..::Football IV::..

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Levante 5 Barcelona 4: Boateng and Bardhi demolish Barca's invincible ambitions

Barcelona's bid to complete an unbeaten LaLiga season capitulated in astonishing circumstances as Ernesto Valverde's champions collapsed to a 5-4 defeat at Levante.


Unheralded Ghanaian forward Emmanuel Boateng was the hero for home side as he doubled his tally of goals in Spain's top flight with a hat-trick.Boateng's initial first-half strikes were pegged back by Philippe Coutinho but an often wretched Barcelona showing - without the rested Lionel Messi - collapsed into all-out defensive shambles after half-time.

Enis Bardhi, who hit the post in between Levante's first two goals, found a pair of sublime finishes amid the chaos and Boateng making a claim for the matchball.


Coutinho led the Barca fightback by completing a treble of his own and Luis Suarez's 71st-minute penalty had Paco Lopez's men on unsteady legs.Suarez missed a glorious chance to equalise and Levante full-back Antonio Luna almost put through his own goal but the invincible dream perished at a raucous Ciutat de Valencia.

Suarez played in Coutinho for an early chance but the Brazil midfielder overplayed his hand – wastefulness Barca would soon regret. Making a third LaLiga start at the heart of Barcelona's defence, Yerry Mina lost Jose Luis Morales and the Levante skipper's cutback evaded goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen for Boateng to turn home in the ninth minute.

Morales was to the fore once more on an attack where Boateng touched on for Bardhi to rattle the post. It seemed easier to score.Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele struggled to make an impression before having a 25th-minute attempt deflected behind and a disjointed showing from the visitors was punished again with half an hour played.

Thomas Vermaelen was stricken by an apparent hamstring injury and, as Sasa Lukic weaved through the Barca midfield, Boateng stole in behind temporary centre-back Sergio Busquets and rounded Ter Stegen to finish.Gerard Pique came on for Vermaelen and the Spain defender's surge forward in the 38th minute ended with Coutinho's deflected drive flying past Oier Olazabal to reduce the arrears.

It looked a false dawn as Barca imploded early in the second half.Jordi Alba shovelled the ball into midfield and Levante pounced with a lightning counter, Jose Campana picking out Bardhi to rifle home brilliantly from 20 yards.

Worse was to follow for Valverde as two marginal offside calls fell in Levante's favour, Luna surged on to Roger Marti's flick on and Boateng claimed his third.Another delightful side-footed finish from Bardhi, with Marti again the provider, had Levante in dreamland.

Barcelona's heads cleared enough for Coutinho to seize upon a mishit clearance and net his second before a careering contest reached the hour mark.
Ivan Rakitic started to get a hold on midfield and it was now Levante's turn to wilt in a defensive stupor.Coutinho earned his share of the matchball by dispatching Busquets' pass from the edge of the box, even though replays suggested the shot might have deflected off Suarez.

There was no doubt over the Uruguay striker making it 5-4 from the penalty spot after Boateng blotted his performance by coming together with Busquets at the near post.



Suarez should have equalised in the 74th minute, with Levante opting en masse against marking him but Barca's number nine headed Coutinho's free-kick over.There was baited breath all round when Luna scuffed Alba's cross behind and, after substitute Ruben Rochina spurned a glorious chance for 6-4, Levante could celebrate a remarkable triumph.

 

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Atalanta 1 AC Milan 1: Donnarumma howler gives hosts point as both secure Europa League spots

A late Gianluigi Donnarumma howler allowed Atalanta to secure a last-gasp point against AC Milan in a 1-1 draw on Sunday, but the stalemate still seals Europa League football for both clubs.


Milan looked destined to take all three points from Bergamo thanks to Franck Kessie's second-half goal against his former team in a match that saw two red cards, but Andrea Masiello headed in at the death in an incident which is likely to bring further scorn on Donnarumma after a poor showing in the Coppa Italia final against Juventus.The away side showed nothing to suggest a win was their primary aim in the first period, offering very little going forward – Atalanta just about looking more threatening.

But Milan made the most of Atalanta's profligacy as Kessie produced an emphatic finish from the edge of the box at his old stomping ground with half an hour to play, just before Rafael Toloi was dismissed for sarcastically applauding the referee.


Riccardo Montolivo then followed him down the tunnel for a poor tackle and, while Milan looked set to hold on, Masiello nodded in in the second minute of stoppage time, with Donnarumma making a mess of what should have been a routine save.The result means both sides will be in the Europa League next season, but as it stands sixth-placed Milan will go straight into the group stage.

Given the importance of the contest, it was hardly surprising to see such a cagey start, with neither side taking control.



Milan's only notable efforts in the first half hour were from distance, but neither Suso nor Giacomo Bonaventura managed to cause Etrit Berisha a great deal of bother with their respective shots.The first clear-cut opportunity of the opening period fell to Atalanta in the 25th minute, as Marten de Roon found Musa Barrow in the area and he sidestepped Alessio Romagnoli before scuffing harmlessly wide of the left-hand post.

Milan had an even luckier escape just before the break - Lucas Biglia crucially blocked two close-range efforts from Cristante and Remo Freuler in quick succession, before Leonardo Bonucci managed to get in the way of Robin Gosens' powerful follow-up.

Atalanta continued to look the sharper of the two sides after the break and went close within two minutes of the restart – Cristante's right-wing cross forcing Donnarumma to scramble across his line and make a save.Cristante was at the centre of things again soon after, drawing a save from Donnarumma with a header, before Mattia Caldara inexplicably put the rebound wide.

The numbers were soon evened up when Montolivo went in hard on Alejandro Gomez 15 minutes from time, and that was just the encouragement Atalanta needed.Masiello met Josip Ilicic's sumptuous cross with a header deep into stoppage time and, although Donnarumma looked to have saved it, he palmed the ball into his own net to confirm European football for Atalanta next season.


And Milan capitalised seven minutes later, as Kessie latched on to a loose ball just outside the area and drilled a low drive into the bottom-left corner.Atalanta received a further blow soon after when referee Marco Guida sent Toloi off for a show of dissent after Milan were awarded a free-kick.

 

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Roma 0 Juventus 0: Bianconeri clinch seventh straight Scudetto

Juventus clinched a historic seventh successive Serie A title and completed a fourth straight domestic double courtesy of a drab 0-0 draw at Roma, who finished the match with 10 men.


The Bianconeri got the point needed at the Stadio Olimpico to take an unassailable four-point lead over second-place Napoli with a game to spare, adding to the Coppa Italia crown they claimed by beating AC Milan 4-0 on the same ground just four days ago.It is Massimiliano Allegri's fourth straight Scudetto and follows the three claimed by Antonio Conte at the start of an unprecedented era of success for the Turin giants - though it remains to be seen whether he will be on hand to extend that streak amid links to Arsenal and Chelsea.

The Juve coach made six changes from the side that started the Coppa final, with Gianluigi Buffon afforded a rest ahead of what could be his final match for the club at home to already-relegated Verona next weekend, and they played like a team lacking coherency, even after Radja Nainggolan was shown two yellow cards in the space of five second-half minutes.


Roma, who had little to play for having been guaranteed a place in next season's Champions League by Inter's loss to Sassuolo on Saturday, were far more positive in the opening period but barely went close to testing their former goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.

