..::Football III::..

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Official: Ronaldinho joins Mexican side Queretaro

Brazil great Ronaldinho has signed a two-year deal with Queretaro, the Liga MX club confirmed on Friday.

The 34-year-old attacking midfielder was linked to several clubs around the world after leaving Atletico Mineiro in July, with non-league English team Basingstoke the most eye-catching rumour.But Queretaro confirmed the signing of the former Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and AC Milan star in a statement on their website, while Ronaldinho tweeted he would be wearing the No.49 shirt.

The club said they were "very pleased" to bring Ronaldinho to Liga MX, in which they sit seventh through seven games.Ronaldinho, a 2002 World Cup winner, has won multiple team trophies, is a two-time Fifa World Player of the Year and a Ballon d'Or winner.

He was in-demand after leaving Mineiro, linked to clubs in the United States, Australia and several others in Europe.

 

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James Rodriguez voted sexiest man of 2014

James Rodriguez has been voted the sexiest man of 2014 following his World Cup heroics and estimated €80 million transfer to Real Madrid.

People En Espanol magazine awarded the title to the Colombia superstar, who recently launched his own range of branded underpants, after going from promising talent to global superstar overnight by grabbing the Golden Boot in Brazil this summer.

James' wife insisted that his personality is what makes the attacking midfielder so alluring, not necessarily his boyish good looks - though it probably also helps that he earns more in a week than most people on the planet earn in a year!

"He's a very attractive man," Daniela Ospina said. "But what I most like is the way he is, his personality. It's what I really love."

Meanwhile, James' mother insists that fame has not gone to the 23-year-old's head and that he remains humble about his talent on the football pitch."He is still the same," Maria del Pilar Rubio added. "What characterises him most is his humility, "Past winners of the English language version of the award include Hollywood actors Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Johnny Depp, Matt Damon and Ryan Reynolds.

The 'sexiest man on the planet' tag now gives James bragging rights in the Santiago Bernabeu dressing room over Cristiano Ronaldo, although the new Madrid player still has some way to be considered hotter than his Ballon d'Or-winning team-mate on the pitch.

 

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International Friendly Fixtures 2014.09.07

International Friendly Fixtures 2014.09.07

Morocco Vs Libya

Paraguay Vs UAE

Serbia Vs France​

 

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European Championship Qualifying Fixtures 2014.09.07

European Championship Qualifying Fixtures 2014.09.07

Group D

Georgia Vs Republic of Ireland

Group F

Hungary Vs Nothern Ireland

Group I

Denmark Vs Armenia

Portugal Vs Albania

Group D

Germany Vs Scotland

Gibraltar Vs Poland

Group F

Faroe Islands Vs Finland

Greece Vs Romania​

 

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Portugal 0-1 Albania: Seleccao stunned by Balaj beauty

A superb volley from Bekim Balaj earned Albania a stunning 1-0 win over Portugal in their Euro 2016 qualifying opener on Sunday.

Gianni De Biasi's men started the game as heavy underdogs against a side widely expected to dominate Group I, but they left Aveiro with all three points as Balaj stole the show on a memorable night for the visitors.

Portugal were without talisman Cristiano Ronaldo after head coach Paulo Bento deemed him not physically up to being included in the squad.

And in the absence of the Real Madrid forward they struggled for invention and guile, as their campaign got off to a disastrous start.

Bento has been tasked with restoring Portugal's standing following their disappointing group-stage exit at the World Cup, and they were well in control of the first half - Nani wasting arguably their best chance when he shot wide when free in the area.

But Albania also carried a threat and after racing out of the blocks brightly after the restart, they were rewarded in the 52nd minute when Balaj thumped Odise Roshi's delivery past Rui Patricio for the winner.

Bento's men turned the screw in search of an equaliser and substitute Ricardo Horta hit the woodwork late on, but there was no way through.

Unsurprisingly, Portugal started on the front foot and Nani fired an early warning when he linked well with Joao Moutinho to find space on the right of the area, only to shoot past the far post.

Albania then had Amir Abrashi booked for tugging down Nani in the 22nd minute and from the resulting free-kick, the unmarked Vieirinha met Moutinho's delivery but he glanced his header straight at Etrit Berisha.

A lull in proceedings followed as Portugal dictated possession - although they struggled for fluency against a series of robust Albanian challenges.

