Real Madrid prepares at Turin to face Juventus in the first leg of UEFA Champions League round of 8. The quarter-finals of the tournament are starting from Tuesday and defending champions Real Madrid will clash Juventus.

Not to forget, in the last meeting in June 2017, Real clinched a 4-1 win over Juve in Cardiff&nbsp;to claim the title.

The coach, Zinedine Zidane insisted that last year's victory holds no relevance now.

"Ten months have elapsed and tomorrow's match will have nothing to do with that. It will be a totally different scenario," said Zidane on Monday.

He further added, "This tie bears no relation to the Cardiff final."

In the recent media interaction ahead of the major clash, Croatian midfielder said, "In these sorts of games, experience is key."

The Spanish giants have arrived in Italy and started the practice session. In the presence of all major names.

Watch the training session here:

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??⚽ Training in Turin. Now for the main event...<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/APorLa13?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#APorLa13</a> <a href="https://t.co/6s0pYFFInf">pic.twitter.com/6s0pYFFInf</a>
— Real Madrid C.F.???? (@realmadriden) <a href="https://twitter.com/realmadriden/status/980958060649820166?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Cristiano Ronaldo will return to the starting XI after being rested for Saturday's 3-0 victory at Las Palmas, where Gareth Bale scored twice.

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⚽? ¡Listos para mañana! 
All set for tomorrow!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RMUCL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RMUCL</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/APorLa13?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#APorLa13</a> <a href="https://t.co/KEs4F8WjPw">pic.twitter.com/KEs4F8WjPw</a>
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) <a href="https://twitter.com/realmadrid/status/980886164944097280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
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?? Training under the lights in Turin ahead of tomorrow's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RMUCL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RMUCL</a> quarter-final 1st leg. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/APorLa13?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#APorLa13</a> <a href="https://t.co/T3g3YRibzG">pic.twitter.com/T3g3YRibzG</a>
— Real Madrid C.F.???? (@realmadriden) <a href="https://twitter.com/realmadriden/status/980859289161097217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
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????⏱ From Madrid to Turin... in two and a half minutes!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/APorLa13?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#APorLa13</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HalaMadrid?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HalaMadrid</a> <a href="https://t.co/Pwdy0z4653">pic.twitter.com/Pwdy0z4653</a>
— Real Madrid C.F.???? (@realmadriden) <a href="https://twitter.com/realmadriden/status/980799516399063040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Real Madrid clinched a 4-1 win over Juventus in Cardiff last June to claim the Champions League title

Real Madrid prepares at Turin to face Juventus in the first leg of UEFA Champions League round of 8. The quarter-finals of the tournament are starting from Tuesday and defending champions Real Madrid will clash Juventus. Not to forget, in the last meeting in June 2017, Real clinched a 4-1 win over Juve in Cardiff to claim the title. The coach, Zinedine Zidane insisted that last year's victory holds no relevance now. "Ten months have elapsed and tomorrow's match will have nothing to do with that. It will be a totally different scenario," said Zidane on Monday. He further added, "This tie bears no relation to the Cardiff final." In the recent media interaction ahead of the major clash, Croatian midfielder said, "In these sorts of games, experience is key." The Spanish giants have arrived in Italy and started the practice session. In the presence of all major names. Watch the training session here: ??⚽ Training in Turin. Now for the main event...#APorLa13 pic.twitter.com/6s0pYFFInf — Real Madrid C.F.???? (@realmadriden) April 3, 2018 × Cristiano Ronaldo will return to the starting XI after being rested for Saturday's 3-0 victory at Las Palmas, where Gareth Bale scored twice. ⚽? ¡Listos para mañana! All set for tomorrow!#RMUCL | #APorLa13 pic.twitter.com/KEs4F8WjPw — Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) April 2, 2018 × ?? Training under the lights in Turin ahead of tomorrow's #RMUCL quarter-final 1st leg. #APorLa13 pic.twitter.com/T3g3YRibzG — Real Madrid C.F.???? (@realmadriden) April 2, 2018 × ????⏱ From Madrid to Turin... in two and a half minutes!#APorLa13 | #HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/Pwdy0z4653 — Real Madrid C.F.???? (@realmadriden) April 2, 2018 ×

Champions League: Zidane insists Real 'forget Cardiff final' ahead of Juve clash

Spanish giants, Real Madrid are set to clash with Serie A leaders Juventus in the first leg of UEFA Champions League round of 8 at 12:15 AM on Wednesday's early morning at Juventus Stadium, Italy.

The way Real Madrid have picked up the pace in LaLiga and reached the third position ahead of Valencia and giving a tough competition to Atletico Madrid is remarkable.

After defeating Paris-Saint Germain in the round of 16 of Champions League, Real won last three matches in LaLiga and currently is high on hopes to proceed further in the tournament.

The star players of Real Madrid are healthy and shining bright, as Madrid is not suffering from any suspension and injury. Only addition of defender Nacho is doubtful ahead of first leg clash.

On the other hand, Juventus is currently leading the Italian league, Series A with 78 points and have reached the quarter-finals after defeating Tottenham by an aggregate of 4-3.

Gonzalo Higuain might create trouble for the Real's defenders as he has already proved himself in the leg of 8, apart from that, Paulo Dybala is another major weapon for Juve.

For Juventus, Medhi Benatia and Miralem Pjanic are suffering suspensions and Federico Bernardeschi is out due to injury.

The probability of winning is 50-50 as both the teams are equally strong though, Juventus will miss few of its major players but the result will be depended on which team will make lesser mistakes and take full advantage.

Playing XI (TBC)

Real Madrid: Navas, Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo, Modric, Casemiro, Kroos, Bale, Ronaldo, Benzema.

Juventus: Buffon, De Sciglio, Barzagli, Chiellini, Alex Sandro, Khedira, Matuidi, Marchisio, Dybala, Cuadrado, Higuain.

Spanish giants, Real Madrid are set to clash with Serie A leaders Juventus in the first leg of UEFA Champions League round of 8

Spanish giants, Real Madrid are set to clash with Serie A leaders Juventus in the first leg of UEFA Champions League round of 8 at 12:15 AM on Wednesday's early morning at Juventus Stadium, Italy. The way Real Madrid have picked up the pace in LaLiga and reached the third position ahead of Valencia and giving a tough competition to Atletico Madrid is remarkable. After defeating Paris-Saint Germain in the round of 16 of Champions League, Real won last three matches in LaLiga and currently is high on hopes to proceed further in the tournament. The star players of Real Madrid are healthy and shining bright, as Madrid is not suffering from any suspension and injury. Only addition of defender Nacho is doubtful ahead of first leg clash. On the other hand, Juventus is currently leading the Italian league, Series A with 78 points and have reached the quarter-finals after defeating Tottenham by an aggregate of 4-3. Gonzalo Higuain might create trouble for the Real's defenders as he has already proved himself in the leg of 8, apart from that, Paulo Dybala is another major weapon for Juve. For Juventus, Medhi Benatia and Miralem Pjanic are suffering suspensions and Federico Bernardeschi is out due to injury. The probability of winning is 50-50 as both the teams are equally strong though, Juventus will miss few of its major players but the result will be depended on which team will make lesser mistakes and take full advantage. Playing XI (TBC) Real Madrid: Navas, Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo, Modric, Casemiro, Kroos, Bale, Ronaldo, Benzema. Juventus: Buffon, De Sciglio, Barzagli, Chiellini, Alex Sandro, Khedira, Matuidi, Marchisio, Dybala, Cuadrado, Higuain.

Champions League preview: Real Madrid take on Juventus in quarter-finals

UEFA has signed an information-sharing agreement with the European&nbspSportsSecurity Association (ESSA) in an effort to combat match-fixing, European soccer's governing body announced on Monday.

According to the agreement, ESSA will support UEFA's effort to identify attempted fixing through their alert platform, which tracks and reports suspicious betting activity around the world.

