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De Bruyne seals Belgium’s 2-0 win over Romania to get Euro 2024 campaign on track

De Bruyne seals Belgium’s 2-0 win over Romania to get Euro 2024 campaign on track
Belgium's midfielder Kevin De Bruyne (L) celebrates scoring his team's second goal with his teammate Belgium's forward Yannick Carrasco during the UEFA Euro 2024 Group E football match between Belgium and Romania at the Cologne Stadium in Cologne on June 22, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 23 June 2024

De Bruyne seals Belgium’s 2-0 win over Romania to get Euro 2024 campaign on track

De Bruyne seals Belgium’s 2-0 win over Romania to get Euro 2024 campaign on track
  • All four teams in Group E have three points, meaning there is all to play for in the final round of games on Wednesday

COLOGNE, Germany: Kevin De Bruyne scored and Belgium got its European Championship campaign up and running after beating Romania 2-0 on Saturday.
The No. 3-ranked Belgians shook off the shock of losing to Slovakia in their opening game by responding with a dominant performance in front of the Belgium royal family at Cologne Stadium.
Youri Tielemans gave them a flying start with a goal from the edge of the area in the second minute.
De Bruyne effectively killed the game off in the 80th after converting direct from Belgium goalkeeper Koen Casteels’ long kick.
All four teams in Group E have three points, meaning there is all to play for in the final round of games on Wednesday.
While Belgium won, there was more frustration for Romelu Lukaku, who had a third goal ruled out by VAR at these Euros.
Still, he was at the center of his team’s great start when laying the ball off for Tielemans to score with a low drive from the edge of the box.
It was just what Belgium needed after the Slovakia stunner, which raised the prospect of another early exit from a major tournament after being eliminated at the group stage of the 2022 World Cup.
The format of the Euros, in which the four best third-place teams advance, leaves more room for error. But with memories of Qatar still fresh, another defeat would have broken the confidence of a team criticized for failing to live up to expectations in the past.
Tielemans’ goal seemed to lift the pressure, and Belgium ruled the rest of the half with 67 percent of possession.
Lukaku thought he scored after the break, but VAR said he strayed offside before firing past Romania keeper Florin Nita.
The longer the game went on without Belgium scoring a second, the more the tension rose.
Dennis Man could have evened the score when running through on goal, but was denied by Casteels.
The keeper then turned provider with a long punt upfield, which De Bruyne raced on to and fired home.
Under former Belgium coach Roberto Martinez, Portugal advanced to the knockout phase after a 3-0 win against Turkiye in Group F. Georgia picked up its first ever point at a major tournament after a drawing the Czech Republic 1-1 and still has hopes of advancing.


Belgium sack national team coach Tedesco

Belgium sack national team coach Tedesco
Updated 4 min 24 sec ago

Belgium sack national team coach Tedesco

Belgium sack national team coach Tedesco
  • Tedesco was appointed in February 2023 to replace Roberto Martinez and rebuild the squad as the country’s “golden generation” departed
  • Tedesco’s team qualified for Euro 2024 but were eliminated in the last 16 by France

BRUSSELS: Belgium’s football association on Friday announced the sacking of national team coach Domenico Tedesco after disappointing performances at Euro 2024 and in the Nations League.
“Unfortunately, the Red Devils did not perform as we hoped at Euro 2024, just as they did in the next Nations League campaign,” the football association (RBFA) said on their website.
Tedesco was appointed in February 2023 to replace Roberto Martinez and rebuild the squad as the country’s “golden generation” departed.
Tedesco’s team qualified for Euro 2024 but were eliminated in the last 16 by France, who then beat Belgium twice more in the Nations League as the Red Devils finished third in their group.
They face a relegation play-off against Ukraine in March.
“I was always proud to be the coach of the Red Devils, we achieved great things together,” Tedesco said.
“This team is still at the beginning of its development and will cause a sensation in the coming years. I wish the players, the great employees of the federation and the fans all the best from the bottom of my heart.”
Five members of Tedesco’s support staff and coaching team were also fired.
“Domenico made an excellent start as national coach and proved that there are still great things possible, even after the send-off of the previous generation,” said RBFA CEO Peter Willems.
“He has integrated a number of young players into the team, and his successor can build on this. We would like to thank him and his team for the pleasant cooperation, their hard work and dedication, and wish them all the best for the future.”
The RBFA did not announce a timetable for appointing a successor but Belgian media named Frenchmen Rudi Garcia and Thierry Henry as leading candidates.
Belgium kick off their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign with a trip to North Macedonia in June.


