Новости за 16.11.2018

Fernando Santos admits Portugal miss Cristiano Ronaldo but says his focus is solely on the pressing matter of reaching the Nations League Finals. Juventus star Ronaldo is not expected to feature at international level until March at the earliest, although it appears his self-imposed exile could continue later into 2019. The European champions, who underwhelmed in a last-16 exit at the World Cup, have performed well in their captain's absence, compiling a four-game unbeaten run. Either a point... Читать дальше...

West Ham defender Pablo Zabaleta believes the Premier League's move to introduce VAR next season "can only be a good thing" if it is implemented correctly. VAR has become increasingly prominent in world football in recent years, helping to correct erroneous refereeing decisions and taking some pressure off officials. It was used at a World Cup for the first time in Russia this year, while the Bundesliga, LaLiga, Ligue 1, Serie A, A-League and MLS have all adopted the technology. The Premier League... Читать дальше...

Gareth Southgate has encouraged England to take the next step in their World Cup healing process by booking a place in the Nations League Finals. England can advance to the final four with three points in Sunday's decisive clash against Croatia, the team that knocked them out at the semi-final stage in Russia. Three victories in five outings since that heartbreak, including a landmark success away to Spain, have helped fulfil Southgate's hope of avoiding psychological scars. But the chance to... Читать дальше...

Claudio Ranieri has warned fans not to expect a repeat of his Leicester City "fairytale" Premier League title heroics after being appointed as Fulham's new manager. Ranieri was confirmed as the replacement for the sacked Slavisa Jokanovic on Wednesday, seeing the Italian return to the Premier League for his third spell. It was in his last stay in England that Ranieri had undoubtedly his greatest impact, as he led unfancied Leicester to the 2015-16 league title, a sporting achievement regarded as one of the greatest in modern times. Читать дальше...

Portrait image: Paul CooperAs far as boyhood ambitions go, Emile Heskey hasn’t done too badly at all. And we’re not even talking about the striker’s 22-year professional career that gave him success with his local club, major trophies at Liverpool and three tournaments with England.Nope, FFT is wide-eyed at Heskey’s man cave, resplendent with pool table, air hockey, glistening bar, and adorned with the shirts of famous foes.“Most of these aren’t even mine,” he chuckles. But the one that immediately attracts our attention is... Читать дальше...

Ivan Rakitic is out of Croatia's crunch Nations League clash with England, coach Zlatko Dalic has confirmed. Rakitic was substituted during the second half of Croatia's dramatic 3-2 victory at home to Spain on Thursday, with Tin Jedvaj hitting a 93rd-minute winner. That result set up a decider against England at Wembley on Sunday, but Rakitic will be unable to play due to his injury. "I asked for the change because I had discomfort," Rakitic said after the Spain win. Croatia will qualify for... Читать дальше...

Jadon Sancho's stunning rise has continued after the teenager received the Bundesliga's October Player of the Month award. Sancho has starred in Borussia Dortmund's rise to the top of the Bundesliga, contributing four goals and a league-high six assists. October was particularly productive for the 18-year-old, who joined the club from Manchester City in August 2017 and signed a new Dortmund deal earlier this month. Sancho was mainly used as a substitute in the first few weeks of the season but... Читать дальше...

Dejan Lovren doubled down on his taunting of Sergio Ramos and accused Spain of being sore losers following Croatia's crucial Nations League victory. Lovren mocked Ramos in the lead up to the match, claiming the Real Madrid captain is made to look better by team-mates, and took another swipe after Tin Jedvaj's stoppage-time goal secured a 3-2 win on Thursday. The Liverpool man was filmed in an Instagram video calling his fellow defender and the Spain squad "p******", before uploading a picture of... Читать дальше...

Ivan Rakitic says he has "enormous respect" for England ahead of their World Cup semi-final rematch in the Nations League. Croatia came out on top at Russia 2018 after downing England in extra-time, although Zlatko Dalic's side then lost to France in the final. England and Croatia played out a goalless draw earlier in their Nations League group but relegation and a place in the tournament's finals are on the line at Wembley on Sunday. A draw would send Spain through while defeat for either side means relegation to League B... Читать дальше...

A change of managers has proven the catalyst for a reversal of fortunes at many struggling Premier League teams down the years. Unfortunately, these 11 appointments proved so uninspiring that no amount of “new manager bounce” could prevent the inevitable slide that followed.Les Reed (Charlton, 2006)Les Reed quite literally wrote the book on football management. The author of iThe Official FA Guide to Basic Team Coaching, Reed replaced Iain Dowie as manager of Charlton back in November 2006 with the... Читать дальше...

Barcelona have released footage of a pimply faced Lionel Messi's first minutes in senior football to mark the 15-year anniversary of his club debut. Then just 16, Messi was introduced off the bench against Jose Mourinho's Porto in a friendly on November 16, 2003. The match was organised to celebrate the opening of Estadio do Dragao ahead of Euro 2004 but has been remembered for the emergence of a budding superstar. In the video, posted to social media on Friday, a young Messi admits to costing... Читать дальше...

Kyle Walker joked a stumbling fan at Wembley resembled Manchester City and England team-mate Raheem Sterling. At half-time of England's international friendly win against United States at Wembley on Thursday, fans of both sides had a race on the pitch. In front of the watching sprint superstar Usain Bolt, who harbours dreams of becoming a footballer, one of the supporters took a spectacular tumble. And referencing Sterling winning a penalty after kicking the ground in a Champions League thrashing of Shakhtar Donetsk... Читать дальше...

