England-Iceland to go ahead at Wembley

12Nov

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

NEWS

England-Iceland to go ahead at Wembley

The Wembley turf seen under the floodlights ahead of the international friendly football match between England and Republic of Ireland at Wembley stadium in north London on November 12, 2020.The UK Government has given the green light for England's Nations League match against Iceland to be played at Wembley next week.The venue of the Three Lions' final Nations League group match - and final fixture of 2020 - had been up in the air due to issues arising from the visitors' game in Copenhagen on Sunday.Denmark is subject to enhanced travel restrictions due to concerns over a new strain of Covid-19, putting the Wembley encounter in jeopardy as the Football Association looked at instead hosting the game in Germany.The PA news agency understands Albania was another option put forward by UEFA, b...

12Nov

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

LALIGA

Real Madrid fear on Modric infection after Croatia exposure

Luka Modric of Real Madrid gestures as he leaves the pitch after the La Liga Santander match between Valencia CF and Real Madrid at Estadio Mestalla on November 08, 2020 in Valencia, Spain.Real Madrid fear their midfielder Luka Modric has been exposed to Covid-19 after a positive test for his Croatia teammate Domagoj Vida.The Besiktas defender was told at half-time that he had tested positive previously and immediately had to enter self-isolation, but not only had he shared a dressing room with Modric, but the two had posted a picture on social media, as per Marca.Los Blancos have already had Eden Hazard and Eder Millitao recently test positive for the virus, while Casemiro also had a positive PCR.The Croatian midfield maestro is into the final 12 months of his contract at the Spanish gian...

12Nov

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

TRANSFERS

Chelsea ‘planning to sell trio for Declan Rice funds’

Match Referee Kevin Friend speaks with Declan Rice of West Ham United during the Premier League match between Liverpool and West Ham United at Anfield on October 31, 2020 in Liverpool, England.Chelsea are reportedly willing to listen to offers for Jorginho, Antonio Rudiger and Marcos Alonso during the January transfer window in order to raise funds to sign Declan Rice.The Blues have long been linked with a move for Rice, who has starred for West Ham United and become an England regular since being released from the Chelsea academy at the age of 14.However, West Ham are understood to be holding out for a bid of £80m for the midfielder - a fee which Chelsea could not afford during what was already a big-spending summer.Football Insider reports that Frank Lampard is planning to renew his inte...

12Nov

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

NEWS

Virus-affected Italy beats Estonia

Vincenzo Grifo of Italy celebrates after scoring his team's second goal with team mates during the International Friendly match between Italy and Estonia at Stadio Artemio Franchi on November 11, 2020 in Florence, Italy.Vincenzo Grifo scored his first two goals for Italy in a 4-0 win over Estonia in a friendly on Wednesday as the host won comfortably despite missing a number of players and its coach because of coronavirus infections.Federico Bernardeschi also scored in the first half, while Riccardo Orsolini converted a penalty four minutes from time.Italy was without coach Roberto Mancini and several players because of the coronavirus. Players from six clubs — Fiorentina, Genoa, Inter Milan, Lazio, Roma and Sassuolo — were self-isolating because of COVID-19 cases in their squads. They wil...

12Nov

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

NEWS

Ronaldo nets 102nd international goal in 7-0 win over Andorra

Joao Felix of Portugal and Atletico Madrid celebrates scoring Portugal seven goal with Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal and Juventus during the international friendly match between Portugal and Andorra at Estadio da Luz on November 11, 2020 in Lisbon, Portugal.Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo netted his 102nd international goal in a friendly match against Andorra on Wednesday, moving one step closer to the record of 109 held by former Iran forward Ali Daei. Portugal thrashed Andorra 7-0.Ronaldo reached the 100th goal milestone during the Nations League match against Sweden in September.Wolves winger Pedro Neto gave Portugal an early lead, followed by a double by Paulinho. Yesterday's match was the debutant performance for these two representing Portugal.Renato Sanches contributed the third goal i...

