Philippe Coutinho has urged patience from Brazil following the favourites uneven start to the World Cup and the latest hysteria surrounding Neymar s fitness ahead of Friday s match against Costa Rica in St Petersburg.
Barcelona playmaker Coutinho gave Tite s in-form side a first-half lead in spectacular fashion in their Group E opener against Switzerland but the European side were able to baton down the hatches and escape with a draw after Steven Zuber s 50th-minute equaliser.
Costa Rica could prove a similarly tough nut to crack, with group pacesetters Serbia needing a stunning Aleksandar Kolarov free-kick to see off Oscar Ramirez s side 1-0.
It s going to be difficult game like any game in the World Cup, Coutinho said.
All games have been balanced. Th…
Watford have appointed Vladimir Ivic as their head coach on a one-year deal.
Ivic, 43, left Maccabi Tel Aviv in July after two successful seasons, winning the Israeli Premier League in both campaigns.
Previously in charge of PAOK, Ivic – a former Serbia and Montenegro international as a player – also won the Greek Cup in 2016-17.
He joins Watford after their relegation from the Premier League, with Nigel Pearson having been sacked last month.
First of all, from the beginning I have a big expectation of myself and of my coaching staff, Ivic told the club s website.
Ivić unveiled
— Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC)
It s my first time in England and I need to adapt as fast as possible, to do the best for the club is very i…
England captain Harry Kane dubbed Mason Greenwood a really complete goal-scorer after the Manchester United winger impressed at his first training camp with the Three Lions.
Greenwood received his first call-up to Gareth Southgate s squad after finishing the 2019-20 season with a tally of 10 goals in 31 Premier League appearances for the Red Devils.
The Bradford-born teenager also netted five times in the Europa League for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer s men and is regarded as one of the best attacking players to have emerged at Old Trafford since Marcus Rashford.
Speaking ahead of England s Nations League opener against Iceland, Kane told reporters: Mason has been great since the first training session we had.
You can tell he is full of confidence as a player, h…
Leicester City manager Claude Puel says players attending the funeral of owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha was important for the club.
Members of the Leicester squad flew to Thailand to attend Srivaddhanaprabha s funeral following their Premier League win at Cardiff City last weekend.
Srivaddhanaprabha was one of five people killed when his private helicopter crashed outside the King Power Stadium after Leicester s draw against West Ham.
Various tributes are planned for Saturday s visit of Burnley, Leicester s first home game since the death of Srivaddhanaprabha, whose leadership inspired the club to their unlikely Premier League title triumph in 2015-16.
Supporters will march through Leicester to the King Power Stadium, where fans will be given commemo…
Alvaro Morata headed a double as Atletico Madrid beat arch rivals Real Madrid 3-1 at the Metropolitano Stadium.
The Spain captain and Antoine Griezmann headed Atletico into a 2-0 first-half lead and although Toni Kroos pulled one back for Real before the interval, Morata struck again at the start of the second period.
Atletico fully deserved a rare LaLiga win in the Madrid derby – they had won only one of their previous 14 league meetings – and halted their rivals’ six-game winning start to the season.
Atletico made a dream start as they stormed into a 2-0 lead inside the opening 20 minutes.
Former Real striker Morata headed them in front in the fourth minute, stealing in behind the away side’s defence to glance home Brazilian winger Samuel Lino�…
Aston Villa are interested in signing Danny Ings from Southampton in the summer transfer window, according to . West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur are also reported to be keen on securing the services of the former Liverpool striker, who has turned down the offer of a new contract from Southampton.
Ings is out of contract at Southampton at the end of next season. The Premier League club have offered the 28-year-old striker a new deal, but he has turned it down. The former Burnley striker reportedly wants to test himself at a higher level.
The 28-year-old scored and gave four assists in the Premier League last season. During the 2019-20 campaign, Ings scored 22 goals and provided two assists in the league.
…
D’Aversa, though, is expecting nothing less than the sternest of tests from the Partenopei in Saturday’s afternoon kick-off.
“If I have to list them all (Napoli’s strengths), we would never end,” the Lecce boss told a press conference.
“They are Italian champions, they have a complete team with capable and quality players – Osimhen attacks from deep and is one of the best in Europe.
“On our part, there must be the will to put in a great performance.”
Forza Ragazzi! Testa alla prossima
— U.S. Lecce (@OfficialUSLecce)
Lecce sit just a place behind Napoli, level on points, after losing their first Serie A game this season 1-0 at Juventus on Tuesday night.
D’Aversa will be without midfielder Mohamed Kaba thr…
Santos will consider a proposal to permanently retire the number 10 that Pele famously wore during his career with the Brazilian club.
However, a day on from the announcement of Pele s death, it has emerged his former club s members are divided about the plan.
President Andres Rueda told Brazilian outlet BandNews: We are going to propose to the council that it retires the number 10 shirt. This requires a bureaucratic procedure, a council meeting and approval.
In the meantime, due to an administrative act, we will no longer wear shirt number 10 from January, hoping that it will become a final decision by our board.
Rueda added: I think it is an excellent tribute. Why wasn t this posted earlier? The opinion of the members is somewhat divided. Previously, …
Mesut Ozil says that a lack of interest shown by Pep Guardiola convinced him to reject a move to Barcelona in 2010, despite having initially set his sights on a move to Camp Nou.
The Germany international was one of the most sought after prospects in world football having played a starring role for his country at the 2010 World Cup and impressing for Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga.
Catalan giants Barca were among the clubs showing an interest and Ozil revealed that he was convinced he would make the switch to Camp Nou.
However, the now Arsenal midfielder opted for a move to Barca s fierce Clasico rivals Real Madrid, a decision Ozil says he made due to Guardiola s attitude.
Arsenal were interested in signing me after the 2010 World Cup, as were Mancheste…
Experienced Premier League boss Harry Redknapp will be looking to keep the Hoops in the top-flight
This weekend QPR, Burnley and Leicester City will make their returns to the Premier League, after various periods outside the top-flight.
As per usual at this point the trio are favourites for a return straight from where they came.
Favourites
It is almost an annual traditional that the three promoted clubs from the Championship to the Premier League are almost always made automatic favourites to be relegated. This season the bookmakers have not disappointed again.
Burnley
Burnley have taken a similar approach to the last time they were in the top-flight in season 2009/2010, by not over-spending and keeping the clubs finances stable…