Ivan Rakitic feels Croatia were the better side in the World Cup final and thinks decisions made by VAR favoured eventual winners France. Croatia went down 4-2 in Moscow in July, with Antoine Griezmann giving France a half-time lead from a penalty awarded following a video review, after a Mario Mandzukic own goal had been cancelled out by Ivan Perisic. It was a goal that proved decisive, as Didier Deschamps' side went on to claim the trophy thanks to second-half strikes from Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappe, before Mandzukic pulled one back. Читать дальше...

Virgil van Dijk's leadership has made a "real difference" to Liverpool's incredible defensive transformation, according to team-mate Georginio Wijnaldum.Jurgen Klopp's side have conceded just five times in the Premier League this term, a vast improvement on the 17 they had shipped by the same stage last season.Netherlands skipper Van Dijk was signed for a reported £75m in January to address the issues at centre-back and has made an impressive fist of justifying the outlay, which was a world-record... Читать дальше...

Zlatko Dalic said his Croatia bench were ready to run on the pitch to stop a Spain counter-attack before Tin Jedvaj struck a dramatic late winner in Thursday’s Nations League clash. Jedvaj's second of the game, in the 93rd minute, secured a 3-2 victory in Zagreb to set up a winner-takes-all clash against England at Wembley on Sunday. The victor will progress to the Nations League finals while the loser will be relegated from League A, with a draw sending pool leaders Spain through. And Dalic,... Читать дальше...

Departing Premier League chief Richard Scudamore has been handed control of the entire English non-league pyramid as a parting gift from well-meaning club chairmen.Having raised around £5 million in a whip round, the Premier League clubs decided to shop for something that Scudamore would really like and, given his apparent interest in football, opted to purchase every club from Level 5 downwards for his amusement.However, despite the love and care that was put into the present, onlookers report that... Читать дальше...

Kai Havertz would suit Bayern Munich as a potential signing, according to Joshua Kimmich. Havertz made his full Germany debut in a friendly against Russia on Thursday, setting up Serge Gnabry's goal in a 3-0 win for Joachim Low's side. The Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder has been linked with a move to Bayern, who are thought to be keen to freshen up their side, with Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery approaching retirement. And Bayern defender Kimmich feels 19-year-old Havertz would be a solid addition for the Bundesliga champions. Читать дальше...

Pictures Leon CsernohlavekJames Harrington and his three sons, George, Jake and Charlie, have made a 90-minute journey from Wimbledon to Tottenham to watch a non-league football match, although dad’s not sure why they’ve bothered. “My mind just can’t process it – they’re more excited about this than an Arsenal game,” he tells FourFourTwo.Spurs’ new stadium is only down the road, but they’re a million miles away from the Premier League. It’s 5.15pm on a Tuesday, and they’ve rocked up at a ground with one stand, turnstile and burger van. Читать дальше...

Claudio Ranieri will make defensive improvement a priority after taking charge of the Premier League's bottom side Fulham. Ranieri was named by chairman Shahid Khan as Slavisa Jokanovic's replacement on Wednesday, signing a "multi-year" contract at Craven Cottage. The Italian's arrival comes with the Cottagers having lost six straight Premier League games, winning only once and conceding 31 goals, the most in the division. While Fulham have shown attacking capability, downing Burnley 4-2 in their sole success... Читать дальше...

Gareth Southgate isn’t picking England squads based solely on goals in the Premier League. Clearly, he is not an idiot and he wants to give chances to youngsters like Jadon Sancho and [checks notes] Wayne Rooney, who are both gobbling goals abroad.Such a plan would also leave you rather short on keepers. Yet goals win games, and after the first 12 games of the Premier League season, these are the English players who’ve rippled the net in the competition.Just three clubs have made it through the first dozen games without an English goalscorer... Читать дальше...

Axel Witsel describes joining Borussia Dortmund as the best decision of his career, with Lucien Favre's side top of the Bundesliga. Witsel signed a four-year deal with Dortmund after agreeing a move from Tianjin Quanjian in August and has made an immediate impact. Dortmund's fine form has them four points clear atop the table with Witsel among the league's most reliable midfielders, having completed 92.5 per cent of his attempted passes in the Bundesliga. And Witsel, who set up Paco Alcacer for... Читать дальше...

Luka Modric feels 2018 has been the best year of his career even if he does not win the Ballon d'Or. Croatia international Modric is considered among the leading contenders for the award, which has been dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for the past decade. Ronaldo and Messi have each won the Ballon d'Or five times, with Kaka in 2007 the last player other than the duo to triumph. Modric's fine performances at the World Cup earned him the Golden Ball, while he won a third consecutive... Читать дальше...

Michy Batshuayi has dismissed speculation his loan from Chelsea to Valencia could be cut short. Batshuayi has struggled to make an impact since joining the LaLiga club, scoring one league goal in 11 appearances, with Valencia in the bottom half of the table. But he showed better form on international duty on Thursday, scoring both Belgium goals in a 2-0 Nations League defeat of Iceland. Given a chance to start in the absence of injured striker Romelu Lukaku, Batshuayi linked up well with Chelsea star Eden Hazard. Читать дальше...

Brazil coach Tite said anything less than an appearance in next year's Copa America final would be considered a failure for his team. Tite's side will likely go into the competition as favourites, particularly with Brazil hosting the event for the first time since 1989. However, they were also among the fancied sides at the World Cup in Russia, only to suffer a quarter-final loss to Belgium. The Selecao have not reached a Copa America final since 2007 – when they beat Argentina – and Tite says... Читать дальше...

France coach Didier Deschamps insisted there was no rivalry between stars Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann. Mbappe and Griezmann helped Les Bleus win the World Cup in Russia, both scoring four goals while the former was named the tournament's Best Young Player. Deschamps played down any suggestions there was a rivalry between the pair as his side prepare for matches against Netherlands and Uruguay. "No, there has never been any contradiction between them or one who wants to do more than the other one," he told a news conference. Читать дальше...