Page 40 - Football

Croatian footballer Mario Vukovic's ban for doping extended to 4 yrs by CAS

Croatia Under-21 soccer player Mario Vukovic had his ban for doping doubled to four years on Tuesday in a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The German national anti-doping agency said it won an appeal jointly filed with the World Anti-Doping Agency to extend a two-year ban originally imposed by the German soccer federation on the Hamburger SV player who had tested positive for EPO. At the soccer federation's original tribunal last year, its judge suggested Vukovic should get a less harsh sanction than four years because he was younger and would lose out financially. Vukovic, a defender for second-tier HSV, is now banned from soccer through November 15, 2026. He will turn 25 the next day. The club said in a statement that Vukovic and his lawyers will study the CAS verdict before it talks with the player about taking the next steps. The club did not state when his contract expires. Vukovic tested positive in September 2022 for the blood-boosting hormone banned in sports

Premier League: Schar retires from int'l football, will focus on Newcastle

Switzerland defender Fabian Schr retired from the national team on Monday, becoming the third veteran player in the European Championship quarter-finalist squad choosing to focus on club soccer. Schr, goalkeeper Yann Sommer and playmaker Xherdan Shaqiri combined to play more than 300 games for Switzerland and mostly in the same team over the last decade. All made their senior international debuts while playing for Basel. The 32-year-old Schr said in a statement from the Swiss soccer federation that he wanted to concentrate on playing for his Premier League club Newcastle United. After more than 10 years and 86 matches with Switzerland, the moment has come to say my goodbyes, said Schr, who scored eight goals in that time. Schr's last game for Switzerland was the Euro 2024 elimination against England in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw. He scored his spot kick in the shootout. The Swiss were heading to a first-ever semifinal place at a major tournament until an 80th-minute equal

Sven-Goran Eriksson, 1st foreign manager to lead England team, dies at 76

Sven-Goran Eriksson, the Swedish soccer manager who spent five years as England's first-ever foreign-born coach after making his name winning trophies at club level in Italy, Portugal and Sweden, died Monday. He was 76. Eriksson died at home surrounded by his family, his agent Bo Gustavsson told The Associated Press. His death followed eight months after he revealed he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had at most a year to live. That news led to Eriksson receiving a surge of affection and tributes from his former players and clubs, a biographical documentary being made, and a visit to his favourite club Liverpool which invited him to be manager for the day at a charity game. Fondly known as Svennis in his native Sweden, Eriksson had a modest, nine-year playing career before retiring at the age of 27 and embarking on what proved to be a nomadic coaching career that reached its peak when he was hired by England in 2001. Eriksson led what was regarded as a golden generati

Madueke nets hat trick for Chelsea; Arne Slot gets win in Anfield debut

After being constantly booed by the home crowd for a disparaging social media post about Wolverhampton, Noni Madueke responded with a second-half hat trick to give Chelsea its first Premier League win under manager Enzo Maresca. Madueke netted three goals in a 14-minute span all of them assisted by Cole Palmer to spark a 6-2 win over Wolves on Sunday that at times had the same kind of chaotic feel that envelops most things at Chelsea these days. But the emphatic second-half performance also indicated that Maresca may already be figuring out how to use the wealth of attacking talent at his disposal and overshadowed a more routine 2-0 win for Liverpool against Brentford in new manager Arne Slot's first game at Anfield. Madueke's hat trick capped a day where he had already drawn headlines for an Instagram post that used an expletive to describe everything about this place after Chelsea arrived in Wolverhampton. While he later deleted the post, Wolves fans let him know they didn't ..

Cardiff player suffers cut by falling advertising screen agianst Swansea

A Cardiff player cut his leg when an advertising screen fell on him under pressure from fans as the team was celebrating a goal in a Welsh derby at Swansea in the second division of English soccer. The incident came a day after two West Ham players had to pull a ball boy out from underneath a collapsed advertising screen during a goal celebration in a Premier League game at Crystal Palace, and led Cardiff assistant coach Omer Riza to question whether there was enough security at Sunday's game. Ollie Tanner had to have a cut on his leg treated after he set up the equalizer in a 1-1 draw but was then injured during the ensuing celebrations as Cardiff fans behind the goal ran toward the players and the advertising screens gave way. You're looking around and saying, Potentially should there be more security around the pitch?' So fans can't come towards the advertisement signs," Riza said. That's a heavy sign that fell down there and Ollie's got a big cut on his leg. ... He's OK, he ...

