..::Football IV::..

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Zidane: I have the Real Madrid 'DNA'

Zinedine Zidane proclaimed he has the Real Madrid 'DNA' and said the club is his life as he prepares Los Blancos for the Champions League final against Juventus.

Madrid are seeking to become the first team to defend the title since the competition was rebranded into the Champions League when they travel to Cardiff for Saturday's showpiece.

Zidane is yet to sign a new contract extension despite leading Madrid to their first league title since the 2011-12 campaign but the Frenchman is relaxed about his future."I have one more year on my contract but that doesn't mean anything," Zidane told reporters on Tuesday. "I want to be at this club but it depends on what you do on the field.

"I think the club is happy with what we're doing and I'm only interested in that. The future: Saturday and nothing else.

"I have the Real Madrid DNA, that's for sure. It's my home. Everyone has always been very affectionate towards me and I have always defended the values of this club."I've experienced spectacular things with this club as a player, assistant coach and head coach. I'll always be a Real Madrid fan because the club is my life.

"I'm enjoying this moment because I know that one day it will end. I'm on top of my job and we're close to doing something extraordinary, but I'm not thinking about of leaving an important mark in the history of the club. We work hard and that's the spirit of this team."

While Zidane won the Champions League at his first attempt as a coach, during his playing days with Juventus he lost the 1998 final to Real Madrid in Amsterdam and the Frenchman is keen not to repeat that experience.

"When you lose a final it's a horrible feeling but it's part of football," Zidane added. "I accept what football has given me. When I arrived at this club I had to win the Champions League and I got it with this white shirt. After we won the league it was something spectacular. I'm still feeling it and I'm very happy.

"The most important thing is to always give 100 per cent. That's how we have done things during the season, giving everything, with a lot of professionalism and we can be happy for what we have done until now. We have another final and we'll try to do everything we can to win the match."

 

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AC Milan in talks to sign Rodriguez, agent reveals

AC Milan are interested in signing Ricardo Rodriguez and talks between the Serie A club and Wolfsburg are developing, according to the player's representative.

Rodriguez's agent Fabio Parisi said negotiations were delayed by Wolfsburg's participation in the Bundesliga play-offs, with the club securing survival on Monday thanks to a 2-0 aggregate win against Eintracht Braunschweig.The Switzerland international has only played once since March due to injury but Parisi indicated a move to San Siro could be imminent for his client.

"The negotiations are continuing, it's just Wolfsburg were tied up with the relegation play-offs," Parisi told Radio24."The basic details are sorted out, we go forward and there's a very good chance it will go through.

"Everyone wants to finalise the move, the player wants to join Milan and Milan want to sign him."We just had to wait for the Wolfsburg result. I really think the move will be completed."

Milan, who completed the signing of defender Mateo Musacchio from Villarreal and extended the contract of coach Vincenzo Montella on Tuesday, finished sixth in Serie A and qualified for the Europa League as a result.

After an April takeover, the club's new owners, Rossoneri Sport Investment Lux - owned by Chinese businessman Yonghong Li - are expected to spend heavily to improve Montella's squad, although they have a battle to hold on to their in-demand teenage goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who is entering the last year of his contract.

Milan are also in talks to sign winger Rachid Ghezzal, whose Lyon contract is set to expire.Agent Abdelkader Ghezzal told Mediaset Premium: "Milan are interested in my brother Rachid."There was already a meeting a while ago. The door is always open, we'll see how this pans out."

 

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'Juve should sign Donnarumma and loan him out' - Casillas sees Milan star as Buffon successor

Real Madrid legend Iker Casillas has urged Juventus to sign Milan’s Gianluigi Donnarumma and loan him out until Gianluigi Buffon retires.The highly rated goalkeeper burst onto the scene during the 2015-16 campaign, making his debut at the age of 16.

He is now the undisputed first choice at the San Siro, taking in 72 club appearances to date, but has seen his future called into question during a contract dispute.Casillas believes Serie A champions Juve should look to take advantage of that by raiding a rival for a player capable of filling the shoes of a club icon.

The World Cup winner, who is now on the books at Porto, told Gazzetta dello Sport: “They should take Donnarumma. Leave him on loan for a year or two until Gigi retires and then bring him to Turin.“If I were to bet on a young goalkeeper it would be him. There’s no-one else in Europe, there isn’t another 18-year-old with so many qualities.“Obviously he still has to mature for a year or two, but his qualities are obvious.”

