..::Football IV::..

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Pogba a natural leader for France - Matuidi


Paul Pogba is a "natural leader" for France despite the criticism received by the midfielder, says team-mate Blaise Matuidi.Pogba claimed he is the "most criticised player in the world" after France started their World Cup campaign with a fortunate 2-1 defeat of Australia.

The Manchester United midfielder was involved in both goals, playing the pass that led to Antoine Griezmann's penalty, and seeing his shot deflect in off Aziz Behich for the winner.

Despite his impact Pogba still faced criticism in the wake of an under-par Group C showing from Les Bleus, leading Matuidi to defend his colleague."For me, Paul is a natural leader," Matuidi told a news conference on Monday."He is a leader of the game and also a leader outside. "When he expresses himself, I can tell you that he is being listened to.

"He is a great player, he has shown it, we want to put Paul in the best position, we are behind him, and you [the media] expect him to score four goals in one game.
"He's a midfielder and he's already able to go beyond his role, Paul is one of the big guys."

Pogba appeared to fire a barb at his critics with a social media post on Monday.
"Work in the shadow let people make noise," Pogba wrote on Twitter.

And Benjamin Pavard, whose performance against Australia could put his France place at risk for the rest of the World Cup with right-back Djibril Sidibe building his fitness, backed Matuidi in offering support to Pogba."He is a very great player," Pavard said. "He is a true leader. He is very important for the group.

"Paul always has nice words, he has a lot of experience at the highest level."

 

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FIFA World Cup 2018 Group Stage Fixtures 2018.06.19

FIFA World Cup 2018 Group Stage Fixtures 2018.06.19

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Group H
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Colombia Vs Japan

Poland Vs Senegal

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Group A
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Russia Vs Egypt

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[RottenCOLT]

ada salah gahai egypt! egypt! egypt!

 

[RottenCOLT]

ada salah gahai egypt! egypt! egypt!

 

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Salah ta support eka madi bro Egypt team eken.​

 

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No Germany line-up changes needed despite Mexico defeat, says Neuer


Manuel Neuer does not believe Germany need to change their starting line-up in response to their 1-0 defeat to Mexico on Sunday.Hirving Lozano's first-half goal condemned Germany to their first opening defeat at a World Cup since 1982, raising the pressure on the defending champions ahead of clashes against Sweden and South Korea.

The last two world champions, Italy and Spain, have both exited the World Cup at the group stages in the defence of their crowns and defeat for Joachim Low's side against Sweden on Saturday could bring a premature end to their campaign in Russia.

However, Neuer is confident the squad will respond positively to the defeat against Mexico and, despite Germany's depth, feels that changes to the line-up are not necessary."I don't think we need to take out one or two of the players to bring in new ones," the captain told reporters on Tuesday.

"We're not thinking about changes in the squad or in the team but the quality is there throughout. For some of the players it's the first tournament but there are also very experienced players."Everyone is raring to go again, in Monday on training it was clear the players were fired up. They were battling and of course battling for places, everybody wants to be involved in the games.

"Everyone is desperate to play. We are not scared of giving our own opinion to each other within the squad as to who we think should play."Germany, like the other nations at the World Cup, are also adjusting to the introduction of VAR and Neuer admits it has had an impact on the squad.

"We have a new situation with VAR and those things need to be discussed too.You have to wait to see how the referee decides things and there will be a bit of a break after that," the 77-cap goalkeeper added."The decisions are difficult to make and you can't protest. Only the referee can decide if there's an offside or not, we have no say in it."

Germany fly to Sochi on Tuesday ahead of the clash against Sweden and Jonas Hector is available again after missing the Mexico defeat with the flu.

 

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Colombia 1 Japan 2: Sanchez red spoils Pekerman's plans

Carlos Sanchez was shown the second-fastest red card in World Cup history as Colombia slipped to a 2-1 defeat in their World Cup opener against Japan in Mordovia.

The Group H favourites suffered a nightmarish start to their campaign when Sanchez blocked Shinji Kagawa's shot with his arm after just two minutes and 56 seconds, prompting the referee to brandish the first straight red card for handball at a World Cup since Luis Suarez was sent off against Ghana in 2010.

Kagawa then put Japan ahead from the penalty spot but even with 10 men Jose Pekerman was able to make his side competitive and Juan Fernando Quintero levelled with a free-kick six minutes before half-time.Pekerman brought on 2014 World Cup Golden Boot winner James Rodriguez in the second half but the Bayern Munich star, not fully recovered from a calf injury, was not allowed much of the ball by a disciplined, energetic Japan side.