"We're delighted that ESSA will be teaming up with UEFA in our mission to eradicate manipulation of matches from football," UEFA's managing director of integrity Emilio Garcia said in a statement.

"The exchange of information between trusted partners is a key milestone in this fight," he added.

"ESSA has played a key role in coordinating and focusing the licensed, regulated betting industry's zero-tolerance approach to the threat of betting-related match-fixing in sport," said Khalid Ali, ESSA secretary general.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has said the fight against match-fixing, "a disease that attacks football's very core", is a main priority.

As part of its own zero-tolerance policy towards match-fixing, UEFA also operates a fraud detection system which looks into betting activities around 32,000 games in Europe each year.

UEFA's integrity officers in each national association liaise with local law enforcement agencies, and the governing body also works with European law enforcement agency EUROPOL.

According to the agreement, ESSA will support UEFA's effort to identify attempted fixing through their alert platform, which tracks and reports suspicious betting activity around the world

UEFA has signed an information-sharing agreement with the European&nbspSportsSecurity Association (ESSA) in an effort to combat match-fixing, European soccer's governing body announced on Monday. According to the agreement, ESSA will support UEFA's effort to identify attempted fixing through their alert platform, which tracks and reports suspicious betting activity around the world. "We're delighted that ESSA will be teaming up with UEFA in our mission to eradicate manipulation of matches from football," UEFA's managing director of integrity Emilio Garcia said in a statement. "The exchange of information between trusted partners is a key milestone in this fight," he added. "ESSA has played a key role in coordinating and focusing the licensed, regulated betting industry's zero-tolerance approach to the threat of betting-related match-fixing in sport," said Khalid Ali, ESSA secretary general. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has said the fight against match-fixing, "a disease that attacks football's very core", is a main priority. As part of its own zero-tolerance policy towards match-fixing, UEFA also operates a fraud detection system which looks into betting activities around 32,000 games in Europe each year. UEFA's integrity officers in each national association liaise with local law enforcement agencies, and the governing body also works with European law enforcement agency EUROPOL.

UEFA signs agreement with ESSA to combat match-fixing

The very essence and spirit of mankind reflect in the sports carnivals, which have been created by man. The Olympics and FIFA World Cup are sitting at the top in term of sumptuousness and viewership. But they take place once in four years. In annual sporting events, four Tennis Grand Slams are prominent. But it is UEFA Champions League, which undisputedly is the most popular annual sports carnival. One cycle of this tournament takes around 10-11 months to complete and it is spread over two years.

&nbsp;

The best of European Football clubs fight it out for the supremacy in the tournament which is organised by UEFA (Union of European Football Association).&nbsp;&nbsp;The final of the league is undisputedly the most viewed annual sporting event. UEFA is the craze and intoxicating, to say the least. UEFA is the ultimate showcase of the most popular sports on the globe, ie Football. The best players from across the world are part of it and compete.

&nbsp;

Make no mistake and don&rsquo;t make a perception out of the fact that it is club tournament. Studded with superstars, these teams are the epitome of perfection. Say, for example, it is believed that team of AC Milan during the late eighties, which was studded with stars like Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit, Roberto Donadoni and the all-time greatest defender Paolo Maldini was perhaps the most formidable football side of all times; even better than best of the all-time national teams at their peak. UEFA is the platform where players hone their skills. Take the example of Spain; Spanish honed their skills in UEFA which manifest in Spain&rsquo;s victory in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

&nbsp;

The quarter-final phase of 2018-19 kick-started on 13th&nbsp;February 2017. This is the 63rd&nbsp;edition of the tournament.&nbsp;&nbsp;Eyes are on the defending champion Real Madrid, considered the greatest team of all times in the UEFA with a record 12 titles. Real Madrid has won the last two editions and now looking for a first ever hat-trick in UEFA. Celebrity Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo is the key player for Real Madrid. Ronaldo has so far scored 9 goals in this edition of the tournament and he is the front-runner.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

When Real Madrid will take on PSG (Paris Saint-Germain) on the night of 14th&nbsp;February, Ronaldo would be looking for his 100th&nbsp;goal in UEFA League for Real Madrid, which would be an iconic achievement and, currently, he is just one goal away from this. The match between Real Madrid and PSG would be sort of clash of the Titans, as Brazilian sensation and costliest player Neymar is in the lineup of PSG.

&nbsp;

Under the coach Zinedine Zidane, the French hero of 1998 FIFA World Cup, Real Madrid has been as formidable as ever, notwithstanding the fact that in group stage they ended second to Tottenham Hotspur.

&nbsp;

When next week Barcelona will take on Chelsea, another star Lionel Messi will be in action.&nbsp;&nbsp;With five titles, Barcelona is one of the most successful teams in the tournament (second Spanish club after Real Madrid). Last time they won here in 2015.

&nbsp;

This year, UEFA League is important in a sense that the FIFA World Cup would take place in Russia during June-July 2018 and these superstars will have the last chance to have a close look at the players, whom they will compete with. The teammate striker in UEFA may be your buddy here, but the same guy will make you run for your money 4-5 months down the line in Russia (something like our very own IPL).

&nbsp;

In the first two quarterfinal matches on 13th&nbsp;Feb, runners-up of 2015 and 2016 Juventus played a draw (2-2) with Tottenham and Manchester City has routed FC Basel by 4-0. Remaining two matches of the first leg of quarterfinal would be played tonight.

So football mania has kick-started, which will only culminate now with the FIFA World Cup in mid-July 2018.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The final of the UEFA league is undisputedly the most viewed annual sporting event. UEFA is the craze and intoxicating, to say the least.

The very essence and spirit of mankind reflect in the sports carnivals, which have been created by man. The Olympics and FIFA World Cup are sitting at the top in term of sumptuousness and viewership. But they take place once in four years. In annual sporting events, four Tennis Grand Slams are prominent. But it is UEFA Champions League, which undisputedly is the most popular annual sports carnival. One cycle of this tournament takes around 10-11 months to complete and it is spread over two years. The best of European Football clubs fight it out for the supremacy in the tournament which is organised by UEFA (Union of European Football Association). The final of the league is undisputedly the most viewed annual sporting event. UEFA is the craze and intoxicating, to say the least. UEFA is the ultimate showcase of the most popular sports on the globe, ie Football. The best players from across the world are part of it and compete. Make no mistake and don’t make a perception out of the fact that it is club tournament. Studded with superstars, these teams are the epitome of perfection. Say, for example, it is believed that team of AC Milan during the late eighties, which was studded with stars like Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit, Roberto Donadoni and the all-time greatest defender Paolo Maldini was perhaps the most formidable football side of all times; even better than best of the all-time national teams at their peak. UEFA is the platform where players hone their skills. Take the example of Spain; Spanish honed their skills in UEFA which manifest in Spain’s victory in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The quarter-final phase of 2018-19 kick-started on 13th February 2017. This is the 63rd edition of the tournament. Eyes are on the defending champion Real Madrid, considered the greatest team of all times in the UEFA with a record 12 titles. Real Madrid has won the last two editions and now looking for a first ever hat-trick in UEFA. Celebrity Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo is the key player for Real Madrid. Ronaldo has so far scored 9 goals in this edition of the tournament and he is the front-runner. When Real Madrid will take on PSG (Paris Saint-Germain) on the night of 14th February, Ronaldo would be looking for his 100th goal in UEFA League for Real Madrid, which would be an iconic achievement and, currently, he is just one goal away from this. The match between Real Madrid and PSG would be sort of clash of the Titans, as Brazilian sensation and costliest player Neymar is in the lineup of PSG. Under the coach Zinedine Zidane, the French hero of 1998 FIFA World Cup, Real Madrid has been as formidable as ever, notwithstanding the fact that in group stage they ended second to Tottenham Hotspur. When next week Barcelona will take on Chelsea, another star Lionel Messi will be in action. With five titles, Barcelona is one of the most successful teams in the tournament (second Spanish club after Real Madrid). Last time they won here in 2015. This year, UEFA League is important in a sense that the FIFA World Cup would take place in Russia during June-July 2018 and these superstars will have the last chance to have a close look at the players, whom they will compete with. The teammate striker in UEFA may be your buddy here, but the same guy will make you run for your money 4-5 months down the line in Russia (something like our very own IPL). In the first two quarterfinal matches on 13th Feb, runners-up of 2015 and 2016 Juventus played a draw (2-2) with Tottenham and Manchester City has routed FC Basel by 4-0. Remaining two matches of the first leg of quarterfinal would be played tonight. So football mania has kick-started, which will only culminate now with the FIFA World Cup in mid-July 2018. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Best and brightest of footballers will play in Champion's League. Watch out

Dani Carvajal could be banned for the Real Madrid&#39;s Champions League last 16 first leg after UEFA opened disciplinary proceedings against the right-back for &quot;receiving a yellow card on purpose&quot; during Tuesday&#39;s 6-0 rout of APOEL Nicosia.