Haaland signs new Manchester City deal until 2034

Haaland signs new Manchester City deal until 2034
Updated 17 January 2025

Haaland signs new Manchester City deal until 2034

Haaland signs new Manchester City deal until 2034
  • The Norwegian joined City from Borussia Dortmund in 2022 and has scored 111 goals in 126 games for the club

LONDON: Erling Haaland has signed a new 9.5-year deal at Manchester City that will keep him at the Etihad until 2034, the Premier League champions announced on Friday.
The 24-year-old striker’s existing deal was due to expire in June 2027 but he has now committed his future to the club for the next decade.
The Norwegian joined City from Borussia Dortmund in 2022 and has scored 111 goals in 126 games for the club.
“I am really happy to have signed my new contract and to be able to look forward to spending even more time at this great club,” said Haaland.
“Manchester City is a special club, full of fantastic people with amazing supporters, and it’s the type of environment that helps bring the best out of everybody.
City’s outgoing director of football Txiki Begiristain said: “Everyone at the club is absolutely delighted that Erling has signed his new contract.
“The fact he is signed for so long demonstrates our commitment to him as a player, and his love of this club.
“He has made an incredible impact already in his time here and his amazing numbers and records speak for themselves.”


Kvaratskhelia posts farewell video to Napoli fans ahead of expected transfer

Kvaratskhelia posts farewell video to Napoli fans ahead of expected transfer
Updated 16 January 2025

Kvaratskhelia posts farewell video to Napoli fans ahead of expected transfer

Kvaratskhelia posts farewell video to Napoli fans ahead of expected transfer
  • “I spent an amazing time here, we shared a lot of memories together, experienced a lot of amazing emotions,” a solemn-looking Kvaratskhelia said
  • Napoli coach Antonio Conte confirmed last Saturday that Kvaratskhelia requested a move

NAPLES, Italy: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia posted a farewell video to Napoli fans on Thursday ahead of a widely expected transfer away from the Italian league.
The 23-year-old Georgia winger, who starred in Napoli’s Serie A title-winning team in 2023, has been linked in France with a move to Paris Saint-Germain, while Premier League leader Liverpool also are reportedly interested.
Kvaratskhelia posted a video on Instagram, with subtitles in both Italian and English, to directly address Napoli fans who affectionately nicknamed him “Kvaradona” in homage to late Argentina great Diego Maradona, the club’s greatest-ever player.
“It’s hard for me, but it’s time to say goodbye. I spent an amazing time here, we shared a lot of memories together, experienced a lot of amazing emotions,” a solemn-looking Kvaratskhelia said. “Napoli was my home, where I felt wonderful thanks to each of you. The path we went through together is still in my mind and it is very emotional. I remember my first goal and feelings.”
Napoli coach Antonio Conte confirmed last Saturday that Kvaratskhelia requested a move.
“I spoke to the player who confirmed this decision to me,” Conte said at that time. “I am disappointed, it was a bolt from the blue, and I am taking a step back.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


PSG have lost superstars Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe and need to reinvigorate an attack lacking efficiency.
Kvaratskhelia fits the bill as both a scorer and skillful provider with both speed and devastating dribbling ability.
He scored 30 goals in 107 games overall for Napoli and had great chemistry with striker Victor Osimhen during the title-winning campaign — which ended a 33-year wait for the Serie A title, with Maradona starring in that 1990 team.
“Napoli is a football city, Napoli lives with football and I am happy to have been part of this great history,” he said, before stroking a ball attached to leg of a statue of Maradona, and then bowing his head. “It was a great honor for me to wear this journey.”
He pledged to explain the reasons for his decision to leave when the time is right.
“I say goodbye but you will always be in my heart,” said Kvaratskhelia, who wore the No. 77 jersey.
“I know that your heart is very broken but one day I will tell you everything.”
He ended the video with a visit to the Spagnoli district where Maradona’s giant mural is located. Maradona, who died in November 2020, is revered in the city.
“I could not leave without visiting this special place as this is where you get the most genuine feeling of what Diego means to this city. Here he is admired above all else,” Kvaratskhelia said. “I have to say goodbye to Diego. Goodbye Diego, Goodbye Napoli.”


Red-hot Marmoush has Frankfurt flying and Europe on high alert

Red-hot Marmoush has Frankfurt flying and Europe on high alert
Updated 16 January 2025

Red-hot Marmoush has Frankfurt flying and Europe on high alert

Red-hot Marmoush has Frankfurt flying and Europe on high alert
  • The Egyptian’s stunning 2024-25 has led to speculation of a winter move to faltering English champions Manchester City
  • Frankfurt last finished in the top four in 1992-93 and risk being a victim of Marmoush’s success should the 25-year-old move on

BERLIN: With half a season played, red-hot Omar Marmoush has put Eintracht Frankfurt on course for a first top-four finish in over 30 years and placed Europe’s elite clubs on high alert.
The Egyptian’s stunning 2024-25 — he sits one behind top scorer Harry Kane in the Bundesliga with 15 goals, along with 10 assists, in 17 league games — has led to speculation of a winter move to faltering English champions Manchester City.
In Europe’s top-five leagues, his 25 goal contributions rank second only behind countryman Mohamed Salah, who has 31, having played three games more.
Third-placed Frankfurt host Borussia Dortmund on Friday and sit eight points ahead of last season’s Champions League finalists.
Frankfurt last finished in the top four in 1992-93 and risk being a victim of Marmoush’s success should the 25-year-old move on.


