2023 – Page 8 – Football Flame
Latest Football News

Year: 2023

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SERIE A

Danilo and Alex Sandro still waiting to return for Juventus

 Danilo Luiz da Silva, Moise Kean and Alex Sandro of Juventus meet and greet with the fans at Juventus Store Milano on March 23, 2023 in Milan, Italy.Juventus defenders Danilo and Alex Sandro face a race against time to be fit enough by the return of Serie A action next weekend, but there are concerns over the availability of one of them. The Old Lady are due to face Inter in the Derby D’Italia next Sunday, but Danilo and Alex Sandro, the team’s most senior defenders, have both been out injured for several weeks in the build-up. Danilo, Juve’s skipper, has been out of action for over a month in fact, having picked up a knock with Brazil in their World Cup qualifier against Venezuela during the previous international break. His injury, according to Il Corriere dello Spor...
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NEWS

Luis Diaz scores twice in front of released father as Colombia stun Brazil

 Luis Diaz of Colombia celebrates after scoring the team's second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier match between Colombia and Brazil at Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez on November 16, 2023 in Barranquilla, Colombia.Luis Diaz scored twice as Colombia stunned Brazil 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier, days after his father was released by kidnappers.The Liverpool striker netted twice in four minutes late in the second half, watched by his father Luiz Manuel Diaz who was held for 12 days before his release last week.Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli had put Brazil in front after just four minutes.Colombia’s first win over Brazil for eight years lifts them into third in the South American qualifying table with Brazil, who suffered a second successive defeat in the competition, do...
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NEWS

Portugal secure 2-0 victory against Liechtenstein

Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal (C) attempts an overhead kick during the UEFA EURO 2024 European qualifier match between Liechtenstein and Portugal at Rheinpark Stadion on November 16, 2023 in Vaduz, Liechtenstein.Cristiano Ronaldo scored, helping Portugal secure a 2-0 victory against Liechtenstein in the Group J clash on Thursday. The 38-year-old now shares the top scorer position with Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku in the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.Having already secured their spot in the finals, Portugal leads Group J with 27 points, eight ahead of second-placed Slovakia. Liechtenstein remains at the bottom with zero points after nine games.Despite Portugal manager Roberto Martinez choosing not to rest regular starters, his team struggled against the lower-ranked opponents, and the deadlock p...
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Spain teenager Lamine Yamal scores in win over Cyprus in Euro 2024 qualifying

 Spain's forward #17 Lamine Yamal shoots to score his team's first goal during the UEFA Euro 2024 Group A qualifying football match between Cyprus and Spain at the Alphamega Stadium in Limassol on November 16, 2023. Teenager Lamine Yamal scored to help Spain defeat Cyprus 3-1 and remain in first place in its European Championship qualifying group on Thursday.Mikel Oyarzabal and Joselu also scored first-half goals to give already qualified Spain a two-point lead in Group A over second-place Scotland, which drew 2-2 at Georgia.The 16-year-old Yamal scored five minutes into the match.“I'm very happy to be wearing this jersey,” he said. “I'm feeling very comfortable thanks to my teammates.”Spain's final match will be against Georgia on Sunday in Valladolid, while Scotland will host N...
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Egypt’s Salah scores four as Nigeria held by Lesotho

 Mohamed Salah of Egypt drinks water ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Africa qualifiers football match between Egypt and Djibouti at the Cairo International Stadium in Cairo, Egypt on November 16, 2023.West Brom centre-back Semi Ajayi powerfully headed in Kelechi Iheanacho's corner to level 11 minutes later but the Super Eagles could not find a winner in their Group C opener in a rainy Uyo.Jose Peseiro's side had dominated the first half but paid for their profligacy as Iheanacho saw a free-kick saved, Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi failed to capitalise on a promising cut-back and Ademola Lookman had a low shot across goal turned away.Liverpool forward Salah starred as Egypt thrashed Djibouti 6-0 in Cairo while elsewhere there were wins for Algeria, Mozambique, Burundi and Ga...
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LALIGA

Real Madrid star out for months after injuring knee on international duty

 Eduardo CAMAVINGA during the French Players a training session at Centre National du Football on November 15, 2023 in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines, France.Eduardo Camavinga is set for a spell on the sidelines.That’s according to widespread reports, including one from BeIN Sports, which say the Real Madrid defender has picked up a knee injury during a recent international training session with France.Preparing for two European Championship qualifiers against Gibraltar and Greece, Camavinga, 21, was called up to Didier Deschamps’ latest Les Bleus squad.The 21-year-old will not be able to play in Saturday and next Tuesday’s matches though. Colliding with a teammate during a recent training session, the former Stade Rennes star will miss the next two months worth of international and domes...
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LALIGA

