FIFA World XI for 2019
Becker (Liverpool)
Marcelo (Real Madrid) - Van Dijk (Liverpool) - De Ligt (Ajax) - Ramos (Real Madrid)
De Jong (Ajax) - Modric (Real Madrid) - Hazard (Chelsea)
Mbappe (PSG) - Ronaldo (Juventus) - Messi (Barca)
FIFA World XI for 2019
Becker (Liverpool)
Marcelo (Real Madrid) - Van Dijk (Liverpool) - De Ligt (Ajax) - Ramos (Real Madrid)
De Jong (Ajax) - Modric (Real Madrid) - Hazard (Chelsea)
Mbappe (PSG) - Ronaldo (Juventus) - Messi (Barca)
Marchisio set to retire
Former Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio is set to announce his retirement from professional football tomorrow.
Marchisio is holding a press conference at Juventus Stadium tomorrow afternoon, with little indication as to what his next move would be.
However, Gazzetta dello Sport reports the 33-year-old will confirm he is hanging up his boots.
The ex-Italy international had been linked with moves to the likes of Glasgow Rangers and AS Monaco, as well as clubs in China and Brazil.
Despite that, injuries ruined the latter part of his trophy-laden spell at Juve, while knee problems forced him to part with Zenit Sankt Petersburg in August.
Marchisio could now be about to follow in the footsteps of Andrea Barzagli and return to Turin in a non-playing role.
Mancini extends Italy deal
Roberto Mancini has honoured a clause to extend his contract as Italy coach until 2022 after leading the Azzurri to qualification for EURO 2020.
The clause was agreed at the time of Mancini's appointment last year, although calciomercato.com notes he could still have walked away.
The former Inter and Manchester City coach has revitalised the national team as they booked their place at EURO 2020 in record-breaking style, with 7 wins out of 7 and 3 games to spare.
His reign comes after less than 2 years after they failed to qualify for the World Cup in Russia - perceived to be the all-time low point in the history of Italian football.
Villa announces his retirement
Former FC Barcelona star David Villa has confirmed his plans to retire once the current J-League season finishes.
The 37-year-old has been playing for Japanese side Vissel Kobe this year with 3 league matches remaining before an Emperor's Cup semi-finals in late December.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Villa revealed he will be hanging up his boots, declaring he wanted to finish his career on his own terms.
The 2010 World Cup winner is determined to end his career with one final piece of silverware, taking to social media to clarify he intends to play on in the Emperor's Cup.
Villa's career has spanned 19 years and began in Spain with Sporting Gijon before subsequent moves to Real Zaragoza, Valencia, FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
After spending most of his club career in his homeland, Villa then ventured to MLS side New York City in 2015, where he spent 4 seasons before joining Kobe earlier this year.
The attacker has scored 12 times and contributed 2 assists across 26 appearances this campaign, with the club currently 10th in the J-League.
Across his club career, Villa claimed 3 La Liga titles, the Copa del Rey 3 times and won the Champions League in 2011 with FC Barcelona.
Internationally, the Spaniard represented his country 98 times winning EURO 2008 before also lifting the World Cup 2 years later.
26 martie 2020 - semifinalele play-off-ului
31 martie 2020 - finalele play-off-ului
France coach Deschamps extends contract
France coach Didier Deschamps has extended his contract by 2 years until the end of 2022, the French Football Federation said on Tuesday.
Deschamps, who twice previously had extended his tenure in 2015 and 2017, will be in charge until December 2022.
The 51-year-old was appointed in 2012 and since then has led Les Bleus to a runners-up spot at the 2016 European championships and to the 2018 world title.
The former France midfielder, who captained his team in their 1998 World Cup win on home soil and to the EURO 2000 title, will be tasked with leading his side to at least the last 4 at EURO 2020.
France were drawn with European champions Portugal, co-hosts Germany and a team from the play-offs in Group F for the tournament which will be held between 12 June and 12 July.