11Nov

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Liverpool’s Gomez injured on England duty

Joe Gomez of Liverpool in action during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Liverpool at Etihad Stadium on November 8, 2020 in Manchester, United Kingdom.Liverpool central defender Joe Gomez has been injured on international duty with England.The 23-year-old suffered the injury during the build-up to the game against the Republic of Ireland on Thursday.England manager Gareth Southgate is expected to provide an update on the seriousness of the issue at a news conference on Wednesday.Liverpool already have Dutch centre-back Virgil van Dijk facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines.Van Dijk has had surgery on a knee ligament injury picked up against Everton in a 2-2 draw on 17 October.The Premier League champions have also been without Fabinho, who had been deputising in defenc...

11Nov

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

NEWS

FA chairman Greg Clarke resigns after ‘colored footballer’ remark

Chairman of The English Football Association (FA), Greg Clarke attends the 43rd Ordinary UEFA Congress on February 7, 2019 in Rome.Greg Clarke has resigned as English Football Association (FA) chairman hours after referring to "colored footballers" during questions from members of parliament on Tuesday.The 63-year-old was widely criticized after making a series of inappropriate comments while taking questions from members of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee."My unacceptable words in front of Parliament were a disservice to our game and to those who watch, play, referee and administer it. This has crystallized my resolve to move on," Clarke said in a statement confirming his departure."I am deeply saddened that I have offended those diverse communities in footba...

10Nov

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

SERIE A

Ronaldo ‘fit’ for Andorra friendly after Lazio niggle

Cristiano Ronaldo of Juventus during the Serie A match between SS Lazio and Juventus at Stadio Olimpico on November 8, 2020 in Rome, Italy.Juventus' Cristiano Ronaldo is available to face Andorra in a friendly later this week despite suffering an ankle injury in the weekend's draw at Lazio, Portugal coach Fernando Santos said on Tuesday.Ronaldo, 35, who limped off with 15 minutes to play of Sunday's fixture in Rome, could also feature against France on Saturday and Tuesday's trip to Croatia in the Nations League."He trained normally with his team mates so if I decide it, he's fit to play the next three games," Santos said."He hasn't complained. I know since Sunday that there's no problem, nothing that could stop him from training normally," he added.The former Real Madrid attacker has play...

10Nov

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

NEWS

England call up Borussia Dortmund teenager Jude Bellingham

Jude Bellingham of Borussia Dortmund controlls the ball during the UEFA Champions League Group F stage match between Club Brugge KV and Borussia Dortmund at Jan Breydel Stadium on November 4, 2020 in Brugge, Belgium.Borussia Dortmund teenager Jude Bellingham has been called up to the England squad after James Ward-Prowse and Trent Alexander-Arnold were forced to withdraw due to injury.It is the 17-year-old's first call up to Gareth Southgate's senior squad.The former Birmingham City player had at first been included in the England Under 21s but will now join the likes of Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling and Jordan Henderson for Thursday's friendly against Republic of Ireland and Nations League meetings with Belgium and Iceland.Southampton midfielder Ward-Prowse has withdrawn with a tight hamstr...

10Nov

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

LALIGA

Suarez Makes Shocking Revelation Ahead Of Barcelona Clash

Luis Suarez of Uruguay grabs the ball after scoring the second goal of his team during a match between Ecuador and Uruguay as part of South American Qualifiers for Qatar 2022 at Rodrigo Paz Delgado Stadium on October 13, 2020 in Quito, Ecuador.Atletico Madrid striker Luis Suarez addressed a few interesting things ahead of his first match against FC Barcelona.After the international break, Atletico will face Barcelona for the first time this season. The clashes between the two Spanish clubs have always been intense.However, the fact that Suarez will play against his former club for the first time adds drama to the rivalry.In an exclusive interview with AS, Suarez was asked to reveal his thoughts ahead of the highly-anticipated match, including “would he celebrate” if he scored a goal agains...

