December 2019

Messi

Five Things We Learned From European Football

December 2, 2019 3:57 pm

Lionel Messi reminded the world why he’s favourite to win a sixth Ballon d’Or on Monday with another match-winning display for La Liga leaders Barcelona, while Jurgen Klinsmann is faced with a daunting task after returning to management at Hertha Berlin.

Here, AFP Sport takes a look at five things we learned from European football over the weekend:

Messi makes Ballon d’Or case

Lionel Messi underlined his credentials for claiming a record-breaking sixth Ballon d’Or on Sunday by scoring the winner in a 1-0 victory away at La Liga title rivals Atletico Madrid.

Messi’s 86th-minute strike delivered a major …

Iheanacho

African Players: Iheanacho And Aubameyang Shine In England

December 2, 2019 3:55 pm

Nigerian international Kelechi Iheanacho showed he knows how to make an impact as he came off the bench to drive Leicester to a victory that keeps them as Liverpool’s closest challengers in the Premier League.

Among other outstanding performances by Europe-based African players this weekend, Jeremie Boga opened the scoring for minnows Sassuolo and they went on to hold Serie A champions Juventus to a 2-2 draw in Turin.

ENGLAND

KELECHI IHEANACHO (Leicester)

Iheanacho had a massive impact on his first league outing of the season to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 win for the Foxes over Everton.

…

Maguire Frustrated Over Man Utd Defensive Lapses

December 2, 2019 3:53 pm

Harry Maguire is frustrated that defensive lapses are costing Manchester United crucial points after they let slip a winning position for the second consecutive match against Aston Villa.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side were leading 2-1 midway through the second half at Old Trafford on Sunday before a Tyrone Mings equaliser forced them to share the points.

The 2-2 draw left United in ninth place in the Premier League with 18 points from 14 matches, their worst return at a similar stage since 1988/89.

United also conceded a late goal in the previous week in a 3-3 draw against Sheffield …

Man City Must Tighten Up At The Back, Says Guardiola

December 2, 2019 3:53 pm

Pep Guardiola says Manchester City must tighten up in defence after they fell 11 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool.

Following the disappointing 2-2 weekend draw at Newcastle, the defending Premier League champions visit Burnley on Tuesday, 24 hours before Liverpool host struggling Everton.

Guardiola is well aware of where the problems lie, without a clean sheet in any match since the 3-0 win against Aston Villa in late October.

“That is not good enough,” he said. “We must improve.

“We had 26 shots, not all on target, at Newcastle. We had three or four one-on-ones with the ‘keeper. They …

Xavi Backs Qatar To Compete At World Cup After Akram Award

December 2, 2019 3:52 pm

Barcelona legend and Al Sadd coach Xavi backed hosts Qatar to make an impression at the next World Cup after exciting forward Akram Afif was named Asian player of the year on Monday.

Doha-based Xavi, who collected the award on Afif’s behalf at the Asian Football Confederation awards in Hong Kong, said the Qataris would be competitive in 2022 “for sure”.

Japan’s Saki Kumagai was rewarded for a glittering career for club and country as she was named women’s player of the year at the ceremony in protest-hit Hong Kong.

Afif, 23, made a record 10 assists as Qatar stormed …

Club

English Club Set To Bamboo-zle The Opposition

December 2, 2019 3:47 pm

High-flying English fourth tier side Forest Green Rovers are to wear bamboo shin pads, furthering their claims to be the world’s greenest football club, they announced on Monday.

Forest Green — whose environmental credentials have been recognised by FIFA and the United Nations — had already become the first team to switch to bamboo kit at the beginning of the season.

The club, presently second in League Two, are working with a US manufacturer of eco-friendly products on the bamboo shin pads.

“Forest Green Rovers are the first professional club to switch to bamboo shin pads -– moving away from …

Boudjellal Sells Majority Share In Toulon

December 2, 2019 3:46 pm

Toulon’s Mourad Boudjellal has sold his controlling share in the French Top 14 club but, under the terms of the deal revealed on Monday, remains the club president.

