fifa2021

FOOTNALL NEWS: MANCHESTER UNITED TARGET £17M ITALY DEFENDER GIOVANNI D

mybb@mybb.ru (zabava.firsova) — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 10:05:31 +0300

Manchester United could sign Napoli defender Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Ilaix Moriba has rejected a new deal at Barcelona and could leave this or next summer, Everton boss Rafael Benitez may return to Newcastle for Allan Saint-Maximin, and Real Madrid's Dani Ceballos does not want to leave the club again after two years away.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo
Giovanni Di Lorenzo

Image credit: Getty Images

Alexander Netherton
BY
ALEXANDER NETHERTON
UPDATED 11/07/2021 AT 12:14 GMT+6
UNITED TARGET DI LORENZO
Manchester United are keen to bring in Giovanni Di Lorenzo from Serie A side Napoli. The 27-year-old Italian international plays at right-back and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may want to add him to the squad to offer competition to Aaron Wan-Bissaka. He would cost around £17 million, making him far more affordable than their preferred target, Atletico Madrid�s Kieran Trippier.

Bale to retire after 2022 season, could still play Qatar World Cup � reportBale to retire after 2022 season, could still play Qatar World Cup � report
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Paper Round�s view: Given Trippier�s age, the sums demanded by Atletico - around £40 million - make little sense and will only solve the position for a year or two. Di Lorenzo might not be the answer but for less than half the price he would at least offer competition to stimulate Wan-Bissaka to focus on and improve his attacking contributions to the team.
Read the full story
'We must be carefree and a bit crazy to beat England' - Italy captain Chiellini'We must be carefree and a bit crazy to beat England' - Italy captain Chiellini
'We must be carefree and a bit crazy to beat England' - Italy captain Chiellini

MORIBA SET FOR BARCELONA DEPARTURE
Spanish newspaper Marca suggests that Barcelona could lose their 18-year-old midfielder Ilaix Moriba. The Guinea-born player turned down a contract offer from Barca and has been moved to the B team until he changes his mind. However, Barcelona may prefer to sell him for 15-20 million euros to raise funds, while the player may attempt to leave for nothing in the summer.

Paper Round�s view: With the new season approaching, Barcelona still don�t have Lionel Messi tied down and the player sales they need to push through have not yet materialised. It is hard to see how they will raise the necessary funds if they do not start arranging deals, especially given they have signed Memphis Depay, Eric Garcia and Sergio Aguero.
Read the full story
BENITEZ CONSIDERS SAINT-MAXIMIN TRANSFER
The Mirror reports that Newcastle United winger Allan Saint-Maximin is a target for Everton�s Rafael Benitez, who used to manage the club himself. Saint-Maximin, 24, is Newcastle�s star player and could cost around £60 million, with Benitez interested in signing him should he need to replace Richarlison, who could follow Carlo Ancelotti to Real Madrid.

Paper Round�s view: Richarlison would be a fine back-up to Karim Benzema and should Gareth Bale move on, he would offer a similarly imposing physique from the wings. However, he is not yet quite consistent enough for Everton to miss him desperately if he moves on, and Saint-Maximin might end up being an improvement of a kind for Everton.
Read the full story
CEBALLOS TO REMAIN AT REAL
Dani Ceballos insists that he wants to stay at Real Madrid. The Mail reports that the 24-year-old Spaniard believes he is better after two years on loan at Arsenal, but now hopes to be a first-team regular under Carlo Ancelotti. Ceballos said: �I really want to win at Real Madrid, I'll fight to stay here. The experience with Arsenal in the Premier League made me stronger, now it's time to win at Real Madrid.�

Paper Round�s view: With Toni Kroos, Casemiro and Luka Modric still at the Bernabeu there are few obvious ways for Ceballos to find his way into the first eleven under Ancelotti. However now is the time for him to demonstrate that he can be a consistent contributor to the team, especially if one of the older players suffers an injury and gives up a place.

EURO 2020 - WIN OR LOSE, THERE�S MORE TO COME FROM GARETH SOUTHGATE'S

mybb@mybb.ru (zabava.firsova) — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 10:04:04 +0300

England were set two lofty targets in 2013: reach the Euro 2020 semi-finals, then win the 2022 World Cup. But flash forward eight years and it doesn�t sound so crazy. Gareth Southgate�s side have already surpassed the first expectation after setting up a showdown with Italy on Sunday � but even if they fall at the final hurdle, there is plenty to be optimistic about heading to Qatar and beyond.
Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden of England celebrate
Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden of England celebrate

Image credit: Getty Images

Grace Robertson
BY
GRACE ROBERTSON
PUBLISHED 09/07/2021 AT 20:41 GMT+6
To appreciate this England team, you have to go back to one of the Three Lions� lowest moments.
Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein, South Africa. June 27, 2010. England get demolished 4-1 by Germany in the World Cup Round of 16. Frank Lampard�s �ghost goal� might have been incorrectly ruled out, but no one could dispute that the better team went through. Germany were bold, inventive and exciting. England were slow, sluggish, and totally inept. At times it felt like they were playing different sports.
England�s starting eleven that day had an average age of 28.9. This really felt like the last roll of the dice for the so-called Golden Generation. Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard were both the wrong side of 30, while key figures from that era like David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Michael Owen had long since left the international scene. The side played a rigid 4-4-2 and didn�t have any idea how to attack beyond just launching it forward. The whole point was to stay defensively solid, but they totally failed at even the most basic aspects of defending.
Hayward: Penalty pain will not linger for Southgate's heroic England sideHayward: Penalty pain will not linger for Southgate's heroic England side
EURO 2020
HAYWARD: PENALTY PAIN WILL NOT LINGER FOR SOUTHGATE'S HEROIC ENGLAND SIDE
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Germany, on the other hand, got everything right. You look at that team today and see so many illustrious stars. But on that day in 2010, these were largely unfamiliar names to those who don�t follow the Bundesliga. A fresh faced Thomas Muller just had his breakout season at Bayern. Bastian Schweinsteiger had just been converted from an inconsistent winger to the complete midfielder we came to admire. Manuel Neuer, Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira were playing for Schalke, Werder Bremen and Stuttgart, respectively. Casual observers could be forgiven for not recognising this side as one filled with top talent. But as soon as you saw them on the pitch, the quality was obvious. This was a young team full of excitement. England were old and past it, while Germany were young and just getting started.
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England's Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard (L) walk off the pitch after a 2010 World Cup second round soccer match against Germany at Free State stadium in BloemfonteinEngland's Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard (L) walk off the pitch after a 2010 World Cup second round soccer match against Germany at Free State stadium in Bloemfontein
England's Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard (L) walk off the pitch after a 2010 World Cup second round soccer match against Germany at Free State stadium in Bloemfontein

Image credit: Reuters

We can now see that 2010 vintage Germany side as one on the start of the journey that would see them lift the World Cup four years later. Seven of the team from Bloemfontein started the final in Rio de Janeiro, and it would have been eight if Khedira hadn�t picked up an injury in the warm up. This was a group who went through multiple major tournaments together, improving all the time as they came into their prime years, and became a more complete side in the process. That 2014 World Cup win was a total validation of the reforms German football put in place at the start of the 21st century. It takes time for these things to bear fruit.
But time has a funny way of turning everything on its head. That Germany side peaked in 2014, then the core of players Joachin Low relied on began to decline. From that core of eight players to feature from 2010-14, Lahm and Miroslav Klose retired straight after the win in Brazil. Schweinsteiger continued for another two years but really shouldn�t have, as his standards began to drop significantly. By the time the 2018 World Cup came around, Khedira, Ozil and Boateng all looked as though their best football was behind them, while Neuer and Muller were in moments of poor form. The side had aged out of greatness. Their window came and went.
At the same time, you could feel something happening with England. Gareth Southgate�s side hadn�t really emerged yet in 2018, at least in terms of player quality. Of the starting line-up, the Manchester City trio of John Stones, Kyle Walker and Raheem Sterling had just won their first major trophy. Ashley Young, one of the few veterans, had won his fair share as a squad player at Manchester United. But otherwise, this was a team that hadn�t done a great deal in football and, crucially, had done nothing for England. That tournament gave them their first taste of really going for a trophy at international level, and gave them a set of experiences to build on.
England celebrate their shootout victory over ColombiaEngland celebrate their shootout victory over Colombia
England celebrate their shootout victory over Colombia

