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.

<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="244" id="datawrapper-chart-mU8Y5" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" msallowfullscreen="msallowfullscreen" oallowfullscreen="oallowfullscreen" scrolling="no" src="//datawrapper.dwcdn.net/mU8Y5/1/" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="100%"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">if("undefined"==typeof window.datawrapper)window.datawrapper={};window.datawrapper["mU8Y5"]={},window.datawrapper["mU8Y5"].embedDeltas={"100":374,"200":296,"300":270,"400":244,"500":244,"600":244,"700":218,"800":218,"900":218,"1000":218},window.datawrapper["mU8Y5"].iframe=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-mU8Y5"),window.datawrapper["mU8Y5"].iframe.style.height=window.datawrapper["mU8Y5"].embedDeltas[Math.min(1e3,Math.max(100*Math.floor(window.datawrapper["mU8Y5"].iframe.offsetWidth/100),100))]+"px",window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if("undefined"!=typeof a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var b in a.data["datawrapper-height"])if("mU8Y5"==b)window.datawrapper["mU8Y5"].iframe.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][b]+"px"});</script>

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.

<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="216" id="datawrapper-chart-J0znm" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" msallowfullscreen="msallowfullscreen" oallowfullscreen="oallowfullscreen" scrolling="no" src="//datawrapper.dwcdn.net/J0znm/1/" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="100%"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">if("undefined"==typeof window.datawrapper)window.datawrapper={};window.datawrapper["J0znm"]={},window.datawrapper["J0znm"].embedDeltas={"100":398,"200":268,"300":242,"400":216,"500":216,"600":216,"700":190,"800":190,"900":190,"1000":190},window.datawrapper["J0znm"].iframe=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-J0znm"),window.datawrapper["J0znm"].iframe.style.height=window.datawrapper["J0znm"].embedDeltas[Math.min(1e3,Math.max(100*Math.floor(window.datawrapper["J0znm"].iframe.offsetWidth/100),100))]+"px",window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if("undefined"!=typeof a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var b in a.data["datawrapper-height"])if("J0znm"==b)window.datawrapper["J0znm"].iframe.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][b]+"px"});</script>

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.

<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="321" id="datawrapper-chart-jfI4o" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" msallowfullscreen="msallowfullscreen" oallowfullscreen="oallowfullscreen" scrolling="no" src="//datawrapper.dwcdn.net/jfI4o/1/" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="100%"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">if("undefined"==typeof window.datawrapper)window.datawrapper={};window.datawrapper["jfI4o"]={},window.datawrapper["jfI4o"].embedDeltas={"100":503,"200":399,"300":347,"400":347,"500":321,"600":321,"700":321,"800":321,"900":295,"1000":295},window.datawrapper["jfI4o"].iframe=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-jfI4o"),window.datawrapper["jfI4o"].iframe.style.height=window.datawrapper["jfI4o"].embedDeltas[Math.min(1e3,Math.max(100*Math.floor(window.datawrapper["jfI4o"].iframe.offsetWidth/100),100))]+"px",window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if("undefined"!=typeof a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var b in a.data["datawrapper-height"])if("jfI4o"==b)window.datawrapper["jfI4o"].iframe.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][b]+"px"});</script>

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.

<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="321" id="datawrapper-chart-G3Oih" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" msallowfullscreen="msallowfullscreen" oallowfullscreen="oallowfullscreen" scrolling="no" src="//datawrapper.dwcdn.net/G3Oih/2/" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="100%"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">if("undefined"==typeof window.datawrapper)window.datawrapper={};window.datawrapper["G3Oih"]={},window.datawrapper["G3Oih"].embedDeltas={"100":451,"200":373,"300":347,"400":321,"500":321,"600":321,"700":295,"800":295,"900":295,"1000":295},window.datawrapper["G3Oih"].iframe=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-G3Oih"),window.datawrapper["G3Oih"].iframe.style.height=window.datawrapper["G3Oih"].embedDeltas[Math.min(1e3,Math.max(100*Math.floor(window.datawrapper["G3Oih"].iframe.offsetWidth/100),100))]+"px",window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if("undefined"!=typeof a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var b in a.data["datawrapper-height"])if("G3Oih"==b)window.datawrapper["G3Oih"].iframe.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][b]+"px"});</script>

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

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

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

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

Vincenzo Montella named as new AC Milan manager

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

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

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

Spain veteran Casillas hints at retirement

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

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

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

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

Iceland were in a relaxed mood at training today as they continued to prepare for their Euro 2016 quarter-final against France, but they were determined to make history in that match on Sunday. 
 
