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Tag: France

  • Mbappe will play for Real Madrid one day – Benzema

    Mbappe will play for Real Madrid one day – Benzema

    Kylian Mbappe will play for Real Madrid “one day or another”, according to his France teammate and Los Blancos striker Karim Benzema.

    Media reports say La Liga giants Real Madrid offered Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) 200 million euros (237 million dollars) on deadline day.

    It was a whopping sum for a player in the final year of his contract.

    However, it was said that PSG failed to respond to that bid — Real Madrid’s third during the window.

    It then meant Mbappe will remain in Ligue 1 to form a mouth-watering attack alongside Lionel Messi and Neymar at the Parc des Princes this term.

    However, Mbappe looks certain to agree a pre-contract agreement with Real Madrid in January, with the forward having his heart set on a move to the Santiago Bernabeu.

    Benzema is excited by the prospect of teaming up at club level with his Les Bleus teammate.

    He has scored 135 goals in 175 games for PSG at a rate of one goal every 101.61 minutes.

    Speaking in an interview, Benzema said of Mbappe: “He is a player who will play for Real Madrid one day or another.

    “We get along really well, I would like him to be with me today in Real Madrid.”

    Benzema was speaking in the aftermath of France’s 1-1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday, a 2020 FIFA World Cup qualifying match.

    It was a game that saw Didier Deschamps’ side finish with 10 men after Jules Kounde was sent off.

    The point keeps France top of Group D on eight points after four games, four clear of Ukraine who have drawn all of their matches in the pool so far.

    “We would have liked to win this match here, in France, in front of our fans,” Benzema added.

    “In the first half we made good moves, and in the second half, with the red card, we fell back a little, which is normal when we play [with] one less.”

  • Griezmann makes shock return to Atletico Madrid

    Griezmann makes shock return to Atletico Madrid

    Antoine Griezmann has rejoined Atletico Madrid from FC Barcelona on loan, just two years after leaving the Wanda Metropolitano.

    Atletico Madrid sold France striker Griezmann to Barca for 120 million euros (140 million dollars) in 2019, yet he has never managed to recapture his best form at Camp Nou.

    Lionel Messi’s departure to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) earlier in August might have given Griezmann the opportunity to take centre stage.

    But the 30-year-old received flak from the Barca fans as Ronald Koeman’s side —— inspired by Memphis Depay —— laboured to a win over Getafe last weekend.

    Koeman defended Griezmann, saying: “I don’t like it when a Barca player is whistled. Someone who works like Antoine can never be criticised.

    “All the attackers can have their days, but there are games where you can’t find the space. We haven’t created opportunities for him either.”

    However, LaLiga champions Atletico Madrid —— who were linked with their former talisman last month —— have now brought Griezmann back to the Spanish capital.

    Griezmann has signed on loan for 2021/2022, with the deal including the option for either club to extend it for a further year.

    FC Barcelona also announced there is a compulsory permanent transfer clause.

    While his exit will go towards easing Barca’s financial difficulties, Atletico Madrid are bolstering an attack that already features Luis Suarez, Joao Felix and Angel Correa.

    They also have as well another new recruit in Matheus Cunha.

    Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo suggested last month that fans would not forgive Griezmann for how he left for FC Barcelona.

    FC Barcelona had reportedly been open to offers for the forward for some time, which could have potentially allowed them to retain Messi.

  • Nigeria lose to France in Paralympics’ table tennis team event

    Nigeria lose to France in Paralympics’ table tennis team event

    The pair of Ahmed Koleosho and Isau Ogunkunle on Tuesday failed to reach the semi-finals of their men’s team event of the table tennis competition at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.

    This was after the duo lost 0-2 to the French side in the quarter-finals of their men’s team Class 4 to 5 event of the table tennis competition.

    In their fixture at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, the Nigerian pair lost 2-3 in their first game against the pair of Florian Merrien and Nicolas Savant.

    The duo won the opening set 11-5, lost the next two 9-11 and 4-11 before winning the fourth set 11-7 to draw level for a 2-2 scoreline in the game.

    But they could only fight in the final set, as they could not withstand their opponents’ grit to lose 10-12.