Akira Nishino's men came into the tournament as one of the lowest ranked teams but they defied their position by making good use of their man advantage and fully deserved to have their lead restored when FC Koln forward Yuya Osako headed the winner in the 73rd minute.Victory over Colombia will give Japan hope of progressing beyond the group stage for the first time since 2010, while Pekerman will hope that James can return to full fitness in time for their forthcoming clash with Poland.


The game was less than three minutes old when Sanchez blocked Kagawa's 20-yard shot with his arm and the referee pointed to the penalty spot before showing the midfielder a straight red card.

After lengthy protests, Sanchez eventually left the field and Kagawa was allowed to slot the penalty clinically into the bottom right corner of the net and Colombia's game plan was in tatters.Despite the double setback, the South Americans attacked and Radamel Falcao got a toe to Quintero's looping pass into the penalty area but could only poke the ball into the arms of veteran Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima.

Jose Pekerman shuffled his pack on the half-hour mark, replacing Juventus winger Juan Cuadrado with Boca Juniors midfielder Wilmar Barrios, and an equaliser arrived nine minutes later.Falcao won a dubious free-kick after a challenge with Makoto Hasebe and Quintero's ensuing free-kick was driven low into the bottom left corner of the net where Kawashima arrived just too late to stop it from crossing the line.

After a frantic first half, the game slowed in the second but Osako burst into the Colombia box and drew a save from David Ospina with a tricky close-range shot that the Arsenal goalkeeper parried away.

Ospina was called into action again moments later, diving full length to his left to push Takashi Inui's curling 20-yard shot away from danger, before Pekerman sent on James as he sought a way to turn the tide back in favour of his side.But Japan were dominating possession and their pressure told when substitute Keisuke Honda's corner found Osako, who outjumped his marker and headed the ball into the far corner of the net, beyond Ospina's reach.

James had a sight of goal with 13 minutes remaining but his first-time shot from inside the penalty area was turned over the crossbar by the outstretched leg of Osako, and he will hope to regain full fitness in time to inspire Colombia to better results against Poland and Senegal.

 

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Neymar hobbles out of Brazil training ahead of World Cup clash with Costa Rica


Brazil star Neymar hobbled out of training with Brazil ahead of their Group E clash with Costa Rica on Friday.Neymar was absent from training on Monday, missing the session a day after Brazil drew 1-1 with Switzerland in their opening World Cup clash.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward received some tough treatment from Switzerland, being fouled 10 times during the game, his first competitive start since February.

A fractured foot kept Neymar out of the end of PSG's season but he made a goalscoring return to action with a stunning solo strike against Croatia in a friendly at Anfield, and was also on target in a 3-0 warm-up victory against Austria.

Tite's men looked set to receive a boost with Neymar taking part in Tuesday's session.But after around 10 minutes he limped away with a member of staff to receive some treatment after looking clearly uncomfortable on the field.

Brazil media officer Vinicius Rodrigues has since stressed the issue was not associated with Neymar's foot as he highlighted the rough treatment the forward received against Switzerland."Neymar felt some pain in his right ankle, so that's the reason he left training.Because of the number of fouls he suffered in the last match his ankle is a little painful, but he will train normally tomorrow," he said."He's not been medically examined. He felt some pain and went to the physiotherapy, and tomorrow he will train normally.

"It's normal for a football player to feel some pain, especially Neymar with the number of fouls that he's suffered in the last game. Because of the number of fouls that he suffered in the last match he's felt some pain in his ankle, and that's why he's not training today."The intention was not for him to train fully today because it's a post-match training, an easy training for the first 11."

After Sunday's match, Switzerland coach Vladimir Petkovic denied that his side intentionally fouled Neymar, saying: "Most of the duels were perfectly clean and very often we had one-on-ones with Neymar... I didn't see any bad fouls. My team played it very cleverly. We did some good things and I'm pleased."

The coach's words were backed up by Swiss star Stephan Lichtsteiner, who was worried the referee would intervene: “It’s very difficult playing him. He’s fast, he’s technical, you need to keep up with him all the time because he’s dangerous. It’s a big challenge. And I was a little bit worried about the referee. Every time he fell down it was a whistle, a foul, so that was a bit of a challenge.

“You think to yourself 'don’t be too aggressive' because every time he goes down it’s a foul. So, because of that, I had to be a bit careful.”

