June 2019 – Page 2 – Football Flame    
Latest Football News

Month: June 2019

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PREMIER LEAGUE

Rafa Benitez Set to Leave Newcastle United

Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez will leave the Premier League club when his contract expires on June 30, a statement has confirmed."It is with disappointment that we announce manager Rafael Benitez will leave Newcastle United upon the expiry of his contract on 30th June 2019," said Newcastle."We have worked hard to extend Rafa’s contract over a significant period of time, however it has not been - and will not be - possible to reach an agreement with Rafa and his representatives."Rafa's coaching staff, Paco de Miguel Moreno, Antonio Gomez Perez and Mikel Antia, will also leave the club on 30th June."We would like to thank Rafa and his coaching team for their efforts over the last three years and their significant contribution to what has been collectively achieved."We would also li...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Celtic Turned Down Arsenal Bid for defender Kieran Tierney

Celtic have rejected a £15m bid from Arsenal for defender Kieran Tierney, Sky Sports News understands.As reported elsewhere, Arsenal's initial offer for the left-back was turned down by the Scottish Premiership champions and the Gunners expected to come back with an improved offer.Tierney has been hampered by a hernia problem this season and is currently recovering from surgery.The 22-year-old was restricted to 21 league appearances for the Celtic last season.Tierney, who has made 12 appearances for the Scottish national side, is contracted to Celtic until the summer of 2023.
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NEWS

Riyad Mahrez Makes his mark as Algeria beat Kenya

Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez was on target as Algeria launched their Africa Cup of Nations campaign with a 2-0 Group C win over Kenya.Baghdad Bounedjah scored from the penalty spot in the 34th minute to give Les Fennecs the lead.A meandering run from Youcef Atal was brought to an end by a poor challenge from Dennis Odhiambo and Bounedjah made no mistake from the resulting penalty.Mahrez then doubled the advantage two minutes before the break when his shot from Ismael Bennacer’s cut-back was deflected past goalkeeper Patrick Matasi by Abud Omar.Kenya were more of a threat after the interval but failed to test Algeria goalkeeper Rais M’Bolhi, with Michael Olunga’s shot that was blocked by Aissa Mandi as close as they came.
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NEWS

Argentina Sneak Past Qatar to survive Copa America group stage, Colombia stay perfect

Argentina will start from afresh in the Copa America after averting disaster with Sunday’s 2-0 victory over Qatar that sent them into the knock-out stages, star Lionel Messi said.Goals from the Barcelona icon’s forward partners Lautaro Martinez and Sergio Aguero were enough to propel Argentina from bottom of Group B to second and into a quarter-final meeting with Venezuela on Friday at Rio’s Maracana stadium.“The important thing was to win to keep going in the Copa, to get through the group stage,” said Messi, who will turn 32 on Monday.“This will be an important boost for what’s to come ... another Copa begins now.“This victory must give us strength and make us grow as a team.”Argentina’s performance was far from pitch-perfect, but they were good enough to beat a limited Qatar side, who g...
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NEWS

Dani Alves Confirm Paris Saint-Germain Exit

Just hours after scoring in Brazil's 5-0 win over Peru at the Copa America, Dani Alves announced he was leaving Paris Saint-Germain. The 36-year-old right back, who is captain of Brazil, had been with the French champions for two seasons and was at the end of his contract. "Everything has a start, middle and end, and the time has come to put a full stop here," Dani Alves said on Instagram. Dani Alves did not reveal where he might go, and leaves PSG as compatriot Leonardo returns as the new sporting director.His departure also comes at a time when rumours are circulating about the future of Neymar, the world's most expensive footballer who has had an injury-hit season laced with controversy.Alves signed for PSG at the same time as Neymar, in the summer of 2017.The Juazeiro-born player,...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Drogba Says Lampard in Talks With Chelsea

Didier Drogba has appeared to confirm Frank Lampard is "in talks" with Chelsea to become their new manager in an Instagram live video.Derby insist there has been no approach for their boss Lampard, but Chelsea are expected to come in for their club-record scorer after Maurizio Sarri's move to Juventus was finalised last week.Former Blues striker Drogba, who was pictured with Lampard in London earlier this month, has claimed - in a live video shared to his 7.7m followers - that negotiations are, in fact, underway.Asked who will be the best Chelsea manager, he said: "The one who is in talks now to get the job - Frank Lampard."When pressed on the timing of Lampard's announcement, he added: "Relax! Relax!"Former Derby captain and club ambassador, Michael Johnson, has asked Chelsea to be respec...
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NEWS

Nigeria Start AFCON With Narrow Win Over Burundi

Nigeria's Africa Cup of Nations campaign got off to a winning start on Saturday as they edged out Burundi 1-0.Gernot Rohr's side, who are 89 places above Burundi in FIFA's world rankings, struggled for long periods in their Group B opener at the Alexandria Stadium but sealed all three points in the 77th minute.Odion Ighalo, introduced for Paul Onuachu just four minutes earlier, latched onto Ola Aina's wonderful back-heeled pass and coolly whipped the ball past Jonathan Nahimana.Nigeria will hope to put in a vastly improved performance against Guinea on Wednesday, while Burundi face Madagascar a day later.
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Report : Liverpool Interested in Bringing Coutinho back to Anfield

