England manager Roy Hodgson has bemoaned the lack of English players at the country’s leading clubs after a bleak fortnight for Premier League teams in the Champions League. . With Arsenal and Manchester City having followed Liverpool and Chelsea in crashing out of the Champions League this week, England has no teams in the quarterfinals for the second time in three years. . It has prompted fears of a lasting decline in England’s continental standing, but for Hodgson, the diminishing number of English players playing for the country’s top sides is a source of equal concern. . “When we talk…
Author: David F.
Uefa has warned all the Champions League quarterfinal teams to stop their players harassing referees, secretary general Gianni Infantino said on Monday. . And Europe’s governing body does not support extending video technology to catch mistakes made by referees, he added. . Uefa’s refereeing officer Pierluigi Collina warned Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Monaco, Paris Saint Germain, Porto and Real Madrid at a meeting on Friday. . The meeting at the Uefa headquarters at Nyon in Switzerland came the day after the ruling body banned Paris St-Germain’s Ivorian defender Serge Aurier for three European matches for “insulting acts” towards…
Barcelona and PSG met in the group stages with both teams winning their respective home ties while they also met in the 2013 quarterfinals when the Spaniards prevailed on away goals after a 3-3 aggregate draw. . The French champions will be without suspended star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic for the first leg after the Swede was given a one-match ban following his sending off in the last-16 victory over Chelsea. . Barcelona vice-president Jordi Mestre knows the two sides are familiar foes. . “PSG are old foes for us and we met them in the group phase. They’re a great…
Holders Real Madrid will have to overcome city rivals Atletico in the Champions League quarterfinals, in a repeat of last year’s final, while Barcelona face familiar opponents in Paris Saint-Germain after the draw made Friday in Nyon. . Portuguese giants Porto host Bayern Munich of Germany in the first leg of their last eight matchup while Italian champions Juventus welcome the Monaco side who knocked out English side Arsenal in midweek. . Sergio Ramos equalised in the dying minutes in Lisbon last year to send the final to extra-time before Real prevailed 4-1 over Diego Simeone’s Atletico for their 10th…
Hull City manager Steve Bruce hailed his side’s performance against Chelsea as their ‘best ever’ in the Premier League but it proved in vain as substitute Loic Remy snatched a 3-2 victory for the leaders on Sunday. . Chelsea looked to be in brutal form early on and goals from Eden Hazard and Diego Costa put Jose Mourinho’s side 2-0 ahead after nine minutes at the KC Stadium. . Undeterred, Hull stormed back and scored two goals in 74 seconds as Ahmed Elmohamady slid the ball home on 26 minutes before Abel Hernandez took full advantage of an error by…
The battle for Champions League qualification in the English Premier League took another twist at the weekend with all of the contenders for a top-four finish bar Liverpool winning. . Chelsea, six points clear at the summit with a game in hand, appear destined for the title and with it a place in the Champions League, leaving six teams to fight it out for the three remaining qualifying berths. . With eight matches of the season remaining (nine for Chelsea), AFP Sport assesses the runners and riders in the race for a spot in Europe’s elite competition. . 2. Manchester…
Anfield match-winner Juan Mata warned his Manchester United teammates on Monday that they still have a long way to go in the Premier League race for Champions League qualification. .. Mata scored a superb brace on Sunday as United won 2-1 at Liverpool to move five points clear of their rivals in the battle for a top-four finish. . Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur are both two points further back, but with games against Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal still to come, Mata says that United must maintain their focus. . “Beating Liverpool at Anfield, being lucky to score two nice…
Long-serving goalkeeper Petr Cech says he will leave Chelsea rather than spend another season as understudy to Thibaut Courtois. . The 32-year-old Czech Republic international has lost his place to the young Belgian this term, starting only four Premier League games and being primarily used in the domestic cup competitions. . While accepting manager Jose Mourinho’s decision, Cech said the situation could not go on indefinitely. . “I don’t know what the club’s idea will be. It looks like it works well with me and Thibaut as a duo,” he told the Idnes newspaper. . “But that can work for…
Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo could be sanctioned for his goal celebration when he netted the equaliser in Sunday’s La Liga ‘Clasico’ at Barcelona, the president of Spain’s professional soccer league (LFP) said. . Ronaldo, not for the first time when he has scored at the Nou Camp, appeared to be urging the Barca fans to calm down when he struck to make it 1-1 in the 31st minute. . The Portugal captain, regularly the subject of abuse himself, has gained a reputation for winding up opposing fans and was widely criticised when he tore off his shirt to celebrate…
Flying Eagles goalkeeper, Olorunleke Ojo has said his side never entertained any fear of defeat in the course of Orange African Under-20 Championship final clash against hosts, Senegal. . The Nigerians piped the Young Lions of Teranga 1-0 in the final AYC clash on Sunday at the Leopold Sedar Senghor Stadium, Dakar to claim a record seventh African title. . Ojo said the encounter though somehow tough than they envisaged but they were determined to hang onto their hard earned lead till the end of the keenly contested clash. . “We believed in ourselves that we’ll win the clash against…
