UEFA has banned Albania s Mirlind Daku for two games after the forward led supporters in nationalistic chants following Wednesday s 2-2 draw with Croatia at Euro 2024.
Daku grabbed a megaphone before joining in with offensive chants about Serbia and North Macedonia after full-time in Hamburg.
Issues persist at the European Championship in Germany, with chants relating to historic political and ethnic tensions in the Balkans region.
Daku will be banned for a total of two UEFA representative team competition matches for which he would be otherwise eligible, a statement from European football s governing body said on Sunday.
[Daku] failed to comply with the general principles of conduct, violated the basic rules of decent conduct, used sports events for ma…
Luis Enrique has reiterated he would love to see Pep Guardiola take over as Spain coach in the future.
Former Barcelona coach Guardiola suggested last month that he wishes to try his hand in international football after leaving Manchester City.
Guardiola s City deal runs until 2023, and while he plans to take a break whenever his time at the Premier League club is up, he also wants to experience coaching a national team.
Luis Enrique helped continue the legacy his former team-mate built at Camp Nou and said he would have no issues in standing aside for Guardiola.
In fact, it is something Luis Enrique wants to see.
I d love that, I wish [Guardiola] was the Spain coach. I d love it – it would be perfect, he enthused in a news conference ahead o…
Serie A heavyweights Inter Milan are said to have submitted an offer to sign Keita Balde from AS Monaco.
The Nerazzurri have reportedly proposed a loan deal with an option to buy for €30 million, although it is being suggested that any deal could involve Antonio Candreva moving to France.
Keita Balde is no stranger to Serie A as he made his name playing for Lazio in Italy. The 23-year-old spent the total of four seasons with Biancocelesti after breaking into the first team in the 2013/14 season.
The Senegal international is seen as the alternative for Luka Modric and Arturo Vidal and the negotiations are believed to be in an advanced stage, according to dello Sport.
Keita Balde scored eight goals for AS Monaco in 23 Ligue 1 appearances during the last …
Germany coach Hansi Flick says his side lacked intensity and precision in their 1-1 Nations League draw with Italy on Saturday.
Die Mannschaft looked the brighter side in the first half, yet the best chance fell to the Azzurri, with Gianluca Scamacca striking the post from distance.
Roberto Mancini s side were much improved after the break, though, and Lorenzo Pellegrini put them ahead in the 70th minute.
However, Germany recovered a point three minutes later courtesy of Joshua Kimmich s neat finish after a scramble in the penalty area.
The result means Flick has not lost any of his first 10 matches in charge of the national team, becoming the third Germany coach to achieve that feat after Sepp Herberger and Josef Derwall.
Despite that, …
David Brooks is confident he will make a full recovery and return to playing after the Bournemouth and Wales midfielder was diagnosed with cancer.
Brooks was with the Wales squad last week but left international duty and underwent a medical examination, which found he has stage two Hodgkin lymphoma.
The 24-year-old will undergo treatment next week.
He said in a statement: This is a very difficult message for me to write.
I have been diagnosed with stage two Hodgkin lymphoma and will begin a course of treatment next week.
Although this has come as a shock to myself and my family, the prognosis is a positive one and I am confident that I will make a full recovery and be back playing as soon as possible.
I d like to show my appreciatio…
N Golo Kante becomes an animal that never stops running when he puts on the Chelsea shirt, team-mate Davide Zappacosta has told Stats Perform.
The France international has won three major honours in five years at Chelsea since joining from Leicester City, where he played his part in a shock Premier League triumph in 2016.
He has also lifted the World Cup with France and will be looking to add a first Champions League title to his collection when Chelsea take on Manchester City in Saturday s final.
Kante is a fitness doubt for the all-English showpiece and would be a huge miss for the Blues should he fail to fully recover from a niggling hamstring complaint.
The 2.48 interceptions Kante averaged per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season trailed only…
England defender Esme Morgan has urged critics to empathise with players who have the desire, but no longer the capacity, to meet every autograph hopeful amid growing concern that a minority of fans feel overly entitled to their time.
Morgan’s fellow Lioness, Manchester United goalkeeper Mary Earps, this week posted on Instagram after she was tagged in a post-match comment by a parent who claimed the award-winner was “far too busy and important to stop for her fans these days”, admitting she found the accusation “hurtful” when she had taken time to meet as many as she could.
It is easy for Morgan, who was at the age of five already a Manchester City season-ticket holder, to put herself in the shoes of supporters hoping for a post-match meeting with an idol.
…
Rudi Garcia is determined to hit AC Milan when they are down and relaunch Napoli’s Serie A title defence.
A rocky start to the season saw the Partenopei fall well short of expectations and critics of new head coach Garcia’s approach did not take long to make their voices heard.
But three league wins from four have thrust Napoli right back into contention and a home win against second-placed Milan, whose bubble has been burst by consecutive defeats to Juventus and Paris St Germain, could lift them to third.
Garcia: Il Milan è un grande avversario ma noi abbiamo voglia di vincere!
Rivedi la conferenza sul nostro canale YT:
— Official SSC Napoli (@sscnapoli)
“We have this home match against one of our direct rivals an…
Market: Fulham win
Odds: 1/1 @
Two sides who find themselves leading the chase at the top of the Championship table, Fulham will welcome Bournemouth to Craven Cottage on Friday night.
Starting with the hosts, having to settle for back-to-back stalemates against Preston and Derby over the past week, there is no doubt that Fulham will be seeking a real boost here. Gaining a host of plaudits since bringing in Marco Silva earlier in the year, many have tipped the Cottagers as the standout pick to book an immediate Premier League return. Opening up Friday s contest holding a one-point buffer at the top of the table, the former Everton boss has also seen his side continue to shine at Craven Cottage. Picking up 16 points from their last six Championship games on home s…
Beth Mead will miss the Women s World Cup unless a miracle happens , according to England head coach Sarina Wiegman.
The Arsenal forward suffered an anterior cruciate ligament knee injury in November and has not played since.
Such injuries are long-term setbacks, and it was the cruellest of blows for Mead, coming so soon after she played a starring role in England s Euro 2022 triumph.
Mead won the Player of the Tournament award and the Golden Boot as hosts England swept to glory, edging out Germany 2-1 in the Wembley Stadium final on July 31.
The 27-year-old former Sunderland striker would have been central to England s plans for this year s global tournament, which is being co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand in July and August.
Wiegman believ…