The Spanish international picked up his third booking of the group stage, to trigger an automatic one-match ban, for time wasting in the 90th minute in Cyprus.

However, he will be hit with an extra game ban if found guilty of breaking article 15 of UEFA&#39;s disciplinary regulations when his case is heard on December 7.

Madrid has already secured their place in the last 16 behind Tottenham Hotspur in Group H with nothing riding on their final group game at home to Borussia Dortmund on December 6.

It is not the first time Madrid have been reprimanded by UEFA for provoking suspensions in the Champions League.

In 2010 Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos were charged for getting sent off in the final stages of a 4-0 win at Ajax to miss a meaningless match against Auxerre.

On that occasion, the pair escaped an extra ban but were fined 20,000 euros each and coach Jose Mourinho was handed a two-match suspended ban for orchestrating their dismissals.

UEFA opened disciplinary proceedings against the right-back for 'receiving a yellow card on purpose' during Tuesday's 6-0 rout of APOEL Nicosia

Dani Carvajal could be banned for the Real Madrid's Champions League last 16 first leg after UEFA opened disciplinary proceedings against the right-back for "receiving a yellow card on purpose" during Tuesday's 6-0 rout of APOEL Nicosia. The Spanish international picked up his third booking of the group stage, to trigger an automatic one-match ban, for time wasting in the 90th minute in Cyprus. However, he will be hit with an extra game ban if found guilty of breaking article 15 of UEFA's disciplinary regulations when his case is heard on December 7. Madrid has already secured their place in the last 16 behind Tottenham Hotspur in Group H with nothing riding on their final group game at home to Borussia Dortmund on December 6. It is not the first time Madrid have been reprimanded by UEFA for provoking suspensions in the Champions League. In 2010 Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos were charged for getting sent off in the final stages of a 4-0 win at Ajax to miss a meaningless match against Auxerre. On that occasion, the pair escaped an extra ban but were fined 20,000 euros each and coach Jose Mourinho was handed a two-match suspended ban for orchestrating their dismissals.

Champions League: Real's Carvajal charged by UEFA for 'deliberate booking'

With <a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/real-madrid-beat-juventus-to-win-champions-league-16396">Real Madrid defeating Juventus</a>&nbsp;in the Champions League final last week, we turn our attention to next season&#39;s European club competitions. Who&#39;s qualified so far from the major football leagues?

<a href="https://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/seedcl2017.html">22&nbsp;teams</a> have qualified directly for the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League. 57 teams in total will be fighting to qualify for the remaining 10 places in the group stages.&nbsp;Five teams, including Liverpool and Napoli,&nbsp;will be going into the 4th round of qualifiers for the competition.

The first round of qualifying for the Champions League <a href="http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/newsid=2435148.html">starts on</a> June 27, 2017.&nbsp;The final line-up for the group stages will be determined on August 23, 2017, with the draw to take place on August 24, 2017.

<img src="http://i.imgur.com/rEJVsV2.png" style="margin:0 auto;width: 350px;height:auto;" />

<a href="https://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/seedel2017.html">16 teams</a> have qualified directly for the 2017-18 UEFA Europa League, including big names such as Arsenal and AC Milan. A&nbsp;total of 141 teams will be in qualifiers, fighting&nbsp;for the remaining 32&nbsp;places in the group stages. The first round of qualifying <a href="http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/newsid=2435180.html">starts on</a> June 19, 2017.&nbsp;The final line-up for the group stages will be determined on August 24, 2017.

<img src="http://i.imgur.com/uGFpuJa.png" style="margin:0 auto;width: 350px;height:auto;" />

With the Champions League over, we turn our attention to next season's European competitions and who'll be playing in them

With Real Madrid defeating Juventus in the Champions League final last week, we turn our attention to next season's European club competitions. Who's qualified so far from the major football leagues? 22 teams have qualified directly for the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League. 57 teams in total will be fighting to qualify for the remaining 10 places in the group stages. Five teams, including Liverpool and Napoli, will be going into the 4th round of qualifiers for the competition. The first round of qualifying for the Champions League starts on June 27, 2017. The final line-up for the group stages will be determined on August 23, 2017, with the draw to take place on August 24, 2017. 16 teams have qualified directly for the 2017-18 UEFA Europa League, including big names such as Arsenal and AC Milan. A total of 141 teams will be in qualifiers, fighting for the remaining 32 places in the group stages. The first round of qualifying starts on June 19, 2017. The final line-up for the group stages will be determined on August 24, 2017.

Football: Who's qualified for Europe next season?

FIFA&#39;s ruling council on Tuesday unanimously approved an expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams in 2026, with a format of 16 groups of three nations.&nbsp;

&quot;The FIFA Council unanimously decided on a 48-team #WorldCup as of 2026: 16 groups of 3 teams,&quot; a tweet from FIFA&#39;s official account said.

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The FIFA Council unanimously decided on a 48-team <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldCup?src=hash">#WorldCup</a> as of 2026: 
16 groups of 3 teams. Details to follow after the meeting.
&mdash; FIFA Media (@fifamedia) <a href="https://twitter.com/fifamedia/status/818753191449948160">January 10, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The decision marks a major coup for the body&#39;s president Gianni Infantino who has made enlarging football&#39;s showcase event the centrepiece of his young administration.&nbsp;

The controversial proposal has faced criticism from some of the sport&#39;s most powerful voices, including warnings that it would dilute the quality of play and overburden already exhausted players. &nbsp;

But Infantino had in recent weeks voiced confidence that his flagship project would be approved.

While noting that a bigger tournament would bring in more money, the FIFA chief has also argued that more World Cup berths would help drive football&#39;s global growth.&nbsp;

Africa and Asia could be the big winners in a larger format with a rise in their number of places, currently at 5 and 4.5 respectively.&nbsp;

But in order to smooth over scepticism about World Cup reform within UEFA, it is likely that Europe will also see its allotments rise above the current 13 places.&nbsp;

(AFP)

The controversial proposal has faced warnings that it would dilute the quality of play and overburn already exhausted players

FIFA's ruling council on Tuesday unanimously approved an expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams in 2026, with a format of 16 groups of three nations. "The FIFA Council unanimously decided on a 48-team #WorldCup as of 2026: 16 groups of 3 teams," a tweet from FIFA's official account said. The FIFA Council unanimously decided on a 48-team #WorldCup as of 2026: 16 groups of 3 teams. Details to follow after the meeting. — FIFA Media (@fifamedia) January 10, 2017 × The decision marks a major coup for the body's president Gianni Infantino who has made enlarging football's showcase event the centrepiece of his young administration. The controversial proposal has faced criticism from some of the sport's most powerful voices, including warnings that it would dilute the quality of play and overburden already exhausted players. But Infantino had in recent weeks voiced confidence that his flagship project would be approved. While noting that a bigger tournament would bring in more money, the FIFA chief has also argued that more World Cup berths would help drive football's global growth. Africa and Asia could be the big winners in a larger format with a rise in their number of places, currently at 5 and 4.5 respectively. But in order to smooth over scepticism about World Cup reform within UEFA, it is likely that Europe will also see its allotments rise above the current 13 places. (AFP)

Football: FIFA approves 48 teams for World Cup 2026

Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho said on Saturday that he was fit to play after his manager Juergen Klopp said last week that he needed time to get back on the&nbsp;field. 
 
