Showing posts with label French. Show all posts
Showing posts with label French. Show all posts
Sunday, 6 September 2026
Wednesday, 19 August 2026
PATRICK VIEIRA TAKES OVER AS HEAD COACH OF SENEGAL'S TERANGA LIONS
Former Arsenal and France Captain, Patrick Vieira, has been appointed as the new head coach of the Senegal men’s national team.
The 50‑year‑old replaces Pape Thiaw, who was sacked in the wake of the country’s last‑32 exit at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Born in Senegal’s capital Dakar, Vieira will now manage the country of his birth, having moved to France aged eight before later winning over 100 caps for Les Bleus and lifting the World Cup in 1998 and the European Championship in 2000.
Senegal’s football federation (FSF) said the appointment of Vieira reflects its “desire to strengthen its high-level technical staff” and is “perfectly aligned” with the nation’s sporting ambitions.
Details of Vieria’s contract and his starting date in the role are still being discussed.
His first matches in charge of the Teranga Lions are expected to come next month in qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Vieira joins the West Africans after he left his role as Genoa head coach by mutual consent last November, with the team bottom of Serie A.
He won eight and drew nine of his 26 games during the 2024-25 season to guide the Italian club to safety and a 13th-place finish.
However, he left the club after managing just two wins in 25-26, with both of those victories coming in the Coppa Italia.
During his playing career, midfielder Vieira won three Premier League titles and four FA Cups at Arsenal, as well as silverware with AC Milan, Inter Milan and Manchester City.
He retired in 2011 and became the manager of New York City in 2016 before returning to Europe with Nice and leading them to seventh in Ligue 1 in his first season.
Vieira was sacked in December 2020 and became Crystal Palace manager the following year, guiding the Eagles to 12th in the Premier League and the FA Cup semi-finals in 2021-22.
He was dismissed in March 2023 after a 12-game winless run, before joining RC Strasbourg as their first appointment following a takeover by BlueCo, the company which owns Chelsea. He left Strasbourg by mutual consent in July 2024.
His predecessor Thiaw was at the centre of controversy in January when he ushered his Senegal team off the field when Morocco were awarded a stoppage-time penalty in the 2025 AFCON final.
- ThisDayLive
Monday, 6 July 2026
Friday, 15 May 2026
Wednesday, 6 August 2025
POTATOES? | MAXIME SOULAS 55KG OF FRESH POTATOES 🥔
🥔🇫🇷🇩🇰 Man of the Match? More like Farmer of the Match! 😅
French defender Maxime Soulas was gifted 55kg of freshly dug potatoes after his standout performance for Danish club Sønderjyske! 😂🔥
Maybe now we’ve seen it all! 🙌
- Pulse Kenya
Tuesday, 22 July 2025
Wednesday, 25 June 2025
LYON RELEGATED TO LIGUE 2 OVER FINANCES BUT FRENCH GIANTS WILL APPEAL AGAINST 'INCOMPREHENSIBLE' DECISION
Lyon relegated to Ligue 2 after an audit by French football financial watchdog; seven-time French champions will appeal against decision; Lyon are owned by John Textor, who has sold his stake in Crystal Palace to New York Jets owner Woody Johnson; Lyon finished sixth in Ligue 1 last season
French giants Lyon have confirmed they will appeal against the "incomprehensible" decision to relegate them to Ligue 2 after failing to convince authorities they have resolved their financial difficulties.
The seven-time French champions were hit with a provisional relegation back in November after racking up massive debts, and although they have since sold a number of first-team players, French football watchdog the National Directorate of Management Control (DNCG) upheld the relegation following meetings on Tuesday.
Lyon are owned by John Textor, and the decision to relegate them comes a day after the American businessman sold his stake in Crystal Palace to New York Jets owner Woody Johnson.
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| Lyon owner John Textor has sold his stake in Crystal Palace |
A verdict on whether Lyon meet financial rules from the UEFA Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) is still pending.
