Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti says Eden Hazard is a great player who the Spanish champions need after netting in Tuesday s 2-2 friendly draw with Club America.
Hazard has struggled for impact at Madrid since his switch from Chelsea in 2019 amid a string of injuries, making only 66 appearances and scoring six goals across three seasons.
The 31-year-old Belgian midfielder is fit again and vowed earlier this week to show his best with Los Blancos this season.
Hazard was on the scoresheet from the penalty spot against the Mexican side in San Francisco, with Ancelotti hoping to set him up for a big campaign.
We need these games to try to give Hazard minutes because Hazard is a great player that we need, Ancelotti told reporters.
So I use the…
Tottenham head coach Antonio Conte has urged the club to be realistic despite an unbeaten start to the Premier League season.
A 2-1 victory over Fulham saw Spurs maintain their fine start to the season, moving just a point behind early pacesetters Arsenal ahead of their clash against Manchester United on Sunday.
Combined with a strong end to last season, which saw Spurs pip the Gunners to Champions League football, excitement around Spurs has risen as the club seeks to end a lengthy trophy drought.
However, Conte has pressed caution amid the rise in expectation and reiterated his belief that the club are still short of being able to compete at the highest level.
It s important to have great enthusiasm and be excited for the team. At the same time I have…
Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand criticised some “kamikaze football” after their embarrassing exit from European competition.
A 1-0 defeat at home to Bayern Munich, their 15th goal conceded in six matches, ensured Erik ten Hag’s side finished bottom of Group A even without Copenhagen’s win over Galatasaray.
“To score three goals in each of their away games and not come away with much points it’s criminal. It is kamikaze football almost,” Ferdinand told TNT Sports.
MAN UNITED ARE OUT OF THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE!
The Red Devils have finished at the bottom of their group for the first time since 2005/06
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt)
“You get what you deserve. If you are not clinical and you can’t …
Gary Lineker will return to host Match of the Day next weekend after Director-General of the BBC, Tim Davie, announced a review into its social media guidance.
Lineker was not involved in this week s edition of the hugely popular British football show after he became involved in a political row following a Twitter post in which the former England striker criticised the UK Government s immigration policy.
The BBC asked Lineker to step back from hosting duties, which led to a number of pundits, including Ian Wright and Alan Shearer, as well as commentators refusing to take part.
That forced the BBC to air a much-trimmed version of the show on Saturday and Sunday, only showing highlights of the weekend s Premier League games with no analysis or commentary.
A…
Inter clinched their third win in four games as they comfortably beat Salernitana 2-0 at San Siro.
Simone Inzaghi had come under pressure after a shaky start to the season saw Inter lose five of their first 10 matches, but they are now unbeaten in four and built on Wednesday s promising 3-3 draw away to Barcelona with three points in Serie A.
Lautaro Martinez s long-range effort gave Inter a first-half lead on Sunday, and although the hosts struggled to add to that initially, Salernitana rarely looked capable of posing much of a threat.
A brilliant Nicolo Barella goal put Inter in complete control just before the hour, ensuring the Nerazzurri moved to within two points of the top four for at least a few hours.
The visitors resistance lasted just 13 minute…
Zinedine Zidane wore a huge smile as Real Madrid won 2-0 thanks to Marco Asensio and Karim Benzema in the second leg of the Spanish Supercopa, clinching the 5-1 aggregate humiliation of Barcelona and seemingly confirming their status as the undisputed kings of Spanish football.
That was August. Few would have predicted the respective circumstances of Zidane and his counterpart Ernesto Valverde ahead of their next Clasico meeting four months on.
Barca had just lost twice in four days to their bitter rivals, watched helplessly as one of the jewels in their crown Neymar left for Paris Saint-Germain, became mired in off-field legal battles, struggled to sign their key transfer targets and saw speculation about Lionel Messi s future arise.
By contrast, the Supercopa v…
Market: Plzen win
Odds: 1/1 @
Looking to punch their Europa League group stage ticket on Thursday night, Plzen will travel to Tynecastle when they meet Hearts.
Starting with the hosts, suffering last-gasp heartbreak over in the Czech Republic last week as they suffered a 1-0 first-leg defeat, Hearts appear to have a real challenge on their hands here. While the Jambos might have gained a string of plaudits last season as they secured a bronze medal finish among Scotland’s elite, Steven Naismith’s men find themselves at the heart of a real crisis this time around. Showing a string of glaring issues since opening up the 2024/25 campaign, the Edinburgh-based outfit have the feel of a squad seeking a crucial boost. Last seen over the weekend putting in another w…
Rob Page insists Wales can reach Euro 2024 by drawing on their successful World Cup play-off history.
Wales were consigned to the Euro play-offs in March after a controversial 1-1 draw with Turkey in Cardiff.
Neco Williams’ early strike was cancelled out by Yusuf Yazici’s second-half penalty – with Page suggesting Wales would have won with another referee – as the Dragons fell short in their bid to overtake Croatia for the second automatic qualifying place behind group winners Turkey.
Croatia secured automatic qualification with a 1-0 home victory over Armenia, leaving Wales in the play-offs with a home semi-final against either Finland, Iceland or Ukraine. Poland and Estonia will contest the other semi-final.
The identity of Wales’ opponents wi…
Diego Maradona promised to fight to save Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata s season during an emotional presentation to supporters after he was unveiled as head coach.
Maradona fought back the tears as he addressed the crowd at Juan Carmelo Zerillo Stadium, where the Argentina legend has been given his first job in his homeland since leaving the national team in 2010.
The 58-year-old made a bizarre claim that ex-FIFA president Sepp Blatter and former president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA) Julio Grondona prevented him from coaching in Argentina, while promising he would work hard to turn Gimnasia s fortunes around.
Gimnasia are bottom of the Superliga and Maradona, who will be in charge until the end of the season, told the supporters who greeted him: I …
Orlando City have the signing of Luis Nani.
The MLS side have officially stated that they have reached an agreement with Sporting Lisbon over the signing of the Portuguese winger on a free transfer. He has signed a three-year contract and will join the club as a Designated player.
City SC EVP of Soccer Operations Luiz Muzzi said Nani was a dynamic player on who can deliver crosses and impact games from the offensive flanks and who will bring a significant amount of experience to the team.
Nani s career started at Sporting in 2005, and two years later he moved to Manchester United. There, he won four Premier League titles and the 2008 Champions League. In 2014, he was loaned back to Sporting for a season, before joining Turkish side Fenerbahce on a three-year de…