would get the pass back and kick into goal." (Reuters)

Oak tree sits in middle of soccer pitch, what would Ronaldinho do?

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

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

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

Ibrahimovic says he is joining Manchester United

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

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

Swansea City striker Bafetimbi Gomis has joined French side Olympique de Marseille on a season-long loan, the two clubs said on today. 
 
The 30-year-old will return to Ligue 1 having begun his career at St Etienne. 
 
He joined Swansea on a free transfer in 2014 following six years at Olympique Lyonnais. 
 
&quot;Today is an important day in my career,&quot; Gomis said on Instagram. 
 
&quot;I am proud to wear to wear the colours of Olympique de Marseille. One of the great clubs in the French League.&quot; 
 
Gomis enjoyed mixed fortunes at Swansea. He scored 17 goals in 71 games, but frequently flattered to deceive. 
 
He arrived at the Liberty Stadium boasting an impressive scoring record at Lyon and brought physicality to the Swansea frontline. 
 
The France international was expected to become a focal point in the Welsh club&#39;s attack when striker Wilfried Bony left to join Manchester City in January, 2015 but his form remained patchy. 
 
He scored four goals in his first four league games last season, but managed just two more in the remainder of the campaign. 
 
(Reuters)

Bafetimbi Gomis joined Swansea City on a free transfer in 2014 following six years at Olympique Lyonnais

Swansea City striker Bafetimbi Gomis has joined French side Olympique de Marseille on a season-long loan, the two clubs said on today. The 30-year-old will return to Ligue 1 having begun his career at St Etienne. He joined Swansea on a free transfer in 2014 following six years at Olympique Lyonnais. "Today is an important day in my career," Gomis said on Instagram. "I am proud to wear to wear the colours of Olympique de Marseille. One of the great clubs in the French League." Gomis enjoyed mixed fortunes at Swansea. He scored 17 goals in 71 games, but frequently flattered to deceive. He arrived at the Liberty Stadium boasting an impressive scoring record at Lyon and brought physicality to the Swansea frontline. The France international was expected to become a focal point in the Welsh club's attack when striker Wilfried Bony left to join Manchester City in January, 2015 but his form remained patchy. He scored four goals in his first four league games last season, but managed just two more in the remainder of the campaign. (Reuters)

Swansea's Gomis joins Marseille on loan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In-form Wales take on Portugal

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