Новости за 17.11.2018

Croatia head coach Zlatko Dalic will hold talks with Dejan Lovren following the defender's social media taunting of Sergio Ramos. Liverpool centre-back Lovren was filmed in an Instagram video appearing to boast about elbowing Ramos in Croatia's dramatic Nations League win over Spain on Thursday. The pair have been at odds since Spain's 6-0 thumping of the World Cup finalists in September, during which Lovren felt his team had been disrespected. The former Southampton man later claimed the Real... Читать дальше...

Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka believes he is in the best form of his Gunners career and he attributes that improvement to the arrival of "freak" Unai Emery. Xhaka joined Arsenal in 2016 in a deal which could reportedly reach £40million having enjoyed four years in the Bundesliga with Borussia Monchengladbach. But in his first two seasons in the Premier League, Xhaka struggled to convince fans, often looking awkward and overly aggressive in a defensive midfield role. He toiled in defeats to Manchester... Читать дальше...

David de Gea is not lacking confidence and remains one of the world's finest goalkeepers, according to Spain team-mate Saul Niguez. The goalkeeper was criticised for Tin Jedvaj's late Nations League winner for Croatia on Thursday, a 3-2 loss leaving Spain's chances of reaching the finals out of their hands. De Gea made a single save at the World Cup, where he was guilty of a poor mistake that allowed Cristiano Ronaldo to score in a draw against Portugal, and his international form has not improved since. Читать дальше...

Jordan goalkeeper Amer Shafi had a match to remember in a friendly against India, beating counterpart Gurpreet Singh Sandhu with a long kick from his own penalty area. Shafi had the ball in his hands in the 25th minute after a boot down the field from Gurpreet went all the way through to his opposite number in Saturday's meeting in Amman. But few onlookers could have expected what would happen next, Shafi letting fly with a long kick of his own that bounced just outside the India penalty area, catching Gurpreet by surprise. Читать дальше...

Gareth Southgate does not mind being given a selection headache by the emergence of fresh talent into the England squad. Southgate's side host Croatia at Wembley on Sunday with a place in the inaugural Nations League Finals up for grabs, while the losing team will be relegated from League A. Harry Maguire and Kieran Trippier both started the World Cup semi-final between the sides in July, the latter opening the scoring with a wonderful free-kick, but the defensive duo missed out on Southgate's squad through injury. Читать дальше...

Harry Kane is convinced that surpassing Wayne Rooney's record haul of 53 England goals is "definitely possible" for him. Rooney's international career came to a close on Thursday in a friendly against the United States, which was organised to honour the former Manchester United striker. He was unable to add to his tally in the 3-0 win at Wembley, however, and tipped Kane to one day go past him. Tottenham star Kane has netted 19 times in 34 outings for his country, and having been named captain... Читать дальше...

Zlatko Dalic believes playing at Wembley will be motivation enough to ensure fatigue does not derail Croatia against England in the Nations League on Sunday. Croatia were involved in a pulsating 3-2 win over Spain on Thursday – a result which means all three teams are in the race to qualify from Group 4 of League A going into the final match. A win for England or Croatia would guarantee promotion a place in the Nations League Finals, but the prospect of relegation also looms for both sides. Dalic... Читать дальше...

Germany should not discard their under-performing senior players just yet, according to sporting director Oliver Bierhoff. Die Mannschaft have endured a tumultuous 2018, failing to make it out of their group at the World Cup in Russia and suffering relegation from their Nations League group on Friday following Netherlands' 2-0 win over France. Joachim Low fielded a youthful side in Thursday's comfortable 3-0 friendly win over Russia, leading some to suggest that Germany's more established players... Читать дальше...

Juventus midfielder Sami Khedira has had another injury setback after spraining an ankle in training, with the Italian club confirming he is a "big doubt" to face SPAL. Khedira has made one Serie A appearance since the middle of September, but he started against Manchester United in the Champions League earlier this month. The Germany international could now miss Juve's home game against SPAL on November 24 and may also be absent for the Champions League visit of Valencia three days later. Cristiano... Читать дальше...

Chelsea and Belgium star Eden Hazard has dismissed the idea he deserves to win this year's Ballon d'Or and backed France attacker Kylian Mbappe to claim the prize. The race for the 2018 Ballon d'Or is arguably the most unpredictable in over a decade, with several players said to be in the running. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have won the last 10 between them, but neither are considered to be among the favourites after failing to make much of an impact at the World Cup. Luka Modric was considered... Читать дальше...

AC Milan defender Alessio Romagnoli has joined the club's lengthy injury list after the Rossoneri confirmed their captain has a calf injury. Romagnoli sustained the injury during training on international duty on Friday and reports in Italy suggest he could be out for a month. Milan said examinations conducted by the club's medical staff diagnosed Romagnoli with "a lesion of the myotendinous junction of the medial segment of the left calf". Romagnoli has been a key player in Milan's recent rise up the Serie A table... Читать дальше...

Antoine Griezmann has challenged France to swiftly bounce back from their Nations League defeat to Netherlands when they face Uruguay on Tuesday. Georginio Wijnaldum and Memphis Depay scored to inflict a first defeat for Les Bleus since their World Cup success in Russia and, without a string of Hugo Lloris saves, the scoreline would have been more emphatic. Griezmann, who played the full 90 minutes in Rotterdam, admits that France were out of sorts against the resurgent Dutch and is targeting a... Читать дальше...

Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Jonas Boldt says teenage talent Kai Havertz will be staying at the club despite reported interest from Bayern Munich. Havertz is considered one of the best young players in the Bundesliga and made his full Germany debut in a 3-0 friendly win against Russia this week. Bayern have been linked with the 19-year-old as they aim to add midfield depth, with experienced options like Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery heading towards the end of their careers. And Havertz's... Читать дальше...