Image credit: Getty Images

Three years on, we can see this is still a team seemingly yet to peak. England have the youngest team in the tournament weighted by minutes played (per FBRef), along with the second youngest squad overall behind noted dark horses Turkey. This side has a lot of players who, if all goes well, will not play their best football for a few more years. Jude Bellingham (18), Bukayo Saka (19), Phil Foden (21), Jadon Sancho (21), Reece James (21), Declan Rice (22), Mason Mount (22) and Marcus Rashford (23) should all be at least aiming to improve over the next few seasons. Add injured Mason Greenwood (19) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (22), as well as a smattering of talent yet to break into the senior squad, and things look bright. They won�t all become top players, because that�s just how it is. Football, and life, can always throw setbacks at you. But when you have this much talent, sometimes you only need one or two of them to go supernova and lift all boats. England have more than enough to expect that will happen.
Southgate has clearly been planning for this. In his previous roles as Head of Elite Development then manager of the Under 21 side, he saw first hand how much the talent pipeline improved since the dark days of a decade ago. When he took the big job in 2016, he understood his role would be to slowly shepherd in a new generation of much greater ability than those he started with. He�s since tried to build a framework in which they can thrive, bringing a more relaxed atmosphere to the training camp for a closer knit group and greater sense of team identity among the players. He�s looked at the mostly attack-minded stars and tried to give them the defensive solidity they might naturally lack, starting from the back and giving a strong defensive foundation to which the blooming attacking talents will increasingly complement. There�s a structure in place and, as nice as winning on Sunday would be from an English perspective, it isn�t intended as the destination.
'I've never heard Wembley like that' - Southgate after Denmark win'I've never heard Wembley like that' - Southgate after Denmark win
'I've never heard Wembley like that' - Southgate after Denmark win

�Today I want to set the whole of English football two targets�, said former FA chairman Greg Dyke back in 2013. �The first is for the England team to at least reach the semi-finals of the European Championships in 2020�. He wasn�t to know a pandemic would delay the tournament a year. But job more than done on that front, with potentially the perfect conclusion.
�And the second is for us to win the World Cup in 2022�.
In Henry Winter�s book Fifty Years of Hurt: The Story of England Football and Why We Never Stop Believing, he talks of the clock at the FA�s St. George�s Park technical centre counting down to the 2022 final, emphasising the long stated aim of winning the trophy. This target has been drilled through the organisation. Winter�s book, published in 2016, is understandably pessimistic about achieving this. The thought of England reemerging as a top side seemed almost impossible five years ago. The FA even downgraded the target that year to simply being �ready� for 2022. It just didn�t seem possible that things could improve so quickly.
And yet here we are, 18 months out from that tournament, with a young and exciting group of players heading into their first international tournament. If anything, 2022 could be too early to see this group peak. Winning a World Cup is a very difficult thing, even moreso than the European Championships. But it�s hard to look at this England side from player development to management and conclude they haven�t given themselves an excellent chance of pulling it off.
Whether England win on Sunday is down to one game of football. Anything can happen. What�s clear, though, is that the country can be optimistic about the future of this national team. For the first time in decades, it�s not arrogance to go into the next few tournaments and aim to win it.

EURO 2020 - ENGLAND UNITED: WEMBLEY NO LONGER A HOUSE OF PAIN AS HISTO

mybb@mybb.ru (zabava.firsova) — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 10:03:22 +0300

For so long, Wembley Stadium was an expensive house of pain. But then Wednesday night came along as 60,000 revved-up supporters combined to create an unforgettable semi-final that cast the national stadium in a new light. Paul Hayward on how Gareth Southgate has united England ahead of Euro 2020�s final hurdle: a showdown with Italy on Sunday.
Gareth Southgate leads a team talk during England v Denmark
Gareth Southgate leads a team talk during England v Denmark

Image credit: Getty Images

Paul Hayward
BY
PAUL HAYWARD
UPDATED 09/07/2021 AT 19:59 GMT+6
Gary Neville once took a swing at Wembley with more force than the wrecking ball they used to demolish the old Empire Stadium. It was, said England�s right-back, a horrible place to play.
�There would be groups of West Ham and Chelsea supporters, lads who had come not to cheer England but to get pissed and hammer a few United players on a Wednesday night,� Neville wrote in his autobiography, Red. �I�d be running up and down the touchline, playing my guts out for my country, then I�d go to pick up the ball for a throw-in and hear a shout of �F*** off, Neville, you�re s***!' I was delighted when that tired old ground, with its c*** facilities and its pockets of bitter fans, got smashed into little pieces. I never mourned the Twin Towers, not for a minute.�
Cut to the new opulent Wembley for the Denmark semi-final. There, in place of the house of pain, is an alternative Glastonbury, three-quarters full with fans whose support wasn�t just passionate but fierce, unwavering, unrelenting. Absent was the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately, conditional backing, borne of 55 years of watching the team not reach tournament finals.
Hayward: Penalty pain will not linger for Southgate's heroic England sideHayward: Penalty pain will not linger for Southgate's heroic England side
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HAYWARD: PENALTY PAIN WILL NOT LINGER FOR SOUTHGATE'S HEROIC ENGLAND SIDE
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Chiellini: Wembley games have given England easier route to final
'We're a special country' - Southgate expresses pride at guiding England to final
'I've never heard Wembley like that' - Southgate after Denmark win'I've never heard Wembley like that' - Southgate after Denmark win
'I've never heard Wembley like that' - Southgate after Denmark win

The sepia painted over England winning the Jules Rimet Trophy 55 years ago could be replaced on Sunday night by a modern digital rebirth. Harry Kane could be on the shoulders of his comrades as Bobby Moore was in 1966. The stoney look worn by Jimmy Greaves, who was left out in the final, might give way to the happiness of substitutes who�ve willingly accepted a back-up role in Gareth Southgate�s collective (as far as we know).
Watching the Italy game will be Sir Geoff Hurst, part of the West Ham trinity who drove the �66 win. Declan Rice carries the claret and blue flag this time. Sir Bobby Charlton, Roger Hunt and George Cohen have been ruled out for health and logistical reasons but Hurst is their ambassador. Fifty-five years is long enough to deprive the English game of seven of Alf Ramsey�s world champions. But the connecting strand remains, through Hurst, and through a sense of place: Wembley, which Raheem Sterling watched rise again from rubble in his childhood in Brent.
Ramsey, uncomfortable with displays of emotion, retreated from the trophy celebrations. Southgate, who has already purged the demon of his missed penalty at Euro 96, will take his place, one would expect, in any rejoicing. His conception of the social role of the team goes far beyond Ramsey�s view of what an England team was for, though �Sir Alf� had his own, older code of patriotism.
The energy and positivity of the 60,000 crowd on Wednesday night - the best in my three decades of covering England - was partly a product of Covid: the atomisation of social contact, the isolation and loss of shared experiences that comes with 16 months of lockdowns. A social behaviourist would have found much to digest in the almost ravey atmosphere. The reforming of bonds was oiled by copious imbibing in the hours leading up to the game.
But there was something more than lockdown syndrome at play. Finally, the new luxury Wembley has come of age as the spiritual headquarters of the English game, the national team and the unruly urges of English patriotism: much of it benign, some of it hostile, rude and inward-looking.
'We're not scared of England' Italy's Verratti ahead of Euro 2020 final'We're not scared of England' Italy's Verratti ahead of Euro 2020 final
'We're not scared of England' Italy's Verratti ahead of Euro 2020 final