    In the second game, which was a singles, the French side brought on Maxime Thomas who beat Koleosho 3-2.

    It was a ding-dong affair, with Thomas winning 11-4, losing 11-13, before winning again 11-7.

    After losing 8-11 in the fourth set, the Frenchman stood firm to win 11-4 in the final set.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 2-0 lead by France meant there was no need for the third game which would have paired Ogunkunle with Merrien.

    The Nigerian team of Ogunkunle and Koleosho had in their round of 16 fixture earlier in the day beaten the Argentine team of Gabriel Copola and Mauro Depergola 2-1.

    In their doubles game, they won 3-0 (11-3 13-11 11-7), while Copola beat Ogunkunle 3-1 (5-11 11-9 11-3 11-9) to draw the fixture level.

    Koleosho went on to win the second singles 3-1 (11-3 5-11 13-11 11-5) against Depergola.

    NAN reports that the 2020 Paralympic Games will end on Sunday.

  • Real Madrid close in on Mbappe, secure extension with Casemiro

    Real Madrid close in on Mbappe, secure extension with Casemiro

    Kylian Mbappe arrived at the training ground of French clubside Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on Friday amid the expectation Real Madrid would push to complete his signing in the coming hours.

    Mbappe wore a white baseball cap and white T-shirt, and whether by accident or design that only fuelled anticipation of a blockbuster move to Los Blancos.

    One deal Real Madrid did complete on Friday was with midfielder Casemiro, who has signed a new contract that will keep him at the club until June 2025.

    The Brazilian’s original deal was set to expire at the conclusion of next season.

    According to reports in Spain, Real Madrid have offered 170 million euros (200 million dollars) plus 10 million euros in add-ons for Mbappe.

    Mbappe, 22, has entered the final year of his PSG contract and there has been no indication of a desire on his part to extend his stay.

    He would be able to leave on a free transfer at the end of the current season, were he not to agree new terms.

    PSG sporting director Leonardo was also pictured making his way into the training facility.

    Earlier this week, Leonardo expressed dissatisfaction as the saga unfolded, with PSG having heavily invested during the close season to assemble a formidable squad.

    They have brought in Lionel Messi from FC Barcelona in a staggering move, as well as acquiring the likes of Sergio Ramos, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Georginio Wijnaldum and Achraf Hakimi.

    Messi could make his debut against Reims, but that factor was being overshadowed by the prospect of PSG possibly losing Mbappe.

    The Frenchman is a player they hoped to build the team around for years to come.

    Leonardo said on Wednesday: “We cannot be happy with this situation, because we did something this summer.

    “We have created a dream, we will not let anyone destroy it or position themselves above the club.

    “Kylian is at the centre of the project but not above it. We created a positive atmosphere, a desire, an emotion. That was our plan.”

    Casemiro will now remain at the Santiago Bernabeu for a further two years after putting pen to paper on fresh terms.

    The 29-year-old is the latest player to extend his stay in the Spanish capital after Karim Benzema and Federico Valverde also committed their future in the past week.

    Casemiro has made 288 appearances for Real Madrid since arriving from Sao Paolo on an initial loan spell in January 2013, scoring 30 goals.

    He has enjoyed a trophy-laden spell with the club, winning four UEFA Champions League titles, three FIFA Club World Cups and Spanish La Liga on two occasions.

    The Brazil international was also part of the Selecao squad which won the 2019 Copa America.

  • Hugo Lloris upset with Benzema claims

    Hugo Lloris upset with Benzema claims

    Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris is upset with the way he was protrayed by the French media during Euro 2020.

    Lloris has rubbished claims he was unhappy with the recall of Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema.

    He told L’Equipe: “There are so many things that have been said wrongly… But to have said that I would have criticised the coach for not having warned me about the return of Karim was totally false.

    “It was information that was based on dishonest sources. To say that the executives demanded the return of Karim is as false as to say that they were against his return. Karim was exemplary and didn’t ask for anything, so this controversy bothered me.

    “The coach has always been the only decision-maker, he does not have to justify himself, and I have never been concerted for anyone. I know where I belong, I am only the captain of the selected players. And I am professional and honest. But I’ve been here for thirteen years, and I know how it goes as soon as the France team is in trouble.”

