Month: November 2024

The Football League will be re-named the English Football League ahead for the 2016-17 season.

The move comes as part of a comprehensive corporate and competition re-branding announced by the league on Thursday.

An abbreviated league title of EFL will be used throughout everyday promotion and publicity efforts, with the initials also featuring on a new logo comprised of 72 balls in three groups of 24 to represent each team taking part in English football s second, third and fourth tiers.

The logo will be the fourth used by the league in its 127-year history and each club in the Championship, League One and League Two is to be presented with its own bespoke version in its playing colours.

Football League chief executive Shaun Harvey said: The new EFL nam…

Inter kept alive their Serie A title hopes with a 1-0 Derby d Italia win over Juventus at the Allianz Stadium on Sunday.

Simone Inzaghi s side were second best in the first half, yet they went ahead moments before the interval courtesy of Hakan Calhanoglu s twice-taken penalty.

Juve huffed and puffed in the second half but they were unable to find the leveller that would have stretched their unbeaten run in the Italian top flight to 17 games.

The result meant Inter remain in third, three points behind leaders Milan, while Massimiliano Allegri s Juve stay in fourth, seven points behind the Rossoneri having played a game more.

2008/09 Inter have remained unbeaten in both the seasonal Serie A meetings against Juventus for the first time since the 2008/…

Son Heung-min was forced off with a worrying-looking head injury in Tottenham s Champions League match with Marseille.

A 23rd-minute aerial collision between Son and Marseille defender Chancel Mbemba led to a lengthy break in play.

In visible pain, Son was eventually helped off the field by Spurs medical team as he struggled to walk.

The incident will spark fears for both Tottenham and South Korea, with Son s national team due to open their World Cup campaign against Uruguay in just 23 days.

Whether South Korea s star man will be fit for that match on November 24 remains to be seen, as they look to make it out of the World Cup group stage for the first time since the 2010 edition in South Africa.

Spurs will be in action three more times before th…

Germany are not used to World Cup failures and do not intend to reflect on their Russia 2018 experience as they prepare to begin their 2022 campaign against Japan.

Die Mannschaft are four-time world champions and have reached at least the semi-finals at four of the five tournaments since the start of this century – more than any other nation over this period.

But the exception came four years ago as Germany – then the holders – exited in the group stage, losing to Mexico and South Korea.

It was the first time since 1950, when Germany were last absent from the World Cup, that they had failed to progress beyond the first round.

Defender Niklas Sule s only finals appearance to date was in the 2-0 reverse against South Korea, and it is not an experience…

Martin O Neill has agreed a new contract with the Republic of Ireland and will remain manager until after their Euro 2020 campaign.

O Neill started the job in 2013 and led Ireland to Euro 2016, where they were defeated 2-1 by eventual finalists France in the first knockout round.

The 65-year-old had previously made no secret of his desire to renew and said earlier on Thursday in a media conference that both sides were eager to find an agreement.

O Neill s renewal secures his immediate future despite Ireland sitting in a potentially precarious position in World Cup qualifying, positioned in third place in Group D behind Serbia and Wales with two matches to go.

Defeat at home to rock-bottom Moldova on Friday could end their qualification hopes should Wales…

Prediction: Aberdeen to win 2-1

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St Johnstone and Aberdeen will lock horns with each other in the Scottish Premiership next week. The match between Craig Levein’s side and Jimmy Thelin’s team will be at McDiarmid Park and is scheduled to kick off at 8 pm UK time next Monday.

St Johnstone

St Johnstone are a modest club in Scotland who do not tend to compete for the Scottish Premiership title or even for a place in Europe. The Saints, who were founded back in 1884, finished 10th in the Scottish Premiership table last season. They will be happy with a similar sort of position, but, of course, as with all clubs, they will be keen on doing better this time around.

The Saints have been quite busy in the summer transfer windo…

Real Madrid will play Liverpool in the Champions League final after Karim Benzema s extra-time penalty completed a remarkable 3-1 comeback win over Manchester City.

Leading 4-3 from a pulsating first leg, Pep Guardiola s side appeared set for a second successive final appearance when Riyad Mahrez put them ahead in the 73rd minute at Santiago Bernabeu, but comeback kings Madrid sealed their place in Paris with a 6-5 aggregate triumph.

Substitute Rodrygo was their inspiration, as he became the first player to score twice in the 90th minute of a Champions League knockout match to force extra-time.

And Benzema wrapped up a magnificent turnaround for Carlo Ancelotti s LaLiga champions when, five minutes into extra-time.

10 Karim Benzema has scored 10 goals …

Declan Rice was never going to celebrate after scoring against the Republic of Ireland in England s 2-0 Nations League victory.

The midfielder was met by a hostile crowd in Dublin having previously represented Ireland before changing allegiance to England.

But Rice had the last laugh, lashing home in the 11th minute before teeing up Jack Grealish, who previously represented Ireland at youth level, to seal a comfortable win for Lee Carsley s side.

It marked his fourth goal for the Three Lions but Rice did not feel the need for celebrations.

Obviously, it was an amazing feeling to score, but I was never going to celebrate. I have Irish family, my nan and grandad, who are not here anymore and I think it would have been disrespectful to them if I celebrated,…

Best Odds: 4/5

Bookmaker:

In what is a heavyweight EURO 24 quarter-final showdown on Friday night, Portugal and France will meet in Hamburg.

Portugal

Starting with Portugal, avoiding what would have been an infamous EURO 24 exit at the hands of Slovenia earlier in the week, Roberto Martinez’s men will be desperately seeking a more polished performance here. However, signing off their Group F campaign with a shock 2-0 defeat against major tournament debutants Georgia, the Navigators have shown some attacking issues over the past week. In fact, the 2016 European champions have drawn back-to-back blanks for the first time since October 2020. However, opening this summer’s tournament tipped as a potential dark horse contender, Portugal did make a major qualifyi…

Wales are heading to the Euro 2024 play-offs after drawing 1-1 with Turkey on a dramatic night in Cardiff.

Neco Williams’ seventh-minute goal – his third for Wales – offered hope they could bridge the two-point gap between them and Croatia for the second automatic qualifying spot.

But Yusuf Yazici’s controversial penalty 20 minutes from time – awarded after Wales had three stronger spot-kick appeals rejected – handed Turkey a share of the spoils and the point required to top Group D.

In the end, Yazici’s leveller did not matter in denying Wales qualification as Croatia kept their side of the bargain by beating Armenia 1-0 at home.

Wales go into the March play-offs where a home semi-final against Finland, Iceland and Ukraine awaits.

T…