Iceland, in their first major tournament, have already taken the competition by storm, advancing past the group stage before humiliating England 2-1 on Monday. The players had a day off on Wednesday, during which they played golf. 
 
Now, fully turning their attention to France, the players admit were feeling confident the likes of Paul Pogba would find it hard to break Iceland down. 
 
&quot;Pogba is a great player, of course, but I think we all will be ready, I don&#39;t think one player will decide this game, I think it will be really hard to break us down as everybody has seen and I think they (France) need more than one player,&quot; Iceland midfielder Birkir Bjarnason told reporters before training at their team base in Annecy. 
 
&quot;For us it is probably the biggest game in our history, so to meet France in France is fantastic I think. The atmosphere and all the things around the game will be amazing and I think the players will enjoy it.&quot; 
 
Iceland defenders, Kari Arnason and Ragnar Sigurdsson both admitted it would be a tough match. 
 
&quot;I think France at the minute has probably got more quality in their camp, so, it is going to be a tough game, and, we knew the England game was going to be tough but this one probably be even tougher,&quot; Arnason said. 
 
Sigurdsson, added: &quot;We can to try to keep the ball a little bit more, play more offensive - we have been defending a lot - so, that is what we want to do, but it is not easy against the good teams to keep the ball, it is very difficult.&quot; 
 
Up to this stage of the tournament Iceland have always been the unfancied team but Bjarnason doesn&#39;t think they are seen as a weak team any longer. 
 
&quot;In this tournament, on this stage, we will always be underdogs,&quot; Bjarnason said. &quot;It doesn&#39;t matter which teams we meet, we will be the underdogs, and it probably has helped us so far, but as I said earlier, I don&#39;t think, I don&#39;t think anyone will underestimate us at this point.&quot; 
 
Iceland co-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said his players were only improving and he believes that trend can continue against France. 
 
&quot;We have been playing better and better throughout the competition so hopefully our best game is yet to come,&quot; he said. &quot;And like you were asking, we&#39;re really proud of the players because they seem to be growing every game we play. So let&#39;s hope we will continue on growing in every game we have left in the competition.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Iceland have already taken the competition by storm, advancing past the group stage before beating England by 2-1 on Monday

Iceland were in a relaxed mood at training today as they continued to prepare for their Euro 2016 quarter-final against France, but they were determined to make history in that match on Sunday. Iceland, in their first major tournament, have already taken the competition by storm, advancing past the group stage before humiliating England 2-1 on Monday. The players had a day off on Wednesday, during which they played golf. Now, fully turning their attention to France, the players admit were feeling confident the likes of Paul Pogba would find it hard to break Iceland down. "Pogba is a great player, of course, but I think we all will be ready, I don't think one player will decide this game, I think it will be really hard to break us down as everybody has seen and I think they (France) need more than one player," Iceland midfielder Birkir Bjarnason told reporters before training at their team base in Annecy. "For us it is probably the biggest game in our history, so to meet France in France is fantastic I think. The atmosphere and all the things around the game will be amazing and I think the players will enjoy it." Iceland defenders, Kari Arnason and Ragnar Sigurdsson both admitted it would be a tough match. "I think France at the minute has probably got more quality in their camp, so, it is going to be a tough game, and, we knew the England game was going to be tough but this one probably be even tougher," Arnason said. Sigurdsson, added: "We can to try to keep the ball a little bit more, play more offensive - we have been defending a lot - so, that is what we want to do, but it is not easy against the good teams to keep the ball, it is very difficult." Up to this stage of the tournament Iceland have always been the unfancied team but Bjarnason doesn't think they are seen as a weak team any longer. "In this tournament, on this stage, we will always be underdogs," Bjarnason said. "It doesn't matter which teams we meet, we will be the underdogs, and it probably has helped us so far, but as I said earlier, I don't think, I don't think anyone will underestimate us at this point." Iceland co-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said his players were only improving and he believes that trend can continue against France. "We have been playing better and better throughout the competition so hopefully our best game is yet to come," he said. "And like you were asking, we're really proud of the players because they seem to be growing every game we play. So let's hope we will continue on growing in every game we have left in the competition." (Reuters)