Kenneth Otigba declared his wish to play for Nigeria despite playing for Hungary at youth level and he exclusively tells supersport.com why his heart beats for Nigeria as Calvin Emeka Onwuka caught up with him in Heerenveen, Holland. . Last year, as the Nigerian Super Eagles prepared for the world cup in Brazil l or actually just after the qualification was ensured I was at a press conference where a few names were reeled out to coach Stephen Keshi and asked if these players could break into his squad for Brazil. Amongst those names were Leon Balogun then of Fortuna…
Manchester United’s on-loan striker Radamel Falcao hinted on Tuesday he could leave the club at the end of the season in search of more regular football, but said he was still committed to the English side. . Colombia forward Falcao missed last year’s World Cup through injury then moved on loan from Monaco to United where he has seen limited first-team action and scored few goals under manager Louis van Gaal. . “I think any footballer needs to play and is happy playing. I’m totally committed to the club, there are eight matches to go (in the Premier League) and…
Stephen Keshi has accepted terms offered to him by the Nigeria Foootball Federation (NFF) and is set to be named coach of the Super Eagles. . A member of the NFF’s technical committee, Paul Bassey revealed that Keshi has accepted to continue as head coach of the three-time African champions. . “He (Keshi) has accepted the terms. Keshi has agreed to come back to work and that’s where we are for now,” Bassey told supersport.com. . When quizzed on the situation, Keshi refused to make a definite statement. . “My dear brother, I was offered a contract by the NFF…
Louis van Gaal has revealed that Manchester United will be his final job before retirement, reports The Telegraph. . The 63-year-old took over at United last summer after leading the Netherlands to a surprise third-place finish at the World Cup in Brazil, and he has one of the most impressive CVs in modern football. . He led a very young Ajax team to glory in the Champions League in 1995, and he also won three successive league titles with the club. . Van Gaal has also won silverware with Barcelona, AZ, and Bayern Munich, and he has been tasked with leading United back…
Manchester United’s search for a top quality central defender continues and they must secure one in the summer transfer window. . Louis van Gaal’s only central defensive reinforcement for Man United was Marcos Rojo who was more influential for Argentina as a left back. . Other than that, the Dutch manager gave opportunities to youngsters like Blackett and McNair who have done really well but United need someone world class. . According to latest reports, Manchester United are ready to finally sign a quality central defender. . As per Metro, Manchester United have agreed to pay the release clause of…
Manchester United are widely expected to make a move for Memphis Depay in the coming summer, after impressive performances from the speedy 21-year old all season. Louis van Gaal has worked with the winger at international level, and the pair could well be at the same club come July. . Depay infamously favourited a tweet about a potential move to Manchester United last week, and today the tricky winger took his social media game to another level, taking a sly dig at local rivals Liverpool, before quickly unfavouriting the tweet. . The tweet read “If Depay ends up going to…
Rafael Da Silva was chuffed to return to first team action when Manchester United took on Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Sunday. . After struggling with injury issues all season, the Brazilian had previously returned to the team against Yeovil at the start of January but that would be his last appearance until Sunday’s match. . It appears Louis van Gaal prefers the stability of Antonio Valencia at right-back but it seemed there might be a way back for Rafael after Valencia’s error knocked United out of the FA Cup last week. . Van Gaal’s choice to also play…
Angel Di Maria is braced for a return to action after serving a one-match suspension, and the Argentinian is determined to help Manchester United through a tough run of fixtures, beginning with Sunday’s Barclays Premier League clash with Liverpool. . Di Maria was sent off for two bookable offences in the Reds’ FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Arsenal and subsequently missed the morale-boosting 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend. But he is now back in contention for a place in Louis van Gaal’s team at Anfield. . United’s match with Liverpool is swiftly followed by fixtures against rivals…
World Cup-winner Paul Breitner feels Wayne Rooney is Manchester United’s number-one star. . The former West Germany international, who scored in two different World Cup finals and won 48 caps for his country, believes the England captain has earned the global respect of millions of supporters, even those who do not follow the Reds. . Speaking at the launch of the Red Heart United event at Old Trafford, the ex-Bayern Munich and Real Madrid stalwart was effusive in his praise of United’s no.10 and explained his standing within the game. . “You have so many outstanding players in your team and in…
Sean Dyche was “jumping around inside” after a “fantastic night” that saw his Burnley team record a famous win over Manchester City at Turf Moor on Saturday. . Manager Dyche felt the third from bottom club fully deserved their 1-0 victory, one that takes them within a point of safety and seriously dents City’s hopes of retaining their Premier League crown. . “The margins were tight but I think we edged it overall in a close game,” he told reporters. “I think the rewards were there for the team, individuals, the staff, myself and also the town and its fans.…