NEWS – Page 76 – Football Flame

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Pogba’s slams France retirement rumours as ‘fake news’

Paul Pogba of Manchester United warms up ahead of the Premier League match between Manchester United and Chelsea at Old Trafford on October 24, 2020 in Manchester, England.Manchester United's Paul Pogba said on Monday reports claiming he had retired from international duty in protest against French President Emmanuel Macron's comments about radical Islam were "fake news".According to reports in the Middle East picked up by British tabloid The Sun, World Cup winner Pogba wanted to end his international career after Macron vowed to take the fight to Islamic radicals after the October 16 beheading of history teacher Samuel Paty."Unacceptable, fake news," Pogba, a converted Muslim, posted on Instagram with a screenshot of The Sun's article.Paty had shown cartoons of the Prophet Mohamed to pupi...
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Raheem Sterling to launch foundation aimed at helping deprived children

Raheem Sterling of Manchester City during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Manchester City at London Stadium on October 24, 2020 in London, England.Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling is planning to launch a foundation aimed at helping disadvantaged young people.The 25-year-old said he wanted to create something "humongous" for the people he was helping with the organisation which would focus on social mobility.The England international's charitable body would help those supported by Marcus Rashford, who plays for his club's rivals Manchester United, and his food poverty activism.Speaking to the Sunday Times magazine, Sterling said: "That's me finished with the 'what can happen, what should happen'. Now I'm trying to put into place stuff I can do myself."Stuff to gi...
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Takefusa Kubo has goal, two assists for Villarreal in Europa League

Paco Alcacer of Villarreal celebrates 4-3 with Takefusa Kubo of Villareal, Takefusa Kubo of Villareal, Francis Coquelin of Villarreal, Samu Chukwueze of Villarreal during the UEFA Champions League match between Villarreal v Sivasspor at the Estadio de la Ceramica on October 22, 2020 in Castellon Spain.Takefusa Kubo scored the opening goal and assisted on another two Thursday as Villarreal kicked off their Europa League campaign with a 5-3 win against Turkey’s Sivasspor.Making his first start for Villarreal, the 19-year-old Japan winger tapped in from close range in the 13th minute at Estadio de la Ceramica to register his first goal since arriving on loan from Real Madrid.He set up Carlos Bacca with a through ball into the box for a 2-0 lead in the 20th minute and found Juan Foyth with a c...
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AC Milan withstand late pressure to beat Celtic 3-1 in Europa League

Rade Krunic of AC Milan celebrates after scoring his sides first goal during the UEFA Europa League Group H stage match between Celtic and AC Milan at Celtic Park on October 22, 2020 in Glasgow, Scotland.AC Milan's Rade Krunic, Brahim Diaz and Jens Petter Hauge netted in a 3-1 win at Celtic in their Europa League Group H opener on Thursday but the Italians had to withstand a late barrage from the Scottish champions to secure the three points.Krunic opened the scoring when he outjumped defender Stephen Welsh to head home Samuel Castillejo's cross in the 14th minute and although Celtic had some decent passages of play, it was the visitors who created the better chances.Milan went two up when Zlatan Ibrahimovic stretched the Celtic defence with a ball down the left to Theo Hernandez, and his ...
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FIFA president not interested in European Super League

President Gianni Infantino attends the FIGC press conference on September 9, 2020 in Rome, Italy.FIFA President Gianni Infantino says he is not interested in a European Super League amid reports that some elite clubs were in talks to set up a breakaway competition with the backing of world football's governing body.In an interview published by German-language newspaper Aargauer Zeitung and other regional Swiss media, Infantino said FIFA was focused on the success of the revamped Club World Cup, which will feature 24 teams and be held for the first time in China in 2022."As FIFA president, I'm interested in the Club World Cup, not the Super league," said Infantino."For me, it's not about Bayern Munich against Liverpool, but Bayern against Boca Juniors."Liverpool have 180 million fans worldw...
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Ireland to face England in Wembley friendly next month

Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny during a Republic of Ireland training session at the FAI National Training Centre in Abbotstown, Dublin.The Republic of Ireland will face England in a friendly at Wembley Stadium on 12 November, the English FA has confirmed.Stephen Kenny’s men will replace New Zealand who withdrew from their friendly arrangement with England due to uncertainty regarding squad selection created by the shifting nature of travel restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic.The fixture is scheduled to take place behind closed doors, and will precede Ireland’s Nations League fixtures at Wales (15 November) and at home to Bulgaria (18 November).Ireland’s last meeting with England was a goalless draw at the Aviva Stadium in June 2015, while their most recent Wembley encounte...
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Man Utd’s Ighalo slams Nigeria government after soldiers fire at protesters

Odion Ighalo of Manchester United in action during a first team training session ahead of the UEFA Champions League Group H stage match between Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain at Aon Training Complex on October 19, 2020 in Manchester, England.Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo says he is ashamed of the Nigerian government following reports that soldiers opened fire on protesters in the Lekki district of the commercial capital Lagos on Tuesday.Nigerians have been demonstrating nationwide every day for nearly two weeks against a police unit, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), that rights groups had for years accused of extortion, harassment, torture and murders.The unit was disbanded on Oct. 11 but the protests have persisted and at least two people were shot on Tuesday.In ...
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Tireless Mbappe sends PSG top with brace at Nimes