 

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Poland 1 Senegal 2: Good fortune and bad errors hand Africans Group H win

Senegal upset Poland with a 2-1 Group H victory in Moscow that owed plenty to poor mistakes from the European nation.Poland were widely expected to qualify for the knockout rounds but after suffering a seventh loss in their last nine World Cup matches, FIFA's eighth-ranked team are in danger of making an early exit.

Thiago Cionek's own goal, the defender deflecting in a shot from Idrissa Gueye, handed Senegal the lead in the 37th minute.Senegal doubled their lead when M'Baye Niang took advantage of a mix-up between Grzegorz Krychowiak and Wojciech Szczesny to finish with ease.

Adam Nawalka's side set up an exciting finish when Krychowiak somewhat made amends for his error by heading home a Kamil Grosicki free-kick, but they could not find a late leveller.Poland will need to make amends when they take on Colombia - who surprisingly lost to Japan on Tuesday - while Senegal have qualification for the next phase in their sights.


A slow start at Spartak Stadium saw neither side gain control of the midfield until Senegal had the first clear chance in the 18th minute, Niang dragging a poor effort wide after a break.The African side - who shocked France on their World Cup bow in 2002, their only previous appearance - gradually started to dominate but the opening goal had a large slice of good fortune.

Patient passing produced an opportunity for Gueye, albeit his 20-yard strike took a huge deflection off Cionek to wrong-foot Poland goalkeeper Szczesny.Nawalka sent on Southampton defender Jan Bednarek at half-time - Jakub Blaszczykowski making way on his 100th international appearance - as Cionek's own goal ensured Poland's 32-year wait for a clean sheet at the World Cup goes on.

Poland captain Robert Lewandowski was Europe's top scorer in qualifying with 16 goals but when he stepped up to float a 25-yard free-kick over the wall, Khadim N'Diaye acrobatically dived to turn the ball away.

A much-improved Poland continued to threaten and Lukasz Piszczek should have hit the target with a volley at the back post from a deep right-wing centre from Maciej Rybus.But while the Senegal first was unlucky for Poland, they were architects of their own downfall for the decisive second, handing Niang his first international goal on the hour mark.

Krychowiak needlessly hooked a high ball back towards his own goal from inside the Senegal half and with Szczesny attempting to intercept by coming out of his penalty area, Niang gleefully knocked the ball into an unguarded goal.

Arkadiusz Milik should have got Poland back in the game but he slotted a perfect Piszczek cross wide at the near post.Dawid Kownacki's headed attempt was easily saved late on by N'Diaye but the goalkeeper was beaten by Krychowiak's well-placed header with five minutes to go.

Yet Senegal held on to their advantage in a nervy finish, leaving the Euro 2016 quarter-finalists with plenty to do if they are to qualify from a suddenly wide-open group.

 

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Spain boosted by Carvajal return as Hierro backs De Gea after World Cup blunder


Fernando Hierro has confirmed right-back Dani Carvajal is back in contention for Spain ahead of Wednesday's meeting with Iran after recovering from a hamstring injury suffered in the Champions League final.

Carvajal has not played since the 3-1 win over Liverpool and initially was said to be a doubt for the entire World Cup.That was soon ruled out and it was suggested he could return for Spain's final Group B match against Morocco, but Hierro said at a news conference on Tuesday that the full-back is available for selection after training for the past week.

While it remains to be seen if he will start or not, Hierro will surely feel tempted to select him following a shaky display from Nacho Fernandez at right-back against Portugal.

"Dani is doing well," Hierro told reporters in Kazan ahead of the Iran match. "He has been training with the rest of the team for nearly one week so has recovered very well."He has been working with doctors, physios and the medical staff. He is available for tomorrow [Wednesday]."

David de Gea was one of the players to receive criticism on the back of the 3-3 draw with Portugal, as his error gifted Cristiano Ronaldo his second of the game.But Hierro reiterated that the Manchester United goalkeeper is someone he has absolute faith in.

"I have 23 players with their own character and you can't treat them all the same," Hierro said."All I can say is De Gea will play. We trust him entirely. As we've been saying for a few years now, he's one of the two or three best goalkeepers in the world. He will play, we trust him."

Hierro will go up against Carlos Queiroz when Spain meet Iran and the pair have great mutual respect for each other, though the former Real Madrid defender downplayed the importance of their personal duel.

He said: "Well, in the end, those who compete are those who are on the pitch, they really compete. I know that Carlos really tried getting me [as a player], we have a very close relationship, we are close friends, but those playing are the players."We are only on the bench and we try to do as little as possible during the game. We just hope things happen the way we want."