Iceland gear up for the biggest game in their history

Five facts on Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic after he announced that&nbsp;he is signing for English Premier League giants Manchester United today:

League titles but no Champions League crown

Ibrahimovic&#39;s goals have delivered league titles wherever he has gone, from the Netherlands to Italy to Spain and France, but never has he touched the Champions League trophy. Inter Milan and Barcelona won it, but after he had left them. United cannot give him it next season either as they failed to qualify, so he will just have to hope that they get a crack at it for the 2017-18 campaign and that he is still on the playing staff.

Carrot and stick approach needed for Ibracadabra magic

Ibrahimovic is such a contrary character that his coach at a previous club AC Milan Massimiliano Allegri says he needs constant attention if he is to be temperamentally ready to produce his magic turn on the pitch. &quot;With him, you have to use both the stick and the carrot,&quot; he was quoted in The Guardian in 2012. &quot;Ibra is a strong personality and needs to be relaxed at times, while in other occasions he has to be stimulated, otherwise he falls asleep.&quot; Swedish national coach Erik Hamren called him out when he retired from international football in 2009 telling him do come back but not as the depressed donkey Eeyore but as Winnie The Pooh.

Opponents pay homage to &#39;God&#39;

Fair to say Ibrahimovic through his exploits, his superstar appeal and lively temperament lit up a pretty moribund Ligue 1 for the past few seasons.&nbsp;Even opposing clubs felt compelled to offer their &quot;thanks&quot;&nbsp;for his presence, even if he hurt them by scoring goals against them. Such a case was Toulouse, who would have pleased him with the divine being they compared him to given his penchant for adorning himself with epithets in 2014. &quot;Today is your birthday, 33, the age of Christ, your son. Happy birthday and long live the Z! Despite the perverse pleasure you took scoring goals against us the last two seasons, we are not vindictive. We want to thank you. For everything.&quot;

Bikes, bed and docks

No one can begrudge Ibrahimovic his riches given he has fought hard to rise to the top, and at one point would have stuck with working on the docks in Malmo rather than attempting to carve out a football career. His youth team manager at the time persuaded him to stick with the &quot;beautiful game&quot;. Not that he needed a father figure, for despite his Bosnian caretaker dad splitting from his Croatian mother when he was just two, he spent more time with his dad Sefik, who nevertheless was badly affected by the Balkan War even though he had left Bosnia years before. Ibrahimovic -- who during his youth once stole a bicycle to get himself to training -- related to The Guardian in 2014 a moving story about his impoverished father shelling out for an IKEA bed&nbsp;for him. However, they had no way of getting it back home. &quot;We carried it home between us. It&#39;s fantastic what we did. I had time with my mother but I really lived with my father. One time he gave all his salary so I could travel to a training camp. He couldn&rsquo;t pay the rent but he did that.&quot;

Literary Roth of God

Most footballer&#39;s autobiographies generally don&#39;t provide much insight or indeed entertainment, but Ibrahimovic&#39;s &#39;I am Zlatan Ibrahimovic&#39; unsurprisingly bucked the trend. Not often in such tomes will you read anecdotes such as this, about his companion and mother of his children, Helena Seger: &quot;She came from a model family from Lindesberg, one of those families where they say, &#39;Darling, would you please pass me the milk?&#39;, whereas we at table mostly we just hurled death threats at each other.&quot; Indeed one critic compared it to US literary legend Philip Roth&#39;s fictional biography Portnoy&#39;s Complaint, both about growing up as immigrants. 
 