Juve enjoyed a better second half but, although they were unable to get a winner after Nainggolan was dismissed with 22 minutes remaining, a draw was sufficient to ensure their reign over Italy continues.The visitors were caught in possession inside their own half twice in the opening 10 minutes, but Edin Dzeko and Nainggolan failed to punish them.

Miralem Pjanic was struggling to establish himself against his former club and, after Lorenzo Pellegrini sent a fierce effort flying high and wide, he was booked for a late tackle on the Roma midfielder in the 32nd minute.The Bianconeri found it difficult to maintain pressure on the opposition and Paulo Dybala's scuffed shot that skidded narrowly wide following a counter-attack proved their best chance of the half.

There was a slight improvement from the visitors after the restart, Dybala rifling home a half-volley from Alex Sandro's pass before turning to see the offside flag correctly raised.



However, they struggled to test Alisson and Aleksandar Kolarov went close to punishing them in the 65th minute when his 25-yard strike deflected off Pjanic and looped just over the roof of the net.Juve received a boost when Nainggolan was booked twice in quick succession for fouls on Alex Sandro and Dybala, but Eusebio Di Francesco's side sat back and defended stoically.

Dybala was denied a penalty after a shove from Juan Jesus with five minutes remaining, before Juve passed the remaining time away to ensure they can focus on celebrating at the Allianz Stadium next weekend.

 

[EnIgma001]

Jose ​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Emery yet to receive Arsenal offer


Unai Emery insisted he was yet to receive an offer to be the next Arsenal manager, but he is open to every opportunity.

The Spaniard has been linked to the Premier League giants as Arsene Wenger's replacement after his two-season stay at Paris Saint-Germain came to an end.While Emery is ready for a new opportunity, the 46-year-old said he was yet to receive an offer from Arsenal.

"I have no offer," he told Cadena SER.
"Possibilities open up that can be concrete or not. I am open to everything. I don't think about stopping coaching."Emery led PSG to the Ligue 1 title, Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue this season, while he previously won the Europa League three times at the helm of Sevilla. The French giants swept all before them domestically, and are 15 points clear of Monaco ahead of the final day of the season.

 

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Emery: Neymar will stay at PSG next season


Unai Emery believes Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar will remain with the Ligue 1 champions next season.

Neymar, 26, has been linked with a move to Real Madrid and Manchester United, despite being contracted until 2022.However, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said on Saturday he was "2000 per cent" sure the Brazil international would stay at the club.

Emery, who leaves the club after two seasons in charge, also feels Neymar will remain at PSG."This season there have been times when everything related to Neymar was oversized," he told Cadena SER."Neymar is not talking much. He told us he was tired of the lies that are told.

"I'm not going to be Neymar's spokesperson, but I think the next season he is going to stay at PSG. It would be the right thing for the player and for the club."Neymar scored 28 goals in 30 games in his first season at PSG, but a serious foot injury in February saw his campaign ended prematurely.

Emery believes the star forward was on track for his best season yet before his injury. "I have really enjoyed Neymar. I was very happy with him. He is at the level of Cristiano [Ronaldo] and [Lionel] Messi," he said."The injury has hurt him because he could have gotten his best numbers. I am convinced he will reach the maximum level."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Renato Sanches left out of Portugal's preliminary World Cup squad


Renato Sanches is a sensational absence for Portugal in the 2018 World Cup, failing to find a place even among the Euro 2016 winner's preliminary 35-man squad announced on Monday.Sanches played six out of seven games as an 18-year-old in France as the side led by Cristiano Ronaldo took their first-ever international title.

But he has failed to shine at either Bayern Munich or Swansea City since then, and will play no part in manager Fernando Santos' squad for the World Cup finals. Unsurprisingly Selecao captain Ronaldo is included among the call-ups, while there is also a place for veteran playmaker Ricardo Quaresma.

Ronaldo likely will not in action when Portugal takes to the field in a friendly against Tunisia on May 28, which is two days after Real Madrid's Champions League final against Liverpool in Kiev. It is the first of three friendlies for the Selecao, who then battle Belgium on June 2 and Algeria on June 6 to close out their World Cup preparations.

The nation will then square off in Group B at the World Cup, which opens with a match up against Iberian neighbors Spain on June 15, followed by game against nearby Morocco on June 20. The nation ends its group stage against Iran on June 25.While Santos has named a full 35-man preliminary roster, he is expected to quickly cut his side down to the 23 he plans to take to Russia in the next few days.

Portugal preliminary squad in full:

Goalkeepers: Anthony Lopes (Lyon), Beto (Goztepe), Rui Patrício (Sporting)

Defenders: Antunes (Getafe), Bruno Alves (Rangers), Cédric Soares (Southampton), João Cancelo (Inter), José Fonte (Dalian Yifang), Luís Neto (Fenerbahçe), Mário Rui (Nápoles), Nélson Semedo (Barcelona), Pepe (Besiktas), Raphael Guerreiro (Dortmund), Ricardo Pereira (FC Porto), Rolando (Marselha) e Rúben Dias (Benfica)

Midfielders: Adrien Silva (Leicester), André Gomes (Barcelona), Bruno Fernandes (Sporting), João Mário (West Ham), João Moutinho (Mónaco), Manuel Fernandes (Lokomotiv), Rúben Neves (Wolverhampton), Sérgio Oliveira (FC Porto), William Carvalho (Sporting)

Forwards: André Silva (Milan), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Éder (Lokomotiv), Gelson Martins (Sporting), Gonçalo Guedes (Valência), Nani (Lazio), Paulinho (SC Braga), Ricardo Quaresma (Besiktas), Ronny Lopes (Mónaco)

 

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Renato Sanches left out of Portugal's preliminary World Cup squad

Hoda future ekak thiyana player kenek.mona unada manda​

 

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Mancini named new Italy boss


Roberto Mancini has been named the new head coach of Italy, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has confirmed.The former Zenit boss, who has agreed to a contract of undisclosed length, will be officially presented at a news conference in Florence on Tuesday.

The news brings to an end Italy's exhaustive search for a permanent replacement for Gian Piero Ventura, who left his role after the World Cup play-off defeat to Sweden in November.Luigi Di Biagio had been in interim charge of the senior side during the hunt for a long-term successor, with Carlo Ancelotti and Chelsea boss Antonio Conte among the other leading candidates.

Mancini has spent the last year with Zenit after concluding his second spell at Inter in 2016, but he left his post on Sunday after managing only a fifth-place finish in the Russian Premier League.

He then travelled to Rome to hold talks with the FIGC, admitting he was "happy to be back in Italy". Italy's first match under their new coach will be a friendly against Saudi Arabia on May 28, followed by further exhibition games against France and Netherlands.

 

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Icardi named in Argentina's provisional 35-man World Cup squad


Mauro Icardi has been included in Argentina's 35-man provisional squad for the 2018 World Cup.

The Inter star has been in great form in Serie A this term but has largely been frozen out of the national team, making just four appearances since his 2013 debut.
However, Jorge Sampaoli was unable to neglect the 25-year-old when it came to putting together his initial squad for the tournament in Russia.

Icardi joins fellow Serie A star Paulo Dybala, captain Lionel Messi and the injured Sergio Aguero in Sampaoli's plans.

Despite his 28-goal season in Serie A, Icardi is still expected to be cut from the team when Sampaoli narrows it down to 23.The former Sevilla and Chile coach will name his final squad on May 13 in a press conference scheduled in Argentina's Ezeiza training complex.

Both Icardi and Dybala have seen their chances of making the final World Cup squad cast into doubt since Sampaoli left them out of the group for the international friendlies in March.