 

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'Bale is a Man Utd player' - Giggs backs Mourinho move for Real Madrid star


Gareth Bale is “a Manchester United player” and would excite supporters at Old Trafford if Jose Mourinho launches a summer raid for the Real Madrid forward, says Ryan Giggs.

Having been linked with a return to England for some time, the former Tottenham star has seen transfer talk resurface of the back of comments made after a Champions League final victory over Liverpool.Having netted twice off the bench in a 3-1 win over Liverpool, Bale revealed that he will be weighing up his options this summer as he seeks to find competitive football “week in, week out”.

United would be prepared to offer him those opportunities and Giggs – who is now the 28-year-old’s boss with Wales – believes a big-money move could be beneficial to all concerned.

The Red Devils legend told the South China Morning Post: “I’d be a happy United fan, that’s for sure.“I think he’s a Man United player. I think the fans would love him. The fans would adore him but again, like I say, he’s at a club where he’s won three Champions Leagues so why would you leave?”

This is not the first time that Bale has sparked exit talk in Madrid and he has opted to stay put in previous windows.He also has a change of manager to think about at the Santiago Bernabeu this summer, with Julen Lopetegui having inherited the Blancos reins from Zinedine Zidane.

That could influence his decision, with it possible that he will once again delay a move elsewhere in favour of sticking to a contract in Spain due to run until 2022.“I think there’s been talk for the last three years of Gareth moving. I think he’s at the right club but of course he wants to play,” Giggs added.“Last season he was frustrated and I can understand that but with a new manager I’m sure that he’ll wait to see how he does and see if he’s part of the new manager’s plans.”

 

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Ronaldo's Portugal importance reiterated by manager Santos but 'he can't win on his own'


Portugal coach Fernando Santos has dismissed the notion of his side needing to rely on Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of their World Cup clash with Morocco.

The Real Madrid star struck a hat-trick in his side's opening 3-3 draw with Spain last Friday to move onto 84 goals for his country, level with the record for a European international player set by Hungary great Ferenc Puskas.Ronaldo's exploits seemed even more impressive when Barcelona rival Lionel Messi missed a penalty as his Argentina side slipped to a 1-1 draw with tournament debutant Iceland a day later.

Santos was not willing to enter the debate around which of the world's most renowned forwards are more important to their national teams, though.When asked that question by a Spanish reporter at a news conference on Tuesday, he replied in English: "I understand you, I understand you."

He then continued in Portuguese: "We play Morocco [on Wednesday]. I hope Cristiano plays a great match. We're used to that, not only from the last match but his career as a whole. I hope he and our team are ready."Portugal were European champions with Ronaldo because the captain is very important, but I've never seen a player win a match on his own."

There were some claims Ronaldo was suggesting he should be seen as the greatest player of all time when he celebrated one of his goals against Spain by stroking his chin, although the so-called 'goat' gesture was dismissed by Santos as "normal in Portugal".
He also gave short shrift to a question about whether the 33-year-old is out to break Just Fontaine's record of 13 goals in a single World Cup campaign.

"Maybe, I don't know," he said. "This is a World Cup. These are national teams.The important thing for me is to respect the Moroccan team. We have to be focused and that's our goal. We have to win and that's what we care about."
Portugal could put themselves in a commanding position in Group B if they beat Morocco, who lost 1-0 to Iran in their opening match.

Santos does not fear complacency could become a problem, though, despite being reminded about Portugal's famous 3-1 defeat to the same opposition back in 1986.

"Most of my players weren't born in 1986 so it's hard to talk about something they didn't see," he said. "We have respect and humility which always helps us."Morocco are very good, they're one of the best African sides. They're very experienced, they have players mostly playing in Europe, in Italy, Holland, France, so it's a very well-organised team."

 

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Leno completes €22m Arsenal move from Leverkusen as Gunners bolster goalkeeping ranks

Arsenal have completed the capture of Germany international goalkeeper Bernd Leno from Bayer Leverkusen.

Goal revealed earlier on Tuesday that a deal for the 26-year-old was close, and that agreement has now been pushed through.It is understood that the Gunners have invested €22m (£19.2m/$25m) in a new No. 1, with Unai Emery moving to strengthen the squad inherited from Arsene Wenger.



Petr Cech has been Arsenal’s last line of defence for the last three seasons, but the veteran Czech is now 36 years of age.Emery told the club’s official website on landing a proven performer to take over between the sticks: “We are very pleased that Bernd Leno will be joining us.“Bernd is a goalkeeper of high quality and experience. He has been a top performer and regular number one goalkeeper with Leverkusen in the Bundesliga for the past seven years.

