Eden Hazard To Be Fit For Belgium ’ s Euro 2016 Quarterfinal –

Belgium captain Eden Hazard missed
Tuesday’s training session as his team
prepared for their quarterfinal match against
Wales at Euro 2016 thanks to a muscle
problem, coach Marc Wilmots has said.
“Eden felt a slight spasm in the quadriceps
at halftime against Hungary,” Wilmots said.
“He is now following an individual program …
and will be back again the day after
tomorrow. He will be 100 percent, no
problem.”
Defender Thomas Vermaelen was also
absent but he is suspended for Friday’s
match.
After a slow start to the tournament,
Belgium are finally living up to their initial
reputation as favourites to win. The manner
in which they swept aside Hungary in the
round of 16 has put the team firmly back to
the top of the list of contenders.
Belgium reached the quarterfinals of the
World Cup two years ago, losing to
Argentina, and are keen to go even further in
this tournament.
“I don’t want to belong to any category, we
simply play each match to win it,” Wilmots
said. “We’ve had two quarterfinals in four
years, that’s already not bad. And now we
have just one obsession — to reach the final.
“But between what you want and what you
dream … We’ve seen in the past few days
that there is no easy match. Will France
beat Iceland? I’m not so sure. You have to
be wary of everyone.”
First up for Belgium are Wales and their star
forward Gareth Bale, who has scored three
goals in the tournament.
“He has a free role, we will have to play
compact,” Wilmots said. “But it’s not just
one player we have to worry about. Everyone
knows his role well and his growth in
power.”
Against Hungary, Belgium missed several
chances before scoring a late flurry of goals.
Wilmots also said that his players “need to
be more clinical, so they can be at ease
quicker.”
Belgium’s forwards have lightning pace, but
Wilmots insists his side will not sit back and
wait to hit Wales on the counterattack.
“I’m going to watch some Wales matches
this afternoon,” Wilmots said. “But from their
past matches, Wales will sit back and wait
for us with five defenders. We could also
wait and see how they will react but that’s
not part of our philosophy.
“We have to be calm and patient. We have
to take our game to Wales and try to pierce
their defence.”

BRILLIANT HAZARD INSPIRES BELGIUM'S GOLDEN BOYS IN THEIR BEST SHOW YET

Belgium played as coach Marc Wilmots demanded - like favourites, like a big nation - with the Chelsea star at the forefront in crushing Hungary 4-0 in Toulouse.

And while the likes of Ferenc Puskas and the rest of the Magnificent Magyars belong to a different time, consigned to a chapter in a football encyclopedia, the term continues to be bandied around every time a country turns up at a major tournament with a crop of promising players.

For some it's a millstone - ask any England or Portugal fan of the past 20 years - but for some it becomes a welcome pressure, an added responsibility on which they thrive.

At his pre-match press conference prior to the last 16 clash with Hungary in Toulouse, Belgium coach Marc Wilmots welcomed the tag of match favourites. "We'll need to play like a big nation, like a favourite," he said. Earlier in the week, he said he'd have rather played Spain than Hungary.

It was as if he was challenging his players, asking them to embrace the pressure. If so, he would have been encouraged by their response as Belgium, and Eden Hazard in particular, were terrific.

And while it would be sensible to counter excitement with caution - their opponents arrived in the knockout phase with just one win to their name in a weak Group F - there should be no downplaying of their prospects.

Having enjoyed the luck of the draw - Belgium are in the weaker top half with Wales next before a potential semi-final meeting with either Poland or Portugal - it would be a major surprise if Wilmots' men were not one of the title-challengers at the Stade de France on July 10.

Indeed, it will take a very good side to deny them a first European Championship crown.

Bar a 15-minute spell in the second half when Thibaut Courtois was called into action to turn over Adam Pinter's deflected shot, Hungary did not come close. And had it not been for their 40-year-old goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly it would have been an embarrassing night for Bernd Storck and his men.

Time and again the man famous for his baggy grey jogging bottoms denied Belgium with the pick of his saves a stunning fingertip effort to push Kevin De Bruyne's free-kick on to the bar.

By that point, Toby Alderweireld had nodded Belgium into a 10th-minute lead and it seemed merely a matter of how many goals Belgium would score, especially with captain Hazard looking back to his 2015 best.

The Chelsea man was superb, from first minute to his last. Every time he gained possession, Belgian hopes rose. Being able to beat a man from a standing start is a rare skill in football but Hazard did it at will here.

His probing finally resulted in the second goal, a run down the left followed by a cross that substitute Michy Batshuayi - the replacement for the frustrating Romelu Lukaku - could not fail to put away.