Mohammedan Sporting Club to play from 2024-25 season, confirms ISL

Indian Super League on Saturday confirmed that Kolkata-based Mohammedan Sporting Club (MSC) will be the newest side in the domestic top-tier competition, taking the total number of teams in the upcoming season to 13. Starting from the 2024-25 season, Mohammedan Sporting, one of the oldest football clubs of the country, will compete in the ISL, a release stated. This follows their triumphant 2023-24 I-League title-winning campaign, making them the second club after Punjab FC to earn promotion to the ISL. The 13 teams which will be vying for top honours in 2024-25 ISL season are Bengaluru FC, Chennaiyin FC, FC Goa, Hyderabad FC, Jamshedpur FC, Kerala Blasters FC, Mumbai City FC, NorthEast United FC, Odisha FC, Punjab FC along with three iconic Kolkata clubs of over 100 year legacy -- Mohun Bagan Super Giant, East Bengal FC and Mohammedan Sporting. The ISL season begins on September 13.

Premier League: Aston Villa vs Arsenal live time (IST), live streaming

Mikel Arteta's men know the importance of getting a good run of games under their belt early on in the season and will try not to break their winning momentum on Saturday.

Premier League today's match: Brighton vs Man United live time, streaming

Brighton are currently at the top of the league table after an impressive 3-0 victory away from home against 10-man Everton on the opening weekend.

Why Man United has had the best transfer window in Premier League so far?

Positive signings and new ownership boost United's prospects for the season ahead

Barcelona drops players a year after arrival amidst financial troubles

If trying to compete with Real Madrid and newly arrived Kylian Mbapp wasn't daunting enough, now Hansi Flick's Barcelona squad is being thinned out by departures. Barcelona looks set to lose both Ilkay Gundogan and Vitor Roque in the coming days or even hours with both players reportedly close to exits. Gundogan appears set on returning to Manchester City a year after the midfielder left the serial winners to start a new chapter in Spain. That could be cut short because of Barcelona's need to trim its salary burden, leaving the team without one of its top playmakers from last season. Roque is also reportedly close to leaving on loan for Real Betis, although Portugal's Sporting has made inquiries. The young Brazilian forward cost Barcelona a 30-million-euro (USD 33-million) transfer last summer. He arrived in the winter transfer market but never earned consistent playing minutes despite the significant investment made to sign him. When their exits are made official, it will conf

From Felix to Neto: Chelsea FC's clueless summer spending spree explained

Football clubs invest in young players for future integration or profitable resale, a strategy that Chelsea owner Todd Boehly seems to favour, prioritising profits in recent transfer windows

Ronaldo breaks Hamster Kombat's fastest 10m subscribers record on YouTube

Ronaldo has been known for making history on the football field. But his accolades have started to spread off the field as well. Ronaldo became the quickest to reach 1 million subscribers on YouTube

Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer retires from international football

Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer said Wednesday he is retiring from the national team after 15 years and 124 games. He is staying in club soccer with Bayern Munich. The 38-year-old Neuer debuted for Germany in 2009 and won the World Cup in 2014. His last game for the national team was the 2-1 extra-time loss to eventual champion Spain in the quarterfinals as Germany hosted Euro 2024. Neuer said he was tempted by the prospect of staying on for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico but decided against it after speaking with family and friends. That could open the door for Barcelona's Marc-Andr ter Stegen to take over as Germany's starting goalkeeper. Neuer is the second leading player in the German team to retire from international soccer this week after midfielder Ilkay Gndogan, who captained the team at Euro 2024. He cited fatigue and the pressures of a busy club and international schedule in his statement on Monday. Forward Thomas Mller retired from the nationa

Gundogan set for Man City return after reportedly agreeing to leave Barca

Manchester City and Ilkay Gundogan look set to be reunited. The former Germany midfielder was pictured at the airport on Wednesday and was reportedly catching a flight from Barcelona to Manchester to wrap up his return to City on a one-year deal, with the option of another 12 months. Neither City nor Barcelona have commented publicly on any deal for the 33-year-old Gundogan. Gundogan left City after the 2022-23 season, during which he was captain of the team that won the Premier League-FA Cup-Champions League treble. He spent seven years at the English club but decided to move to Barcelona for a new challenge, and was one of Xavi Hernndez's favourite players during his sole season with the Catalan club. But, Barcelona's delicate economic situation appears to have forced the new coach, Hansi Flick, to part ways with the veteran playmaker. Gundogan's exit should help Barcelona register new midfielder Dani Olmo, which it has so far been unable to do because of the Spanish league's ..