The house of pain that many England players and managers recall will complete its transformation in Sunday�s final, to a more communal setting, where the team reflects the audience and vice-versa. You can overthink this - as some columnists have. These lightbulb moments are often brief. The claim that France�s multi-ethnic 1998 World Cup World Cup winning team would rewrite the racial politics of the country has turned out to be hyperbolic - though incremental progress may have been made.
Yet, against Italy, Southgate will lead his side into a space where previous England managers were spat at as they walked down the tunnel, where Manchester United or Liverpool players were harangued by fans of London clubs, and where top international players in the 1970s wished England could be taken on the road to escape the national stadium�s �negativity.�
In its early days the new ground was variously denounced as a grotesque extravagance, a £757m crime against grass-roots football, an exercise in branding and a mansion far too grand for cup finals, league play-offs and international qualifiers. At last it�s fulfilling its ultimate purpose as a stage for an England team in a final.

ARGENTINA 1-0 BRAZIL: LIONEL MESSI WINS MAJOR INTERNATIONAL TROPHY AS

mybb@mybb.ru (zabava.firsova) — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 10:02:41 +0300

Argentina win their first major silverware in 28 years and their 15th Copa America after a 1-0 win over fierce rivals Brazil at the Maracana Stadium.
Lionel Messi secured his first major international trophy as La Albiceleste edged to victory. For Brazil, they succumbed to their first loss in a competitive match at the Maracana since 1950.
In a scrappy first half in front of the 7,000 supporters in attendance, there was a moment of real quality as Argentina scored what proved to be the vital winning goal in the 22nd minute through Angel Di Maria.
'Inexplicable happiness' - Messi emotional after historic Copa America victory'Inexplicable happiness' - Messi emotional after historic Copa America victory
COPA AMÉRICA
'INEXPLICABLE HAPPINESS' - MESSI EMOTIONAL AFTER HISTORIC COPA AMERICA VICTORY
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The PSG playmaker latched onto a pinpoint long ball from Rodrigo De Paul before lobbing Ederson in goal to break the deadlock.

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Brazil were fired up after the break and Richarlison quickly had the ball in the net, but it was ruled out for offside.
Argentina became more of a defensive unit as the second half wore on as boss Luciano Scaloni continued to make defensive substitutions to stop Brazil from playing through the lines.
The strategy paid off as Argentina held on to their slender advantage, ultimately ending their dismal run of four losses in a row at Copa America finals.
Brazil's star forawrd Neymar dropped to his knees in tears after the whistle and was consoled by his former Barcelona teammate Messi while they waited for the trophy ceremony.

ENGLAND GET READY FOR THE FINAL OF A LIFETIME - THE WARM-UP

mybb@mybb.ru (zabava.firsova) — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 10:01:56 +0300

It's the final of Euro 2020! It's between two really good teams! And one of those teams is England! What times we live in. And just to make a strange day even stranger, Argentina have finally won an international trophy as well. Andi Thomas brings you the Warm-Up on what could be a truly historic Sunday.
SUNDAY'S BIG STORIES
2021 AND ALL THAT
This column is called "The Warm-Up". Today, we suspect, that promise is entirely redundant. If you're an England fan, you're warm. You're warmer than warm. You're seething with neurotic energy. And guess what? You've got the rest of the day to get through.
Hayward: Penalty pain will not linger for Southgate's heroic England sideHayward: Penalty pain will not linger for Southgate's heroic England side
EURO 2020
HAYWARD: PENALTY PAIN WILL NOT LINGER FOR SOUTHGATE'S HEROIC ENGLAND SIDE
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Supporters of England's men's team are kind of off the map here. Are the usual big game rituals enough? Or does this call for something special, an extra gloss for an extra glossy occasion. How many lucky pairs of socks can one person fit inside their luckiest pair of shoes? Could you get another pair on over the outside, maybe?
Perhaps the calmest place in the entire country is inside the England camp itself. Southgate seems to be doing a magnificent job of keeping England's players apart from England's vast seething turmoil of pain and delirium and fear. It is generally understood to have been Southgate who once said, of Sven-Göran Eriksson's underwhelming half-time manner, that "We needed Churchill but we got Iain Duncan-Smith". But now the quiet man is keeping the volume at a sensible level.
WE USUALLY HAVE A MEETING ABOUT THE SET PLAYS IN THE MORNING, AND THEN I�LL SPEAK TO THEM BEFORE WE LEAVE THE HOTEL. YOU�RE TWO HOURS BEFORE THE GAME AT THAT POINT. YOU WANT THE MESSAGE TO RESONATE BUT IT�S ABOUT HOW YOU MAKE THE PLAYERS FEEL AS MUCH AS ANYTHING. WE DON�T NEED TO BE GETTING THEM OVERHYPED.
In any case, Southgate is now officially more popular than Churchill. Hopefully "We will meet them about the set plays" will echo down the years just like that line about the beaches.

The Warm-Up is, of course, studiously neutral as to who actually wins the Euros, and we have been ever since Wales got knocked out. But it seems to us that the important thing to do with this day is to enjoy it. Major finals don't come around every day, or even every generation: this is a new and strange flavour of anticipation and one to be savoured.
Southgate and his players have to remain calm. You absolutely do not. Obviously there's a certain amount of common sense required: for a start there's a pandemic on; for a finish, it's a late kick-off and you don't want to miss anything. But it might be another half-century before the country grinds to a halt like this again. Take the nerves, and the fear, and the little quiver in your soul, and stick your head right into the whole lot of it.
Apart from anything else, this will stop you obsessing about the game. It is beautifully set up, this final, and almost impossible to call. If you're anything like the Warm-Up, you've spent the last few days playing it out behind half-closed eyes. And you've been bouncing around from one team to another, unable to decide which of the sides' theoretical strengths or weaknessess will swing the game.
Yes, Italy have beaten the better teams but they're missing Spinazzola which means they don't have an outlet: all England need to do is stick a man on Jorginho! But then that's not as easy as it sounds, and also there's Verratti, and there's no way Italy leave these big inviting spaces for Sterling to run into, and Shaw looked a little rattled against Denmark and that translates to a lot rattled up against Chiesa. Isn't Chiesa brilliant yes he is but so is Sterling and England have the deeper bench GREALISH! GREALISH! CALVERT-LEWIN? but we're probably due a Stones mistake at some point & Donnarumma is huge & what if the crowd turn, what if the hype curdles & England's set pieces are good but Italy's might be better &, &, &, & �
And then you run out of breath and need a sit down. Going to be a loooong day.
DELL'ELMO DI SCIPIO
Are England up to something a little underhanded here? First Italy fly into Luton airport, almost certainly one of the top ten most cursed places in the entire country. And then they make their base at Tottenham's training ground, which probably cracks the top five. There's a joke about avoiding the lasagna here if anybody wants it? No, no, fair enough.
It's probably important to keep in mind that this is a final between two capital-p Projects. Italy may not have quite so many years of hurt in the bank, having won the World Cup in 2006, and you couldn't really get a song out of "three years of acute embarrassment". But winning the Euros just three years after failing to qualify for the World Cup would be the very definition of: saw a problem; fixed a problem.
And like England, this Italy team seem like a side that could run for a while. Quarrying a new Chiellini isn't going to be a straightforward task, but there is youth sprinkled through the rest of the squad: Donnarumma is a child of 22, Chiesa is only 23, Pessina and Barella both 24. Meanwhile Jorginho and Verratti should both be in their prime, at 29 and 28 respectively.
For the discerning neutral, assuming such a person exists anywhere, we suspect Italy have the edge. The story may not be quite as compelling as England's search for a new England, but the football is a lot more fun. Good Italy teams � and this is a good Italy team � are technically and tactically sharp, they attack a good deal more than the stereotype would suggest, and they fizz with intensity and purpose.
Even the time-wasting is done to its utmost: you don't have to like it to see how well it's put together, and with what commitment. Ultimately, there are two excellent stories here, and that's how every international tournament should end. Whoever wins, narrative definitely wins.

