France coach Diacre sacked by FFF as player mutiny disrupts Women´s World Cup preparation

Corinne Diacre was sacked as France head coach on Thursday after a player revolt highlighted irreversible dysfunctions ahead of the Women s World Cup.

The French Football Federation (FFF) said its executive committee determined a fracture between Diacre and senior players had reached a point of no return which harms the interests of the national team .

It follows captain Wendie Renard last month announcing she would not play at the World Cup under Diacre s leadership, with forwards Kadidiatou Diani and Marie-Antoinette Katoto following suit by putting their own international careers on hold. All three issued forceful statements on social media before effectively going on strike from the team.

Diacre came out fighting on Wednesday when she accused her detractors o…

Assist king Pogba matches De Bruyne, Sane despite injury and suspension

Paul Pogba joined Kevin De Bruyne and Leroy Sane on nine assists for the Premier League season on Monday, the Manchester United midfielder demonstrating his importance despite being hampered by injury and suspension.

Pogba set up Antonio Valencia and Anthony Martial for United s two first-half goals in a 3-0 win at home to Stoke City, and in doing so the Frenchman became one of the three most productive players in the league in 2017-18.

That is despite the former Juventus star having only played in 13 league matches due to a hamstring problem that sidelined him for seven games and the three-match ban he incurred after being sent off against Arsenal.

De Bruyne has started all 23 of City s Premier League matches this term, while Sane has made 21 league appearances…

What We Learned from the Alexis Sanchez-Henrikh Mkhitaryan Swap Deal?

The January transfer window remains wide open but it’s fair to say that we already got more than we bargained for.

Philippe Coutinho leaving Liverpool for Barcelona was the first mouthwatering piece of the winter, although the Reds did well to respond with a high-value move for former Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk.

And as we wait for another wrinkle in the pond – read Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s move to Arsenal – here is a look at arguably most significant transfer (in the Premier League) this January.

Sanchez–Mkhitaryan Swap

 Manchester United have made a huge statement of intent by aligning Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal, who ‘somewhat surprisingly’ rejected the expected move to Manchester City in favour of an Old Trafford switch.

MLS Wrap: Galaxy chop down Timbers

The LA Galaxy claimed their first home victory in more than two months, edging the Portland Timbers 1-0 in California on Sunday afternoon.

Having not secured a win at The Home Depot Center since accounting for Portland 3-0 in April, the Galaxy were determined to reward their supporters and they did.

A 62nd minute goal from defender Todd Dunivant, his first since hitting the target in Seattle on May 8th 2010, also handed the Galaxy their first clean sheet of the season.

Veteran David Beckham whipped in a corner and Dunivant headed home in front of the Timbers away contingent.

In Chicago, the Fire ended their run of two successive defeats with a 2-1 win over the New York Red Bulls at Toyota Park.

Chicago went into the interval one goal ahead courte…

Moutinho endorses Portugal progress

Joao Moutinho believes Paulo Bento is the right man to lead Portugal to Euro 2012 glory.

Bento, 43, has successfully guided his country through the Group of Death in Poland and Ukraine, beating 2010 FIFA World Cup finalists Netherlands and Denmark on their way to the quarter-finals.

Portugal midfielder Moutinho, who played under Bento at Sporting Lisbon, said the 43-year-old has stamped his mark on the squad, and claimed all the players have been receptive to the coach s ideas since he took charge in 2010.

Of course I believe that Paulo Bento can guide us to success, Moutinho told TVI.

It is great to have a coach like him. He is doing a great job. I have known him for years.

His name is written all over this team. Ever since day one, he has tr…

Scorecast Bets in Football – Are They Worth It?

Most newbies to online sports betting are often instructed to stay away from risky bets. Statistically speaking, they don’t tend to perform well in terms of long-term profits. Yet risky bets are what most punters are drawn to – just consider the popularity of . The same is true for Scorecast bets.

Scorecast soccer bets essentially combine Correct Score and First Goalscorer markets into one big bet. As such, they fall into this category of inherently risky types of wagers. Let’s weigh their pros and cons and see if the risk is worth taking.

What is Scorecast Betting?

A Scorecast bet is a wager which predicts two things about a football match – the exact score at the end of the game and the first player to score a goal. Generally speaking, both these elements are…

Mbappe was in red zone and at risk of injury – Tuchel

Thomas Tuchel revealed Kylian Mbappe was in a red zone and at risk of injury after coming on in Paris Saint-Germain s loss to Lyon.

Mbappe came off the bench in the 65th minute as defending champions PSG were downed 1-0 in Ligue 1 on Sunday.

Making matters worse for PSG, Neymar was carried off on a stretcher in the closing stages after a tackle that saw Thiago Mendes sent off.

Asked about Mbappe starting on the bench, PSG head coach Tuchel said the star was at risk of injury.

For Kylian, it was the medical recommendation, he told a news conference.

He couldn t play for more than 25 minutes. He played 30 minutes, that was already too much. The medical staff said no for him to start the game, and no for more than 25 minutes.

He was in a r…

Barcelona to re-sign Denis Suarez from Villarreal

Barcelona will activate their buyback clause to bring Villarreal midfielder Denis Suarez back to Camp Nou, sporting director Robert Fernandez has confirmed.

The 22-year-old was sold to Villarreal on a four-year deal last August, but Barca retained a buyback arrangement that would allow them to bring him back for a reported fee of around €3.25million.

Suarez made 33 La Liga appearances at El Madrigal in 2015-16 and made his Spain debut against Bosnia-Herzegovina last Sunday.

The former Manchester City player also spent a season on loan at Sevilla in 2014-15, playing in 31 league games and winning the Europa League.

Villarreal have received a notification that we are interested in the player, I think it s July 1 but I don t know the dates very well, Robe…

La Liga goalkeeper linked with Premiership move

Deportivo La Coruna goalkeeper Fabricio Martin Agosto Ramirez is followed by several Premier League sides, .

The 27-year-old had made mere 23 La Liga appearances ahead of the current season and he started the campaign as a back up to German Lux.

Fabricio eventually got his chance midway through October and has since been putting in some strong performances in Spain s elite division.

As a result, clubs from English Premier League have been showing interest in his services, and they could come forward with an official proposal at the end of the season.

Deportivo La Coruna officials are hoping to persuade the experienced shot-stopper to extend his stay at Riazor, but with his current deal expiring in June 2016, they would certainly consider any serious offe…

Liam Cooper, Greg Taylor and Jacob Brown back in Scotland squad for Spain trip

Liam Cooper, Greg Taylor and Jacob Brown have been recalled to the Scotland squad for the Euro 2024 qualifier in Spain.

Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland drops out along with, as expected, Newcastle midfielder Elliot Anderson.

Whitley Bay-born Anderson last week indicated he wanted more time to consider his international future, having left the last Scotland camp after two days following his first call-up to the full squad.