Nimes' French defender Patrick Burner (L) vies for the ball with Paris Saint-Germain's French forward Kylian Mbappe during the French L1 football match between Nimes (NO) and Paris Saint Germain (PSG) at the Costieres Stadium in Nimes, southern France, on October 16, 2020.Kylian Mbappe shrugged off any lingering fatigue to score twice in his second game in 48 hours as Paris Saint-Germain defeated 10-man Nimes 4-0 on Friday to take over top spot in Ligue 1.The France forward struck the opener on 32 minutes at the Stade des Costieres and netted again late on as a weary Nimes folded following the early dismissal of center-back Loick Landre.Alessandro Florenzi scored PSG's second on 77 minutes and Pablo Sarabia notched a fourth for the reigning champions as PSG climbed above Rennes on goal dif...
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Nations League roundup: Maguire sent off as England stunned

Harry Maguire of England is shown the red card by match referee Jesus Gil Manzano after getting a second yellow card during the UEFA Nations League group stage match between England and Denmark at Wembley Stadium on October 14, 2020 in London, England.Harry Maguire's miserable start to the season continued with a red card as England had two men sent off for the first time in their Nations League defeat by Denmark, while Kylian Mbappe gave World Cup holders France a 2-1 victory in Croatia and Portugal won without Cristiano Ronaldo on Wednesday.Christian Eriksen's penalty on his 100th appearance for Denmark earned his side a 1-0 win over England in their Nations League clash at Wembley.Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Eriksen powered his spot-kick past Jordan Pickford in the 35th minute, ...
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Connolly returns to Ireland starting XI for Finland tie

Dublin , Ireland - 12 October 2020; Aaron Connolly and Daryl Horgan, right, during a Republic of Ireland training session at the FAI National Training Centre in Abbotstown, Dublin.Aaron Connolly has been named in the side for Ireland's UEFA Nations League clash against Finland in Helsinki.The Brighton striker was ruled out of last week's Euro 2020 play-off defeat to Slovakia after been named as a close contact to an FAI staff member who tested positive for the coronavirus.Subsequently, that test turned out to be a false positive and by right, the Galway native should have been available to play the vital game in Bratislava.Connolly was expected to start that match and will now get a chance to resume his fledgling Ireland career as he is expected to line up on the left side of an attacking ...
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Nations League: Harry Kane ‘fit and available’ to face Denmark, says England boss Gareth Southgate

Harry Kane of England warms up during the UEFA Nations League group stage match between England and Belgium at Wembley Stadium on October 11, 2020 in London, England.Gareth Southgate declared Harry Kane is in perfect condition to play for England against Denmark as he insisted he would never take a risk with the fitness of any of his charges and that no one has been injured because he has overworked them.The England captain missed Thursday’s win over Wales and only came on for the final 24 minutes of Sunday’s 2-1 victory against Belgium after suffering from a muscle problem.But while Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho had gone public before the international break with his wish for England to use Kane sparingly, Southgate played down talk of a club-versus-country row as he nevertheless defend...
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Setbacks for Spain, Germany in Group 4 of Nations League

Viktor Tsygankov of Ukraine celebrates after scoring his team's first goal with his teammates during the UEFA Nations League group stage match between Ukraine and Spain at NSK Olmpiyskiy on October 13, 2020 in Kyiv, Ukraine.Spain and Germany had setbacks in the Nations League on Tuesday, with Spain losing to Ukraine for the first time and Germany being held to a draw by last-place Switzerland.Spain kept the group lead despite a 1-0 loss in Kiev in a match attended by about 15,000 fans.Germany went two goals down in the first 30 minutes and could not manage more than a 3-3 draw against the Swiss in Cologne.Spain has seven points from four matches, one point more than Germany and Ukraine, followed by Switzerland with two points.In the final round in November, Spain visits Switzerland and the...
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Injured Aaron Ramsey out of Wales’ trip to Bulgaria

Aaron Ramsey of Wales during the UEFA Nations League B match between Republic of Ireland and Wales at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.Aaron Ramsey has withdrawn from Wales' squad for Wednesday's Nations League match in Bulgaria.The Juventus playmaker Ramsey captained Giggs' side in the 0-0 draw against Ireland on Sunday, but the Football Association of Wales confirmed he has since picked up an injury. Ryan Giggs has defended his decision not to strengthen Wales' squad after losing five players for the Nations League clash with Bulgaria in Sofia.Wales are short of forward options with David Brooks, and Hal Robson-Kanu dropping out alongside the suspended Kieffer Moore and Joe Morrell.Giggs says being in a Covid-19 bubble has made the situation "more problematic", although other countries h...
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UEFA considering options for Euro 2020 finals – Ceferin