(AFP)

'Time to let the world know my next destination is @Manutd', the 34-year-old said on Twitter today

Five facts on Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic after he announced that he is signing for English Premier League giants Manchester United today: League titles but no Champions League crown Ibrahimovic's goals have delivered league titles wherever he has gone, from the Netherlands to Italy to Spain and France, but never has he touched the Champions League trophy. Inter Milan and Barcelona won it, but after he had left them. United cannot give him it next season either as they failed to qualify, so he will just have to hope that they get a crack at it for the 2017-18 campaign and that he is still on the playing staff. Carrot and stick approach needed for Ibracadabra magic Ibrahimovic is such a contrary character that his coach at a previous club AC Milan Massimiliano Allegri says he needs constant attention if he is to be temperamentally ready to produce his magic turn on the pitch. "With him, you have to use both the stick and the carrot," he was quoted in The Guardian in 2012. "Ibra is a strong personality and needs to be relaxed at times, while in other occasions he has to be stimulated, otherwise he falls asleep." Swedish national coach Erik Hamren called him out when he retired from international football in 2009 telling him do come back but not as the depressed donkey Eeyore but as Winnie The Pooh. Opponents pay homage to 'God' Fair to say Ibrahimovic through his exploits, his superstar appeal and lively temperament lit up a pretty moribund Ligue 1 for the past few seasons. Even opposing clubs felt compelled to offer their "thanks" for his presence, even if he hurt them by scoring goals against them. Such a case was Toulouse, who would have pleased him with the divine being they compared him to given his penchant for adorning himself with epithets in 2014. "Today is your birthday, 33, the age of Christ, your son. Happy birthday and long live the Z! Despite the perverse pleasure you took scoring goals against us the last two seasons, we are not vindictive. We want to thank you. For everything." Bikes, bed and docks No one can begrudge Ibrahimovic his riches given he has fought hard to rise to the top, and at one point would have stuck with working on the docks in Malmo rather than attempting to carve out a football career. His youth team manager at the time persuaded him to stick with the "beautiful game". Not that he needed a father figure, for despite his Bosnian caretaker dad splitting from his Croatian mother when he was just two, he spent more time with his dad Sefik, who nevertheless was badly affected by the Balkan War even though he had left Bosnia years before. Ibrahimovic -- who during his youth once stole a bicycle to get himself to training -- related to The Guardian in 2014 a moving story about his impoverished father shelling out for an IKEA bed for him. However, they had no way of getting it back home. "We carried it home between us. It's fantastic what we did. I had time with my mother but I really lived with my father. One time he gave all his salary so I could travel to a training camp. He couldn’t pay the rent but he did that." Literary Roth of God Most footballer's autobiographies generally don't provide much insight or indeed entertainment, but Ibrahimovic's 'I am Zlatan Ibrahimovic' unsurprisingly bucked the trend. Not often in such tomes will you read anecdotes such as this, about his companion and mother of his children, Helena Seger: "She came from a model family from Lindesberg, one of those families where they say, 'Darling, would you please pass me the milk?', whereas we at table mostly we just hurled death threats at each other." Indeed one critic compared it to US literary legend Philip Roth's fictional biography Portnoy's Complaint, both about growing up as immigrants. (AFP)

Five Facts about Manchester United's sensational signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Spain forward Nolito has joined Manchester City from Celta Vigo on a four-year contract, the Premier League side said today. 
 
The 29-year-old, who played all four games in Spain&#39;s Euro 2016 campaign, scored 39 goals in 103 appearances for Celta Vigo since joining the Spanish club in 2013, before spells at Granada, Benfica and Barcelona. 
 
New manager Pep Guardiola has already signed Australia midfielder Aaron Mooy from sister club Melbourne City and Ilkay Gundogan from Borussia Dortmund. 
 
