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Gary Lineker urges Three Lions to ‘treasure’ Euro 2020 final
Gary Lineker has urged the England players to “treasure and enjoy” Sunday’s Euro 2020 final against Italy – but believes it is just the beginning and success will soon come even if they are beaten at Wembley. Gareth Southgate’s side are preparing for their first major tournament final in 55 years, something not even Lineker achieved during his time as a Three Lions player. The former Tottenham, Everton and Barcelona forward also praised the players for the showing a “shining social conscience” off the field which represents the “very best” of England. In an open letter to the England team in the Players’ Tribune, Lineker said: “I wish I was playing with you. This is the sort of occasion you dream about as a player. And honestly, it’s much less nerve-racking out on the pitch than in the sta...
La Liga chief: Impossible for Barca to keep Lionel Messi without departures
Barcelona must considerably reduce their wage bill in order to keep Lionel Messi, LaLiga chief Javier Tebas said on Thursday, adding that the club would not be shown any leniency when it comes to obeying the league’s strict financial control rules. Messi, Barca’s all-time top scorer and appearance maker, ended his 21-year association with the club last month and is currently a free agent as the Catalans cannot offer him a new deal due to their financial predicament. President Joan Laporta said last month that Messi was keen to remain at the club but giving him a new deal was being held up by the league’s Financial Fair Play regulations. Spanish media reports had suggested LaLiga could relax the rules to allow the six-time Ballon d’Or winner to stay at Barca but Tebas said there was no chan...
Nacho extends Real Madrid contract to 2023
Real Madrid have extended Nacho’s contract through to the summer of 2023 as questions continue to be asked of Raphael Varane’s future at Santiago Bernabeu. A 31-year-old centre-half has agreed to prolong his association with the Blancos, with a home-grown talent remaining a one-club man. That is good news for Real as they are left sweating on the options that Carlo Ancelotti will have to pick from at the heart of his back four in 2021-22. A statement from the Blancos on their official website reads: “Real Madrid C. F. and Nacho Fernandez have reached an agreement to extend the player’s contract in a deal that ties him to the club for the next two seasons and until 30 June 2023.” Recommended Stories You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what ...
Arsenal launch transfer bid for Lyon star Houssem Aouar
Arsenal have reportedly made an offer to Ligue 1 outfit Lyon for midfielder Houssem Aouar following a drop in the asking price for the player. According to Le 10 Sport, Aouar could cost the Gunners under a third of the £54 million fee club officials hoped to get in 2020. The 23-year-old had been heavily linked with a move to the Emirates before the start of the 2020-21 season. Gunners boss Mikel Arteta is thought to be keen on the versatile attacker who can play centrally or on the wing. In September reports in France claimed Lyon had turned their noses up at two separate bids from the North London giants of £31m and £34.5m. However, Le 10 Sport says the Gunners have returned with a fresh offer for the midfielder whose current contract with the French outfit runs out in 2023. And it is tho...
Former Everton boss calls Richarlison to discuss possible Real Madrid move
New Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has been in contact with Richarlison, a player he is eager to reunite with in Spain this summer. Ancelotti was hired by Real Madrid in June as he opted to leave Everton to return to his former club on a contract that runs through 2024. The Italian boss is now interested in bringing one of Everton’s stars to Madrid with him, as he has held conversations with Richarlison over that possibility. Goal can confirm that a call between Ancelotti and Richarlison happened recently, with the forward currently on duty with Brazil for Copa America. Ancelotti is eager to bring him to the Bernabeu, but any potential talks are in the early stages. Still, the conversation between the two could evolve into an offer for Everton to consider in the coming weeks. The Braz...
Alhassan Yusuf speaks on transfer, new agent
Alhassan Yusuf has spoken for the first time on a transfer away from Swedish club IFK Goteborg just as he also commented on changing of his agents. Newsmen reported that newly-promoted Premier League club Brentford and Scottish champions Rangers have already contacted Goteborg on the availability of their star midfielder. “I know nothing about it. Because now the focus is only on my matches here, so we’ll see what happens,” Yusuf told Goteborgs-Posten when asked about these interests. “As I said: Right now the focus is only on the matches, then we will see if anything comes. You do not know.” ‘Hasse’ has a year left on his contract with his Swedish club and he said he has not started discussions about an extension. The player also confirmed he recently changed agents. He said he changed fr...
