Новости за 22.08.2018

Sergio Aguero kept his finishing skills sharp by firing a stunning goal in training with Premier League champions Manchester City. Argentina striker Aguero brought up 200 City goals when he opened the scoring against Chelsea in the Community Shield earlier this month, going on to score both in a 2-0 win. He was in typically lethal form with a hat-trick in the 6-1 demolition of Huddersfield Town last weekend – the 30-year-old's ninth Premier League treble and 13th overall in City colours. It turns... Читать дальше...

Aston Villa have signed Anwar El Ghazi on a season-long loan from Lille. Capped twice by Netherlands, 23-year-old winger El Ghazi is a graduate of Ajax's feted youth system. After breaking into the first team, he seemed set for stardom in Amsterdam before a fallout with then head coach Petr Bosz paved the way for his switch to Lille in January 2017. El Ghazi scored five times in 39 Ligue 1 appearances, but was not part of Lille boss Christophe Galtier's plans for the current campaign. First... Читать дальше...

Rostov's new carpet-themed kit is flying off the shelves. The Russian Premier League club claim to have shifted hundreds of pre-orders of the patterned kit, which is available for sale on their website. Rostov launched the kit after a fan bizarrely brought a carpet to their home win over Yenisey Krasnoyarsk. The club subsequently convinced the supporter in question to part with the rug after clips of him waving the carpet during the match went viral on social media. And while it is highly unlikely the kit will ever be worn by the team... Читать дальше...

Fernando Torres came off the bench to score his first goal for Sagan Tosu on Wednesday, breaking his duck for the J.League club.  Torres is yet to score in seven league appearances for the club he joined after his Atletico Madrid contract ran out at the end of the 2017-18 season. But the former Spain international was on target as Sagan knocked Andres Iniesta's Vissel Kobe out of the Emperor's Cup with a 3-0 home win. Sagan were already in front when substitute Torres made sure of his side's progression... Читать дальше...

Cristiano Ronaldo's individual battle with Lionel Messi could be over after his move from Real Madrid to Juventus, according to Barcelona head coach Ernesto Valverde. Ronaldo and Messi vied for the right to lay claim to being Europe's best player during the nine years the former Manchester United forward spent at Madrid, but Valverde said his €112million switch to Serie A calls time on the pair's tussle. Madrid finished third in LaLiga in 2017-18, 17 points behind Valverde's champions - who also... Читать дальше...

Kyle Lafferty has returned to Ibrox after Rangers agreed a fee to sign him from Scottish Premiership rivals Hearts. The Northern Ireland international has inked a two-year deal and could go straight into Steven Gerrard's squad for Thursday's clash with Russian side Ufa. Lafferty, 30, began his career at Burnley before joining Rangers for the first time in 2008. He won three league titles in four seasons prior to spells with Sion, Palermo and Norwich City. #RangersFC are today delighted to announce... Читать дальше...

Cristiano Ronaldo can lead Juventus to their first Champions League crown in 22 years, says former Manchester United team-mate Wayne Rooney. Ronaldo won four of the last five Champions League finals with Real Madrid but completed a shock €112million to the Serie A holders last month. Juve have lost five times in the final - including to a Ronaldo-inspired Madrid in Cardiff two years ago - since they beat Ajax in 1996 to claim their last crown. But Rooney believes the capture of Portugal captain... Читать дальше...

Illustrations: Joe WaldronAn African referee is identified as vulnerable to corruption. He’s persuaded to ensure that a World Cup qualifier has at least three goals. With half-time approaching, it’s still 0-0 and the official gets twitchy. A cross hits a defender on the knee. He awards a penalty for handball. Despite uproarious protests, the spot-kick is converted. The game ends 2-1.A European club win the first leg of a Champions League match by a large margin. With their progress assured, it’s... Читать дальше...

Cristiano Ronaldo fell foul of Alex Ferguson during his early years at Manchester United for doing too many stepovers. Ronaldo made his name at United, moving to Old Trafford from Sporting CP as a teenager and winning three Premier League titles along with the first of five Ballons d'Or. The honours and plaudits continued during his record-breaking stint at Real Madrid but, even as he begins a fresh chapter at Juventus, Ferguson's influence endures. "Of course, in the beginning of my career he... Читать дальше...

Cristiano Ronaldo fell foul of Alex Ferguson during his early years at Manchester United for doing too many stepovers. Ronaldo made his name at United, moving to Old Trafford from Sporting CP as a teenager and winning three Premier League titles along with the first of five Ballons d'Or. The honours and plaudits continued during his record-breaking stint at Real Madrid but, even as he begins a fresh chapter at Juventus, Ferguson's influence endures. "Of course, in the beginning of my career he... Читать дальше...

Teenage Ajax midfielder Frenkie de Jong has been included in Netherlands' provisional 34-man squad for September's matches against Peru and France. His maiden call-up comes as Wesley Sneijder prepares to bid farewell to the Oranje. The former Real Madrid and Inter man will win his 134th and final cap in the friendly against Peru in Amsterdam after announcing his retirement from international football in March. De Jong, 21, looms as possible long-term successor to Sneijder, having emerged as a... Читать дальше...

Ifyou're a match-going football fan, games on the telly can wreak havoc with your diligent ground-hopping. Unsociable kick-off times. Non-existent trains. Going to Burnley on a Sunday.Heroes, the lot of 'em.But for the couch potatoes who've forked out handsomely for TV subscriptions, what's on the box isimportant stuff.Sorry Jeremiah, can't do your 60th birthday brunch,it's Southampton vs Cardiff.He'd understand.Only that scenario is highly unlikely, because TV bigwigs have seemingly done everything... Читать дальше...