UEFA did not comment when contacted by Sky Sports News.
Lyon, who finished sixth in Ligue 1 last season, said in a statement: "Olympique Lyonnais acknowledges the incomprehensible decision handed down by the DNCG this evening and confirms that it will immediately appeal.
"Over the past few months, we have worked closely with the DNCG, meeting all of its demands with equity investments in excess of the amounts requested. Thanks to equity contributions from our shareholders and the sale of Crystal Palace, our cash position has improved significantly, and we have more than sufficient resources for the 2025/26 season.
"With proven funds and sporting success that has earned us a place in European competition two years in a row, we sincerely do not understand how an administrative decision could have relegated such a major French club. We will appeal to demonstrate our ability to provide the necessary financial resources to ensure OL's continued presence in Ligue 1."
Textor told L'Equipe last week he was confident Lyon's financial position had been resolved, having said back in November there was "no chance" the club would be relegated.
After receiving the provisional relegation last year, Lyon sold the likes of Said Benrahma, Anthony Lopes and Maxence Caqueret in January, and this summer they have already sold Rayan Cherki to Manchester City in a £34m deal.
Lyon winger Malick Fofana is a Chelsea target this summer after the Blues made an enquiry for the Belgium international.
Meanwhile, Sky Sports News has reported Lyon have been interested in signing Nottingham Forest pair Matt Turner and Danilo.
'A massive earthquake for French football - and Textor is to blame'
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| Lyon can appeal against the decision to relegate them to Ligue 2 |
French football expert Julien Laurens speaking to Sky Sports News:
"Back in November, they'd been provisionally relegated by the DNCG because at the time they were in debt of around £200m. The DNCG said, 'If it stays like this, you're going to go down, regardless of where you finish in the league. So you better sort out your account between now in November and June when you come back to see us.'
"And John Textor was like, 'Yes, don't worry, no problem. We will sell players in January. We will do the same before the end of June. We've got all these plans in place.'
"So they went in quite optimistic today in Paris to meet the DNCG, but this news was a massive earthquake in French football because we all thought and understood that Lyon would be okay, and actually the plans they put forward for sorting out their financial issues were not convincing enough for the DNCG.
"They will appeal now, but the thing is, they won't have much time between now and the appeal to put a plan in place that was different from the one they presented today.
"They sold Rayan Cherki to Manchester City - that was part of the plan. (But) you can't take money off Botafogo to just put it on the Lyon account. They've been trying to put a plan like that together, but that didn't work.
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| Lyon sold Rayan Cherki to Man City this summer for £34m |
"Now, I'm just not sure what else they can do apart from maybe selling Malick Fofana to an English club, maybe another player or two. But again, they will be really running against the clock, and other clubs will also know that they need money very quickly, so they won't be in a powerful position in terms of transfer markets and transfer fees.
"I'm actually quite worried now because we've seen in the past clubs who were relegated, then appealed, then find a way with new investors, money coming in from one way or another, to stay up. But for Lyon, the clock is ticking massively now.
"It's terrible. Since John Textor took over and bought the club from Jean-Michel Aulas, who is this historic figure in Lyon who took the club mid-table in the second division in the mid-eighties to seven league titles in a row and the semi-finals of the Champions League, to this now, to being relegated to the second tier in France.
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| Could Nemanja Matic be playing in Ligue 2 next season with Lyon? |
"John Textor's made this club a mess. There's no other way of putting it. He's been one of the worst owners, spending money everywhere, sacking managers, hiring the wrong managers.
"I just don't know how you get out of this. If you're Lyon, this is a terrible position to be in."
Textor sells Palace stake
Lyon's demotion comes after Textor's shares in Crystal Palace threatened to be an obstacle to the Eagles' participation in the Europa League next season because he owns Lyon, who are set to enter the same competition.
Under UEFA's multi-club ownership rules, it looked as though Palace could miss out.
