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Tag: France

  • Ligue 1: Thierry Henry appointed Monaco head coach

    Ligue 1: Thierry Henry appointed Monaco head coach

    Former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry has been appointed as head coach of Monaco until June 2021.

    The 41-year-old Frenchman, who had been Belgium’s assistant manager, began his professional career at Monaco and helped them win Ligue 1 in 1997.
    The club are third from bottom in Ligue 1 and sacked manager Leonardo Jardim on Thursday.
    “It seems like fate that I will begin my managerial career here,” said Henry, who is Arsenal’s record goalscorer.
    The former Juventus, Barcelona and New York Red Bulls player was linked with Aston Villa in recent weeks and said he received some “very attractive offers” over the last few months.
    “Monaco will always be close to my heart,” he added. “I’m incredibly excited to be given this opportunity but now the hard work must begin.”
    Monaco have won just once all season in all competitions. In Ligue 1 they have six points from nine games with five defeats and they have lost both games in the Champions League.
    Henry’s first game in charge will be against Strasbourg in the league on 20 October, before a Champions League tie with Club Brugge four days later.

    Portuguese boss Jardim was appointed in 2014 and led the club to the French title in 2017, their first since 2000.

    The 44-year-old also guided Monaco to the Champions League semi-finals in 2016-17 and helped develop players such as Paris St-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe, Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Lemar, and Manchester City pair Bernardo Silva and Benjamin Mendy.
    Henry was with Belgium on Friday as they beat Switzerland 2-1 in the Nations League. In July he helped the team finish third at the World Cup.
    He started his career at Monaco in 1994 under former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, before joining Juventus in 1999.
    After just one year in Italy, he signed for the Gunners and went on to win two Premier League titles and two FA Cups in eight years in north London.
    Then came a move to Barcelona, where he won the treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League in 2008-09.
    In 2010 he signed for Major League Soccer side Red Bulls, where he spent five seasons and also had a two-month loan spell back at Arsenal in early 2012.
    Henry was a World Cup winner with France in 1998 and won the European Championship two years later, scoring 51 goals in 123 appearances for Les Bleus.
    He retired as a player in December 2014 to work as a television pundit, before joining Belgium’s coaching staff in 2016.
    “His knowledge of football, his passion for the game, his high standards and his commitment to our colours make his nomination a reality,” Monaco chief executive Vadim Vasilyev said.
    “Thierry is both aware of the task ahead and eager to start his new job. He can count on our trust and all our support to bring a new dynamic to the team and carry out its mission. ”
    Patrick Kwame Ampadu, a coach at Arsenal’s academy and father of Chelsea and Wales player Ethan Ampadu, will join Henry’s coaching staff, alongside Benfica Under-23 coach Joao Carlos Valado Tralhao.
    BBC

  • Ligue 1: Thierry Henry on Monaco manager shortlist

    Ligue 1: Thierry Henry on Monaco manager shortlist

    Former France international Thierry Henry is being considered as a replacement for manager Leonardo Jardim at Ligue 1 side, Monaco.

    The French club are expected to sack their Portuguese boss, 44, with the team third from bottom in Ligue 1 with six points from nine games.
    World Cup winner Henry, who is on the shortlist for a similar role at Aston Villa, began his professional career at Monaco and helped them win Ligue 1 in 1997.
    Jardim led the club to another French title in 2017, their first since 2000.
    The former Sporting Lisbon manager was appointed by Monaco in 2014 and helped develop players such as Paris St-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe, Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Lemar, and Manchester City pair Bernardo Silva and Benjamin Mendy.
    Jardim also guided the French side to the Champions League semi-finals during the 2016-17 campaign.

  • Spain beat France to reach FIFA Under-20 WWC final

    A lone goal from Spaniard Patricia Guijarro was all Pedro Lopez ladies needed to defeat hosts France.

    They thus secured a clash against Japan in the final match of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.

    Guijarro’s sixth goal of the tournament, in the 51st minute, was able to hand the team a first-ever chance at the finals of the World Cup.

    This was however even as the team was reduced to 10-man on Monday.

    Aitana Bonmati was booked for a second foul and was shown out in the 69th minute, becoming the only player to be sent off in the tournament.