Casillas has also admitted that he could join Buffon and Donnarumma in Italy after reaching the end of his two-year contract in Portugal.He added on his future, with Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain among those to have been linked with a move for his services: “I’m on standby.“I have a clause which allows me to stay at Porto for another year, but I’m reflecting. We’ll decide together.

“As far as I’m concerned, Serie A is a good option. There are big teams, the football is important and I like the country.“Now I’m in Portuguese exile, but yes I’d like to come to Italy. Then it would be beautiful to play against Gigi again, wonderful.”

 

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He is a legend – Ramos praises Juventus great Buffon

Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos paid tribute to Juventus "legend" Gianluigi Buffon ahead of the Champions League final.

Buffon, 39, is aiming to win Europe's top club competition for the first time when Juve face Madrid in the decider in Cardiff on Saturday.Ramos hailed the veteran goalkeeper, an eight-time Serie A winner, as one of the greats.

"Buffon is a legend and he will be remembered as one of the best goalkeepers in the history of football," he said on Tuesday."He is an example for anyone who wants to live and experience this sport and he has shown that age has been no barrier."

Madrid are eyeing back-to-back Champions League crowns and a record 12th title when the teams meet at the Principality Stadium.
Ramos believes the balance in Zinedine Zidane's squad has helped them to success this season, including winning La Liga."For me it's an honour that Zidane says I represent Madrid's values," the 31-year-old said.

"Every one of us here brings something different: some experience, some youth, some balance, some goals… we all give what we can."That mix is the key to our success and we have a good atmosphere and a really good harmony."

 

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Arsenal goalkeeper Cech wins his 11th Czech Republic Golden Ball award

Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech has been awarded the Czech Republic Golden Ball for the 2016-17 season.

It is the 11th time in his career that the Gunners No.1 has claimed the prize, with Cech helping the Gunners to finish fifth in the Premier League table, as well as winning the FA Cup.The award is essentially the Czech version of English football's FWA Player of the Year and is voted for by domestic journalists.

Cech has been largely unchallenged since 2005, winning the award 11 times over the past 13 years, with only Pavel Nedved and Sparta Prague forward David Lafata having also claimed the crown in that period.Despite what has proved a turbulent season for the Gunners, albeit ending with FA Cup glory, Cech has proved a consistent performer and kept 12 clean sheets in the league over the 2016-17 campaign.

That was, however, well short of Golden Glove winner Thibaut Courtois, whose 16 shut-outs saw him beat Hugo Lloris (15) to the prize.

 

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Madrid's world record Mbappe pursuit may spell end for Morata, but Benzema stays

Real Madrid's pursuit of Kylian Mbappe could force Alvaro Morata to move on in the summer, but Karim Benzema is set to stay at Real Madrid despite doubts over the French forward's form in 2016-17.

Benzema is in his eighth season at Real and the 29-year-old has come in for criticism from fans and also the media for some off-colour performances in the current campaign, but he remains highly valued by the people that matter most at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Ever since Gonzalo Higuain left to join Napoli in 2013, Benzema has been the undisputed first-choice centre-forward at Real, even though the club have tried to bring in several strikers in that time - including Luis Suarez and Robert Lewandowski.

President Florentino Perez is a big supporter of the French forward and the club chief said in March: "For me he is the best number 9 in the world. It is difficult to find a player like him. At the moment I would say he will stay here forever."

Benzema is also admired by coach Zinedine Zidane, while it is well known that Cristiano Ronaldo enjoys playing with the French forward due to his unselfish nature, plus his ability to drop deep and link up with the midfield.

Nevertheless, Madrid are in the market for another striker this summer with young Monaco forward Kylian Mbappe their top target. Asked in March if Benzema and Mbappe could play together for Real, Perez said: "Anything is possible!"

Madrid are keen to beat their rivals to one of the world's most exciting talents and could make the 18-year-old the world's most expensive player in a deal surpassing the €105 million Manchester United paid for Paul Pogba last summer.That would mean an uncertain future at Madrid for Morata, who returned in a buy-back option from Juventus (Real's rivals in Saturday's Champions League final) last June.

As things stand, Madrid are keen to hang on to their homegrown striker, who has scored 20 goals in 42 appearances (at a superior rate to Benzema's 19 in 47) for at least another season.
However, the player is already having doubts over his long-term future at the club and could leave in search of regular first-team football this summer - especially if Mbappe arrives from Monaco. Chelsea and AC Milan are interested, with a number of other clubs also monitoring his situation.