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin is seen during the UEFA Super Cup match between FC Bayern Munich and FC Sevilla at Puskas Arena on September 24, 2020 in Budapest, Hungary.UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin says he is optimistic that the Euro 2020 finals, postponed until 2021, can be played with fans in stadiums across Europe next June, but admits several scenarios are being explored due to the coronavirus pandemic."For the moment, we are planning the Euro exactly as we want it to be," Ceferin told German broadcaster ARD when asked about fans attending games at 12 host stadiums despite numbers of Covid-19 positive test cases rising across Europe."Of course, I would have told you in February that the Euro would take place as normal with full stadiums this summer, but everything changed with...
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Juventus attacker Cristiano Ronaldo tests positive for coronavirus

Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo has tested positive for COVID-19, Portugals Football Federation said in a statement in Lisbon, Portugal, on October 13, 2020. The 35-year-old Juventus striker will miss Wednesdays UEFA Nations League game against Sweden but is well, has no symptoms and is in isolation, the federation said.Cristiano Ronaldo has tested positive for Covid-19, Portugal's Football Federation confirmed on Tuesday.The 35-year-old is said to be "doing well, without symptoms, and in isolation", with no further positive tests reported in the squad ahead of Wednesday's Uefa Nations League match against Sweden.Former Manchester United and Real Madrid forward Ronaldo had played in both of Portugal's matches so far during the international break.Ronaldo started against Spain in L...
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Second Ireland player tests positive for Covid-19

Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny during a Republic of Ireland training session at the FAI National Training Centre in Abbotstown, Dublin.Stephen Kenny's preparations for the Nations League clash with Finland on Wednesday have been thrown into further disarray by a second Republic of Ireland player testing positive for Covid-19.Five players were ruled out of Sunday's 0-0 draw with Wales due to the first positive case and with those players still missing, Kenny had already bolstered his options by calling up six additional players for the trip to Reykjavik.The sextet includes Adam Idah and Aaron Connolly, who missed the Euro 2020 play-off defeat to Slovakia and match against Wales, as they were deemed close contacts of an FAI staff member who tested positive for Covid-19 in Bratisla...
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Robert Lewandowski to undergo precautionary ultrasound for ankle contusion

Robert Lewandowski of Poland in action during the UEFA Nations League match between Poland and Italy at the Energa Stadium. (Final score: Poland 0:0 Italy).Robert Lewandowski suffered an ankle contusion and hematoma after being kicked there in Poland’s 0-0 draw against Italy in the UEFA Nations League over the weekend. The injury occurred in the 82nd minute of the goalless draw and forced Bayern Munich’s number 9 to hobble off and be replaced by Karol Linetty. He was seen on Poland’s bench with a large ice pack on his ankle after coming off and he looked to be in a decent amount of discomfort.Per Poland’s national team spokesperson Jakub Kwiatkowski (via PolsatSport), Lewandowski will undergo an ultrasound ahead of Poland’s next match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday. The ultras...
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Rashford: Beating Belgium proves England can match top sides

Marcus Rashford of England during the UEFA Nations League group stage match between England and Belgium at Wembley Stadium on October 11, 2020 in London, United Kingdom.Marcus Rashford believes England’s Nations League victory over Belgium proved to the players they have what it takes to beat the top international sides.The Three Lions came back from a goal down to beat Belgium — ranked number one in the world — 2-1.Rashford equalised from the penalty spot after his former Manchester United team-mate Romelu Lukaku had opened the scoring for the visitors at an empty Wembley with his spot-kick.England were second best for periods of the match but emerged victorious courtesy of Mason Mount’s deflected strike just after the hour.The result means Gareth Southgate’s side now sit top of Group A2 ...
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Italy replace U21s with U20s for crunch Ireland game

Italy head coach Alberto Bollini looks on during the International Friendly match between Italy U19 and Switzerland U19 on February 12, 2020 in Lecco, Italy.The Italian Football Federation have confirmed that they will field their Under-20 squad in tomorrow's crucial Under-21 European Championship qualifying game with Ireland in Pisa.An outbreak of Covid-19 within the camp of the Under-21 squad has already seen the Italians call off last Friday's qualifier with Iceland, but with three further positive cases, they have now taken the step of replacing their squad with the Under-20s.The Italian Under-20 squad have been in camp since last Wednesday and had been alerted to a possibility that they may have to step in for their older counterparts should the need arise. Under-20 manager Alber...
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Gareth Southgate ready to risk Jose Mourinho’s wrath over Harry Kane after injury scare

Harry Kane of England during the UEFA Nations League group stage match between England and Belgium at Wembley Stadium on October 11, 2020 in London, United Kingdom.Gareth Southgate is risking the wrath of Jose Mourinho as he plans to start Harry Kane against Denmark on Wednesday.England managed to beat Belgium on Sunday without the services of their captain.Kane was absent from the starting XI after it emerged that he had suffered an injury scare in training the night before.However, Southgate insisted he was feeling the effects of muscle fatigue rather than being injured.Nevertheless, Tottenham requested that the forward return to the club.England refused and instead Kane came on against Belgium, in a match that was won 2-1 after a Mason Mount effort in the second-half.Spurs continue to b...
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