It has been suggested Juventus star Dybala will be part of the 23-man party heading to Russia, despite his indifferent form in the latter part of the season, while Inter striker Icardi is not expected to be included.A knee injury kept Aguero out of Manchester City's last six games of the Premier League season, but it is expected he will be fully fit for the tournament.

Zenit midfielder Matias Kranevitter and Atletico Madrid forward Angel Correa have missed out on a place in the 35-man group, while there is predictably no sign of veteran Carlos Tevez.

Tevez's Boca team-mates Cristian Pavon and Pablo Perez, however, do get a call, as Sampaoli includes five Argentine Superliga names in his shortlist. Alongside the Xeneize pair is River Plate goalkeeper Franco Armani and Racing's Lautaro Martinez and Ricardo Centurion.

Armani and Centurion are also among three uncapped players in the line-up, a list completed by Sporting midfielder Rodrigo Battaglia.Argentina kick off their World Cup campaign against Iceland in Group D on June 14, before facing Croatia and Nigeria in the battle to reach the knockout stages.

Argentina preliminary World Cup squad:

Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero, Nahuel Guzman, Willy Caballero, Franco Armani.

Defenders: Gabriel Mercado, Nicolás Otamendi, Federico Fazio, Nicolás Tagliafico, Marcos Rojo, Marcos Acuña, Ramiro Funes Mori, Cristian Ansaldi, Eduardo Salvio, Germán Pezzella.

Midfielders: Javier Mascherano, Ángel Di María, Ever Banega, Lucas Biglia, Manuel Lanzini, Gio Lo Celso, Ricardo Centurión, Guido Pizarro, Leandro Paredes, Maximiliano Meza, Enzo Pérez, Pablo Pérez, Rodrigo Battaglia.

Forwards: Lionel Messi, Sergio Agüero, Gonzalo Higuaín, Paulo Dybala, Mauro Icardi Cristian Pavón, Lautaro Martínez y Diego Perotti.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Paris Saint-Germain confirm Tuchel appointment


Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed that Thomas Tuchel will succeed Unai Emery as the next coach of the Ligue 1 champions.

Emery won a domestic treble with PSG in 2017-18, but came under fire after failing to advance his side past the Champions League last-16 phase. The Spaniard confirmed he would be stepping down at the end of the season in April, and Tuchel is the man PSG have chosen to lead them after the World Cup.

"Paris Saint-Germain are happy to announce the arrival of Thomas Tuchel as first-team coach," the club revealed in a statement."The German coach has signed a two-year contract with the French champions."

Speaking to the club's official website, Tuchel affirmed that he was relishing the challenge of occupying the hotseat at Parc des Princes."It is with great joy, pride and ambition that I join this huge club in world football that is Paris Saint-Germain," he said.

"I hope to work with these great players, all of which are among the best on the planet. "I will do everything possible with the help of my team to help the team reach the top levels of international football. There is an extraordinary potential in Paris and this is the most exciting challenge of my career.

"I am also keen to see Parc des Princes, a legendary football stadium with a fantastic atmosphere." PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, meanwhile, praised Tuchel's propensity for dynamic attacking football and his strength of character in welcoming the German to the club.

"I am very happy to welcome Thomas Tuchel as the new PSG coach," he said. "Thomas is one of the most competitive coaches to emerge at the top level in recent years. He has strongly absorbed the principles of efficiency and spectacle that have always given German football great strength, especially at international level.

"His ambitious personality, his strong taste for playing a flowing game and his strength of character are part of the style we have always sought at PSG. This is the style that fans of our club have always wanted and admired."Tuchel last coached at Borussia Dortmund, winning the DFB Pokal in 2016-17 after taking over from Liverpool-bound Jurgen Klopp the previous season.

An impressive two-year spell at Signal Iduna Park came to an end in 2017, but that tenure and a brilliant stint with Mainz have cemented his reputation as one of the sport's most talented young coaches.

 

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Juventus not interested in Donnarumma, insists Marotta


Juventus have no interest in signing Gianluigi Donnarumma as a replacement for Gianluigi Buffon, according to chief executive Giuseppe Marotta.Teenage AC Milan sensation Donnarumma has been heavily linked with a move to the Serie A champions, as well as Real Madrid, with Buffon expected to hang up his gloves at the end of the season.

However, Marotta claims the 19-year-old, who produced an error-strewn display as Milan lost the Coppa Italia final to Juve last week, is not a target for the Turin giants, who plan on putting their faith in Wojciech Szczesny."We are focusing on Szczesny, who will be the starter after Buffon. Beyond the profile and the talent [Donnarumma] has, we are not interested," Marotta told Radio Uno.

Genoa keeper Mattia Perin has also been touted as a potential addition for Juve after president Enrico Preziosi said the Serie A champions and Napoli had asked about him, though no serious discussions have taken place."Preziosi is a skilful president. He has created competition among us, Napoli and other teams," said Marotta.

"Perin is a great goalkeeper but we have not made an approach, we only made some evaluations but we are far away from serious negotiations."Our intention is to have two great goalkeepers, because with our commitments you cannot have two players of different quality."

Buffon is expected to bid farewell to Juve in their final outing of the season against already-relegated Verona at the Allianz Stadium on Saturday. Of the veteran keeper, Marotta said: "He will leave something memorable and of great value, not only in terms of football but as a human.

"He's a leader, he has a great sense of belonging and can convey great emotion. In the next few days he will meet with president [Andrea] Agnelli to evaluate the future."

 

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Salah: I'm not at Messi & Ronaldo's level - yet!


Mohamed Salah insists he cannot be compared with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, as he is yet to consistently perform over a prolonged period of a number of years.

Salah has been in incredible form in the 2017-18 season, scoring 32 goals in just 36 Premier League appearances, thus setting a new record for the amount of goals scored in a 38-game campaign .He has won a host of awards, too, collecting the Golden Boot , the Premier League Player of the Year prize , the FWA Footballer of the Year and the PFA Player of the Year awards.

Such form has led to comparisons with the Barcelona and Real Madrid superstars, one of which he will soon face in the Champions League final, when the Reds take on Los Blancos in Ukraine.

However, Salah is insistent that he has yet to reach the level of either La Liga icon."Not at all," he told Egypt Today when asked if he was bothered by the comparisons."But I don’t want to say that I am happy with these kinds of comparisons, because each of them was at top level for 10 or 11 years. Their performance level is stable.

"Yet, I need to maintain my high performance level for many seasons. I hope I can do so. Definitely, they are great players."Messi has scored 45 goals in all competitions this season, while Ronaldo has netted 43. Salah, meanwhile, has 44 to his name.

And the Egypt international, who will compete in the World Cup in Russia this summer, has subsequently been linked with a potential exit from Anfield, with Real sure to be potential suitors.Despite those transfer rumours, Salah reiterated that he is happy at Anfield having previously suggested that he is focused on remaining with the club .

"All that I can say is that I'm happy to be here and I’m adapted to the prevailing atmosphere. I’m thinking to end the season in the perfect way," he said when asked if he would remain at the club.Liverpool defeated Brighton 4-0 on the final day of the Premier League season , but were unable to overhaul Tottenham to move into third, with Spurs beating Leicester City 5-4 in a nine-goal thriller.

Nevertheless, the Reds have qualified for the Champions League, regardless of the result in Kiev for the Champions League final.