Mahrez, Mane & Salah on final CAF shortlist
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced its 3-man shortlist for the 2019 Player of the Year awards with Algeria's Manchester City star Riyad Mahrez joining Liverpool duo Sadio Mane of Senegal and Egypt's Mohamed Salah on the list.
Mane and Salah have just helped Liverpool win the FIFA Club World Cup with Salah in contention to win the prize for a third successive time.
Mahrez captained Algeria to Nations Cup success in Egypt in 2019 with Mane helping Senegal reach the Final.
The winners will be announced during the CAF Awards ceremony on 7 January in the Egyptian resort of Hurghada.
AS Roma legend Daniele De Rossi retires
AS Roma legend Daniele De Rossi has retired from professional football at the age of 36 after leaving Boca Juniors, according to Sky in Italy.
His contract with the Argentine side was due to expire in June but the Italian World Cup winner has decided to retire from playing and could now return to Rome in a new role.
Doubts had emerged about De Rossi's stay in Argentina after changes at the top of the Buenos Aires club following elections. It is understood that he will explain the reasons for his decision and what he plans to do next at an upcoming news conference.
De Rossi joined Boca Juniors on a one-year deal in July following 18 years at Roma. He had previously expressed an admiration for the Bombonera in 2017.
However, he only managed 6 games for Boca, with injuries hampering his stay in the Primera Division.
De Rossi was a product of Roma's youth system and made 616 appearances for the Italian side, winning 2 Coppa Italias and one Supercoppa Italiana.
Mane named African Player of the Year
Liverpool's Sadio Mane has been named the Confederation of African Football's (CAF) 2019 African Player of the Year for the first time.
The Senegal forward beat club team-mate Mohamed Salah - who had won the award the previous 2 years - and 2016 winner Riyad Mahrez to the prize.
Mane picked up 477 votes to Salah's 325, with Manchester City winger Mahrez receiving 267 votes.
A remarkable 2019 saw Mane score 32 goals in 53 appearances for Liverpool, who won the Champions League, UEFA SuperCup and FIFA Club World Cup last year.
The 27-year-old, who was named in the PFA Team of the Year for a second time, also shared the 2018-2019 Premier League Golden Boot with Salah and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - all of whom form the front line in the CAF FIFPRO Best XI.
Mane also inspired Senegal into the African Cup of Nations Final last summer, where they lost to Mahrez's Algeria 1-0.
Sissoko retires from football
The former Fiorentina and Juventus player Mohamed Sissoko has decided to hang up his boots and quit football at the age of 34.
The former Mali international leaves behind a long career with spells at clubs like Auxerre, Valencia, Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain and Levante.
His latest experience came at Sochaux in the Ligue 2.
In Serie A, he played 76 games and scored 3 times during spells at Juventus and Fiorentina. The 34-year-old was brought to the Old Lady from Liverpool in January 2008 and played for Juventus until July 2011.
He was then sold to Paris Saint-Germain but returned to Italy after only 18 months in the French capital.
The midfielder went on to play 5 games for Fiorentina in the 2012-2013 season, before he was released by Les Parisiens when he returned from Florence.
Sissoko also played one game for Ternana in Serie B during 2016-2017.
Football's top 10 late bloomers
Here's to the late bloomers, the ones you thought had lost their way, would amount to nothing or never recover from a cruel setback.
In 2020 we've been tricked into believing player development is linear, straightforward and rapid. Jadon Sancho, Joao Felix and Kai Havertz all developing into superstars before their 20th birthday creates an unrealistic bar for the many others who must develop a career over time.
Here, B/R Football honours those who have deviated from the path a bit, taken their time to reach the top level, only emerging as a top tier player in their mid-20s at the earliest.
Not a single one of these players was a star at age 24, and they're ranked by how big their "jump" was - from also-ran to star. Only current players are included, as we turn our focus away from traditional late bloomers (Ian Wright, Miroslav Klose) in search of the next crop.
10. Daniel Parejo, 31-year-old, central midfielder
Parejo kicks off a running theme in our list: the talent was always there, identifiable from an early age, but for one reason or another things didn't click into place until later on.
