Page 48 - Football

Belgium coach counts on Lukaku to assume leadership in De Bruyne's absence

For Belgium coach Domenico Tedesco, calling up Romelu Lukaku for a couple of European Championship qualifiers was a no brainer. Even though the striker's season-long loan deal to Roma was only completed on Thursday ending uncertainty over his future and a standoff with Chelsea and Lukaku having not played so far this campaign. Tedesco said he closely followed the developments that led to Lukaku's move at Roma, and that he knew how seriously the striker trained despite the offseason Chelsea row. "I know that he was training. He was training with Chelsea too, of course, but also individually," Tedesco said after including Belgium's record scorer in the 24-man squad. "For us it was not a question to invite him or not, because I think you saw in the last games how important he is. Not just as a player, also for the changing room. He is a leader. He is a top striker, and a top human," Tedesco added. Belgium, which is second in Group F three points behind Austria but with a match in h

Gilt transfer

The Saudis have pulled off the biggest sportswashing coup possible, redefining the European football landscape

Champions League 2023-24 full schedule, teams, live streaming in India

Arsenal and Manchester United make their Champions League comebacks as the group stage draws were announced on Thursday, August 31, 2023

Durand Cup final: It's Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal on 'Super Sunday'

Albanian Armando Sadiku shrugged off his poor form to inspire Mohun Bagan to a come-from-behind 2-1 win over FC Goa in the Durand Cup semifinal here on Thursday. The win paved the way for a fairytale Durand Cup finale on 'Super Sunday' as it set up Mohun Bagan's derby showdown against arch-rivals East Bengal in a repeat of 2004 final. A compact and defence-heavy FC Goa drew the first blood with their Moroccan midfielder Noah Sadaoui's 23rd minute strike. Mohun Bagan took the penalty route to restore parity with Jason Cumming scoring from the spot in the 42nd minute in what appeared to be a contentious call by referee Ashwin. Four minutes after he replaced Hugo Boumous, Armenian substitute Sadiku overcame criticism to score the most-important goal of his career at the Mariners. He capitalised on a Sandesh Jhingan howler to strike home the lead -- and eventual winner -- in the 61st minute. Ferrando bolstered his defence in the final minutes, bringing in Brendan Hamill and Liston Col

No Ronaldo, Neymar, Benzema in Champions League: Uefa chief quashes rumours

Rumours circulating that Saudi Pro League teams could participate in the Champions League were quashed by Uefa chief Aleksander Ceferin

EPL: Sauna, nose taping, special glasses part of Haaland's sleeping routine

Erling Haaland, the leading goal scorer in the Premier League 2022-23 season has a unique sleeping routine to get a good night's sleep and make his body function in the best way

Premier League: Liverpool's Van Dijk in trouble, may face longer suspension

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk could be handed a longer suspension after being charged by the Football Association on Tuesday for his reaction to being shown a red card against Newcastle in the Premier League over the weekend. The Netherlands center back was sent off for a foul on Alexander Isak in the first half of Liverpool's 2-1 victory at St. James' Park on Sunday. Van Dijk initially refused to leave the field and then remonstrated with referee John Brooks. The sending-off will earn him an automatic one-match ban, to be served against Aston Villa this weekend, but the suspension could be increased. It's alleged that the defender acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words towards a match official," the FA said. Van Dijk has until Friday to respond to the charge.

Vinicius out of Brazil''s World Cup qualifying matches, Raphinha drafted in

Vinicius Jnior will miss Brazil's first two World Cup qualifying matches next month because of a right hamstring injury. Brazil's soccer federation confirmed the absence Tuesday after media reported that Real Madrid had estimated that the 23-year-old Vinicius, injured in the team's 1-0 victory at Celta Vigo in the Spanish league, could be sidelined for about a month. Raphinha was drafted into the Brazil squad for games against Bolivia on Sept. 8 and Peru four days later. He last played for Brazil's national team during the World Cup in Qatar. The 26-year-old winger has five goals in 16 appearances for the national team. The matches will be Fernando Diniz's first as head coach of Brazil.