    The atmosphere at the Stade de la Rabine was obviously electrifying as both team struggled to show dominance but ended the first half in a stalemate.

    FC Barcelona Ladies midfielder Guijarro, broke the deadlock minutes into the second half to give her team the lead as the French side struggled to utilise its chances.

    France earned an opportunity to equalise via a penalty kick in the 76th minute but substitute Marie-Antoinette Katoto’s strike was saved by goalkeeper Catalina Coll.

    In the end, it is Spain and Japan in the final on Friday, after the Asians defeated England 2-0 in the first semi-final match.

    The third place match will also be played same day at the tournament in France.

  • Ghana crash out of U20 Women’s World Cup in France

    Ghana crash out of U20 Women’s World Cup in France

    Netherlands moved to within touching distance of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup France 2018 quarter-finals on Wednesday after earning a 4-0 win over Ghana.

    The victory at the Stade de la Rabine in Vannes helped them to maintain their 100 per cent start in Group A.

    On the other hand, it also pushed the African side out of the FIFA World Cup.

    While the West Africans started brightly, it didn’t take long for the Netherlands to get into gear.

    Two spurned chances could have rocked their confidence, but they didn’t have to dwell on them long, going ahead on 21 minutes.

    Three goals in 11 minutes put them in complete control, with Aniek Nouwen’s downward header at the back post getting the debutants rolling after their slender win over New Zealand.

    Having netted in their opener, Fenna Kalma made no mistake when put through by the Victoria Pelova, before converting with superbly taken volley to see her move joint-top of the scoring charts.

    The pace dropped after the break, with the Netherlands sitting comfortably.

    But Pelova and Kalma switched rolls as the duo exchanged passes before the former stroked home to add some gloss to their victory.

    Ghana who lost 1-4 to hosts France in their opening game on Sunday now need a favour from New Zealand against France to keep their hopes of progression alive.

    However, with two losses, Ghana’s chances of advancing to the last eight round are very slim even if they beat New Zealand in their final group game on Sunday.

    In other matches played on Wednesday, Brazil drew 1-1 with England while Mexico lost 1-2 to North Korea in Group B fixtures.

    In Thursday’s matches, Nigeria will face Haiti in their second Group D match while Germany take on China.

    Group C matches on Thursday will see Spain taking on Japan and the U.S. facing Paraguay.

    NAN

  • France, Brazil win at U-20 Women’s W/Cup opening day

    France, Brazil win at U-20 Women’s W/Cup opening day

    Hosts France beat Ghana 4-1 in their opening game at the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup with Laurent Emelyne (brace) getting a brace.

    Helene FercocQ and Sandy Baltimore were also on the score sheet for Les Bleuttes in the encounter with Ghana’s lone goal scored by Owusu Ansah.

    In the other Group A game, the Netherlands piped New Zealand 2-1 to record their first-ever win at the U-20 Women’s World Cup.

    Fenna Kalma opened the scoring for the Dutch in the 28th minute, before Hannah Blake leveled the score.

    Van Deursen scored the winning goal for the Dutch 12 minutes from time.

    And in the opening game, Mexico edged out Brazil 3-2.

  • Falconets arrive France for FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup

    Falconets arrive France for FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup

    The Super Falconets have arrived in France for the FIFA U-2O Women’s World Cup.

    The team, comprising of 21 players and 11 officials arrived their base in Saint Malo on Thursday evening.

    They arrived from Austria where they under went a 12-day training programme.

    Chris Danjuma’s charges have now joined fellow Group D rivals, Haiti and Germany who arrived earlier on Thursday and are based in Brittany City.

    The Super Falconets will face Germany in their opening fixture at the Stade de Marville,Saint Malo on Monday, August 6.

    Their second game is against Haiti at the same venue on Thursday August 9.

    They will take on China in their final group game on Monday, August 13 at the Stade de Clos Gastel, Lehon Dinah.

    The competition will run from August 5 to August 24.

  • French parliament approves ban on phones in schools

    French parliament approves ban on phones in schools

    The French parliament has approved a far-reaching ban on mobile phones in schools, radio broadcaster Franceinfo reported on Monday following the result of the vote in the National Assembly.

    The law fundamentally bans the use of mobile phones in all preschools and primary schools, as well as middle school.