With "Real Madrid academy graduate" and "Spanish youth international" on his CV, Parejo screamed promise, but perhaps there was an element of mishandling that shaped his early years - how he ended up on a one-year loan deal at Championship club Queens Park Rangers in 2008 is anyone's guess.
That set him back, forcing him to navigate his way back up to Champions League level via Getafe, and on to Valencia, as part of a deal involving Esteban Granero. He was a spare part in a transfer aged 21.
Years of hard work ensued, transforming Parejo into the midfield general we see today. He didn't initially convince at Mestalla and first had to win his spot in the side - that's a far cry from the situation today, where Los Che recruit and select central midfielders in accordance with how they might complement the 31-year-old.
Around 2014 is when things finally fell into place. Given some freedom in midfield to dictate and create, and handed set-piece duties, his influence and goal tallies rose. Early on, he was a more attack-minded midfielder, but now he plays deeper, spraying balls to the flanks and managing games.
He's grown and grown, and in 2020 counts among the better passers in world football, is Valencia's captain and has 4 caps for Spain.
9. Ivan Perisic, 31-year-old, winger
Perisic has always been varying degrees of good, edging towards great, but it was at age 28 that he truly took off, becoming recognised as one of the better wingers in the world.
An excellent goalscoring record in Belgium prompted Borussia Dortmund to sign him back in 2011, but inconsistent performances and a questionable defensive work ethic meant he never truly integrated into Jurgen Klopp's system.
VfL Wolfsburg rebuilt him, playing him ahead of Ricardo Rodriguez and to the left of Kevin De Bruyne. That piqued Inter Milano's interest, and it's in Italy where he truly found his rhythm.
His 2 years under Luciano Spalletti (2017-2019) were superb, as was his 2018 World Cup. He developed a defensive work rate, tracking back down the wing so well it seemed as though there were two of him at times. He also continued to score goals, several of which were either crucial or just plain brilliant.
By last summer, he'd established himself as good enough to be signed by a club like Bayern Munchen after it transpired he wouldn't fit into Antonio Conte's winger-less 3-5-2 formation. Injury has held him up a little there, and he may not stick around, but you can bet another top club will come calling if the opportunity arises.
8. Felipe Monteiro, 30-year-old, central defender
Monteiro made his professional football debut aged 22. He endured a rockier path into the game than the vast majority of his peers, at one point hanging up his boots to deliver mushrooms in Brazil, before returning and convincing Corinthians to give him a shot.
A bizarre, delayed education took place from there: "Corinthians were very patient with me, they gave me training", he told Marca.
"At 23, they taught me as if I was a 15-year-old kid."
He eventually blossomed, joining FC Porto aged 26 and impressing over the course of 3 seasons there. Atletico Madrid took note and signed him last summer, already age 30, but presumably confident he had a lot more left in the tank than you'd expect given his late start in the game.
His injury record is also absurd; he appears to have... never had one ?
Monteiro's been one of Atletico's best performers this season, settling into a defensive line that lost Diego Godin, Juanfran and Filipe Luis last summer. It's amazing to think how close he was to not making a single professional appearance at all.
7. Iago Aspas, 32-year-old, forward
When Liverpool bought Aspas for £7 million in 2013, he was already 25 years of age and had just one top tier season of football under his belt; the 5 years before had all been spent in Spain's second and third tiers.
It made his story all the more heartwarming when he held the red shirt aloft - but then, conversely, all the more heartbreaking when his famous "moment" came in the form of a terrible corner kick that directly led to a Chelsea goal, destroying any lingering hopes of a Premier League title win.
He didn't recover and couldn't show his best form in England. After returning to Spain, he continued to impress. Back at Celta Vigo now, he's put together La Liga scoring seasons of 14, 19, 22, 20 and 9 (so far), playing a major role in steering the club away from the jaws of relegation.