 

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Neymar named Ligue 1 Player of the Year as PSG dominate awards

Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar was named the Ligue 1 Player of the Year at the UNFP awards on Sunday.

Neymar, who signed from Barcelona in August for a world-record fee of €222million, may have been sidelined with a broken metatarsal since February, but 19 goals and 13 assists in 20 appearances earned him the honour.The 26-year-old Brazil international succeeded team-mate Edinson Cavani and was presented with the prize by compatriot Ronaldo.

PSG completed a clean sweep of the domestic trophies for the third time in four years and Neymar will be desperate to make his comeback when the club draw their season to a close at Caen on Saturday.

The treble was not enough to keep Unai Emery at Parc des Princes next season as their Champions League struggles continued, but he was recognised as the Ligue 1 Coach of the Year.Kylian Mbappe claimed the Best Hope award, while Marseille's Steve Mandanda was selected as the top goalkeeper and Malcom of Bordeaux was honoured for scoring the best goal of the season.

Neymar was named in the Team of the Season alongside PSG team-mates Dani Alves, Marquinhos, Thiago Silva, Marco Verratti, Mbappe and Cavani. Marseille duo Mandada and Luiz Gustavo and Lyon pair Ferland Mendy and Nabil Fekir made up the XI.

Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante was named the Best French Player Playing Abroad.

 

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Allegri: I'll stay at Juventus next season if they don't sack me


In-demand Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri said he will stay in Turin if he is not sacked by the Italian champions.

Linked with Premier League duo Arsenal and Chelsea as well as Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain, Allegri guided Juve to a seventh successive Scudetto on Sunday.

A goalless draw against Roma sealed a fourth consecutive Serie A title for Allegri, whose future has been a talking point during the closing stages of the season amid Arsene Wenger's departure from Arsenal, Unai Emery's PSG exit and uncertainty over Antonio Conte at Chelsea.

However, Allegri told reporters: "If they don't sack me, I'll stay at Juventus next year too."Former AC Milan boss Allegri moved to Juventus in 2014, replacing Conte at the Italian champions.

Since arriving four years ago, the 50-year-old has led Juve to two Champions League finals, while winning four Coppa Italia trophies and a Supercoppa Italiana.

He became the first-ever manager to win four consecutive domestic doubles in Europe's top five leagues as Juve lifted the Serie A title for a 34th time on Sunday.
It was Allegri's fifth Serie A title overall, having previously guided Milan to the top of the Italian table in 2010-11.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Jose

 

[akilar25]

පාපන්දු ලෝක කුසලාන ආරම්භ වීමට තවත් ඇත්තේ මාසයක පමණ කෙටි කාලයකි. තනි ක්‍රීඩාවක් සඳහා ලෝකයේ පැවැත්වෙන විශාලතම තරගාවලිය වන පාපන්දු ලෝක කුසලාන තරගාවලියට සහභාගී වීමට ලෝකයේ කණ්ඩායම් පෙරුම් පුරන්නේ වසර ගණනාවක මහන්සියක ප්‍රතිඵලයක් ලෙසිනි.

වසර ගණනාවක පටන් ලෝකයේ පාපන්දු කණ්ඩායම් අතර වැජඹුණු ඉතාලිය 1958 වසරින් පසුව මෙවර ලෝක කුසලානයකට සහභාගී නොවේ. වසර 60 පසුව වූ මේ අවමානය ඉතාලියට දරාගත නොහැකි වේදනාවක් බවට පත්ව ඇත. ලෝක කුසලානයේ උරුමක්කාරයන් වීමට නොහැකි වුවත් ඉතාලි ජාතිකයන් අතර ලෝක කුසලාන බැබෙළෙමින් තිබේ. ඒ වර්තමාන ලෝක කුසලානයේ නිර්මාතෘවරුන් ඔවුන් වන බැවිනි.

ඉතාලිය මෙවර ලෝක කුසලාන තරගාවලියට සහභාගී නොවුනත් , ලෝක කුසලානය ඉතාලිය වෙත පැමිණ තිබේ. සෑම වසර 4කට වරක්ම ඉතාලියේ මිලාන් නගරයේ නිර්නාමික ගොඩනැගිල්ලක් තුළ එහි අලුත්වැඩියා කටයුතු කරනු ලබන්නේ එයටම ආවේණික වූ ශිල්පීන්ගේ සහයෝගය ඇතුවය.

1970 වසරින් පසුව අන්තර් ජාතික පාපන්දු සම්මේලනය අලුත්ම ආකාරයෙන් යුතු පාපන්දු අනුරුවක් නිර්මාණය කිරීම සඳහා රටවල් 7 ක සංචාරයක නියලුණේය. එහිදි විවිධ ශිල්පීන්ගේ නිර්මාණ 53 ක අනුරූ හඳුනා ගැනීමට හැකි විය. නමුත් අවසාන වරට ඉතාලි නිර්මාණ ශිල්පියෙකු වූ සිල්වියෝ ගැසනිගා විසින් නිර්මාණය කරන ලද අනුරුව පාපන්දු ලෝක කුසලානය සඳහා යොදා ගැනීමට අන්තර් ජාතික පාපන්දු සම්මේලනය තීරණය කළේය.

ජි.ඩි.ඊ. බර්ටොනි නම් කුසලාන හා පදක්කම් නිර්මාණකරු විසින් 70 දශකයේදී සේවකයන් 12 දෙනෙකුගේ සහයෝගය ඇතිව පළමු පාපන්දු ලෝක කුසලානය 1970 දී නිර්මාණය කළේය. නිර්මාණය කරන ලද නවතම ලෝක කුසලානය පළමු වරට බ්‍රසීලය දිනා ගනිද්දී, කුසලානය නිර්මාණය කරන ලද ඉතාලියට එවර අනුශූරතාවයෙන් සෑහීමට සිදු විය.

“ ආරම්භක ලෝක කුසලානයම නැවත අප වෙත පැමිණෙන විට ඒ පිළිබඳ දැනෙන හැගීම හරිම වෙනස් යැයි ලෝක කුසලාන නිර්මාණ ආයතනයේ වත්මන් ප්‍රධානි වැලන්ටිනා ලෝසා මහත්මිය ප්‍රකාශ කර සිටී.

“ ඇත්ත මොනාලිසාගේ රුව සහ එහි පිටපත දකිනවාට වඩා වෙනස් හැගීමක් තමයි මෙය දකිද්දි දැනෙන්නේ. මුල්ම කුසලානය තමයි අදත් අප ළඟ තියෙන්නේ යැයි දැඩි හැගීම්බරව ඇය තව දුරටත් පවසා සිටියේය.

“ ලෝක කුසලාන අනුරුවට මුඵ ලෝකයෙන්ම අනුරූ 53 කට වඩා ඉදිරිපත් වුණා. නමුත් ඒ අතර අපි තමයි හොඳම අනුරුව නිරමාණය කළේ. ඇත්තටම ඒ හැඟීම කියන්න බැරි තරම් යැයි ඇය තව දුරටත් මේ විශේෂ අවස්ථාව පිළිබඳ තොරතුරු අනාවරණය කරමින් පවසා සිටියාය.

සත්‍ය වශයෙන්ම පාපන්දු ලෝක කුසලානය කෙනෙකුගේ දෑතට ගන්න ලැබේනම් එය භාග්‍යකි. එම අවස්ථාව බර්ටෝනි සමාගමේ සේවකයන්ට ලැබී ඇත්තේ එහි අලුත්වැඩියා කටයුතු සිදු කරන බැවිනි. එය ඔවුන්ගේ රැකියාව වුවත් එවන් අවස්ථාවක් සියල්ලටම හිමි නොවේ.