If Mbappe is signed but stays at Monaco on loan for another season, Morata could remain at the Bernabeu in 2017-18. But there will only be permanent room for one of the two alongside Benzema - who remains the favourite of everyone except a sector of the fanbase.

 

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'Ibrahimovic wants Premier League stay' - Raiola hints at Zlatan future

Zlatan Ibrahimovic wants to stay in the Premier League but will not necessarily remain at Manchester United, according to Mino Raiola.

The former Sweden international is facing a spell on the sidelines after undergoing knee ligament surgery, with his United contract up at the end of June.Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho has hinted that he wants the forward to stay at Old Trafford, but his injury has complicated the issue somewhat.

And Raiola - who represents the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain man - has revealed his client has received a number of offers, though he hopes to stay in England.

"There is a possibility [he stays] but also that he does not," he told TalkSport. "We have talked, he has a lot of offers and ideas that we have to evaluate."He’s had a fantastic time at United and it’s now up to us and the club to decide. We have a date for that but now is time to recover.“He wants to stay in England and at the top. If he sees he is a valuable asset for United he will stay.

"But he knows he can valuable asset for other top clubs also. I think it is respectful to talk to Manchester United and see what all parties want."Ibrahimovic made 46 appearances during his first season at United, scoring 28 goals in all competitions.

 

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OFFICIAL: Wenger signs new two-year Arsenal deal

Arsenal have confirmed that manager Arsene Wenger has extended his contract at the club until 2019.The Gunners made the announcement on Wednesday after Goal had earlier revealed that the Frenchman had agreed to two more seasons at the helm.

The new deal for the man who has spent over 20 years at the club was approved after a private meeting between Wenger and majority shareholder Stan Kroenke in a secret location on Monday.

Details of the Frenchman's contract were then confirmed 24 hours later in a boardroom meeting, and Goal understands that despite widespread talk of a Director of Football model, the structure of the club is set to remain the same.

Wenger's future has been shrouded in uncertainty for the entire 2016-17 season, with Arsenal finishing fifth in the Premier League table to accelerate rumours that a managerial change was going to take place.

It is the first time that the north Londoners have failed to qualify for the Champions League under Wenger - a competition that once again ended in disappointment for the Gunners in the current campaign after they were humiliated by Bayern Munich back in March.

Arsenal did, however, claim FA Cup glory after a 2-1 win over Chelsea, with the announcement over Wenger's extension now having arrived four days after that success.

Demonstrations and protests from various fans against Wenger's reign have been commonplace over the season, with the likes of Thomas Tuchel, the now unemployed former Dortmund manager, and Eddie Howe having been mooted as possible replacements.

But Wenger clearly maintains support at boardroom level and will now look to step up preparations for the 2017-18 season, with the club's supporters undoubtedly keen to see their team challenge for the title.

Following the announcement of his extension, the Frenchman told the club's official website: "I love this club and I am looking forward to the future with optimism and excitement. We are looking at what we do well and how we can be stronger everywhere. This is a strong group of players and with some additions we can be even more successful.

"We’re committed to mounting a sustained league challenge and that will be our focus this summer and next season. I am grateful to have the support of the board and Stan in doing everything we can to win more trophies. It’s what we all want and I know it’s what our fans around the world demand."Extending the contracts of star duo Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, who both have one year remaining on their current deals, will be a top priority for Wenger in the summer months.

Goal understands that Manchester City are adamant that they will be able to lure Alexis to the Etihad Stadium and have held talks, with Bayern Munich having also been linked, while Ozil has also been continually linked with an exit.


Arsenal return for pre-season training in the first week of July before jetting off to Australia for matches against Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers respectively.

 

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Congratulations & Good Luck Wenger!​

 

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Wenger tells Arsenal fans: I can take you to the next level

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has vowed that, with the support of the fans, he can help take the club to the next level.

Goal reported on Tuesday that Wenger had agreed a contract extension at the club, with the Gunners having now officially confirmed that the Frenchman is staying put for at least two more years.

The former Monaco boss has been with Arsenal for over 20 years now although a number of fans have become frustrated at the lack of progress being made by the club in recent seasons.

That culminated in a fifth-placed finish in the Premier League for the 2016-17 season, the first time the club has failed to qualify for the Champions League under Wenger, but he has called for the club's fans to get behind him.

He told the club's official website: "The message to the fans is in aid of the club. Let’s be together to support our players, to support the club and all give our absolute best to be at the level that we want to be.