FOOTBALL NEWS - KIERAN TRIPPIER STARTS AS PHIL FODEN MISSES OUT FOR EN

mybb@mybb.ru (zabava.firsova) — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 10:00:09 +0300

Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden has failed to recover in time to play for England at the final of the Euro 2020 tournament against Italy on Sunday evening. He had been a doubt for the game, and Kieran Trippier has been brought in for the match. The Atletico Madrid man has been in and out of the team so far.
Phil Foden during England's draw with Scotland
Phil Foden during England's draw with Scotland

Image credit: Getty Images

Alexander Netherton
BY
ALEXANDER NETHERTON
UPDATED 12/07/2021 AT 00:02 GMT+6
Kieran Trippier starts for England in their Euro 2020 final against Italy on Sunday, but Phil Foden has failed to recover to make the team.
Foden had picked up a knock that is not a long-term problem but is enough to keep him out of contention for the final.
Southgate has elected to bring in Trippier, who has recovered from his own injury problem
Analysis: Naïve Belgium need a plan to beat Italy, and Martinez needs to adaptAnalysis: Naïve Belgium need a plan to beat Italy, and Martinez needs to adapt
EURO 2020
ANALYSIS: NAÏVE BELGIUM NEED A PLAN TO BEAT ITALY, AND MARTINEZ NEEDS TO ADAPT
01/07/2021 AT 22:24
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From pariah to hero, Sterling a Ballon d'Or contender and national treasure
There is a space for the Atletico player as well as Kyle Walker, Luke Shaw, John Stones and Harry Maguire.
Declan Rice, Kalvin Phillips and Mason Mount are picked in midfield, and Harry Kane is partnered again by Raheem Sterling in attack.

Italy meanwhile start with Ciro Immobile, Federicho Chiesa and Lorenzo Insigne.

Chelsea midfielder Jorginho is joined by Marco Verratti and Nicolo Borrelo in the middle, with a backline of Giovanni di Lorenzo, Giorgio Chiellini, Emerson and Leonardo Bonucci in front of Gianluigi Donnarumma.

ENGLAND BOSS GARETH SOUTHGATE SET TO BRING IN KIERAN TRIPPIER AND GO W

mybb@mybb.ru (zabava.firsova) — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 09:59:29 +0300

England take on Italy in the final of Euro 2020 at Wembley on Sunday evening and Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate is set to tinker with his formation for the clash with the Azzurri. The coach has not been afraid to shuffle his pack during the tournament and is set to go with a three-man back line instead of the back four he used in the semi-finals.
'Letter from the Queen was fantastic' - Southgate
'Letter from the Queen was fantastic' - Southgate

Image credit: Getty Images

Eurosport
BY
EUROSPORT
UPDATED 11/07/2021 AT 20:56 GMT+6
Gareth Southgate is set to shift formation for England�s Euro 2020 final against Italy, with Kieran Trippier coming in at right wing-back as the Three Lions switch to a back three.
The England boss has not been afraid to tinker with his lineup throughout the tournament, and has shifted between a back three and back four.
He deployed three at the back in the victory against Germany, before reverting to four at the back for the wins over Ukraine and Denmark.
Player ratings: England overawed by streetwise, astute ItalyPlayer ratings: England overawed by streetwise, astute Italy
EURO 2020
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However, the Telegraph is claiming Southgate will go with Kyle Walker, Harry Maguire and John Stones in a three-man defence.
Atletico Madrid man Trippier will come in for Bukayo Saka on the right - with Luke Shaw retaining his spot on the left.
There had been claims that Jordan Henderson would come into the side in place of Kalvin Phillips, but the Telegraph is suggesting the Leeds United midfielder - who has been superb in the centre of midfield - will retain his place alongside Declan Rice.
Captain Harry Kane will lead the line, supported by Manchester City star Raheem Sterling and Mason Mount of Chelsea.
Jordan Pickford, who has only conceded one goal so far at Euro 2020, will start in goal.
Anticipation is building for the Wembley spectacular, with fans in high spirits in London ahead of the 8pm kick off.

UNSAVOURY SCENES THREATEN TO TAKE GLOSS OFF ENGLAND'S EUROPEAN CHAMPIO

mybb@mybb.ru (zabava.firsova) — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 09:58:48 +0300

England are in the final of the European Championship, where they will take on Italy at Wembley Stadium for Euro 2020 glory. The Three Lions have a shot at history on Sunday evening, but the team's preparations are in danger of being overshadowed by unsavoury incidents in the capital and around the ground as well.
Jets de projectiles, barrage de sécurité forcé : l'ambiance s'est soudainement tendue autour de Wembley à deux heures de la finale de l'Euro, Angleterre � Italie
Jets de projectiles, barrage de sécurité forcé : l'ambiance s'est soudainement tendue autour de Wembley à deux heures de la finale de l'Euro, Angleterre � Italie

Image credit: Getty Images

Eurosport
BY
EUROSPORT
UPDATED 12/07/2021 AT 01:27 GMT+6
England�s preparations for the final of Euro 2020 are in danger of being overshadowed by the actions of a minority of fans in London.
The Three Lions have reached the final of a major competition for the first time since 1996, and will take on Italy at Wembley Stadium on Sunday evening.
Despite warnings by police not to travel to the capital unless in possession of a ticket, with Covid-19 threatening to take grip of the country once again, supporters flooded into London ahead of the game.
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Leicester Square was a hive of positive activity following the win over Denmark in the semi-finals, and fans congregated there once again.
It was largely good natured, but there were disappointing scenes as bottles and glasses were smashed, while windows of cinemas in the area were targeted.

It was a similar scene at Wembley, as huge numbers of fans descended on the area in the hope of being a part of history.

Again, it was good natured initially - with Sweet Caroline being belted out by large numbers - but the scene turned ugly later in the afternoon as fans attempted to break through a security cordon.

Eurosport�s Marcus Foley is at Wembley and he spoke to a steward who said a barricade was broken down and scores of fans headed towards a secure area.
Police were deployed to restore order, and it is hoped that the actions of a minority do not overshadow a special night for English football.
OUR VIEW - EUROSPORT'S MARCUS FOLEY AT WEMBLEY
There was a commotion at the end of Wembley Way and under the main stairs.
This was in a fenced off area and, at first, it felt like this was just general raucousness of the day.
However, at the media entrance that was about 100 metres away, a member of staff began telling other staff members not to let anyone through, including media. To be fair, they continued to let media through.
Once past the media screening, it was clear that something fairly serious was happening. Stewards were running after people and attempting to wrestle them to the ground.
I spoke to a member of Wembley staff who described the scene next to the stairs as a "stampede". I didn't witness any of that first hand but another member is staff said that the screening attached had been knocked over and people had ran through.
There are two - perhaps three levels of security - before fans can get inside the stadium and it appears numerous people had breached that first level of security as I saw a number of fans marched back out past that first level of security.
Some were told to wait next to police (I didn't see any police speaking to them) but then it appeared as though fans on the upper concourse were throwing things down at some fans below.
Here is what Wembley have had to say.