The 26-year-old, who was banned for failing a drug test in April, posted on Snapchat that his fans deserve to know the truth about his situation. 
 
&quot;I accept my situation but I can&#39;t accept the lie. The fans deserve to know the truth. Now it&rsquo;s three weeks since I am fit to play games. I finish all my rehabilitation work. They don&#39;t want me to play also with second team lol! Why, I don&rsquo;t know,&quot; Sakho wrote on Snapchat at 3.05am local time on Saturday. 
 
&quot;Still working hard like Scouse Soldier! Still not talking cos I want speak on pitch,&quot; he said. &quot;I will speak soon for the people who support me and don&rsquo;t understand the situation. 
 
&quot;Still happy to live in my &#39;Liverpool Country&#39; with my family, hope to have chance to play soon to give my best like I try to do always!&quot; 
 
&quot;(He is) still working on (his fitness),&quot; said Klopp. &quot;It&#39;s not about how the player feels. It&#39;s about how I feel and how close the player is. That needs time. It&rsquo;s a long, long time that he didn&#39;t play, for sure.&quot; The sanction was lifted by UEFA but the centre-back has not played since April. 
 
Sakho removed the Snapchat posts early on Saturday morning, Sky Sports reported. 
 
It looks increasingly unlikely that the Frenchman will get that chance, The Guardian said on Saturday. 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Says he will expose 'the lie' about his situation at the club

Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho said on Saturday that he was fit to play after his manager Juergen Klopp said last week that he needed time to get back on the field. The 26-year-old, who was banned for failing a drug test in April, posted on Snapchat that his fans deserve to know the truth about his situation. "I accept my situation but I can't accept the lie. The fans deserve to know the truth. Now it’s three weeks since I am fit to play games. I finish all my rehabilitation work. They don't want me to play also with second team lol! Why, I don’t know," Sakho wrote on Snapchat at 3.05am local time on Saturday. "Still working hard like Scouse Soldier! Still not talking cos I want speak on pitch," he said. "I will speak soon for the people who support me and don’t understand the situation. "Still happy to live in my 'Liverpool Country' with my family, hope to have chance to play soon to give my best like I try to do always!" "(He is) still working on (his fitness)," said Klopp. "It's not about how the player feels. It's about how I feel and how close the player is. That needs time. It’s a long, long time that he didn't play, for sure." The sanction was lifted by UEFA but the centre-back has not played since April. Sakho removed the Snapchat posts early on Saturday morning, Sky Sports reported. It looks increasingly unlikely that the Frenchman will get that chance, The Guardian said on Saturday. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Liverpool's Sakho courts controversy with Snapchat outburst

The 2018 Champions League final will be held in the Ukrainian capital Kiev, UEFA confirmed on Thursday, despite the prolonged humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.&nbsp; 
 
The decision was taken at the UEFA executive meeting in Athens, Greece. 
 
The 2018 Uefa Super Cup will be held in Tallinn, the Estonian capital, while the venue of the Europa League final will be decided later. 
 
Ukraine has been fighting a deadly battle since March 2014 in the east of the country with pro-Russian groups. The United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR) has said 9,640 people have died in the conflict so far. The situation, however, has come under relative control after the reimposition of a ceasefire since September 1. 
 
The decision to award Kiev the right to host the 2018 Champions League final means it will precede the FIFA World Cup in Russia by only a few weeks. 
 
The 70,000-seater Olympic Stadium in Kiev has hosted its fair share of big matches. The stadium hosted the 2012 Euro final, a match won by Spain 4-0 against Germany. 
 
The 2017 Champions League final will be held in Cardiff, Wales. 
 
(WION)

The final will be held only a few weeks before rival Russia stages the World Cup

The 2018 Champions League final will be held in the Ukrainian capital Kiev, UEFA confirmed on Thursday, despite the prolonged humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. The decision was taken at the UEFA executive meeting in Athens, Greece. The 2018 Uefa Super Cup will be held in Tallinn, the Estonian capital, while the venue of the Europa League final will be decided later. Ukraine has been fighting a deadly battle since March 2014 in the east of the country with pro-Russian groups. The United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR) has said 9,640 people have died in the conflict so far. The situation, however, has come under relative control after the reimposition of a ceasefire since September 1. The decision to award Kiev the right to host the 2018 Champions League final means it will precede the FIFA World Cup in Russia by only a few weeks. The 70,000-seater Olympic Stadium in Kiev has hosted its fair share of big matches. The stadium hosted the 2012 Euro final, a match won by Spain 4-0 against Germany. The 2017 Champions League final will be held in Cardiff, Wales. (WION)

Football: Kiev to host 2018 Champions League final despite rebel war

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

This was the side's first win at Euro 2016

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

De Biasi's Albania earn victory for the collective

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

They finish second in group B behind surprise toppers Wales

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

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

France&#39;s run to the Euro 2016 final on home soil has given the country &quot;an escape&quot; after the horror of last November&#39;s Paris attacks, captain Hugo Lloris said today. 
 
The rolling attacks on the French capital, claimed by the Islamic State group, left 130 people dead and led to calls for the tournament to be cancelled. 
 
The France team also experienced pre-competition problems, with striker Karim Benzema dropped over a blackmail plot involving team-mate Mathieu Valbuena, but they have managed to reach Sunday&#39;s final against Portugal. 
 
&quot;Of course we`ve had some very difficult times this year, both with those tragic events, but also with events that have gone on off the field,&quot; Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Lloris told a press conference at Stade de France. 
 
&quot;But we&#39;re even prouder to be on the pitch, to feel the entire French population behind us, to feel this happiness which is shared between the players and the French people. 
 
&quot;That gives us strength and is lovely to see. But we still have that final step to take to finish this competition in the best possible fashion. 
 
&quot;The French people really needed to escape via this competition, and sport has this strength: to unite people. 
 
&quot;We are currently experiencing that. We still have one step to take, the hardest one, but one that`s worth it.&quot; 
 
France will tackle Portugal at their national stadium after overcoming Germany 2-0 in the semi-finals courtesy of a brace from tournament top scorer Antoine Griezmann. 
 
As well as diverting attention from the November attacks, France&#39;s vibrant displays have helped to obscure the memory of the squad&#39;s shameful antics at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. 
 
The players refused to train at their Knysna training base in protest at striker Nicolas Anelka&#39;s expulsion from the squad for insulting coach Raymond Domenech and the team were eliminated in the first round. 
 
There are only five survivors from that campaign in current coach Didier Deschamps&#39;s squad: Lloris, Bacary Sagna, Patrice Evra, Steve Mandanda and Andre-Pierre Gignac. 
 
Reflecting on how the squad&#39;s image has improved since 2010, Manchester City full-back Sagna said: &quot;Knysna is one of the events that marked French football. 
 
&quot;We made a mistake, clearly. We brought French football to its lowest point. We showed a very, very bad image. 
 
&quot;We had to put in a lot of effort and a lot of work to restore our reputation. We`re just getting there six years later. 
 
