Новости за 16.07.2018

Croatia were greeted by an estimated half-a-million fans on the streets of Zagreb on Monday, as they returned home to a remarkable reception after losing in Sunday's World Cup final. Despite the undoubted individual quality available to coach Zlatko Dalic, few expected Croatia to go as far as they did in Russia. Croatia's preparations for the tournament were by no means perfect, considering Dalic was only appointed as the replacement for the sacked Ante Cacic last October with one last qualification group game to go. Читать дальше...

Thierry Henry has quit his role as a television pundit to focus on a future in coaching. Henry was an assistant to Roberto Martinez as the ex-Everton boss guided Belgium to a third-place finish at the World Cup, having juggled the role with his on-screen duties for the past two years. But the former Arsenal and France striker has elected to walk away from the small screen after completing his UEFA Pro Licence through the Football Association of Wales last year. "Over the last four years I have... Читать дальше...

France's World Cup winners were treated like royalty by hundreds of thousands of supporters upon their return to Paris on Monday and have been promised the Legion of Honour award ahead of a presidential reception. A 4-2 win over Croatia in Moscow on Sunday secured France their second World Cup triumph, sparking non-stop celebrations back home. Supporters swarmed the Champs-Elysees, Paris' most famous avenue, after the game and saw their heroes projected on to the Arc de Triomphe, with more than... Читать дальше...

Cristiano Ronaldo's blockbusting move to Juventus was not enough to keep Lionel Messi off the agenda on his first day with his new employers. Ronaldo was greeted by a throng of buoyant Juve supporters on Monday before completing his medical and staging an unveiling news conference. The 33-year-old is locked on five Ballons d'Or apiece with Barcelona superstar Messi, with their tussles on either side of El Clasico's divide having defined a footballing generation. Asked about how facing up to the... Читать дальше...

Cristiano Ronaldo claims it was an easy decision for him to join Juventus from Real Madrid and took a thinly veiled swipe at his contemporaries who chase final paydays away from elite leagues. The 33-year-old completed his stunning €105million move from Madrid to Juve last week and was greeted but a joyous band of supporters in Turin ahead of his medical and unveiling on Monday. Speaking at a news conference, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner insisted it was the challenge of performing for another... Читать дальше...

England captain Harry Kane expressed pride at winning the World Cup golden boot but was keen to deflect praise to his team-mates. Kane was the top scorer in Russia with six goals, though he failed to find the net after the last 16. He ended the tournament two goals ahead of the chasing pack, which included France's Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe and Belgium's Romelu Lukaku. The Tottenham striker said: ''Very proud to have won the #WorldCup golden boot. Not possible without my team-mates and... Читать дальше...

Belgium manager Roberto Martinez believes this transfer window could be the right time for Eden Hazard to leave Chelsea. Hazard captained the Red Devils to their best finish at a World Cup as they took third place, contributing two goals and three assists. There has been persistent speculation that Hazard could fill the void left by Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid following the Portugal superstar's move to Juventus. Speaking to Cadena SER, Martinez said: "It could be the best time [for Hazard] to try something different. Читать дальше...

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis cannot envision a swap deal involving Jose Callejon and Suso being worked out with AC Milan. Three-time Champions League winner and former Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti replaced new Chelsea head coach Maurizio Sarri at Stadio San Paolo in May. Napoli's interest in Suso is said to pre-date Ancelotti's arrival, yet De Laurentiis gave speculation of the Partenopei sending forward Callejon to San Siro in exchange for the former Liverpool man short shrift. Speaking to Radio Kiss Kiss... Читать дальше...

El Hadji Diouf (Liverpool)There was huge excitement at Anfield when the African footballer of the year signed on a five-year contract after his Senegal team shocked World Cup winners France in the opening match of the 2002 tournament. Yet he proved to be a monumental flop at Liverpool. After netting a brace in his second outing for the Reds against Southampton, the attacker went on a barren stretch until March 2003.Diouf’s second season at Anfield was even worse, as he failed to score once for Gerard Houllier’s team... Читать дальше...

Maurizio Sarri said he needs to make "one or two adjustments" before Chelsea will be ready to play his football as he looked forward to going head to head with "the most important coaches in Europe". The 59-year-old arrived at Stamford Bridge to replace Antonio Conte as Chelsea's head coach, ending his 13-year spell in Italy, where he worked at nine different clubs. Having signed a three-year contract with the Blues, Sarri said he was excited to be in charge of his new squad. "I think Chelsea are a good team," Sarri told Chelsea TV. Читать дальше...

Monaco have made an offer for CSKA Moscow's Russia international Aleksandr Golovin, according to the Ligue 1 club's vice-president Vadim Vasilyev. Golovin was one of the stars of Russia's surprise run to the quarter-finals at their home World Cup and Chelsea have been linked with making the attacking midfielder one of the first signings of the Maurizio Sarri era – following Jorginho's big-money arrival from Napoli over the weekend. But Monaco have already made their move, with Vasilyev telling... Читать дальше...

Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer from Real Madrid to Juventus will have a revitalising effect on Italian football, according to former Madrid and AC Milan playmaker Kaka. The Bianconeri persuaded Madrid to part ways with their all-time leading goal-scorer, agreeing a €112million deal, and the five-time Ballon d'Or winning forward completed his medical in Turin on Monday. Former Brazil international Kaka, who moved from Sao Paulo to Milan in 2003 and then spent four years at Madrid before returning to San Siro... Читать дальше...