FOOTBALL NEWS - 'THAT�S TOTALLY MY RESPONSIBILITY' - SOUTHGATE TAKES B

mybb@mybb.ru (zabava.firsova) — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 09:58:06 +0300

Speaking after the England defeat to Italy at Wembley on Sunday night, manager Gareth Southgate took responsibility for the decision to leave Bukayo Saka to take the fifth and crucial penalty. The Arsenal teenager missed which meant that the trophy went to the Italian side, with senior players such as Jordan Henderson not taking one of the first five.
England players console Saka after his miss
England players console Saka after his miss

Image credit: Getty Images

Alexander Netherton
BY
ALEXANDER NETHERTON
PUBLISHED 12/07/2021 AT 05:02 GMT+6
Gareth Southgate shouldered the blame for putting Bukayo Saka in for the crucial fifth penalty in their Euro 2020 defeat to Italy.
Saka was taking his first penalty in competitive football when other, older players such as Jordan Henderson and Jack Grealish were not required to step up, leading to some questions over Southgate�s decisions.
However, speaking to ITV, Southgate explained that the order had already been agreed with the players.
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�We prepared as well as we could for that, and it�s my responsibility. I chose the guys to take the kicks in the end we weren't able to see the game through in regulation time,� he said.
ITALY SHOWED WHAT AN OUTSTANDING SIDE THAT THEY ARE. OUR PLAYERS HAVE DONE THEMSELVES PROUD. EVERYONE HAS BEEN EXCEPTIONAL, THE FIRST TIME WE�VE BEEN TO A FINAL.
�Disappointed not to go that one step further.�
Southgate gathered his players in the wake of their defeat, and explained what he had said to the group.
�Just that nobody is on their own in that situation.. We decided to make those changes right at the end of the game. We win and lose as a team. We've been tight throughout.
�That�s my decision to dive [Saka] that penalty. That�s totally my responsibility. It�s not him or Marcus [Rashford] or Jadon [Sancho]. We worked on them in training. That was the order we came to. That�s my call as a coach.�

The coach then appraised the team�s tactics, and noted where they had failed to keep control of the game after an exceptionally promising start from Luke Shaw�s opening goal.
�We did start well, our system worked really well, our wingbacks overloaded well,� he said.
�They were bound to come back, they had some outstanding players. We didn�t keep the ball well enough in that initial period in the second half. We changed the shape to try and get a bit more of a grip. It was our lack of composure in possession that turned the game. We were defending OK.
IT�S HARD TO REFLECT ON THIS MOMENT BECAUSE THE DISAPPOINTMENT IS ENORMOUS FOR ALL OF US. THIS GROUP OF PLAYERS HAS DONE THEMSELVES PROUD. I HOPE THAT EVERYONE WILL REMEMBER WHAT THIS GROUP HAS GIVEN THEM.
�I think I've given everyone some fantastic nights and we wanted to give them one more, and it�s hard for me to put that into words.�

EURO 2021 - TAKING THE KNEE, STERLING'S RESURGENCE AND HEATBREAK AGAIN

mybb@mybb.ru (zabava.firsova) — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 09:57:26 +0300

The Euro 2020 tournament is one of the few international championships which has shown the England national side in a positive light. Gareth Southgate and his players might come away disappointed on Sunday night but there have been a string of high points that will give them encouragement for the upcoming World Cup.
Marcus Rashford
Marcus Rashford

Image credit: Getty Images

Alexander Netherton
BY
ALEXANDER NETHERTON
PUBLISHED 12/07/2021 AT 04:49 GMT+6
England suffered another miserable disappointment, but it is a rare thing that they can still come away from an international tournament with their pride intact. We look at their biggest moments.
GARETH SOUTHGATE DEFENDS TAKING THE KNEE
Before the tournament, Southgate and his England squad discussed whether they wished to continue taking the knee or not. The way the manager reported it to the press, there was little debate and plenty of unity as the decision was made: they would continue to take the knee.
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There should have been little surprise. The players and Southgate have been eloquent throughout the coronavirus pandemic about the oppression they are choosing to protest, and many of them have been supportive of similar causes before the blight of Covid-19. Given the hackles raised by the demonstrations, it would be little surprise if they continue to fight for what matters to them. It is not just Marcus Rashford or Raheem Sterling that speaks up - it is almost every player.
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Before the tournament kicked off, one MP claimed he would not be watching because he objected to the gesture. Last year, some fans decided they would boo the spectacle. They looked silly before the team reached the final, and they look just as foolish now. While it is far from the most important reason to have done so, it is easy to credit that Southgate�s decision to back his manager has only strengthened the bond and loyalty within the side, and helped build the resilience they had to draw upon after conceding their first goal of the tournament against Denmark.
Sterling takes the kneeSterling takes the knee
Sterling takes the knee

Image credit: Getty Images

RAHEEM STERLING STARTS DESPITE POOR FORM
Another crucial decision was made before the tournament. One that has shown to be crucial to - in this universe at least, because there is at least one alternate reality where he has scored 63 own goals - getting England through to the final.
Sterling had endured more than enjoyed last season. Under Pep Guardiola he had lost his place as a first-choice forward at Manchester City, and he had been linked as a part-exchange offer for Harry Kane. Being rejected by the best manager in the world is one thing, but being put forward to play for Spurs is quite another.
Despite that, and despite the appeal of Jadon Sancho, Jack Grealish and Bukayo Saka, Southgate elected to retain his trust in Sterling as a partner for Kane, in a reverse Guardiola move. The 26-year-old has continued to improve throughout the tournament, forcing the penalty to send them through on in the semi final.
TUNNEL CHAT GIVES SOUTHGATE A CHANCE
After England�s disappointing struggle against Scotland, Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell made perhaps their most important contribution to the group stages - they went into the tunnel and had an electric moment of repartee with fellow Chelsea player Billy Gilmour. When the Scot later returned a positive coronavirus test, they were chuffed.
That forced Southgate to re-evaluate his options, and both Saka and Grealish were given a chance in the next game, against the Czech Republic. A win, and much more excitement, appeared to have convinced the manager that he could focus a little more on worrying the opposition and relying less on set pieces to break down a side. Without that suspension, Southgate could have continued to sleepwalk into conservatism.
Saka and Grealish started in unexpected circumstancesSaka and Grealish started in unexpected circumstances
Saka and Grealish started in unexpected circumstances

Image credit: Getty Images

MULLER�S MISS
Thomas Muller might not actually appear to be much good at football, but the sheer weight of assists and goals proves that he is simply awkwardly and deceptively brilliant. The ageing Bayern Munich raumdeuter (is that still a word?) was part of the Germany side that fell to England in the knockout stages.
With England 1-0 up, and 81 minutes on the clock, England were not exactly holding on by the skin of their gnashers, but they were ripe for a setback. It looked inevitable when Muller was through on goal and only had to slip the ball past Jordan Pickford, but he sent his effort wide. England were relieved, Germany broken, and they then doubled their advantage before the end of the game.

Gareth Southgate says England penalty decisions during Euro 2020 final

mybb@mybb.ru (zabava.firsova) — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 09:55:55 +0300

Gareth Southgate took responsibility for England's penalty shootout defeat, saying the decisions made were entirely down to him.

