Новости за 18.10.2018

Critics of the Nations League should consider that nations like Gibraltar have a chance to make history in the competition, says the team's striker Reece Styche. Gibraltar earned their first ever competitive win with a 1-0 win away to Armenia before following up that victory by coming from behind to beat Liechtenstein 2-1 in League D Group 4. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp described the Nations League as "the most senseless competition in the world" after a 0-0 draw with Manchester City earlier this month. Читать дальше...

Luke Shaw has been rewarded for his resurgence in form with a new five-year Manchester United contract, but Jose Mourinho will also feel vindicated for dishing out some tough love over the last two years. Shaw has endured rotten luck with injuries and fitness problems throughout his United career, having joined from Southampton as an 18-year-old in 2014. His Old Trafford experience nosedived with Mourinho's appointment two years later, as he was consistently singled out as underperforming. Here... Читать дальше...

UEFA will investigate crowd disturbances between Paris Saint-Germain and Red Star Belgrade supporters at their Champions League match. European football's governing body had already charged PSG and Red Star over incidents surrounding the match, which the Ligue 1 side won 6-1 on October 3. Supporters of the two clubs are said to have been involved in disorder, while PSG fans are accused of setting off fireworks and the Red Star faithful of "illicit chants". PSG condemned the behaviour of any fans involved... Читать дальше...

Tottenham captain Hugo Lloris has defended Manuel Neuer following criticism and has hailed his Bayern Munich counterpart as the best goalkeeper in the world. Germany number one Neuer has struggled to regain his best form since returning from a long-term foot injury shortly before the World Cup. Bayern's recent run of poor results and their skipper's unconvincing display in the Nations League defeat to Netherlands led to debate over the extent of his loss of form. Germany great Lothar Matthaus... Читать дальше...

Luke Shaw has been rewarded for a strong start to the season with a new five-year Manchester United contract. Left-back Shaw has been on the fringes for much of his time at Old Trafford, where he moved from Southampton in 2014, with manager Jose Mourinho singling him out for criticism on a number of occasions. But impressive form in the 2018-19 campaign has earned the 23-year-old a recall to the England set-up and a new deal at United. Shaw started only eight Premier League games last term but... Читать дальше...

There are some records in football that beggar belief. Consider how Just Fontaine managed to score 13 goals in six games at the 1958 World Cup. Or how Milan won Serie A in 1994 by scoring 36 goals in 34 games. Or how Thierry Henry delivered 20 assists in the 2002/03 Premiership campaign, a record that stands to this day.Henry’s achievement drew less attention then than it would have done now. Although the Premier League has now created an award for the top assister, the record hardly got mentioned... Читать дальше...

Mauricio Pochettino is ready to welcome Christian Eriksen back to the Tottenham team but will make a late call on his availability to play West Ham. Eriksen has missed Tottenham's last four matches with an abdominal issue that Denmark coach Age Hareide suggested could be a "chronic" injury. Those comments were denied by Eriksen's agent Martin Schoots, though, who suggested Hareide's words were lost in translation. And Pochettino indicated Tottenham have no long-standing concerns over the playmaker's fitness. Читать дальше...

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Two years ago this week,an under-pressure Jose Mourinho took his Manchester United team to face former club Chelsea. United had taken 14 points from their first eight league fixtures and were seventh in the Premier League. Mourinho, supposedly a guarantee of improvement, had not done much improving.That afternoon, United conceded a goal within 30 seconds and eventually lost 4-0. Mourinho, who was subjected to catcalls and taunts from the home support... Читать дальше...

Rubin Kazan have been banned from participating in the next UEFA club competition they qualify for over the course of the coming two seasons. UEFA confirmed the punishment in a statement on Thursday, ruling Russian club Rubin will not be allowed to compete in either the Europa League or Champions League for a single season should they qualify this term or next. Europe's governing body has taken action for Rubin breaking a "settlement agreement". The statement read: "The adjudicatory chamber of... Читать дальше...

Julen Lopetegui could be sacked by Real Madrid if results do not improve soon, according to Michael Essien. Lopetegui has overseen Madrid's worst goalscoring run since 1985, with Los Blancos failing to find the net in their last four games in all competitions. Defeats to Sevilla and Deportivo Alaves in LaLiga and a reverse at CSKA Moscow in the Champions League have increased the pressure on the coach, who took charge in sensational circumstances after he was fired by Spain just before the World Cup. Читать дальше...

10. Adam Reach (Sheffield Wednesday)Not only is Reach versatile – he can operate as a winger, full-back or in central midfield – but he also happens to have arguably the sweetest left foot outside the Premier League.So far this season the 25-year-old hasn’t been afraid to use it either, netting three times from outside the box – including a couple of long-range screamers against Leeds and West Brom which are genuine goal-of-the-season contenders.The Owls star is strong, dynamic and incredibly dangerous... Читать дальше...

Markus Babbel applauded Cristiano Ronaldo for leaving Real Madrid in favour of Juventus as he criticised the motivation of Bayern Munich's players. Five-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo sensationally swapped European champions Madrid for Juventus in a deal reportedly worth €112million in July. Ronaldo – Madrid's all-time leading scorer – quit the LaLiga giants despite winning three successive Champions League titles and four in five seasons, a move lauded by former Bayern defender Babbel. As Babbel... Читать дальше...

Arsenal should make Aaron Ramsey captain and do everything they can to keep him at the club, according to former Gunners midfielder Jack Wilshere. Ramsey has enjoyed 10 years at the club after joining from Cardiff City as a teenager, but he is in the final season of his contract and not thought to be close to a renewal. The Wales international had apparently looked set to sign a new four-year deal, but social media posts – which have since been deleted – from Ramsey's Avid Sports and Entertainment... Читать дальше...