    The move had been a campaign demand by centrist President Emmanuel Macron.

    French students are already not allowed to use their mobile phones during class, and each school can decide individually to implement rules that go even further.

    With the new law, that position will be reversed: The use of mobile phones is generally banned in the entire school, with each one deciding to make exceptions to that rule.

    Senators and national assembly deputies reached the agreement late Wednesday on the ban for all three tiers of French education (primary, middle and high school), except for educational purposes.

    Teachers have been calling for the ban to curtail a growing distraction in classrooms, with nearly nine out of ten French teens aged 12 to 17 now owning a smartphone.

    Besides cutting down on screen time, the bill also aims to protect children from dangerous online content such as violence or pornography, as well as cyberbullying.

    Each school will decide how to apply the ban, for example by making students hand them over when entering school premises or requiring them to keep them turned off in their backpacks.

     

  • [Watch] Pavard’s wonder strike voted best goal of World Cup

    Benjamin Pavard’s stunning strike in France’s World Cup last-16 victory over Argentina has been voted the best goal of the tournament in Russia.

    The defender, who showed superb technique to fire into the top corner, received the most votes cast by three million fans on the Fifa website.

    “I didn’t even think about it. I just tried to get over it and keep it down,” Pavard, 22, said after the game.

    Watch video:

    France beat Croatia 4-2 in the final to win the trophy for the second time.

    Pavard added: “The ball bounced up as it came to me. I was trying to hit it in the direction it came from, which is what the strikers always tell me.

    “When the ball went in I just felt so happy.”

    Juan Quintero’s clever free-kick for Colombia against Japan came second…

  • President Macron’s aide put on 2 weeks compulsory leave

    President Macron’s aide put on 2 weeks compulsory leave

    An aide to President Emmanuel Macron was put on two weeks compulsory leave after he was seen hitting a street protester in demonstrations in Paris in May, the French president’s spokesman said on Thursday, a decision deemed too soft by opposition leaders.

    Labour unions hold demonstrations every year on May Day in France, which often lead to police intervention.

    A video, shared on social media, showed a man wearing a police helmet hitting a demonstrator with other policemen.

    He was later recognised as a member of the French presidency staff.

    “The collaborator, Alexandre Benalla, had been given permission to witness the demonstrations only as an observer,” Bruno Roger-Petit said in a filmed statement.

    “Clearly, he went beyond this … he was immediately summoned by the president’s chief of staff and given a 15-day suspension. This comes as a punishment for unacceptable behavior,” he said.

    A judiciary source told Reuters the Paris prosecutor had launched an investigation into the matter on Thursday after being made aware of the incident.

    Several opposition leaders voiced criticism over Benalla’s punishment, arguing it was too lenient.

    “This video is shocking. Today, we have the feeling that in Macron’s entourage, one is above the law. It is obvious that Macron has to speak up about this,” Laurent Wauquiez, president of conservative opposition party Les Republicains told Europe 1 radio.

     

  • France youngster Mbappe donates entire World Cup money to charity

    France youngster Mbappe donates entire World Cup money to charity

    France World Cup winner, Kylian Mbappe has donated $550,000 his full earnings and winning bonus from the World Cup to a charity that gives sports instruction to hospitalised and disabled children class young man on and off the field.

    According to the French news outlet L’Equipe, Mbappe, who has been supporting the association since 2017, felt that his World Cup winnings were better served helping a humanitarian cause.

    Mbappe earns approximately £17,000 ($19,915) per game, as well as an additional £265,000 ($310,2017) in bonuses he earned from France’s win, according to Sports Illustrated.

    Calculated as of Monday morning for Mbappe’s seven World Cup games and championship bonus, the French forward would be donating approximately $449,606, or £384,000.

    On top of donating his earrings, Mbappe has been known to drop by the association to play with the children.

    “Kylian, he is a great person,” the general manager of the Premiers de Cordée, Sebastian Ruffin, told the French news outlet Le Parisien. “When his schedule allows it, he intervenes for us with pleasure, He has a very good relationship with the children—he always finds the right [words] to encourage them.”

    Mbappe seems to have inspired other members of France’s team. According to L’Equipe, some players are donating part of their earnings to fund an educational trip to Russia for 25 students of the Jean-Renoir College in Bondy.