Page 41 - Football

Germany's Franz Beckenbauer, who won FIFA WC as player, coach, died at 78

Franz Beckenbauer, who won the World Cup both as player and coach and became one of Germany's most beloved personalities with his easygoing charm, has died, news agency dpa reported on Monday. He was 78. It is with deep sadness that we announce that my husband and our father, Franz Beckenbauer, passed away peacefully in his sleep yesterday, Sunday, surrounded by his family, the family said in a statement to dpa, the German news agency. We ask that we be allowed to grieve in peace and be spared any questions. The statement did not provide a cause of death. The former Bayern Munich great had struggled with health problems in recent years. Beckenbauer was one of German soccer's central figures. As a player, he reimagined the defender's role in soccer and captained West Germany to the World Cup title in 1974 after it had lost to England in the 1966 final. He was the coach when West Germany won the tournament again in 1990, a symbolic moment for a country in the midst of reunification, .

Franz Beckenbauer, World Cup-winning captain and coach, dies aged 78

Franz Beckenbauer, the German soccer great who helped his country win the World Cup both as player and coach, has died, news agency dpa reported Monday. He was 78. It is with deep sadness that we announce that my husband and our father, Franz Beckenbauer, passed away peacefully in his sleep yesterday, Sunday, surrounded by his family, the family said in a statement to dpa, the German news agency. We ask that we be allowed grieve in peace and spared any questions. The statement did not provide a cause of death. As a player and coach, Beckenbauer did more than most to shape German soccer. He captained West Germany to the World Cup title in 1974. He also coached the national side that won the 1990 World Cup final against Argentina. In recent years the former Bayern Munich great struggled with health problems.

Kylian Mbappe transfer: What we know so far in Madrid vs EPL see-saw ?

The football transfer market once again heats up as Mbappe is now free to negotiate with whichever club he wants. Liverpool and Real Madrid are hot on their heels to persuade the Frenchman

Werner, Toney, Henderson ... Mbapp? Key players set for possible transfers

It has been a slow start to the January transfer window in the Premier League. Expect that to change pretty quickly. Deals are being mooted, speculation is starting to fly, and sought-after stars like Kylian Mbapp and Ivan Toney have chosen to talk about their future to the media. Here's a look at the situation surrounding some key players and teams: TIMO WERNER Timo Werner might have won the Champions League during his time with Chelsea from 2020-22, but it was still an underwhelming stint in English soccer for the Germany forward. It looks like he'll be returning to England to London again, too in a bid to ignite his career ahead of the European Championship. Werner is widely reported to be close to joining Tottenham from Leipzig, initially on loan, but with a view to a permanent move. In the short term, he would plug a gap left by the departure of captain Son Heung-min to the Asian Cup potentially until mid-February. It's right that Timo wants to go on loan," Leipzig coa

FA Cup: Liverpool beat Arsenal 2-0; De Bruyne back for City in 5-0 win

Three straight losses, an elimination from the FA Cup, and the ominous sight of Manchester City back in form and boosted by the return of Kevin De Bruyne. These are worrying times for Arsenal. In a heavyweight third-round matchup in the FA Cup, Arsenal's increasingly alarming problems in front of goal were further exposed in a 2-0 loss to Liverpool on Sunday. An end-to-end contest was settled by two late goals an own-goal by Arsenal defender Jakub Kiwior in the 80th minute and a fierce strike by Luis Diaz in the fourth minute of stoppage time. Arsenal has now lost four of its last seven matches in all competitions, including its last three in a row. We need to reset, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said. This (upcoming winter) break is good. It has come at a good time. Arsenal has had 48 shots in its last two home games taking in the 2-0 loss to West Ham in the Premier League on Dec. 28 and not scored a goal. That statistic, plus a knee injury to first-choice striker Gabriel Jesu

FA Cup 2024 - Arsenal vs Liverpool football live match time, streaming

Arsenal and Liverpool will be up against each other in the third round of the FA Cup 2023-24 on Sunday, January 7, 2024

Brazil coach Diniz fired, Sao Paulo's Dorival Junior could replace him

Brazil coach Fernando Diniz was fired by the confederation president, a day after the latter got his job back. The Brazilian Football Confederation said in a statement that president Ednaldo Rodrigues informed Diniz that he wanted to advance the process of choice of a permanent coach. Diniz was contracted to the middle of the year as Rodrigues expected Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti to take the Brazil job before the Copa America in June in the United States. However, Ancelotti recently extended his stay at Madrid. Diniz was splitting Brazil duties with coaching Fluminense, the Copa Libertadores champion. Rodrigues was returned to office by Brazil's Supreme Court on Thursday, one month after a Rio de Janeiro court ousted him and his directors and triggered an election process that was questioned by FIFA. The CBF thanks Fernando Diniz for his work, his dedication, his seriousness and for the challenge of revamping Brazil, a statement said. Neither Diniz nor Fluminense have yet .