Portugal finished the half strongly, though with Mergim Mavraj deflecting Nani's 20-yard goalbound shot wide, before Pepe headed over at the back post after Vieirinha had flicked on Nani's free-kick.

Having scarcely threatened in the first half, Albania gave Portugal a scare shortly after the restart when Roshi escaped the attentions of Fabio Coentrao and his ball across the six-yard area narrowly missed the outstretched foot of Balaj.

However, Portugal did not escape twice as the same combination handed Albania a shock lead in fine fashion.

Roshi evaded the attentions of Ricardo Costa thanks to some neat footwork before crossing into the area, where Balaj showed superb athleticism to lean back and smash a first-time volley past a despairing Rui Patricio.

Stunned into action, Portugal upped the pressure and Coentrao dragged a shot narrowly wide shortly after the hour mark when he found space at the back post.

The hosts then went even closer as substitute Horta crashed a 20-yard strike against the crossbar and Pepe blazed the rebound over the from eight yards.

Nani wasted a great chance when he met Coentrao's centre but headed wide from the middle of the box, before Andre Gomes forced Berisha into a fingertip save in the closing stages.

Bento must now pick his side up ahead of next month's friendly with France before they prepare for their next qualifier in Denmark.

Meanwhile, Albania - whose next Group I contest is also against the Danes - can revel in one of the greatest triumphs in their history.

 

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Serbia 1-1 France: Pogba's opener cancelled out by Kolarov cracker

Aleksandar Kolarov's stunning free-kick earned Serbia a 1-1 friendly draw with France in Dick Advocaat's first game in charge.

The Manchester City left-back thumped a 30-yard strike into the bottom right-hand corner beyond the despairing dive of Hugo Lloris with 10 minutes to go, cancelling out Paul Pogba's first-half tap-in.

Fresh from a promising World Cup campaign in which they reached the quarter-finals, Didier Deschamps' side were in the headlines over the weekend as Uefa chief and former France international Michel Platini suggested Franck Ribery could face sanctions if he refuses to play should he be called up, despite having announced his retirement.

As hosts of Euro 2016, France men will have to make do with non-competitive fixtures to prepare for the finals in two years' time but they were given a stern test by their hosts on Sunday, as a Serbia side awash with Premier League talent continued to pose a threat throughout the full 90 minutes.

In Advocaat's first match in charge since taking the reins in July, the likes of Zoran Tosic and Dusan Tadic were particularly impressive for the hosts.

Deschamps made seven changes from the side that defeated Spain 1-0 in the Stade de France on Thursday, with Loic Remy rewarded with a starting berth after coming off the bench to net the winner in Paris.

After the Chelsea man had dragged a shot narrowly wide, Pogba put France ahead with a simple finish in the 13th minute.

Remy Cabella's corner from the left was allowed to bounce across the six-yard box, and the Juventus midfielder was on hand to tap home at the far post unchallenged.

Tosic created an opening for himself midway through the half following some delightful link-up play with Tadic, but his strike from the edge of the area was narrowly off target.

Serbia skipper Branislav Ivanovic headed Tosic's free-kick against the crossbar four minutes before the break, but the referee had blown for a foul in any event.

The hosts got stronger as the half progressed, and Tadic fired just wide after France had failed to properly clear Tosic's corner.

France were denied a second immediately after the restart when Vladimir Stojkovic reacted smartly to keep out Cabella's strike from the edge of the area.

The visitors ought to have doubled their lead in the 56th minute, but Remy sent the ball wide from short range under pressure from Ivanovic.

Stojkovic was called into action three times in quick succession shortly afterwards, the goalkeeper saving from Pogba, Remy and Cabella as France continued to press for a second.

As the game became even more open heading into the final half an hour, Kolarov twice stung the palms of Lloris with rasping drives, before the full-back made it third time lucky with a sweetly-hit shot.

Advocaat's side could have won it at the death, but Lloris tipped Ivanovic's header onto the post before clearing the loose ball with his foot.

 

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Germany 2-1 Scotland: Muller double spares world champions' blushes

Thomas Muller scored twice to break the resolve of a spirited Scotland and ensure Germany began their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign with a victory in Dortmund.

A 4-2 friendly defeat to Argentina on Wednesday raised alarm in the Germany camp and, although Joachim Low's men were far from their best at Signal Iduna Park, an improved performance earned the hosts three points.

Muller headed Germany in front in the 18th minute of a first half that they dominated, but Scotland greatly improved after the interval and levelled through Ikechi Anya.