“ ඇත්තටම එය වසර 4ක් තිස්සේ ගමන් කරනවා. සුලු හෝ හානියකට පත් වුවොත්, එය නැවතත් අපි තිබූ තත්ත්වයටම ගන්නවා යැයි බර්ටෝනි සමාගමේ සේවය කරන විශේෂ පුද්ගලයන්ගෙන් එක් අයෙකු වන ප්‍රීට්‍රෝ බ්‍රැම්බිල්ලා මහතා පවසා සිටියේය.

බ්‍රැම්බිල්ලා පාපන්දු ක්‍රීඩාව සඳහා කැමැත්තක් නොදැක්වූ පුද්ගලයෙක් බවත් පසුව පාපන්දු ලෝක කුසලානයේ අලුත්වැඩියා කටයුතු වල දිගින් දිගටම නිරත වීම නිසා පාපන්දු ක්‍රීඩාව සඳහා දැඩි ඇල්මක් ඇති වූ බවත් ඔහු වැඩි දුරටත් පවසා ඇත.

ජුනි 15 වැනිදා මෙම ලෝක කුසලානය මෙම කණ්ඩායම් 32 අතරින් එක් රටකට හිමිවේ. විශේෂයෙන් නේමාර්, ලයනල් මෙසී, හියුගෝ ලෝරිස්, සර්ජියෝ රමෝස් හෝ මැනුයෙල් නෙයාර් මෙම ලෝක කුසලානය එසවිය හැක. නමුත් කවුරුන් මෙය ලබා ගත්තද තවත් මාස කිහිපයකින් නැවතත් එය ඉතාලිය වෙත එන බව ඔවුහූ දනිති. මේ නිසා වේදනාවෙන් හෝ මෙය අලුත්වැඩියා කර රුසියාවට බාර දීමට ඉතාලියට සිදුව තිබේ.

සිව් වතාවක් ලෝක පාපන්දු කිරුළ දිනා ඇති ඉතාලියට නැවත ලෝක කුසලානයක පහස විදීමටනම්, 2022 දක්වා බලා සිටීමට සිදුවෙනු ඇත.



http://www.elakiri.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1851300


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[djnick]

football bump

 

[sudokuu]

Real Madrid are looking for a third UEFA Champions League victory in a row at the NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, facing five-time winners Liverpool.

Two of European club football's most famous names will meet at the NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium as Real Madrid CF look to lift the trophy for the 13th time – and the third season in a row – by overcoming a Liverpool FC side in a first final for 11 years and seeking their sixth European Cup overall.

• Victory in Kyiv would make Real Madrid the fourth team to claim three successive European crowns – and the first to do it twice, following their victories in the first five European Cup finals between 1956 and 1960. AFC Ajax (1971–73) and FC Bayern München (1974–76) are the only other clubs to have lifted the trophy three years running.


• Madrid's Zinédine Zidane could also become the first coach to win three European Cups in a row, having become the first to win the UEFA Champions League in consecutive seasons in 2017.

• Success in Kyiv would make it five UEFA Champions League triumphs for the competition's record goalscorer, Cristiano Ronaldo – another first. Ronaldo would become only the fifth player to appear in five European Cup final victories, and the first in the UEFA Champions League era, should he feature and Madrid triumph; the other four players are Madrid trio Paco Gento (the only player to appear in six final victories), Alfredo Di Stéfano and José María Zárraga, plus AC Milan's Paolo Maldini.

• The fixture is a repeat of the 1981 European Cup final, won 1-0 by Liverpool in Paris to give them a third triumph in the competition in five years. That was Madrid's last defeat in the final of this competition.

• That 1981 victory is also the only time an English club has prevailed against Spanish opposition in a European Cup final. Liga clubs have won the other three meetings, FC Barcelona beating Arsenal FC 2-1 in 2006 and Manchester United FC in both 2009 (2-0) and 2011 (3-1).

• This is the ninth time two clubs have met for a second time in the European Cup final – and the third season in a row, after Real Madrid's 2016 win against Club Atlético de Madrid, beaten by their neighbours in the 2014 final, and last year's defeat of Juventus, who had also succumbed to the Merengues in 1998. This is Madrid's fourth final rematch, and they have won all three previous such encounters; they also beat Stade de Reims in 1956 and 1959.

Real Madrid v Liverpool: Their previous meetings
Previous meetings
• The sides have met on five previous occasions, all in the European Cup, with Liverpool winning three of those fixtures and Madrid two. The English club have scored six goals; Madrid have managed four.

• The teams last crossed paths in the 2014/15 group stage, Madrid winning both games with Karim Benzema scoring twice and Ronaldo once in the first, a 3-0 away win.

• The full line-ups at Anfield on 22 October 2014 were:
Liverpool: Mignolet, Johnson, Lovren, Škrtel, Moreno, Gerrard, Henderson (Can 67), Allen, Sterling, Coutinho (Marković 68), Balotelli (Lallana 46).
Real Madrid: Casillas, Arbeloa, Varane, Pepe, Marcelo (Nacho 85), Modrić, Kroos (Illarramendi 81), Isco, James Rodríguez, Benzema, Ronaldo (Khedira 75).

• Benzema got the only goal as Madrid won 1-0 in Spain two weeks later.

• At the Santiago Bernabéu on 4 November 2014, the sides were:
Real Madrid: Casillas, Arbeloa (Nacho 83), Varane, Ramos, Marcelo, Modrić, Kroos, Isco, James Rodríguez (Bale 62), Benzema (Hernández 87), Ronaldo.
Liverpool: Mignolet, Manquillo, Škrtel, Touré, Moreno, Lucas (Gerrard 69), Can (Coutinho 75), Allen, Lallana, Marković (Sterling 69), Borini.

• Liverpool beat Madrid 5-0 on aggregate in the 2008/09 round of 16. Rafael Benítez's Reds won the first leg 1-0 in Spain, Yossi Benayoun getting the only goal with eight minutes left.

• The line-ups at the Bernabéu on 25 February 2009 were:
Real Madrid: Casillas, Ramos, Pepe, Cannavaro, Heinze, Robben, Gago, Diarra, Marcelo (Guti 46), Higuaín, Raúl.
Liverpool: Reina, Arbeloa, Škrtel, Carragher, Fábio Aurélio, Benayoun, Alonso, Mascherano, Riera (Gerrard 88), Torres (Babel 62), Kuyt (Lucas 90).

• Liverpool completed a comfortable aggregate victory with a 4-0 success back on Merseyside – Madrid's biggest UEFA Champions League defeat – thanks to two Steven Gerrard goals (28pen, 47) and further strikes from Fernando Torres (16) and Andrea Dossena (88).

• The sides at Anfield on 10 March 2009 were:
Liverpool: Reina, Arbeloa, Škrtel, Carragher, Fábio Aurélio, Mascherano, Alonso (Lucas 60), Gerrard (Spearing 73), Babel, Kuyt, Torres (Dossena 84).
Real Madrid: Casillas, Ramos, Pepe, Cannavaro (Van der Vaart 64), Heinze, L Diarra, Gago (Guti 77), Sneijder, Robben (Marcelo 46), Raúl, Higuaín.