He applied the coup de grace himself shortly after, cutting inside to curl a brilliant shot past a helpless Kiraly.

Hazard then departed the scene to a rousing ovation and knowing the job was done before Yannick Ferreira Carrasco added a fourth.

Sterner tests no doubt await but on this evidence, this Belgium side may just live up to their Golden Generation label.

source:goal

pogba set for man utd return???

                 Man utd 'lead race to sign Juventus midfielder'
four years after the 23yr old left old trafford,  he looks likely to retun under new boss jose mohrihno.

          Manchester United now lead the race to sign Paul Pogba , according to reports in Spain.

         The French international's agent, Mino Raiola, is in talks with the Old Trafford club about taking the 23-year-old back to the Premier League, according to Madrid-based sports daily AS.

Pogba left the club for free in 2012 after Sir Alex Ferguson failed to give him a fair chance in the first team, and has privately said that he would prefer a move to La Liga than to England.

          But United's financial might has put them in the lead for his signature as Jose Mourinho looks to remodel his squad and Ed Woodward aims to sign superstars that can help enhance the club's brand around the world.

          Pogba, who this year signed a monster £31million sponsorship deal with sportswear giants adidas, would fit the mould for Woodward and his contract with the German brand provides perfect synergy with United after they inked a ten-year adidas deal in 2014.

           Woodward was already negotiating with Pogba's agent Mino Raiola over the transfers of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, but AS report that the Red Devils are not only willing to meet Pogba's €120million asking price but are happy to pay the Italian agent his not insignificant commission.

          Real Madrid are Pogba's preferred destination and the Juventus midfielder knows that Zinedine Zidane would like to sign him for the European Champions.

         However, with stadium renovations and contract renewals for Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale in progress, it's unlikely that club president Florentino Perez will meet the extortionate demands of the outspoken Raiola.

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City stop Iheanacho from Rio Olympics

Kelechi Iheanacho will not compete in the Olympics – despite Nigeria announcing that he is part of their provisional squad.Manchester City have already informed the Nigerian Football Federation that their teenage striker will not be allowed to compete in Rio – and have even had a letter acknowledging their decision.IheanachoDespite that, the NFF still named the 19-year-old in their 35-man squad for the Games. It is understood City have no intention of going back on their initial decision, which was exclusively revealed by MEN Sport this week.They are under no obligation to make Iheanacho available and have already spoken to him about the issue.City want the striker to be available for incoming manager Pep Guardiola’s first pre-season at the club. Iheanacho enjoyed an outstanding breakthrough season at the Etihad and is set to be handed more first team opportunities under the new manager.With Wilfried Bony expected to leave the club, he looks set to be elevated to Sergio Aguero’s understudy.City’s summer preparations will already be impacted by players returning late from Euro 2016 and the Copa America, such as Aguero, Nicolas Otamendi, Raheem Sterling, Kevin de Bruyne and David Silva.

OFFICIAL- TOTTENHAM SNAPS UP WANYAMA

victor wanyama looks certain to play champoins league football nect season after his latest move to tottenham hotspurs

Tottenham have completed the signing of midfielder Victor Wanyama from Southampton awarding him a five years contract.

The 24-year-old only had 12 months left on his deal at St Mary's Stadium and has joined Spurs in a move worth just over £13.5 million.

Wanyama is the club's first new signing ahead of the 2016-17 campaign.

The move sees Wanyama link up with former Saints manager Mauricio Pochettino, who brought him to England him from Celtic in a £12.5m deal in July 2013.
The Kenya international, who was sent off three times in the Premier League last season, made 97 appearances in his three years at Southampton and will now have the opportunity to play Champions League football at Spurs.

Tottenham finished third in the top flight last season to ensure they will automatically qualify for the group stages of Europe's elite club competition.

Southampton finished sixth to seal a Europa League berth, but are still without a manager after Ronald Koeman elected to join Everton.

OFFICIAL- Griezmann signs new contract

Atletico Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann has signed a new five-year contract with the club, the club confirmed on Thursday. The player had been linked with a move away this transfer window as he demonstrated outstanding performance and scored 32 goals for Atletico this season.

According to the deal, the contract will keep him at the Vicente Calderon until 2021.


The France international had been linked with a move away from the Spanish capital this summer after scoring 32 goals in all competitions for the Colchoneros this season.

But Griezmann has now opted to put talk regarding his future to one side by inking a new deal which will keep him at the Vicente Calderon until 2021.

He said on atletico madrid
"It's essential to continue keeping the important players, with the coach,” he added. “We're lucky to be in this club that wants to improve and reach the top and help us keep growing.”

Atletico's sporting director Jose Luis Perez Caminero lauded Griezmann's decision to stay put in the Spanish capital and reiterated the club are determined to keep hold of their biggest stars.