Mother of Spanish football chief starts hunger strike to defend him

The mother of the Spanish soccer federation president has started a hunger strike in a church in southern Spain in defense of her son, who is under fire for kissing a player during the recent Women's World Cup awards ceremony. ngeles Bjar, mother of suspended federation president Luis Rubiales, told the state news agency EFE she would remain on hunger strike "night and day" until a solution is found to "the bloody and inhumane hounding" of her son. Speaking outside the church in the southern town of Motril, Rubiales' cousin, Vanessa Ruiz, joined his mother in calling on the player, Jenni Hermoso, to "tell the truth." She said the family was suffering greatly and she described Rubiales as "a beautiful person." Rubiales came in for a storm of criticism following the kiss which was interpreted by many as a form of sexual abuse. The incident happened during the medal ceremony after the final last Sunday in Sydney, Australia. Earlier during the celebrations, Rubiales also grabbed his .

Saudi Arabia signals interest in the Champions League football entry

UEFA members include a few non-European countries, including Kazakhstan, whose clubs can participate in the Champions League

Luis Rubiales: From sullying Women's World Cup to a Spanish soccer outcast

One week after the president of the Spanish soccer federation kissed a player during the Women's World Cup awards ceremony, his reputation is in tatters and he's out of his job. Luis Rubiales, whose leadership of Spanish soccer had already been marked by successes tinged with scandal, wrecked his career by offending millions worldwide with his conduct at the final in Sydney, Australia, when he also grabbed his crotch in a victory gesture. A day after he was provisionally suspended by FIFA for 90 days, Spain awoke on Sunday to headlines like the one in El Pais: Spain no longer tolerates men like Rubiales. FIFA moved against Rubiales after he refused to step down and defiantly told an emergency assembly of his federation on Friday that he was the victim of a witch hunt by false feminists. On a day that will go down as one of the ugliest in Spanish soccer, Rubiales said that forward Jenni Hermoso had consented to the mutual kiss. Hermoso replied in two statements to say that was false

Durand Cup: Team effort helps FC Goa beat Chennaiyin FC 4-1 to enter semis

Former champions FC Goa marched into the 132nd Durand Cup football tournament semifinals, defeating Chennaiyin FC 4-1, here on Saturday. Carl Mchugh (30th), Carlos Martinez (37th), Noah Sadoui (90+1st) and Victor Rodriguez (90+3d) were the goalscorers for the Goan side. Bikash Yumnam opened the scoring for Chennaiyin in the fifth minute when he found the net from a corner. The Gaurs responded with fervour, with Martinez hitting the bar and Udanta missing an opportunity. They equalised after 30 minutes when Udanta's cross was headed back by Noah and converted by new signing Mchugh. Goa's Noah and Carlos both came close to scoring, but Chennaiyin's Samik denied them. Spaniard Martinez then executed an exceptional chip, securing the Gaurs' comeback with his third goal of the tournament. Chennaiyin substituted to counter Noah's threat and began the second half more assertively. Dheeraj made crucial saves to thwart Chennaiyin's Ayush Sangwan's efforts. In the added time, Noah broug

Spain's Luis Rubiales-Jenni Hermoso case: Everything you need to know

Fifa banned Luis Rubiales on Aug 26, 2023, for his conduct at the Women's World Cup final, wherein he kissed a player on the lips without her consent among other things

Long injury list won't push Chelsea to reintegrate Romelu Lukaku into squad

Romelu Lukaku's relationship with Chelsea remains broken despite a lengthening list of injured attackers that is proving a frustration for manager Mauricio Pochettino early in his tenure at the English club. Lukaku has not been given a squad number by Chelsea this season and has made clear his desire to leave Stamford Bridge. The Belgium striker joined Chelsea for a then-club-record fee of $135 million in August 2021 but spent last season on loan at Inter Milan. Chelsea has been unwilling to consider another loan move and would rather sell Lukaku. If ever there was a time for Lukaku to be reintegrated into the senior squad, it is now. On Thursday, winger Mykhailo Mudryk joined an injury list that already contains striker Christopher Nkunku and attacking midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka. Armando Broja, another striker, is not yet ready to play as he recovers from an ACL injury that has kept him out since December. It leaves Pochettino with only one recognized striker for the visit of