However, Textor's 43 per cent stake in the London club has now been sold to Johnson in a deal worth more than £190m and values Palace at more than £400m.
The sale is subject to Premier League and WSL approval, but may now free Palace up to play in the Europa League.
The Eagles qualified for the competition thanks to their FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
A decision is expected within days that Palace will take their place in Europa League for first time in their history with the draw in August.
Textor, who through his Eagle Football Holdings group also owns a significant stake in Botafogo, who are the current Brazilian and South American champions, initially invested in Palace in 2021.
- Sky Sports
ICONIC FRENCH CLUB OLYMPIQUE LYON RELEGATED TO LIGUE 2
🚨 OFFICIAL: Olympique Lyon have been relegated to Ligue 2 😳📉
A shocking fall for one of France’s most historic clubs 🦁💔
The club can still appeal the decision — but for now, it's chaos in Lyon.
Sunday, 2 March 2025
JEAN-PHILIPPE MATETA NEEDED 25 STITCHES AFTER MILWALL KEEPER TACKLE IN CRYSTAL PALACE FA CUP WIN
Crystal Palace have confirmed that Jean-Philippe Mateta has been discharged from hospital after being stretchered off in their 3-1 FA Cup win over South London rivals Millwall on Saturday.
The French striker was brought down by Liam Roberts after six minutes, with Michael Oliver sending off the Lions keeper after watching VAR replays.
Mateta was down and required treatment for over 10 minutes. He was given oxygen before being carried off the Selhurst Park pitch.
Palace chairman Steve Parish slammed the tackle as one of the worst he had seen during half-time on BBC.
The Eagles wrote on their website: “We are very pleased to confirm that JP Mateta has this evening been discharged from St George’s Hospital where he received specialist treatment and 25 stitches to a severe laceration to his left ear. All scans were clear and JP is feeling well.
“He will now rest and recuperate over the following days where his progress will be monitored by our club doctor.
Thank you to the medical staff at both Selhurst Park and the hospital for their help and professionalism, and for all the wishes of support that JP and the club have received today.”
- Edmund Brack
Tuesday, 4 February 2025
CHELSEA COMPLETE SIGNING OF FRENCH MIDFIELDER
Chelsea returned to winning ways with a 2-1 comeback victory over London rivals West Ham United at Stamford Bridge on Monday.
Jarrod Bowen put the Hammers in front shortly before half-time, but the hosts turned the game on its head in the second half with Pedro Neto equalising before Cole Palmer’s cross was deflected into his own net by Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
The win lifts the Blues back into fourth spot in the Premier League table, and it appears that there may be more good news off the pitch for Chelsea fans.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea have completed the signing of midfielder Mathis Amougou from Saint-Etienne.
Agoudou – a versatile player that can play as either a defensive midfielder or central midfielder – is said to have signed a contract with the Blues.
He is a product of Saint-Etienne’s youth academy and has made a total of 19 appearances for the French side at senior level, having made his debut last term.
The Frenchman is the latest in a long line of talented young players to join Chelsea, since the West London club were taken over by Todd Boehly and Clearlake in 2022.
The midfielder is regarded as one of the most talented young players in France and he has represented his country at several youth levels up to under-19s.
Romano claims that the Blues will pay a fee in the region of £12.4 million to sign the teenager, while Saint-Etienne will also benefit from a sell-on percentage clause.
If he joins up with Maresca’s squad immediately, the Frenchman will compete with the likes of Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia for a starting spot at Stamford Bridge.
- Shoot
Tuesday, 28 January 2025
PROFILE & ROUTE GRAND PRIX LA MARSEILLAISE 2025
The French racing calendar starts off on the 2nd of February, a day packed with cycling. The Grand Prix La Marseillais is a race with a familiar profile, a race that suits the classics riders well, but every year opens up opportunities for some sprinters and climbers alike.
