Norway’s Erling Haaland, Martin Odegaard and co. secured qualification to the top tier of European football as they progressed to the Nations League Group A but they will not be able to make it to the 2026 World Cup unless they improve, according to head coach Stale Solbakken. Haaland netted three times in Sunday’s 5-0 triumph over Kazakhstan as the drama took a new turn after Austria’s 1-1 draw at home to Slovenia. The result in Vienna helped Norway secure top spot and qualification to Group A after amassing 13 points in Group B3, with Gnezda Cerin netting the equaliser…
Author: Somto Isaac
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann is keen to see improvements and developments in his side ahead of the 2026 World Cup as they travel to face Hungary in the Nations League on Tuesday. With nothing to play for, after securing qualification to the quarter-finals of the Nations League, the Germans secured first place in Group A3 following Saturday’s 7-0 demolition of Bosnia & Herzegovina. “There is no great motivation as far as the group is concerned. We won the group. We get the motivation from wanting to develop,” Nagelsmann said in a presser on Monday. “We do not have many matches…
It was an extremely unpleasant situation for Barcelona goalkeeper, Marc-Andre ter Stegen as he was forced off in the 5-1 win over Villarreal in September. The German tore a tendon in his knee and was originally set to miss the entire season, but a different scenario could be the current call. According to a report from Sport, Ter Stegen is undergoing stem cell treatment — one which has proven to be successful in many cases as this method is also known to heal injuries faster. It is also suggested that there a reported quiet optimism in Barça that the shotstopper…
England’s interim manager Lee Carsley has revealed he will submit a detailed documentation of his tenure to new coach Thomas Tuchel, after ending his reign with a 5-0 thumping of Ireland on Sunday. The five-star performance helped England return to the top bracket of the Nations League as Carsley ended with five wins in his six games, since he took over coming from the under-21 set up after Gareth Southgate stepped aside after the Euros. The 50-year-old also handed debuts to eight players, with several regulars unavailable, opportunities were given to players who he believes can be part of Tuchel’s…
France coach Didier Deschamps was livid with his side’s 0-0 draw at home on Thursday against Israel in the UEFA Nations League, admitting his team should have performed better. The goalless affair helped France to secure second place in Group A2, amassing 10 points from five games. “I can’t be satisfied with what we produced. We should have won. We’re capable of doing better,” Deschamps said to reporters after the match. “We could have done more against an opponent that was very compact and wasted a lot of time. We had the chances to win, but we weren’t efficient enough.…
A video showing Premier League referee David Coote allegedly snorting a white powder during Euro 2024 has led to UEFA appointing an ethics and disciplinary inspector to commence an investigation. This comes after the English refereeing body PGMOL [Professional Game Match Officials Limited] stated it was taking the fresh allegations about Coote “very seriously”. The 42-year-old was also suspended by the PGMOL on Monday after different video footages appeared on social media showing him making bad comments about former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. Coote’s remarks about the German are also being looked into by the Football Association. On Wednesday, another…
More than 200 deaths were recorded as floods hit the Eastern part of Spain, with Valencia affected. Villarreal forward Ayoze Perez has hit out at LaLiga, saying players and coaches should not have to raise concerns by themselves about playing matches. The Spanish FA had postponed seven midweek Cup games, scheduled for Valencia’s eastern region. However, matches in the other regions of Spain went ahead, despite the likes of Barcelona coach Hansi Flick and Atletico Madrid gaffer Diego Simeone insisting it made no sense to play. LaLiga supremo Javier Tebas stated on November 2nd that it was best for the…
Mikel Arteta has been hit with yet another injury blow, it was he termed a ‘nightmare’ start to the season. Defender Ben White has completed surgery on a knee problem which has been troubling him for some time. The 27-year-old has now been confirmed to be out for the entire festive period — with the club working hard to ensure he makes a return in January. With the rush of the games during the holiday period, White – who can play as a right back or centre back – will be a huge blow to Arteta who already lost Bukayo…
England captain Harry Kane is furious at his teammates who pulled out of the November international duty, blasting them of “taking advantage” of the void of a current permanent manager. Eight players withdrew from interim gaffer Lee Carsley’s squad ahead of the Three Lions’ November games, first of which they emerged victorious on Thursday night against Greece and another against Republic of Ireland. Manchester City duo, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish, Arsenal pair, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice and Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold were among those who pulled out of the squad earlier this week. “Gareth Southgate brought the joy to…
Manchester City have hit a rocky patch in their current 2024-25 campaign as they fell five points behind league leaders Liverpool as they continue the defence of their title and Portuguese centre-back Ruben Dias is defiant, insisting any form of doubt is at the peril of the critics. For the first time ever, Pep Guardiola’s City suffered their fourth successive loss in all competitions following their 2-1 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion on the English top flight on Saturday. The Cityzens, who are on the hunt for an unprecedented fifth consecutive Premier League crown, also exited the League Cup…