“We are all excited that Bernd has chosen Arsenal Football Club and look forward to start working with him in pre-season.”Leno moves to Emirates Stadium after seven years with Leverkusen which delivered over 230 Bundesliga appearances.

He spent much of his youth career at Stuttgart, but moved on in 2011 without taking in a first-team outing.History was made that same year as he became the youngest goalkeeper to feature in the Champions League at 19 years and 193 days – in a meeting with Chelsea.Quickly establishing a reputation as a reliable custodian, a senior international debut for Germany was made in 2015.

He now has six caps to his name, but was overlooked for World Cup 2018 duty this summer.His absence from that tournament will allow him to settle in north London ahead of the new Premier League season.

Arsenal will open that campaign against reigning champions Manchester City, with it possible that Leno could be handed the toughest of tests on his competitive debut.He will be relishing that challenge, with there still the promise of more additions to come at the Emirates.

Stephan Lichtsteiner has already been acquired to bolster the club’s defensive unit, and Goal has revealed that a deal for Sampdoria midfielder Lucas Torreira is also on the cards.

 

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Russia 3 Egypt 1: Salah strikes but hosts right on course for last 16

Mohamed Salah's penalty failed to save Egypt as World Cup hosts Russia all-but secured progression from Group A with a comprehensive 3-1 win in St Petersburg.

Making his first appearance since going off injured in the Champions League final on May 26, Salah was often on the periphery at the Krestovsky Stadium, but still managed to mark his World Cup debut with a consolation on 73 minutes.However, the damage had already been done in a 15-minute blitz from Russia early in the second half, Ahmed Fathy's own-goal opening the floodgates.


Russia took full advantage of the moment of good fortune, Denis Cheryshev and Artem Dzyuba netting in the space of three minutes to put Russia in complete control.

Despite his struggles, Salah was rewarded for his resilience when he was fouled by Roman Zobnin - VAR overturning the referee Enrique Caceres's initial decision to award a free-kick on the edge of the area.The Liverpool star duly converted from the spot but it could not kick-start a comeback, and while Russia's place in the last 16 will be confirmed should Uruguay beat Saudi Arabia, Egypt look set to fall out at the first hurdle.


Russia wasted no time in carrying on where they left off in their opening victory - Sergei Ignashevich heading at Mohamed El-Shenawy before Aleksandr Golovin fired wide.

Egypt weathered the storm, though, and Trezeguet very nearly took advantage of the extra space created by Salah's presence when he curled just wide from the edge of the box.Cheryshev went close to taking his tally for the tournament to three moments later, but El-Shenawy ensured the winger's strike did not dip in under the crossbar.

Salah's moment looked set to arrive in the 34th minute, but Yuri Zhirkov ensured he was in the right place to prevent the forward connecting with Mohamed Shafy's deflected cross.Zhirkov could do nothing to prevent Salah's next effort, however, as he spun clear of the experienced defender and sent a wicked strike inches wide of the target.

Any Egypt momentum was punctured two minutes into the second half, though.El-Shenawy's poor punch put Egypt under pressure, and Zobnin's first-time follow up spun in off the unfortunate Fathy, with VAR confirming that Dzyuba had not fouled his opponent.

Salah was presented with a glorious chance to restore parity with 56 minutes gone, only to hesitate, allowing Mario Fernandes to intervene.Fernandes soon made a key contribution at the other end too, driving into the box before supplying a neat cut-back for Cheryshev to slot home Russia's second.



Dzyuba got in on the act with a fantastic turn and finish to send the crowd into raptures, though Zobnin's clumsy pull-back at least enabled Salah to get himself a World Cup goal.Still, his effort came in a losing cause for Egypt, with the hosts making it two wins from two to close in on a place in the next round.

 

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Wilshere confirms Arsenal exit despite agreeing to new contract


Jack Wilshere has announced that he is leave to Arsenal after 17 years despite having agreed to sign a new contract on reduced terms.The 26-year-old’s future at Emirates Stadium had been the subject of much conjecture throughout the 2017-18 campaign.

Arsene Wenger regularly expressed a belief that a product of the club’s academy system would commit to fresh terms, with plenty of talks held in north London.


Those discussions eventually led to Wilshere reaching a compromise which suited all parties, with the England international prepared to take a pay cut in order to stay on.