• Álvaro Arbeloa, part of Madrid's victorious squads in 2013/14 and 2015/16 although he did not appear in either final, and Xabi Alonso, who was in Madrid's squad in 2013/14 but also sat out the final, were in the Liverpool side for both matches.

• Bob Paisley's Liverpool also beat Madrid, coached by Vujadin Boškov, 1-0 in the 1981 European Champion Clubs' Cup final in Paris, Alan Kennedy scoring the only goal nine minutes from time.

• The teams on 27 May 1981 at the Parc des Princes were:
Liverpool: Clemence, Neal, Thompson, Hansen, A Kennedy, R Kennedy, Lee, McDermott, Souness, Johnson, Dalglish (Case 85).
Real Madrid: Agustín, García Cortés (Pineda 85), Camacho, Stielike, Sabido, Del Bosque, Juanito, Ángel, Santillana, García Navajas, Cunningham.

How does this Real Madrid team compare with European Cup greats?
Final pedigree
Real Madrid
• Madrid have won a record 12 European Cups, and have triumphed in their last six finals. Overall their final record is W12 L3:
1955/56: Real Madrid 4-3 Stade de Reims Champagne
1956/57: Real Madrid 2-0 ACF Fiorentina
1957/58: Real Madrid 3-2 AC Milan (aet)
1958/59: Real Madrid 2-0 Stade de Reims Champagne
1959/60: Real Madrid 7-3 Eintracht Frankfurt
1961/62: SL Benfica 5-3 Real Madrid
1963/64: FC Internazionale Milano 3-1 Real Madrid
1965/66: Real Madrid 2-1 FK Partizan
1980/81: Liverpool FC 1-0 Real Madrid
1997/98: Real Madrid 1-0 Juventus
1999/00: Real Madrid 3-0 Valencia CF
2001/02: Real Madrid 2-1 Bayer 04 Leverkusen
2013/14: Real Madrid 4-1 Club Atlético Madrid (aet)
2015/16: Real Madrid 1-1 Club Atlético Madrid (aet; Real Madrid win 5-3 on penalties)
2016/17: Real Madrid 4-1 Juventus

• Last season, Madrid became the first side to make a successful UEFA Champions League title defence. They were the fifth reigning champions to return to the UEFA Champions League final the following season, and the first team to retain the European Cup since Milan (1989, 1990).

• Cristiano Ronaldo's two goals against Juventus made him the first player to score in three UEFA Champions League finals, following his goals in 2008, for Manchester United FC, and 2014.

• Sergio Ramos, who found the net against Atlético in both 2014 and 2016, could join Ronaldo in scoring in three finals. Ramos is one of five players to have scored in two finals, along with Raúl González (2000, 2002), Samuel Eto'o (2006, 2009), Lionel Messi (2009, 2011) and Mario Mandžukić (2013, 2017). Marcelo and Gareth Bale – who both netted in 2014 – and Marco Asensio and Casemiro, on target 12 months ago, could all join that list in Kyiv.

• Ramos, Ronaldo, Bale, Luka Modrić, Karim Benzema, Dani Carvajal, Marcelo and Isco could all appear in their fourth UEFA Champions League final victory for Madrid.

Real Madrid celebrate reaching the final
• In addition to those eight, Raphaël Varane appeared in the 2014 and 2017 finals while Keylor Navas, Toni Kroos and Casemiro all featured in 2016 and 2017. Lucas Vázquez came on as a substitute in 2016, as did Asensio last year; Kiko Casilla and Nacho have been unused replacements in each of the last two finals, with Mateo Kovačić on the bench in 2017.

• Madrid are the first team to reach three successive UEFA Champions League finals since Juventus between 1996 and 1998 – the Bianconeri won only one of those matches.

• Madrid's triumph in Cardiff in 2017 was the tenth UEFA Champions League win for a Spanish side – twice as many as the next highest-ranked nation, Italy. England are on four triumphs, with Germany on three the only other country to have recorded multiple victories.

• This is Madrid's 31st UEFA final. In addition to their 15 European Cup appearances, they were UEFA Cup winners in 1985 and 1986 and European Cup Winners' Cup runners-up in 1971 and 1983. They lifted the UEFA Super Cup in 2002, 2014, 2016 and 2017 having lost in 1998 and 2000, and won the European/South American Cup in 1960, 1998 and 2002, losing in 1966 and 2000.

Liverpool and the other highest scoring Champions League teams
Liverpool
• The Reds have won five of their seven previous European Cup finals:
1976/77: Liverpool 3-1 VfL Borussia Monchengladbach
1977/78: Liverpool 1-0 Club Brugge KV
1980/81: Liverpool 1-0 Real Madrid CF
1983/84: Liverpool 1-1 AS Roma (aet; Liverpool win 4-2 on penalties)
1984/85: Juventus 1-0 Liverpool
2004/05: Liverpool 3-3 AC Milan (aet; Liverpool win 3-2 on penalties)
2006/07: AC Milan 2-1 Liverpool

• This is Liverpool's 20th UEFA final. In addition to their seven European Cup appearances, they are three-time winners of the UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League (1973, 1976, 2001), losing the 2016 final, and won the UEFA Super Cup in 1977, 2001 and 2005, losing in 1978 and 1984. They also lost in the 1965/66 European Cup Winners' Cup final, and the 1981 and 1984 European/South American Cup.

• No members of Liverpool's squad have previously played in a UEFA Champions League final.

• The Reds' last European final was a 3-1 loss against another Spanish side, Sevilla FC, in Basel in the 2015/16 UEFA Europa League. Simon Mignolet, Nathaniel Clyne, Dejan Lovren, Alberto Moreno, James Milner, Emre Can, Adam Lallana and Roberto Firmino all started that match at St. Jakob-Park; Jordan Henderson was an unused substitute.

• Liverpool's only other final against Spanish opposition was a 5-4 golden-goal success against Deportivo Alavés in the 2001 UEFA Cup in Dortmund. Their record in UEFA finals against Spanish opposition is therefore W2 L1.

Highlights: Real Madrid 2-2 Bayern (4-3 agg)
Highlights: Real Madrid 2-2 Bayern (4-3 agg)
Match background
Real Madrid
• Real Madrid's record in Kyiv is P4 W1 D2 L1 F6 A7, all four games coming in the UEFA Champions League against FC Dynamo Kyiv. Their last two trips both ended 2-2 in the group stage in November 2004 – a game in which Zidane played – and 2006. They lost 2-0 on their first visit in the 1998/99 quarter-finals, a young Andriy Shevchenko scoring both goals, before a 2-1 second group stage win the following season, Fernando Morientes and Raúl on target.

• Madrid's European season started with a victory against Premier League opposition, 2-1 against Manchester United FC in the UEFA Super Cup in Skopje on 8 August. They drew 1-1 at home to Tottenham Hotspur FC on matchday three, but a 12-match unbeaten run (W8 D4) against English opposition was ended by a 3-1 loss in the reverse fixture on 1 November. That was Madrid's first defeat against a team from England since their 4-0 loss at Liverpool in March 2009.

• Zidane's side have scored in their last 29 UEFA matches, their most recent blank coming against English opposition – a goalless draw against Manchester City FC in the 2015/16 UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg.

• The Spanish club's overall record against English sides is W15 D11 L11 F52 A43.

2017 final highlights: Real Madrid 4-1 Juventus
2017 final highlights: Real Madrid 4-1 Juventus
• Madrid's record in this season's competition is W8 D2 L2 F30 A15. They have kept three clean sheets in 12 matches, but have found the net in their last 27 UEFA Champions League outings.