It was a painfully familiar story for England at Wembley. They drew 1-1 with Italy across 120 minutes, leading to the dreaded penalties to decide the winner of Euro 2020.

It began well, but misses from Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and 19-year-old Bukayo Saka saw Italy claim their second European Championship title, leaving England heartbroken once again as they were beaten 3-2 in the shootout.

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After the game, England manager Southgate took full responsibility for the penalty shootout, having chosen the line-up.

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There were contrasting emotions for England and Italy fans following the dramatic penalty shootout at Wembley
When asked what he would say to Saka, Southgate replied: "That it's down to me. I chose the penalty takers based on what we've done in training and nobody is on their own. We've won together as a team and it's absolutely on all of us in terms of not being able to win the game tonight.

"But in terms of the penalties, that's my call and totally rests with me.

Leonardo Bonucci: 'Football's coming home' chant motivated Italy to wi

mybb@mybb.ru (zabava.firsova) — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 09:55:16 +0300

Leonardo Bonucci scored Italy's equaliser in the second half after Luke Shaw had given England early lead in the Euro 2020 final; Bonucci: "Sorry for them but actually the cup will be taking a nice flight to Rome and that way Italians all over the world can savour this"

Leonardo Bonucci says Italy were spurred on to win Euro 2020 by England fans insisting football was coming home.

Bonucci played a star role in the Azzuri's success at Wembley, cancelling out Luke Shaw's early goal in the second half and then converting a penalty during the shootout which his side won 3-2.

It was a timely night of glory for the 34-year-old, who broke his country's record for the most appearances in the European Championship with 18 and it delivered more heartache for England, whose 55-year wait for a major tournament victory goes on.

There was plenty of expectation that Gareth Southgate's side would win, as their famous anthem Three Lions reverberated around the country following their semi-final win over Denmark on Wednesda
But Bonucci said that gave his side motivation.

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"Absolutely. We heard it day in day out ever since Wednesday night since the Denmark game that the cup would be coming home to London," he said.

"Sorry for them but actually the cup will be taking a nice flight to Rome and that way Italians all over the world can savour this competition.

FA condemns racist abuse Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho

mybb@mybb.ru (zabava.firsova) — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 09:52:22 +0300

Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho, who all missed penalties as England endured penalty shootout heartbreak in the Euro 2020 final, suffer racist abuse after the match on social media; the FA strongly condemns the 'disgusting behaviour'; PM Boris Johnson slams 'appalling abuse'
The Metropolitan Police also condemned the "unacceptable" abuse, adding it will be investigating the "offensive and racist" social media posts.

The force said in a statement on Twitter: "We are aware of a number of offensive and racist social media comments being directed towards footballers following the #Euro2020 final.

"This abuse is totally unacceptable, it will not be tolerated and it will be investigated."

The official Twitter account for the England men's and women's national teams offered support to the victimised players.

Manuel Neuer

mybb@mybb.ru (zabava.firsova) — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 09:50:01 +0300

Manuel Peter Neuer (German pronunciation: [ˈmaːnu̯eːl ˈnɔʏ.ɐ, -ɛl -]; born 27 March 1986) is a German professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper and captains both Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and the Germany national team. He is regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers in the history of the sport.[nb 1] Neuer has been described as a "sweeper-keeper" because of his playing style and speed when rushing off his line to anticipate opponents, going out of the goalkeeper box.[5][6][30] He was named the best goalkeeper of the decade from 2011 to 2020 by IFFHS.[31]

Neuer started his career at Schalke 04 where he won the DFB-Pokal and DFL-Ligapokal. In 2011, he signed for Bayern Munich and has since won 25 trophies, including nine Bundesliga titles and two UEFA Champions League titles. In 2014, Neuer finished third in the voting, behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, for the FIFA Ballon d'Or award. He was awarded the UEFA Goalkeeper of the Year and the IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper five times each.

Neuer was selected as Germany's number one goalkeeper for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.[32] During the group stages, he only conceded a single goal. He provided the assist for Miroslav Klose's opening goal against England, winning 4�1. Four years later, Neuer won the 2014 FIFA World Cup with Germany as well as the Golden Glove award for being the best goalkeeper in the tournament.[33]

Robert Lewandowski

mybb@mybb.ru (zabava.firsova) — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 09:49:31 +0300

Robert Lewandowski (Polish pronunciation: [ˈrɔbɛrt lɛvanˈdɔfskʲi] (About this soundlisten); born 21 August 1988) is a Polish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and is the captain of the Poland national team. Recognized for his positioning, technique and finishing, Lewandowski is considered one of the best strikers of all time, as well as one of the most successful players in Bundesliga history.[4] He has scored over 500 senior career goals for club and country.

After being the top scorer in the third and second tiers of Polish football with Znicz Pruszków, Lewandowski moved to top-flight Lech Poznań, helping the team win the 2009�10 Ekstraklasa. In 2010, he transferred to Borussia Dortmund, where he won honours including two consecutive Bundesliga titles and the league's top goalscorer award. In 2013, he also featured with Dortmund in the 2013 UEFA Champions League Final. Prior to the start of the 2014�15 season, Lewandowski agreed to join Dortmund's domestic rivals, Bayern Munich, on a free transfer. In Munich, he has won the Bundesliga title in each of his first seven seasons. Lewandowski was integral in Bayern's UEFA Champions League win in 2019�20 as part of a treble. He is one of only two players, alongside Johan Cruyff, to achieve the European treble, while being the top scorer in all three competitions.

A full international for Poland since 2008, Lewandowski has earned over 120 caps and was a member of their team at UEFA Euro 2012, Euro 2016, the 2018 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2020. With 69 international goals, Lewandowski is the all-time top scorer for Poland. He won IFFHS World's Best International Goal Scorer Award in 2015 and IFFHS World's Best Top Goal Scorer Award in 2020. He also won the European Golden Shoe for the 2020�21 season. Moreover, Lewandowski has been named the Polish Player of the Year a record nine times.

Toni Kroos

mybb@mybb.ru (zabava.firsova) — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 09:48:50 +0300

Toni Kroos (born 4 January 1990) is a German professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid. Kroos plays mainly as a central midfielder, but has also been deployed as a deep-lying playmaker in his career. Known for his vision, passing, creativity, crossing and set-piece ability,[4][5] Kroos is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world.[6]

Kroos began his senior club career playing for Bayern Munich, where he made his debut at age 17 in 2007. He was sparingly used, and opted for an 18-month loan spell at fellow Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, where he became a key contributor, and returned to his parent club with an increased profile in 2010. With Bayern, Kroos won two consecutive league titles, a UEFA Champions League title, two DFB-Pokal titles, and was voted into the league team of the season three times. In 2014, he joined Real Madrid in a transfer worth �25 million.[7]

In Madrid, Kroos won nine trophies, including two La Liga titles and three UEFA Champions League titles, which he won consecutively from 2016 and 2018, each time being selected in the competition's team of the season. He has been selected in the FIFPro World11 and UEFA Team of the Year three times, and the league's team of the season twice.[8][9] He was voted the IFFHS World's Best Playmaker in 2014 and German Footballer of the Year in 2018.

David De Gea

mybb@mybb.ru (zabava.firsova) — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 09:48:15 +0300

David de Gea Quintana (born 7 November 1990) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Manchester United and the Spain national team. He was regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world.[4][5][6]

Born in Madrid and raised in nearby Illescas, De Gea began his playing career with Atlético Madrid, rising through the academy system at the club before making his senior debut in 2009, aged 18. After being made Atlético's first-choice goalkeeper, he helped the team win the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Super Cup in 2010. His performances subsequently attracted the attention of Manchester United, and De Gea joined the club in June 2011 for £18.9 million, a British record for a goalkeeper at the time.

