Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane believes Karim Benzema s potential return to France s national team will prove to be a boost for the attacker.
Benzema has been in international exile since being placed under formal investigation by French police in November 2015 over an alleged blackmail plot involving fellow international player Mathieu Valbuena.
However, French Football Federation (FFF) president Noel Le Graet stated on Friday that the 29-year-old is available for selection by Didier Deschamps and Zidane thinks Benzema will relish the prospect of a France comeback.
Zidane said at a news conference: Karim has been waiting for this for a long time, this public support. For them to open the doors is positive for him.
Today s training session is underway…
Bayern Munich midfielder Javi Martinez insists comparisons with this year and the treble triumph of 2013 are premature.
Having learned that Pep Guardiola would be replacing Jupp Heynckes at the end of the season, Bayern romped to Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal success and defeated Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final.
The league leaders are on course to repeat that feat in 2016 and news that Guardiola will be replaced by Carlo Ancelotti later this year have drawn inevitable links to that triumph three years ago.
Martinez, however, considers such talk to be inaccurate at this stage and has warned of the danger posed by Serie A champions Juventus ahead of their meeting in the last-16 of the Champions League next month.
Speaking at Bayern s training cam…
(GSM) Manchester City striker Roque Santa Cruz has confirmed that he is set for an exit from Eastlands in the January transfer window.
Despite a high profile transfer from Blackburn Rovers in the summer of 2009, the 29-year-old was plagued by injuries in his first season at the club and has not got a look in this term.
The striker claims he is injury free and training well, but cannot convince manager Roberto Mancini to hand him a chance.
Competition for places is great and I m working every day to try and convince the coach, but I m still not getting picked, he told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser. I m not getting the playing time to convince anybody and my priority is to leave in the January transfer market.
I m 29 and still hope to fulfil my dream …
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…
Sean Dyche enjoyed a standing ovation on his return to Burnley before his in-form Everton side silenced Turf Moor with a 2-0 win which increases the Clarets’ relegation worries at the foot of the Premier League table.
Dyche was back at the ground where he spent the best part of 10 years in charge, twice earning promotion and keeping Burnley in the top flight against the odds before being sacked in April 2022 towards the end of their last, ultimately unsuccessful, battle against the drop.
His Everton side are not that far from the current relegation fight but only as a result of a 10-point penalty for breaching financial rules, and first-half goals from Amadou Onana and Michael Keane made it four straight wins. They may sit 16th, but would be ninth without the penalty.<…
data-mm-id=”_bsznpiww4″>Everyone has been saying the 2020 NFL Draft starts with the Lions' pick at No. 3. That's because the Bengals are widely expected to pick Heisman winner Joe Burrow No. 1 and the Redskins are projected to pick Ohio State All-American Chase Young at No. 2. Whether you believe it's true or a smokescreen, Ian Rapoport threw a wrench into that idea when he said the Redskins have started receiving calls from teams that want to trade up. If that happened, it would completely alter the draft as whoever moves up to No. 2 is presumably doing so in order to select their QB of the future. Or perhaps they see what everyone else does– that Young has the pedigree of a generational pass rusher. Either way, it would set off an avalanche of moves that would alter t…
data-mm-id=”_agllg2qvc”>Intuit Dome, the new $2 billion home of the Los Angeles Clippers, will hold its grand opening Thursday when Bruno Mars performs in the first of back-to-back shows over consecutive nights.The arena is the latest entertainment attraction in Inglewood, with SoFi Stadium — the $5.5 billion state-of-the-art home of the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers — about a mile and a half away.The Clippers won't play their first regular-season game in their new digs until October 23, when they face the Phoenix Suns. For those who won't be going to to see Mars, Olivia Rodrigo or Usher over the next couple of months, here's a sneak peek of what the 18,000-seat Intuit Dome has to offer.The PlazaWithin its 80,000 square feet, the outdoor plaza features …