• Zidane's charges finished second in Group H this season, collecting 13 points. They beat Paris Saint-Germain 5-2 on aggregate in the round of 16 (3-1 home, 2-1 away).

• Madrid reached the last four in dramatic circumstances, winning 3-0 in the quarter-final first leg at Juventus only to fall three goals behind in the Bernabéu return – before Ronaldo converted an added-time penalty to take them through. That 3-1 defeat at the Bernabéu ended Madrid's 18-match unbeaten home run in the UEFA Champions League (W15 D3).

• The Spanish side then ousted FC Bayern München in the semi-finals, winning 2-1 in Germany and progressing thanks to a 2-2 home draw.

• The 3-1 defeat at home to Juventus in the quarter-final second leg is only Madrid's third in their last 31 European fixtures, winning 21 and drawing seven. Those draws include the 2016 final against Atlético Madrid, which Madrid won on penalties in Milan.

• This season Ronaldo became the first player to score in all six group games, registering nine goals overall. He also struck in each leg of both the last 16 and the quarter-final, meaning he had scored in every game this season before drawing a blank in both legs of the semi-final; he is the competition's top scorer with 15 goals. The only player to have bettered that total is Ronaldo himself, with 17 goals in 2013/14 and 16 in 2015/16.

• Madrid's shoot-out record in European competition is W2 L2:
5-3 v Club Atlético de Madrid, 2015/16 UEFA Champions League final
1-3 v FC Bayern München, 2011/12 UEFA Champions League semi-final
3-1 v Juventus, 1986/87 European Cup second round
5-6 v FK Crvena zvezda, 1974/75 European Cup Winners' Cup quarter-final

2005 final highlights: 'The Miracle of Istanbul'
Liverpool
• Liverpool's record in two visits to Kyiv is W1 D1 L0 F3 A2. Danny Murphy and Steven Gerrard struck as a Reds team coached by Phil Thompson, with manager Gérard Houllier absent for health reasons, won 2-1 against Dynamo at the Dynamo Stadium in the 2001/02 UEFA Champions League first group stage. Rafael Benítez's side then drew 1-1 with Maccabi Haifa FC at the same venue – by that time renamed the Valeriy Lobanovskiy Stadium – in the third quliafying round of the 2006/07 competition, Peter Crouch their scorer to complete a 3-2 aggregate triumph.

• The Reds have already faced Spanish opposition this season, drawing home (2-2) and away (3-3) with Sevilla FC, letting slip a 3-0 half-time lead in the second game in Spain.

• A 3-0 home win against Villarreal CF in the 2015/16 UEFA Europa League semi-final is Liverpool's only success in their last seven fixtures against Spanish clubs (D2 L4) – a sequence that includes that 2016 UEFA Europa League final loss to Sevilla.

• Overall, the Merseyside club's record against Spanish sides is W14 D12 L11 F46 A38. They have won only one of their last seven fixtures against Liga clubs outside England – that 2009 success at Real Madrid.

• Liverpool's unbeaten record in this season's competition was ended by the 4-2 defeat at AS Roma in the semi-final second leg, the Reds progressing 7-6 on aggregate. Their record since matchday one is now W7 D4 L1 F40 A13.

Klopp: It's just amazing
• Liverpool finished first in Group E this season with 12 points, beating NK Maribor 7-0 away and FC Spartak Moskva by the same scoreline at home. FC Porto were overcome 5-0 in the away first leg and on aggregate in the round of 16, before a 5-1 defeat of Manchester City over the two legs of the quarter-finals (3-0 home, 2-1 away).

• Including qualifying, Liverpool have scored 46 goals in 14 games this season, at an average of 3.29 goals per game – surpassing Barcelona's record of 45 from 1999/2000. Discounting the Reds' haul of six against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim in the play-offs they are on 40 goals and still third on the all-time list behind Barcelona's 1999/2000 tally of 45 goals and Madrid's 41 in 2013/14.

• Liverpool's record in four UEFA penalty shoot-outs is W3 L1:
4-5 v Beşiktaş JK, 2014/15 UEFA Europa League round of 32
4-1 v Chelsea FC, 2006/07 UEFA Champions League semi-final
3-2 v AC Milan, 2004/05 UEFA Champions League final
4-2 v AS Roma, 1983/84 European Champion Clubs' Cup final

Ronaldo’s winning penalty, Liverpool’s comeback and more: Classic final moments
Coach and player links
• Jürgen Klopp oversaw four games against Madrid as Borussia Dortmund coach in 2012/13. After a 2-1 win in Germany and 2-2 draw in Spain in the group stage, the teams met again in the semi-finals, Dortmund going through despite a 2-0 away second-leg defeat having won 4-1 at home, Robert Lewandowski scoring all four of the Bundesliga side's goals. Ronaldo, in the first leg, and Karim Benzema and Ramos, in the second, scored for Madrid.

• The following season Madrid ousted Klopp's Dortmund in the quarter-finals, goals from Bale, Isco and Ronaldo securing a 3-0 first-leg win at the Bernabéu. The Spanish side held on despite a 2-0 away loss in the return.

• Sergio Ramos has already won a major European trophy at the NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, having featured in Spain's UEFA EURO 2012 final win against Italy.

• Karim Benzema featured as France lost 2-0 to Sweden at the same venue earlier in the group stage of the same tournament, and also played in a 2-2 draw with Ukraine in UEFA EURO 2008 qualifying in 2007.

• Dejan Lovren and Luka Modrić played for Croatia in a 2-0 FIFA World Cup qualifying win against Ukraine at the NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium in October 2017.

• Toni Kroos scored his second international goal, and first from open play, in a 3-3 friendly draw against Ukraine at the NSC Olimpiyskiy in November 2011.

• Nacho and Isco started as Spain won 1-0 at the NSC Olimpiyskiy in an October 2015 European qualifier.

• Jordan Henderson came off the bench for England in a 0-0 draw with Italy in the UEFA EURO 2012 quarter-finals in Kyiv, his side losing 4-2 on penalties. Injured club-mate Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was an unused substitute.

• James Milner and Oxlade-Chamberlain had featured in a 3-2 group stage defeat of Sweden in Kyiv at the same tournament, with Henderson staying on the bench.

• Milner returned to play in England's 0-0 World Cup qualifying draw in Ukraine in September 2013.

• Mohamed Salah played at the NSC Olimpiyskiy for ACF Fiorentina while on loan from Chelsea FC in a 1-1 2014/15 UEFA Europa League quarter-final draw.

• Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice in nine appearances against Liverpool for Manchester United, winning five, losing three and drawing one.

• Modrić faced Liverpool eight times with Tottenham Hotspur FC (W5 D1 L2) and scored once, a penalty in a 2-0 victory at Anfield in May 2011.

• Gareth Bale's record against Liverpool with Tottenham was W4 D2 L3. His only goal in nine appearances came in a 2-1 home victory in November 2012.

• Moreno faced Real Madrid three times during his time at Sevilla (W1 L2).

