Sébastien Pocognoli winced on Friday as he reflected on his first appearance for Belgium. Alessandro del Piero and Italy had enjoyed accommodating opponents while preparing for the 2006 World Cup. In time, Pocognoli may also remember his managerial debut with Scotland fondly. Beneath clear skies in a compact Ljubljana stadium, his side produced an encouraging […]
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The Republic of Ireland have announced that Sunday’s UEFA Nations League B3 fixture against Israel in Debrecen, Hungary, will proceed as planned. On Saturday morning, there was considerable uncertainty over whether the match would take place. A pre-match press conference featuring manager Heimir Hallgrimsson and a player had been set for 09:15 BST, but it […]
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The Republic of Ireland have postponed their pre-match press conference for Sunday’s Uefa Nations League encounter with Israel in Hungary, amid calls from campaigners to boycott the fixture. Heimir Hallgrimsson’s side are due to face Israel in Debrecen at 19:45 BST, before playing the return match in Backa Topola, Serbia, on 4 October. The team […]
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Introducing a different playing philosophy requires patience, especially when the team must occupy unfamiliar areas and take risks beyond their usual comfort zone. Coaches with bold tactical ideas can sometimes become overly focused on the finished system rather than adapting to the immediate requirements of their squad. Olid, however, seems determined to avoid making that […]
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Burns remained on the bench in Lisbon, but he is hoping to feature when Wales face Denmark in Copenhagen in their second Nations League match on Sunday, 27 October. Following the serious injury that disrupted his remarkable rise from League One to the Premier League with Ipswich, he is grateful simply to be involved with […]
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Celtic’s leadership has identified several candidates in case a managerial change becomes necessary during the season… If Martin O’Neill chooses to step down from Celtic, the club is already considering a number of potential successors, with Neil Lennon and former Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna among the names mentioned. (TeamTalk, external) New Hibernian head coach […]
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Northern Ireland will face Ukraine in the UEFA Nations League on Friday, 2 October at the Anton Malatinsky Stadium in Trnava, Slovakia. Ukraine have staged their home fixtures abroad since Russia launched its invasion of the country in February 2022. Matches have been held at venues in nations including the Czech Republic, Poland, Spain and […]
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Pinto created Football Leaks in 2015 with the stated aim of revealing what he called football’s concealed inner workings. Antonio Varela still recalls the website’s debut clearly. The Portuguese reporter was the first journalist approached by Pinto, whose true identity remained secret for several years and who initially used the alias “John”. Varela said that […]
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English football has never witnessed anything comparable to Manchester City’s vast disciplinary case, a controversy that reflects the pressures and contradictions of the modern game. A historic club was acquired by members of Abu Dhabi’s ruling family in 2008, financed on an extraordinary scale and transformed into a dominant force, while the same league awarding […]
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Kylian Mbappé appeared to suffer a knee problem shortly after netting France’s winning goal against Turkey in Friday’s Nations League encounter. The Real Madrid forward fired a low effort into the net in the 55th minute following an assist from Michael Olise. Not long after claiming his record-extending 67th international goal, Mbappé dropped to the […]
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