Month: November 2024

Luis Suarez would seemingly welcome Neymar back to Barcelona, recalling one of the best years of his career alongside the Brazilian and Lionel Messi.

Neymar, 27, is linked with a return to the LaLiga champions, two years after making a €222million switch to Paris Saint-Germain.

The Brazil international spent four seasons at Barca before his move, including winning a treble in 2014-15.

Suarez said he would be happy to see Neymar, who is sidelined with an ankle injury, back at Camp Nou.

I was privileged to fulfil one of the best years of my life as a football player at Barcelona next to the best in
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the world, Messi, and the second best in the world, Neymar, the Uruguay international told RAC1 on Monday.

For me, it was one of the best …

Verdict: Lazio win

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In need of a minor miracle if they re to secure a European finish this year, Lazio will welcome a resurgent Bologna to the Stadio Olimpico on Monday night.

Lazio

Starting with the hosts, after lifting the Coppa Italia title thanks to a 2-0 win over Atalanta last week, Simone Inzaghi will be desperate for his side to build off of that result. Sat five points adrift of reclaiming their spot in the Europa League with just two matches remaining, fans around the Stadio Olimpico will be boosted by Lazio s performances at the back end of the season. Despite their well-publicized issues entering 2019, I Biancocelesti have now won four of their last five matches across all competitions, including their Cup-winning sh…

Western Sydney Wanderers face Adelaide United on Sunday, with both hoping to banish memories of A-League grand final heartache.

Despite playing in four of the A-League s 10 grand finals between them, neither has a championship to show for their efforts.

On Sunday, it will be third time lucky for one of them.

In front of a packed out home crowd at the historic Adelaide Oval, United will be looking to change all that in their favour.

Adelaide losing finalists to Melbourne Victory in 2007 and 2009 and minor premiers this season after sitting bottom in the table after round eight enter the game as favourites, not just because of their home advantage but because of their magnificent form which has seen them lose just one league game since November.

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Brighton and Hove Albion have signed Belgian winger Leandro Trossard from Genk, paying a reported initial fee of £15million for the player who scored 22 goals for his hometown club last season.

Trossard is the second player to arrive at the Amex Stadium since Graham Potter was named Brighton manager and he has signed a four-year contract with the Seagulls.

The 24-year-old played an instrumental role as club captain during Genk s triumphant league campaign in 2018-19, scoring 14 goals in 34 appearances double his previous best league goal tally for the club.

He also plundered an impressive eight goals in 11 Europa League appearances as Genk reached the round of 32, and was twice named as a substitute for Belgium but is yet to receive his first cap.

Trossa…

Marta has urged Brazil to bounce back quickly from their stoppage-time defeat to Japan at the Olympics on Sunday.

The Brazil great made her 200th appearance for the national team in their second group-stage game, but it was marred by a late lapse in concentration that saw Japan score twice in stoppage time to win 2-1.

Jhennifer s 56th-minute goal looked set to book Brazil a place in the quarter-finals of the tournament, but instead, they slipped down to third in Group C after Saki Kumagai and Momoko Tanikawa s goals.

And with world champions Spain up next for the two-time silver medallists, Marta, who is retiring at the end of the year, noted why it is so important that they quickly put that result behind them.

All that mattered to Japan was winning the …

Luis Enrique is confident his Paris St Germain squad have the depth needed to cope without injured captain Marquinhos and France starlet Warren Zaire-Emery as they prepare to face Ligue 1 rivals Monaco.

Brazil defender Marquinhos picked up a hamstring problem during the World Cup qualifier defeat against Argentina, which PSG expect to see him sidelined for at least 10 days and so will also miss next week’s Champions League match against Newcastle.

The Ligue 1 leaders were already facing up to 17-year-old midfielder Zaire-Emery missing for the rest of 2023 with an ankle injury suffered while he scored on his senior France debut against Gibraltar.

By scoring against Gibraltar aged 17 years and 255 days, Warren Zaire-Emery became

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David Silva is pondering bringing his remarkable international career with Spain to a close and plans to seek advice from his Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola.

Silva s exploits with Spain have coincided with the most successful period in the country s history, winning the 2010 World Cup between back-to-back successes in the European Championship.

But, at 32 and coming off the back of a disappointing campaign at Russia 2018 where Spain were eliminated in the last 16 by the hosts, Silva is contemplating concentrating his focuses elsewhere.

And, after his son Mateo s premature birth at the end of 2017 left the newborn fighting for his life, Silva s family have been his primary focus since returning from Russia.

Since the World Cup I have been concentrati…

LaLiga and the Premier League proved to be the dominant forces in the Ballon d Or nominees list, providing 21 of the 30 players put forward for football s most coveted annual individual award.

Spain s top flight leads the way with 13 players – six of those coming from European champions Real Madrid, with LaLiga and Copa del Rey double winners Barcelona and Atletico Madrid forced to settle for four and three respectively.

Record man Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo is favourite to win the award for a fourth time, having helped Portugal to Euro 2016 glory – dual joy also enjoyed by Madrid defender Pepe, with Gareth Bale, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Pepe and Sergio Ramos concluding the Bernabeu contingent.

Ronaldo has now been shortlisted for the Ballon d Or for …

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In a repeat of last summer s European Championships final, England will welcome Italy to Wolves Molineux Stadium on Saturday night.

England

Starting with the hosts, while England might have eventually snatched a last-gasp point away at Germany earlier in the week, it doesn t cover what has been a downbeat start for Gareth Southgate s squad. Managing to salvage a 1-1 draw in Munich, their first point since opening this year s Nations League campaign, the Three Lions are really seeking some stability. Watching their extended nine-match unbeaten run come to an abrupt end after a shock 1-0 loss away at Hungary last weekend, the one-time Aston Villa defender does find some growing pressure on his shoulders. Although England might have crui…

France head coach Didier Deschamps suggested talking about the death of a World Cup migrant worker during the tournament is disrespectful to the deceased s family.

A report in The Athletic on Wednesday claimed a Filipino man thought to be in his early 40s died while working at the base of the Saudi Arabia team during the group stage.

Qatar 2022 CEO Nasser Al Khater extraordinarily responded to the news a day later by saying death is a natural part of life as he was left irritated by the topic being brought up during a successful World Cup .

It was seen as particularly noteworthy in the media due to the broader context of worker deaths in the lead up to the World Cup.

Amnesty International in 2021 published a report citing official Qatari data in which the…