Новости за 06.11.2018

James Milner was left bemused by Liverpool's inability to make the most of their chances in Tuesday's shock 2-0 Champions League loss to Red Star Belgrade. Milan Pavkov scored both goals for Red Star, as they picked up their first win of the season in the Champions League and blew Group C wide open. Liverpool would have been four points clear at the top – for at least a few hours – had they won, but their inability to do so means Napoli or Paris Saint-Germain can overtake them. The Reds certainly had their chances in Belgrade... Читать дальше...

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has insisted he maintains a "good relationship" with Paul Pogba in contrast to reports of long-running friction. Mourinho was forced to deny rumours of a falling out earlier this season after confirming the midfielder would no longer feature in his rotating group of vice-captains. The decision came after television cameras captured them sharing a terse exchange on the training ground in September and the situation was inflamed when Pogba appeared to question his manager's circumspect tactics. Читать дальше...

Juventus will welcome back striker Mario Mandzukic for the Champions League clash with Manchester United, but Blaise Matuidi remains in doubt. Massimiliano Allegri confirmed the experienced Mandzukic, who missed the 1-0 win at Old Trafford, was ready to return from an ankle problem. The 32-year-old has been absent from each of his team's last three matches as Juve have opened up a six-point lead in Serie A over nearest rivals Inter.  Sami Khedira is also available to feature against United in... Читать дальше...

Monaco are facing an early exit from the Champions League after their dismal season hit a new low with a humiliating 4-0 home defeat at the hands of Club Brugge. Hans Vanaken's brace and a fine goal from Wesley sensationally put Brugge - without a victory in their previous 11 matches in this competition - three up inside 24 minutes at Stade Louis II. There was little in the way of a response from the hosts and Brugge even added a fourth with five minutes remaining, skipper Ruud Vormer taking advantage of more woeful defending. Читать дальше...

Lionel Messi was ruled out of Barcelona's Champions League clash with Inter at San Siro despite taking part in training in the build-up to the game. Head coach Ernesto Valverde named the five-time Ballon d'Or winner in his squad for the contest, but an arm fracture sustained just two and a half weeks earlier ruled him out of action. Messi's last appearance for the Blaugrana came when he suffered an injury in a 4-2 win over Sevilla on October 20 and his team-mates have won all four of their matches in his absence. Читать дальше...

Santiago Solari is thrilled to have the opportunity to coach Real Madrid in the Champions League and hopes to see further improvement from the team in Wednesday's Group G game against Viktoria Plzen. Interim coach Solari has overseen wins over Melilla and Real Valladolid, in respective Copa del Rey and LaLiga matches, since taking charge of first-team affairs following the sacking of Julen Lopetegui. A third successive win will be expected when Madrid face Plzen at the Doosan Arena and Solari ... Читать дальше...

Romelu Lukaku has been ruled out of Manchester United's Champions League clash with Juventus on Wednesday. United head to Turin for the Group H meeting, having been beaten 1-0 at home by Massimiliano Allegri's side two weeks ago. Lukaku started that match but was benched for United's following game, a Premier League win against his former club Everton. The Belgium striker was not included in Jose Mourinho's squad for the weekend victory at Bournemouth, the Portuguese revealing that Lukaku sustained... Читать дальше...

Even forFFT,flying to Los Angeles to interveiw Zlatan Ibrahimovic was a pretty big deal. For staff writer Chris Flanagan, this epic encounter came a few days before a draining, 18-hour round trip to the Scottish Highlands to watch Britain's worst team, Fort William.Sure enough, the Swede was unleashing classic Zlatanisms before the interview even began, tearing off his shirt upon arrival when he saw our camera gear in sight. Usually, that doesn't tend to happen upon meetingFFT.The world still needs Zlatan– so says the man himself. Читать дальше...

Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha had "minimal opportunity" to escape from his helicopter when it crashed outside the King Power Stadium, an inquest has heard. Srivaddhanaprabha was killed along with Nusara Suknamai, Kaveporn Punpare, Izabela Roza Lechowicz and pilot Eric Swaffer when the helicopter they were travelling in appeared to lose control shortly after taking off from the stadium following the 1-1 draw with West Ham on October 27. Leicester Coroner's Court heard on Tuesday... Читать дальше...

We're only 11 games into the season, but already beginning to see the Big Six pulling clear of the rest.Before the weekend action, positions two to seven in the table all had record points hauls for that stage of a Premier League campaign. Things have changed a little after a gameweek in which the teams in sixth (Bournemouth) and seventh (Watford) lost, while two in the top four drew with one another (Arsenal and Liverpool)– but not by all that much.Positions two, three and five all have their records intact at this stage of a season... Читать дальше...

Louis van Gaal was more successful at Manchester United than Jose Mourinho, according to former Red Devils player Arnold Muhren. Dutchman Muhren, who played for United between 1982 and 1985, believes Mourinho is guilty of exaggerating his achievements and evading responsibility for United's struggles since he inherited the role from Van Gaal in 2016. Mourinho won the Europa League and EFL Cup in his first season in charge but failed to claim any silverware last season as United suffered an early... Читать дальше...

Bayern Munich coach Niko Kovac has called for an end to media leaks and preached the need for unity ahead of a crunch period in their season. Bayern's 1-1 draw with Freiburg on Saturday means they are third in the Bundesliga table, four points behind leaders Borussia Dortmund and facing a battle to register a seventh successive domestic league title. Add in suggestions of dressing room unrest - latest reports have claimed four senior players are plotting to have Kovac sacked - and a bizarre press... Читать дальше...