AIFF evaluates possibility of implementing Additional Video Review System

The AIFF has written to the International Football Association Board, the body that determines the laws of the game, to explore the possibility of India participating in the trial of the Additional Video Review System' (AVRS). The VAR technology, which was first used in FIFA events in 2016-17, supports the decision-making process of the referee in four game-changing situations: goals and offences leading up to a goal, penalty decisions and offences leading up to a penalty, direct red card incidents, and mistaken identity. "Our prime objective here is to reduce the margin of error by empowering match officials with the technology to assist in their decision-making," All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Kalyan Chaubey said in a media release. "While we will continue to work to implement VAR, I feel that, to begin with, AVRS can be a great option for a country like India. "AVRS would help us study the impact of the technology, train our match officials with the new concept,

Mario Zagallo, World Cup winning player, coach for Brazil, dies at age 92

Mario Zagallo, who won two World Cups as a player, one as a coach and another as an assistant coach for Brazil, has died. He was 92. The first person to win the World Cup both as a player and a manager, Zagallo is for many Brazilian soccer fans synonymous with patriotism, grit and glory. Brazilian soccer confederation president Ednaldo Rodrigues said in a statement in the early hours of Saturday confirming Zagallo's death that Zagallo is one of the biggest legends of the sport. No cause of death was released by the federation or his family. We offer solidarity to his family members and fans in this moment of grief for the departure of this great hero of our soccer, Rodrigues said. Several Brazilian clubs where Zagallo played and coached also expressed their sorrow for his death. Zagallo's social media channels called him a dedicated father, a loving grandfather, a caring father-in-law, a loyal friend, a victorious professional and a great human being. A gigantic hero. A patriot t

Arsenal to wear all white in campaign against knife crime, youth violence

Arsenal will wear an all-white kit in its FA Cup third-round match against Liverpool on Sunday as part of its campaign against knife crime and youth violence. It will be the first time the Premier League team has worn the kit in a home game for its No More Red ' initiative. Young people face multiple challenges as they grow up in today's world and we don't have all the answers, but we are confident that by acting together and shining a light on the support network available across our community, we can make a significant contribution to the lives of our participants, said Freddie Hudson, Head of Arsenal in the Community. The campaign was launched in 2022 and this is the third season Arsenal has worn a kit drained of the club's traditional red to raise awareness. The Arsenal women's team will wear all white for the first time against Watford in the FA Cup later this month. While the kits are not for sale, a community T-shirt will be sold and Arsenal said 100% of the retail price w

Brazil Supreme Court ruling returns soccer confederation prez to office

A justice of Brazil's Supreme Court ruled that the country's ousted soccer confederation president should be returned to office. Justice Gilmar Mendes annulled a Rio de Janeiro court ruling dated Dec. 7 that removed Ednaldo Rodrigues and all his executives from their jobs at the confederation, known as the CBF, because of irregularities in the 2022 election process. The move comes four days before FIFA and South American soccer body CONMEBOL executives visit to discuss an allegedly undue third-party interference at the top of the CBF. Soccer's governing body was threatening to suspend Brazil from international competitions because of it. The Brazilian justice said there was evident risk of damage if Brazil was blocked from competing in Paris Olympic qualifiers this month because of the interference. Squads must submitted to soccer's governing body by Friday, and the CBF has yet to send its list. The 10 other justices of Brazil's top court will analyze Mendes' preliminary decision f

England forward Sancho on verge of Borussia Dortmund return: Reports

England forward Jadon Sancho is reportedly on the verge of returning to Borussia Dortmund from Manchester United. German tabloid Bild reported on Thursday that the clubs agreed on a loan deal for the 23-year-old Sancho to the end of the season, with just minor outstanding details to be finalized. Bild reported Dortmund was to pay around 3 million euros ($3.3 million) for the loan. Sancho fell out of favor with United coach Erik ten Haag and has made only three league appearances as a substitute this season. He hasn't played since August. Sancho joined United from Dortmund for 85 million euros (the $100 million) in 2021. He has nine goals in 59 English Premier League appearances. Sancho previously starred in a four-year spell at Dortmund, scoring 50 goals in 137 competitive games. He joined the German club from Manchester City in 2017. Dortmund is inconsistent this season, arguably overachieving in the Champions League by finishing top in a group with Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan

Indian-origin dy director pleads guilty of cheating Singapore Football body

An Indian-origin former deputy director at the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) has pleaded guilty to 15 cheating charges involving supplies to the sporting body through a company he owned. Another 30 similar charges will be taken into consideration for sentencing Rikram Jit Singh Randhir Singh, 43, who exploited his position to ensure that the sporting body's supply contracts were awarded to companies linked to him or his wife. The Singaporean admitted on Wednesday to dishonestly inducing FAS to disburse SGD 609,380, from which he and his wife, Asya Kirin Kames, made a profit of SGD 127,896, according to a report by The Straits Times. Their profits have been seized by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) and will be returned to FAS, the court heard. Rikram joined FAS in December 2010 as a marketing manager and rose through the ranks to become a deputy director in July 2017. FAS is responsible for developing and advancing football in Singapore and is partially

