Germany will bid for their seventh straight win in Euro 2012 Group A qualifying when they visit Azerbaijan on Tuesday.
Victory will lift Germany 10 points clear of second-place Belgium, leaving only Turkey capable of stopping coach Joachim Loew s side qualifying as pool winners.
The match will have special meaning for Azerbaijan coach Bertie Vogts, the former Germany coach, who was in the German team which won the 1974 World Cup.
Vogts was pelted with toilet roll at a press conference after the 2-1 loss to Kazakhstan on Friday which sent Azerbaijan to the bottom of Group A
Vogts, 64, has been at the Azerbaijan helm since 2008 but has won only two competitive games while in charge.
Vogts told Germany s SID agency: I would have (left) long ago left…
FIFA released the full report from Michael Garcia s investigation into the controversial bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups on Tuesday.
The decision from world football s governing body comes after German publication Bild obtained what it said was a leaked copy of the findings and published allegations it claimed were included in the document.
FIFA made public a summary of Garcia s findings in November 2014 that cleared Russia and Qatar of wrongdoing in their successful bids, but the former New York attorney claimed at the time that the published version was incomplete and erroneous .
It was already known that the Russian bid s computers were leased and subsequently destroyed, while Google USA were said by the bid not to have answered a request to…
I have to say as somebody with Irish heritage this counts as almost treason but I hope that the Republic of Ireland don’t win their European Championship play-off tie.
I have watched the national team play numerous times throughout the qualifying campaign and they have been awful to watch.
Attrition
Every game I have watched Ireland play has been like a war of attrition. People may defend this style and say that it gets results but I’m sure the Irish fans want to see some football. At the moment they are getting nothing but defensive hit and hope football.
Mediocre
Last week I wrote an article about Ireland saying they had mediocre players. I must apologise to the Republic for that because I possibly underestimated some of their players. They…
Bruno Fernandes believes Manchester United s recent woes have left them not in a positive moment , but he is hoping to take centre-stage for Portugal in the Nations League.
Fernandes has gone 12 games without finding the back of the net for United, his longest goal drought since he arrived at Old Trafford back in January 2020.
The Red Devils have failed to win their last five games across all competitions, with their last outing ending in a goalless draw against Aston Villa before the international break.
Erik ten Hag s side have managed eight points from their opening seven Premier League games, their fewest at this stage of a league campaign since 1989-90 (seven).
They have also failed to score in each of their last three Premier League games, equalli…
Euro 2024 hosts Germany got off to a flying start as they comprehensively dispatched Scotland 5-1 on Friday.
Goals from Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala, Kai Havertz, Emre Can and Niclas Fullkrug blew Scotland away at the Allianz Arena.
But while the football entertained, there was also plenty of action on social media.
Here s a pick of the best posts.
The special two?
Jose Mourinho and Alex Ferguson enjoyed a great rivalry on the touchline down the years, but there was no sign of that as the two watched on from the stands in Munich.
Unfortunately for Ferguson, Scotland were on the receiving end of a hammering.
We can only wonder what these two greats had to say about Scotland s sorry performance, though surely they will have been full…
Roma have announced Edin Dzeko has signed a new three-year contract.
Dzeko was reportedly a target for Inter before they sealed a deal for Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku.
The 33-year-old has now committed his future to the Giallorossi by agreeing new terms on Friday.
Over the last few weeks I have realised just how much the club wanted me to stay, Dzeko told Roma s official website.
My conversations with the board, the work we ve been doing with the coach [Paulo Fonseca], the relationship with my team-mates and the love of the fans has all made me realise once again what I had already learned during these four years – that Rome is my home.
Here there is everything we need to win something and I am delighted to be able to stay here ev…
Colombia are like a stone in the shoe for Brazil at the Copa America, so says Bruno Guimaraes.
Brazil face Colombia in their final Group D match on Tuesday.
The Selecao, who drew 0-0 with Costa Rica but subsequently thrashed Paraguay 4-1, sit second in the group, two points behind Colombia, who have won both of their matches.
Indeed, Nestor Lorenzo s team are on a 25-game unbeaten run in all competitions.
But Guimaraes is eager to put a stop to that exceptional form.
Colombia are a stone in our shoe which we re going to try to get out of our way in the next game, said the Newcastle United midfielder.
They have a lot of players who can decide things individually, they re a very physical team, good to play against. This is the Brazilian na…
Roberto Martinez has confirmed injured Belgium duo Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard will not be fully fit for the Euro 2020 quarter-final against Italy.
De Bruyne was forced off early in the second half during his side s 1-0 win over Portugal on Sunday, a result that saw the reigning European champions knocked out at the last-16 stage.
The Manchester City midfielder was seen with ice on his left ankle while watching on from the sideline, where he was later joined by Hazard after the Real Madrid winger damaged his hamstring late in proceedings.
Martinez is preparing to be without the pair when the Red Devils take on the Azzurri in Munich on Friday, though remains hopeful they can feature if Belgium progress to the last four.
The initial information that we…
Storming their way to a stellar 6-0 romp against relegation scrappers Leeds earlier in the week, it appears that Liverpool have really breathed life back into their Premier League title charge.
Watching Manchester City get hit with that stunning last-gasp defeat against Tottenham last weekend, Jurgen Klopp s men have cut the deficit at the top of the table to just three points and the battle is really on.
However, while the likes of Wolves have continued to shine on their bid to book a shock top-four finish, some top-flight outfits have really struggled since opening 2022.
With the January transfer window slamming shut just over three weeks ago, we have taken a look at a handful of Premier League teams who find themselves in the midst of a recent struggle.
…
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