In a tense encounter over in Romania, Chelsea just about managed to edge past Atletico Madrid and record a much-needed 1-0 first leg win over the La Liga leaders. Olivier Giroud scored the one and only goal with a sensational overhead kick, reaffirming to many that he is still a very dangerous man in world football.
Spanish woes
In the wake of Barcelona and Sevilla both losing in the Champions League last week, many were looking towards Atletico Madrid as the potential saviours of the Spanish game but in the end, they just couldn t get the job done. Chelsea neutralised them in a way that PSG and Borussia Dortmund also did to the aforementioned teams, and that does leave us to wonder what kind of state the La Liga sides are going to be heading into their second legs. They ve be…
South Korea are in a positive frame of mind ahead of an historic World Cup qualifier against North Korea in Pyongyang on Tuesday, according to head coach Paulo Bento.
The Group H encounter will be the first competitive meeting between the neighbouring nations to take place north of the border.
Pyongyang last hosted the Taegeuk Warriors in a friendly in 1990, with Shanghai used a neutral location for North Korea s designated home game in their 2010 World Cup qualifying clash.
Tottenham star Son Heung-min, who completed an hour of an 8-0 thrashing of Sri Lanka on Thursday, is expected to be among the starters for South Korea at Kim Il-sung Stadium.
I feel good. Our players are well prepared and the team atmosphere is great, Bento was quoted as telling r…
Patrick Herrman s future at Borussia Mönchengladbach is under a question-mark, according to .
The German newspaper s report claims Herrman might join FC Nürnberg this summer. Gladbach head coach Dieter Hecking says he had a clear conversation with the midfielder about his prospects and what s expected of him at the club, and added that now it s up to the player himself to draw his own conclusions and make his plans.
Nürnberg are interested in his signature, but now it all seems to depend on the good will of Gladbach. They apparently want a sum between €3million and €5million as he has only 12 months remaining on his contract, but even that is at this point too much for Nürnberg. However, director of sport Max Eberl is known for having compassion for players …
Manchester City have offered Kevin De Bruyne a new contract, according to . It has been reported that the Belgium international turned down the Citizens’ initial offer, and that the former Premier League champions have made a renewed effort to tie him down to a long-term deal.
As per the new proposal, according to the report, Bruyne would get a pay-rise from his current salary of £310,000 per week. The 29-year-old midfielder would also have his contract extended beyond the summer of 2023.
De Bruyne has been on the books of City since 2015 and has established himself as one of the best midfielders in the world. The Belgium international has won the Premier League title twice, the FA Cup once and the EFL Cup on four occasions at the Etihad Stadium so far. According to …
While Premier League sides might be focused on finishing off the 2019/2020 campaign, there is no doubt that clubs up and down the country will already be drawing up their summer transfer list.
With what is expected to be a frantic transfer market with a short turn around until the action soon restarts in September, sides such as Chelsea are already getting their business done early after bringing in from RB Leipzig on a five-year-deal last month.
While young English starlets might have built a name for themselves after swapping the Premier League for Germany in recent times, three of the Bundesliga s biggest stars could be coming in the other direction over the coming months.
Jadon Sancho Borussia Dortmund
Enjoying what has been another stunning campaign in ru…
Former Switzerland coach Ottmar Hitzfeld feels their outstanding young players give them a chance of glory at the Nations League Finals.
Switzerland face Portugal in the last four on Wednesday having topped their group thanks to results including a 5-2 home defeat of World Cup semi-finalists Belgium.
Former Bayern Munich boss Hitzfeld was head coach between 2008 and 2014, leading the country to two World Cups.
But the 70-year-old German believes the next generation of Swiss talent has taken the team to new levels under successor Vladimir Petkovic.
Switzerland have outstanding young players. They have very good players with foreign roots who are all perfect football players, Hitzfeld told Omnisport.
They have a good set up with [Fabian] Schar, …
Harry Kane would gladly sacrifice individual honours if it meant Tottenham ended the Premier League season on a high by winning their three remaining matches, according to caretaker boss Ryan Mason.
The England captain has failed to score in his last two league games and has been joined at the top of the scoring charts by Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, who took his goals tally to 21 with a strike against Manchester United on Thursday.
Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes and Kane s Tottenham team-mate Son Heung-min are next on the list with 18 and 17 goals respectively, followed by Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin on 16.
Spurs face Wolves, Aston Villa and Leicester City in their final three league games and Mason insists the team will come firs…
James Vaughan will always look back fondly on April 10, as this is the date on which he made Premier League history.
Although his top-flight career failed to stay airborne for long, it certainly got off to a flying start when he became the division s youngest goalscorer for Everton against Crystal Palace.
His achievement stands 15 years on but, as you can see below, that s not even close to being the longest such record across the top five leagues in Europe.
Here are the youngest goalscorers ever seen in the Bundesliga, LaLiga, Ligue 1, the Premier League and Serie A. Enjoy your trip down memory lane
BUNDESLIGA: NURI SAHIN (17y, 82d)
Date: 26/11/2005
Match: Nurnberg 1-2 Borussia Dortmund
Sahin became the youngest pla…
According to recent reports over in Italy, Claudio Ranieri has been linked with a return to former club Roma. The 67 year old recently lost his job with Fulham, after failing to guide the Premier League club away from the relegation zone. Roma, on the other hand, are considering a change of management following their 3-0 loss to Lazio under the guidance of Eusebio Di Francesco.
Ranieri spent two years managing Roma between 2009 and 2011, and also played for them briefly back in the early 70s. Claudio was also born in the city, and has a great deal of experience managing in Italian football.
Despite this, the belief is that he’d only be brought in on an interim basis if Roma did decide to pull the trigger on the deal.
Ranieri’s last great accomplishment in ma…
Gareth Southgate has a reputation for matter-of-fact sincerity in news conferences but it felt like even he was laying it on a little thick last October.
Luke Shaw was fit and a fixture in Manchester United s first team but had ticked past two years without an England call-up.
For Nations League matches against Belgium and Denmark and a friendly versus Wales, Ben Chilwell was unavailable. Southgate selected and split left wing-back duties between Kieran Trippier, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Bukayo Saka – none of whom are specialists in the position.
The door is certainly open, he replied when asked about Shaw s seemingly dwindling prospects.
I don t think we ve ever closed the door on any player and we certainly wouldn t on Luke.
He s more th…