&quot;We want to give French people something to smile about, to show a completely different image. We can`t change the past, but we can build a better future.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Last November's Paris attacks left 130 people dead and led to calls for the tournament, which France is hosting, to be cancelled

France's run to the Euro 2016 final on home soil has given the country "an escape" after the horror of last November's Paris attacks, captain Hugo Lloris said today. The rolling attacks on the French capital, claimed by the Islamic State group, left 130 people dead and led to calls for the tournament to be cancelled. The France team also experienced pre-competition problems, with striker Karim Benzema dropped over a blackmail plot involving team-mate Mathieu Valbuena, but they have managed to reach Sunday's final against Portugal. "Of course we`ve had some very difficult times this year, both with those tragic events, but also with events that have gone on off the field," Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Lloris told a press conference at Stade de France. "But we're even prouder to be on the pitch, to feel the entire French population behind us, to feel this happiness which is shared between the players and the French people. "That gives us strength and is lovely to see. But we still have that final step to take to finish this competition in the best possible fashion. "The French people really needed to escape via this competition, and sport has this strength: to unite people. "We are currently experiencing that. We still have one step to take, the hardest one, but one that`s worth it." France will tackle Portugal at their national stadium after overcoming Germany 2-0 in the semi-finals courtesy of a brace from tournament top scorer Antoine Griezmann. As well as diverting attention from the November attacks, France's vibrant displays have helped to obscure the memory of the squad's shameful antics at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The players refused to train at their Knysna training base in protest at striker Nicolas Anelka's expulsion from the squad for insulting coach Raymond Domenech and the team were eliminated in the first round. There are only five survivors from that campaign in current coach Didier Deschamps's squad: Lloris, Bacary Sagna, Patrice Evra, Steve Mandanda and Andre-Pierre Gignac. Reflecting on how the squad's image has improved since 2010, Manchester City full-back Sagna said: "Knysna is one of the events that marked French football. "We made a mistake, clearly. We brought French football to its lowest point. We showed a very, very bad image. "We had to put in a lot of effort and a lot of work to restore our reputation. We`re just getting there six years later. "We want to give French people something to smile about, to show a completely different image. We can`t change the past, but we can build a better future." (AFP)

France make it to final, skipper says 'French people really needed to escape'

Ukraine coach Mykhailo Fomenko says he will quit after his team&#39;s last group game against Poland at Euro 2016 on Tuesday. 
 
Ukraine have no chance of reaching the knockout stages after defeats to Germany and Northern Ireland in Group C. 
 
&ldquo;What sense does it make to continue after failing with the task that was set for the tournament?&rdquo; Fomenko told Ukraine&#39;s national TV channel &ldquo;Football&rdquo;. 
 
&ldquo;I did not feel the united team that clinched the spot at the Euros finals. I paid attention to this during warm-up games against Cyprus and Wales. Everyone saw what was going on at the end of the Ukrainian championship. This situation affected the team&rsquo;s psychology.&rdquo; 
 
Ukraine&#39;s preparations for the tournament suffered a setback after an unseemly row between two of their high-profile players. Shakhtar midfielder Taras Stepanenko and Dynamo Kiev&#39;s Andriy Yarmolenko were involved in a spat during a league game. 
 
&quot;I would like peace and friendship to prevail inside our team,&quot; Fomenko said. &quot;As a man, I am used to being responsible for my actions. I admit my fault. I did it all wrong in that situation.&quot; 
 
Former striker and assistant coach Andriy Shevchenko has been rumoured to be a possible successor. 
 
&ldquo;Why not? He has experience in football, finished coaching courses and has got his PRO-diploma,&quot; Fomenko said. &quot;God bless him to be as good a coach as he was a player.&rdquo; 
 
(Reuters)

Assistant coach, Andriy Shevchenko, has been rumoured to be a possible successor

Ukraine coach Mykhailo Fomenko says he will quit after his team's last group game against Poland at Euro 2016 on Tuesday. Ukraine have no chance of reaching the knockout stages after defeats to Germany and Northern Ireland in Group C. “What sense does it make to continue after failing with the task that was set for the tournament?” Fomenko told Ukraine's national TV channel “Football”. “I did not feel the united team that clinched the spot at the Euros finals. I paid attention to this during warm-up games against Cyprus and Wales. Everyone saw what was going on at the end of the Ukrainian championship. This situation affected the team’s psychology.” Ukraine's preparations for the tournament suffered a setback after an unseemly row between two of their high-profile players. Shakhtar midfielder Taras Stepanenko and Dynamo Kiev's Andriy Yarmolenko were involved in a spat during a league game. "I would like peace and friendship to prevail inside our team," Fomenko said. "As a man, I am used to being responsible for my actions. I admit my fault. I did it all wrong in that situation." Former striker and assistant coach Andriy Shevchenko has been rumoured to be a possible successor. “Why not? He has experience in football, finished coaching courses and has got his PRO-diploma," Fomenko said. "God bless him to be as good a coach as he was a player.” (Reuters)

Ukraine coach Fomenko to quit

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

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

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

Romania face injury woes after draw with Switzerland

A French court today jailed three Russian football supporters for up to two years for their role in violence in Marseille before the England-Russia Euro 2016 match. 
 
Alexei Yerunov, Nikolai Morozov and Sergei Gorbachev were among 43 Russian supporters detained by French police in southern France on Tuesday after the pitched battles which left more than 30 people injured. 
 
Yerunov, 29, who is supporters&#39; liaison officer at Lokomotiv Moscow according to the club&#39;s website, received the longest prison sentence of 24 months. 
 
He admitted he was at the scene of an attack on an English supporter who was left in a critical state after being beaten around the head with an iron bar. He denied being responsible. 
 
&quot;I apologise. I recognise that I was there but I didn&#39;t hit anyone. My hands are clean,&quot; he told the court. 
 
Gorbachev, who leads a supporters&#39; club at Russian second division club Arsenal Tula, was jailed for 18 months. 
 
Morozov, 28, received the shortest sentence of 12 months. 
 
Prosecutor Andre Ribe described the Russians&#39; behaviour in the chaotic scenes in Marseille on Saturday: &quot;It was a hunt. They ran off together, staying in a group and keeping enough energy for what they call &#39;the fight&#39;.&quot; 
(AFP)

Alexei Yerunov, Nikolai Morozov and Sergei Gorbachev were among 43 Russian supporters detained by French police on Tuesday

A French court today jailed three Russian football supporters for up to two years for their role in violence in Marseille before the England-Russia Euro 2016 match. Alexei Yerunov, Nikolai Morozov and Sergei Gorbachev were among 43 Russian supporters detained by French police in southern France on Tuesday after the pitched battles which left more than 30 people injured. Yerunov, 29, who is supporters' liaison officer at Lokomotiv Moscow according to the club's website, received the longest prison sentence of 24 months. He admitted he was at the scene of an attack on an English supporter who was left in a critical state after being beaten around the head with an iron bar. He denied being responsible. "I apologise. I recognise that I was there but I didn't hit anyone. My hands are clean," he told the court. Gorbachev, who leads a supporters' club at Russian second division club Arsenal Tula, was jailed for 18 months. Morozov, 28, received the shortest sentence of 12 months. Prosecutor Andre Ribe described the Russians' behaviour in the chaotic scenes in Marseille on Saturday: "It was a hunt. They ran off together, staying in a group and keeping enough energy for what they call 'the fight'." (AFP)

Russian fans jailed for up to 2 years for Euro 2016 violence

UEFA has dismissed its doping case against France and Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho. 
 
&quot;The proceedings against Mr Sakho related to a violation of the UEFA anti-doping regulations after the player failed a doping test (in March),&quot; European football&#39;s ruling body said in a statement on Friday. 
 
&quot;Following a hearing with the lawyers of the player and experts of the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) accredited laboratories on this case, the CEDB (UEFA`s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body) has decided to dismiss the case.&quot; 
 
The 26-year-old Sakho was provisionally banned for 30 days after testing positive for an illegal substance following Liverpool&#39;s Europa League tie against Manchester United on March 17. 
 
Last month French sports daily L`Equipe reported the defender would be cleared to resume playing after UEFA decided not to extend the provisional suspension.&nbsp; 
 
Sakho&#39;s lawyers argued that a fat-burning drug used by the player was not on the list of banned substances, meaning he was not guilty of doping, L`Equipe said. 
 
If he had been found guilty of a drugs violation, he would have faced a ban of at least six months. 
 
With the case hanging over his head, Sakho was left out of the French Euro 2016 squad that has gone on to reach Sunday&#39;s final against Portugal. 
 