Zlatan Ibrahimovic launched an impassioned defence of under-fire Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho, adamant no coach can work miracles and the players are to blame for their recent woes. Mourinho has attracted significant criticism this season due to United's poor start to the campaign, winning just five of their 11 matches across all competitions. They sit eighth after eight Premier League fixtures and had to come back from 2-0 down to beat winless Newcastle United at home in their last game before the international break. Читать дальше...

New arrivals often require a period of bedding in, meaning some take longer than others to make their way in unfamiliar surroundings. (Speaking of which…)But this lot have had to hit the ground running, not least the 11 individuals who’ve played every single minute of the Premier League campaign so far. OK, so seven of them are goalkeepers... but still.We’re looking for the 50 permanent new signings who have turned out most frequently in the top flight this season, from those ever-presents above... Читать дальше...

New arrivals often require a period of bedding in, meaning some take longer than others to make their way in unfamiliar surroundings. (Speaking of which…)But this lot have had to hit the ground running, not least the 11 individuals who’ve played every single minute of the Premier League campaign so far. OK, so seven of them are goalkeepers... but still.We’re looking for the 50 permanent new signings who have turned out most frequently in the top flight this season, from those ever-presents above... Читать дальше...

AC Milan striker Gonzalo Higuain feels like he was "kicked out" of Juventus after Cristiano Ronaldo's signing in July. Higuain joined Juve for a reported €90million from Napoli in 2016 and scored 40 Serie A goals across his two seasons at the club, but his signing failed to be the catalyst for Champions League success some hoped it would be. Juve turned their attentions to Ronaldo in pre-season and managed to lure the Ballon d'Or holder away from Real Madrid, bolstering their already impressive arsenal. Читать дальше...

Cristiano Ronaldo's exit is to blame for Real Madrid's underwhelming start to the 2018-19 season, according to the club's former coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo. Ronaldo left Madrid for Juventus in July after nine hugely successful years at the Santiago Bernabeu, following coach Zinedine Zidane in leaving the Spanish capital. Although Ronaldo put his departure down to a desire to have a new challenge, speculation has suggested it came about because of an increasingly fractious relationship with president Florentino Perez. Читать дальше...

There can be few things more frustrating in football than coming out second best against one particular rival time and time again. That is a fate that has befallen numerous clubs over the years and few examples are more notable than Manchester United's struggles at the hands of Chelsea. Despite both clubs occupying the upper echelons of the table and boasting sizeable playing budgets, there has been an emerging and growing imbalance in their head-to-head record. The two meet again on Saturday... Читать дальше...

Markus Babbel fears for Niko Kovac's future at struggling Bayern Munich because of the internal pressure from bosses Uli Hoeness and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, while the former defender strongly questioned the attitude and desire of the squad. Bundesliga champions Bayern made a flawless start to the season but Kovac's position as head coach is now under scrutiny amid the club's four-match winless run. Bayern were comprehensively swept aside 3-0 at home to Borussia Monchengladbach prior to the international break ... Читать дальше...

Wayne Rooney's sensational free-kick lifted DC United to victory over MLS champions Toronto, while Seattle Sounders qualified for the play-offs. Former Manchester United and England captain Rooney scored from a stunning set-piece as DC defeated Toronto 1-0 to extend their winning streak to four games on Wednesday. Rooney curled a 35-yard free-kick past Alexander Bono in the 18th minute and that proved to be the difference at Audi Field in Washington. The 32-year-old's memorable effort – his 10th in 18 MLS appearances ... Читать дальше...

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino was "very proud" of midfielder Eric Dier for his crunching challenge on Sergio Ramos in England's win over Spain. Dier was booked after his slide tackle on Spain and Real Madrid captain Ramos in the 12th minute of England's 3-2 victory in the Nations League on Monday. The Spurs midfielder's challenge may have been aggressive and unnecessary, but Pochettino liked what he saw. Asked if he was proud of Dier's desire in the challenge, Pochettino told Sky Sports News... Читать дальше...

Hugo Lloris believes France team-mate and Manchester United star Paul Pogba is judged unfairly because of his transfer fee. Pogba has come in for criticism due to the inconsistency of his performances since returning to United from Juventus for £89million in 2016 – a world-record fee at the time. The World Cup-winning midfielder has also been the subject of reports of a falling out with United manager Jose Mourinho this season. France and Tottenham goalkeeper Lloris, however, leapt to the defence of his 25-year-old international team-mate. Читать дальше...

Kylian Mbappe deserves the Ballon d'Or and has talents rarely seen, according to Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Gianluigi Buffon. Mbappe, 19, helped PSG win a treble last season before playing a key role for France as they claimed the World Cup in Russia. The attacker has also made a fast start to this campaign, scoring 10 goals in just seven games in all competitions. Buffon, who arrived at PSG in July, said Mbappe had unique talents despite comparisons to the likes of Roberto Baggio, Alessandro Del Piero and Francesco Totti in his homeland.

Juan Mata said Manchester United are facing a defining month as they prepare to meet Premier League rivals Chelsea and take on Juventus in the Champions League. United are eighth and seven points off the pace ahead of their trip to joint-leaders Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. The Red Devils have already lost three Premier League matches this season as pressure mounts on under-fire manager Jose Mourinho, who has been at the centre of reports of dressing-room unrest in Manchester. It does not get any easier for Mourinho... Читать дальше...