&quot;I&#39;ll do everything that the manager asks of me, try my absolute best and do everything I can to try to repeat the form I&#39;ve shown throughout my career at various clubs,&quot; Nolito told the club&#39;s website. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s just about trying to play my normal game and let&#39;s hope that I can help Manchester City to win games.&nbsp;I think that Pep Guardiola is one of the best managers in the world. He knows a lot about the game and he&#39;s going to help me progress as a player and I&#39;m sure he&rsquo;ll get the best out of me.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The 29-year-old played in all four games of the Euro 2016, and scored 39 goals in 103 appearances since 2013

Spain forward Nolito has joined Manchester City from Celta Vigo on a four-year contract, the Premier League side said today. The 29-year-old, who played all four games in Spain's Euro 2016 campaign, scored 39 goals in 103 appearances for Celta Vigo since joining the Spanish club in 2013, before spells at Granada, Benfica and Barcelona. New manager Pep Guardiola has already signed Australia midfielder Aaron Mooy from sister club Melbourne City and Ilkay Gundogan from Borussia Dortmund. "I'll do everything that the manager asks of me, try my absolute best and do everything I can to try to repeat the form I've shown throughout my career at various clubs," Nolito told the club's website. "It's just about trying to play my normal game and let's hope that I can help Manchester City to win games. I think that Pep Guardiola is one of the best managers in the world. He knows a lot about the game and he's going to help me progress as a player and I'm sure he’ll get the best out of me." (Reuters)

Manchester City sign Spain's Nolito from Celta Vigo

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone, a month on from a second Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid in three years, has made it clear that his immediate future is with the Spanish club. 
 
The Argentine, who has been at Atletico since 2011 and is under contract for another four years, said after the loss on penalties to Real that he wanted to explore his options. But now he says he is only concentrating on making the team better. 
 
&quot;I spoke in the heat of the moment,&quot; Simeone told reporters on Wednesday in Buenos Aires. &quot;We Argentinians are like that. Others are not at fault for beating you, I learned that a long time ago. 
 
&quot;To remember the pain and the suffering is necessary to better yourself.&quot; 
 
Simeone has won the Europa League, King&#39;s Cup and La Liga in his four-and-a-half seasons at the Spanish club. 
 
The 46-year-old says only a few teams that have &quot;more resources&quot; are superior to Atletico and expects his side to continue to fight for titles domestically and internationally. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t believe there are many teams better than us,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;We have created a strong group. To be better than Atletico is very difficult because we play as a team. Only Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are better than Atletico, no one else. We are constantly anxious to improve.&quot; 
 
Atletico president Enrique Cerezo is looking to keep the same core of players while also bringing in reinforcements. 
 
French forward Antoine Griezmann, who scored 32 goals in 51 appearances for Atletico this season, signed a one-year contract extension earlier this month. 
 
Atletico have agreed to sign Argentine midfielder Nicolas Gaitan from Benfica and are looking to strengthen their attack. 
 
&quot;The aim is to improve from last season,&quot; Cerezo told reporters on Wednesday. &quot;I know what Atletico needs and that is why we are working well and we will bring in players and good ones.&quot; 
 
&quot;We have turned down offers of millions for almost every player that we have and we will assume that financial weight in order to maintain the backbone of this team and for the important players to remain here.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The Argentine, who has been at Atletico since 2011, is under contract for another four years, and wants to make the team better