Liverpool are considering making a move to re-sign FC Barcelona playmaker Philippe Coutinho, according to reports. The 27-year-old joined the Catalan giants from the Reds in a £142million deal in January 2018.However, the Brazil international has struggled to replicate the form he showed which made him a fan favourite at Anfield.The ex-Inter Milan midfielder has been heavily linked with a move away this summer and now Le 10 Sport report that Liverpool are deciding whether to bring him back to Merseyside.Despite winning the Champions League, Jurgen Klopp is aiming to add to his squad as he hopes to bring the Premier League title to the club for the first time.Coutinho, who is currently on Copa America duty with his country, scored 54 times in 201 matches for Liverpool.
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NEWS

Hosts Egypt Celebrate Winning Start to Africa Cup of Nations

Egypt opened their Africa Cup of Nations campaign with a 1-0 win over Zimbabwe in Cairo.Liverpool star Mohamed Salah endured a frustrating night as Trezeguet emerged as the hero for the hosts of the competition.The winger curled home four minutes before the interval to reward the Pharaohs for a dominant first-half display.Zimbabwe did threaten late on after Egypt failed to capitalise on further chances but the home side held on.There had been reports Zimbabwe's players could boycott the Group A encounter amid a pay dispute but that did not materialise.Yet Zimbabwe soon looked like the outsiders they had been billed as.Mohamed Salah, Marwan Mohsen and Abdallah El-Said all forced good saves from Edmore Sibanda early on.Liverpool forward Salah also fired over and wriggled through a series of ...
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NEWS

Alexis Sanchez Sends Chile Into Copa America Quarter-Finals

Alexis Sanchez put a miserable club season with Manchester United behind him as he sent Chile into the Copa America quarter-finals with the winning goal in Friday's 2-1 win over Ecuador. Jose Fuenzalida gave reigning champions Chile an eighth-minute lead but Enner Valencia equalized for Ecuador from the spot. Sanchez bagged the winner, his 43rd goal for his country, but Chile finished with 10 men after Gabriel Achilier's red card a minute from time. The 30-year-old Sanchez started only nine Premier League matches, scoring just once, in an injury-interrupted season for the Red Devils in which he struggled to make an impact when he did play.But he scored for the second game running in Salvador as Chile joined Colombia as the only teams to qualify for the knock-out stages after their fir...
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NEWS

Yannick Carrasco Banned from Dalian Yifang Training

Arsenal target Yannick Carrasco has been suspended from Dalian Yifang training and imposed with a fine as speculation over his future intensifies.The Chinese Super League club have cited his recent behaviour as the reasoning behind the ban.They issued a notice to suspend the 25-year-old, while also ordering him to pay fines for his behaviour within the next three days.It comes after heavy speculation linking Carrasco with a move to Arsenal, the club he had been previously linked with before opting to move to Dalian Yifang in February 2018.The Belgian joined Monaco from Genk in 2010, before spending three years at Atletico Madrid under Diego Simeone, during which he scored the equalising goal in the 2016 Champions League final against city rivals Real Madrid.
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LALIGA

Reports : Real Madrid Refuse to Let James Leave On Loan

Real Madrid are refusing to let playmaker James Rodriguez leave the club on loan this season, instead holding out for a permanent deal amid interest from Napoli.Reports say that Madrid are keen to get Colombia international James off their payroll this summer as they aim to raise funds for more signings after a busy start to the transfer window.Napoli have emerged as the club to have shown the most interest in the 27-year-old, though it is understood that reports from Italy that a deal has already been reached are wide of the mark.James spent the previous two seasons on loan at Bayern Munich, scoring 15 goals and laying on 20 assists in 67 appearances for the Bundesliga winners, but the Bavarians decided not to exercise the option to sign him permanently for €42 million (£37m/$47m).Carlo A...
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LALIGA

Inter Reportedly Keeping Tabs on Theo Hernandez

Inter are considering a move for Real Madrid left-back Theo Hernandez, according to Sport italia.Hernandez joined the Spanish giants from rivals Atletico in 2017 but spent last season on loan at Real Sociedad, having struggled for game-time in his first year.The 21-year-old made 28 appearances in all competitions for the Basque outfit, scoring once and creating two assists as La Real narrowly missed out on a place in Europe.Inter have not made a move for Hernandez yet and would need to sell at least one of their current full-backs before pursuing him.Kwadwo Asamoah was the Nerazzurri’s first-choice at left-back under Luciano Spalletti, with Dalbert struggling to make an impact as an unreliable backup.The Brazilian is widely expected to leave this summer but there have been no reports recen...
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TRANSFERS