The French race has it's traditional course. A hilly day on the bike with an open finale. 166 kilometers of racing and 2700 meters of climbing, the peloton will face rolling climbs throughout the entire day. The race will be decided late on with a climb of 4.1 kilometers at 7.6%, and then 2.2 kilometers at 6%. The Col de la Gineste is then a false flat rise into the final kilometers, before the peloton descends back into Marseille for a possible sprint or solo finish.
- Rúben Silva
Monday, 3 June 2024
EUROPE'S TOP SOCCER LEAGUES: TITLES, CUP FINALS, UCL, RELEGATION
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| Manchester United beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final. Michael Regan - The FA/The FA via Getty Images |
The 2023-24 season is almost over with the battles for the major honours, European qualification, relegation and promotion pretty much settled.
Here's a roundup of what has been decided, and what's still at stake, in the English Premier League, German Bundesliga, Spanish LaLiga, Italian Serie A and French Ligue 1.
Premier League
Season completed
Title
Manchester City were crowned champions for a record-setting fourth consecutive season.
Champions League (4)
CONFIRMED
1. Man City (38 games, 91 points)
2. Arsenal (38, 89)
3. Liverpool (38, 82)
4. Aston Villa (38, 68)
Europa League (2)
Man United beat 2-0 Man City in the FA Cup final (stream a replay on ESPN+, U.S. only) to seal one spot in the Europa League (UEL). The second went to fifth place.
CONFIRMED
FA Cup: Manchester United
5. Tottenham Hotspur (38, 66)
Europa Conference League (1)
CONFIRMED
6. Chelsea (38, 63)
Relegation (3)
RELEGATED
18. Luton Town (38, 26)
19. Burnley (38, 24)
20. Sheffield United (38, 16)
Leicester City and Ipswich Town have been automatically promoted to the Premier League. Southampton beat Leeds United 1-0 in the Championship playoff final (stream a replay on ESPN+, U.S. only) to take the final spot.
LaLiga
Season completed - promotion playoffs to be completed
Title
Real Madrid have been crowned champions.
Champions League (4)
CONFIRMED
1. Real Madrid (38, 95)
2. Barcelona (38, 85)
3. Girona (38, 81)
4. Atlético Madrid (38, 76)
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| Real Madrid have sealed the LaLiga title. Jose Manuel Alvarez/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images |
Europa League (2)
Athletic won the Copa del Rey and will be in the Europa League, though they will also finish in the first Europa League place in fifth. That means the other UEL place goes to sixth, which Real Sociedad have claimed.
CONFIRMED
5. Athletic Club (38, 68)
6. Real Sociedad (38, 60)
Europa Conference League (1)
Real Betis cannot be overtaken for the final European place.
CONFIRMED
7. Real Betis (38, 57)
Relegation (3)
CONFIRMED
18. Cádiz (38, 33)
19. Almería (38, 21)
20. Granada (38, 21)
Leganes and Real Valladolid have been promoted into the top flight. Eibar, Espanyol, Real Oviedo and Racing Santander will take part in the promotion playoffs.
Bundesliga
Season completed
Title
Bayer Leverkusen won the first championship in their history with a remarkable unbeaten record.
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| Bayer Leverkusen have already lifted the trophy. (Photo by ANP via Getty Images) |
Champions League (5)
The Bundesliga has sealed an extra place through the European Performance Spot, which sends the team in fifth to the UCL too.
CONFIRMED
1. Bayer Leverkusen (34, 90)
2. VfB Stuttgart (34, 73)
3. Bayern Munich (34, 72)
4. RB Leipzig (34, 65)
5. Borussia Dortmund (34, 63)
Europa League (2)
Leverkusen beat second division side Kaiserslautern 1-0 in the final of the DFB Pokal (stream a replay on ESPN+, U.S. only), so both sixth and seventh get a UEL place.