UEFA gave no immediate reason for its dismissal of the case.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

Mamadou Sakho was provisionally banned for 30 days after testing positive for an illegal substance, following Europa League tie on March 17

UEFA has dismissed its doping case against France and Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho. "The proceedings against Mr Sakho related to a violation of the UEFA anti-doping regulations after the player failed a doping test (in March)," European football's ruling body said in a statement on Friday. "Following a hearing with the lawyers of the player and experts of the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) accredited laboratories on this case, the CEDB (UEFA`s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body) has decided to dismiss the case." The 26-year-old Sakho was provisionally banned for 30 days after testing positive for an illegal substance following Liverpool's Europa League tie against Manchester United on March 17. Last month French sports daily L`Equipe reported the defender would be cleared to resume playing after UEFA decided not to extend the provisional suspension. Sakho's lawyers argued that a fat-burning drug used by the player was not on the list of banned substances, meaning he was not guilty of doping, L`Equipe said. If he had been found guilty of a drugs violation, he would have faced a ban of at least six months. With the case hanging over his head, Sakho was left out of the French Euro 2016 squad that has gone on to reach Sunday's final against Portugal. UEFA gave no immediate reason for its dismissal of the case. (Reuters)

UEFA dismisses doping case against Sakho

Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) announced significant changes to their flagship Champions League today, saying they had managed to &quot;keep it in the family&quot; after staving off the threat of a breakaway league by Europe&#39;s top clubs. 
 
From 2018/19 season, the top four European leagues -- currently Spain, Germany, England and Italy -- will each be guaranteed four places in the group stage, UEFA competitions director Giorgio Marchetti told reporters. 
 
Stung by criticism that the competition has become too predictable, UEFA emphasised that it would continue to be open for teams from Europe&#39;s smaller national leagues although the number of places set aside for them would drop from five to four. 
 
Europe&#39;s top clubs had discussed the possibility of forming a breakaway Super League but UEFA&#39;s acting general secretary Theodor Theodoridis played down the threat. 
 
&quot;From the very beginning, the feeling was the ideal solution for everybody would be a solution in the family,&quot; he told reporters. &quot;We spoke to everyone...the feeling we had was that they always wanted to stay.&quot; 
 
UEFA also stopped short of guaranteeing captive places for certain big clubs, another possibility which sources said had been discussed privately in meetings over the past few months. 
 
Under the present system, the top three leagues have three places each while their fourth-placed teams must play off over two legs for a place in the group stage. 
 
The fourth-ranked league, currently Italy, have only two guaranteed places plus one in the playoff round. 
 
UEFA uses a complicated coefficient to determine the rankings of the national leagues. 
 
Marchetti said the format itself would remain the same with a qualifying stage, followed by a 32-team group stage and then a knockout contest. 
 
The champions and runners-up of the fifth and sixth-ranked leagues, at present France and Russia, will continue to have two places while the champions of the seventh to 10th ranked leagues, currently Portugal, Ukraine, Belgium and Turkey, will also qualify automatically. 
 
The biggest losers were the 11th and 12th ranked leagues, currently Switzerland and the Czech Republic, who will lose their guaranteed places in the group stage. 
 
Instead, they will now compete in a qualifying competition with national champions from all other European leagues for four places in a qualifying competition played in July and August. 
 
Theodoridis said it was an achievement just to keep any places for teams from the smaller leagues who struggle to compete on level terms with the elite clubs. 
 
&quot;We started this process by having one target, keeping the dream alive having all national associations having access,&quot; he said. 
 
UEFA has been without a president since last December when Frenchman Michel Platini was banned for eight years by global soccer body FIFA for ethics violations, later reduced to four on appeal by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). 
 
UEFA will hold an election to find a replacement for Platini in Athens on September 16. Michael van Praag, Angel Maria Villar and Aleksandar Ceferin, the heads of the Dutch, Spanish and Slovenian federations respectively, are the three candidates. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

From the 2018/19 season, the top four European leagues will each be guaranteed four places in the group stage

Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) announced significant changes to their flagship Champions League today, saying they had managed to "keep it in the family" after staving off the threat of a breakaway league by Europe's top clubs. From 2018/19 season, the top four European leagues -- currently Spain, Germany, England and Italy -- will each be guaranteed four places in the group stage, UEFA competitions director Giorgio Marchetti told reporters. Stung by criticism that the competition has become too predictable, UEFA emphasised that it would continue to be open for teams from Europe's smaller national leagues although the number of places set aside for them would drop from five to four. Europe's top clubs had discussed the possibility of forming a breakaway Super League but UEFA's acting general secretary Theodor Theodoridis played down the threat. "From the very beginning, the feeling was the ideal solution for everybody would be a solution in the family," he told reporters. "We spoke to everyone...the feeling we had was that they always wanted to stay." UEFA also stopped short of guaranteeing captive places for certain big clubs, another possibility which sources said had been discussed privately in meetings over the past few months. Under the present system, the top three leagues have three places each while their fourth-placed teams must play off over two legs for a place in the group stage. The fourth-ranked league, currently Italy, have only two guaranteed places plus one in the playoff round. UEFA uses a complicated coefficient to determine the rankings of the national leagues. Marchetti said the format itself would remain the same with a qualifying stage, followed by a 32-team group stage and then a knockout contest. The champions and runners-up of the fifth and sixth-ranked leagues, at present France and Russia, will continue to have two places while the champions of the seventh to 10th ranked leagues, currently Portugal, Ukraine, Belgium and Turkey, will also qualify automatically. The biggest losers were the 11th and 12th ranked leagues, currently Switzerland and the Czech Republic, who will lose their guaranteed places in the group stage. Instead, they will now compete in a qualifying competition with national champions from all other European leagues for four places in a qualifying competition played in July and August. Theodoridis said it was an achievement just to keep any places for teams from the smaller leagues who struggle to compete on level terms with the elite clubs. "We started this process by having one target, keeping the dream alive having all national associations having access," he said. UEFA has been without a president since last December when Frenchman Michel Platini was banned for eight years by global soccer body FIFA for ethics violations, later reduced to four on appeal by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). UEFA will hold an election to find a replacement for Platini in Athens on September 16. Michael van Praag, Angel Maria Villar and Aleksandar Ceferin, the heads of the Dutch, Spanish and Slovenian federations respectively, are the three candidates. (Reuters)

Champions League changes but UEFA keeps it 'in the family'

The sight of Welsh players bringing kids on to the pitch after their quarter-final victory over Belgium at the European Championship last week may have warmed the hearts of millions around the world, but for the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) it appears to have been a step too far. 
 
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, tournament director Martin Kallen sought to bring a bit of harsh reality to the elite tournament.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;This is not about pitch condition, the question is how far do you go with having other people on the pitch?&quot;, he said. 
 
&quot;We are not 100 per cent against it but we are cautious. It&#39;s nice pictures, it&#39;s always cute but a stadium is not the safest place for small kids.&quot; 
 
The Welsh team, who play Portugal on Wednesday in Lyon for a place in the final, have been built on their own tournament motto &quot;Together. Stronger&quot; - playing like it on the pitch and enjoying themselves with their families off it at their Brittany training camp.&nbsp; 
 
The scenes of talisman Gareth Bale lifting his daughter Alba Violet at the Parc des Princes after the Northern Ireland match, or full back Neil Taylor grasping his children&#39;s soft toys following the 3-1 victory over Belgium in Lille, have brought a touch of humanity to the sometimes too serious world of soccer. 
 
