Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City have earned a place among the greats after finally winning the Champions League.
City completed the treble on a glorious night in Istanbul on Saturday as they beat Inter Milan 1-0 in a hard-fought final with a 68th-minute Rodri strike.
City have dominated the domestic scene under Guardiola, winning five Premier League titles in six years as well as two FA Cups and four Carabao Cups, but European success had eluded them.
Genius
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague)
“You have to win in Europe to be considered a great team and we did it,” said Guardiola in his post-match press conference at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium.
The challenge now for City will be to build on their triumph and establi…
Thomas Tuchel professed his support for out-of-form goalkeeper Edouard Mendy after he produced an erratic display in Chelsea s 2-1 win over West Ham, insisting the Senegal international has been unlucky recently.
Mendy was rooted to his goalline from a West Ham corner when Chelsea fell behind on Saturday, Michail Antonio capitalising on a goalmouth scramble to put the Hammers ahead.
Although substitutes Ben Chilwell and Kai Havertz scored a goal apiece to turn the game around, Mendy was again involved late on as Maxwel Cornet had a fierce right-footed finish chalked off.
Referee Andy Madley was advised by VAR to check the goal, and eventually ruled that Jarrod Bowen had fouled Mendy in the build-up.
Visiting manager David Moyes labelled that decision sc…
Didier Deschamps accepted France faced a huge test at Euro 2020 as Germany coach Joachim Low had no doubt Group F was the group of death .
World champions France were drawn alongside Euro 2016 winners Portugal and Germany, plus a play-off winner, in the group on Saturday.
Deschamps acknowledged his team would be challenged in Group F, which will be played in Budapest and Munich.
It s a difficult group, but I think that Joachim Low and Portugal head coach [Fernando Santos] think the same thing. It s the hardest group, but we have to accept it, he said.
We will need to be ready at the beginning of the competition because our first game will be against Germany in Munich. They will play at home.
On paper, it s a tough group. These two teams have ma…
Ange Postecoglou has talked up Tottenham’s chances of FA Cup success and insisted he is driven by adding another trophy picture to his collection.
Spurs exited the Carabao Cup at the first hurdle in August after a penalty shoot-out loss at Fulham and face more Premier League opposition in a domestic cup on Friday night.
Burnley are the visitors in the FA Cup third round and Postecoglou, who has won silverware with South Melbourne, Brisbane Roar, Australia, Yokohama and Celtic, is eager to create new memories in England’s historic cup competition.
“From my perspective it’s an opportunity for us to try to win a competition and for a club of our stature that has to be the ambition every year, that you go into every competition with the aim and the hope of wi…
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In what could be an action-packed affair from the Metropolitano on Sunday afternoon, Atletico Madrid will welcome Real Sociedad to the Spanish capital.
Atletico Madrid
Starting with the hosts, mounting yet another dramatic comeback earlier in the week as they claimed a 3-2 victory against Feyenoord while on Champions League duties, Atletico Madrid find themselves in the midst of a real purple patch. With their sights set on mounting a genuine title charge this time around, Diego Simeone’s men have won each of their previous four appearances across all competitions. Laying down a famous marker on September 24th as they landed a 3-1 romp at home against bitter local rivals Real Madrid, the former Spanish champions have also gained pl…
Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas has announced he is retiring from international football at the age of 37.
Navas, who announced earlier this month that he would be leaving Paris Saint-Germain when his contract expires in June, has now ended speculation about his participation in the Copa America.
The goalkeeper has made 114 appearances for his national side since his debut in 2008, playing in three World Cups, including Costa Rica’s run to the quarter-final in Brazil in 2014.
Navas’ last appearance for Costa Rica came against Argentina in a friendly in March.
Keylor.
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup)
In a video posted to social media, Navas said: This chapter of my life is coming to an end. I leave with my heart full of gratitude…
Real Madrid were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw at Real Betis despite another goal from Jude Bellingham.
The England midfielder netted in the 52nd minute of a thrilling LaLiga contest at the Benito Villamarin Stadium but it was not enough for victory as Aitor Ruibal hit back.
The result took Madrid a point clear at the top of the table but Girona and Barcelona – second and third respectively – will have a chance to take advantage when they face each other on Sunday.
1-1 53 66 Aitor Ruibal |
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid)
Bellingham’s goal was his 16th for the club and continued his extraordinary start to life in Madrid since his summer move from Borussia Dortmund.
Yet he did not have things all his own way in what was an …
Gareth Southgate is relishing the prospect of going all the way at Euro 2020 and called on his England squad to stamp their names in the history of international football.
Southgate announced his 33-man provisional squad for the upcoming tournament – delayed by a year due to the coronavirus pandemic – on Tuesday.
The England boss will have to cut that number to 26 by June 1, ahead of friendlies against Austria and Romania. The Three Lions start their Euro 2020 campaign in earnest on June 13, taking on Croatia.
With a wealth of talent at his disposal, albeit Southgate holds doubts over the fitness of the likes of Jordan Henderson, Jack Grealish and Harry Maguire, the England boss is hoping for a long run in the tournament – the last three matches of which…
Portugal s Euro 2016 semi-final against Wales will see Real Madrid team-mates Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale do battle in Lyon.
Fresh from helping their club to an 11th European title after a Champions League final victory over Atletico Madrid, the attacking duo have seen their respective nations progress to the last four.
Here, with the help of Opta data, we compare Ronaldo and Bale s performances in France.
RONALDO THE BETTER TEAM PLAYER?
Bale has routinely spoken of the team spirit that courses through Wales squad, while Ronaldo s histrionics on the pitch have been criticised in some quarters – especially after his one-man nightmare against Austria in the group stage.
However, the players numbers tell a different story, with Ronaldo ap…
Jurgen Klopp said he could not imagine leaving Liverpool in 2022 after the manager opted to extend his contract.
The German, who led the Premier League giants to Champions League glory last season, extended his deal at Anfield until 2024 on Friday.
Klopp said the position Liverpool were in meant he could not see himself leaving at the end of his previous contract.
I couldn t imagine I would leave, he told UK newspapers ahead of hosting Watford on Saturday.
That was the moment I thought we can start thinking about how long do I want to stay? I have no clue how long it will be in the end, but it was not possible for me to imagine that I would leave in 2022 because of the people we have and what we have created here.
It was not that I went to the …