Trouble for Karim Benzema: Not fitting into tactics says Al-Ittihad manager

Benzema moved to Al-Ittihad after spending 11 years at Spanish club Real Madrid

Mumbai City to play AFC Champions League home games in Pune

Indian Super League side Mumbai City FC will play its AFC Champions League home games at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Balewadi, Pune. The change in the venue is due to the present infrastructural set up at the Mumbai Football Arena, which makes it ineligible to host AFC Champions League games. Mumbai City FC will set up its base in Pune for their three home games in the Group Stage of the 2023-24 AFC Champions League. Mumbai City FC will find out their opponents at the group stage draw, scheduled to be held at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur on August 24.

Premier League: Man City's Pep Guardiola undergoes emergency back surgery

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has undergone emergency surgery on a back problem and isn't expected to take charge of the English Premier League champion for another month at least, the club said on Tuesday. City said Guardiola has been suffering with severe back pain for some time and decided to have an operation in Barcelona, where he will spend time recovering. The surgery was successful, the club said. His assistant, Juanma Lillo, will take over Guardiola's duties in the meantime. He is expected to return after the forthcoming international break, City said of Guardiola. City has league games against Sheffield United and Fulham before the club season pauses for two weeks for international matches. City's first game back is against West Ham on Sept. 16.

Durand Cup: Quarterfinal berths confirmed, Mohun Bagan face Mumbai City FC

Defending Indian Super League champions Mohun Bagan and Shield winners Mumbai City FC will renew their rivalry when they clash in the Durand Cup quarterfinals. The quarterfinals lineup of the Durand Cup was announced on Tuesday. East Bengal will take on Gokulam Kerala as the two city heavyweights will play both their respective last-eight matches on home turf. Guwahati will host the other two quarterfinals with NorthEast United FC facing Indian Army FT on Thursday, while FC Goa will take on Chennaiyin FC on Saturday. QF LINEUP ====== NothEast United FC v Indian Army FT (Aug 24, Guwahati); East Bengal v Gokulam Kerala FC (Aug 25, Kolkata); FC Goa v Chennaiyin FC (Aug 26, Guwahati); Mohun Bagan Super Giant v Mumbai City FC (Aug 27, Kolkata).

Premier League: Odegaard's penalty leads 10-man Arsenal to win over Palace

Arsenal relied on Martin Odegaard's 54th-minute penalty and an obdurate defensive effort when down to 10 men late on to secure a 1-0 win at Crystal Palace in the English Premier League. Takehiro Tomiyasu was sent off in the 67th minute after collecting a second yellow card on Monday, forcing Arsenal to retreat to preserve its second straight victory to open the campaign. In the end, a penalty separated the teams, with Odegaard sending Sam Johnstone the wrong way from the spot after the Palace goalkeeper brought down Eddie Nketiah following a quickly taken free kick. Bukayo Saka usually takes Arsenal's spot kicks but he handed the ball to Odegaard, the captain. Arsenal is keeping pace with likely title rival Manchester City, the defending champion, by earning back-to-back wins. The first 2-1 at home to Nottingham Forest didn't come easy, either. We know Man City are the best team in the world at the minute and they are tough to stop, Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice said. But it's

EPL: Arsenal visits Palace, AC Milan opens season at Bologna in Serie A

A look at what's happening in European soccer on Monday: ENGLAND Arsenal heads to London rival Crystal Palace for a game between two teams looking for a second straight Premier League victory to start the season. Arsenal has to do without Jurrien Timber, who sustained a long-term knee injury in the season opener, while goalkeeper David Raya is expected to be on the bench after his move from Brentford. Palace manager Roy Hodgson is pleased to still have Michael Olise in his squad after the winger turned down the chance to join Chelsea and signed a new four-year deal at Selhurst Park. SPAIN Sevilla looks to rebound from its loss to Manchester City in the UEFA Super Cup final when it visits Alaves in the Spanish league. Both Sevilla and Alaves opened with defeats last weekend Sevilla at home against Valencia and Alaves at Cadiz. Alaves, back in the first division after a year in the second tier, is winless against Sevilla in its last nine league matches against the rival. Sevilla has