10Nov

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

LALIGA

Lionel Messi future ‘depends on new Barcelona president’

Leo Messi during the match between FC Barcelona and Real Betis Balompie, corresponding to the week 9 of the Liga Santander, played at the Camp Nou Stadium, on 07th November 2020, in Barcelona, Spain.Lionel Messi's future at Barcelona will reportedly hinge on who the Blaugrana appoint as their new president.The Argentine's frosty relationship with former president Josep Maria Bartomeu was well-documented, with Messi handing in a transfer request over the summer before staying put amid a dispute over his release clause.Bartomeu has since resigned from his post along with the entire board of directors, but the 57-year-old's departure may not be enough to keep Messi on the books in Catalonia.According to Marca, the six-time Ballon d'Or winner does not want to make any decisions about his futur...

9Nov

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

TRANSFERS

Report: Tottenham Hotspur offered chance to re-sign Christian Eriksen

Christian Eriksen of FC Internazionale controls the ball during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and Parma Calcio at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on October 31, 2020 in Milan, Italy. Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly been offered the chance to re-sign Inter Milan midfielder Christian Eriksen either on loan or permanently.The Denmark international has struggled to make an impact at the San Siro since arriving from Spurs in the January transfer window, starting just three Serie A games this term and still waiting for a goal contribution.As a result, Inter are reportedly prepared to allow Eriksen to depart as they look to balance the books, with Nerazzuri manager Antonio Conte believed to be unhappy with the playmaker's performances.According to Football Insider, Inter are willing t...

9Nov

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

NEWS

Scotland without Fraser, Hanley for Serbia play-off

Ryan Fraser of Newcastle United during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Newcastle United at Molineux on October 25, 2020 in Wolverhampton, England.Scotland will be without Newcastle winger Ryan Fraser and Norwich defender Grant Hanley for Thursday's must-win Euro 2020 play-off against Serbia.Fraser had started Scotland's last two games but he missed Newcastle's defeat at Southampton on Friday due to a hamstring injury, while Hanley is struggling with a similar problem.Scotland assistant coach Steven Reid on Monday revealed the pair will not be fit for the crucial clash in Belgrade, which offers the winners a place at the delayed Euro 2020.The Scots have not appeared in a major tournament since the 1998 World Cup."Ryan and Grant Hanley at the moment are strugglin...

9Nov

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

BUNDESLIGA

Bayern Munich set to be without Kimmich for the rest of the year after he underwent knee surgery

Bayern's Joshua Kimmich receives medical treatment during the Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern Muenchen at Signal Iduna Park on November 7, 2020 in Dortmund, Germany.Bayern Munich have revealed Joshua Kimmich will be out of action until January after undergoing a 'successful' knee operation. The 25-year-old midfielder limped out of their 3-2 win at Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga on Saturday night. Kimmich, one of the most consistent performers for the European champions, hurt his right knee as he tripped Erling Haaland to stop the Dortmund striker breaking away in the 35th minute.Germany international Kimmich, who was booked for the foul, was clearly in a lot of pain and had to be helped from the field by two members of staff. Bayern's spor...

9Nov

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Jurgen Klopp makes admission over Liverpool failing against Man City

Liverpool's German manager Jurgen Klopp (R) looks on ahead of the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on November 8, 2020.Jurgen Klopp admits Liverpool failed to capitalise on their first-half dominance during a lively stalemate at Manchester City.With Roberto Firmino recalled to form a front four with Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota, the Reds dominated possession in the opening quarter of the Premier League clash on Sunday.However, a failure to choose the correct final pass or deliver a shot meant they had only Mohamed Salah’s 13th-minute penalty to show for their efforts.Kevin De Bruyne’s cross provided Gabriel Jesus with an equaliser for City on 31 minutes before the Belgian missed ...