&quot;UEFA&#39;s frowning on it unfortunately because it&#39;s encroachment on the pitch,&quot; David Griffiths, the president of the Welsh Football Association, was quoted as saying in British media. &quot;But the team is run like a family and the boys have been together for so long.&quot; 
 
Officially, only people with specific accreditation can join the players on the grass, but with a place in the final at stake there is no guarantee UEFA will be able to stop any of the winning teams&#39; families from again breaking the taboo.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;It is getting more and more a habit that entire family members would like to go on the pitch or into the technical area,&quot; Kallen told reporters.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

Association opposes families celebrating on the field, what others see as a touch of humanity in the sometimes too serious world of soccer

The sight of Welsh players bringing kids on to the pitch after their quarter-final victory over Belgium at the European Championship last week may have warmed the hearts of millions around the world, but for the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) it appears to have been a step too far. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, tournament director Martin Kallen sought to bring a bit of harsh reality to the elite tournament. "This is not about pitch condition, the question is how far do you go with having other people on the pitch?", he said. "We are not 100 per cent against it but we are cautious. It's nice pictures, it's always cute but a stadium is not the safest place for small kids." The Welsh team, who play Portugal on Wednesday in Lyon for a place in the final, have been built on their own tournament motto "Together. Stronger" - playing like it on the pitch and enjoying themselves with their families off it at their Brittany training camp. The scenes of talisman Gareth Bale lifting his daughter Alba Violet at the Parc des Princes after the Northern Ireland match, or full back Neil Taylor grasping his children's soft toys following the 3-1 victory over Belgium in Lille, have brought a touch of humanity to the sometimes too serious world of soccer. "UEFA's frowning on it unfortunately because it's encroachment on the pitch," David Griffiths, the president of the Welsh Football Association, was quoted as saying in British media. "But the team is run like a family and the boys have been together for so long." Officially, only people with specific accreditation can join the players on the grass, but with a place in the final at stake there is no guarantee UEFA will be able to stop any of the winning teams' families from again breaking the taboo. "It is getting more and more a habit that entire family members would like to go on the pitch or into the technical area," Kallen told reporters. (Reuters)

UEFA tells Wales to keep their children off the pitch

UEFA began disciplinary proceedings today against Portugal, Hungary and Belgium for incidents in their Euro 2016 matches the previous day. 
 
Portugal is charged with allowing a pitch invasion, Hungary for allowing crowd disturbances and other offences and Belgium for its fans setting off fireworks and throwing objects. 
 
A fan ran on to the pitch in Portugal&#39;s 0-0 draw with Austria at the Parc des Princes in Paris on Saturday and posed for a selfie with Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. 
 
In Marseille, Hungarian fans clashed with stewards in the Stade Velodrome as they tried to climb a fence to join up with another group of Hungarians before the 1-1 draw with Iceland. 
 
Hungary is also accused of allowing its fans to set off fireworks and throwing objects. 
 
The punishment in that case will be announced on Tuesday. 
 
Belgium also faces charges that its supporters threw fireworks and other objects during the 3-0 win against the Republic of Ireland in Bordeaux. 
 
UEFA said it was yet to decide a date for its disciplinary committee to meet on the cases of Belgium and Portugal. 
(AFP)

A fan ran on to the pitch after Portugal's 0-0 draw with Austria in Paris and posed for a selfie with Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo

UEFA began disciplinary proceedings today against Portugal, Hungary and Belgium for incidents in their Euro 2016 matches the previous day. Portugal is charged with allowing a pitch invasion, Hungary for allowing crowd disturbances and other offences and Belgium for its fans setting off fireworks and throwing objects. A fan ran on to the pitch in Portugal's 0-0 draw with Austria at the Parc des Princes in Paris on Saturday and posed for a selfie with Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. In Marseille, Hungarian fans clashed with stewards in the Stade Velodrome as they tried to climb a fence to join up with another group of Hungarians before the 1-1 draw with Iceland. Hungary is also accused of allowing its fans to set off fireworks and throwing objects. The punishment in that case will be announced on Tuesday. Belgium also faces charges that its supporters threw fireworks and other objects during the 3-0 win against the Republic of Ireland in Bordeaux. UEFA said it was yet to decide a date for its disciplinary committee to meet on the cases of Belgium and Portugal. (AFP)

UEFA opens disciplinary probes against Portugal, Hungary and Belgium

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

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

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

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

Portugal&#39;s Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid team-mate Gareth Bale headlined a 10-man shortlist announced on Monday for the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. 
 
Ronaldo struck the winning spot-kick as Real claimed an 11th Champions League title, beating city rivals Atletico Madrid on penalties in May, before leading his country to Euro 2016 glory. 
 
Fellow Portugal and Real team-mate Pepe also features on the shortlist along with Wales star Bale, who steered his country to the semi-finals of the European Championship in their first appearance at a major finals since 1958. 
 
Ronaldo is favourite to the win the award for a second time, after scooping the honours in 2013-14, which would see him draw level with Barcelona&#39;s Lionel Messi. 
 
Atletico striker Antoine Griezmann was also nominated after his six goals at Euro 2016 earned him the player of the tournament and the Golden Boot, only for France to fall short against Portugal in the final. 
 
Messi was one of two Barcelona players to make the list along with Luis Suarez, while Bayern Munich duo Manuel Neuer and Thomas Mueller, Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and Real midfielder Toni Kroos were also included. 
 
The players were selected by journalists from each of UEFA&#39;s 55 members associations who will vote for a second time on August 5 to determine the three finalists. 
 
The winner of the award will be announced in Monaco on August 25 when the draw for the Champions League group stage is made. 
 
(AFP)

Messi was one of two Barcelona players to make the list along with Luis Suarez

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid team-mate Gareth Bale headlined a 10-man shortlist announced on Monday for the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. Ronaldo struck the winning spot-kick as Real claimed an 11th Champions League title, beating city rivals Atletico Madrid on penalties in May, before leading his country to Euro 2016 glory. Fellow Portugal and Real team-mate Pepe also features on the shortlist along with Wales star Bale, who steered his country to the semi-finals of the European Championship in their first appearance at a major finals since 1958. Ronaldo is favourite to the win the award for a second time, after scooping the honours in 2013-14, which would see him draw level with Barcelona's Lionel Messi. Atletico striker Antoine Griezmann was also nominated after his six goals at Euro 2016 earned him the player of the tournament and the Golden Boot, only for France to fall short against Portugal in the final. Messi was one of two Barcelona players to make the list along with Luis Suarez, while Bayern Munich duo Manuel Neuer and Thomas Mueller, Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and Real midfielder Toni Kroos were also included. The players were selected by journalists from each of UEFA's 55 members associations who will vote for a second time on August 5 to determine the three finalists. The winner of the award will be announced in Monaco on August 25 when the draw for the Champions League group stage is made. (AFP)

Ronaldo, Bale headline UEFA best player list

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

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

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

Italy can overcome Ibrahimovic threat to beat Sweden - De Rossi

Hosts France enjoyed an uplifting start to Euro 2016 as Dimitri Payet&#39;s superb last-gasp strike bailed out Les Bleus in a 2-1 victory over a stubborn Romania side at the Stade de France on a peaceful night in the capital on Friday. 
 
Starting the month-long tournament amid strikes to protest against a labour law and terror fears seven months after Islamic attacks on Paris killed 130, the national team lightened the mood thanks to Payet&#39;s 20-metre drive into the top corner. 
 
Didier Deschamps&#39; team seemed to be heading for a gloomy draw but a moment of magic from talismanic West Ham United player Payet left the home fans celebrating a memorable win on a serene Paris evening to get the finals off to a fine start. 
 
There were no incidents reported in and around the stadium, where there was a heavy security presence, or at the fan zone, where some 90,000 people were expected to watch the Group A game on giant screens near the Eiffel tower. 
 
French president Francois Hollande, who last November was rushed away from the stadium with German Chancellor Angela Merkel after suicide bombers detonated devices near the arena, was seen shaking hands with fans on his way out on Friday. 
 
Security was tight at the Stade de France and fans had been urged to arrive early to have time to go through a double security perimeter with two successive security checks under the watchful eyes of armed police with bulletproof vests. 
 
There were only cheers inside the stadium, however, as Payet wrapped up the three points following Olivier Giroud&#39;s headed opening goal for the hosts just before the hour that was cancelled out by Bogdan Stancu&#39;s penalty eight minutes later. 
 