Atalanta sign Muriel from Fiorentina

Atalanta have signed Luis Muriel from Fiorentina on a permanent deal. Fiorentina didn't make the player's loan move permanent and La Dea signed the Colombian striker from Sevilla.Atalanta haven't confirmed the price of the Colombian star but it is believed that the value of his transfer is in the region of € 15 million plus € 3 million in add-ons.Muriel will wear the no.9 shirt. "I am here to help a team that has been improving over the last few years", the Colombian said. "President Percassi and Mr. Gasperini has given me enthusiasm and that was crucial for me. Duvan is in love with Bergamo, he always speaks to me about the team, we are close friends. I want to play with strong players and it didn't take long to convince me".
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NEWS

Fernando Torres Announces Retirement

Former Liverpool, Chelsea and Spain striker Fernando Torres has announced he is to retire from football.The 35-year-old, who is currently playing for Sagan Tosu in Japan, confirmed the end of his football career on social media.He wrote: "I have something very important to announce. After 18 exciting years, the time has come to put an end to my football career."Next Sunday, the 23rd at 10:00AM, local time in Japan, I will have a press conference in Tokyo to explain all the details. See you there."He had a glittering playing career in which he won almost all the major trophies in football with Liverpool, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea and the Spanish national team. 
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LALIGA

Barca and Napoli Set to Clash in First Ever La Liga-Serie A Cup

Barcelona have confirmed that they will face Napoli across a two-legged clash in the United States in the inaugural La Liga-Serie A Cup during their pre-season preparations this year.The Spanish champions and Italian heavyweights will square off in two games played across two states in early August as part of their schedule ahead of the 2019-20 campaign.The first encounter, on August 7, will take place at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, at the home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins.Barcelona were set to face Girona in a regular season La Liga fixture at the venue earlier this year, though the endeavour was ultimately shelved after it was met with strong opposition from FIFA and UEFA.The second, three days later on August 10, will see the duo take in Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, at the...
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SERIE A

Sarri Targets New Record for Cristiano Ronaldo at Juve

Maurizio Sarri is excited to be working with Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus and wants to help the Portuguese “break some new records” after taking a “step forward” in his own coaching career.The Italian tactician is back in his homeland after a season-long spell in the Premier League with Chelsea.He landed a top-four finish and Europa League glory with the Blues, but has been lured back to Serie A by the reigning champions.Sarri is stepping into a role vacated by Massimiliano Allegri on the back of an eighth successive title triumph for the Bianconeri.He is aware of the pressure he will be working under, but is looking forward to taking charge of a star-studded squad that includes a five-time Ballon d’Or winner.Sarri told reporters at his first press conference as Juve boss: “At Chelsea I c...
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NEWS

Uruguay Draws With Japan 2-2 in Copa America

Copa America favourites Uruguay drew 2-2 with Japan on Thursday and delayed until the last round of the group stage its likely qualification to the tournament's knockout phase.Japan, which is playing a young team, was ahead twice in the match at the Arena do Gremio in Porto Alegre thanks to midfielder Koji Miyoshi, one of the seven changes the Asian team made after losing 4-0 to Chile in its opening match.Miyoshi netted his first at 25 minutes, hitting the ball hard to the left of goalkeeper Fernando Muslera. Luis Suarez levelled at 32 after a penalty kick awarded by video review following a foul by a Japanese defender.Miyoshi added Japan's second at 59 in a rebound after Muslera tried to block a cross from the left.At 66 minutes, Uruguay drew with a header by Jose Gimenez after a corner k...
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NEWS

Messi Rescue Argentina in Copa Draw

Argentina couldn't manage more than a 1-1 draw against Paraguay in the Copa America on Wednesday, staying last in its group and facing an early elimination from the South American competition.Derlis Gonzalez opened the scoring for Paraguay in the 37th minute at the Mineirao Stadium and Lionel Messi levelled matters from the penalty spot in the 57th.However, Gonzalez missed a penalty kick shortly after Messi's equaliser, with goalkeeper Franco Armani stopping his shot from the spot.Colombia lead Group B with six points and are already through to the knockout stage thanks to a late 1-0 win over guest Qatar earlier Wednesday.Paraguay are second with two points, and Argentina and Qatar have one each.Argentina trail Qatar on tiebreakers.In the last round on Sunday, Colombia faces Paraguay and A...
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UCL

Neymar’s three-match UCL ban confirmed

Brazilian star Neymar will miss three Champions League matches next season, UEFA confirmed Wednesday, as punishment for insulting a referee following Paris Saint-Germain’s collapse against Manchester United.UEFA first imposed the ban in April before PSG contested the decision, but a final decision was delivered on Wednesday. “The appeal lodged by PSG is rejected. Consequently, the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body’s decision of April 25 is confirmed,” UEFA said.The world’s most expensive footballer was ruled out of the match with an injury. He watched from the stands as United were awarded a penalty deep into injury time after a protracted VAR decision, which Marcus Rashford scored to knock the French side out in the last 16 of the Champions League.The 27-year-old aimed an Intagra...
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