Showing posts with label UEFA Nations League. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UEFA Nations League. Show all posts
Friday, 13 February 2026
Monday, 9 June 2025
Saturday, 7 June 2025
CRISTIANO RONALDO DISMISSES LAMINE YAMAL AS 2025 BALLON D'OR FAVOURITE
Cristiano Ronaldo spoke to the media on Saturday, and during his press conference, he discussed Lamine Yamal, whom he will face for the first time during Sunday’s UEFA Nations League final between Spain and Portugal.
Cristiano Ronaldo gives assessment of Lamine Yamal
As per Diario AS, Ronaldo gave his thoughts on Lamine Yamal, while also issuing a warning to those that have high expectations for the 17-year-old Barcelona winger.
“Lamine Yamal is doing very well, he is taking full advantage of his talent. Now let the kid grow and don’t put too much pressure on him. Let him be and let him grow well, take the pressure off him. He has no shortage of talent.”
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| Cristiano Ronaldo will face Lamine Yamal for the first time in the UEFA Nations League final (Image via Getty Images) |
Ronaldo, who was praised by Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon ahead of the UEFA Nations League final, also laughed off comparisons between himself and Lamine Yamal, whom he believes should be likened to players in his own generation.
“It’s always been Cristiano against this or that, I’m used to it. They are different generations, one begins and the other ends. They should compare Lamine with Vitinha, who is closer (to his generation). But no problem, I’m left with the criticism. In reality, it is one selection against another. But I understand, the media heats up the game, it’s nice and normal. What I want most is for Portugal to be at a good level and win, against a team that is probably the best in the world.”
Ronaldo believes Lamine Yamal shouldn’t win Ballon d’Or
Lamine Yamal is considered to be one of the frontrunners for the 2025 Ballon d’Or, but according to Ronaldo, the teenager should not win the award – instead, he believes it should go to a Paris Saint-Germain player.
“The individual awards have lost some consensus; I can’t say anything about who should win. In my opinion, those who stand out and win the Champions League should win. But there is no consensus. I don’t believe much in individual awards because I know what goes on behind the scenes. Lamine could win, like Dembele or Vitinha, other emerging players… But individual awards are irrelevant.”
- John Menzies
Friday, 6 June 2025
Friday, 30 May 2025
GERMANY VS. PORTUGAL | UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE | SEMI-FINAL
Germany π Portugal
π️ Wednesday, 04 June, 2025
⏰ GMT - 19:00 PM
π UEFA Nations League A Championship -Semi-final
π️ Allianz Arena, MΓΌnchen, Germany
#germany | #UEFANationsLeague
Monday, 24 March 2025
SPAIN INTO UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL WITH PENALTY SHOOT-OUT VICTORY OVER THE NETHERLANDS
Spain have made it into the semi-finals of the UEFA Nations League after a nervy penalty shoot-out victory over The Netherlands, which came after a 5-5 aggregate scoreline across two legs.
In Thursday’s first leg in Rotterdam, Spain found the opening goal inside the opening 10 minutes, and they did so again at the Mestalla. On this occasion, Mikel Oyarzabal was fouled inside the penalty area by Jean Paul van Hecke, and that allowed the Real Sociedad captain to step up and score from 12 yards.
La Roja would hold their lead until half time, but on 54 minutes, they were pegged back. Robin Le Normand was adjudged to have fouled Memphis Depay inside Spain’s penalty area, and that gave the opportunity for the former Barcelona and Atletico Madrid striker to score, which he managed to do.
15 minutes later, Spain would find themselves back in front, and it was Oyarzabal that scored again after he was set up following great work in the build-up from Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams on the counter-attack, which ended in the 27-year-old heading home after his initial effort was saved.
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| Lamine Yamal scored a wonderful goal during Spain’s 3-3 UEFA Nations League quarter-final second leg draw against The Netherlands |
However, La Roja could not hold on to book their place in the Nations League semi-finals as the Dutch found another equaliser, with defender Ian Maatsen blasting past Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon from inside the penalty area to restore parity on the night and on aggregate.
That goal meant that extra time was needed at the Mestalla, and in the first half of the additional 30 minutes, Spain thought that they scored the winning goal in the tie, and it was a special one from Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal. It was a wonderful pass over the top from Dean Huijsen, and the 17-year-old controlled brilliantly before firing into the far corner. But again, they were pulled back into a stalemate as Xavi Simons netted a penalty to make it 3-3.