The visitors' joy lasted just four minutes, though, as Muller's scrappy second – bundled home from five yards after Scotland failed to clear a corner – proved enough to see off Gordon Strachan's brave side, who had Charlie Mulgrew sent off for a second yellow card in second-half stoppage time.

Now without retired trio Philipp Lahm, Miroslav Klose and Per Mertesacker, Germany have much room for improvement, and they will soon be boosted by the returns from injury of new captain Bastian Schweinsteiger, Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira.Marco Reus' late ankle injury may put a dampener on Germany's win, but the fact they withstood a bout of second-half pressure to prevail will undoubtedly please Low.

Muller and World Cup hero Mario Gotze headlined Germany's four changes while Scotland captain Darren Fletcher made his return to international football, following ulcerative colitis that had kept him out since October 2012.

David Marshall was preferred to Allan McGregor in goal for Scotland and he would have been relieved to see an unmarked Muller nod wide from eight yards early on.Muller then had a header cleared by Russell Martin in the ninth minute and while Germany controlled the early stages, they were given a warning by Mulgrew, who rattled the crossbar from an offside position shortly after Barry Bannan's effort had been deflected wide.

Marshall was called upon to turn an Erik Durm effort around the post in the 16th minute but he could do nothing about Muller's opener.The Bayern Munich forward – who scored five goals at the World Cup – was sandwiched in between Martin and Alan Hutton but rose highest to loop a header from Sebastian Rudy's chipped cross over Marshall and in.

The goal triggered a spell of German pressure; Reus and Rudy both shooting at Marshall, while Martin's well-timed block kept out Andre Schurrle and Grant Hanley almost turned a cross into his own net, with his goalkeeper sparing his blushes.

Anya caused occasional problems for the home side with his pace but hurriedly hit an effort straight at Manuel Neuer on the stroke of half-time and Steven Naismith was denied by the outside of the post when play resumed.Hutton burst down the right to feed Naismith, who beat Jerome Boateng and Benedikt Howedes, but his shot glanced agonisingly off the upright with Neuer beaten.

An unmarked Naismith then missed the target from 12 yards as Strachan's charges continued to press and, just after Marshall had kept out Reus, the visitors got their equaliser when Steven Fletcher found Anya in acres of space.The Watford man stormed forward and held his nerve, coolly slotting past Neuer to level proceedings with 24 minutes left.

Germany's response was swift, though, as Muller's instinct around goal proved decisive.The goal still did not deter Scotland, with Naismith hauled down by Durm in a good position and James McArthur screwing a shot at Neuer.

But Germany, who saw Muller hit the post in the dying stages, did enough to hang on for victory - albeit one that may be soured by Reus' late ankle injury - as Mulgrew was given his marching orders for kicking the ball away.

 

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Hungary 1-2 Northern Ireland: Lafferty seals dramatic comeback

Northern Ireland came from behind to claim a dramatic 2-1 victory over Hungary in their opening Euro 2016 qualifier.

The British nation have never qualified for the European Championship before but late goals from Niall McGinn and Kyle Lafferty got them off to a stunning start in Budapest on Sunday.

Michael O'Neill's men failed to score in their previous four matches and appeared set to draw another blank after Corry Evans missed a first-half sitter and substitute Tamas Priskin put the hosts ahead with 15 minutes to play.

But the visitors fought back and levelled through McGinn in the 81st minute before Lafferty tapped in the crucial goal to end an eight-game winless streak.

O'Neill spoke in the build-up about genuine optimism in the Northern Irish camp and they looked confident in the early stages as the visitors crafted the game's first chance. Lafferty showed good awareness to direct a lofted pass into the path of Jamie Ward inside two minutes but his half-volley was scuffed straight to Peter Gulacsi.

Hungary responded well and Balazs Dzsudzsak poked a first-time effort just beyond Roy Carroll's right-hand post after good work down the right from Adam Gyurcso but it was the away side who spurned a glorious opportunity to take the lead on the stroke of half-time.

Ward charged down a clearance on the halfway line and raced through on goal, forcing Gulacsi into a save from a tight angle, and the unmarked Evans, arriving on the edge of the area, inexplicably put the rebound over.

Attila Pinter introduced nomadic forward Priskin from the bench at the break as the home side looked to put a lacklustre first-half display behind them but it was Gergo Lovrencsics's arrival in the 59th minute that seemed to spark more life into the Hungary attack.

