Brazil coach Dunga said on Thursday that the pressure on perennial favourites Brazil to deliver a sixth World Cup was normal but unfair.

Addressing reporters at a news conference at team headquarters in Randburg, north of Johannesburg, Dunga said that the pressure is normal. We have to play to win this is the Brazilian mentality. All that has gone before is to be left in the past, said Dunga.

Since taking over the job in 2006 he has won the 2007 Copa America and the 2009 Confederations Cup as well as guided the auriverde to top spot in the qualifiers for South Africa.

Dunga, a winner as a player in 1994, noted that Brazil always have to deliver given their history and warned he was well aware that the press knives were always on the point of being sharpened in r…

Former Celtic star Shunsuke Nakamura may have made his last international appearance for Japan, while up-and-coming CSKA Moscow player Keisuke Honda led Japan s attack at the World Cup.

By scoring two goals and setting up another in leading the Blue Samurai to the verge of reaching the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time, Honda has shown them the way to go ahead of Brazil 2014.

I m through, 32-year-old Nakamura told reporters, when asked if he would play for his country again, after Japan lost to Paraguay 5-3 on penalties in a last-16 round game.

On Thursday, his words were published in a sports daily reading: I have decided that my international career is over.

Nakamura, the key playmaker in Japan s qualifying campaign, was used only once in J…

Former Valencia stalwart Vicente Rodriguez has returned to the Liga side in a technical role, the club have confirmed.

Vicente joined Valencia from neighbours Levante in 2000 and went on to make over 300 appearances for the club during an 11-year stint, winning two Liga titles, the UEFA Cup, UEFA Super Cup and the Copa del Rey.

The former winger retired from football in 2013 after spending two years in England with Brighton Hove Albion, and the 34-year-old has now joined the technical staff at Valencia run by new sporting director Jesus Garcia Pitarch, claiming he is happy to be back home .

I really want to begin working and help where I can, Vicente said. I played here for 11 years and now I get the chance to help in this aspect, it s a real joy.

It is…

Laurent Blanc has no concerns over the form of Zlatan Ibrahimovic even though his star striker has failed to score for Paris Saint-Germa
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in so far this season.

Ibrahimovic has been PSG s attacking inspiration since arriving from Milan in 2012, leading the club to three successive Ligue 1 titles and scoring 106 goals in 129 appearances in all competitions before the start of this campaign.

The Sweden captain has not scored in four games in 2015-16, though, and missed a glorious chance in PSG s 1-1 draw with Reims on Saturday.

But, speaking on Monday, coach Blanc said: Ibrahimovic is not in the best possible form. He is finding it more difficult to score goals than usual [this season]. 

It happened last year too, but I think he will recover…

Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford said he was unaffected by speculation linking him with a move away from Goodison Park before he signed a new contract with the club.

The England international agreed a new six-year deal with the Toffees just over a year after becoming the most expensive British goalkeeper of all-time when he moved to Merseyside from Sunderland for £30million.

Pickford s outstanding performances for the Three Lions at the World Cup in Russia led to reports that Chelsea wanted to take him to Stamford Bridge before the season began, but he told reporters that his commitment to the club never wavered.

You ve just got to keep performing and put that to the back of your mind, Pickford said of the rumours that he might have left the club.

Yo…

Gianluigi Buffon hopes to exorcise the demons of two painful Champions League final defeats with Juventus by finally winning the competition for the first time in his illustrious career.

The veteran goalkeeper played a key role in Juve s 2-0 semi-final first-leg win in Monaco, making five saves as Gonzalo Higuain struck twice at the other end, with a meeting against Real Madrid in the decider now seemingly inevitable.

The Bianconeri set a club record by recording their sixth successive clean sheet in the Champions League with that victory and Buffon is keen to make up for the disappointment of losing finals to AC Milan in 2003 and Barcelona two years ago.

There s definitely a desire to make up for losing the [2015] final in Berlin, but I also have to make amends…

Sports betting is risky by its very nature. You win some, you lose some, and the goal of most punters is to win more than they lose. But what if there was a way to avoid all that? A risk-free that always wins if done right? Well, good news! There is such a strategy – though it does come with disadvantages as well.

In this article, we’ll take a close look at how betting arbitrage works and how you can successfully pull it off.

What Is Betting Arbitrage?

Betting arbitrage is a strategy in sports betting that exploits the price differences at different sportsbooks. It involves placing two bets on the same market in such a way that you earn a profit regardless of the final outcome. To do so, you’ll need at least two different bookmakers. That’s why this technique …

Barcelona are not considering an exit for Lionel Messi as a decision on the star s future nears.

Messi, 33, has been linked with a move away from the LaLiga giants after a trophy-less 2019-20 season.

But the star may yet remain at Barcelona.

TOP STORY – BARCELONA NOT CONSIDERING MESSI EXIT

Messi s rumoured departure from Camp Nou is not on the agenda at all for Barca, according to Mundo Deportivo.

The cover of the Spanish daily reads: Untransferable .

 Aquí os dejamos la portada de hoy

— Mundo Deportivo (@mundodeportivo)

Messi is contracted at Barcelona until 2021 and Sport reports a decision on his future is expected in the next few days, with the club beginning pre-season training on August 30.