That meant penalties were required, and it was Unai Simon that came up clutch at the end to save Donyell Malen’s effort. That gave Pedri the chance to secure the victory for Spain, and he did, with La Roja winning 5-4 in the shoot-out. And it means that they will take on France – who also won a penalty shoot-out in their quarter-final tie against Croatia – in the semi-finals this summer, before a possible final against Portugal or Germany.
- John Menzies
Sunday, 2 March 2025
Monday, 18 November 2024
FRANCE'S DIDIER DESCHAMPS CONCERNED FOR PLAYERS' MENTAL HEALTH
France manager Didier Deschamps has expressed concern over the growing mental stresses his players face with the congested football calendar and accentuated exposure via social media.
Deschamps has faced regular questions about the mental health of Kylian MbappΓ© in particular, with the Real Madrid forward having missed the last two international camps amid what the manager described as partly "psychological" worries.
"He is in a complicated situation, yes, but that does not take away from what he has done or mean that he is not able to re-find his previous form, even if he too was less effective in 2024," Deschamps told Telefoot when asked about MbappΓ©.
"The environment is different because there is exposure today -- the slightest little word, social networks and then the fallout.
"I spoke with some of my players. After a competition like Euro 2024, they have barely three weeks, it is difficult to put the demands back in. They are higher and higher.
"Every time it is: 'You must, you must, you must' and then sometimes you can't respond or you respond less well, and there can be a psychological issue.
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| France coach Didier Deschamps at training on Friday. FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images |
"Whether it is going as far as depression I don't know, but it is a psychological state that is fragile. It is the head that commands the legs."
Liverpool's French defender Ibrahima KonatΓ© also spoke to Telefoot about the reports around MbappΓ©'s mental state, offering support should the former Paris Saint-Germain forward need it.
"Beyond being a footballer, he is one of my friends and someone that I have a lot of affection for," he said.
"If Kylian has psychological problems in his life, we'll always be there to help him. But we know the qualities that Kylian has. He is a formidable player and one of the best in the world.
"Every player in their career has had a little blip so I'm not worried about him. I can't wait for him to get back to his best level."
France play Italy in the UEFA Nations League on Sunday in Milan. Both teams have already qualified for the quarterfinals of the tournament.
- ESPN
Saturday, 16 November 2024
Monday, 11 November 2024
ISRAEL ISSUE FAN WARNING AHEAD OF FRANCE GAME; MACRON TO ATTEND
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| Maccabi supporters wave yellow flags next to Israeli flags during the UEFA Europa League soccer match at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam on Nov. 7. ROBIN VAN LONKHUIJSEN/ANP/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES |
Israel told citizens on Sunday to avoid going to cultural and sports events abroad involving Israelis in the coming week, following attacks last week q on Israeli soccer supporters in Amsterdam.
A statement issued by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Israel had intelligence that pro-Palestinian groups abroad intended to harm Israelis in cities in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, Belgium and others.
France and Israel are playing in a UEFA Nations League match on Thursday that French President Emmanuel Macron will attend, the Elysee presidential palace said.
Paris police said Sunday that 4,000 officers and 1,600 stadium staff will be deployed for the match to ensure security in and around the stadium and on public transportation a week after the violence against Israeli fans in Amsterdam.
"There's a context, tensions that make that match a high-risk event for us," Paris police chief Laurent NuΓ±ez said on French news broadcaster BFM TV, adding authorities "won't tolerate" any violence.
NuΓ±ez said that 2,500 police officers would be deployed around the Stade de France stadium, north of the French capital, in addition to 1,500 others in Paris and on public transportation.
"There will be an antiterrorist security perimeter around the stadium," NuΓ±ez said. Security checks will be "reinforced," he added, including systematic pat-downs and bag searches.
NuΓ±ez said that French organizers have been in contact with Israeli authorities and security forces in order to prepare for the match.
Israeli fans were assaulted last week after a soccer game in Amsterdam by groups of young people apparently riled up by calls on social media to target Jewish people, according to Dutch authorities. Five people were treated at hospitals and dozens were arrested after the attacks, which were condemned as antisemitic by authorities in Amsterdam, Israel and across Europe.
On Sunday, Dutch police detained several people for taking part in a demonstration in central Amsterdam that had been outlawed following the violence targeting Israeli fans, a local broadcaster reported.
French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau confirmed Friday that the France-Israel match would go ahead as planned.