Since 2018, he's been capped by Spain 18 times, scored 6 and played at the 2018 World Cup. His work rate, eye for goal and positional versatility can be a huge asset when harnessed correctly... as Celta and La Furia Roja know very well, but Liverpool, perhaps, still seem oblivious to.
6. Duvan Zapata, 29-year-old, striker
Back in 2013, there was serious buzz about Zapata. Premier League interest from West Ham surfaced - Football London have detailed how and why that deal fell apart - before he eventually moved to Napoli, but that move didn't work out.
By the time relatively unconvincing loans at Udinese and Sampdoria had taken place, the year was 2018, Zapata was 26, and he looked set for a page in the "what could have been" book.
But then Atalanta happened.
Manager Gian Piero Gasperini has unlocked Zapata, whose goalscoring record at La Dea - 34 goals in 52 Serie A appearances over the last 18 months - is sensational. He's become a penalty box presence most can't handle, converting close-range chances with efficiency and helping his team assert dominance in the final third.
He's not the only player whose career has transformed in Bergamo - he's not the only Atalanta player on this list - and the pattern is becoming too obvious to ignore.
5. Victor Moses, 29-year-old, wing-back
Moses' career trajectory is proof that sometimes, it's more about which manager's lap you fall into than anything else.
The potential has always been there. He graduated from Crystal Palace's academy as an extremely highly rated winger, did well at Wigan Athletic, got scooped up by Chelsea and spent time on loan at Liverpool. Bad players don't do this.
But up until 2016, when Antonio Conte took charge at Stamford Bridge, things hadn't quite clicked for him. He'd already been at Chelsea 4 years by this point, and had played for 6 clubs in his 9 years as a professional.
Conte took one look at Moses and thought "you're a wing-back" - a position he'd rarely, if ever played before. He proceeded to hand him 29 Premier League starts on the right flank en route to a title win. At age 26.
Relocating him to wing-back unlocked his athleticism, aggression and crossing ability, while masking his so-so defensive acumen and the fact he's not an X-factor winger, who demands the ball and decides games.
He featured heavily the following season too, and he has now followed Conte to Inter Milano to perform... the exact same role.
It took 9 years for Moses' best role to transpire, and 6 Chelsea managers to realise it, but it happened. Eventually.
4. Ciro Immobile, 30-year-old, striker
Immobile's career will be a strange one to look back on. Football fans in 20 years, who never saw him play, will look at his trajectory and goal records with heavily furrowed brows.
The Italian is one of the most potent forwards in world football right now; before the pause, he was on track to break Gonzalo Higuain's Serie A goalscoring record (36), having netted 27 goals in 26 matches. In the 3 seasons before, he scored 15, 29 and 23.
That's a prolific record covering the entire second half of his 20s, but before that he was a shadow of his current self bar one outstanding season with FC Torino in 2013-2014.
For both Borussia Dortmund and FC Sevilla he underwhelmed, leading to a loan back to FC Torino and, eventually, a buy-low transfer from Lazio. He's barely stopped scoring since, and it's at times difficult to reconcile the image of Immobile tearing Serie A's best apart with the one we have of his slumped shoulders in Germany and Spain.
Perhaps the Torino season was both a hint and a warning: the goalscoring talent is undoubted, but home comfort is key.
3. Josip Ilicic, 32-year-old, forward
How do you go from tricky, inconsistent winger to Ballon d'Or-type levels of brilliance in your early 30s ? Ask Ilicic, because he's somehow done it.
The Slovenia international has netted more goals (14) than anyone else this calendar year and more hat-tricks (2) too. He's scored from the halfway line and almost single-handedly led Atalanta into the Champions League quarter-finals.
All this from a player who has always been talented but rarely managed to produce this frequently, and to this level, before now.
Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini (who is something of a managerial late bloomer himself) has had a big role in this development. The two have connected, unlocking the best in each other, and playing Ilicic centrally in an uber-attacking system has ensured he's constantly fed the ball, kept involved, given chances and, crucially, can't drift out of games.
The results have been devastating.