He said: "I think it's a fantastic news for all the atléticos because it's about an excellent player, one of the best footballers in that position, who has already proved his magnificent quality during his two first seasons with us, and he also has a huge margin for growth.

“He's very beloved and appreciated by our coach and his teammates, and admired by the fans, who will surely feeling very happy today with this announcement. The club has a solid intention of keeping all the key players and Antoine is one of them, so we must congratulate ourselves for this renewal.”
Griezman also added:
“I’m very satisfied, very happy to keep belonging to this family and this project. I want to improve every year, and the club, the coaches and my teammates can help me to reach this goal.”

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football expert believes aziplecueta is bieng sought after

Balague believes Chelsea will stand firm on their valuation of the 26-year-old, who is currently playing with Spain at Euro 2016.

Balague said: "Some of the top clubs in Europe are after Azpilicueta's signature, not least because of his versatility in being able to play in both full-back positions with equal confidence.

"If Chelsea were willing to sell, the front runners would be Atletico Madrid, although they have recently coolled on the idea, turning their attentions instead to Croatian full-back Sime Vrsaljko, who will soon confirm that he is moving to the Spanish club.

"There are, however, a host of clubs and top-flight managers that would love to see the Pamplona-born defender join their ranks, not least Unai Emery who is, as we write, on the very verge of taking over from Laurent Blanc at PSG.

"Of course if he would like to go back to his roots, Athletic Bilbao and Ernesto Valverde would also be pleased to see him, qualifying as he does via his place of birth to play for the Basque side.


"Unfortunately for them Arsenal have made it abundantly clear that Bellerin is going nowhere, at any price, hence Barcelona's plan B which involves Azpilicueta."

Azpilicueta made 38 appearances for Chelsea last season, a campaign which saw the Blues miss out on Champions League football.

Balague insists Chelsea will look for around around £14m for the full-back, and won't be willing to sell to another Premier League club.

"The problem there is that if Chelsea are going to sell him, to make it worth their while they will be looking for around 18m euros for the utility full-back, considerably more than Barcelona were thinking of paying," he said.

"And then of course there's Manchester United now under the rule of Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese manager knows the player well but whether or not Chelsea would be prepared to sell Azpilicueta - at any price - to the club of their former manager and to a rival in England is another matter altogether. I very much doubt it

"Chelsea will however stick to their valuation primarily because they would be quite happy to see him stay at the club although they wouldn't stand in his way if they received an offer that they felt they couldn't refuse."

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Cristiano Ronaldo: Portugal were in dire straits against Hungary

Cristiano Ronaldo admitted Portugal were in 'dire straits' before fighting back three times to secure a 3-3 draw against Hungary.







The draw means Portugal qualified for the last 16 of Euro 2016 in third place in Group F, and will play Croatia in Lens on Saturday, after a mixed day for Real Madrid star Ronaldo.

Ronaldo was filmed throwing a reporter's microphone into a lake during Portugal's pre-match walk around Lyon on Wednesday, before scoring twice in the game and being named man of the match.

draymond most likely to get suspended

Draymond appears to strike LeBron in groin, could face suspension

 

By most metrics, Golden State Warriors All-Star Draymond Green had an excellent Game 4 of the NBA Finals vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers, balancing a relatively poor 2-of-9 shooting night with 12 rebounds, four assists, three blocks, two steals, and tremendous defense to open up a 3-1 advantage in the series. However, an altercation with LeBron James in the fourth quarter could bring a review from the league and put Green's availability at risk for Monday's potential clincher in Oakland.

 

es, Green now finds himself at the center of a groin-related controversy yet another time this postseason. With fewer than three minutes remaining in regulation and the Warriors leading 96-86, Green and James became tangled while setting and covering (respectively) a screen for Stephen Curry. Green appeared to start the incident with a swipe at James, after which LeBron retaliated with a stronger flail of his arm and stepover after Draymond fell to the ground. The two All-NBA forwards then continued their discussion through the possession, which ended with double fouls and jump ball won by the Cavs. Take a look here:  

The incident seemed over and perhaps more about LeBron's frustration with the loss and Draymond's pest-like play than anything else. Look at the play a little closer, though, and you can see Green's arm come up towards James's crotch as he steps over and towards the basket. Here's a good view of it:

 

 

 

