Real Madrid maintained their unbeaten start in the Champions League group stage with a 2-1 win over Zenit St Petersburg here on Tuesday making it the first time in five years they have won their opening two matches.
UEFA Cup and Super Cup holders Zenit, coached by Dutchman Dick Advocaat, welcomed back star striker Andrei Arshavin, who was missing for their opening Group H loss to Juventus.
Real coach Bernd Schuster, who was having to make do without injured midfielder Guti, started Raul on the bench as he and his multi-millionaire squad went in search of a follow up win after seeing off BATE Borisov of Belarus a fortnight ago.
The Spaniards, who travelled to Saint Petersburg in buoyant form having won their last four league games, were rewarded for coming out…
Evan Ferguson’s hopes of enhancing his blossoming reputation against France and the Netherlands have been dashed after he was ruled out of the Republic of Ireland’s Euro 2024 double-header.
The 18-year-old Brighton striker, who plundered a hat-trick in Saturday’s 3-1 Premier League victory over Newcastle, has been forced to withdraw from the squad with a new injury, and his absence represents a major blow to manager Stephen Kenny.
Ferguson, who has six senior caps and two goals to his name, might have given the French and the Dutch cause for concern ahead of this weekend’s Group B encounters in Paris and Dublin, but instead Kenny will have to come up with a new plan as Ireland attempt to keep their campaign alive.
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Christian Eriksen has told Tottenham he wants to try something new but says he is not aware of any offer from Real Madrid.
The Denmark international s contract is set to expire at the end of next season and it appears as though Tottenham s hand could be forced as their playmaker seeks a step up to the next level.
Eriksen, 27, figured prominently as Spurs made an unexpected run to the Champions League final, where they lost 2-0 to Premier League rivals Liverpool.
The midfielder has spent six years in London and wants a quick resolution to his wish for a fresh opportunity.
I have the deepest respect for everything that has happened in Tottenham but I have also said that I would like to try something new, Eriksen told Danish publication Ekstra Bladet.
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Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira has said the criticism being levelled at Arsene Wenger is hard to accept , but conceded he would like to manage the club one day.
Wenger has come under increasing pressure over recent weeks following a run of four consecutive defeats in all competitions, although a 2-0 Europa League win over AC Milan on Thursday offered the French coach something of a reprieve.
Calls for Wenger to end his two-decade-long stint in charge have become a regular occurrence at Emirates Stadium over the past few seasons but the 68-year-old, whose side are 13 points off the top four in the Premier League, has been steadfast in his determination to turn things around.
Vieira was Wenger s captain in the early 2000s and won three top-flight titles with the Gun…
Louis van Gaal has praised Robin van Persie for his reaction to news Klaas-Jan Huntelaar would be first-choice striker for the Netherlands.
The Arsenal star had been the Dutch number nine ever since the 2010 World Cup, but failed to replicate his club form for the national side, and will now have to settle for a spot on the bench for a while.
I had a fantastic conversation with Robin. I had to tell him that his situation has changed and that I prefer Huntelaar for now, Van Gaal told De Telegraaf.
It was a great talk not just about football, but also about life in general. I was pleasantly surprised. This was probably one of the best conversations I have ever had with a player. It s pretty rare to have such a good talk with a player.
I told him that th…
Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has announced his decision to retire from international duty with the Ivory Coast.
The 36-year-old, regarded as one of his country s finest talents, scored 63 goals a national record in 104 appearances, the last of which came against Greece in the World Cup.
Drogba made his international debut versus South Africa in September 2002 and went on to feature in three World Cups.
He also helped his the Ivory Coast reach the Africa Cup of Nations on two occasions, but suffered defeats in the final to Egypt in 2006 and Zambia in 2012.
It is with much sadness that I have decided to retire from international football, Drogba wrote in a statement posted on his official Twitter account.
These past 12 years in the national team …
Manchester City and Manchester United are set to battle it out for the signature of Bayern Munich s star defender David Alaba.
Alaba s Bayern contract expires in June 2021 and both Manchester clubs have made approaches for the 75-cap Austria international.
Pep Guardiola coached the 28-year-old during his time in the Bundesliga, but City may face further competition for the two-time Champions League winner.
TOP STORY – UNITED AND CITY SET FOR TUG-OF-WAR OVER ALABA
Manchester City and Manchester United have each made formal contact with Alaba s agent Pini Zahavi, reports Spanish media outlet AS.
Bayern s chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has accepted the European champions can do nothing to keep Alaba, despite trying everything to…
The future of Mason Mount has been a subject of much speculation over the last few months, following the news that the talks between him and Chelsea about a new contract came to a halt. Liverpool and Newcastle were said to be keeping a close eye on the situation as they plan for the summer rebuild of their midfield section.
However, more recent have revealed that Bayern Munich are interested in taking the 24-year-old to Germany in the wake of appointing former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel as head coach, and now, according to , Mount is open to the idea of reuniting with Tuchel at the Allianz Arena.
Following numerous stellar signings over the last two transfer windows, Mount is one of the lowest-paid players at Stamford Bridge and he s obviously concerned about his statu…
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp insists he is 100 per cent certain that Mohamed Salah will still be at the club next season.
The Egypt international has enjoyed a spectacular first term at Anfield, scoring 39 goals in all competitions, and his form has led to speculation of interest from Real Madrid.
Klopp told Bild this week that he had no fears over the possibility of losing Salah and he has again stressed the forward is committed to the club.
It s not a situation I d even think about, said the German. Mo Salah came in not a full year ago, to make the next step in his career, and he did it. He had different options and wanted to come here.
Again, in the German interview, he asked me and I said yeah, I m confident . I don t think, I know he will be here…
Former Arsenal star Ian Wright has suggested Arsene Wenger was forced to announce his decision to leave the club.
The Gunners released a statement on Friday in which Wenger stated his intention to step down at the end of the season, despite having a year remaining on his contract.
The Frenchman has resisted repeated calls for him to resign from disgruntled sections of the club s fanbase in recent years, Wenger ignoring their dissatisfaction to sign a two-year extension in May 2017.
And Wright, who won the Premier League title under Wenger in 1997-98, suspects the 68-year-old s hand has been forced amid concerns about the team s form behind the scenes at Emirates Stadium.
Arsene Wenger is a man of principle, honesty and integrity – that is why I am …