"I think that for a symbolic reason we must not yield, we must not give up," he said, noting that sports fans from around the world came together for the Paris Olympics this year to celebrate the "universal values" of sports.
Macron's expected attendance not only is a show of support for the French team, but also aims as sending "a message of fraternity and solidarity following the intolerable antisemitic acts that followed the match in Amsterdam," an official in Macron's entourage said. The official couldn't be named in line with the Elysee's customary practices.
Information from The Associated Press and Reuters was used in this report.
- ESPN News Services
Sunday, 13 October 2024
SPANISH NOSS: LAMINE YAMAL MUST GET USED TO ROUGH TREATMENT
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has warned Lamine Yamal to get used to rough treatment on the pitch after the Barcelona winger was targeted in his country's 1-0 UEFA Nations League win over Denmark on Saturday.
Yamal, 17, was on the end of several strong tackles from the Danish side and was seen limping back to the team bus after the game.
"You have to apply the toughness that the rules allow," De la Fuente said in a news conference when asked for his thoughts on the challenges Yamal suffered against Denmark.
"There is a referee there to mark the limit. Against young players with his talent, [opponents] try to intimidate and look for contact.
"The referee has to protect these talented players, but Lamine has to get used to it. I would love it to be a bed of roses, Flower Power, but this sport is like that.
"Lamine displayed an exceptional attitude and generated a lot for us from the right flank. He has a special talent. From there, I had a teammate who used to say: 'What do you want, kisses [from the opponents]?' Teams use the weapons they can within the rules."
Denmark's Victor Kristiansen was eventually booked for a foul on Yamal late in the game and the left-back said he wanted to let the teenager know he was not scared of playing against him.
"It was not that I thought I am going to get a yellow card here, it was simply to say [to him]: 'Oi, I am also in this fight. I am not afraid of you,'" the Leicester City defender told Ekstra Bladet.
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| Lamine Yamal was on the end of several strong challenges during Spain's win over Denmark. Omar Arnau/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images |
"When you have the opportunity to go into a 50-50 fairly that might hurt a little, you have to go for it. He is very skilful and very, very good at such a young age. He is going to be one of the best players for many years."
Sources close to the Spain national team played down the significance of Yamal's limp ahead of Tuesday's Nations League game against Serbia.
However, a final decision on his participation in that match will be taken in the next 48 hours with his club, Barça, keen to avoid any unnecessary risks ahead of a tough run of fixtures after the international break.
The Catalan side face Sevilla next weekend and then welcome Bayern Munich in the Champions League, before travelling to Real Madrid for the first ClΓ‘sico of the season.
Yamal has so far started 13 of 14 games for club and country this season, with De la Fuente saying before the victory over Denmark that the emphasis was on the clubs to rest players, not the national team.
MartΓn Zubimendi's second half volley earned La Roja the three points against Denmark in Murcia, moving Spain to the top of their Nations League group after three games with seven points, one more than the Danes.
They return to action on Tuesday with another home fixture, this time against third-placed Serbia in CΓ³rdoba. Serbia beat pointless Switzerland on Saturday.
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Saturday, 12 October 2024
KYLIAN MBAPPΓ DEFENDED BY FRANCE TEAM AMID NIGHTCLUB REPORTS
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| Getty |
Wesley Fofana has come out in defence of France captain Kylian MbappΓ© after reports emerged that the Real Madrid forward had been in a nightclub in Sweden on the night of his team's UEFA Nations League win over Israel.
MbappΓ© had already been criticised in some corners for skipping Les Bleus' games against Israel and Belgium while being available to play for Real Madrid even before Swedish publication Aftonbladet said the former Paris Saint-Germain player had been in a nightclub in Stockholm as his compatriots romped to a 4-1 win on Thursday.
The forward picked up a muscle injury in September but made an earlier-than-scheduled return to the pitch in the Champions League on Oct. 2 as Madrid suffered a shock defeat to Lille, and started their subsequent LaLiga game against Villarreal after being omitted from Didier Deschamps' squad over a lack of preparation.
"People can do what they want with their free time," Chelsea defender Fofana told a news conference Saturday. "It isn't something we [the France squad] have talked about today, I hadn't heard about this story.
"He does what he wants; he is a great guy and a great professional. Are we making too much of it? I don't know. He's the best French player, so it's normal that it is very publicised.
"I think that from time to time [the media] go a little too far. You should ask Kylian MbappΓ© for more information."