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone, a month on from a second Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid in three years, has made it clear that his immediate future is with the Spanish club. The Argentine, who has been at Atletico since 2011 and is under contract for another four years, said after the loss on penalties to Real that he wanted to explore his options. But now he says he is only concentrating on making the team better. "I spoke in the heat of the moment," Simeone told reporters on Wednesday in Buenos Aires. "We Argentinians are like that. Others are not at fault for beating you, I learned that a long time ago. "To remember the pain and the suffering is necessary to better yourself." Simeone has won the Europa League, King's Cup and La Liga in his four-and-a-half seasons at the Spanish club. The 46-year-old says only a few teams that have "more resources" are superior to Atletico and expects his side to continue to fight for titles domestically and internationally. "I don't believe there are many teams better than us," he said. "We have created a strong group. To be better than Atletico is very difficult because we play as a team. Only Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are better than Atletico, no one else. We are constantly anxious to improve." Atletico president Enrique Cerezo is looking to keep the same core of players while also bringing in reinforcements. French forward Antoine Griezmann, who scored 32 goals in 51 appearances for Atletico this season, signed a one-year contract extension earlier this month. Atletico have agreed to sign Argentine midfielder Nicolas Gaitan from Benfica and are looking to strengthen their attack. "The aim is to improve from last season," Cerezo told reporters on Wednesday. "I know what Atletico needs and that is why we are working well and we will bring in players and good ones." "We have turned down offers of millions for almost every player that we have and we will assume that financial weight in order to maintain the backbone of this team and for the important players to remain here." (Reuters)

Simeone vows to stay on and improve Atletico

Sergio Aguero and other Argentina players could follow the lead of captain Lionel Messi and retire from international football after losing the final of the Copa America on penalties to Chile for the second straight year. 
 
The 29-year-old Messi, who sent his spot-kick in the penalty shootout over the bar, announced his decision shortly after the title game in New Jersey on Sunday. 
 
&quot;The likelihood is that Messi is not the only one that will leave the national team,&quot; said Aguero, who lost his third final with Argentina, as told to Ole newspaper. 
 
&quot;There are several players like me that are evaluating whether or not to continue.&quot; 
 
The Manchester City forward, who replaced Gonzalo Higuain in the 70th minute, was hugely disappointed after Argentina failed to end their 23-year trophy drought at senior level. 
 
&quot;One doesn&#39;t want to think about it but at times, there are things that happen and the thought (of retiring) comes into your mind,&quot; said Aguero, who won an Olympic gold in 2008. 
 
&quot;Afterwards, it&#39;s difficult to get it out.&quot; 
 
Aguero has played for Argentina&#39;s senior side since September, 2006 and empathised with Messi, a five times World Player of the Year. 
 
&quot;Unfortunately, the one that leaves most affected is Leo Messi after his penalty miss,&quot; the 28-year-old Aguero said. &quot;This is the worst that I&#39;ve seen him in the changing room. 
 
&quot;We are all affected and we will try to think about something else and move forward. Again, luck was not on our side.&quot; 
 
Argentina&#39;s starting goalkeeper Sergio Romero hoped that Messi will reconsider his decision. 
 
Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, who saved Lucas Biglia&#39;s penalty before Francisco Silva scored the crucial spot-kick to help his country retain the Copa, had praise for his Barcelona teammate Messi. 
 
&quot;In my opinion, he is the best player in the world and in history,&quot; Bravo told Marca. &quot;They have to enjoy him, value him and understand him. 
 
&quot;This is a team work, when you win, everyone wins, and when you lose, everyone loses. We had some criticism directed at Chilean players in our first few games (of the Copa America). 
 
&quot;Football is a team sport.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Lionel Messi announced his retirement shortly after their failure to end 23-year trophy drought at the final of the Copa America

Sergio Aguero and other Argentina players could follow the lead of captain Lionel Messi and retire from international football after losing the final of the Copa America on penalties to Chile for the second straight year. The 29-year-old Messi, who sent his spot-kick in the penalty shootout over the bar, announced his decision shortly after the title game in New Jersey on Sunday. "The likelihood is that Messi is not the only one that will leave the national team," said Aguero, who lost his third final with Argentina, as told to Ole newspaper. "There are several players like me that are evaluating whether or not to continue." The Manchester City forward, who replaced Gonzalo Higuain in the 70th minute, was hugely disappointed after Argentina failed to end their 23-year trophy drought at senior level. "One doesn't want to think about it but at times, there are things that happen and the thought (of retiring) comes into your mind," said Aguero, who won an Olympic gold in 2008. "Afterwards, it's difficult to get it out." Aguero has played for Argentina's senior side since September, 2006 and empathised with Messi, a five times World Player of the Year. "Unfortunately, the one that leaves most affected is Leo Messi after his penalty miss," the 28-year-old Aguero said. "This is the worst that I've seen him in the changing room. "We are all affected and we will try to think about something else and move forward. Again, luck was not on our side." Argentina's starting goalkeeper Sergio Romero hoped that Messi will reconsider his decision. Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, who saved Lucas Biglia's penalty before Francisco Silva scored the crucial spot-kick to help his country retain the Copa, had praise for his Barcelona teammate Messi. "In my opinion, he is the best player in the world and in history," Bravo told Marca. "They have to enjoy him, value him and understand him. "This is a team work, when you win, everyone wins, and when you lose, everyone loses. We had some criticism directed at Chilean players in our first few games (of the Copa America). "Football is a team sport." (Reuters)