  • Messi gets hero’s welcome in France ahead of PSG move

    Messi gets hero’s welcome in France ahead of PSG move

    Six-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi received a hero’s welcome after flying to France on Tuesday to join Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) following his shock departure from FC Barcelona.

    The agreement to sign the 34-year-old Argentine is a major coup for wealthy PSG.

    They will be adding one of the best football players of all time to an already formidable front line that includes Brazil’s Neymar and young Frenchman Kylian Mbappe.

    Wearing a T-shirt that read “This is Paris”, Messi beamed and waved at scores of fans who had come to greet him at Le Bourget airport on the outskirts of the French capital after his flight from Barcelona.

    Chanting “Messi, Messi, Messi”, the fans cheered and let off firecrackers.

    “It’s going to be mad. After all, it’s a legend who is arriving,” said Florent Chauveau, a PSG fan who has been back and forth to the airport every day since Sunday in the hope of seeing Messi arrive.

    Messi gave no details of the deal, which was reached days after FC Barcelona said it could not afford to keep the midfielder because of Spain’s La Liga’s fair play rules.

    But his father, speaking with reporters at Barcelona’s airport, confirmed reports by French newspaper L’Equipe and Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo that Messi had reached an agreement with PSG.

    The Parisian club is owned by Qatar Sports Investment.

    L’Equipe said the deal would be for two years.

    It also said Messi would have medical tests on Tuesday, and that a news conference to mark his arrival was likely on Wednesday.

    PSG did not comment on the reports but released a short video showing scenes of Paris, a plane landing and a close-up of someone putting pen to paper.

    In the background, upbeat music can heard and the words “new diamond in Paris” and “mercato update” appear.

    The video, seen on Twitter, does not show Messi but depicts an image of six Ballons d’Or — an annual award given to the player deemed the best in the world — by the Eiffel Tower.

    Many FC Barcelona fans were distraught at the end of Messi’s glittering, trophy-laden career at the club he joined as a schoolboy.

    But the arrival of FC Barcelona’s all-time record scorer with 682 goals will boost PSG’s ambitions to win the UEFA Champions League for the first time.

    Messi won four UEFA Champions League titles while at FC Barcelona, as well as 10 La Liga titles.

    Messi is the latest big-name arrival at PSG on a free transfer this summer after coach Mauricio Pochettino’s side snapped up Spanish defender Sergio Ramos after he left Real Madrid.

    Dutch midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum also joined after running down his contract with Liverpool.

    Italy’s Euro 2020-winning goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma has also joined after his contract with AC Milan ran out.

    Also, Moroccan full-back Achraf Hakimi joined from Inter Milan for a reported 60 million euros (70 million dollars).

    Messi’s last contract with FC Barcelona was worth a total of 555 million euros and reported to be the most lucrative in the world of sports.

    His arrival in Paris is also set to provoke a renewed new debate about UEFA’s financial fair play rules.

    The rules were first introduced in 2009 to restrict some of the worst excesses of the game, but they have been criticised by some leading figures for being ineffective.

    The arrival of Messi, who has 245 million followers on Instagram and is FC Barcelona’s most decorated player of all time, is also welcome news for France’s Ligue 1, embroiled in a crisis over TV rights.

  • France hand US first Olympic basketball defeat in 17 years

    France hand US first Olympic basketball defeat in 17 years

    The U.S lost an Olympic men’s basketball match for the first time in 17 years on Sunday when they started the Tokyo Games with a 76-83 loss to France.

    The American team led by eight points at half-time, but the French roared back in the third quarter where Kevin Durant ran into foul trouble.

    The French won the quarter 25-11 and then ended the match with a 16-2 run for an impressive victory after the Americans had briefly regained their composure.

    Evan Fournier led France with 28 points while Jrue Holiday (18) and Bam Adebayo (12) were the best scorers in the U.S team.

    “I mean it’s great, but until we have what we want to have around our neck, it doesn’t really matter,” French player Rudy Gobert from NBA side Utah Jazz said.

