Новости за 22.03.2018

Paul Pogba will not be getting any special treatment from Didier Deschamps despite his struggles at club level with Manchester United. Pogba was an unused substitute for United's last match before the international break, a 2-0 home win against Brighton and Hove Albion in the FA Cup quarter-finals. The midfielder was also named on the bench for both legs of United's last-16 Champions League tie against Sevilla, making little impact as a substitute in either match as Jose Mourinho's men suffered a shock 2-1 aggregate defeat. Читать дальше...

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is set to become the latest star of European football to seek a late career challenge on the other side of the Atlantic, with LA Galaxy widely expected to sign the 36-year-old striker following his release from Manchester United. Major League Soccer is attracting more players from Europe closer to their peak nowadays – the superb performances of Italy forward Sebastian Giovinco with Toronto FC standing as a prime example – but the competition remains a destination for greats winding down and hoping for a victory lap. Читать дальше...

Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere will miss England's friendly against Netherlands in Amsterdam on Friday with a tendon problem. Wilshere was in line for a first international appearance since Euro 2016, having battled back from persistent injury issues to regain a place in Arsene Wenger's first-team plans this season. Speaking at a pre-match news conference, England boss Gareth Southgate played down fears the 26-year-old's latest setback was significant, and Wilshere could still feature when Italy travel to Wembley next week. Читать дальше...

England manager Gareth Southgate has no safety concerns ahead of the World Cup finals in Russia, despite calls for the Three Lions to boycott the tournament. Political tensions between England and Russia have developed following the attempted murder of Russian former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, by use of a nerve agent in Salisbury. Prime minister Theresa May confirmed all UK politicians and members of the royal family will boycott the event in protest, while foreign secretary Boris... Читать дальше...

Zlatan Ibrahimovic said great things have to come to an end after his departure from Manchester United was confirmed on Thursday. Ibrahimovic is expected to link up with MLS side LA Galaxy after his United contract was terminated with three months still to run. The 36-year-old joined United from Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer in 2016 and he scored 28 goals in 46 games in his debut season, helping Jose Mourinho's side to win both the EFL Cup and Europa League. But knee injuries have restricted... Читать дальше...

Argentina are "Lionel Messi's team" and the Barcelona forward will be central to their World Cup hopes, says head coach Jorge Sampaoli. International honours have eluded Messi during his career, with Argentina beaten in the final of the 2014 World Cup and twice losing in the Copa America final. Argentina face Italy in Manchester on Friday ahead of a match against Spain as their preparations for this year's finals in Russia continue. And Sampaoli confirmed he will be building his side around Messi... Читать дальше...

Juventus will play in the 2018 MLS All-Star Game, the Serie A side have announced. Atlanta United's Mercedes-Benz Stadium will host the match on August 1, with Juve following European clubs including Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal as featuring in the fixture. Former Juve player Sebastian Giovinco and his fellow MLS stars David Villa, Kaka and Bastian Schweinsteiger were among the players to be selected for the match last season. "It will be a pleasure for us to play in this game and feel the energy of MLS... Читать дальше...

Manchester United have terminated Zlatan Ibrahimovic's contract with immediate effect amid mounting speculation the veteran striker is on the verge of joining Major League Soccer franchise LA Galaxy. Ibrahimovic joined United from Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer in 2016 and his debut season yielded 28 goals in 46 games as Jose Mourinho's side won the EFL Cup and Europa League. However, a cruciate knee ligament injury sustained against Anderlecht during the latter competition left him sidelined for eight months and... Читать дальше...

A year ago, Cedric Kipre must have assumed he had no chance of an international future: he'd been released by Leicester after three years during which he failed to make a single senior appearance in any competition.Twelve months on, though, times have changed: Kipre joined Motherwell after impressing on trial last summer and, after a successful season, he was called up by the Ivory Coast on Wednesday.Kipre was actually born in Paris and spent his youth career with PSG, but he's eligible to represent... Читать дальше...

Virgil van Dijk is the new Netherlands national team captain, coach Ronald Koeman has confirmed. The Liverpool centre-back became the most expensive defender in history when he joined from Koeman's former club Southampton for £75million in January. And the 26-year-old has now been announced as the successor to Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben, who retired from international football after Netherlands failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. "[It is] great news, for me and my family," said Van Dijk... Читать дальше...

19. Wally plus BrollyEngland 2-2 Croatia, European Championship qualifier (2007)On November 21, 2007, England suffered one of the darker days in their footballing history when they failed to qualify for Euro 2008.Steve McClaren’s side only needed a draw against Croatia at Wembley to book their place at the tournament, but after they came from two goals down to level the scores at 2-2, Mladen Petric fired home a dramatic winner 13 minutes from time.While visiting manager Slaven Bilic jumped for joy... Читать дальше...

Paulo Dybala and Mauro Icardi are in danger of being ignored by Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli for his World Cup squad after failing to impress during previous international call-ups. Argentina face Italy in Manchester on Friday in a friendly clash as Sampaoli's World Cup preparations are stepped up a notch with less than three months until the tournament starts, but Dybala and Icardi are both absent from the group. Having struggled in qualifying, scraping through on the last day, many of Argentina's... Читать дальше...

