Cristiano Ronaldo is among the nominees for the UEFA Goal of the Season prize.
The Portugal superstar is one of 11 candidates in the running for the award following his stunning overhead kick for Real Madrid against his new club Juventus in last season s Champions League.
Only one goal from each UEFA competition is nominated, so Ronaldo has been selected ahead former team-mate Gareth Bale, who scored a similarly acrobatic effort in Madrid s Champions League final defeat of Liverpool.
Dimitri Payet provides the Europa League nomination, the France international producing a brilliant dribble and finish in Marseille s win against RB Leipzig.
Ronaldo s compatriots Goncalo Ramos, Paulo Estrela and Ricardinho are also on the shortlist, along with Denmark …
Italy kicked off their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign with a straightforward 2-0 win over Northern Ireland at Stadio Ennio Tardini on Thursday.
The Azzurri entered the contest without defeat in 22 games and that unbeaten run never looked under threat from the moment Domenico Berardi opened the scoring 14 minutes in.
Ciro Immobile doubled the lead for Roberto Mancini s in-form side seven minutes before half-time and the hosts saw out victory despite an improved Northern Ireland display in the second period.
The win moves Italy level on three points with second seeds Switzerland 3-1 victors against Bulgaria earlier on Thursday at the top of Group C after their opening fixtures.
Domenico Berardi s last 3 games for Italy
— European Qualifi…
Timo Werner struck twice to give RB Leipzig a deserved 2-1 victory over Benfica in their Champions League Group G opener on Tuesday.
Germany international Werner took his tally to seven goals in six games in all competitions this season with two clinical finishes inside nine second-half minutes at the Estadio da Luz.
Werner opened the scoring with a low arrowed shot and then tapped home from close range with 12 minutes remaining.
Benfica provided some late drama when Haris Seferovic scored in the 84th minute, but Leipzig held on for a win that puts them top of the pile after Zenit and Lyon drew.
Benfica coach Bruno Lage, who was serving a touchline ban after being sent off during last season s Europa League semi-final second leg against Eintracht Frankfu…
Mauricio Pochettino seemingly does not believe his relationship with Paris Saint-Germain is a loveless one, with the Argentinian coach saying every project he has ever been involved in has generated love .
Pochettino joined PSG as Thomas Tuchel s successor in January 2021, returning to the club having spent two years there as a player.
After building a fine reputation for himself at Southampton and Tottenham, it was hoped Pochettino would be the coach to take PSG to the next level and finally deliver Champions League glory alongside domestic domination.
But they were beaten by Manchester City in the semi-finals of last season s Champions League and also pipped to the Ligue 1 title by Lille.
Ever since, there has been something of a cloud hanging over Poch…
The 2020-21 season is over as far as the Premier League is concerned. Manchester City deservedly won the title a while ago, and it was pretty clear United would finish runners-up as well, but the race for the remaining two places in next season s Champions League was exciting right to the end.
It seemed for a long time during their slump over the first three months of the calendar year that Liverpool were destined to miss out, but a late string of good results saw them turn their fortunes around in the nick of time. In the end, they held matters in their own hands, needing a win against Crystal Palace in the final round, and a brace from Sadio Mane made sure they got there.
Many partings
The future of Georginio Wijnaldum has been a subject of speculation throughout the…
Neil Warnock admitted he was “gobsmacked” as the decision for him to leave Huddersfield came earlier than he expected but he insisted he has done the job he set out to do.
Wednesday’s game at home to Stoke will be the 74-year-old’s last in his second spell with the Terriers as the club’s new American owner Kevin Nagle wants to make a long-term appointment as they bid to regain Premier League status.
Warnock returned in February, 30 years after he was first appointed, and masterminded an incredible escape from relegation, subsequently signing a one-year contract to help oversee a revamp off the pitch but he was aware his tenure was unlikely to last the duration of his contract.
We can confirm that Neil Warnock s final fixture as Huddersfield Town Manager…
Roberto Mancini has been given a significant vote of confidence by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) after signing a new contract that will keep him in charge of Italy until after the 2026 World Cup.
Mancini was appointed in May 2018, taking over from caretaker manager Luigi Di Biagio after he had replaced Gian Piero Ventura the previous November.
Ventura had failed to guide Italy to the 2018 World Cup, the Azzurri losing out to Sweden in a play-off.
It was the first World Cup Italy had missed since 1958 and forced the FIGC into a serious rethink before turning to Mancini, one of the nation s most-respected coaches.
He was initially appointed only until 2020, with an automatic extension to be granted upon qualification for Euro 2020, which Italy duly…
Simone Inzaghi scoffed at the idea Inter might kill off Milan s title hopes in Saturday s derby, as he claimed even Juventus remain in the Scudetto hunt.
A victory for Inter would move them seven points clear of Milan, while also having the advantage of a game in hand.
Inzaghi s Inter will be the home side at the San Siro stadium the teams share, and the Nerazzurri lead the way at the top of Serie A after losing just one of their opening 22 games.
It would be hard to see Milan coming back from defeat to their great rivals, but Inzaghi is not discounting the prospect.
Asked if three points for Inter would count out Milan, Inzaghi said: I don t think so. There are another 15 matches to go and we all saw what happened in the first half of the season. We wer…
Thomas Tuchel will not put any pressure on Kylian Mbappe in terms of goals and assists targets for Paris Saint-Germain this season following the teenage forward s World Cup heroics for France.
Mbappe scored a superb goal in Les Bleus 4-2 final triumph over Croatia in Moscow last month, crowning a stellar tournament in which he was named FIFA s Best Young Player.
Along with the rest of France s stars from Russia 2018 in the PSG squad, Mbappe is available to return to club action in Saturday s trip to Guingamp.
Head coach Tuchel appreciates the next steps of the 19-year-old s career are highly anticipated and he sees his own role, in part, as one of managing expectations.
He is 19 years old and an incredible talent, he told a pre-match news conference. I d…
Real Madrid s bid for a record 17th consecutive LaLiga victory fell short as Villarreal held them to a 1-1 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale were back in Zinedine Zidane s XI for their tilt at history, but had little joy during an opening half that ended with Bruno Soriano putting the visitors ahead from the penalty spot.
Sergio Ramos was culpable for his team falling behind, but quickly atoned by heading home from James Rodriguez s 48th-minute corner.
Karim Benzema, Bale and Ronaldo all went close to inking Madrid s latest entry into the history books, but their 16-match run, which began after February s derby defeat to Atletico Madrid, puts them level with the mark set by Pep Guardiola s Barcelona during the 2010-11 season.
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