Новости за 15.10.2018

Raheem Sterling ended his international drought with a brace before England survived a second-half onslaught from Spain to record a stunning 3-2 Nations League victory in Seville. A Marcus Rashford goal sandwiched between a pair of finishes from Sterling had Gareth Southgate's men 3-0 up at the break, though Harry Kane – the architect of two and involved in all three – was their leading light. Things were more one-sided due to Spain's desperation after the interval and Paco Alcacer scored his 10th... Читать дальше...

Northern Ireland are on the brink of relegation in the Nations League after Edin Dzeko's double earned Bosnia-Herzegovina a 2-0 win in Sarajevo. Having taken full advantage of Jamal Lewis' calamitous error midway through the first half, Dzeko – who also had a seemingly legitimate goal disallowed – wrapped up the points 17 minutes from time. The Roma striker's clinical finishing came in stark contrast to Northern Ireland's profligacy, with substitute Gavin Whyte passing up the best of some golden... Читать дальше...

Neymar is pleased Brazil will not have to go up against Lionel Messi when they take on Argentina in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. Messi was not included in Lionel Scaloni's squad for the second successive set of internationals as speculation over his Argentina future in the wake of a disappointing World Cup campaign rumbles on. Neymar acknowledged the absence of his former Barcelona team-mate is a blow for the spectators watching the game, but he feels it gives Brazil a greater chance of overcoming their rivals. Читать дальше...

Didier Deschamps was surprised by the criticism levelled at him by Laurent Koscielny during his international retirement announcement but accepts he could have made more effort with the centre-back during his injury lay-off. Koscielny called time on his France career on Sunday, citing disappointment with coach Deschamps due to a lack of communication while he was on the sidelines. A torn Achilles in May ruled the Arsenal star out of the World Cup, and the 33-year-old admitted to mixed feelings... Читать дальше...

Australia brushed aside Kuwait 4-0 in a friendly on Monday to hand coach Graham Arnold victory in his first game since taking charge. Former Sydney FC coach Arnold replaced Bert van Marwijk after the 2018 World Cup and kick-started his reign with a comfortable win. Played in front of a sparse crowd at Al Kuwait Sports Club Stadium, the visitors went ahead in the 12th minute when Khaled Hajiah put through his own net. Robbie Kruse's dangerous cross from the left was met by the defender, who headed past his own goalkeeper from 10 yards out. Читать дальше...

Virgil van Dijk is fit to feature in Liverpool's Premier League clash with Huddersfield Town on Saturday, according to Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman. Van Dijk was ruled out of his country's friendly with Belgium on Tuesday after the Royal Dutch Football Association confirmed he was still suffering from a rib injury sustained in Liverpool's meeting with Southampton last month. The 27-year-old played the full 90 minutes in Saturday's Nations League win over Germany – scoring the opener in a 3-0 win ... Читать дальше...

Manuel Neuer has received a vote of confidence from Germany coach Joachim Low, with the goalkeeper assured of a starting place against France despite attracting criticism of late. The 32-year-old missed the majority of last season with a broken foot and has struggled to rediscover his best form since returning to action at the World Cup in Russia. Before his injury problems, most would have regarded the Bayern Munich man as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, but recent performances have... Читать дальше...

Usain Bolt has been offered a two-year contract by an unnamed European club, according to the Jamaican's agent. Eight-time Olympic champion Bolt, who retired from the track in 2017, is currently on trial with Australian side Central Coast Mariners as he bids to fulfil his dream of becoming a professional footballer. The 32-year-old scored twice on his first start in Friday's friendly against Macarthur South West United to stake his claim for an offer ahead of the Mariners' A-League campaign beginning this weekend. Читать дальше...

Antoine Griezmann is the French player who most deserves to win the Ballon d'Or, according to Croatia midfielder Luka Modric. Modric is considered to be one of the leading candidates for this year's award following his starring role in Croatia's stunning run to the World Cup final, where they were defeated by Didier Deschamps' side. A number of French players have been shortlisted for this year's award, with Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe and Raphael Varane tipped to feature highly in the final reckoning. Читать дальше...

There was a time when sleep was just the thing superstar footballers squeezed in between boozy nights down the pub and turning up to training the next morning. As George Best quipped: “I’ve stopped drinking, but only while I’m asleep.”But that all changed when a letter from a Slumberland salesman landed on Alex Ferguson’s desk in the mid-90s. Nick Littlehales asked if the Manchester United manager had thought about the impact a good night’s kip could have on the performance of his players. Intrigued... Читать дальше...

Mesut Ozil seems to frustrate Arsenal fans as much as thrill them, with many citing his lack of consistency since his arrival in 2013. However, accusing the midfielder of being inconsistent in all departments seems deeply unfair when you take one particular statistic into account. According to Opta, Ozil, who turned 30 on Monday, has created the most chances across Europe's top five leagues since July 1, 2006: a total of 1,033. Those numbers span his spells in the first teams at Schalke and Werder Bremen... Читать дальше...

Alex McLeish has strenuously denied suggestions that Scotland are playing without confidence in an inspirational press conference punctuated by bursts of sobbing and wheezing.In a bruising week, Scotland lost to Israel in the UEFA Nations League before being outplayed by Portugal in a friendly, but a bullish McLeish showed no signs of losing faith in his team, except for occasional wails of dismay and lengthy nose-blowing sessions between questions from the press.“There are a lot of positives to... Читать дальше...

The Football Association has condemned the "unacceptable behaviour" of some England fans for the disorder in Seville ahead of the country's Nations League clash against Spain on Monday. Riot police were called in to disperse a number of Three Lions supporters on Sunday night ahead of the game at the Benito Villamarin Stadium, home of Real Betis. Similar scenes marred England's friendly against Netherlands in Amsterdam earlier this year and the FA has said that it will work alongside the UK Football... Читать дальше...

