ATALANTA, December 26 -- Cristiano Ronaldo came off the bench to score a late equaliser as 10-man Juventus salvaged a 2-2 draw at Atalanta. With this result Juventus moved nine points clear of Napoli at the top of Serie A. Carlo Ancelotti's Napoli visit third-placed Inter Milan later in the day, though, with the chance to cut the gap to the reigning champions. Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri decided to rest Ronaldo as the former Real Madrid man did not start a league game for the first time since moving to Italy, but the 33-year-old was needed to level in the 78th minute after Duvan Zapata's double had put the hosts in front following Berat Djimsiti's own goal. Ronaldo's efforts keep Juventus unbeaten in Serie A, ahead of the final game before the winter break against Sampdoria on Saturday. Everything appeared to be going to plan for Juve when they grabbed the lead in only the second minute when Atalanta centre-back Djimsiti completely miskicked Alex Sandro's deflected cross into his own net. But Zapata put a spanner in the Juve works with a fantastic individual goal midway through the first half, spinning centre-back Leonardo Bonucci with ease before drilling a left-footed strike into the far corner.
Douglas Costa fired wide just after the half-hour mark as the visitors looked to restore their advantage, but the Turin giants were reduced to 10 men eight minutes after half-time when Rodrigo Bentancur was shown a second yellow card for a poor tackle on Timothy Castagne. Colombian striker Zapata wasted little time in making Bentancur pay, bundling in from almost on the goalline to put Atalanta ahead and score his ninth league goal of the season. Allegri sent on Ronaldo with 25 minutes remaining, and less than 60 seconds after Robin Gosens wasted a golden opportunity to seal victory for Atalanta, the Portuguese star pounced to nod home from close range.
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ZAGREB, December 26 -- Luka Modric added to his collection of awards after a successful 2018 when he was named Croatian sportsman of the year 2018. Sandra Perkovic, five times European champion in discus, won the women's award. The football squad, runners-up in the World Cup, were named Croatian team of the year after a vote by 322 journalists.Modric led his country to the final in Russia in July and played a key role as Real Madrid won a third straight Champions League title in May. The midfielder was rewarded with the Golden Ball for best player at the World Cup, the Best Men's Player award by FIFA in September, and the Ballon d'Or as the world's best player at the start of December. He ended a decade of domination by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the world player of the year awards. BARCELONA, December 23 -- Barcelona held off Atletico Madrid to ensure they will be three points clear at the top of La liga going into the winter break after beating a spirited Espanyol 2-0 at the Camp Nou on Saturday. Barcelona held off Atletico Madrid to ensure they will be three points clear at the top of La liga going into the winter break after beating a spirited Espanyol 2-0 at the Camp Nou on Saturday. First-half goals from Ousmane Dembele and Lionel Messi were enough to move Ernesto Valverde’s side up to 37 points and keep them one step ahead of Atletico, who earlier drew level with Barca with a 1-0 win over Espanyol thanks to an Antoine Griezmann penalty. Dembele put the hosts into the lead after just nine minutes when he lashed home on the rebound after Messi’s first-time shot was pushed into his path by Celta keeper Ruben Blanco. Messi doubled his side’s advantage just before half-time, bursting through competely unmarked to meet the excellent Jordi Alba’s through ball and wrong-foot Blanco as he slotted in his 15th league goal of the season. Luis Suarez missed a great opportunity to put the result beyond any doubt on the hour mark when he flashed wide after being found by Alba with another fine pass, but despite frequently testing Barca keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Celta couldn’t find the goal that would have put the Catalans under real pressure. AMSTERDAM, December 20 -- Where should Matthijs de Ligt go if he leaves Ajax? Dream or realistic? This is not at all surprising as the underlying coaching philosophy is attack-oriented. When it comes to central defenders, they are expected to combine the art of defending with playmaking. A contemporary example, who continues to make glowing headlines, is Ajax’s teenage captain Matthijs de Ligt. MANCHESTER, December 19 -- Ole Gunner Solskjaer has been appointed as Manchester United’s caretaker manager, replacing José Mourinho until the end of the season. The former United striker will be assisted by Mike Phelan, another of the club’s former players, who previously spent 14 years on the club’s coaching staff, including five as the No 2. Solskjaer takes over following Mourinho’s sacking on Tuesday. His first game in charge is Saturday’s trip to Cardiff City, the club with which he had his only previous experience of Premier League management. The Norwegian, who has been managing Molde, took Cardiff down to the Championship in May 2014. On being sacked the following September his record was 16 defeats from 30 games and five wins, of which three were in the top flight. Solskjaer is fondly remembered at Old Trafford for scoring the winning goal in the 1999 Champions League final against Bayern Munich. Just over a year ago he described United as a “dream” job in an interview with United.no, the Manchester United Supporters’ Club Scandinavia. “Manchester United is in my heart and it’s brilliant to be coming back in this role,” Solskjaer told United website after being confirmed in the role. “I’m really looking forward to working with the very talented squad we have, the staff and everyone at the club.” United’s executive vice-chairman, Ed Woodward, said: “Ole is a club legend with huge experience, both on the pitch and in coaching roles. His history at Manchester United means he lives and breathes the culture here and everyone at the club is delighted to have him and Mike Phelan back. We are confident they will unite the players and the fans as we head into the second half of the season.” The coaches Michael Carrick and Kieran McKenna continue on the first-team staff. United are sixth in the Premier League, 19 points behind the leaders, Liverpool, and 11 from a Champions League berth. MANCHESTER, December 18 -- Manchester United have sacked manager Jose Mourinho with immediate affect. The 55-year-old leaves Old Trafford by after failing to turn around a disastrous start to the season. The final straw came after Man Utd's 3-1 defeat at Liverpool – but he has been pushed closer to edge with each passing week as his reign descended into crisis. A statement released by the club read: "Manchester United announces that manager Jose Mourinho has left the club with immediate effect. The club would like to thank Jose for his work during his time at Manchester United and to wish him success in the future." NYON, December 17 -- The Champions League round of 16 draw, and the Europa League round of 32 draw, took place Monday in Nyon, Switzerland. They set up the first round of the four month knockout stages, which will end the European club football season. The Europa League final will take place May 29 at the Baku Olympic Stadium in Azerbaijan, while the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium (home of Atletico Madrid) will host the Champions League final June 1. The introduction of VAR for both tournaments from the round of 16 on to the finals adds a new wrinkle, and should be interesting to watch. Real Madrid has won the last three Champions League titles, and will start its knockout stage defense against Ajax. The four English sides in Champions League, three of which will open at home in the two-legged ties which will start either February 12-13 or 19-20, will have some tough match ups. Liverpool will face Bayern Munich, Manchester United will take on Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint Germain, while Tottenham will see Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund. Manchester City, as the lone group winner from England, will start on the road. The Cityzens, the current favorite to win the tournament, will visit Schalke 04. There are two more English teams in the Europa League, and they are the two betting favorites to win the competition and earn an automatic berth into next season's Champions League (if it is not in the top four of the Premier League). Arsenal will visit Belarus to take on BATE Borisov, while Chelsea will head to Sweden to take on Malmo. UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DRAW RESULTS (All first round legs played at home of group runners-up Feb. 12-13 or 19-20.)
AMSTERDAM, December 17 -- Ajax teenager Matthijs de Ligt, 19, claimed the Tuttosport award after receiving the most votes from an international panel. Coveted Ajax captain and sensation Matthijs de Ligt has been crowned the 2018 Golden Boy as the most promising Under-21 player in Europe. Linked with LaLiga champions Barcelona and Premier League titleholders Manchester City among others, the 19-year-old centre-back claimed the Tuttosport award after receiving the most votes from an international panel. De Ligt beat Roma winger Justin Kluivert, Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold, AC Milan forward Patrick Cutrone and Real Madrid teenager Vinicius Junior to the honour, won by Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe last year. Netherlands international De Ligt – under contract until 2021 – has been a revelation since making his debut for boyhood club Ajax in 2016, establishing himself in the heart of the Eredivisie club's defence. A first international call-up following last year and De Ligt continues to attract interest from some of Europe's biggest clubs, with Barca reportedly at the front of the queue. DOHA, December 16 -- The 80,000-capacity Lusail Stadium will be the largest of the tournament, which will kick off on 21 November 2022. Officials in Qatar revealed the design for Lusail Stadium, the venue at which the opening and final games of the 2022 FIFA World Cup will take place. The 80,000-capacity venue will be the largest stadium of the tournament, which will kick off on November 21, 2022, and be the first to take place in the Arab world. Located 15km north of central Doha, the stadium will form the centrepiece of Lusail City, the construction of which is about 90 percent completed, according to the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC), the body tasked with getting Qatar ready to host the World Cup. Designed by British firm Foster + Partners, the venue's golden facade takes its inspiration from Arab architecture and the region's tradition of craftsmanship. Construction of the stadium, which is being delivered by a joint venture of Qatari firm HBK Contracting Company and China Railway Construction Corporation, is well under way. With the substructure complete, concrete superstructure and infrastructure works are progressing in all seating zones, while internal works have commenced in the west stand. Construction of the stadium is set to be completed in 2020. The venue is the eighth stadium design unveiled by the SC. Khalifa International Stadium became the first tournament-ready venue in 2017, while two more stadiums will be completed early next year - Al Wakrah Stadium and Al Bayt Stadium - Al Khor City. Construction of the stadium is set to be completed in 2020. The venue is the eighth stadium design unveiled by the SC. Khalifa International Stadium became the first tournament-ready venue in 2017, while two more stadiums will be completed early next year - Al Wakrah Stadium and Al Bayt Stadium - Al Khor City.
