Neville: Arsenal midfielder Xhaka must make peace with fan abuse Manchester United great Gary Neville admits modern footballers are "perceived differently" to their predecessors but says Granit Xhaka must be willing to accept fan criticism. Arsenal stripped Xhaka of the captaincy following his angry response to being jeered by his own supporters in the recent Premier League match against Crystal Palace. The much-maligned Switzerland midfielder cupped his hear, removed his shirt and appeared to swear at a section of spectators as he was substituted in the second half of the 1-1 draw at Emirates Stadium. Xhaka said he had "reached boiling point" after receiving abusive comments at matches and over social media, part of the growing "anything goes" culture Neville condemned. But the ex-England international insisted players must also have a thick skin. "All's fair in love and war," Neville, who was speaking at the l...
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Nigeria's vocal pro-democracy activist, Omoyele Sowore, has been in the detention of Nigeria's secret police, the Department of State Services (DSS) for some 100 days in his quest for a better Nigeria in which respect for rule of law, equity and equality reign supreme. Sowore is also calling for a non-violent revolution to stamp corruption and bad governance out of Africa's most populous black nation. But for all that he is being arraigned in court on trumped-up charges of insulting President Muhammadu Buhari and money laundering, among others. His legal battle to fight against oppression and illegal detention continues today.
Lloris will not play again in 2019, says France boss Deschamps Hugo Lloris will almost certainly miss the rest of 2019 due to an elbow injury, according to France head coach Didier Deschamps. The Tottenham goalkeeper dislocated his elbow after landing awkwardly during his side's 3-0 Premier League defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday. Spurs have not yet offered an indication on his recovery time, but Deschamps expects Lloris to be out of action until the new year due to ligament damage. "I talked to him after he recovered emotionally from what happened," Deschamps told a news conference. "We talked again [on Monday] and had more medical examinations. "It is difficult to give you an exact date in terms of how long he'll need to recover. The possibility of a fracture has been ruled out, but his ligaments are affected. I'm not an anatomy specialist. "Anyway, as far as we are concerned, h...
Courtois suffering from 'De Gea syndrome' - Belgium coach backs Real Madrid keeper Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois
Courtois suffering from 'De Gea syndrome' - Belgium coach backs Real Madrid keeper Real Madrid must treat Thibaut Courtois differently to get the best out of him, according to Belgium goalkeeper coach Erwin Lemmens. Courtois was substituted at half-time in Tuesday's 2-2 Champions League draw against Club Brugge, with Madrid 2-0 down at the time. The 27-year-old was arguably at fault for Emmanuel Bonaventure Dennis' ninth-minute opener and was again beaten by the Brugge striker later in the half. Courtois' early withdrawal was put down to illness by boss Zinedine Zidane, but Lemmens has accused Madrid of failing to get the most out of a player that previously impressed for Atletico Madrid and Chelsea. Comparing his compatriot's woes at the Santiago Bernabeu to David de Gea's slump in form with Manchester United, Lemmens told Radio MARCA: "They have to treat him differently. "He's a special boy and...
Pogba needs a bit of a rest - Solskjaer not willing to risk midfielder for AZ clash Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba
Pogba needs a bit of a rest - Solskjaer not willing to risk midfielder for AZ clash Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer insists he would not have risked Paul Pogba on an artificial surface even if he was fit to face AZ in the Europa League. France international Pogba suffered an ankle injury in August and only returned to action in the EFL Cup tie with Rochdale last week. He featured in Monday's 1-1 Premier League draw with Arsenal at Old Trafford, though was not among the travelling squad ahead of Thursday's European fixture as his ankle "requires a period of further rest". But even if he was able to play, Solskjaer does not think he would have picked the World Cup winner, as United – who won their Europa League opener against Astana 1-0 – travel to the home of ADO Den Haag after a section of AZ's stadium roof collapsed last month. The change of location means United will play on artificial turf at the Kyocera Stadiu...
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Genk 0-0 Napoli: Ancelotti's men made to rue missed chances Napoli wasted a number of opportunities as they played out a goalless draw with Genk in Wednesday's Champions League clash at Luminus Arena. The Italian visitors beat reigning European champions Liverpool 2-0 in their Group E opener last month but could not build on that win in Belgium. Carlo Ancelotti's men hit the frame of the goal three times in the first half and Kalidou Koulibaly also went close as Genk held on for their first point, two weeks on from being thrashed 6-2 by Salzburg. Arkadiusz Milik in particular was guilty of spurning big chances for a Napoli side who top the group with four points, though Liverpool and Salzburg have a game in hand to play. Jose Callejon's low shot was parried onto the post by Gaetan Coucke 15 minutes in and Milik had a couple of goes at converting from the rebound, the Poland striker's first shot being blocked and his...