9Nov

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

SERIE A

Ibrahimovic salvages late point after missing penalty as Milan draw with Verona

Zlatan Ibrahimovic of AC Milan missing his penalty during the Italian Serie A match between AC Milan v Hellas Verona on November 8, 2020.Zlatan Ibrahimovic recovered from another missed penalty to score in stoppage time and salvage a 2-2 draw for Milan against Hellas Verona.Antonin Barak and Mattia Zaccagni put Ivan Juric's visitors 2-0 up inside 20 minutes before an own goal from Giangiacomo Magnani gave the hosts hope.Ibrahimovic then failed from 12 yards for the third time this season - his fourth miss in six attempts going back to last term - and Davide Calabria saw an effort ruled out in the first minute of second-half stoppage time after the Swede had handled in the build-up.Milan's talisman had the final say, however, heading home Brahim Diaz's cross two minutes later to snatch a dr...

8Nov

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

NEWS

Asensio replaces injured Fati in Spain’s national team

Ansu Fati of FC Barcelona after receiving penalty during the La Liga match between FC Barcelona and Real Betis played at Camp Nou Stadium on November 7, 2020 in Barcelona, Spain.Real Madrid forward Marco Asensio will replace the injured Ansu Fati in Spain’s national team ahead of its upcoming Nations League matches, the Spanish soccer federation said on Sunday.Fati injured his left knee in Barcelona’s 5-2 win over Real Betis in the Spanish league on Saturday.The club said the 18-year-old forward has a “torn meniscus” but did not provide a timetable for his recovery. It said the necessary treatment will be determined in the coming days.He was replaced at halftime against Betis after a challenge from Aissa Mandi in the penalty area.Fati had quickly secured a spot in Spain’s national team, be...

8Nov

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

SERIE A

Ronaldo scores but last-gasp Lazio strike denies Juventus

Cristiano Ronaldo of Juventus Turin controls the ball during the Serie A match between SS Lazio and Juventus at Stadio Olimpico on November 8, 2020 in Rome, Italy.Ecuadorian striker Felipe Caicedo scored a 95th-minute equaliser as Lazio denied Juventus victory in Serie A at the Stadio Olimpico.Caicedo turned and fired past Wojciech Szczesny in the 95th minute after great wing-play from Joaquin Correa.Cristiano Ronaldo scored his sixth goal in four league games when he converted Juan Cuadrado's cross to give Juve the lead in the 15th minute.They remain third, three points behind AC Milan who play Verona at 19:45 GMT.The result will be a bitter blow for coach Andrea Pirlo and his men, who were rarely troubled by Lazio. Simone Inzaghi's team had plenty of possession but had failed to test for...

8Nov

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

LALIGA

Messi scores twice to lead Barca to Betis win

Barcelona's Argentine forward Lionel Messi celebrates his second goal during the Spanish League football match between Barcelona and Real Betis at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on November 7, 2020.Lionel Messi came on at half-time and scored twice for Barcelona, including his first goal from open play this season, in a 5-2 win over Real Betis.Messi had been rested by Ronald Koeman but was thrown on with the game in the balance after Antoine Griezmann missed a penalty in the Argentine's absence, before Antonio Sanabria cancelled out Ousmane Dembele's opener.But within four minutes of his introduction, Messi set up Griezmann an open goal with a superb dummy and then scored twice himself, the first a penalty that saw Betis' Aissa Mandi sent off for a handball on the line.In between, Loren...

7Nov

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

BUNDESLIGA

Kimmich injury overshadows Bayern’s win at Dortmund

Bayern's Joshua Kimmich walks off after receiving medical treatment during the Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern Muenchen at Signal Iduna Park on November 7, 2020 in Dortmund, Germany.Bayern Munich face an anxious wait to discover the severity of Joshua Kimmich's knee injury which cast a shadow over their 3-2 win at Borussia Dortmund on Saturday which sent them top of the Bundesliga.The Germany midfielder, who has been in great form recently, was helped off in obvious distress after twisting his knee in a first-half challenge."He'll fly home with us and be examined - it's too early to say the extent of the injury," said grim-faced Bayern coach Hansi Flick.Kimmich is also a concern for Germany ahead of the friendly against the Czech Republic on Wednesday before Nation...