SWAN wants sports ministry, NFF to immortalise Muda Lawal
The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Oyo State Chapter, has urged the Ministry of Sports and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to immortalise the late Green Eagles midfield player, Mudasiru Lawal. In a statement issued on Tuesday in Ibadan and jointly signed by Niyi Alebiosu and Adewale Tijani, its Chairman and Secretary respectively, the association said that national team and IICC Shooting Stars player deserved to be immortalised. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Abeokuta-born football star died 30 years ago. It enjoined the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development as well as Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to name a competition or award category after the departed footballer. The association also recalled the exploits of Muda Lawal, reminding ...
Luke Shaw hits back at Jose Mourinho in Rome as England roll on
At Jose Mourinho’s new home, the Stadio Olimpico, Luke Shaw, chose the perfect setting for his latest riposte to his former boss with two assists in England’s 4-0 thrashing of Ukraine to reach the Euro 2020 semi-finals. Shaw suffered at the hands of Mourinho for three seasons at Manchester United, a string of public criticism not a patch on what was said behind closed doors, the 25-year-old admitted this week. Mourinho’s arrival at Old Trafford came hot on the heels of a horrible double leg fracture Shaw suffered in September 2015. The former Southampton defender revealed in 2018 there had even been fears his right leg would have to be amputated because of blood clots that required emergency surgery. His career never got back on track during Mourinho’s tempestuous time at United, where he ...
PSG send contract offer to free agent Lionel Messi amid Barca talks
Lionel Messi has been a free agent since this Thursday after his contract at Barcelona came to an end. PSG have taken advantage of the situation to send an offer to Barca’s number 10, who is currently concentrating on the Copa America with Argentina. Since he became a free agent this Thursday after his previous contract at Barcelona terminated, meaning any team is free to sign Messi. According to reports the Argentine is yet to reach an agreement with his boyhood club, teams from around the round are looking to pry him away. Among his suitors is Paris Saint-Germain. ‘AS’ report suggest that the French side has taken advantage of the current situation to send an offer to the player. The Ligue 1 outfit are looking to build add to a set of strong summer reinforcements, as Donnarumma, Hakimi a...
Joel Obi released by Italian club Chievo Verona
Nigeria midfielder Joel Obi has been released by Serie B outfit Chievo Verona after the expiration of his contract. The 30-year-old linked up with Verona from Torino in the 2018. Obi spent the second half of the campaign at Turkish Super Lig club Alanyaspor where he made just two appearances. The player scored four goals in 56 league appearances during his three year stay with the Flying Donkeys. He once had stints with Inter Milan and Parma. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing photos, blogging and help give users back their fair share of Internet revenue.
Euro 2020: Matthijs de Ligt takes blame for Netherlands elimination
Netherlands defender Matthijs de Ligt said he felt he was the player to blame for his team’s Euro 2020 last-16 exit after being sent off in Sunday’s 2-0 loss to the Czech Republic. The Juventus centre-back was dismissed 10 minutes into the second half in Budapest for a deliberate handball after he was forced into an error by Czech striker Patrik Schick. As De Ligt fell to the ground he pushed the ball away from Schick to deny his opponent a goalscoring opportunity. He initially escaped with just a booking, but received a red card following a VAR review. “I had it under control. The ball came and I let it bounce. I fell to the ground and got pushed, which made me use my hands,” De Ligt told Dutch public broadcaster NOS. “The moment changed the game and I feel responsible. I saw how the guys...
Dick van Burik: Kevin-Prince Boateng could have reached Lionel Messi’s level
Retired former Dutch professional footballer Dick van Burik believes Kevin-Prince Boateng had the potential to reach Lionel Messi’s level. The former centre-back captained Hertha Berlin and played with the Ghanaian in the same team between 2005 and 2007. The West African, recently, made a return to the team where he started his career and signed a one-year contract. The now 47-year-old Dutch concedes the qualities of the attacker in the German team were world-class and much was expected from him. “Even when Kevin came from the youth to the first team, his potential was immediately world-class,” Van Burik said as quoted by Ghanaweb. “He can do things that you go to the stadium for. Even then he had the… attitude and simply showed what he can do. “He has become a great player but I actually ...