Since joining Manchester United, De Gea has made over 400 appearances and won a Premier League title, an FA Cup, a League Cup, three Community Shields and the UEFA Europa League. For three consecutive seasons from 2013�14 to 2015�16, he was elected as United's Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year, the first player in the award's history to win on three successive occasions (four in total),[7] as well as being included in four consecutive (five in total) PFA Team of the Year sides from 2015 to 2018. In 2018 he was named in the FIFA FIFPro World11.[8]

Tipped by many as the successor to Iker Casillas as Spain's long-term goalkeeper,[9] De Gea was the captain for the Spain under-21 national team that won the European Championship in 2011 and 2013, and also competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics. He made his debut for the senior team in 2014 and was selected for that year's World Cup. De Gea was named as Spain's starting goalkeeper for the 2016 European Championship and the 2018 FIFA World Cup, receiving criticism for his performance in the latter.[10] He lost his place to Unai Simon for the 2020 European Championship.

Luis Suarez

mybb@mybb.ru (zabava.firsova) — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 09:47:27 +0300

Luis Alberto Suárez Díaz (American Spanish: [ˈlwis ˈswaɾes]; born 24 January 1987) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a striker for Spanish club Atlético Madrid[2] and the Uruguay national team. Regarded as one of the best players of his generation and one of the greatest strikers in football history,[note 1] Suárez has won nineteen major trophies in his career, including seven league titles and a UEFA Champions League at club level, as well as the 2011 Copa América with Uruguay. A prolific goalscorer, Suárez has won two European Golden Shoes, an Eredivisie Golden Boot, a Premier League Golden Boot, and the Pichichi Trophy. He has scored over 500 career goals for club and country.[11]

Nicknamed El Pistolero ('The Gunman'),[12] Suárez began his senior club career at Nacional in 2005. At age 19, he signed for Groningen, before transferring to Ajax in 2007. There, he won an Eredivisie title and KNVB Cup. In 2011, Suárez signed for Premier League club Liverpool, and won the League Cup in his first full season. In 2014, he equalled the goalscoring record for a 38-game Premier League season and won his first European Golden Shoe. That summer, Suárez moved to Barcelona in a transfer worth �82.3 million (£64.98 million), making him one of the most expensive players in football history.[13][14]

In his first season, he won a continental treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League with Barcelona. In his second season, Suárez won the Pichichi Trophy and his second European Golden Shoe, becoming the first player since 2009 to win both awards other than Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.[15] He also led La Liga in assists, becoming the first player to do so in both goals and assists in league history.[16][17] With Barcelona, he won ten additional trophies, including three La Liga titles and three Copas del Rey. He signed for Atlético Madrid in 2020, winning his fifth La Liga title on his debut season.[18]

Sergio Ramos

mybb@mybb.ru (zabava.firsova) — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 09:46:57 +0300

Sergio Ramos García (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈseɾxjo ˈramoz ɣaɾˈθi.a];[A] born 30 March 1986) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Spain national team.[3] He most notably played as a centre-back for Real Madrid for 16 seasons,[4] whom he captained for six seasons.[5][6] He has previously played as a right-back, earlier in his career.[7]

After emerging through Sevilla's youth academy and spending two seasons with the senior side, Ramos moved to Real Madrid in the summer of 2005.[7] Since then, he went on to become a mainstay for Real Madrid, and had won 22 major honours, including five La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League titles, becoming one of La Liga's top goalscorers from a defensive position. He played a crucial part in the build-up to all four UEFA Champions League wins, being named in the competition Squad of the Season each time. He also notably scored the equaliser in the 93rd minute of the 2014 UEFA Champions League Final.[8][9]

Ramos has been named to the FIFPro World11 eleven times; a record for a defender, and the third-most all-time. He has also been elected to the UEFA Team of the Year nine times, also a record for a defender and the third-most of any player. Additionally, Ramos has been named La Liga's Best Defender a record five times, and to the La Liga Team of the Season in 2015�16. In 2021, he joined Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer.

Eden Hazard

mybb@mybb.ru (zabava.firsova) — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 09:46:19 +0300

Eden Michael Hazard (born 7 January 1991) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a winger or attacking midfielder for Spanish club Real Madrid and captains the Belgium national team. Known for his creativity, dribbling and passing, he is considered one of the best players of his generation.[4][5][6][7][8]

Hazard is the son of two former footballers and began his career in Belgium playing for local youth clubs. In 2005, he moved to France, where he began his senior career with Ligue 1 club Lille. Hazard spent two years in the club's academy and, at the age of 16, made his professional debut in November 2007. He became an integral part of the Lille team under manager Rudi Garcia. In his first full season, he became the first non-French player to win the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year award,[9] and the following season became the first player to win the award twice.[10] In the 2010�11 season, he was a part of the Lille team that won the league and cup double and, as a result of his performances, was named the Ligue 1 Player of the Year, the youngest player to win the award.[11]

After making over 190 appearances and scoring 50 goals for Lille, Hazard signed for English club Chelsea in June 2012. He won the UEFA Europa League in his first season and the PFA Young Player of the Year in his second. In the 2014�15 season, Hazard helped Chelsea win the League Cup and Premier League, earning him the FWA Footballer of the Year and the PFA Players' Player of the Year awards. Two years later he won his second English league title as Chelsea won the 2016�17 Premier League. In 2018, he won the FA Cup, and was named in the FIFA FIFPro World XI. He won the Europa League again with Chelsea in June 2019, then joined Real Madrid in a transfer worth up to �150 million,[12] winning La Liga during his injury-plagued debut season.

Kevin De Bruyne

mybb@mybb.ru (zabava.firsova) — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 09:45:32 +0300

Kevin De Bruyne (born 28 June 1991) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City, where he is vice-captain, and the Belgium national team. He is one of just three players (the others being Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry) to have won the PFA Players' Player of the Year award back to back, and the only midfielder and Belgium player to have done so in English football history.[5]

De Bruyne began his career at Genk, where he was a regular player when they won the 2010�11 Belgian Pro League. In 2012, he joined English club Chelsea, where he was used sparingly and then loaned to Werder Bremen. He signed with Wolfsburg for £18 million in 2014, where he established himself as one of the best players in the Bundesliga and was integral in the club's 2014�15 DFB-Pokal win. In the summer of 2015, De Bruyne joined Manchester City for a club record £54 million. He has since won three Premier League titles, five League Cups and an FA Cup with the club. In 2017�18, he had a significant role in Manchester City's record in becoming the only Premier League team to attain 100 points in a single season. In 2019�20, De Bruyne tied the record for most assists in a Premier League season and was awarded Player of the Season.

De Bruyne made his full international debut in 2010, and he has since earned over 80 caps and scored 22 goals for Belgium. He was a member of the Belgian squads that reached the quarter-finals both at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and at UEFA Euro 2016. He represented Belgium at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where Belgium won the third place play-off match against England, and was named in the FIFA World Cup Dream Team.

