Chile intend to launch an appeal against FIFA s decision to dismiss their previous complaint regarding Ecuador s participation at the World Cup.
Nine-time tournament finalists Chile asked FIFA to investigate allegations that Ecuador used ineligible right-back Byron Castillo in their successful qualifying campaign.
The Federacion de Futbol de Chile (ANPF) said it had proof that Castillo was born in Colombia and not Ecuador, as stated on his official documents.
Castillo appeared eight times in qualifying, including in a goalless draw with Chile in September and a 2-0 victory in November.
La Roja finished seventh, meaning they just missed out on a play-off spot, but felt Ecuador should be expelled from the World Cup at their expense.
However, after…
FIFA president Gianni Infantino believes Leicester City s Premier League title triumph is a fairytale that will be celebrated by football fans worldwide.
Claudio Ranieri s team were crowned as champions on Monday night when nearest rivals Tottenham failed to secure the victory they needed at Chelsea to take the race into the final two weekends of the season.
Leicester, who were 5,000-1 outsiders for English football s top prize at the start of the season, will now rub shoulders with European football s elite in the Champions League next term and former UEFA general secretary Infantino believes they are thoroughly deserving of their status.
It s a fairytale. It s one of these beautiful football stories that only football can write and no one would have believed p…
Hungarian football fans know a thing or two about Golden Generations.
And while the likes of Ferenc Puskas and the rest of the Magnificent Magyars belong to a different time, consigned to a chapter in a football encyclopedia, the term continues to be bandied around every time a country turns up at a major tournament with a crop of promising players.
For some it s a millstone ask any England or Portugal fan of the past 20 years but for some it becomes a welcome pressure, an added responsibility on which they thrive.
At his pre-match press conference prior to the last 16 clash with Hungary in Toulouse, Belgium coach Marc Wilmots welcomed the tag of match favourites. We ll need to play like a big nation, like a favourite, he said. Earlier in the week, he said he d h…
Real Madrid target David Villa, the top scorer at Euro 2008, has ended speculation about his future by extending his contract with Valencia until 2014, the Spanish first division club said Wednesday.
The best striker in Europe will remain at Valencia, the club s president, Vicente Soriano announced.
The Internet site of sports newspaper Marca said Valencia would make the 26-year-old the best paid player in their history, with an annual salary of more than three million euros.
Villa s contract was extended by one season from 2012-2013 to 2013-2014.
I am grateful to Valencia for this gesture and for all that (the club) has given me and to Vicente Soriano for the effort he has made, Villa said.
The news is a further blow to Real Madrid, who wer…
France started their World Cup qualifying campaign in the worst way possible, crashing to a 3-1 defeat against an impressive Austrian side.
After disappointing as hosts at Euro 2008, the Austrians appeared ready to take revenge versus the French. A little bit of help was given in the 8th minute, with an own goal from Mexès.
Aufhauser then made it 2-0 in the 41st minute but when Sidney Govou scored one back for France on the hour mark, many expected that les Bleus would at least secure a draw.
But the home side held on to their lead and even added a third to decide the clash. Ivanschitz made no mistakes from the penalty spot in the 72nd minute.
Austria and France form part of Group 7, with Lithuania, Serbia, Faroe Islands and Romania. The latter su…
The 2018-19 Serie A season has ended and now it’s time to analyse what happened in Italy’s top-flight. The biggest news was Juventus winning the title and the fact that three other teams will join them in the UEFA Champions League next year: Napoli, Atalanta and Inter Milan.
Yes, you read that right. Atalanta will play in the Champions League next season and their overall campaign has been quite a story. They have undoubtedly become Italy’s most surprising side during the season and their accomplishment is especially huge given how they started the season.
Atalanta’s rise will be one to remember
You might not remember this, but Atalanta looked like a team destined to fight against relegation in the first few weeks of the season. They only gained six of their fi…
Antonio Conte has stressed Gary Cahill should not be held responsible for Ryan Mason being forced to retire prematurely due to injury.
Mason suffered a skull fracture after clashing heads with Cahill in an aerial challenge during a game between Chelsea and Hull City at Stamford Bridge in January 2017.
The one-cap England international had hoped to be able to return to the pitch but Mason confirmed this week he has called time on his career after taking medical advice.
Chelsea face Mason s former club Hull in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Friday and Conte believes the midfielder s retirement ought to be considered an unfortunate side-effect of football.
For sure, this is a question for Gary, Conte said when asked how Cahill had responded to Mason s re…
New Southampton manager Ronald Koeman has revealed they are hopeful of sealing a deal for Feyenoord s Graziano Pelle in the coming days.
Southampton had been linked with a move for the 28-year-old forward but Koeman s comments – in his first press conference as the club s new coach – suggest the transfer is close to being finalised.
The situation about Pelle…it will be near to have another one in the team, Koeman said on Friday.
It s close. But it s still not signed. But it s coming close.
We hope maybe this weekend to have him as the second new player of Southampton.
Koeman knows all about Pelle, having coached him at former club Feyenoord, where he has been prolific since joining from Parma, initially on loan, in 2012.
Pelle �…
Atletico Madrid and Juventus have been linked with a cut-price move for out-of-favour Manchester City forward Stevan Jovetic,.
Wilfried Bony’s arrival at the Etihad Stadium from Swansea City back in January saw the 25 year old former Partizan and Fiorentina man fall further out of favour, with both Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero also ahead of him in the pecking order in Manuel Pellegrini’s side.
Jovetic has made just sixteen appearances in all competitions so far this season, and started only nine games in the Premier League.
He hasn’t featured at all since the 1-1 draw with Hull City over a month ago, while he has scored just once since netting in the 3-2 win over Sunderland on New Year’s Day.
The Montenegro international moved to the Manches…
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp thinks it is crazy how quickly critics were on the backs of Darwin Nunez and Erling Haaland in pre-season.
Uruguay striker Nunez joined the Reds from Benfica in a transfer potentially worth £85million (€100m) in June, while Manchester City sealed a reported £51m (€60m) deal with Borussia Dortmund for Haaland a month earlier.
Both major investments were seen as deals that could widen the gap between them and the rest of the Premier League, though each player has courted criticism.
For Nunez, the flak arrived as early as his first pre-season game after missing a big chance in a 4-0 defeat to Manchester United.
Haaland was then ridiculed for a difficult day against the Reds as Klopp s side won the Community Shield at …