Slavia Prague 0-2 Borussia Dortmund: Achraf double drags BVB to victory Borussia Dortmund claimed their first win of the Champions League group stage this season after battling to a 2-0 victory away to Slavia Prague. Achraf Hakimi struck in each half to settle a scrappy encounter in the Czech Republic and move Dortmund top of Group F ahead of Barcelona's meeting with Inter. The brilliance of Marc-Andre ter Stegen mostly kept Dortmund frustrated against Barca in their opening match, but Wednesday's performance was more in keeping with recent Bundesliga draws with Eintracht Frankfurt and Werder Bremen, in which they surrendered leads to draw 2-2. Jadon Sancho tested Ondrej Kolar within two minutes of kick-off as Dortmund made a bright start in front of Slavia fans bedecked in red and white rain ponchos to create an intimidating sight. They were silenced 10 minutes before the break, though, when Achraf started a counter-attack...
Ibrahimovic keen on Boca Juniors move, claims board member Zlatan Ibrahimovic wants to join Boca Juniors and the move could still happen, according to one of the club's directors. The LA Galaxy star's agent, Mino Raiola, recently rubbished rumours he was attempting to arrange a transfer for the well-travelled 37-year-old. But Boca board member Jorge Anro claims Ibrahimovic's interest in a move to the Bombonera is real and insists a deal remains a possibility. The former Juventus, Barcelona and Manchester United striker has spent the past 18 months in the United States, scoring 50 MLS goals. "It is true that Ibrahimovic wants to play for Boca and it is true that we are in a position to bring him in," Anro told Mundo Boca Radio, as quoted by AS. "The club is in a very good moment institutionally. It is so good financially that it can afford those luxuries. "We would be able to pay Zlatan's contract." Boca made a sp...
Chelsea must be more clinical - Willian calls on team-mates to kill off opponents Chelsea have to become more clinical in front of goal if they are to achieve their aims for the season, according to forward Willian. The Blues squandered a number of opportunities but were still too strong for Brighton and Hove Albion in Saturday's 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge. However, a mixture of good goalkeeping from Mat Ryan and poor finishing from the likes of Pedro, Ross Barkley and Marcos Alonso almost cost Chelsea their first home Premier League win under Frank Lampard. Dan Burn grazed the crossbar shortly before the contest was killed off by Willian, who admits Chelsea have to start taking more of their chances. "The game could have been 3-0 or 4-0," he told the club's official website. "In the first half we created a lot of chances and I think we have to be more clinical. "We cannot miss chances like this and we ...
World Cup winner Rapinoe: I'm too busy to run for president! Megan Rapinoe hailed her United States team-mates as an example for the country to follow but told a huge crowd celebrating their Women's World Cup triumph that she will not be running for president, saying: "I'm busy." During the victory parade through New York, the 34-year-old forward stoked the fire of her spat with president Donald Trump, which began during the tournament when she said that she and her colleagues would not be going to the White House if they lifted the trophy. Having helped defend the title on French soil, Rapinoe reiterated her stance when it comes to visiting the president - a job she cheekily rejected was in her future plans. "I couldn’t be more proud to be a co-captain of this team with Carli [Lloyd] and Alex...
Tottenham motivated by Champions League final loss, says Kane Harry Kane says Tottenham are motivated to become an even stronger team following last season's Champions League final heartbreak. A 2-0 loss to Premier League rivals Liverpool in June's showpiece denied Spurs what would have been a first major trophy since 2008. Goals from Mohamed Salah and Divock Origi gave Liverpool victory in Madrid, where Kane returned from injury but struggled to make an impact. But Kane is hopeful the European run will not be a one-off for his side, who have moved to strengthen by bringing in Tanguy Ndombele from Lyon for a club-record fee. "I think it just motivates you to get better," Kane told Sky Sports. "With the Champions League final, you want to play in those games all the time. "We know it's going to be tough to get back there this year and it's down to us to perform." powered by Rubicon Project Spurs ...
Nigeria 2 South Africa 1: Williams error helps Super Eagles through Nigeria took a step closer to becoming Africa Cup of Nations champions after Ronwen Williams' late error gifted William Troost-Ekong a late winner in a 2-1 triumph over South Africa in Wednesdays' quarter-final. Bafana Bafana, who shocked hosts Egypt in the previous round, had equalised with 19 minutes remaining in Cairo when Bongani Zungu headed home and the match was seemingly headed for extra-time. But Troost-Ekong bundled home in the 89th-minute minute after Williams made a hash of a corner to dash South Africa's hopes of progressing and left Nigeria still chasing their dream of a fourth AFCON title. It was a just result for a Nigeria team after they had largely dominated and led in the 27th minute through Samuel Chukwueze, who was part of a lively Nigeria front four that opened South Africa up several times The result extends South Africa's record of never having beate...
On April 7, Seth Rollins will go one-on-one with arguably the most dominant Superstar to ever step in a WWE ring: Universal Champion Brock Lesnar. You might think The Kingslayer is an underdog heading into this showdown, but here are five reasons why he will slay The Beast at WrestleMania 35 . 1 Seth Rollins can plan First, Seth Rollins can devise a strategy better than anyone. It’s why he’s called The Architect. Rollins was credited for being the mastermind behind The Shield, planning layered attacks and being several steps ahead of his brothers, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns , along the way. That allowed The Hounds of Justice to run roughshod over any group that tried to step in their way. Of course, Lesnar has the mastermind Paul Heyman in his corner, but Rollins has outsmarted him in the past — like when he cashed in his Money in the Bank contract during Lensar’s match against Reigns at WrestleMania...