Some people think FIFA 19’s Ultimate Team is all about building a squad full of world beaters.Sure, that’s part of it, but the real fans know that dressing your side in some of the world’s best kits is how you show you’re a true connoisseur of the game.We’ve picked out 10 of the best FIFA 19 kits available, so even if you end up getting hammered on the pitch, you can at least hold your head high knowing you did it looking really, really good...SEE ALSOThe 7 most effective skill moves in FIFA 19FIFA 19 review... Читать дальше...

Paul Gascoigne hit back at the Scottish Football Association (SFA) and says he does not need to be in the Scottish Football Hall of Fame to be considered among the best. Gascoigne – who played for Rangers between 1995 and 1998 – was recently voted into the Hall of Fame, but his induction was cancelled amid reports some SFA board members were planning to boycott the dinner on Sunday. The former England international took to Twitter, writing: "I don't need to be in the Scottish Hall of Fame to be recognised as one of the best. Читать дальше...

Finally, a Premier League goal chart where Alan Shearer isn’t No.1 – or even close to it for that matter, what with him being outside the top 10 of this quiz. Funnily enough, we think you’d have got him without us spoiling it in this introduction.If not, you’ll be struggling to name the other 49 hotshots in this list of the Premier League’s most efficient marksmen – that is, the men who’ve scored most regularly with the minutes they’ve actually played in the division.Since the top two are currently playing in the Premier League... Читать дальше...

Marc-Andre ter Stegen should take the Germany number one spot away from an out-of-sorts Manuel Neuer, former captain Lothar Matthaus has said. Bayern Munich goalkeeper Neuer has struggled to hit top form since returning to action following his long absence due to a foot injury last season. The 32-year-old was unconvincing in Germany's shock group-stage exit at the World Cup and came in for criticism for his performance in the 3-0 Nations League loss to Netherlands last Saturday. Ter Stegen has only started two matches this year ... Читать дальше...

England's Raheem Sterling has hailed Jadon Sancho's work ethic and is not surprised the 18-year-old has eased seamlessly into international football. The Borussia Dortmund winger replaced Sterling with 12 minutes remaining in England's goalless draw with Croatia on Friday to become the first player born this millennium to represent the Three Lions. Sancho impressed during his short cameo and Sterling – who trained alongside him at Manchester City before the former's move to the Bundesliga in August 2017 ... Читать дальше...

Mateo Kovacic (€29m, 2015)Hazard only needs to look across the Chelsea dressing room for a cautionary tale. Kovacic, the dynamic midfielder who’s keeping Cesc Fabregas, Ross Barkley and Ruben Loftus-Cheek out of the Blues’ best XI, joined Real in 2015 after two successful years with Inter Milan.SEE ALSORuben Loftus-Cheek’s road is running out at Chelsea – and reaching an inevitable conclusionAt first, the Croatian’s versatility earned him sporadic starts in various positions under Rafa Benitez. But... Читать дальше...

Barcelona have confirmed defender Thomas Vermaelen will be out for six weeks with a hamstring injury. The centre-back has damaged the femoral biceps of his right leg and is expected to be sidelined until the end of November, according to a club statement. The news is a blow to Barca, who have already lost Samuel Umtiti to a knee injury that they reportedly fear could keep him out of action until the new year. Vermaelen has only made three appearances this season but two of those have come in Umtiti's absence... Читать дальше...

Aaron Ramsey will miss Wales' Nations League clash with Republic of Ireland for "family reasons". The Arsenal midfielder played the full 90 minutes in Wales' 4-1 friendly defeat to Spain on Thursday, but the Football Association of Wales has confirmed that he will sit out the match in Dublin. No official reason has been given for Ramsey's absence, but his wife Coleen is expecting twins. The 27-year-old has been replaced by Swansea City's Daniel James, who had been with the Under-21 squad. Ramsey's... Читать дальше...

Usain Bolt was stunned to learn he must take a drugs test despite having retired from athletics and waiting to learn if he will be given a professional contract in football. The former sprinting star took to Instagram on Monday to show a testing notice he has received, apparently from Football Federation Australia (FFA). "So guys, I've retired from track and field looking to become a footballer but look at this," said Bolt, before showing the letter on the video. "How am I going to get a drug test today? Читать дальше...

Joshua Kimmich insists Germany cannot blame bad luck alone for their wretched run of form in the second half of 2018. Two defeats in three matches saw them crash out of the World Cup in the group stage and matters have not improved much for head coach Joachim Low in the months since. They drew 0-0 with France and narrowly beat Peru last month, before suffering a humbling 3-0 loss to Netherlands last week in their second Nations League match. Kimmich does not believe there are major problems within the set-up... Читать дальше...

Real Madrid would be wrong to panic-buy a new striker in the January transfer window, according to former head coach Bernd Schuster. The European champions have not scored in any competition since a 1-0 LaLiga victory over Espanyol on September 22 and are without a win in their last four games. Their struggle for goals since Cristiano Ronaldo left for Juventus in a €112million deal has led to scrutiny over the form of their attacking players. Karim Benzema hit five in four games at the start of... Читать дальше...

Florian Thauvin will miss France's Nations League clash with Germany on Tuesday due to injury. The winger has returned to Marseille for treatment on a problem with his right foot, after complaining of pain during training. Head coach Didier Deschamps has declined to call up a replacement for the 25-year-old. "In agreement with Didier Deschamps and the medical staff, the Marseille forward will be placed at the disposal of his club on Monday. He will not be replaced." Thauvin has been in exceptional form in the early part of the season... Читать дальше...