2. Thomas Partey, 26-year-old, central midfielder
It's taken a long time - much longer, perhaps, than intended - but Partey can now count himself as a key player for Atletico Madrid, 8 years after signing for them.
It took until 2017 for him to work his way into the regular rotation, spending years honing his craft and biding his time. Over the next 2 seasons, he graduated from genuine option to a must-start.
He took in some loans from 2013-2015, but it was hard graft on the training pitch that saw him break into the side. He did the dirty work manager Diego Simeone asked for, identifying himself as one to be counted on - and playing any position he was asked to, including wide-midfield and full-back.
That opened the door, but what has really cemented his place in the side is his emergence as one of - if not the - best vertical passing midfielder at the club. He slides passes through the lines and into strikers better than anyone, all the while fulfilling the defensive duties his manager demands.
He's a complete midfielder: passer, tackler, dribbler, worker, thinker. It's just taken a bit longer to round out the skill set than you'd traditionally expect.
1. Jamie Vardy, 33-year-old, striker
Perhaps the modern poster-boy for late bloomers, Vardy's tale has thrilled, inspired and most likely had a colossal impact on others. In the wake of his rise, how many non-league footballers who were considering hanging up their boots decided to give it one final shot ?
At age 25, he finally clawed his way into the Football League, moving from Fleetwood Town (in England's fifth tier at the time) to Leicester City (in the second tier).
He made his Premier League bow 2 years later and netted just 5 goals in 34 appearances. With all of that evidence to hand, not a soul on earth could have predicted what would happen next.
A hot start to the 2015-2016 campaign refused to fizzle out. Vardy led the Foxes to a 5,000-1 league title, top scored with 24 goals and scored in 11 consecutive matches, breaking Ruud van Nistelrooy's record of 10.
Vardy found his groove as Leicester settled into one of the most direct attacking game plans ever witnessed. It asked him to simply run off the shoulder and/or split wide to drag a defender out, use his searing speed to gain a yard and then finish.
A telepathic connection with Danny Drinkwater, who lifted balls behind the defence and into general "areas", was key to Vardy getting so many chances. From there, the low, drilled, right-footed strike found home more often than not.
The rise was swift, and those hoping for a decline of a similar ilk were left disappointed: he's been one of England's top marksmen ever since, netting 13, 20, 18 and 19 in the campaigns that have followed - that last figure coming from the current incomplete season.
Last edited by beavis; 21-04-2020 at 23:20.
Martinez set to remain in charge of Belgium
Belgium manager Roberto Martinez is set to extend his contract through to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The 46-year-old Martinez, who previously managed Swansea City, Wigan Athletic and Everton, took charge of Belgium in August 2016.
The Belgians currently have an outstanding group of players and, guided by Martinez, reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, before beating England in the third-place play-off to secure their best finish.
Belgium currently top the FIFA world rankings and would have been among the favourites for the postponed EURO 2020 tournament this summer, having won all 10 of their qualifying matches with a goal difference of +37.
Martinez has lost just 3 matches out of 43 since taking charge of Belgium.
His contract was due to expire after EURO 2020 but his potential new deal will keep him at the helm until at least the next World Cup - scheduled for between 21 November and 18 December 2022.
Portugal extend head coach Fernando Santos' deal
Portugal head coach Fernando Santos will remain in the role until EURO 2024 after the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) extended his contract.
Santos - who guided Portugal to victory in the 2016 European Championships and last year's inaugural Nations League - had originally signed a deal until after EURO 2020, which has been postponed until next year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The 65-year-old took over as Portugal national coach after the 2014 World Cup, having previously had spells in charge of Porto, Sporting Lisbon and Benfica in his native country, as well as the Greece national team.
Matic retires from international duty
Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic has decided to end his international career in order to make way for younger players, the Serbian Football Association (FSS) said on Friday.
Matic scored 2 goals in 48 appearances for Serbia, who still have a chance of reaching EURO 2020 to be held next year after it was pushed back due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Serbia visit Norway in the play-off semi-finals on 8 October and should they win, the Balkan nation will challenge either Scotland or Israel at home on 12 November for a place in the 24-team tournament to be held across Europe.