A kitsch opening ceremony, featuring about 100 can-can dancers, a techno cover of Edith Piaf&#39;s &#39;La Vie En Rose&#39; and aerobatics by the Patrouille de France jets, launched the event. 
 
France had not played a competitive game in two years and Romania, who had only conceded twice in the qualifying campaign, were a stern reminder that Les Bleus need to be on their toes if they are to win a first title since their Euro 2000 triumph. 
 
&quot;Had we won by two or three goals that might have misled us slightly whereas the fact we won late in the day, that shows there are going to be no easy matches,&quot; man-of-the-match Payet told reporters. 
 
France, who top the group ahead of Saturday&#39;s clash between Albania and Switzerland, got off to a nervous start, looking a pale shadow of the team who breezed past their recent opponents. 
 
Captain Hugo Lloris had to make a point-blank save early on and France failed to manage a shot on target in the first half. 
 
After 57 minutes Giroud silenced his critics when he headed home from Payet&#39;s cross after Romania keeper Ciprian Tatarusanu completely missed the ball as he jumped with the France striker. 
 
Eight minutes later, however, Stancu coolly converted a penalty after Patrice Evra&#39;s clumsy foul on Nicolae Stanciu. 
 
However, the impressive Payet, who had been behind almost every France opportunity, was on hand to save the day. 
 
Collecting the ball from N&#39;Golo Kante, Payet cut inside and struck a vicious drive into the top corner, sending the crowd into raptures. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s quite easy in football when you can bang it into the top corner. It solves quite a lot of problems,&quot; said Deschamps. 
 
&quot;The opening match of a competition is bit like playing in a cup final so we were maybe just a little bit timid in the opening 25 minutes... we put four attacking players on the pitch to try to grind out the victory.&quot; 
 
France next take on Albania in Marseille on Wednesday after Romania play Switzerland in Paris. 
 
On Saturday England take on Russia in Group B amid fears of trouble between their fans in Marseille, where there was a stand-off between supporters on Friday, 18 years after England followers caused chaos in the Port city at the World Cup.

The hosts downed a stubborn Romanian side 2-1

Hosts France enjoyed an uplifting start to Euro 2016 as Dimitri Payet's superb last-gasp strike bailed out Les Bleus in a 2-1 victory over a stubborn Romania side at the Stade de France on a peaceful night in the capital on Friday. Starting the month-long tournament amid strikes to protest against a labour law and terror fears seven months after Islamic attacks on Paris killed 130, the national team lightened the mood thanks to Payet's 20-metre drive into the top corner. Didier Deschamps' team seemed to be heading for a gloomy draw but a moment of magic from talismanic West Ham United player Payet left the home fans celebrating a memorable win on a serene Paris evening to get the finals off to a fine start. There were no incidents reported in and around the stadium, where there was a heavy security presence, or at the fan zone, where some 90,000 people were expected to watch the Group A game on giant screens near the Eiffel tower. French president Francois Hollande, who last November was rushed away from the stadium with German Chancellor Angela Merkel after suicide bombers detonated devices near the arena, was seen shaking hands with fans on his way out on Friday. Security was tight at the Stade de France and fans had been urged to arrive early to have time to go through a double security perimeter with two successive security checks under the watchful eyes of armed police with bulletproof vests. There were only cheers inside the stadium, however, as Payet wrapped up the three points following Olivier Giroud's headed opening goal for the hosts just before the hour that was cancelled out by Bogdan Stancu's penalty eight minutes later. A kitsch opening ceremony, featuring about 100 can-can dancers, a techno cover of Edith Piaf's 'La Vie En Rose' and aerobatics by the Patrouille de France jets, launched the event. France had not played a competitive game in two years and Romania, who had only conceded twice in the qualifying campaign, were a stern reminder that Les Bleus need to be on their toes if they are to win a first title since their Euro 2000 triumph. "Had we won by two or three goals that might have misled us slightly whereas the fact we won late in the day, that shows there are going to be no easy matches," man-of-the-match Payet told reporters. France, who top the group ahead of Saturday's clash between Albania and Switzerland, got off to a nervous start, looking a pale shadow of the team who breezed past their recent opponents. Captain Hugo Lloris had to make a point-blank save early on and France failed to manage a shot on target in the first half. After 57 minutes Giroud silenced his critics when he headed home from Payet's cross after Romania keeper Ciprian Tatarusanu completely missed the ball as he jumped with the France striker. Eight minutes later, however, Stancu coolly converted a penalty after Patrice Evra's clumsy foul on Nicolae Stanciu. However, the impressive Payet, who had been behind almost every France opportunity, was on hand to save the day. Collecting the ball from N'Golo Kante, Payet cut inside and struck a vicious drive into the top corner, sending the crowd into raptures. "It's quite easy in football when you can bang it into the top corner. It solves quite a lot of problems," said Deschamps. "The opening match of a competition is bit like playing in a cup final so we were maybe just a little bit timid in the opening 25 minutes... we put four attacking players on the pitch to try to grind out the victory." France next take on Albania in Marseille on Wednesday after Romania play Switzerland in Paris. On Saturday England take on Russia in Group B amid fears of trouble between their fans in Marseille, where there was a stand-off between supporters on Friday, 18 years after England followers caused chaos in the Port city at the World Cup.

France start Euro 2016 party with win over Romania

Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Angel Maria Villar said he plans to seek re-election to his country&#39;s governing body later this year if he fails in a bid to become UEFA president. 
 
Villar has been acting head of the European soccer federation since October 2015, when Michel Platini was suspended from all football-related activities for six years, later reduced to four, for ethics violations. 
 
Last week the Spaniard announced his intention to stand in the UEFA elections on September 14 to replace Platini. Slovenian Aleksandar Ceferin and Dutchman Michael van Praag will also contest the presidency. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m standing for UEFA president because the majority of the European federations have asked me to,&quot; Villar, who has been president of the RFEF since 1988, said today following a meeting with referees.&nbsp;&quot;If I don&#39;t win or I pull out, which I don&#39;t believe will happen, I will stand for re-election of the RFEF.&quot; 
 
RFEF general secretary Jorge Perez is among other candidates for the Spanish vote, which is expected to take place after the UEFA election. 
 
Villar, also a FIFA vice-president, was fined 25,000 Swiss francs by FIFA&#39;s Ethics Committee in 2015 for failing to cooperate with their investigation into the contests to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. 
 
Villar said he was confident of winning the UEFA election. &quot;I have taken this step (to run) because I have sufficient support to win,&quot; he said. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Slovenian Aleksandar Ceferin and Dutchman Michael van Praag to also contest UEFA presidency

Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Angel Maria Villar said he plans to seek re-election to his country's governing body later this year if he fails in a bid to become UEFA president. Villar has been acting head of the European soccer federation since October 2015, when Michel Platini was suspended from all football-related activities for six years, later reduced to four, for ethics violations. Last week the Spaniard announced his intention to stand in the UEFA elections on September 14 to replace Platini. Slovenian Aleksandar Ceferin and Dutchman Michael van Praag will also contest the presidency. "I'm standing for UEFA president because the majority of the European federations have asked me to," Villar, who has been president of the RFEF since 1988, said today following a meeting with referees. "If I don't win or I pull out, which I don't believe will happen, I will stand for re-election of the RFEF." RFEF general secretary Jorge Perez is among other candidates for the Spanish vote, which is expected to take place after the UEFA election. Villar, also a FIFA vice-president, was fined 25,000 Swiss francs by FIFA's Ethics Committee in 2015 for failing to cooperate with their investigation into the contests to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Villar said he was confident of winning the UEFA election. "I have taken this step (to run) because I have sufficient support to win," he said. (Reuters)

Spanish football federation chief Villar to seek re-election if UEFA bid fails

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

France home and dry after goalless draw with Switzerland

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

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

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

FIFA bans former German boss Wolfgang Niersbach

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

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

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

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

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