"We can move up to the next level, I’m convinced of that, by having faith in the way we want to play football and by supporting the players we have already."Of course we’ll try to strengthen our squad to be stronger next season, but we want to be faithful to the way we want to play the game. We want to support this way [of playing] all together."

When asked what owner Stan Kroenke had said to him regarding the club's ambitions, he added: "They are of course unlimited. We live in a very competitive world where you need the support of the owner as well."He’s highly ambitious and supportive as well so, on that front, we are all united with exactly the same targets."

 

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Man Utd target Griezmann: My future is in the hands of Atletico's president

Antoine Griezmann says that he is happy at Atletico Madrid and that his future is in the hands of the club's president.Manchester United have been strongly linked with the France international, who is seemingly at the top of the club's summer wishlist.

Reports in the Spanish press on Tuesday suggested that Griezmann had gone as far as telling the Atletico hierarchy that he wanted to quit Diego Simeone's side.But while he stopped short of committing his future to Atleti, the forward insists he remains happy at the club and that his future will be decided soon.

He said on Minuto 0: "I'm fine at my club. My agents are taking with Atletico, so we'll see what happens."I'm going to make a decision this summer. As I said, I'm happy here. I've talked with my coach, Koke and [Diego] Godin. It's in the hands of the president. We'll see what happens."

Jose Mourinho, meanwhile, has remained tight-lipped over his transfer targets, insisting executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has been given a list of players that he wants to sign.

The likes of Ivan Perisic, Raphael Varane, Danny Rose and more have all been linked with a switch to Old Trafford as United aim to improve on a sixth-placed finish in the Premier League.

 

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Morocco 1 Netherlands 2: Promes and Depay shine as 10-man visitors hold on

Quincy Promes scored once and set up another as 10-man Netherlands held on to record a 2-1 away victory over Morocco in Agadir.

Interim boss Fred Grim was in charge before Dick Advocaat begins his third spell at the helm and he had to cope without key players Daley Blind, Arjen Robben, Kevin Strootman and Georginio Wijnaldum.But after handing a debut to Chelsea defender Nathan Ake, Grim saw Promes put the visitors ahead in the first half following great work from Memphis Depay.

Promes set up Tottenham striker Vincent Janssen to double Netherlands' lead after the break with his fifth goal in 10 international starts, a strike that looked like it would ensure victory.

But the Dutch had to hold on in a nervous finish to the contest after Matthijs de Ligt became their youngest-ever player to be sent off, with Mbark Boussoufa scoring from the resulting free-kick.

Netherlands, whose return to form is welcome after they had won just once in five matches, are back in action with a home friendly against Ivory Coast on Sunday, before they meet Luxembourg in World Cup qualifying on June 9.

They took the lead after 22 minutes, Depay showing superb skill down the left in beating Nordin Amrabat and laying a pass back into the path of Promes to side-foot in with a first-time finish from 10 yards.

Janssen forced a double save from home goalkeeper Munir Mohamedi when he lashed a shot towards the near post from a tight angle before following up with a headed attempt on the rebound.

In a rare Morocco chance, Manuel da Costa could only send his header over the bar as he latched on to a free-kick from Faycal Fajr.But a second Dutch goal looked more likely, with Janssen again denied by Munir after working a shooting opportunity for himself shortly before the break.

Morocco made a better start to the second half, with Sofiane Boufal cutting inside from the left and producing a tremendous diving save from Jeroen Zoet, Da Costa heading over from the resulting corner.

Fajr fired straight at Zoet from 20 yards as the hosts pushed hard for an equaliser, but their hopes of a comeback appeared to be over when the Dutch struck against the run of play with 22 minutes remaining.

Promes dinked in a cross from the right and Janssen was afforded time to chest down in the box and prod in with a right-footed finish.

But the match was suddenly thrown back in the balance when De Ligt was sent off for bringing down Walid Azaro just outside the box as he prepared to race through on goal and Boussoufa stepped up to find the bottom corner from the free-kick, with Zoet rooted to the spot.


Netherlands, though, survived late pressure to hold on for victory in their first match since Danny Blind's sacking.

 

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De Rossi signs Roma renewal until 2019

Daniele De Rossi has signed a new contract with Roma that will keep him at the club until June 2019.Roma waved farewell to club icon Francesco Totti at the weekend, but they have to kept another homegrown star on board.

De Rossi's deal was due to expire next month, but he has now penned a two-year extension to commit his future to the Stadio Olimpico side.

The 33-year-old came through the ranks of the club's youth academy and has made a total of 561 appearances in all competitions for Roma since making his debut in 2001, scoring 59 goals.