Serbia visit Russia on 3 September and host Turkey in Belgrade 3 days later in their opening Nations League matches.
FC Barcelona star Ansu Fati marked his first start for the Spanish senior team with a goal and a man of the match performance in a 4-0 win at home to Ukraine.
Fati was in sensational form at Estadio Alfredo di Stefano as Luis Enrique won his first game since returning to his role with La Roja.
The teenager won a penalty after just 2 minutes, with skipper Sergio Ramos tucking home from the spot.
Fati continued to be at the heart of Spain's attacking threat, and his long range strike on 32 minutes broke yet another record in an incredible 12 months for the La Masia academy product.
The goal broke a 95-year youngest goalscorer record for the Spanish national side, with Fati now the new record holder, at 17 years and 311 days.
Ronaldo becomes second player to reach 100 international goals
Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo has become just the second player to ever reach 100 international goals.
Ronaldo reached the milestone just before half-time of Tuesday's Nations League match against Sweden, slamming home a free-kick from outside the box to score the game's first goal.
The 35 year-old is only the second men's player to reach 100 goals for his country after Ali Daei, who scored 109 times for Iran.
Ronaldo's goal was also the 57th of his career from a direct free-kick and the 10th for Portugal.
Ronaldo had to wait 10 months to overcome the final hurdle and reach the milestone, with his 99th international strike coming in November 2019 against Luxembourg. The forward had netted a hat-trick in the previous match against Lithuania to take his total to 98.
The coronavirus pandemic put a temporary halt to Ronaldo's pursuit of 100 goals, however, with Portugal's match against Croatia last week their first since the Luxembourg fixture.
Ronaldo was forced to sit that match out due to a toe infection, with Portugal winning by a comfortable 4-1 margin even without the Juventus star.
At the age of 19, Ronaldo scored his first international goal at EURO 2004. He has gone on to pass the likes of Eusebio and Pedro Pauleta to become Portugal's all-time top goalscorer and has now more than doubled previous record-holder Pauleta, who netted 47 times for the Selecao.
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Rakitic retires from international duty
Croatia international Ivan Rakitic on Monday bid farewell to the national team with whom he reached the Final at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the country's football federation said.
"Saying goodbye to Croatia squad is the most difficult decision in my carrier."
"But I felt that is the moment when I have to make this decision", the 32-year-old FC Sevilla midfielder said in a Croatian Football Federation (HNS) statement.
"I enjoyed every match I have played for my homeland and unforgettable moments from the World Cup will remain among favourite memories of my life."
Rakitic, who did not elaborate on the reasons for the decision, made his debut for Croatia in 2007. He won 106 caps and scored 15 goals. His last appearance came against Wales in a EURO qualifying game last October.
HNS recalled that Rakitic converted the final penalties in the shootouts against Denmark in the round of 16 and Russia in the quarter-finals in 2018 as Croatia advanced to their first-ever World Cup Final.
Croatia lost 4-2 to France.
Holland appoint Frank de Boer as head coach
Frank de Boer, who won 112 caps and played at 2 World Cups for the Netherlands, has been appointed his country's national team coach.
The 50-year-old replaces Ronald Koeman, who left last month to take over as FC Barcelona head coach, and has signed a 2-year contract up to the 2022 World Cup.
Former defender De Boer, who also played for Barcelona and Ajax, won a record 4 successive Dutch league titles as coach of Ajax between 2011 and 2014.
But 3 subsequent jobs outside the Netherlands proved disappointing. He was fired by Inter Milano after 85 days in charge in 2016 and the next year lasted 10 weeks at Crystal Palace.
His last position was at Atlanta United in MLS where he led the club to cup success before leaving in July after 18 months in charge.
De Boer will be thrust quickly into his new job with a friendly against Mexico and 2 Nations League games early next month. The Netherlands host the Mexicans in Amsterdam on 7 October before travelling to Bosnia on 11 October and Italy on 14 October.
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