The former Notts County winger joined Arsenal for £2 million when he was just 15, making his senior bow in a League Cup tie at Middlesbrough in November 1999.Pennant enjoyed two loan spells at Watford before making a brief appearance in the Gunners'3-2 defeat to Leeds in 2003 – a loss which handed the league title to Manchester United.So with an FA Cup final against Southampton 10 days later to prepare for, manager Arsene Wenger handed Pennant his full league debut against the same opposition, and... Читать дальше...

Kyle Walker believes Manchester City's Champions League match against Shakhtar Donetsk is just as important as the upcoming Manchester derby. City host Shakhtar in Group F on Wednesday having beaten the Ukrainian champions 3-0 away two weeks ago, while a clash with rivals Manchester United is on the horizon. Pep Guardiola's side made a poor start to their European campaign by losing at home to Ligue 1 outfit Lyon, but have won their last two group fixtures to bounce back from four successive Champions League defeats. Читать дальше...

Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City want to follow the rules set by football's governing bodies amid allegations that the Premier League champions flagrantly breached Financial Fair Play (FFP) laws. German magazine Der Spiegel has made a series of claims against City this week in an on-going series of articles, which are based on documents purportedly attained from whistleblowers Football Leaks. Der Spiegel's reporting claims Sheikh Mansour's City regime have topped up multi-million pound sponsorship deals with Abu Dhabi companies... Читать дальше...

Kyle Walker feels Wayne Rooney's return to make a final Three Lions appearance is a fitting tribute to England's record goalscorer. Rooney will make his 120th and final appearance for England in a friendly against United States this month, with some of the proceeds from the match going to his charity foundation. The move has been met with a mixed reception, with England's all-time record appearance maker Peter Shilton describing his return after two years without a cap as "completely wrong". Alan... Читать дальше...

Yes, it’s that time again already: dreamy nights of wide-eyed optimism, iconic music and Cristiano Ronaldo winking at cameras.For the players in today's quiz, this competition has served up notable success – such is it that they’re among their clubs’ most prolific scorers in the competition since its inception 26 years ago.Five players even feature in two clubs’ lists, meaning they’re worth two answers among the 59 below. Good on ‘em, we say. You’ll also note that some clubs have more than three answers... Читать дальше...

Romelu Lukaku is unlikely to face Juventus in the Champions League after missing training for Manchester United on Tuesday. United head to Turin for a Group H meeting on Wednesday, having been beaten 1-0 at home by Massimiliano Allegri's side two weeks ago. Lukaku started that match but was benched for United's following game, a Premier League win against his former club Everton. And the Belgium striker was not included in Jose Mourinho's squad for United's weekend victory away to Bournemouth, secured by Marcus Rashford's late goal. Читать дальше...

Raphael Varane says his France team-mates will be happy whichever of them wins this year's hotly contested Ballon d'Or award. Real Madrid defender Varane has been backed by France icon Michel Platini for the prize after winning both the Champions League and the World Cup in 2018, the only player to do so. But contenders include France colleagues Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Greizmann, the latter forward having fired Atletico Madrid to Europa League glory against Marseille last term. Cristiano Ronaldo... Читать дальше...

Spartak Moscow 4-1 Arsenal – November 22, 2000Arsenal’s record away to Eastern European opposition during their first few years in the Champions League didn’t make for particularly enjoyable reading.After losing to Dynamo Kiev in their debut campaign, they were then beaten 3-0 by Shakhtar Donetsk on their way to the second group stage in 2000/01. Once there, Spartak Moscow inflicted yet more pain.Sylvinho thought he’d set Arsenal on their way, giving them the lead within two minutes, and Nwankwo Kanu should have doubled it shortly after. Читать дальше...

Lionel Messi could make his return from a fractured arm against Inter, but vice-president Javier Zanetti hopes his fellow Argentine is on the bench for the Champions League clash. Barcelona captain Messi missed his team's 2-0 defeat of Inter two weeks ago, with Rafinha deputising and scoring against his old club in the Group B meeting. Messi has travelled to Milan with the Barca squad but head coach Ernesto Valverde indicated he will not take any risks with his talisman. And Zanetti, who played with Messi for Argentina... Читать дальше...

Mauro Icardi is happy to stay at Inter and the Serie A side are unaware of interest in their captain from Real Madrid, says vice-president Javier Zanetti. Icardi has regularly been linked to the LaLiga giants, who have won the Champions League in each of the past three seasons. But the striker, having hit six Serie A goals so far this season, indicated last month he could sign a new Inter deal. Zanetti is not worried about the prospect of managerless Madrid making a move for Icardi in the January transfer window. Читать дальше...

Giuseppe Iachini has been appointed Empoli's new coach following the sacking of Aurelio Andreazzoli, who led the club to the Serie B title last term. Andreazzoli was dismissed on Monday - his 65th birthday - with Empoli 18th in the Serie A table after a 5-1 thumping at title hopefuls Napoli in their last match. And the club moved swiftly to appoint a successor with Giuseppe Iachini, who coached Sassuolo last season, confirmed as Andreazzoli's replacement within 24 hours. Andreazzoli's colleagues... Читать дальше...

Ligue 1's bottom side Guingamp have sacked coach Antoine Kombouare, the club announced on Tuesday. Guingamp have won a single league match this season and Sunday's 5-0 thrashing at Nantes proved Kombouare's final fixture in charge. With seven points from 12 games and only seven goals scored, Guingamp are below Thierry Henry's Monaco on goal difference. Vincent Rautureau and Sylvain Didot have been placed in temporary charge pending the appointment of Kombouare's successor.

The pair spent the 2016/17 season together following the Frenchman’s £89 million return to Old Trafford from Juventus, during which they won the League Cup and Europa League.Pogba also added the World Cup to his decorated CV in the summer, scoring in the final as France won the trophy for a second time, 20 years after the first on home soil.However, the midfielder continues to face criticism from pundits over a perceived lack of discipline and leadership skills, coupled with his prominence on social... Читать дальше...