Injury issues had influenced that offer, with Arsenal eager to see a home-grown talent prove his form and fitness if remaining on their books.There has, however, been a U-turn following a meeting between Wilshere and new Gunners boss Unai Emery.A man with 197 Arsenal appearances to his name wrote in a message in Instagram: "I can confirm that I will be leaving Arsenal when my contract expires at the end of June.

"Following a number of extensive conversations with those at the club, and in particular a recent meeting with new manager Unai Emery, I felt that I was ultimately left with little choice but to make the decision that I have due to purely footballing reasons."As has widely been reported, I, along with my representative have been in talks with the club for a number of months with a view to signing a new contract to extend my stay at the Emirartes.

"My intention throughout these discussions has always been to remain an Arsenal player. I have been on the books at Arsenal for 17 years and have always felt part of the fabric of the club. Such was my desire to stay that I had in fact recently agreed to sign a financially reduced contract in order to commit my future to the club."However following my meeting with the new manager I was made aware that although the reduced contract offer remained, it was made clear to me that my playing time would be significantly reduced should I decide to stay.

"I am sure everyone can understand that at this point in my life and career I need to be playing regular first team football and following my meeting with Mr Emery I came away feeling that it would be very difficult to do so at Arsenal."Given this, I feel I have no option but to pursue other opportunities in order to progress my career on the pitch.

"I have experienced some incredible times at Arsenal and have met friends that will last a lifetime. I leave with memories that will stay with me forever from my time at the club. From making my debut at such a young age, to playing in the Champions League and of course winning two FA Cups in consecutive seasons, there are just too many highlights to mention.

"There will be the opportunity to talk properly when the time is right but for now I would just like to thank everyone at the club for everything over the past 17 years, in particular Arsene Wenger and his staff, all of my teammates over the years, everyone at the Academy for helping me to fulfil my dream and of course the fans, who I have always shared such a special relationship with.

"I will never be able to truly repay the love, faith and belief that the fans have always shown in me. It’s meant so much to me and my family over the years and I hope you are able to celebrate the success you deserve in the coming years. Thank you.

"I would like to place on record my respect for Mr Emery and my appreciation for his honesty, and I wish him, the team and the club all the very best for the future.
"I’m feeling fit, sharp and strong and will be working tirelessly to ensure I am in peak condition ahead of the new season."I’ll now be taking the time necessary to consider my options before deciding on the next stage of my career."

 

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Man Utd need to find a Kroos and Ferdinand - Giggs offers transfer advice to Mourinho


Manchester United need to bring in a Toni Kroos type midfielder and a Rio Ferdinand-esque defender this summer, claims club legend Ryan Giggs.The Red Devils are expected to be busy during the transfer window, with two deals already in place.

Teenage full-back Diogo Dalot has signed from Porto, while a £52.5 million ($70m) fee has been agreed with Shakhtar Donetsk for Brazil international Fred.

Those additions will help to bolster the ranks at Old Trafford, but Giggs is hoping to see more funds invested in proven performers who can address obvious deficiencies in Jose Mourinho’s squad.

The former United winger told the South China Morning Post: “I think up front we’re fine. With the firepower we’ve got [Romelu] Lukaku scores goals, [Alexis] Sanchez, [Marcus] Rashford, Jesse [Lingard]. You’ve got a lot of options up front.
“In midfield I’d like to see, we’ve been saying it for a long time, we thought [Paul] Pogba would be that attacking midfielder I would like to see.

“They don’t grow on trees unfortunately, a [Luka] Modric, a Kroos type who can keep the ball.“And also I think a centre-half we need.“All the successful United teams over the years – [Gary] Pallister, [Steve] Bruce, Jaap Stam, Ferdinand, [Nemanja] Vidic – they’ve always had top class centre halves.

“Again, they don’t grow on trees. Who do we get? I don’t know, but I think a midfielder and centre half are vital.”

Giggs believes there will be plenty of activity at Old Trafford over the coming weeks, both in and out, but acknowledges that a number of the club’s Premier League rivals will also be making market moves - including reigning champions Manchester City.The current Wales boss added: “I think United, there will be a lot of players going. There will be a lot of players coming in.

“Whereas City will probably just tweak, which is always a good thing if you’ve got a settled side and then you can bring in two big hitters who can just make that difference and take you up to the next level.”

 

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Colombia 1 Vs 2 Japan

Group H Match in Pictures

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Poland 1 Vs 2 Senegal

Group H Match in Pictures

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Russia 3 Vs 1 Egypt

Group A Match in Pictures

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Colombia v Japan - 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia

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