International scrutiny Beating bid rivals Australia, Japan, South Korea and the United States, Qatar won the hosting rights in 2010, which put the Gulf state under increasing scrutiny over the treatment of migrant workers. To date, there have been three work-related fatalities and nine non-work related deaths of workers engaged in the construction of Qatar's World Cup stadiums, according to the tournament organisers. But the United Nations International Labour Organization dismissed all complaints lodged against Qatar following a new draft bill that introduced a minimum wage and legal protection for the foreign workforce, approved by the government last year. At least 26,000 people are directly involved in the construction of the proposed stadiums. Contractors involved in the World Cup projects have agreed to reimburse more than $14.4m to the thousands of workers who had paid recruitment fees before moving to Qatar. ISTANBUL, December 14 -- After being dismissed in October, Phillip Cocu has reached an agreement with Fenerbahce over the termination of his contract. Phillip Cocu said he "fell in love with Istanbul" in a farewell message to Fenerbahce supporters after the club announced a "mutual agreement" had been struck regarding his October dismissal for plunging the Turkish giants into a relegation battle. Cocu was relieved of his duties as first-team coach at the end of October following a 3-1 home defeat by Ankaragucu, just four months after being hired. The former PSV coach won just three of his 15 competitive matches in charge, and things have barely improved since under his assistant Erwin Koeman, with Sunday's 3-0 defeat to Akhisarspor leaving Fener second from bottom in the Super Lig. Despite being dismissed in October, the club and Cocu only recently came to an agreement over the termination of his contract, which was officially announced on Thursday. AMSTERDAM, December 13 -- Nicolas Tagliafico scored a stoppage-time equalizer as Ajax salvaged a thrilling 3-3 draw against Bayern Munich that saw the German side top Champions League Group E. In a game that featured four goals after the 82nd minute, two red cards and two penalties, substitute Kingsley Coman looked to have grabbed a winner for Bayern in the 90th before defender Tagliafico tapped in the equalizer five minutes into stoppage time. Robert Lewandowski scored twice for Bayern, including an equalizer for 2-2 in the 87th. "It was a great match, I want to congratulate both teams for reaching the next round," Bayern coach Niko Kovac said. The two teams were already assured of progressing to the round of 16 before the match at Johan Cruyff Arena and Bayern needed only a draw to ensure top spot in the group, while Ajax needed to win. With group victory at stake, the two teams put on a memorable show. "This is why fans come to the stadium, why football is such a great sport on television," Ajax cocach Erik ten Hag said. "My team and Bayern provided a true spectacle." Topping the group means Bayern will avoid other group winners, including Barcelona, Manchester City and Real Madrid in the next round. But Kovac said plenty of good teams finished second, including the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham. Lewandowski put five-time European champion Bayern ahead in the 13th minute and levelled with an 87th-minute penalty after Tadic had scored twice to put Ajax in front. Coman calmly fired the ball past Andre Onana in the 90th, before Tagliafico's equalizer. "It's a terrible waste we weren't able to get the win," Ten Hag said. Lewandoski's brace took his tally in this season's Champions League to a competition-leading eight goals, two ahead of Lionel Messi. Tadic's goals took him to five in the competition this season. By the time Tadic put Ajax 2-1 in front in the 82nd minute, both teams had been reduced to 10 men after referee Clement Turpin showed Maximilian Woeber a straight red card for a foul on Leon Goretzka in the 67th minute and dismissed Thomas Mueller eight minutes later for a clumsy challenge on Tagliafico. Both teams were unbeaten in the Champions League and had conceded only two goals going into their last match. Ajax held Bayern to a 1-1 draw when they met in October in Munich. LONDON, December 6 -- Investigators have revealed the cause behind the helicopter crash which killed Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and four others six weeks ago. According to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch, a mechanism linking the pilot's pedals with the tail rotor blades became disconnected, leading to the accident. "The evidence gathered to date shows that the loss of control of the