• International team-mates:
Marcelo, Casemiro & Roberto Firmino (Brazil)
Luka Modrić, Mateo Kovaćić & Dejan Lovren (Croatia)
Sergio Ramos, Dani Carvajal, Nacho, Marco Asensio, Isco, Lucas Vázquez & Alberto Moreno (Spain)
Toni Kroos & Emre Can (Germany)
Gareth Bale & Ben Woodburn (Wales)

 

[Wolverine GTR]

පාපන්දු ලෝක කුසලාන ආරම්භ වීමට තවත් ඇත්තේ මාසයක පමණ කෙටි කාලයකි. තනි ක්‍රීඩාවක් සඳහා ලෝකයේ පැවැත්වෙන විශාලතම තරගාවලිය වන පාපන්දු ලෝක කුසලාන තරගාවලියට සහභාගී වීමට ලෝකයේ කණ්ඩායම් පෙරුම් පුරන්නේ වසර ගණනාවක මහන්සියක ප්‍රතිඵලයක් ලෙසිනි.

වසර ගණනාවක පටන් ලෝකයේ පාපන්දු කණ්ඩායම් අතර වැජඹුණු ඉතාලිය 1958 වසරින් පසුව මෙවර ලෝක කුසලානයකට සහභාගී නොවේ. වසර 60 පසුව වූ මේ අවමානය ඉතාලියට දරාගත නොහැකි වේදනාවක් බවට පත්ව ඇත. ලෝක කුසලානයේ උරුමක්කාරයන් වීමට නොහැකි වුවත් ඉතාලි ජාතිකයන් අතර ලෝක කුසලාන බැබෙළෙමින් තිබේ. ඒ වර්තමාන ලෝක කුසලානයේ නිර්මාතෘවරුන් ඔවුන් වන බැවිනි.
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ඉතාලිය මෙවර ලෝක කුසලාන තරගාවලියට සහභාගී නොවුනත් , ලෝක කුසලානය ඉතාලිය වෙත පැමිණ තිබේ. සෑම වසර 4කට වරක්ම ඉතාලියේ මිලාන් නගරයේ නිර්නාමික ගොඩනැගිල්ලක් තුළ එහි අලුත්වැඩියා කටයුතු කරනු ලබන්නේ එයටම ආවේණික වූ ශිල්පීන්ගේ සහයෝගය ඇතුවය.

1970 වසරින් පසුව අන්තර් ජාතික පාපන්දු සම්මේලනය අලුත්ම ආකාරයෙන් යුතු පාපන්දු අනුරුවක් නිර්මාණය කිරීම සඳහා රටවල් 7 ක සංචාරයක නියලුණේය. එහිදි විවිධ ශිල්පීන්ගේ නිර්මාණ 53 ක අනුරූ හඳුනා ගැනීමට හැකි විය. නමුත් අවසාන වරට ඉතාලි නිර්මාණ ශිල්පියෙකු වූ සිල්වියෝ ගැසනිගා විසින් නිර්මාණය කරන ලද අනුරුව පාපන්දු ලෝක කුසලානය සඳහා යොදා ගැනීමට අන්තර් ජාතික පාපන්දු සම්මේලනය තීරණය කළේය.

ජි.ඩි.ඊ. බර්ටොනි නම් කුසලාන හා පදක්කම් නිර්මාණකරු විසින් 70 දශකයේදී සේවකයන් 12 දෙනෙකුගේ සහයෝගය ඇතිව පළමු පාපන්දු ලෝක කුසලානය 1970 දී නිර්මාණය කළේය. නිර්මාණය කරන ලද නවතම ලෝක කුසලානය පළමු වරට බ්‍රසීලය දිනා ගනිද්දී, කුසලානය නිර්මාණය කරන ලද ඉතාලියට එවර අනුශූරතාවයෙන් සෑහීමට සිදු විය.

“ ආරම්භක ලෝක කුසලානයම නැවත අප වෙත පැමිණෙන විට ඒ පිළිබඳ දැනෙන හැගීම හරිම වෙනස් යැයි ලෝක කුසලාන නිර්මාණ ආයතනයේ වත්මන් ප්‍රධානි වැලන්ටිනා ලෝසා මහත්මිය ප්‍රකාශ කර සිටී.

“ ඇත්ත මොනාලිසාගේ රුව සහ එහි පිටපත දකිනවාට වඩා වෙනස් හැගීමක් තමයි මෙය දකිද්දි දැනෙන්නේ. මුල්ම කුසලානය තමයි අදත් අප ළඟ තියෙන්නේ යැයි දැඩි හැගීම්බරව ඇය තව දුරටත් පවසා සිටියේය.

“ ලෝක කුසලාන අනුරුවට මුඵ ලෝකයෙන්ම අනුරූ 53 කට වඩා ඉදිරිපත් වුණා. නමුත් ඒ අතර අපි තමයි හොඳම අනුරුව නිරමාණය කළේ. ඇත්තටම ඒ හැඟීම කියන්න බැරි තරම් යැයි ඇය තව දුරටත් මේ විශේෂ අවස්ථාව පිළිබඳ තොරතුරු අනාවරණය කරමින් පවසා සිටියාය.

සත්‍ය වශයෙන්ම පාපන්දු ලෝක කුසලානය කෙනෙකුගේ දෑතට ගන්න ලැබේනම් එය භාග්‍යකි. එම අවස්ථාව බර්ටෝනි සමාගමේ සේවකයන්ට ලැබී ඇත්තේ එහි අලුත්වැඩියා කටයුතු සිදු කරන බැවිනි. එය ඔවුන්ගේ රැකියාව වුවත් එවන් අවස්ථාවක් සියල්ලටම හිමි නොවේ.

“ ඇත්තටම එය වසර 4ක් තිස්සේ ගමන් කරනවා. සුලු හෝ හානියකට පත් වුවොත්, එය නැවතත් අපි තිබූ තත්ත්වයටම ගන්නවා යැයි බර්ටෝනි සමාගමේ සේවය කරන විශේෂ පුද්ගලයන්ගෙන් එක් අයෙකු වන ප්‍රීට්‍රෝ බ්‍රැම්බිල්ලා මහතා පවසා සිටියේය.

බ්‍රැම්බිල්ලා පාපන්දු ක්‍රීඩාව සඳහා කැමැත්තක් නොදැක්වූ පුද්ගලයෙක් බවත් පසුව පාපන්දු ලෝක කුසලානයේ අලුත්වැඩියා කටයුතු වල දිගින් දිගටම නිරත වීම නිසා පාපන්දු ක්‍රීඩාව සඳහා දැඩි ඇල්මක් ඇති වූ බවත් ඔහු වැඩි දුරටත් පවසා ඇත.

ජුනි 15 වැනිදා මෙම ලෝක කුසලානය මෙම කණ්ඩායම් 32 අතරින් එක් රටකට හිමිවේ. විශේෂයෙන් නේමාර්, ලයනල් මෙසී, හියුගෝ ලෝරිස්, සර්ජියෝ රමෝස් හෝ මැනුයෙල් නෙයාර් මෙම ලෝක කුසලානය එසවිය හැක. නමුත් කවුරුන් මෙය ලබා ගත්තද තවත් මාස කිහිපයකින් නැවතත් එය ඉතාලිය වෙත එන බව ඔවුහූ දනිති. මේ නිසා වේදනාවෙන් හෝ මෙය අලුත්වැඩියා කර රුසියාවට බාර දීමට ඉතාලියට සිදුව තිබේ.

සිව් වතාවක් ලෝක පාපන්දු කිරුළ දිනා ඇති ඉතාලියට නැවත ලෝක කුසලානයක පහස විදීමටනම්, 2022 දක්වා බලා සිටීමට සිදුවෙනු ඇත.



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