Italy legend Filippo Inzaghi has outlined the areas Kylian Mbappe must improve upon if he is to reach Cristiano Ronaldo s level.
Two of world football s biggest names go head to head on Wednesday evening when France face Portugal in the group stages of Euro 2020.
Les Bleus know their place in the knockout stages is already guaranteed but will be out to secure top spot in Group F and a kinder last-16 draw.
Portugal, meanwhile, are at risk of crashing out of the tournament unless they secure at least a point from their meeting with the world champions.
Mbappe and Ronaldo are likely to have a big say for their respective teams but Inzaghi believes one man might find it easier to influence proceedings thanks to his starting position.
Being the main p…
Mikel Arteta will face former mentor Pep Guardiola after Arsenal were drawn against Manchester City in the EFL Cup quarter-finals.
Arsenal manager Arteta spent three seasons as assistant to Guardiola during an unprecedented period of success for City before swapping jobs last December.
The sides have met twice since then, with Arsenal exacting revenge for a 3-0 Premier League defeat towards the end of last season with a 2-0 win in the 2019-20 FA Cup semi-finals.
Arsenal beat Liverpool on penalties after a goalless last-16 tie on Thursday, while City saw off Burnley 3-0 to stay on course for a fifth EFL Cup triumph in six years.
Some tasty ties in the Quarter-Finals! |
— Carabao Cup (@Carabao_Cup)
Elsewhere, Manchester United will tr…
Speaking to Fabrizio Romano, Jose Mourinho refused to rule out coaching a club in the Saudi Pro League in the future, but he has no agreement of that sort with anyone at the moment.
EXCLUSIVE José Mourinho on potential future in Saudi: “Cristiano Ronaldo opened the door”.
“Becoming coach of a Saudi Pro League club? If you ask me in the future… never say never”.
“I had an important proposal but I said no as I was committed to AS Roma”.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano)
…
England and Belgium drew 2-2 in a friendly game at Wembley on Tuesday, with Ivan Toney (pen.) and Jude Bellingham cancelling out a Youri Tielemans brace. Romelu Lukaku produced a fine performance for the visitors, providing a fantastic assist for Tielemas second goal.
Currently playing for AS Roma on loan from Chelsea, the 30-year-old striker was expected perhaps to be motivated to impress back on English soil.
Reporter: When you come back to England, is there a bit of you that really wants to impress?
Lukaku: You ll have to ask Chelsea
— Hayters TV (@HaytersTV)
…
Manchester City signing Fernando said he is looking up to teaming up with Yaya Toure as he embarks on a career at Eastlands.
The 26-year-old defensive midfielder sealed a move to the Premier League in June, moving from Porto.
Fernando, a former Brazil Under-20 representative, said he was thrilled to team up with Ivorian midfielder Toure as City looked to defend their league crown in 2014-15.
City are known all over the world, footballers are aware of Manchester City, Fernando said.
It s a dream to be here and part of this great club, and I also hope to become one of the club s great players.
The player I most admire and who I watch a lot of his games, is Yaya Toure.
He s a great player and for me it will be an honour to play alongside…
England captain Steven Gerrard has announced his immediate retirement from international football.
The Liverpool skipper racked up 114 caps for his country, scoring 21 times, and led England in three major tournaments, the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups and UEFA Euro 2012.
However, after failing to lead England out of Group D in Brazil, the 34-year-old has opted to bring the curtain down on his time on the national stage.
He told the Football Association s official website: I have enjoyed every minute of representing my country and it is a sad day for me knowing that I won t pull on the England shirt again.
This has been a very difficult decision, one of the toughest I ve had to make in my career. I have agonised over this since coming back from Brazil a…
Darijo Srna officially announced his retirement from international football, with an emotional post on the Croatian Football Federation s website on Monday.
While he will continue his club career as captain of Shakthar Donetsk, Srna s decision to leave the national team comes after a tumultuous summer in Croatian football, with fan trouble, allegations of corruption and an ultimately disappointing showing at UEFA Euro 2016.
I proudly leave, because I know I gave my country everything I had, he said on the Croatian football association s website.
Absolutely everything. If you ask what I would rather have been – a three time World Cup winner with another country or what I am as a Croat – I don t have to give you an answer. Personally, playing for Croatia was …
Tottenham striker Harry Kane has signed a new five-year deal at White Hart Lane, keeping him at the club until 2019.
The 21-year-old forward appears set to take the next step in his Tottenham career after a bright end to last term.
And Kane is clearly part of new manager Mauricio Pochettino s plans as he penned a fresh long-term deal on Thursday.
A club statement read: We are delighted to announce that Harry Kane has signed a new contract, committing his future to the club until 2019.
The young striker, 21, made his first-team breakthrough in the second half of last season, scoring in three successive Premier League matches in April.
A product of our academy system, Harry, born locally in Walthamstow, signed professional terms in 2010 and made h…
Wales boss Chris Coleman says his players have earned the right to be considered a golden generation as they prepare for a critical World Cup qualifying clash with the Republic of Ireland.
A win in Monday s meeting in Cardiff for either side would guarantee a place in the play-off round and could be enough to seal an automatic spot in Russia, depending on group leaders Serbia s result against Georgia.
Wales have not appeared at the World Cup finals since 1958 but have made history in the last two years, reaching the semi-finals of Euro 2016 after having climbed to an all-time high place of eighth in the FIFA rankings in October 2015.
Coleman believes his side now deserve to be considered part of their country s golden era and says Monday s showdown is the biggest…
When Maurizio Sarri suggested before Tuesday s Champions League Group F encounter that facing Manchester City filled him with more dread than the prospect of playing Real Madrid, there was a suspicion the famously chain-smoking Napoli coach was blowing a fair bit of the stuff.
After 13 minutes at the Etihad Stadium, with Pep Guardiola s Premier League leaders 2-0 up and running riot, it felt like a succinct prophecy a little too grim and accurate for the impressive number of travelling supporters from the south of Italy.
The pre-match pleasantries were unrelentingly pleasant. Guardiola anointed Napoli as one of the three best footballing sides in Europe and his team seemed to get the message.
City opened with a maniacal intensity – if Napoli were as good as th…