More Argentina players may retire from international football : Aguero

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

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

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

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

Spain&#39;s right back Juanfran says his costly penalty shootout miss in Atletico Madrid&#39;s Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid has made him a better player at Euro 2016. 
 
Less than three weeks have passed since the veteran&#39;s spot kick hit the post and Cristiano Ronaldo converted the winning penalty for Real Madrid. 
 
Juanfran started in Spain&#39;s 1-0 victory over the Czech Republic in Group D on Monday and is expected to be in the lineup again when the champions take on Turkey on Friday. 
 
&quot;I&#39;ve always overcome difficult times,&quot; the 31-year-old told Marca. &quot;I knew this would make me stronger, even from a personal standpoint. I&#39;m better than I was and after that final, I&#39;m ready for anything.&quot; 
 
&quot;I will never forget it but you learn to live with it. Each game represents a re-match and Monday&#39;s game was a new opportunity for me.&quot; 
 
Juanfran says he has received nothing but support since the setback to Real and even the sales of his Atletico jersey have increased. He is convinced the national team has the potential to win a third straight title. 
 
&quot;We are our biggest opponents and it all depends on the hunger we have,&quot; he said. &quot;If we want to reach the final and we are convinced of it and we give all that we have then, we will make it.&nbsp;We need work, show humility and the quality will do the rest.&quot; 
(Reuters)

The Spanish right back is convinced that the national team has potential to win a third straight title

Spain's right back Juanfran says his costly penalty shootout miss in Atletico Madrid's Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid has made him a better player at Euro 2016. Less than three weeks have passed since the veteran's spot kick hit the post and Cristiano Ronaldo converted the winning penalty for Real Madrid. Juanfran started in Spain's 1-0 victory over the Czech Republic in Group D on Monday and is expected to be in the lineup again when the champions take on Turkey on Friday. "I've always overcome difficult times," the 31-year-old told Marca. "I knew this would make me stronger, even from a personal standpoint. I'm better than I was and after that final, I'm ready for anything." "I will never forget it but you learn to live with it. Each game represents a re-match and Monday's game was a new opportunity for me." Juanfran says he has received nothing but support since the setback to Real and even the sales of his Atletico jersey have increased. He is convinced the national team has the potential to win a third straight title. "We are our biggest opponents and it all depends on the hunger we have," he said. "If we want to reach the final and we are convinced of it and we give all that we have then, we will make it. We need work, show humility and the quality will do the rest." (Reuters)

I am ready for anything, says Spain's Juanfran

Portugal&#39;s coach Fernando Santos will leave his final decision on team selection for the quarter-final clash against Poland until today morning because of injuries to at least two players, he told reporters. 
 
Speaking on the eve of the game in Marseille, Santos also said he viewed the two sides as evenly matched which could result in a tight, defensive contest. 
 
&quot;There are some players who aren&#39;t 100 per cent fit so we&#39;ll wait until tomorrow to ascertain whether they are entirely fit or not and if they can play or not,&quot; Santos said. 
 
&quot;Sometimes the players can recover and we still have 24 hours to go.&quot; 
 
Defender Raphael Guerreiro and midfielder Andre Gomes have not trained since Monday and on Wednesday were again not on the pitch with the rest of the squad. 
 