Words: Huw Davies, Chris Flanagan, James Maw, Andrew Murray, Gary Parkinson1. Robbie Fowler’s easy-breathe plasterIn supposedly opening up his airwaves for easier inhalation, Fowler’s nose plaster became an unwitting prop for his ‘cocaine snorting’ goal celebration in the Merseyside derby of April 1999.2. Tiny players wearing massive shirtsThe 1970s had V-necks; the ’80s had short shorts; the ’90s had elfin players drowning in tents. Juninho never left Middlesbrough between his three spells; he went... Читать дальше...

Gerard Pique says he "almost s*** myself" when he found himself the target of a Roy Keane rant during his time at Manchester United. A product of La Masia, Pique moved to Old Trafford in 2004 before returning to Barcelona in 2008, the Spain international becoming one of the world's finest defenders during his decade at Camp Nou. But before heading to Catalonia, Pique provoked ire from famously fiery Irishman Keane after leaving his mobile phone on in the dressing room before a match. "One of my very first matches at Old Trafford... Читать дальше...

Paris Saint-Germain must close the Auteuil stand for their next European match at Parc des Princes following disciplinary sanctions announced by UEFA.

Gareth Bale believes becoming Wales's all-time leading scorer represents one of his finest career achievements. Bale's hat-trick in Thursday's 6-0 dismantling of the host nation in the China Cup gave Ryan Giggs a perfect start to life as Wales manager. It also meant the 28-year-old Real Madrid star surpassed Ian Rush's previous best mark of 28 goals for his country as he secured the match ball. "It's amazing," Bale told BBC One Wales, before explaining it was a particularly significant day for him to reach the landmark. Читать дальше...

We seem to be living in a rich time for international goalscorers. Witness the fact that the top 11 players in this quiz each have 50 or more national team goals. They can’t all have come against American Samoa.While a certain Welshman (who we're hoping you'll get pretty quickly) hasjust become his country's highest ever scorer, the below doesn't even delve intohistory. Each of these playersare the active highest scorers for their country – meaning they’re still playing and available for international football. Читать дальше...

Joachim Low has told injured Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer he will need to be playing to make it into Germany's World Cup squad, though he has been assured of a return before the season's conclusion. Neuer has endured a difficult 12 months, having broken his foot three times and managed just three Bundesliga displays this term. Bayern have been particularly careful managing Neuer's comeback, as they seek to avoid another recurrence of the injury. He is in the final stages of his rehabilitation ahead of a potential April return... Читать дальше...

Eagle-eyed Sky One viewers may recognise the face: this is Carl Magnay, who won the second series of Football Icon (think Pop Idol with training cones and footballs) and last night he did this in the Vanarama Conference.Outrageous.The prize for winning Football Icon was actually a contract at Chelsea. Inevitably, neither Magnay nor Sam Hurrell, who won the first series, ever made much of an impression at Stamford Bridge - or even in the professional game itself - but at least Magnay will always have... Читать дальше...

Rarely has an England manager approached a major tournament with the uncertainty that Gareth Southgate is confronted with. Before Euro 2012, Roy Hodgson succeeded Fabio Capello with so little notice that he had only two friendly fixtures to prepare. However, he was at least working with established and experienced international players whose selection was near-certain.Two years earlier, Capello's lack of faith in his limited options contributed to Jamie Carragher ending his international retirement... Читать дальше...

Gareth Bale has replaced Ian Rush as Wales' record goalscorer thanks to a superb hat-trick against China. Taking to the field from kick-off in Ryan Giggs' first game as boss of the national team, Bale made an swift impact at Nanning's Guangxi Sports Center Stadium by crafting an excellent second-minute solo goal. Some generous defending from the hosts midway through the first half of the China Cup match allowed the Real Madrid man to pull level with Liverpool great Rush on 28 goals in Wales colours. Читать дальше...

Jose Mourinho believes "people with a brain" should be able to see that Manchester United's recent issues are a result of being in "transition". Although United have only failed to win four of their last 15 games across all competitions, performances have fallen well short of expectations. The most striking failure in recent months was the 2-1 defeat at home to Sevilla in the Champions League round of 16, a defeat which eliminated United from Europe's elite competition. Mourinho came in for significant... Читать дальше...

West Ham have banned five supporters from attending their matches for life after ugly scenes marred the 3-0 Premier League defeat to Burnley at London Stadium on March 10. A section of the West Ham fans staged a protest against club owners David Sullivan and David Gold before the match, and the toxic atmosphere was prevalent during the contest as well. Things reached boiling point once West Ham fell behind to Ashley Barnes' emphatic 66th-minute strike, as two supporters entered the field of play... Читать дальше...

Andres Iniesta suspects he will pull on a Spain jersey for the final time at this year's World Cup in Russia. Iniesta will be remembered as one of the most important players in Spain's football history, such is the impact he has had since making his debut in 2006. Ahead of Friday's friendly clash with Germany, Iniesta has played 123 times for Spain, a record bettered by only Andoni Zubizarreta, Xavi, Sergio Ramos and Iker Casillas. Should Iniesta feature in all of Spain's pre-World Cup friendly games and help them to the final... Читать дальше...

It seems that Qatar's efforts to prepare a competitive side for the 2022 World Cup are progressing well enough – on Wednesday, they beat Iraq 3-2 in a friendly.It was the first international to take place on Iraqi soil since the lifting of a long-standing FIFA ban on the country hosting games, and 65,000 fans gathered in Basra to watch.And the footballing highlight was this...That's Akram Afif, scoring his second goal of the game (and the half) to putQatar 2-1 in front.Ismail Mohammad netted Qatar's third goal... Читать дальше...