While Marmoush has been in Germany since 2017, there is no question he has had a move to one of Europe’s big guns on his mind.
Born in Cairo in 1999, Marmoush stood out early in the academy of club Wadi Degla.
At just 17, he was promoted to the first team and joined Wolfsburg’s reserves a year later.
At Wolfsburg, Marmoush initially struggled for consistency and game time, resulting in loans to St. Pauli and Stuttgart.
He also struggled to adapt to life in Germany.
Unable to speak German, Marmoush recalls standing near the counter at coffee shops and waiting until he saw the order he wanted, before pointing and telling the waiter he wanted the same.
Marmoush’s agent told AFP these initial struggles laid a foundation for his achievements.
“Marmoush’s command of German, French and English has greatly contributed to his success. He is thriving at Eintracht Frankfurt,” said Ahmed Abdoun.
“The Bundesliga has always been a stepping stone to the big leagues like the Premier League or La Liga. If there are any offers, we will discuss them with the club and make the best decision.”
In 2021, the same year he made his Wolfsburg first team debut, Marmoush — who was also eligible to play for Canada through his father — received his first Egypt call up.
Making his international debut alongside Liverpool superstar Salah, Marmoush scored the winning goal against Libya in AFCON qualifying.
After moving to Frankfurt on a free transfer ahead of the 2023-24 season, Marmoush scored 12 goals in 29 league games.
He continued to improve this season. After scoring the equalizer in a 3-3 home draw with Bayern Munich in October, visiting coach Vincent Kompany praised the forward.
“Marmoush is a player who is only going to get better with time,” saying the forward’s skill was “not normal.”
Marmoush’s development drew inevitable comparisons with Salah, but the Liverpool star warned against comparisons.
“Omar has great potential and is an important player for his team and the national team currently, but I hope we stay away from the idea of comparisons, because it will put him under pressure,” Salah said in November.
“Do not compare him to me, do not say the ‘new Mohamed Salah’, let him live his career. Comparing a player at the beginning of his career with another who has achieved a lot over many years does not help him.”
While Marmoush may wish to blaze his own trail, a move to Manchester City would make comparisons with Egypt’s best-known sporting export unavoidable.


Isak fires Newcastle into Premier League top four, Moyes misery

Isak fires Newcastle into Premier League top four, Moyes misery
Updated 16 January 2025

Isak fires Newcastle into Premier League top four, Moyes misery

Isak fires Newcastle into Premier League top four, Moyes misery
  • The striker is just the fourth different player to score in eight successive Premier League appearances

LONDON: Alexander Isak fired Newcastle into the Premier League’s top four on Wednesday, scoring twice in a 3-0 cruise against Wolves as David Moyes endured a miserable return to the Everton dugout.
Red-hot Isak found the net for the eighth league match in a row as the Magpies leapfrogged faltering Chelsea into fourth spot in the table.
The Swedish international put the home side ahead in the 34th minute when his shot took a huge deflection off Wolves defender Rayan Ait-Nouri, leaving Jose Sa wrong-footed.
The striker is just the fourth different player to score in eight successive Premier League appearances, after Jamie Vardy (twice for Leicester), Ruud van Nistelrooy (twice for Manchester United), and Daniel Sturridge (for Liverpool).
Isak doubled Newcastle’s lead shortly before the hour mark, controlling Bruno Guimaraes’ pass before firing home for his 15th league goal of the season and Anthony Gordon added a third.
Eddie Howe’s men, who have now won six straight league games, have recovered strongly from a lengthy poor spell to make a powerful case for a Champions League spot next season.
Taking advantage of the faltering form of Manchester City and Chelsea, they are just three points behind third-placed Nottingham Forest.
Moyes, in the first game of his second spell in charge of Everton, watched his toothless side lose 1-0 to Aston Villa at Goodison Park.
Ollie Watkins broke the deadlock in the 51st minute, slotting past England teammate Jordan Pickford after he was sent clear by Morgan Rogers.
Everton huffed and puffed but showed a lack of creativity — unsurprising for a team who have scored just 15 league goals in their 20 matches this season.
The result lifts Unai Emery’s Villa to seventh in the table but Everton remain in deep trouble, just one point above the relegation zone in 16th spot.
The Liverpool club’s new owners, the American-based Friedkin Group, sacked Sean Dyche last week and brought back 61-year-old Moyes, who enjoyed success during an 11-year stint at Goodison Park from 2002 to 2013.
But the Toffees, ever-present in the top flight since 1954, have battled relegation for the past three seasons and are once again in deep trouble.
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester suffered their sixth straight league defeat, losing 2-0 to Crystal Palace to leave the Foxes second from bottom of the table.
Jean-Philippe Mateta put the visitors ahead early in the second half and Marc Guehi made the points safe with a late second.
Arsenal, winless in three matches in all competitions, are hosting injury-hit Tottenham in the late kick-off on Wednesday.