Cristiano Ronaldo sought permission from Juan Cuadrado before taking his favourite number seven shirt at Juventus. Ronaldo completed a blockbusting €112million move to the Serie A champions last month, with many of his record-breaking deeds for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Portugal having taken place with "7" on his back. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner famously has his own "CR7" brand and Colombia winger Cuadrado was only too happy to accommodate his new team-mate. "Of course, it's my... Читать дальше...

Barcelona goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen has suffered an injury to an intercostal muscle during training, the club has confirmed, potentially ruling him out of Saturday's trip to Real Valladolid. The 29-year-old, who has made just two LaLiga appearances in his two seasons at Camp Nou, featured heavily in Barcelona's pre-season matches, starting all three of the club's International Champions Cup games. Barcelona paid Ajax €13million for Cillessen in August 2016, but Marc-Andre ter Stegen remains the club's first choice. Читать дальше...

Cristiano Ronaldo set his sights on winning the Champions League at Juventus but said his team-mates must focus on the competition without "obsession". Having won Europe's biggest club prize once with Manchester United and four times with Real Madrid, Ronaldo has the opportunity to become the second player ever to have lifted the trophy with three different clubs, after Clarence Seedorf. Juventus' last triumph in the Champions League came in 1996, when they beat Ajax in the final, and they have since been runners-up five times. Читать дальше...

15. Guido Carrillo, £19.1m (Monaco to Southampton)Four days after a 1-1 draw with Tottenham led to Saints slipping into the Premier League relegation zone in January 2018, they broke their transfer record to acquire Monaco striker Carrillo for £19.1m. The uncapped Argentine hadn’t exactly pulled up trees in the principality, and it didn’t take long for Saints supporters to realise the signing wasn’t going to be a success.Currently on loan at Leganes – managed by former Southampton boss Mauricio Pellegrino ... Читать дальше...

Claudio Marchisio told Juventus supporters that he is now one of them in an open letter following his release by the Italian champions after 25 years at the club. The midfielder became a free agent after making 389 appearances for Juventus across a first-team career that began in 2006-07, and he posted an emotional tribute on social media. Marchisio, who has been linked with a move to the MLS or the Premier League but is yet to make an announcement on his future, said the club's philosophy has... Читать дальше...

This summer, FourFourTwo spoke to a former Holland international with Premier League experience about the current struggles of his national team. Frankly, it’s a shame to see a nation widely viewed as the greatest never to have won a World Cup not even qualifying for major tournaments these days.There’s an affection for Dutch players in England (and across the UK), particularly because so many have journeyed from the Eredivisie to these shores. Not all of them have been hits in the Premier League... Читать дальше...

Robert Lewandowski slammed Bayern Munich's management for leaving him with "no protection" earlier in the year but said the club's supporters convinced him to stay. The 30-year-old striker reflected on the reaction to his failure to score as Bayern were knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid in last season's semi-final, and said the club failed to defend him against criticism. Lewandowski has since bounced back, scoring four goals in Bayern's first two competitive games of the 2018-19 season... Читать дальше...

In 2004, I was at Ajax and Juventuswere about to sign me. Rafaelvan der Vaart wasn't speaking to me because he said I injured him in training on purpose. I didn't.When I entered the pitch for the game against Breda, the Ajax fans whistled me – they supported Van der Vaart. He was injured and couldn't play.I did, scored twice and made four assists. For one of the goals, I received the ball with a defender on my back. Another tried to challenge me, but I kept the ball from both. Then I turned and saw... Читать дальше...

Cristiano Ronaldo has been announced as the global ambassador of the world's first truly dedicated live sports streaming service, DAZN. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner agreed a two-and-a-half-year partnership with DAZN and will front the brand's marketing operations in countries including Canada, Germany, Italy and Japan. Ronaldo's €112million transfer from Real Madrid to Juventus in July dominated sports headlines around the world and strengthened Serie A's reputation as one of Europe's best leagues. Читать дальше...

Jack Wilshere is determined to prove Arsenal were wrong to release him when he revisits his old club with West Ham on Saturday. The 26-year-old spent 11 years at the North London club before joining West Ham on a free transfer in July, and he is set to make his first appearance against them at the Emirates Stadium this weekend. Wilshere played on loan at Bolton Wanderers in 2009-10 and at Bournemouth in 2016-17 but has yet to experience lining up for Arsenal's opposition. He told West Ham's matchday programme... Читать дальше...

The Bundesliga returns on Friday, with champions Bayern Munich hosting Hoffenheim in the opening match of the 2018-19 season. Unsurprisingly, Bayern are overwhelming favourites to win the title for a seventh season in a row, despite new coach Niko Kovac being less than two months into the job. This year, though, there is a notable shadow hanging over some of the star performers at the Allianz Arena: namely, the World Cup. The trip to Russia proved an unhappy one for their Germany contingent, whose... Читать дальше...

Aleksandar Ceferin has been nominated to continue in the role of UEFA president for a second term. The former head of the National Football Association of Slovenia (NZS), Ceferin succeeded Michel Platini in 2016, winning a vote against Michael van Praag of the Netherlands 42-13. The deadline for nominations is November 7, with elections to be held in Rome on February 7. "The current president of UEFA and former president of the NZS, Aleksandar Ceferin has been nominated by the NZS together with... Читать дальше...

Steve McClaren is adamant he is the right man for the job at Queens Park Rangers, despite their dire start to the Championship season. Appointed in May, McClaren has lost all of his first four league matches in charge in 2018-19, including a humiliating 7-1 thrashing away to West Brom. And after overseeing a 3-0 loss at home to Bristol City on Tuesday, the former England manager was asked if he is capable of reviving the team's fortunes. "Yes," he replied. "Absolutely. I knew the situation when... Читать дальше...