Just a couple of minutes after entering the fray, Lovrencsics found space on the edge of the area and forced Carroll into a desperate diving save to his left.

The visitors' resistance was broken in the 75th minute when Priskin headed in Dzsudzsak's cross to chalk up his 15th goal on the international stage.

O'Neill's charges were not done, though, and, after a great run and squared pass from Lafferty, McGinn was left with the simplest of finishes.

Lafferty was integral again seven minutes later and, after Hungary failed to deal with a cross from the right, the former Rangers man squeezed the ball over the line to secure an unlikely win.

Northern Ireland welcome the Faroe Islands in October as they bid for their first back-to-back victories since 2009, while Hungary face a tricky trip to neighbours Romania.

 

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France must toughen up - Deschamps

France coach Didier Deschamps wants to see his team develop mental toughness after overseeing their 1-1 draw against Serbia on Sunday.

Paul Pogba's opener was cancelled out by Aleksandar Kolarov's stunning free-kick in the 80th minute as the teams drew their friendly in Belgrade.

Deschamps, whose team beat Spain 1-0 on Thursday, hopes to see his side acquire the ability to grind out wins leading into hosting Euro 2016.

He rued France's inability to take their chances and the "great goal" they conceded, but said grit was what they needed late in clashes.

"We had chances," Deschamps told TF1. "It takes a great goal [to deny us]. But we need to be tougher in more difficult situations."France have friendlies against Portugal and Armenia next month, with Paulo Bento's side having tasted a shock 1-0 loss to Albania in the Group I qualifier on Sunday.

 

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Neuer: Winning all that matters for Germany

Manuel Neuer says he did not care that Germany struggled in their 2-1 victory over Scotland, arguing that winning was all that mattered.A rout appeared on the cards when Thomas Muller opened the scoring just 18 minutes in but the reigning world champions looked vulnerable at the back throughout the game and it came as no surprise when the visitors equalised through Ikechi Anya midway through the second half.

Muller posted an almost immediate reply for Germany but Joachim Low's continued to live on their nerves in the closing stages.Neuer, though, was not in the least bit perturbed by the fact that Germany had not played anywhere near their best in their opening Euro 2016 qualifier.

"The most important thing is that we won our first game," the goalkeeper told RTL. "We played with a new team again and I do not care about the way we won."
Meanwhile, two-goal hero Muller felt that Scotland were always going to prove difficult to beat."I was not joking when I predicted a tight match," the versatile attacker stated. "We studied the Scots a lot and they have not lost since they switched their coaches.

"They played compact football and we missed some chances to finish off the game. And when it is 1-0, it is tight against any team. I can live very well with this result and hopefully the fans do so, too."

 

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Portugal boss Bento shrugs off boos after Albania loss

Paulo Bento was unconcerned by the reaction of Portugal's supporters following the shock 1-0 Euro 2016 qualifying loss to Albania on Sunday.

Portugal were overwhelming favourites to triumph in Aveiro, but were undone by Bekim Balaj's superb second-half volley as the underdogs celebrated a famous victory.

The hosts piled on the pressure in search of an equaliser and substitute Ricardo Horta went closest when he thundered an effort against the crossbar late in the game.

However, Albania held firm, and Portugal were met with a chorus of boos from disgruntled fans, with some reportedly waving white tissues in protest.

Bento's position will now come under further scrutiny after Portugal's group-stage exit at the World Cup earlier this year, but he shrugged off the discontent among the Portugal faithful.

"[The white tissues] are normal situations of football," he told RTP. "I think we must respect the choices and decisions of the people and try to continue.

"We know that the game didn't go our way, although I think the result was unfair."

Bento felt his side paid the price for not making the most of a first half in which Portugal largely dominated proceedings.

He added: "It was a game that didn't go well in terms of the result, of course, but in the first half we had opportunities to score. We had the game completely controlled during the first 45 minutes."

 

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Reus to face tests after fresh injury scare

Germany and Borussia Dortmund are once again sweating on the fitness of Marco Reus after the attacker suffered a suspected ankle injury on Sunday night.

The 25-year-old was left in visible distress after being levelled by a poor challenge from Charlie Mulgrew in the dying seconds of his country's Euro 2016 qualifier with Scotland and was immediately replaced by Matthias Ginter.Reus continued to receive treatment on the sidelines amidst fears that the forward had aggravated the left ankle injury that ruled him out of this summer's World Cup.Germany boss Joachim Low is trying to remain positive but admitted that the full extent of the damage will not be established until the player undergoes a scan on Monday morning.