Lazio midfielder Matteo Guendouzi also addressed the reports as he spoke with media.
"We have no doubts about Kylian. ... There is no question about his passion [for his country]," he said. "He loves his country; he will continue to help us. We must stop talking about it too much.
"He has days off; he can do what he wants."
France sit second in Nations League group A2. They play Belgium in Brussels on Monday.
- ESPN
Sunday, 8 September 2024
Saturday, 7 September 2024
ITALY COME FROM BEHIND TO STUN FRANCE IN 3-1 WIN
Italy went behind after 12 seconds but came back to beat France 3-1 in a highly-entertaining Nations League A Group 2 opening game on Friday.
Bradley Barcola found the net in the opening minute when he caught Giovanni Di Lorenzo napping and raced into the area before curling his shot past Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Italy levelled after half an hour with Federico Dimarco volleying home a deft back-heel flicked pass from Sandro Tonali, and the sides went in level at the break after a pulsating opening half.
Five minutes after the interval and France were rocked again with Davide Frattesi putting Italy ahead, and Giacomo Raspadori gave the visitors the breathing space they needed in the 74th minute to silence the Parc des Prince crowd.
Both sides came into the game looking for redemption after failing to impress at Euro 2024, but it was Italy who earned the much-needed victory.
It was a terrible start for the visitors with Di Lorenzo taking far too long over a back-pass and Barcola pounced to score his first international goal.
A frantic start to the game gave Italy the chance to level five minutes later but Frattesi hammered a close range header off the crossbar.
Donnarumma pulled off saves from Kylian MbappΓ© and Michael Olise, making his debut, before Italy found the equaliser, with Tonali's assist just as impressive as the strike which found the net.
Tonali, back in the side after serving a 10-month ban for breaching betting rules, played a beautiful one-two with Dimarco who continued his run into the box and struck a sweet left-footed volley beyond the reach of Maignan.
"Magnificent game. We were afraid that he (Tonali) wouldn't make it to play 90 minutes, but in the end he gave two good bursts. We found a very strong player again," Italy manager Luciano Spalletti told RAI.
Italy came out of the blocks quickest in the second half and Retegui's perfect ball across the goal found Frattesi sliding in and his shot beat Maignan at his near post and minutes later Maignan got down to save Frattesi's header from a corner kick.
They found the all-important third goal with two second half substitutes combining. Destiny Udogie passed to Raspadori running into the box and he went round William Saliba to fire past the oncoming Maignan.
France piled on the pressure looking for a way back but Italy held firm to take all three points.
In Thursday's other group game, Belgium beat Israel 3-1, and in the next round of games on Monday France will host Belgium, with Italy away to Israel in Budapest.
Game Information
Parc des Princes
9:45 PM, September 6, 2024
Paris, France
Over/Under: 2.5
Referees: Sandro Scharer
Friday, 6 September 2024
CRISTIANO RONALDO GETS EMOTIONAL AFTER SCORING 900TH CAREER GOAL AGAINST CROATIA AS PORTUGAL STAR MAKES EVEN MORE HISTORY
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Cristiano Ronaldo scored the 900th goal of his legendary career in Portugal's UEFA Nations League tie against Croatia.
WHAT HAPPENED?
After Diogo Dalot's seventh-minute opener, 39-year-old Ronaldo bagged the 131st goal for Portugal and the 900th of his illustrious career as he swept home Nuno Mendes' perfect cross on Thursday night at Estadio da Luz. The Al-Nassr star cut an emotional figure after firing the ball into the net, before a Dalot own-goal reduced Croatia's arrears shortly before half-time.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Ronaldo will go down as one of the greatest footballers of all time. Apart from the World Cup, he has won every major trophy available to him in a glittering career that has included spells with Real Madrid, Manchester United, Juventus, and more. And despite approaching 40, he is still proving his worth for club and country.
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| Getty |
DID YOU KNOW?
Ronaldo, who featured for Portugal in their run to the Euro 2024 quarter-finals this summer, left United for Saudi Pro League team Al-Nassr at the start of 2023 and since then the former Sporting Lisbon ace has scored a remarkable 68 goals in 74 matches in all competitions.
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| Getty |
WHAT NEXT?
After this Nations League match against Croatia, Portugal will face Scotland on Sunday night. It remains to be seen if national boss Roberto Martinez will rest Ronaldo or start the veteran for the weekend encounter.
- Richard Mills
Saturday, 2 December 2023
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