Graham Arnold has expressed his excitement for Australia's future after watching his side secure a last-gasp 1-1 draw against South Korea on Saturday. Arnold kicked off his second stint in charge of the Socceroos with a 4-0 away win over Kuwait last month but looked to be heading for an underwhelming defeat in his first game back on home soil when Hwang Ui-jo took advantage of some generous defending after 22 minutes to put South Korea ahead. There was late drama, however, as Massimo Luongo tapped... Читать дальше...

Germany have confirmed midfielder Julian Draxler will not join their squad for their Nations League game against Netherlands. Draxler had been included by coach Joachim Low but missed their friendly win over Russia as he was granted compassionate leave. Germany's relegation from League A was confirmed on Friday as Netherlands won 2-0 at home against world champions France. And Germany have now announced Draxler will not join the rest of the squad for Monday's match against Ronald Koeman's men in Gelsenkirchen. Читать дальше...

Barcelona have confirmed Ivan Rakitic has been diagnosed with a hamstring injury. Rakitic was substituted midway through the second half of Croatia's 3-2 Nations League win against Spain, in which Tin Jedvaj scored a late winner. Coach Zlatko Dalic subsequently confirmed Rakitic would not travel with Croatia to London for Sunday's decisive clash with England. And Barcelona announced on Saturday examinations have found Rakitic has a hamstring injury in his right leg, with no timescale given for his recovery. Читать дальше...

France captain Hugo Lloris admits the world champions were fortunate to only lose 2-0 to Netherlands in Rotterdam. Georginio Wijnaldum and Memphis Depay scored for the resurgent hosts to give Ronald Koeman's men an impressive victory that kept alive their hopes of topping Group One in League A and, in the process, relegated Germany. A draw for Oranje against Joachim Low's side in Gelsenkirchen on Monday will see them top the pool and advance to the final four. It was a first defeat for France following their World Cup success in Russia and... Читать дальше...

Paulo Dybala praised Argentina's new-found team spirit under interim boss Lionel Scaloni after their 2-0 friendly win over Mexico. Dybala played 72 minutes as Argentina eased to victory in Cordoba thanks to Ramiro Funes Mori's header and a late Isaac Brizuela own goal.   The win means Scaloni – who took temporary control of the national team in August after their tumultuous World Cup campaign under Jorge Sampaoli – has won three of his five games in charge. And Juventus forward Dybala believes... Читать дальше...

Arsenal's director of football Raul Sanllehi has confirmed the club entered into talks over a potential European Super League. Earlier this month, whistleblowers 'Football Leaks' claimed Arsenal were one of a number of clubs exploring the potential for a new competition of Europe's elite. The Gunners are fifth in the Premier League and have been out of the Champions League for the past two seasons, and while they are desperate to return to the top tier of European competition, Sanllehi claimed... Читать дальше...

Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman was surprised by the superiority his team enjoyed during their 2-0 Nations League victory over France on Friday. A first-half goal from Georginio Wijnaldum and Memphis Depay's penalty deep into injury time earned the Oranje a convincing victory over the World Cup winners at De Kuip in Rotterdam. Netherlands missed out on qualification for the tournament in Russia, having also failed to make it to Euro 2016. But signs of recovery are seemingly emerging, leaving Koeman optimistic. Читать дальше...

England manager Gareth Southgate has told his team not to worry about permutations of the Nations League ahead of Sunday's decider with Croatia. Both sides played out a goalless draw last month in the reverse fixture behind closed doors in Rijeka, but Croatia's last-gasp win against Spain on Thursday means all three teams could still be promoted from Group 4 of League A going into the final match. A win for England or Croatia would guarantee promotion and a place in the finals of the new competition... Читать дальше...

Brazil coach Tite says he takes inspiration from Pep Guardiola's Manchester City in seeking to strike the right balance for his team. Neymar's penalty earned a hard-fought 1-0 win for the Selecao against their South American rivals Uruguay in a keenly contested friendly at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium on Friday.  While Uruguay were missing a number of regulars, star forwards Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani did lead the line in north London, and Tite was satisfied at having kept La Celeste at bay.  "It was a South American derby... Читать дальше...

Dejan Lovren is anticipating a fiery contest between Croatia and England in their Nations League clash on Sunday. The Liverpool defender, 29, was part of Croatia's squad throughout their remarkable run to the World Cup final, as they eliminated England in the semi-finals in Russia. Both teams know a win at Wembley will see them top League A's Group 4 and advance to the finals of the new competition, and Lovren is relishing the prospect of coming up against the Three Lions in another high-stakes encounter. Читать дальше...

Brazil's 1-0 victory over Uruguay at Emirates Stadium on Friday was far from convincing, but Neymar was pleased to have faced a stern test. The Selecao's schedule since the World Cup has included routine victories over United States, El Salvador and Saudi Arabia, with their first real challenge being a narrow win over an Argentina side without Lionel Messi. Neymar came in for some tough treatment from Oscar Tabarez's dogged team in north London, but they could not stop him being the match winner as he slotted home a 76th-minute penalty. Читать дальше...

Richarlison is determined to secure his place in Brazil's squad for the 2019 Copa America after the Everton forward helped Tite's side beat Uruguay 1-0. Neymar's controversial 76th-minute penalty settled a tight friendly at Emirates Stadium on Friday, with Brazil having been frustrated by a makeshift Uruguay defence up until that point. Richarlison's introduction midway through the second half added some cutting edge to Brazil's play and the 21-year-old should have netted a third international goal to wrap up the win late on. Читать дальше...