EPL: Salah's brace helps Liverpool beat Newcastle to open up 3-point lead

Mohamed Salah headed off to the Africa Cup of Nations on the back of a starring role for Liverpool in its 4-2 win over Newcastle that opened up a three-point lead in the English Premier League. An individual performance that started with his latest failure from the penalty spot ended with Salah scoring Liverpool's first and last goals and having a hand in the other two for his team in a chaotic game in wet and wild conditions at Anfield. All of the goals came in an end-to-end second half. The league pauses for the FA Cup and then a winter break lasting much of the rest of January with Liverpool looking the team most likely to stop Manchester City winning an unprecedented fourth straight top-flight title. City was in third place, five points behind Liverpool and two behind Aston Villa with a game in hand. Salah, who could be missing until mid-February depending on how far Egypt advances in the Africa Cup, could be the player to lead Liverpool to a record-tying 20th league ...

Iconic moments on the field await fans once again: Sports calendar 2024

From Euro to Olympics and everything else that would keep sports fans buzzing in 2024

Asian Cup football 2023: India announce 26-member squad, Chhetri to lead

India will start their campaign on Saturday, January 13 against Australia at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan

Brazil pay tributes to Pele, Christ the redeemer wears his number 10 jersey

Brazilians paid several tributes to soccer legend Pel on Friday, one year after the three-time World Cup winner's death at age 82 due to a colon cancer. A ceremony held at Rio de Janeiro's Christ the redeemer, one of the South American nation's most famous postcard locations, featured a projection of a Brazil shirt with Pel's name and number 10 on the statue and a message from Pope Francis. Pel was a devout Catholic throughout his life. Pel, as Mr. Edson Arantes do Nascimento became globally known, was undoubtedly an athlete who showed in his life all positive traits of a sportsman. The memory of the King of Soccer' remains indelible in the minds of many, and it stimulates new generations to seek in sport a means to strengthen the bonds of unity among us, the pontiff said in a letter as a local orchestra played. Other religious ceremonies were held at the Museu Pel in Santos, the port city he put on the map with his goals and success for Santos FC, and in the small city of Tres ...

Real Madrid extend manager Ancelotti's contract til 2026 fearing Brazil

Real Madrid has extended Carlo Ancelotti's contract until 2026, seemingly ending Brazil's hopes of hiring him as the new national team coach. Ancelotti had been linked with a move to Brazil for the past several months, with the president of the Brazilian soccer confederation publicly expressing his desire to hire the Italian coach. But Ancelotti had said all along that he would like to remain at Madrid if the club wanted him to stay. His current contract with the Spanish club Madrid was set to expire at the end of this season. Financial details of the new contract were not disclosed. This is Ancelotti's second stint with Madrid. He had previously coached the club from 2013-15, having returned in 2021. Ancelotti has won 10 titles with Madrid, including two Champions Leagues and one Spanish league. The 64-year-old Ancelotti has been linked to Brazil's men's team since Tite stepped down as its coach in December 2022 after a disappointing World Cup. Brazil is currently being coached

Players' strength of character key to final line-up of Asian Cup: Stimac

Lined up to face strong sides like Australia and Uzbekistan in the AFC Asian Cup football in Doha next month, India head coach Igor Stimac on Friday said "strength of character" will be the parameter to decide who will be included in the final squad. India are clubbed with formidable Australia, strong central Asian side Uzbekistan and tricky Syria -- all above Stimac's team in the FIFA rankings -- in the group stage of the Asian Cup from January 13 onwards. All the boys in the (probable) list are similar in their football qualities. What we are looking for the final list of 26 is definitely experience, physical strength, and the final line will be drawn by the strength of their character, Stimac said on the All India Football Federation's social media handles. This is very important for us as a team, because no matter the talent, if there is no character nothing can be achieved, he added. Stimac will announce his final 26 players before the team's departure on Saturday. Regarding

Man United set to enter Ratcliffe era with spotlight on transfer, Ten Hag

Fans of Manchester United know 2024 will be anything but boring as the club tries once again to end a period of on-field decline that has lasted 10 years for the record 20-time English league champions. British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe agreed Sunday Christmas Eve to buy a minority stake in United. The owner of petrochemicals giant INEOS, and a number of sports teams, will also take charge of United's soccer operations. The announcement of the deal, worth around $1.6 billion, came more than a year after American owners the Glazers put United up for sale in November 2022. The deal requires Premier League approval. Here's a look at the people involved and issues likely to be raised by the deal, including the future of United manager Erik ten Hag. JIM RATCLIFFE The 71-year-old Ratcliffe is one of the richest people in Britain and a boyhood United fan from Greater Manchester. He already owns French club Nice and cycling team INEOS Grenadiers. He is a one-third shareholder of the ..