    “Every single guy that came in the game brought us something —— with scoring, without scoring on defence, on rebounds. It’s really the team that we want to be and it’s exciting for the rest of the tournament.”

    The last U.S Olympic loss was in the Athens 2004 semi-finals against Argentina.

    The US have won 15 of the 19 gold medals since the sport’s debut at the 1936 Games.

    The American class of 2021 appears not as strong as past U.S sides since professionals joined in 1992, and had lost tune-up games against Nigeria and Australia.

    The other teams in Group A are Iran and the Czech Republic, with the Czechs winning that game 84-78.

    Group B also got going with Germany opening their first Olympic campaign in 13 years with an 82-92 loss to Italy.

    Alba Berlin’s Maodo Lo scored 24 points but Germany, who led for a long spell in the game, eventually fell decisively behind at the arena in Saitama, north of Tokyo.

    “Today is a setback, but we can definitely take motivation for the next game,” said Germany’s Johannes Thiemann.

    Germany, without NBA star Dennis Schroeder for insurance reasons, next face Nigeria who lost 67-84 to Australia.

    Action in Group C and the women’s tournament begin on Monday.

  • My players were heroes in Spain defeat – Swiss coach

    My players were heroes in Spain defeat – Swiss coach

    Switzerland coach Vladimir Petkovic says they leave the Euros full of pride after their quarterfinal shootout defeat to Spain.

    An equaliser by captain Xherdan Shaqiri in the second half cancelled out an early own goal and sent the teams to extra time.

    Then in the shootout two of the Swiss penalty kicks were stopped by Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon while Ruben Vargas blazed over as the Swiss failed to repeat their heroics against France in the round of 16.

    “All these players were the heroes of the night. They would have deserved to go to the semi-finals,” Petkovic told a news conference. “I cannot complain and I take my hat off to the team.”

    Petkovic said he could not blame Vargas for hitting his penalty over the bar in the shootout, saying instead that his player had demonstrated mental strength by even taking a spot-kick after such a long and gruelling match.

    Manuel Akanji’s and Fabian Schar’s penalty kicks were both stopped by Simon.

    “We had to spend all our power and energy, and our energy ran out a little,” said Petkovic. “Penalty kicks are a lottery and we lost it.”

    Petkovic said he had not properly seen the tackle in the 77th minute that led to the red card against Remo Freuler – who had an assist for the Switzerland equaliser – but thought it had looked more like a minor foul.

    Freuler slid to win the ball back but caught Gerard Moreno in the process.

    “I question it a little bit, to be honest,” Petkovic said. “He (Freuler) maybe touched him a little.”

  • Ex-Madrid boss: I’m sorry for Benzema that France are out

    Ex-Madrid boss: I’m sorry for Benzema that France are out

    Former Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho is sorry to see Karim Benzema dumped out of Euro 2020 with France.

    The Roma coach was hoping for France to go deep into the tournament for the sake of his old Real striker.

    He told talkSPORT: “He is the reason why I am a little sad that France did not pass because I think that Benzema could be… Cristiano Ronaldo no, Lionel Messi no, Mbappé no… I think that Benzema would have finally had the chance to get a reward, a Ballon d’Or or something like that.

    “He’s an incredible player, he played so well, under tremendous pressure.

    “When he came back to the national team he was under tremendous pressure and he was fantastic.”

  • Pogba breaks silence after France Euro 2020 exit

    Pogba breaks silence after France Euro 2020 exit

    Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has broken his silence since France’s Euro 2020 elimination.

    The tournament favourites crashed out of the European Championship following a 5-4 penalty shootout defeat by Switzerland in the last 16 on Monday night.

    Pogba posted to social media: “Sometimes football can be cruel… cruel and also beautiful.

    “Yesterday, the game brought us sadness but happiness to our opponents. That’s the beauty of football.

    “Of course we all wished that we could have had a positive result.

    “Thank you so much to all of our fans across the globe. It was beautiful to see you, to hear you, and to celebrate with you.

    “You gave us hope and joy throughout all of our games. We will keep our heads up and we will come back stronger.

    “Finally, I want to wish congratulations to Switzerland.”