No Sandesh Jhinghan in India's Intercontinental Cup probable squad

Influential centre-back Sandesh Jhingan's name was missing as Chennaiyin FC forward Kiyan Nassiri, son of East Bengal's Iranian legend Jamshid, on Wednesday inched closer to his maiden India selection after being named among new head coach Manolo Marquez's 26 probables for the Intercontinental Cup preparatory camp. Mohun Bagan SG right-back Ashish Rai and East Bengal goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Singh Gill, who are yet to play for the senior India team, also received call-ups for the camp in preparation for the three-team annual tournament that will be held from September 3-9 in Hyderabad. It is understood that key defender Jhingan, who sustained a right knee injury during India's Asian Cup group match against Syria in January, is yet to recover from the injury. Jhingan, the 31-year-old central defender, also missed out on selection for the team's camp ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 preliminary joint qualification round 2 matches against Kuwait and Qatar, in May. Syria, placed 93rd in

Man City's Phil Foden and Khadija Shaw voted PFA player of the year

Manchester City duo Phil Foden and Khadija Shaw were voted the men's and women's player of the year in English soccer for last season at the Professional Footballers' Association awards. The 24-year-old Foden helped Man City win a fourth consecutive Premier League title, scoring 19 times and providing eight assists. Shaw was the top scorer in the Women's Super League as the Jamaican forward netted 21 goals, although City lost the title on goal difference to Chelsea. Foden and Shaw also won the equivalent award from the Football Writers' Association, which is voted on by journalists. The PFA winners are selected by professional players. Chelsea attacking midfielder Cole Palmer was voted the men's PFA young player of the year, with Manchester United midfielder Grace Clinton winning the women's prize after her performances on loan at Tottenham last season. Palmer was second only to City's Erling Haaland in the Premier League scoring charts with 22 goals and also had more assists than

Cristiano Ronaldo aiming to end Al-Hilal's dominance in Saudi Pro league

Cristiano Ronaldo is lining up for another Saudi Pro League season with the main aim of helping Al-Nassr end the dominance of Riyadh rival Al-Hilal. Ronaldo signed for Al-Nassr in December 2022 and has yet to win a domestic trophy with the club. In a social media post this week, he wrote: New season, same goal. Al-Hilal won the title last season with 31 wins and three draws, finishing 14 points clear of second-place Al-Nassr. Hilal beat Ronaldo's team 4-1 in the final of the Saudi Super Cup last weekend. The 18-team league kicks off its season on Thursday. I'm feeling a lot of apprehension because this season is going to be very difficult, Al-Hilal defender Kalidou Koulibaly, who signed from Chelsea last year, told The Associated Press. Last year, it was a tough championship, but we managed to come out on top. This year, all the teams will be gunning to beat Al Hilal." Last summer, a string of big-name stars arrived from Europe's top leagues to join Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia. Accord

Bayern loses defender Josip Stanisic for several weeks to knee injury

Bayern Munich and Croatia defender Josip Staniic will miss the start of the Bundesliga season because of a knee injury, the club said Tuesday. Staniic tore a ligament in his right knee during a practice session Monday and will be "sidelined for several weeks, Bayern said. Bayern starts its Bundesliga campaign on Sunday at Wolfsburg and is seeking to reclaim the title from Bayer Leverkusen, where Staniic spent last season on loan. Staniic is likely to miss two Croatia games in the UEFA Nations League, at Portugal on Sept. 5 and home to Poland three days later. Bayern also plays the first two rounds of the expanded Champions League opening league phase scheduled from Sept. 17-19 and Oct. 1-2. The draw for each team's eight games will be made next week in Monaco.

No Messi in Argentina's squad for WC qualifiers against Chile and Colombia

Lionel Messi will not play in Argentina's next two World Cup qualifiers because of injury. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni announced his 28-man squad on Monday for the matches against Chile on September 5 and Colombia five days later. Messi is still recovering from a right ankle injury. The 36-year-old ngel Di Mara, who retired from the national team after winning the recent Copa America, is not on the list either. World Cup champion Argentina leads South American qualifying with 15 points after six matches. Squad: Goalkeepers: Walter Bentez (PSV Eindhoven), Gernimo Rulli (Olympique Marseille), Juan Musso (Atalanta), Emiliano Martnez (Aston Villa). Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel (Sevilla), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid), Cristian Romero (Tottenham), Germn Pezzella (River Plate), Leonardo Balerdi (Olympique Marseille), Nicols Otamendi (Benfica), Lisandro Martnez (Manchester United), Nicols Tagliafico (Olympique Lyon), Valentn Barco (Brighton). Midfielders: Leandro Paredes (Roma), Gu

Vardy scores on Premier League return as Leicester hold Tottenham at home

Jamie Vardy still knows how to score in the Premier League. The 37-year-old striker rescued a point for Leicester in its return to the Premier League on Monday by heading home a second-half equaliser in a 1-1 draw against Tottenham, which had largely dominated the first half. Tottenham had plenty of opportunities to build a bigger lead but new signing Dominic Solanke was among those guilty of missing chances. Instead it was Spanish defender Pedro Porro who made Tottenham's early superiority count after 29 minutes when he got between two Leicester defenders to head James Maddison's cross into the net at the far post. But Vardy, who was key to Leicester's stunning Premier League title win in 2016 and has remained with the club since then, was left unmarked to head home an equaliser. A corner count of 9-0 gave some indication of Spurs' dominance in the first half but Vardy's goal changed the game completely. Steve Cooper's team suddenly looked a lot livelier and both teams had chanc