The two sides have met 10 times with their last encounter ending in a goalless draw in 2012 and the omens are that it could be another close game. 
 
Apart from a stunning bicycle kick goal by Switzerland&#39;s Xherdan Shaqiri, the Polish defence has not been breached. 
 
Portugal&#39;s last five European Championship ties have ended in draws after 90 minutes, although they scraped through against Croatia in the last 16 with a 117th minute winner. 
 
&quot;I think it&#39;s a 50-50 match. My players know that. They (Poland) are here on their own merit,&quot; Santos said. 
 
Asked if it could be similar to the Croatia clash, Santos lauded Poland&#39;s defensive unity and collective spirit. 
 
&quot;Of course, it will be a game of a lot of strategy. Sometimes there is a Gordion Knot that you can&#39;t untie,&quot; he said, referring to the mythological legend used as a metaphor for a difficult problem. 
 
&quot;There will be a strong strategic component to this game, because if you concede four goals nobody can ensure you can score five,&quot; he quipped. 
 
Talisman Cristiano Ronaldo struggled against Croatia producing one shot, but Santos defended his &quot;amazing&quot; captain. 
 
&quot;We want to strike a balance, of course. We want Ronaldo to shoot on target 15 times and score 10 goals, but our opponents won&#39;t let us and that&#39;s part of the game,&quot; Santos said. 
 
There have also been concerns over the Stade Velodrome pitch, but Santos, whose country lost to France in the 1984 European Championship semi-final in Marseille, said it looked better than expected. 
 
&quot;We&#39;ve thought about the match here in 1984, but we played against France so you can&#39;t compare the two. It&#39;s apples and oranges,&quot; he said. 
 
(Reuters)

The two sides have met 10 times with their last encounter ending in a goalless draw in 2012

Portugal's coach Fernando Santos will leave his final decision on team selection for the quarter-final clash against Poland until today morning because of injuries to at least two players, he told reporters. Speaking on the eve of the game in Marseille, Santos also said he viewed the two sides as evenly matched which could result in a tight, defensive contest. "There are some players who aren't 100 per cent fit so we'll wait until tomorrow to ascertain whether they are entirely fit or not and if they can play or not," Santos said. "Sometimes the players can recover and we still have 24 hours to go." Defender Raphael Guerreiro and midfielder Andre Gomes have not trained since Monday and on Wednesday were again not on the pitch with the rest of the squad. The two sides have met 10 times with their last encounter ending in a goalless draw in 2012 and the omens are that it could be another close game. Apart from a stunning bicycle kick goal by Switzerland's Xherdan Shaqiri, the Polish defence has not been breached. Portugal's last five European Championship ties have ended in draws after 90 minutes, although they scraped through against Croatia in the last 16 with a 117th minute winner. "I think it's a 50-50 match. My players know that. They (Poland) are here on their own merit," Santos said. Asked if it could be similar to the Croatia clash, Santos lauded Poland's defensive unity and collective spirit. "Of course, it will be a game of a lot of strategy. Sometimes there is a Gordion Knot that you can't untie," he said, referring to the mythological legend used as a metaphor for a difficult problem. "There will be a strong strategic component to this game, because if you concede four goals nobody can ensure you can score five," he quipped. Talisman Cristiano Ronaldo struggled against Croatia producing one shot, but Santos defended his "amazing" captain. "We want to strike a balance, of course. We want Ronaldo to shoot on target 15 times and score 10 goals, but our opponents won't let us and that's part of the game," Santos said. There have also been concerns over the Stade Velodrome pitch, but Santos, whose country lost to France in the 1984 European Championship semi-final in Marseille, said it looked better than expected. "We've thought about the match here in 1984, but we played against France so you can't compare the two. It's apples and oranges," he said. (Reuters)

Portugal sweating on injuries ahead of Poland clash

soccer

Soccer, News on Soccer, stories on Soccer, articles on Soccer, Soccer stories at Wion, Soccer news, Soccer latest news