Новости за 31.10.2018

Usain Bolt could force his way into Jamaica's national team if he adds "a little bit of skill" and impresses while playing for a club side, according to the country's Football Federation president Michael Ricketts. The eight-time Olympic gold medallist and world-record holder over 100 and 200 metres has long held a desire to make a permanent switch to football and began training with A-League side Central Coast Mariners in August. His association with the Mariners saw him make appearances in friendly matches... Читать дальше...

Real Madrid have confirmed Marcelo suffered a hamstring injury in the crushing El Clasico defeat to Barcelona on Sunday. Julen Lopetegui was sacked just over 24 hours after the humiliating 5-1 hammering and the fallout has continued with the loss of a second key defender. Raphael Varane sustained an adductor issue at Camp Nou and Brazil international Marcelo will join him on the sidelines for an indefinite period. The 30-year-old scored Madrid's only goal before being withdrawn in the 82nd minute... Читать дальше...

Wayne Rooney and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have been nominated for the MLS MVP award for 2018. Ibrahimovic is up for three end-of-season prizes following an impressive 22 goals and 10 assists in 27 matches for LA Galaxy since joining from Manchester United. As well as the Landon Donovan MVP award, the 37-year-old has been shortlisted for the MLS Newcomer of the Year and MLS Comeback Player of the Year, despite his performances not being enough to earn the Galaxy a post-season place. Former United captain Rooney... Читать дальше...

It’s not a normal formula for progress, but Unai Emery has put square pegs in round holes. He's had to – otherwise, round holes would have gone unfilled. The parts may not fit, but the results look proof of a team-builder’s prowess. Arsenal were eight minutes away from an eighth successive league victory when Crystal Palace’s Luka Milivojevic pegged them back from the penalty spot on Sunday. They have 11 wins in 12 games in all competitions.Emery has been a specialist in making the most of a mixed inheritance. Читать дальше...

Jose Mourinho has been cleared of a charge of using abusive language following Manchester United's win over Newcastle United, the Football Association (FA) has confirmed. The Red Devils manager was accused of making "abusive and/or insulting and/or improper" remarks to a television camera after his side's dramatic 3-2 Premier League victory at Old Trafford. The FA has determined the charges could not be proven, although there is still a possibility of an appeal. "A charge against Jose Mourinho... Читать дальше...

Gremio intend to appeal against their Copa Libertadores elimination at the hands of River Plate after Marcelo Gallardo admitted to breaking rules relating to his suspension. Gallardo was banned from the touchline for the semi-final second leg in Porto Alegre due to his conduct in the opening match, which the Brazilian side won 1-0 at El Monumental. However, the River coach was pictured communicating with his assistant Matias Biscay via radio from the stands and leaving the dressing room at half-time... Читать дальше...

Sophia Loren, Paul Newman, Elizabeth Taylor, Sean Connery. Photographs of a host of style icons adorn the walls of the Bulgari Hotel in Knightsbridge, and one more has just emerged from the lift to greet FFT.Dimitar Berbatov may be a bit dressed down, during a week-long trip to London from his home in Sofia, but he still looks as cultured as ever. His hair slicked back in pristine fashion, Dimitar has long been known for being suave and sophisticated. “That’s right, I am,” he says with a smile.Back in the city he regards his second home ... Читать дальше...

Raphael Varane should be the easy choice as winner of the Ballon d'Or, according to Michel Platini. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have won the award five times each for the last 10 years, but their duopoly could finally be broken this year. Luka Modric won the Best FIFA Men's Player trophy after helping Croatia to the World Cup final, while a host of France players are likely to be in the running for the Ballon d'Or following Les Bleus' triumph in Russia. Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann... Читать дальше...

Thiago Alcantara will be out for "several weeks" after Bayern Munich confirmed the severity of the ankle injury he sustained on Tuesday. A foul by Bjorn Schlottke forced Thiago off in the 75th minute of Bayern's 2-1 victory over Rodinghausen in the DFB-Pokal second round. The former Barcelona midfielder is set for a prolonged spell out of action and will miss Der Klassiker against Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund on November 10. A Bayern statement read: "Thiago faces several weeks on the sidelines. Читать дальше...

Now we're 10 games in, the Long Table is back for another campaign. Calm yourselves at the back there.The Premier League table shows you a list of teams in the right order, but it's not the best at showing true disparity between teams. Naturally, gaps will widen as the campaign progresses, but even at this early stage we can see a chasm of space between mid-table also-rans and potential Premier League drop-dodgers.Five points separate Leicester in 13th and the three teams directly below them:West Ham... Читать дальше...

Ajax duo Frenkie De Jong and Matthijs De Ligt would like to play for Barcelona, according to fellow Netherlands international Jasper Cillessen. Midfielder De Jong, 21, has been heavily linked with Barca, Tottenham and Manchester City after impressing in his breakout season last term. Despite being two years younger, defender De Ligt has established himself as a key member of the first team and started their Europa League final defeat to Manchester United in May 2017. Cillessen believes the pair... Читать дальше...