"The early prognosis is that it seems that it is not too bad," the World Cup-winning coach told RTL immediately after his side's 2-1 victory over the Scots. "But we have to wait for the further examinations."

Reus also sustained his previous ankle injury while on international duty, in his country's World Cup warm-up clash with Armenia on June 6.

 

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Maicon axed from Brazil squad for 'internal problem'

Maicon has been dramatically axed from the Brazil squad for an unspecified "internal problem".

The Roma right-back started the Selecao's 1-0 friendly win over Colombia on Friday night and even drew praise from new coach Dunga for an impressive display.However, Maicon has now been dropped from the panel to play Ecuador on September 10 without any explanation and replaced by Monaco defender Fabinho.

"Today he has been removed from the squad," Brazil General Coordinator Gilmar Rinaldi told reporters on Sunday. "I want to thank him for the services provided to the Selecao."It was an internal problem. I will not answer questions about it and would kindly ask that the players are not asked about it."

The 33-year-old Maicon had only just re-established himself as Brazil's first-choice right-back.

 

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Facing Switzerland first not ideal for England, admits Hodgson

England manager Roy Hodgson admits that starting their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign against Switzerland is not ideal.

An unconvincing 1-0 home friendly victory over Norway on Wednesday has done little to raise spirits following the Three Lions' winless World Cup campaign, with Monday's away match their next test.

Switzerland - who bettered England's showing in Brazil by reaching the second round - now sit ninth in the Fifa world rankings, having established themselves as one of the leading teams in Europe, and Hodgson is well aware of their threat.

"In an ideal world we would have chosen to play Switzerland later on," he told the press. "It is a big test."

Those words did little to indicate a feeling of confidence in the England camp, with Hodgson also acknowledging that his men need a lift.

He added: "I want to see how the players perform. This will be a big test for them, it is. I want to see how they come up to speed on that test.

"I want the result and if you ask me what would you prefer - to play badly and win or to play well and lose, I'd play badly and win. I'm not different to anyone else in that respect.

"We do have to lift our heads up a little bit and performances and how we play and what happens is of vital importance to us."

 

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Subasic: Monaco weaker than last season

Danijel Subasic has admitted that Monaco have been left severely weakened by the summer departures of Claudio Ranieri, Radamel Falcao, James Rodriguez and Eric Abidal.Ranieri led the principality to a second-place finish in Ligue 1 last season but was sacked in May and replaced at the helm by Leonardo Jardim.

James then joined Real Madrid after a stellar World Cup campaign, fellow Colombia Falcao moved to Manchester United on loan just before the close of the transfer window, while Abidal went to Olympiakos two days after signing a contract extension.Consequently, Subasic is pessimistic about Monaco's chances of challenging PSG for the title this time around."I am sorry Falcao left," the goalkeeper told reporters. "We are even weaker with coach Ranieri, James and Abidal leaving.

"A new coach came and a lot of new players, so it will take time to adjust.
"The French league is physically very tough and I hope we will be as good as last year."But this time PSG are the favourites again. If we finish second, it will be great achievement."

Subasic is currently on international duty with Croatia, who kick off their Euro 2016 qualification campaign against Malta on Tuesday.

 

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Rooney: England desperate to succeed in Switzerland

England captain Wayne Rooney is confident that his side are ready to get a result away against Switzerland in their first Euro 2016 qualifier.

Monday's match is seen by many as the Three Lions' toughest test in the group but the team have again come under pressure after an unimpressive display to beat Norway 1-0 in a friendly on Wednesday, with the new skipper scoring the only goal from the penalty spot.

"There is the determination [to succeed]," the Manchester United man told reporters. "We're a tight-knit group and we're working hard together to get the best out of each other.

"We've got a lot of quality in the team and it's about that quality coming together.

"It's a nice game to play in. It's probably the most difficult game of the group and we want to do well and come out of it with a good result. We are ready.

"We've had a bit more time through the week to prepare for the game and we're excited. It's going to be big test but we feel we have the quality to do well.

"The whole team, if we get a positive result, it will give everyone a lot of confidence to go on and do well in the group."

The two sides last met during the qualification phase for Euro 2012 when England left Switzerland with a 3-1 win, before drawing 2-2 at home.

Rooney, though, was quick to insist that such results will have absolutely no relevance on Monday, with the respective squads looking significantly different.