CONFIRMED
6. Eintracht Frankfurt (34, 47)
7. TSG Hoffenheim (34, 46)
Europa Conference League (1)
CONFIRMED
8. Heidenheim (34, 42)
Relegation (2+1)
Two teams are relegated automatically, while third-bottom takes on third place in the 2. Bundesliga in a playoff.
RELEGATION PLAYOFF
16. VfL Bochum (34, 33)
Bochum looked destined to be relegated after losing 3-0 at home to Fortuna Düsseldorf in the first leg ... only for Bochum to win the return leg 3-0 and then secure their top-flight status with a 6-5 penalty-shootout win.
RELEGATED
17. FC Cologne (34, 27)
18. SV Darmstadt 98 (34, 17)
St. Pauli and Holstein Kiel have been automatically promoted into the Bundesliga.
Serie A
Season completed
Title
Internazionale wrapped up the Scudetto as runaway champions.
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| Inter Milan walked their way to the Scudetto. Getty Images |
Champions League (5)
Like Germany, Italy has secured an extra place in next year's competition through its clubs' performance in Europe this season, meaning five clubs have qualified.
CONFIRMED
1. Internazionale (38, 94)
2. AC Milan (38, 75)
3. Juventus (38, 71)
4. Atalanta (38, 69)
5. Bologna (38, 68)
As Atalanta will finish in the top 4, Italy will remain on five places in the Champions League. Had Atalanta finished fifth, then AS Roma in sixth would also have been in the Champions League next season.
Europa League (2)
Juventus won the Coppa Italia, so sixth and seventh will qualify for the UEL.
CONFIRMED
6. AS Roma (38, 63)
7. Lazio (38, 61)
Europa Conference League (1)
CONFIRMED
8. Fiorentina (38, 60)
Relegation (3)
RELEGATED
18. Frosinone (38, 35)
19. Sassuolo (38, 30)
20. Salernitana (38, 17)
Frosinone began the final day in 16th, but they lost to 17th-placed Udinese, and 18-th placed Empoli scored in the 93rd minute to climb out of the drop zone.
Parma and Cesc Fàbregas' Como were promoted to Serie A automatically, while Venezia beat Cremonese in the playoff final.
Ligue 1
Season completed - relegation playoff remains
Title
Paris Saint-Germain secured the title with ease.
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| Paris Saint-Germain are expected to do the double in France. Aurelien Meunier - PSG/PSG via Getty Images |
Champions League (3+1)
France gets three automatic places, with fourth place entering the UCL in the third qualifying round.
Remarkably Brest were in fourth when the games on the final day entered the 90th minute. Brest scored to go level with Lille on points and goal difference, but Lille stayed third on head to head. Then Lille conceded at home in the fourth minute of added time, sending Brest directly into the Champions League group stage.
CONFIRMED
1. Paris Saint-Germain (34, 76)
2. AS Monaco (34, 67)
3. Brest (34, 61)
4. Lille (34, 59)
The UEL places go to fifth and the winners of the Coupe de France -- PSG beat Lyon 2-1 in the final, so the places passes to sixth ... which is Lyon.
CONFIRMED
5. Nice (34, 55)
6. Lyon (34, 53)
Europa Conference League (1)
CONFIRMED
7. Lens (34, 51)
Relegation (2+1)
Two teams are relegated, with third-bottom facing a playoff with a team from the second division to remain in Ligue 1.
RELEGATION PLAYOFF
16. Metz (34, 29)
Metz are relegated after they lost 4-3 on aggregate to Saint-Étienne.
RELEGATED
17. Lorient (34, 29)
18. Clermont Foot (34, 25)
AJ Auxerre and Angers were automatically promoted to Ligue 1.
Tuesday, 21 March 2023
Saturday, 10 December 2022
Monday, 5 December 2022
FRENCH FORMULA 1 DRIVER DIES AT AGE 73
French Formula 1 driver who has won two F1 titles with Ferrari in the 1980's has passed away at age 73.
He was suffering from long illness, his family said.
Monday, 24 October 2022
Monday, 22 August 2022
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