Green's action would not be so attention-grabbing if not for his history in these playoffs. Golden State's vocal leader courted controversy in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals when he kicked Steven Adams in same area. That play was initially called for a flagrant-1 on the floor and upgraded to a flagrant-2 the next day upon league review, a decision that brought punishment to Green without affecting the outcome of the series. It didn't end up mattering — the Warriors got blown out again in Game 4 — but it did put Green in the precarious position of having to avoid a flagrant foul the rest of the postseason to avoid a one-game suspension for flagrant point accumulation.
That situation means any league review that ends in a Green flagrant will keep him out of Game 5. The league could attempt to issue a lesser punishment again and assess the play as a technical — where Draymond has more wiggle room — but this incident should be looked at as a potential flagrant if it's reviewed at all.
Not surprisingly, both James and Green were asked about the dust-up after the game. James did not come out and say that he thinks Green should be suspended, but it's clear that he and his teammates aren't pleased with what occurred:

Oh, nothing got me going. You know, Draymond just said something that I don't agree with. I'm all cool with the competition. I'm all fine with that, but some of the words that came out of his mouth were a little bit overboard, and being a guy with pride, a guy with three kids and a family, things of that nature, some things just go overboard and that's where he took it, and that was it. [...]

Well, I don't know what should happen. It's not my call. That's the league office. They'll take a look at it. We all saw it in the locker room. You know, like I said, as a competitor, I love going against Draymond, and I'm all about going out there and leaving it out on the floor. But when it gets a little bit more than what it should be, that's what caused me to have words with him. So as far as the play, I think the league will take a look at it. Obviously our locker room has seen it, and we'll see what they say.

LeBron responded to a follow-up about whether he deemed a suspension likely with one word — "No."
Perhaps LeBron does not expect a suspension because he's referring to what Green said, not where he put his arm. His answer focuses on Draymond's verbal response, and such incidents between two players almost never result in suspensions. For that matter, inappropriate words should be viewed as a potential technical, not the flagrant that would keep Green out of Game 5. According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com, the exchange doesn't even seem that extreme:

The specifics of that explanation likely won't come until Spears publishes the latest installment of the diary he has done with Green all postseason, but it's fair to guess he's not saying he hit someone in the privates because he stepped over him. Green disavowed any intent in his incident with Adams, and it's hard to believe he'd say he meant to hit the biggest name in the sport on a play that's open to interpretation.
To be clear, Green's contact is not one of the worst plays we've seen on a basketball court this month, let alone in the history of the game. It's not clear that he meant to get LeBron, and James appeared to be the primary escalator of the situation when he swung out at Green and then climbed over him on his way to the basket.
Then again, we're not discussing this situation on the basis of whether Draymond or LeBron was more at fault. (Frankly, it might be easier for the league to determine that James deserves some form of punishment.) The only reason this is up for discussion is because Green, a great player with deserved status as Finals MVP frontrunner, is in a position to earn a suspension with one more flagrant thanks to repeated incidents. The accumulation rules exist in an effort to punish repeat offenders, and Green finds himself in these situations more often than most players. It'd be a shame if he missed a title-clinching opportunity over an incident even LeBron didn't judge on these terms, but the potential for that outcome existed as soon as Green got the flagrant-2 for the Adams play.
Regardless of Green's Game 5 status, it seems clear that discussion of any similar incidents is not going to go away any time soon. It's as much a part of his reputation as his status as most versatile non-LeBron player in the NBA.

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Former Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi dies

Former Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi has died at the age of 54

Keshi, dubbed "Big Boss" by fans, died in Benin City in southern Nigeria from "cardiac arrest", according to a statement from his family.

His brother and manager, Emmanuel Ado, confirmed Keshi's death.

"It is true, my brother has passed on. He has gone to meet his wife," Ado said, referring to Kate, Keshi's wife of 35 years, who died last year after a three-year battle with cancer. The couple had four children.

After taking over as coach of Nigeria in 2011, Keshi led them to victory in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa and then guided them into the Round of 16 at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil where they lost to France.

He was only the second man to win the Africa Cup of Nations as a player and coach - after Egypt's Mahmoud El-Gohary - following his success 19 years earlier when he was a key defender for the Nigeria team.

Keshi was regarded as an iconic figure in a golden generation of Nigerian players that included Finidi George, Rashidi Yekini, Jay-Jay Okocha, Samson Siasia, Daniel Amokachi and Sunday Oliseh, and captained the team at the 1994 World Cup in the USA. He made a total of 64 appearances for Nigeria and scored nine goals.

During a 20-year playing career, he had spells in France and Belgium, most notably for Anderlecht, and also in the USA during the Sacramento Scorpions' brief existence in the mid-1990s.

Keshi also coached Togo when they qualified for the 2006 World Cup - one of three spells in charge of the side - as well as taking charge of Mali for a two-year stint.

He did not have his contract with Nigeria renewed after the 2014 World Cup, although he later returned to lead the team on a match-by-match basis before his tenure was finally ended in July last year.

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