helicopter resulted from the tail rotor actuator control shaft becoming disconnected from the actuator lever mechanism," declared the special report. PARIS, December 4 -- Norwegian striker Ada Hegerberg said the introduction of a women's Ballon d'Or was a "big step forward" for the game, playing down suggestions her historic victory was overshadowed after being asked to perform a 'twerk' live on stage. The Lyon star -- whose prolific form in front of goal helped the French club secure a third successive Champions League victory -- edged out Danish forward Pernille Harder to claim the inaugural prize at a ceremony in Paris on Monday. But the 23-year-old was asked if she would perform a sexually provocative dance by French host DJ, Martin Solveig, and appeared embarrassed as she rejected the request. Hegerberg later said: "He came to see me after and apologised. The Ballon d'Or is the most important thing." "I am touched and very proud, for women's football, for myself, for the club. I share this with Olympique Lyonnais, my teammates, the staff," she beamed after joining men's winner Luka Modric and men's best young player Kylian Mbappe on the stage with her trophy. "It's historic, it's incredible, a great day for women's football and a big step forward." Hegerberg, one of seven players from the all-conquering Lyon side to feature among the 15 nominees, dismissed suggestions that the night was marred by the "twerk" request. "I didn't feel it was like that at all to be honest and I am sad if people thought about the situation like that." Hegerberg was Lyon's top scorer with 15 goals -- with one coming in the Champions League final in Kiev in May, as Lyon came from behind to beat VfL Wolfsburg 4-1 after extra time and retain the trophy. Harder had put the Germans in front in that game. Lyon also won the French title for the 12th season in succession, with Hegerberg top-scoring with 31 goals, and she continues to bang in the goals for her team who are top of the table again this season. Her goal-scoring exploits have led to comparisons with five-time Ballon d'Or winners Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, and she felt that had made the difference for her compared to her Lyon colleagues. "I think the fact I scored 54 goals last season and 53 goals this year -- it's a lot of goals in one year," she said. PARIS, December 4 -- Luka Modric saw off competition from France’s World Cup stars as the Real Madrid and Croatia midfielder won the Ballon d’Or on Monday to end a 10-year stranglehold on the award by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Modric, 33, was announced as the winner of the prestigious prize in a glitzy ceremony held in Paris at the Grand Palais, just off the Champs Elysees. Ronaldo was a distant second, with France and Atletico Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann completing the podium. Paris Saint-Germain’s teenage forward Kylian Mbappe — who won the Kopa Trophy for the best young player — came fourth, leaving Messi to settle for fifth position. Another Frenchman, Modric’s Madrid teammate Raphael Varane, was seventh, just behind Liverpool’s Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah. "As a kid we all have dreams. My dream was to play for a big club and win important trophies," Modric said. "The Ballon d’Or was more than just a dream for me and it is really an honour and a privilege to hold this trophy." Modric — the oldest winner since Fabio Cannavaro, also 33, in 2006 – was crowned after an outstanding year in which he starred in the Real side that retained the Champions League before heroically helping drag his country to the final of the World Cup for the first time in their history. Croatia lost 4-2 to France in Moscow in the final in July. MÜNCHEN, December 3 -- The 34-year-old has been with Bayern Munich since 2009 but confirmed to reporters on Sunday that he will leave next summer after a decade with the club. He said, “I can say that this is my last year (at Bayern) and it is good like that. I have taken the decision, personally, that this will be my last year. “I think it is the right moment after 10 years. The club moves on and I may move on. It is the end of a very good and long period.” A return to the Eredivisie with Groningen or PSV has been rumoured but speaking to NOS, Robben is unsure about coming home, “I can only lose. If you play well, it is normal and if it goes less, I can not do it anymore. I would have to adjust to that. “ Robben has made 198 Bundesliga appearances for Bayern, scoring 98 times. He has seven Bundesliga titles and a Champions League trophy. |
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