Luca Modrič

mybb@mybb.ru (zabava.firsova) — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 09:44:38 +0300

Luka Modrić (Croatian pronunciation: [lûːka mǒːdritɕ];[4][5] born 9 September 1985) is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Spanish club Real Madrid and captains the Croatia national team. He plays mainly as a central midfielder, but can also play as an attacking midfielder or as a defensive midfielder, usually deployed as a deep-lying playmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders of his generation,[nb 1] and the greatest Croatian footballer of all-time.[nb 2]

Born in Zadar[6], Modrić's childhood coincided with the Croatian War of Independence which displaced his family.[7] In 2002, he was signed by Dinamo Zagreb at age 16, after showing promise with his hometown club NK Zadar's youth team. He continued his development in Zagreb, before spells on loan to Zrinjski Mostar and Inter Zaprešić. He made his debut for Dinamo in 2005 and won three consecutive league titles and domestic cups, being named the Prva HNL Player of the Year in 2007. In 2008, he moved to Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur for a club-record transfer fee of £16.5 million, where he led Spurs to their first UEFA Champions League appearance in almost 50 years, reaching the quarter-finals of the 2010�11 tournament.

In the summer of 2012, Modrić joined Real Madrid for a £30 million transfer fee. There he became a key contributor and helped the team win La Décima and was selected for the 2013�14 Champions League squad of the season. After Zinedine Zidane took over Madrid, Modrić was critical to three consecutive Champions League titles from 2015�16 to 2017�18, each time being voted into the squad of the season. He has won seventeen major trophies at Real Madrid, including four UEFA Champions League titles, two La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey and three FIFA Club World Cup titles. He won the La Liga Award for "Best Midfielder" in 2016 for the second time, and the UEFA Club Football Award for "Best Midfielder" in 2017 and 2018. In 2015, he became the first Croatian player to be included in the FIFA FIFPro World XI, in which he was regularly included until 2019, as well in the UEFA Team of the Year between 2016 and 2018. In 2018, Modrić became the first Croatian player to win the UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award, and by winning The Best FIFA Men's Player and Ballon d'Or awards, he became the first player other than Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo to claim the awards in more than a decade. In 2019, he was awarded the Golden Foot award for career results and personality.

Neymar

mybb@mybb.ru (zabava.firsova) — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 09:43:28 +0300

Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior (born 5 February 1992), known as Neymar, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Brazil national team. He is widely regarded as one of the best players in the world.[7][8]

Neymar came into prominence at Santos, where he made his professional debut aged 17. He helped the club win two successive Campeonato Paulista championships, a Copa do Brasil, and the 2011 Copa Libertadores; the latter being Santos' first since 1963. Neymar was twice named the South American Footballer of the Year, in 2011 and 2012, and soon relocated to Europe to join Barcelona. As part of Barcelona's attacking trio with Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez, he won the continental treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League, and finished third for the FIFA Ballon d'Or in 2015 for his performances. He then attained a domestic double in the 2015�16 season. In 2017, Neymar transferred to Paris Saint-Germain in a move worth �222 million, making him the most expensive player ever.[note 1] In France, Neymar won three league titles, three Coupe de France, and two Coupe de la Ligue, which included a domestic treble and being voted Ligue 1 Player of the Year in his debut season.[11] Neymar helped PSG attain a domestic quadruple in the 2019�20 season, and led the club to its first ever Champions League Final.

With 68 goals in 111 matches for Brazil since debuting at age 18, Neymar is the second highest goalscorer for his national team, trailing only Pelé. He was a key player in Brazil's victories at the 2011 South American Youth Championship, where he finished as leading goalscorer, and the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, where he won the Golden Ball as player of the tournament. His participation in the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2015 Copa América was cut short by injury and a suspension, respectively, before captaining Brazil to their first Olympic gold medal in men's football at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Two years later, having renounced the captaincy, he featured at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and after missing the 2019 Copa América through injury, helped Brazil to a runner-up finish at the 2021 tournament.

Lionel Messi

mybb@mybb.ru (zabava.firsova) — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 09:42:52 +0300

Lionel Andrés Messi[note 1] (Spanish pronunciation: [ljoˈnel anˈdɾes ˈmesi] (About this soundlisten);[A] also known as Leo Messi,[8] (born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains the Argentina national team. He is currently a free agent, having played all his professional career for La Liga club Barcelona, whom he captained from 2018 to 2021. Often considered the best player in the world and widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Messi has won a record six Ballon d'Or awards,[note 2] a record six European Golden Shoes, and in 2020 was named to the Ballon d'Or Dream Team. He has spent his entire professional career with Barcelona, where he has won a club-record 34 trophies, including ten La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles and four UEFA Champions Leagues. A prolific goalscorer and creative playmaker, Messi holds the records for most goals in La Liga (474), a La Liga and European league season (50), most hat-tricks in La Liga (36) and the UEFA Champions League (8), and most assists in La Liga (192), a La Liga and European league season (21)[11] and the Copa América (17). He has scored over 750 senior career goals for club and country, and has the most goals ever by a player for a single club.

Born and raised in central Argentina, Messi relocated to Spain to join Barcelona at age 13, for whom he made his competitive debut aged 17 in October 2004. He established himself as an integral player for the club within the next three years, and in his first uninterrupted season in 2008�09 he helped Barcelona achieve the first treble in Spanish football; that year, aged 22, Messi won his first Ballon d'Or. Three successful seasons followed, with Messi winning four consecutive Ballons d'Or, making him the first player to win the award four times and in a row.[12] During the 2011�12 season, he set the La Liga and European records for most goals scored in a single season, while establishing himself as Barcelona's all-time top scorer. The following two seasons, Messi finished second for the Ballon d'Or behind Cristiano Ronaldo (his perceived career rival), before regaining his best form during the 2014�15 campaign, becoming the all-time top scorer in La Liga and leading Barcelona to a historic second treble, after which he was awarded a fifth Ballon d'Or in 2015. Messi assumed captaincy of Barcelona in 2018, and in 2019 he won a record sixth Ballon d'Or.

Cristiano Ronaldo

mybb@mybb.ru (zabava.firsova) — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 09:41:34 +0300

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro GOIH ComM (Portuguese pronunciation: [kɾiʃˈtjɐnu ʁɔˈnaɫdu]; born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Serie A club Juventus and captains the Portugal national team. Often considered the best player in the world and widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Ronaldo has won five Ballons d'Or[note 3] and four European Golden Shoes, both of which are records for a European player. He has won 32 major trophies in his career, including seven league titles, five UEFA Champions Leagues, one UEFA European Championship, and one UEFA Nations League title. Ronaldo holds the records for the most international goals (109, tied with Ali Daei), the most goals (134) and assists (42) in the Champions League, and the most goals in the European Championship (14). He is one of the few recorded players to have made over 1,100 professional career appearances and has scored over 780 official senior career goals for club and country.

Born and raised in Madeira, Ronaldo began his senior club career playing for Sporting CP, before signing with Manchester United in 2003, aged 18. After winning the FA Cup in his first season, he helped United win three successive Premier League titles, the Champions League, and the FIFA Club World Cup; at age 23, he won his first Ballon d'Or. In 2009, Ronaldo was the subject of the then-most expensive association football transfer when he signed for Real Madrid in a transfer worth �94 million (£80 million). There, he won 15 trophies, including two La Liga titles, two Copas del Rey, and four Champions League titles, and became the club's all-time top goalscorer. After joining Madrid, Ronaldo finished runner-up for the Ballon d'Or three times, behind Lionel Messi � his perceived career rival � before winning back-to-back Ballons d'Or from 2013�2014 and again from 2016�2017. After winning a third consecutive Champions League title in 2018, Ronaldo became the first player to win the trophy five times. In 2018, he signed for Juventus in a transfer worth an initial �100 million (£88 million), the highest fee ever paid by an Italian club and the highest ever paid for a player over 30 years old. He won two Serie A titles, two Supercoppa Italiana and a Coppa Italia in his first three seasons with the club.