France must defy the weight of history as they attempt to sink Germany in the second semi-final at the Women s European Championship.
Corinne Diacre s French team have already made a colossal impact on the tournament in England, starting from when they smashed five goals past Italy in the first half of their opening group game.
That felt like a statement 45 minutes, a message to their rivals that this France team are different to those who have come before. Although France have not quite hit those swashbuckling heights since, they are through to their first Women s Euros semi-final, after falling in the quarters in each of the last three editions.
Coach Diacre made some tough choices for this tournament, omitting star forward Eugenie Le Sommer and Champions Leag…
Olivier Giroud s first-half strike proved the difference as Milan battled through to the Champions League last four with a 1-1 draw at Napoli to secure a 2-1 aggregate triumph.
Ismael Bennacer s goal last week at San Siro snatched a 1-0 quarter-final lead and Milan deservedly doubled their aggregate advantage in the first half on Tuesday in Naples.
Giroud had an earlier penalty saved by Alex Meret but made amends soon after with his 43rd-minute opener after Rafael Leao s incredible run to create the goal.
Victor Osimhen s stoppage-time strike offered Napoli hope after Khvicha Kvaratskhelia s 82nd-minute penalty was saved by Mike Maignan, but Milan held on to reach their first Champions League semi-final since 2007.
That run. Just sensational.
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Chelsea are interested in signing Samuel Lino from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2025, according to . Lino has impressed a number of clubs with his performances, but it is Chelsea who are showing the most interest at the moment and think that his attacking versatility would be a great addition to the squad.
Lino has been on the books of Atletico since 2022 when he joined from Gil Vicente in the Portuguese Primera Liga. The 24-year-old winger spent the 2022-23 season on loan at Valencia from Atletico and is now part of the Madrid club’s first team.
The Brazilian winger has given one assist in six La Liga matches for Atletico so far this season. Lino has also played 28 minutes in the UEFA Champions League and has scored one goal in four Copa del Rey games for Diego S…
Ajax have signed Damian Van Der Vaart, son of former Netherlands international Rafael.
Midfielder Van Der Vaart moves to Amsterdam from Danish side Esbjerg after Ajax bought out the remainder of the 17-year-old’s contract.
A club statement read: “Ajax has signed Damian Van Der Vaart. The midfielder has agreed to a contract lasting one season, until June 30, 2024.
Damián is the next Van der Vaart
— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax)
“This marks the first contract with Ajax for the 17-year-old youth player.”
Esbjerg’s talent manager Anders Brynaa revealed an agreeable deal had been brokered which allowed the young Dutchman to move to Amsterdam.
“Over a long period, we have had a good dialogue with Ajax regarding a possible change …
Atletico Madrid are ready to sell Jan Oblak in the summer transfer window, according to . The report in the Spanish news outlet has claimed that Atletico value Oblak at €30 million, with the goalkeeper having a release clause of €120 million in his contract.
AS has noted that Oblak is aware that his days at Atletico are numbered. The 31-year-old Slovenia international goalkeeper has been on the books of the Spanish club since 2014 and has been one of the best players in his position for years. He has won the La Liga title and the UEFA Europa League once each with Atletico.
Atletico are fourth in the La Liga table at the moment with 64 points from 33 matches. Diego Simone’s side are seven points behind Girona, who are third, and are six points above Athletic Bilbao…
Manchester United are interested in signing Rayan Cherki from Lyon in the January transfer window, according to . The report has claimed that the presence of incoming Sir Jim Ratcliffe could convince Cherki to make the switch to Old Trafford.
Cherki is one of the best young players in France. The 20-year-old, who can operate as an attacking midfielder or as a winger, has been on the books of Lyon since 2010 and has come through the youth system. He is now part of the first team. The 20-year-old has made 13 starts and four substitute appearances in Ligue 1 this season, providing two assists in the process.
United are eighth in the Premier League table at the moment with 28 points from 18 matches, eight points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur. Meanwhile, Lyon curren…
Croatia defender Vedran Corluka believes Euro 2016 quarter-finalists Portugal are worse than Turkey and the Czech Republic.
A 117th-minute goal from Ricardo Quaresma saw Portugal edge Croatia 1-0 in the last 16 in what was a poor encounter in Lens on Saturday.
Fernando Santos men are yet to win in 90 minutes at the tournament, but find themselves in a quarter-final with Poland.
Corluka was less than impressed by Cristiano Ronaldo and Co., saying they were poorer than two of Croatia s group opponents – both of whom were knocked out.
Portugal is weaker than Turkey and Czech, he said.
Which defeat was more painful for me, against Turkey in 2008 or this one? It was the one in Vienna in in the 2008 quarter-final.
Domagoj Vida had two of Cr…
Hugo Lloris has committed his future to Tottenham until 2022, the club have confirmed.
The captain s contract had been due to expire at the end of the 2018-19 season.
But the France skipper has extended his stay by a further three years, becoming the latest in a recent line of Spurs players to sign new deals.
Harry Kane, Christian Eriksen, Eric Dier, Danny Rose, Kyle Walker and Jan Vertonghen are among those to have committed their futures to the club this season.
Speaking about his new deal, Lloris told Spurs TV: I m very pleased with this new contract.
That s the way I show my commitment to the club, to my team-mates and the gaffer and to show again how much I believe in this project and hopefully the best year is ahead.
#COYS
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With the 2018 World Cup in Russia kicking off in less than a month, SoccerNews.com is commencing its own series of group predictions where you will be able to find previews of all the teams taking part in this summer’s showpiece tournament, latest team news and best betting odds and suggestions.
There s a level of excitement in the air which comes along whenever a big international tournament is on the horizon, and this year, while some big nations haven t made it, that disappointment been counteracted by the sheer volume of goalscoring threats that will be present in Russia. If nothing else, we can expect a World Cup featuring some of the most talented strikers on the face of the planet.
Lionel Messi
Unsurprisingly to some, Lionel Messi is considered to be the hot f…
The first matchdays of each group at Euro 2024 are now over, after the final pool got started in style on Tuesday.
First, Turkiye and Georgia served up an unlikely classic in Dortmund, before Portugal beat Czechia 2-1 in Leipzig.
Records were broken in each of those matches, with Arda Guler and Cristiano Ronaldo making history.
But what other stats standout from Group F s two opening games?
Turkiye 3-1 Georgia: Guler breaks Ronaldo record
In Kenan Yildiz (19y 45d) and Guler (19y 114d), Turkiye became just the second nation at the European Championship to start two different teenagers in a game, after Hungary against Denmark in 1964 (Zoltan Varga and Ferenc Bene).
And Guler, who was on the fringes at Real Madrid in 2023-24, showcased his im…