It would take a hell of a lot for Chelsea fans to start turning against Frank Lampard, but Blues will be hoping their hero’s return to the Bridge goes better for them than previous encounters.Lamps famously scored against his beloved former club while on loan at Manchester City in 2014/15, using his 12-minute cameo to earn them a 1-1 draw. He came off the bench in the return at Stamford Bridge in January but was kept quiet in another stalemate.The 40-year-old already has a giant-killing to his name as Derby boss... Читать дальше...

Gareth Bale, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Isco have been granted a rest after interim Real Madrid coach Santiago Solari named his first squad. Madrid's first match since dismissing Julen Lopetegui after a 5-1 thrashing at Barcelona is a trip to Africa for the first leg of their Copa del Rey fourth-round clash with third-tier side Melilla on Wednesday. The key quartet have been granted a break by Solari, who could hand maiden first-team appearances to Castilla trio Adrian de la Fuente, Javi Sanchez and Cristo Gonzalez. Читать дальше...

Sandro Wagner indicated his displeasure with a lack of playing time at Bayern Munich by suggesting he did not know enough to answer a tactical question. Germany international Wagner made just his second start of the season in Bayern's DFB-Pokal victory over Rodinghausen on Tuesday, scoring the opening goal. The 30-year-old has only featured in four other matches as a substitute and is clearly dissatisfied with his minutes under Niko Kovac. Asked if Bayern were easy to play against because opponents know their approach... Читать дальше...

Bernardo Silva listed four teams he expects to challenge Manchester City for the Premier League title, and Manchester United were not one of them. Reigning champions City returned to the top of the table on Monday with a 1-0 victory over Tottenham, who sit five points adrift of Pep Guardiola's team in fifth. Liverpool are only behind City on goal difference, while Chelsea and Arsenal are clear of Spurs, but United are eighth and already nine points off the pace after winning just two of their last five top-flight matches. Читать дальше...

Renato Gaucho believes Gremio were "robbed" by VAR in their controversial Copa Libertadores semi-final elimination at the hands of River Plate on Tuesday. Defending champions Gremio secured a 1-0 advantage in the first leg at El Monumental but fell to a 2-1 defeat in incredible circumstances in the return match in Porto Alegre to go out on away goals. Leo Gomes extended Gremio's aggregate lead in the first half before Rafael Santos Borre made it 1-1 on the day in the 82nd minute, though Renato... Читать дальше...

Atletico Madrid and France star Antoine Griezmann admitted he dreams of winning the Ballon d'Or. Griezmann, 27, is again a contender for the individual honour this year, having won the World Cup with France after guiding Atletico to Europa League glory. The forward, who finished third behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in 2016, had no hesitation in saying the Ballon d'Or was something he wanted. "I'm not afraid of saying it. I dream of the Ballon d'Or, of the Champions League, of winning the World Cup," Griezmann told ESPN FC. Читать дальше...

River Plate staged an incredible comeback to beat Gremio 2-1 and reach the Copa Libertadores final on Tuesday. Gonzalo Martinez's 95th-minute penalty at Arena do Gremio saw River move into the Libertadores final for the second time in four years. He had earlier set up Rafael Santos Borre's equaliser to cancel out Leo Gomes' first-half strike in the semi-final second leg, River advancing on away goals after a 2-2 aggregate draw. Gremio substitute Bressan was sent off in the final moments after his handball led to Martinez's winning spot-kick.

Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde was unsure if LaLiga should name a trophy after Lionel Messi, saying it was up to the superstar. LaLiga president Javier Tebas told Omnisport it would be a "great idea" to create a trophy for the best player every season and name it after Messi. Asked about the potential award on Tuesday, Valverde told a news conference that Messi – a nine-time LaLiga champion – deserved his say on the prize. "I don't know but you should ask Leo Messi because they will use his name. Читать дальше...

Santiago Solari dismissed comparisons to Zinedine Zidane after being appointed interim coach of Real Madrid. Solari was named caretaker Madrid boss after Julen Lopetegui was sacked in the wake of his side's 5-1 El Clasico loss to Barcelona on Sunday. The former Argentina and Madrid midfielder steps up from his role as Castilla coach – just as Zidane did in 2016 – but Solari played down comparisons. "Let's just let him live in peace, he's one of Real Madrid's greatest icons," he told a news conference on Tuesday. Читать дальше...

Thiago Alcantara is in a lot of pain and will have tests on an injury suffered against Rodinghausen, Bayern Munich boss Niko Kovac says. The Spain international limped out of Tuesday's 2-1 DFB-Pokal victory after receiving treatment on the sidelines and was replaced in the 75th minute by Serge Gnabry. Kovac confirmed Thiago will be checked over by medical staff on Wednesday, with his ankle thought to be the main source of his discomfort following a foul by Bjorn Schlottke. "He's in a lot of pain at the moment... Читать дальше...

The president of the Royal Spanish Football Association (RFEF) has promised full cooperation with authorities during an investigation into alleged corruption. On Tuesday, the Guardia Civil requested documents from the Catalan Football Federation (FCF) to assist with their probe into financial irregularities within areas of Spanish football's governing bodies. According to La Republica Esportiva, two high-ranking officials were arrested by the Guardia Civil as part of the investigation, known as Operation Soule. Читать дальше...