How do you replace someone who’s averaged 50 goals a year over nine seasons? Back in 2009, when Cristiano Ronaldo joined Real Madrid, Manchester United learned how hard it can be when they slumped to second place after three league titles in a row.At that time Ronaldo hadn’t even scored that many, at least not compared to his form at Madrid, the club he has left as their all-time top scorer with 450 goals in 438 games. To whomever takes his shirt: good luck, you’ll need it.And so will Madrid. For... Читать дальше...

Antonio Conte has thanked Chelsea's players and staff for their efforts during his two-year tenure – but made no mention of his former employers on the Stamford Bridge board. Conte's long-anticipated departure was confirmed on Friday, with the Italian's countryman Maurizio Sarri installed as his successor as expected over the weekend. The former Juventus boss masterminded a dominant Premier League title triumph during his first season at the helm in 2016-17 but Chelsea's title defence stalled last time around. Читать дальше...

World Cup winner Steven N'Zonzi will not be leaving Sevilla for less than the €40million stated in his buyout clause, according to the club's director of football Joaquin Caparros. N'Zonzi, who played the last 35 minutes of France's 4-2 victory over Croatia in the World Cup final on Sunday, has been linked with a transfer to Arsenal or Barcelona but Caparros claimed no offers were on the table for the 29-year-old. The former Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City midfielder joined Sevilla in 2015 and... Читать дальше...

Forget Achilles the cat, Marcus the micro pig and Zella the elephant, West Ham striker Jordan Hugill is your go-to man for football predictions. Hugill, a January signing from Preston North End, showed his knowledge in a World Cup themed video put on Twitter by the Hammers ahead of the tournament. The 26-year-old was spot on in a number of his suggestions, which included France winning the title, Kylian Mbappe starring and Harry Kane's goalscoring exploits. West Ham posted the original video on June 11 before the action in Russia began... Читать дальше...

The World Cup is over for another four years and we’ll miss that crazy lunatic. Football didn’t quite come home – unless you live in the Pays de la Loire or thereabouts – but it sure was a lot of fun.There was plenty of goals about with just one 0-0 draw throughout the tournament (France’s stalemate with Denmark). Even the final itself delivered six goals, helped by an own goal, a goalkeeper blunder and a dodgy VAR penalty – all hallmarks of this World Cup.These players also had tournaments to remember to varying degrees. Читать дальше...

World Cup winner Lothar Matthaus does not believe that a French era of dominance is near despite Les Bleus lifting a second world crown on Sunday. France beat Croatia 4-2 in Moscow to add 2018 success to their 1998 triumph, while banishing the memories of defeat to Portugal in the European Championship final two years ago. Nineteen-year-old Kylian Mbappe was named the tournament's best young player, while 15 of the 23-man squad are 25 and younger giving France the second youngest squad in the tournament. Читать дальше...

Sassuolo have insisted they will accept no less than €30million for their star asset Domenico Berardi. The 23-year-old forward is reported to have rejected interest from Fiorentina and AC Milan in favour of a move to Roma, where he would be reunited with former coach Eusebio Di Francesco. However, Sassuolo sporting director Giovanni Carnevali has warned his club will not be short changed. "There is no situation at the moment. Roma have talked to the entourage of the player, but we have never received any offer," he told Corriere dello Sport.

Didier Deschamps and his France players were splashed across the front page of every newspaper on the morning after Les Bleus beat Croatia 4-2 in the World Cup final in Moscow as journalists expressed joy and disbelief at the victory. When Ivan Perisic scored after 28 minutes to level the scores at 1-1, Croatia looked in control of the game and favourites to go on and seal victory, but then France won a hotly debated penalty, scored by Antoine Griezmann, and the rest is history. There was a startled... Читать дальше...

Former Germany international Thomas Berthold has called for national team manager Oliver Bierhoff to be replaced. Germany suffered a humiliating group-stage exit at this year's World Cup, becoming the third defending champions in a row to suffer such a fate after Italy in 2010 and Spain in 2014. Writing in his regular column for German publication Kicker, Berthold said: ''The damage to our image is huge, and this is Oliver Bierhoff's main responsibility. "The now overdone commercialisation and... Читать дальше...

France are world champions for the second time after winning a scintillating final against Croatia that epitomised a tournament packed with drama, goals, glory and heartache. Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann both took their World Cup goal tallies to four with strikes in the Moscow showpiece, while Paul Pogba scored his only goal of the 2018 competition and Mario Mandzukic put through his own net to make France the first team to score four in a final since Brazil in 1970. Didier Deschamps' men... Читать дальше...

The World Cup heroes of France will be greeted by president Emmanuel Macron after an open-top bus parade along the Champs Elysees to celebrate the team's triumph in Russia. As the country wakes up to the reality of a second World Cup win, head coach Didier Deschamps and his players are travelling home as champions after beating Croatia 4-2 in one of the most eventful and entertaining finals in the tournament's history. For Deschamps, the scenes in Paris will bring back memories of 1998, when he... Читать дальше...

Spain legend Iker Casillas and Barcelona forward Luis Suarez have criticised VAR following its controversial use in Sunday's World Cup final. France were given a contentious free-kick against that led to their first goal, and were later awarded a penalty for an Ivan Perisic handball that Croatia argued was not deliberate. Referring to the first incident, Casillas - world champion in 2010 - said on Twitter: ''Honestly, I do not understand the use of VAR very well. The referee points out a foul that is not on Griezmann. Читать дальше...

Juventus supporters greeted Cristiano Ronaldo in Turin as he made his way to meet with club doctors for his medical ahead of the completion of his transfer from Real Madrid. The 33-year-old arrived in Italy on Sunday after Madrid agreed to sell their all-time leading goal-scorer to the Italian champions for €112million. While the football world reacted to France's World Cup final victory over Croatia, Juve fans flocked to see their club's new hero arrive for his physical tests, with his official... Читать дальше...