De Rossi played a key role in Roma's second-placed finish in the Serie A table this term to help them return to the Champions League, scoring four goals in 31 league outings.


The experienced midfielder is the second key figure to agree fresh terms in recent days, with Netherlands international Kevin Strootman signing a renewal until 2022.

 

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Valverde: Make Barcelona greater again

New head coach Ernesto Valverde hopes to take La Liga giants Barcelona on to even greater heights.Valverde ended a respected stint with another former club from his playing days, Athletic Bilbao, to take over from Luis Enrique at Camp Nou.

Luis Enrique ended a trophy-laden reign with victory over Alaves in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday but Real Madrid prevented Barca from winning a third consecutive La Liga title.

Barcelona will have their bitter rivals in their sights once more in 2017-18 but have been the dominant force in Spain over recent years, finishing top of the pile in six of the past nine seasons.

"It's a privilege to come here. I feel very lucky that the club had me in mind and offered me the job," Valverde told Barca TV ahead of his official unveiling, which will take place on Thursday.

"I am very excited about heading into this new stage of my career. It's an enormous challenge and I have the intention of making Barca even greater than it already is."

Valverde played at Barcelona for two years between 1988 and 1990 but served largely as a squad player at the beginning of Johan Cruyff's "Dream Team" era."It was a long time ago. I'm a bit older now, I have a little more grey hair," said Valverde. "I'm starting to think about that time now and this is a totally different era.

"I'm a lot more conscious now of what it means to take this step. I was very young back then. I've had a couple of spells at clubs where I played as well and now Barca too."

Valverde also offered assurances to fans that he would aim to satisfy them by staying true to Barcelona's entertaining style on the field."We want the fans to see a team that is committed on the field and, above all, committed to its supporters." he added.

"I'd like the fans to keep enjoying things the way they have in recent years. In the last several seasons, they've been able to enjoy great players and coaches.
"My idea is to keep it that way, and to have them enjoy those things even more and to have them be proud of the team."

 

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Manchester United named as world's most valuable club

KPMG has named Manchester United as the world's most valuable football club, becoming the first ever club to have an enterprise value of over €3 billion.

Jose Mourinho's Europa League winners have climbed above Real Madrid into top spot after experiencing a seven per cent increase on last year's value, while Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City also feature in the top five most valuable teams.

The Dutch auditors have devised an algorithm which takes in not only a club's revenue, but is a combination of five three factors: profitability, popularity, sporting potential, broadcasting rights and stadium ownership. The combination of all these factors produces the Enterprise Value (EV).

Following their second place finish in the Premier League, Tottenham now have one of the 10 highest EVs, with English clubs featuring strongly in the top 10.

Broadcasting rights are a key part of KPMG's algorithm, with the Premier League's worldwide rights worth €9.5 billion split among the teams. This is reflected in how English clubs dominate the list, with KPMG's Global Head of Sports Andrea Sartori underlining its importance."The aggregate value of Europe's 32 leading football clubs suggests that the overall value of football, as an industry, has grown," Sartori said.

"While this is partially explained by football's broadcasting boom, the internationalisation of the clubs' commercial operations, their investment into privately-owned and modern facilities, and overall more sustainable management practices, are also key reasons for this growth.

"In terms of media rights value, the English Premier League sits comfortably at the top of European leagues, although other major leagues have outlined well-defined strategies to compete for the attention of global fans."

 

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Congratulations Manchester United!

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Manchester City unveil new 2017-18 home kit

Manchester City have officially unveiled their 2017-18 kit.

Pep Guardiola's men have been on a major recruitment drive this summer, and look set to sign a number of players for massive fees, having already acquired playmaker Bernardo Silva from Monaco for £43 million.

City have also entered into talks with Arsenal about signing Alexis Sanchez, and are set to land goalkeeper Ederson for a world record sum. And those newly acquired stars will be wearing a remarkably similar shirt to the one worn this year.

Launched with the tagline 'Create The Future', City's shirt is an all blue number, except for a white trim around the collar, made by Nike, and will be paired with white shorts.“I’ve loved my first season with City. We work hard to play fast, exciting and attacking football and we’re looking forward to creating winning moments for our fans," said Leroy Sane.

Meanwhile, City have also confirmed that defender John Stones will wear the number five shirt previously worn by Pablo Zabaleta, who has joined West Ham.

 

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Italy 8 San Marino 0: Lapadula nets hat-trick as Azzurri debutants cruise

AC Milan forward Gianluca Lapadula netted a hat-trick as an experimental Italy side ran out 8-0 winners over minnows San Marino in Empoli.