"Four years ago was a long time ago," he argued. "It was a completely different team and we have to look to the future. There's no point looking back - it was a good result and good performance four years ago but we're focused on [Monday] and that game is irrelevant."

 

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Benitez's Napoli can win Serie A - Trapattoni

Giovanni Trapattoni is adamant that Rafael Benitez can steer Napoli to Serie A success this season.

Napoli finished third in Serie A last season, a massive 24 points behind champions Juventus, and were dumped out of this year's edition of the Champions League by Athletic Bilbao in the play-off stage.But Trapattoni was impressed with the way Benitez has handled that disappointment and, although he feels Juve and Roma both have better teams, the 75-year-old is sure Napoli have enough quality to produce an upset.

"Balance in football is like a spider's web – one puff of wind and it can break. I am certain Benitez's Napoli can win this Scudetto," he told Il Mattino."Perhaps he was wise to take some time off this week, as staying would've meant going back over the same errors and lighting that fire of controversy again.

"Being away is his way of saying he's got the situation in hand, everyone relax and we'll discuss it later."Juventus and Roma are superior on paper, but the reality is always more complex than that.

"Benitez has [Gonzalo] Higuain, [Jose] Callejon and all those quality internationals, but football is a moment, a lapse of concentration."My Republic of Ireland team went out of the Euros due to a mistaken throw-in at the 92nd minute."

Despite giving Benitez a vote of confidence, Trapattoni feels the Napoli job is one which engulfs the coach in too much pressure.He added: "There is no patience in the south, even though it is the club with the best long-term plan that wins out.

"Every time Juventus were beaten in Europe, [former Juventus president Giampiero] Boniperti would arrive and reassure us it wasn’t a tragedy, so there was no need to cry and wail over it."We won at Juve because, unlike places such as Napoli and Roma, we did not experience those huge leaps from enthusiasm to despair.

"They continue to make the clubs in southern Italy unique in the world, but can also be frightening. "You can’t win a game without being treated like a prophet or lose the next week and hear your job is hanging by a thread.

"I was often called to Napoli, first as a player and then a coach. I am enchanted by the city, but the pressure created around the team can really affect performances."

 

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Depay can become the best, says Hiddink

Netherlands coach Guus Hiddink believes that PSV attacker Memphis Depay has the potential to become his country's best player.

The promising youngster, 20, rose to prominence this summer with a string of fine performances at the World Cup after previously impressing in the Eredivisie and Hiddink has little doubt the winger has a bright future ahead of him."Depay has the potential to become Netherlands' best player," Hiddink told NOS."I've noticed that he has even more potential than I first thought now that I'm working with him.

"He still has plenty of room for improvement. I first thought that it was hard to approach him, but I was wrong. He is incredibly interested and keen to learn.
"I can't say yet whether he will start against Czech Republic, but that's definitely an option."Depay has made 10 international appearances so far, scoring twice in the process.

 

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Carvajal: Any team would love Diego Costa

Spain full-back Dani Carvajal believes that any team in the world would love to have Diego Costa in their ranks.

The Brazil-born striker switched his allegiance to the European champions earlier this year and represented his adopted nation in his homeland at the World Cup.He is yet to find the net for Vicente del Bosque's side and will miss the start of their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign due to injury but Carvajal is delighted to have him as a team-mate nonetheless.

"He plays with his back to you and enriches the side," Carvajal told Sefutbol.
"Any team would like to have him. He probably does not like being sidelined, but he will recover soon."Spain lost a friendly clash with France earlier this week but Carvajal is targeting a quick start to their European Championship qualification campaign against Macedonia on Monday.

"They'll be closed up at the back so we need to get out there and try to score soon so we can take control of the game."

 

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Spain will reach Euro 2016 semi-finals - Low

Germany boss Joachim Low believes Spain will respond to their World Cup disappointment by reaching at least the semi-finals of Euro 2016.

Vicente del Bosque's side were among the pre-tournament favourites for the competition this summer, but were eliminated at the group stage after losses to Chile and Netherlands.However, Low believes that the European champions will soon be a force to be reckoned with once more, citing their performance in their recent friendly loss against France.

"Take Spain as an example. In the game against France you could see that they are a team in transition but still played well," he is quoted as saying by AS."I am extremely confident that we will see Spain in the last four in France."Spain begin their qualification campaign at home to Macedonia on Monday.