Patrice Evra has labelled French football pundits as bums and parasites , insisting that they are lying to France with their criticisms.
Evra has been a controversial figure since his involvement in the national bust-up at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and the 32 year-old feels the criticism he still receives is not reflected by the French people.
One of those criticising Evra was former France international Bixente Lizarazu, and Evra hit back at the 43-year-old s comments.
They want to lie to the people of France, saying Evra is unloved. Arrogant? This is not true, he told Telefoot.
When I meet people in the street they are super friendly. I have no problem with people, just with pundits. I took (French pundit) Michel Fernandel on a visit to Old Trafford in 2008, he …
Paraguayan forward Brian Montenegro could soon be making a move to Europe, his official representative has confirmed.
The 22-year-old, who had enjoyed loan spells with Leeds United and West Ham, has been in tremendous form this season, bagging 15 goals in 17 league outings.
Therefore, it is hardly surprising that clubs from Europe are casting admiring glances his way, with Benfica the first club to make their interest concrete.
Montenegro’s official representative has moved to reveal the names of interested sides, while pointing out that his client also holds an Italian passport.
“There is interest from Benfica, FC Porto, Genoa and Lazio,” agent Miguel Zelada . “Benfica are the only club to have presented a formal offer.”
Brian Monteneg…
Rafael Benitez is hoping Newcastle United s recent improvement will continue on his return to Liverpool on Saturday.
Newcastle have taken four points from home games with Swansea City and Manchester City over the past week but remain in the relegation zone, two points adrift of 17th-placed Norwich City.
The Magpies have lost all eight Premier League encounters away from St James Park in 2016 but Benitez is optimistic his players can arrest that slide at Anfield.
He said at Friday s news conference: We have to believe, I m very happy with the reaction of the team in the last two games. With that intensity, passion and character on the pitch, the players showed they believe and I hope everybody has the same feeling. We ll fight to the end.
It s the way…
Jupp Heynckes has insisted his age will not be an issue after returning for a fourth stint in charge of Bayern Munich at 72, joking that he will go for the Germany job when he reaches 80.
Heynckes will begin his latest tenure on Saturday when Freiburg visit the Allianz Arena, as the Bavarians look to bounce back from consecutive league draws under the dismissed Carlo Ancelotti.
Bayern go into the match five points behind leaders Borussia Dortmund after seven matches, and some have questioned whether the experienced coach will be up to the task.
But Heynckes has no worries about his advancing years or the fact he has been out of coaching since 2013, claiming his mind is more important than his legs as a manager.
Getting ready for !
— FC Bay…
Disgraced former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has denied allegations that he benefitted improperly from bonus payments over the last five years.
On Friday, lawyers conducting an internal investigation at world football s governing body claimed that Blatter and fellow disgraced former officials Jerome Valcke and Markus Kattner benefitted improperly from bonuses totalling 79million Swiss francs (£55m).
Law firm Quinn Emanuel believe two clauses in contract extensions granted to ex-secretary general Valcke and former deputy secretary general Kattner in April 2011, shortly before Blatter s re-election ahead of Mohammed Bin Hamman, contravened mandatory Swiss Law.
Quinn Emanuel stated that the evidence appears to reveal a coordinated effort by three former top officia…
Sweden are through to the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 1994 after a deflected goal from Emil Forsberg clinched a 1-0 win over Switzerland.
The first meeting between the nations at a major tournament simmered in the St Petersburg sunshine until Forsberg s fortunate strike handed Sweden a crucial lead.
The RB Leipzig playmaker s tame 66th-minute effort was heading straight at Yann Sommer until Switzerland defender Manuel Akanji stuck out a foot, sending the ball looping beyond his wrong-footed goalkeeper.
Forsberg also produced a well-timed clearance in his own penalty area to preserve the advantage against a Switzerland side who finished with 10 men, defender Michael Lang seeing red after clipping the heels of Martin Olsson just outside the p…
Manchester United midfielder Andreas Pereira is determined to prove his quality to Jose Mourinho this season.
The 20-year-old joined United s youth system from PSV in 2011 but has struggled to force his way into the first team, making just four substitute appearances in the Premier League under Louis van Gaal last season.
The Brazil youth international scored a superb second goal for Mourinho s side in their 2-0 friendly victory over Wigan Athletic on Saturday after replacing Michael Carrick at the heart of midfield.
And Pereira hopes he can continue that form in training and pre-season in order to earn more regular playing time under the new manager.
I m very happy that I scored in this game, and yeah, it was not a bad strike at all, he told MUTV.
…
Manchester United and Chelsea are the two dominant forces of the Premier League era in England.
Chelsea s five titles are the closest number to the 13 United amassed during Alex Ferguson s glorious reign, although the Red Devils have rarely had things all their own way at Stamford Bridge.
As Jose Mourinho prepares to make his latest return to his old stomping ground on Sunday, with Antonio Conte looking to rouse a response form a Chelsea side well-beaten by Roma in midweek, we cast our eye over some titanic tussles in west London.
Chelsea 5-0 Man United, October 1999
United enjoyed a great year in 1999, as they won the treble and went on to go 29 matches unbeaten. But that run came to a rather abrupt end in October.
It took Gus Poyet ju…
Arkadiusz Milik marked his full Napoli debut with a double before Jose Callejon s late brace claimed a 4-2 Serie A victory over nine-man AC Milan.
The former Ajax striker – signed to replace Gonzalo Higuain – opened his Napoli account just 18 minutes into his first start for the club, before adding another with a thumping header just after the half-hour.
With Milan having picked up just two points from their last five trips to Napoli, their prospects seemed bleak, but a whirlwind five minutes early in the second half saw excellent strikes from M Baye Niang and Suso haul Vincenzo Montella s side level, while Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri was sent to the stands for protesting to the officials.
However, Napoli overcame their manager s absence, and found themsel…
Kasper Dolberg described his two-goal haul against Wales as completely crazy after helping to fire Denmark into the quarter-finals of Euro 2020 with a 4-0 win.
The Nice forward scored either side of half-time to put the Danes in control of Saturday s last-16 tie at the Johan Cruijff ArenA, where he previously spent three years with Ajax.
In doing so, Dolberg became only the second Denmark player after Henrik Larsen against the Netherlands in 1992 to score two goals in a knockout game at a major tournament.
Further goals from Joakim Maehle and Martin Braithwaite followed, either side of Harry Wilson s red card, as Kasper Hjulmand s side ran riot in Amsterdam.
Dolberg, who is Denmark s youngest scorer in the knockout stages of the Euros, received the man o…