Juventus' presence in Saturday's Champions League final deprived Azzurri boss Giampiero Ventura of a number of his leading stars but the XI he sent out ensured those in attendance at the Stadio Carlo Castellani would be regularly checking their teamsheets.

Lapadula was one of nine debutants in the starting line-up, captained by Sassuolo forward Domenico Berardi on his maiden appearance.

Berardi set-up the opener for Lapadula and the fourth, starting and ending an early goal-rush as Crotone defender Gianmarco Ferrari and Atalanta striker Andrea Petagna – a comparative one-cap veteran among his colleagues – got in on the act.Lapadula secured his treble in between more debut goals for Mattia Caldara and substitute Matteo Politano.

An own goal from San Marino replacement Giovanni Bonini completed the scoring, with Italy's attentions turning towards what should be a considerably more taxing assignment against Uruguay next week.

Italy's early pressure told in the 10th minute, with Lapadula alert to reach Berardi's cross ahead of San Marino goalkeeper Elia Benedettini and complete a simple headed finish.

Ferrari grappled with Michele Cevoli to nod in number two from Federico Chiesa's corner and a wretched spell for the visitors continued when Petagna made it three – Lapadula having been played carelessly onside before his cut-back was defended terribly.

Lapadula made it four goals in the space of nine minutes, with Berardi sliding through a pass for a pleasing dinked finish.The over-worked Benedettini did well to push Chiesa's shot around the post a minute before half-time but his misery continued early in the second period.

Though obviously out-classed across the field, it was hard to sympathise with San Marino's lackadaisical approach to set-piece defending by the time Caldara was left unmarked to slam in the fifth in the 48th minute.Less than a minute later, Lapadula completed his hat-trick in style by lobbing in from the edge of the box as Benedettini advanced.

Politano, one of four half-time replacements, got in on the act with a similarly stylish strike before the hour – collecting a poor clearance to loop the ball over Benedettini into his right corner.


The unfortunate Bonini swiped Politano's low cross past his own keeper to complete the scoring in a match Ventura will hope offers a good omen for tackling the similarly unheralded Liechtenstein in Italy's final World Cup qualifier of the season.

 

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'England's best striker' Kane can make Three Lions competitive again, says Lineker

Former England star Gary Lineker sees a bright future for his country, and has tipped Harry Kane to lead them into a strong showing at the World Cup next season. Lineker represented the Three Lions in two World Cups, top scoring in 1986 on his way to a total of 48 international goals.

That mark was just one shy of the record set by Sir Bobby Charlton, which stood for decades before another Manchester United favourite, Wayne Rooney, broke the milestone in 2015.

England have struggled to shine at the biggest stage, going home early in the 2014 World Cup; but Lineker believes that with Kane leading the attack that could be about to change. "[Kane] is definitely the best English striker at the moment. He won golden boots two seasons in a row and he won it this season even though he missed eight games," Lineker, BT Sport’s UEFA Champion’s League host, told Goal.

"He's phenomenal, he got all the attributes, he also got mental strength so I believe he will be the England's striker for some time. About the records, it depends on injuries, whether he moves abroad, who knows.

But, if he can keep his goal-scoring records per game like now, and if he stays, and if he stays fit, he will beat all the records. But, it's never that easy."I think [England] are on the cusp of becoming competitive again. We have gone through a long time without having many world class players really.

"Now I see young players are coming through, Kane, Ali, Sterling, all from different positions. Also technical players like Lallana, Rashford is coming through so we've got young players right throughout the side and I think we're about to be competitive again. I'm not saying we're going to win the World Cup next summer by a million miles but I don't think we're gonna be embarrassed like we have been in recent tournaments."

A former Tottenham idol, Lineker also registered his admiration for the work Mauricio Pochettino has carried out at White Hart Lane. "I think Pochettino is an excellent coach. The way they play, they know exactly what they are doing. They are very young side still so they can keep everything together," he said.

"They will have the challenge to play at Wembley next season but they will get familiar with them. The familiarity will come. "A lot depends on a big summer for Tottenham. It's a big summer for them to decide what they are. They have to try to keep their best players."

 

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Hariyatama gatthoth England team 1kata hoda place 1kaka enna puluwan Football World 1ka.Individual performance gatthama kochchara hoda performance thiyana playersla innawada.Issue 1ka thamai team 1kak widiyata thama hariyata hadila nathi 1ka​