Ilkay Gundogan’s agent speaks out on shock Barcelona exit rumours

Ilkay Gundogan of FC Barcelona run with the ball during the LaLiga EA Sports match between FC Barcelona and Deportivo Alaves at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on November 12, 2023 in Barcelona, Spain.Ilkay Gundogan’s agent has denied rumours that he held talks with representatives from Galatasaray, after reports that his client was considering a move to Turkey.Reports emerged from Turkey that Gundogan’s agent and brother Ilhan met directors of Galatasaray ahead of the Turkish giants taking on Bayern Munich in the Champions League.The midfielder only joined Barcelona from Manchester City over the summer and has a contract that runs until 2025 so the reports were something of a surprise and the agent has now denied them.‘The reports in the press these days about Ilkay do not reflect the truth...
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Israel and Switzerland draw 1-1 in Euro 2024 qualifying game in Hungary

 Dor Turgeman of Israel is tackled by Edimilson Fernandes of Switzerland which results in a red card for Edimilson Fernandes of Switzerland during the UEFA EURO 2024 European qualifier match between Israel and Switzerland at Puskas Akademia Pancho Arena on November 15, 2023 in Felcsut near Budapest, Hungary.European Championship qualifying game between Switzerland and Israel ended with a 1-1 draw on Wednesday, a match that brought the Israeli team to Hungary after all scheduled games in Tel Aviv were postponed due to the Israel-Hamas war.The match was one of two “home games” Israel is hosting in Felcsut, a Hungarian village of around 1,900 people, as it chases a qualifying place in the Euro 2024 continental championship. If the team qualifies, it will be its first time since joining t...
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LALIGA

Real Madrid player suffers injury scare on international duty

 Rodrygo of Real Madrid celebrates with teammate Eduardo Camavinga after scoring the team's fifth goal during the LaLiga EA Sports match between Real Madrid CF and Valencia CF at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on November 11, 2023 in Madrid, Real Madrid already have a lot of injury problems and do not need any more headaches in that department. Thibaut Courtois and Eder Militao are out for the long term. On the other hand, Arda Guler has not even made his debut for the club since joining in the summer and has picked up three injuries already. There are several others who have dealt with short to medium-term problems.Naturally, the club would have been worried when news broke out earlier that Eduardo Camavinga had to leave French national team training after he collided with Ousmane De...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Wolves await Chelsea points deduction decision amid Premier League call

 Cole Palmer of Chelsea looks on during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on November 12, 2023 in London, England. Wolves will be among the Premier League teams keeping a close eye on Chelsea after reports suggesting the club could be hit with points deduction over alleged breaches of financial rules.Chelsea could face more questions about their prolonged success when Roman Abramovich was owner after documents appeared to show a "string of payments" that breached Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules, according to a report by The Guardian.An investigation by newspaper and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism found files related to a series of payments, spread out over a decade and worth tens of millions.Payments were supposedly routed ...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Man Utd chief executive Arnold to leave club

 Manchester United's chief executive officer Richard Arnold takes his seat for the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on March 6, 2022.Manchester United chief executive Richard Arnold is to leave the club after 16 years as Sir Jim Ratcliffe's deal for a 25% stake in the Old Trafford side nears completion.Arnold replaced Ed Woodward in February 2022 and will provide "transitional support" until the end of December.His departure comes as Ratcliffe's Ineos Group prepares to finalise its £1.25bn minority purchase of United.No announcement on Ratcliffe's deal is expected on Wednesday.General counsel Patrick Stewart will take over as chief executive on an interim basis while the club de...
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SERIE A

Osimhen still out of Napoli training

 Victor Osimhen Centre-Forward of Napoli and Nigeria during the UEFA Champions League match between SCC Napoli and Real Madrid at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on October 3, 2023 in Naples, Italy.Napoli started training under new coach Walter Mazzarri today, but last season’s Capocannoniere Victor Osimhen was again ruled out.The club made the decision to sack Rudi Garcia yesterday and bring back Mazzarri, who had already worked here from 2009 to 2013.Mazzarri had his first session today at the Castel Volturno ground, but while many are away on international duty, Osimhen was meant to be there after shaking off the injury sustained playing for Nigeria last month.Instead, the striker was nowhere to be seen, with Napoli announcing he was suffering from flu symptoms.Napoli hope to have Os...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Palmer eyes England as Chelsea move ‘pays off’

 Cole Palmer of England passes the ball during the UEFA Under-21 Euro 2023 final match between England and Spain at Batumi Arena on July 08, 2023 in Batumi, Georgia.Cole Palmer says his £42.5m summer transfer to Chelsea from Manchester City is "paying off" as he eyes his senior England debut.The 21-year-old forward has scored four goals and registered four assists in 14 appearances since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.He was called up to the England squad on Monday after injuries to James Maddison, Callum Wilson and Lewis Dunk.Palmer said he left Treble winners City in search of first-team football."It happened fast, to be fair. I spoke to someone at Chelsea and I was speaking to my dad but I really didn't know what to do," Palmer said."I was just thinking about it for a couple of day...
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Son called in for South Korea as Asia’s leading teams enter qualifying for the 2026 World Cup

Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-Min warming up before the match during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur at Molineux on November 11, 2023 in Wolverhampton, England. Son Heung-min will join South Korea for its opening game in World Cup qualifying, with head coach Jurgen Klinsmann aiming to start the second stage of Asian competition with a statement win.The Koreans and Asia’s five other 2022 World Cup participants start their qualification campaigns to appear at the 2026 tournament on Thursday.None of the continental heavyweights are taking this stage lightly, with European-based stars such as Son, Kaoru Mitoma and Mehdi Taremi picked for their national teams to take on some of the continent’s lower-ranked rivals.South Korea kicks off against ...
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Egypt captain Salah leads African stars into World Cup qualifying

 Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates scoring during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Brentford FC at Anfield on November 12, 2023 in Liverpool, England. Prolific Liverpool scorer and Egypt captain Mohamed Salah will be among the stars in action this week when 2026 World Cup qualifying in Africa kicks off with two matchdays. His two Premier League goals against Brentford at the weekend raised his total to 200 in English football, and he is now set to shine against Group A rivals Djibouti and Sierra Leone. Salah was the second highest ranked African in the Ballon d’Or last month behind Napoli and Nigeria forward Victor Osimhen, who misses the first matchdays due to an injury. Omar Marmoush of Eintracht Frankfurt and Mostafa Mohamed of Nantes are ot...
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Ederson misses Brazil’s World Cup qualifiers with foot injury

  Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson during the UEFA Champions League Group G match between Manchester City and BSC Young Boys at Etihad Stadium on November 7, 2023 in Manchester, England. Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson has been ruled out of upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Colombia and Argentina with a foot injury, the Brazilian football federation announced yesterday.Ederson, 30, picked up the injury with club side City in last Sunday’s 4-4 Premier League draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.Brazil coach Fernando Diniz has called up Athletico Paranaense goalkeeper Bento for Thursday’s games against Colombia at Barranquilla and World Cup winners Argentina on November 21 in Rio de Janeiro.Unbeaten Argentina top the table with 12 points after four games, five...
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John Obi Mikel keen to tempt Victor Osimhen into Chelsea transfer

 Victor Osimhen of SSC Napoli watches the match from the stands during the Serie A TIM match between SSC Napoli and Empoli FC at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona Naples Italy on 12 November 2023.Club legend John Obi Mikel has suggested that he will try to tempt Napoli forward Victor Osimhen into a move to Chelsea.For a number of transfer windows, Osimhen has been linked with an exit from the Serie A giants, a consequence of the impact that he has made in Naples.In 2022-23, the frontman contributed 26 goals from 32 appearances in Italy's top flight as Napoli won their first league crown in over three decades.However, with a contract until 2025, speculation persists that the 24-year-old will soon be taking on a new challenge, most likely in the Premier League.With Napoli president Aurelio ...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Eriksen and Hojlund face spells out for Manchester United

Christian Eriksen of Manchester United warms up ahead of the Premier League match between Manchester United and Luton Town at Old Trafford on November 11, 2023 in Manchester, England.Manchester United duo Christian Eriksen and Rasmus Hojlund face spells on the sidelines following their withdrawal from Denmark’s squad for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers.United’s 1-0 victory over Luton ahead of the international break was soured slightly by injuries to midfielder Eriksen and forward Hojlund, who both limped off the pitch at Old Trafford on Saturday.They have pulled out of Denmark’s fixtures against Slovenia on Friday and Northern Ireland next Monday, with United resigned to being without Eriksen until the middle of December due to a knee problem.Hojlund’s muscle strain seems to be less sev...
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Rudi Garcia leaves Napoli to return to France

 Rudi Garcia SSC Napoli head coach during the Serie A TIM match between SSC Napoli and Empoli FC at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on November 12, 2023 in Naples, Italy. Rudi Garcia boarded a plane to leave Napoli and return to France this morning after the club’s decision to sack him.The 59-year-old coach’s fate was sealed after the Partenopei’s painful 1-0 loss to Empoli on Sunday, but it only seemed like a matter of time after the team’s disappointing start to the season.Garcia took over as Napoli coach in the summer after Luciano Spalletti’s decision to step away, signing a two-year contract worth €2.8m net per season. A clause was included which allows the club to terminate his contract next June should he be dismissed in his first campaign.As reported by Gianluca Di Marzio, ...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Zinchenko’s thoughts turn closer to home

Oleksandr Zinchenko of Arsenal prepares to take a throw-in during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Burnley FC at Emirates Stadium on November 11, 2023 in London, England. No better time for pause and reflection than remembrance weekend and the start of a much-needed international break for Mikel Arteta's Arsenal who topped the table this time last year. A deserved return to winning ways leaves his side well-placed, nestled within a victory of overtaking champions Manchester City and a couple of weeks to get up to eight missing players closer to fitness by the time they resume action, at Brentford, on Saturday week.Burnley too, with injury issues of their own, need a reset after a brutal return to the top flight in which they have conceded 30 goals in their opening ...
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