The 80-year-old pharmaceuticals magnate Bernard Lemaitre, who already held a 44 percent stake in Toulon, is now the majority shareholder.

Read Also: Ballon D’or 2019 Time Confirmed: 8:30 Pm CET Today

“The Top 14 requires significant financial capital, especially to provide our club with high-level sports infrastructure,” explained Boudjellal.

Lemaitre had already financed the construction of Toulon’s new training centre which will open next June.

“I am pleased that Bernard Lemaitre’s collaboration …

Six Things We Learned From The 2019 Formula One Season

December 2, 2019 3:46 pm

Lewis Hamilton left no room for doubt that he deserved his sixth drivers’ world championship title with a dominant victory in Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, his fifth at Yas Marina, his 11th in 21 races this year and the 84th of his career.

Yet it was his future as much as his current and past achievements that attracted most attention during the weekend.

Here, AFP Sport looks at six things we learned from the 2019 Formula One season, with the start of the next campaign on March 15 in Melbourne:

Peerless Hamilton remains the man to beat

Hamilton’s ‘Grand

…

Brescia Sack Coach Grosso, Rehire Corini After A Month

December 2, 2019 3:44 pm

Mario Balotelli’s Brescia sacked coach Fabio Grosso on Monday after just three matches and brought back Eugenio Corini, who the club at the bottom of Serie A axed less than a month ago.

Grosso, 41, the left back in Italy’s 2006 World Cup winning team, took over on November 5 with Brescia in 19th in the table.

Read Also: Ballon D’or 2019 Time Confirmed: 8:30 Pm CET Today

He leaves after conceding 10 goals in three defeats, the last a 3-0 home loss to Atalanta on Saturday.

The former Inter Milan and Juventus defender started his coaching career with Juventus’ …

Ancelotti Orders Struggling Napoli’s Players Into Camp

December 2, 2019 3:44 pm

Napoli coach Carlo Ancelotti ordered his players on Monday into a training camp after their latest dismal defeat, risking further unrest at the troubled Serie A club.

Ancelotti’s side fell 2-1 at home to Bologna on Sunday, stretching their winless run in all competitions to eight and leaving them 17 points behind Inter Milan, and the 60-year-old has decided to crack down on his players.

“Carlo Ancelotti has decided that the team will stay together as part of a training camp between Wednesday and Saturday’s match away at Udinese,” Napoli said in a statement.

On Saturday, players’ union FIFPRO came …

Rodgers ‘Very Happy’ At Leicester Despite Arsenal Links

December 2, 2019 3:44 pm

Brendan Rodgers said Monday he had “no need to look elsewhere”, restating his commitment to Leicester City after being consistently linked with the vacant Arsenal manager’s job.

The 46-year-old has been touted as one of the candidates to replace the sacked Unai Emery at the Emirates after the Spaniard was sacked on Friday.

Read Also: Ballon D’or 2019 Time Confirmed: 8:30 Pm CET Today

But Rodgers, who only joined Leicester from Scottish champions Celtic in February, reiterated his commitment to the Foxes.

Leicester are second in the Premier League, eight points behind Liverpool, after six straight league wins.

“I have …

SEA Games Organisers Say ‘Ready’ For Typhoon Kammuri

December 2, 2019 3:42 pm

Southeast Asian Games venues and officials in the Manila region are “ready”, competition organisers said Monday, as powerful Typhoon Kammuri churned toward the Philippines.

There was no talk of cancelling the Games as the storm headed for a swathe of the nation’s north that includes key competition hubs as well as thousands of athletes, and had already had an impact on the schedule.

Forecasters predict the typhoon will make landfall late Monday or early Tuesday hundreds of kilometres southeast of the capital, with intense rains and potent gusts of up to 230 kilometres (145 miles) per hour.

Manila’s airport …

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