Cristiano Ronaldo s acrimonious Manchester United exit won t affect his legacy at Old Trafford, former team-mate Diego Forlan told Stats Perform.
United announced last month they had reached a mutual agreement with Ronaldo to terminate his contract with immediate effect, following a controversial interview prior to the World Cup.
The Portugal captain, who scored 145 goals in 346 appearances for the club, did not hold back with his array of criticisms, including ones directed towards manager Erik ten Hag, and it became apparent he was on borrowed time at Old Trafford.
Forlan played alongside Ronaldo during the latter s debut season with the Red Devils in 2003-04, and the ex-Uruguay forward was disappointed at the nature of his former team-mate s departure.
Ansu Fati could be named in Spain s squad for Euro 2020, says coach Robert Moreno.
The 16-year-old forward has burst on to the scene this season, becoming Barcelona s youngest LaLiga goalscorer when he struck against Osasuna.
Born in Guinea-Bissau, Fati also had the option to represent Portugal at international level but he chose to play for La Roja and this week he was granted Spanish citizenship.
Fati was then added to the Spain Under-21 squad to face Montenegro after Barcelona team-mate Carles Perez withdrew through injury.
Moreno indicated Fati is already in his thinking as Spain work towards Euro 2020, with qualification in sight after six wins from six in Group F.
Of course I would like Ansu to be here, he said ahead of Saturday s trip to N…
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Getting their respective Premier League adventures underway on Monday night, Leicester and Tottenham will meet at the King Power.
Leicester
Starting with the hosts, while Leicester might have stormed their way to an immediate Premier League return last season, the Foxes appear to have a real battle on their hands this time around. Now under the guidance of new boss Steve Cooper, the Blues are already pencilled in as a leading relegation contender this year. With potential sanctions still looming over them, the former Nottingham Forest manager will also be worried by a downbeat end to their summer preparations. Drawing a line under their summer plans with a thumping 3-0 drumming at the hands of French outfit Lens, Leicester lost all of …
Real Betis are interested in signing Houssem Aouar from Lyon in the summer of 2023, according to . The report has claimed that La Liga club Betis wanted to sign Aouar from Ligue 1 outfit Lyon in the summer of 2022, but they could not agree on a deal. However, Betis plan to make a move in January and agree a pre-contract with the France international midfielder, who is out of contract at Lyon at the end of the season.
Aouar has been on the books of Lyon since 2009 and has come through the French club’s youth academy. The 24-year-old has made over 150 appearances in Ligue 1 for Lyon and has also played once for the France national football team.
The midfielder has made one appearance in Ligue 1 for Lyon so far this season. Aouar made 29 starts and seven substitute appea…
David Beckham admits helping England win the right to host the 2018 World Cup would mean as much as all the success he has enjoyed during his illustrious career.
Beckham has won the Champions League, six Premier League titles and two FA Cups with Manchester United as well as the Spanish title at Real Madrid.
The LA Galaxy midfielder, currently on loan at AC Milan, is also England s most capped outfield player, has captained his country 59 times and played in two World Cups, with a third in South Africa next year a distinct possibility.
But even those impressive achievements would fade in comparison to playing a role in bringing the World Cup back to England for the first time in 52 years.
Beckham was part of the successful bid to win the 2012 Olympic Gam…
Joe Cole feels like “the time is now” as England head into this summer’s European Championship.
Gareth Southgate is preparing to take charge of his fourth and potentially last major tournament, having reached the World Cup semi-finals and quarter-finals as well as a continental final.
England’s agonising penalty shoot-out defeat to Italy in the Euro 2020 showpiece remains raw but has only increased the squad’s desire to go one better in Germany.
Cole believes those shared experiences are indicating this can be “a real positive summer”, with the former international excited by what Southgate’s side can achieve.
“Listen, they were penalty kicks away from winning a tournament,” the former England international told the PA news agency. “…
Ashley Young seems unstoppable at the moment. His terrific club form with Manchester United has followed him to the England national team, which bodes well for Fabio Capello and his quest to reach the 2012 European Championships. In four games for United, Young has netted two goals and a stunning total of five assists. Yes, five. But his form has been just as impressive for the Three Lions with two goals and four assists in six caps (three starts).
Young s confidence is at an all-time high and rightfully so. So much so that Young told Sky Sports News the following:
I m always confident going on the pitch and I m even more confident now. I m enjoying how things are going at the minute. Things have gone really well for myself and hopefully it can …
Riccardo Orsolini, Samuele Ricci and Ivan Provedel have been cut from Luciano Spalletti s Italy squad for Euro 2024.
Spalletti named a 30-man provisional group last month as Italy bid to become just the second team to win back-to-back editions of the Euros, after Spain in 2008 and 2012.
There was no place for experienced campaigners Ciro Immobile, Manuel Locatelli and Marco Verratti in that group, and the Azzurri have since lost defenders Francesco Acerbi and Giorgio Scalvini to injury.
Federico Gatti was drafted in to replace the latter after he ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee in Atalanta s Serie A defeat to Fiorentina on Sunday.
That left Spalletti needing to cut three more players ahead of Friday s deadline, and Orsolini,…
With Croatia, Ireland, and the Czech Republic all recorded comfortable wins in the first legs of their Euro 2012 qualifying playoff ties, those who were hoping to see a great deal of drama in the second legs may have been disappointed.
Sure, those three still had to navigate another 90 minutes before they could officially start preparing for next June, but it doesn’t take an expansive knowledge of to know that the chances of Turkey and Estonia overturning large deficits in hostile environments were almost none, while it was highly unlikely that goal-shy Montenegro would be able to overturn a two-goal deficit on home soil against the Czechs.
The only tie that went into Tuesday’s second legs still well and truly up for grabs was Portugal’s tie with Bosnia, and wh…
Trent Alexander-Arnold survived the cull of England s extended Euro 2020 squad as Gareth Southgate named his final 26-man list on Tuesday.
The Liverpool defender, arguably the standout full-back in world football in the 2019-20 season, was expected by many to pay the price for a dip in form over the previous nine months.
England have riches at the position, and Southgate has also selected further specialist right-backs in Atletico Madrid s Kieran Trippier, Manchester City s Kyle Walker and Chelsea s Reece James.
The players to miss out as Southgate trimmed the 33-man group he named last week were Jesse Lingard, Ben Godfrey, Aaron Ramsdale, Ollie Watkins, James Ward-Prowse and Ben White, with Mason Greenwood withdrawing from contention due to what his club, M…