Football

Elite footballers face ever-increasing physical and mental demands, with a faster-paced game and long, gruelling seasons. In a World Cup year, how does a player make it to June fit and fired up? It is actually quite difficult, the experts say, and requires an army of dedicated specialists tracking and carefully engineering each athlete´s mental and physical condition. Research shows ...

CAIRO: Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah was included Monday in Egypt’s 2018 World Cup squad despite still underdoing treatment for a shoulder injury he suffered in the Champions League final, the Egyptian Football Association said. Salah, who hit a stunning 44 goals for Liverpool last season in all competitions, was forced out of the final in tears last month clutching his ...

MADRID: Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos released Friday an anthem for Spain’s 2018 World Cup campaign which he co-wrote with Spanish flamenco fusion singer Demarco Flamenco. The 32-year-old Spain captain uploaded on his Instagram page a short video teaser of the song, which he is seen performing with Flamenco, a former gas canister distributor. “I always keep my promises. This ...

MADRID: Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane is leaving the European champions after two years in charge, he told a news conference on Thursday. Zidane claimed an unprecedented third consecutive Champions League title when Real beat Liverpool 3-1 on Saturday, capping a remarkable period in his first job in senior club management. The Frenchman took over a divided dressing room after ...

Lionel Messi said Argentina will “go to Russia with hope” after he scored a hat-trick in their 4-0 World Cup warm-up win over Haiti. The Barcelona star, 30, also set-up Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero for the fourth goal against a team ranked 108th in the world. Aguero began the game on the bench, with Gonzalo Higuain and Angel Di Maria ...

Egypt’s Mohamed Salah is ‘confident’ of being fit for the World Cup despite suffering a shoulder injury in Liverpool’s Champions League final defeat against Real Madrid. Salah was forced off in tears during the first half of the 3-1 loss in Kiev on Saturday, sparking fears he wouldn´t make it to next month’s World Cup. The 25-year-old sustained the problem ...

For the 13th time in history and by far most all time, Real Madrid is once again king of the Champions League. On Saturday, Los Blancos beat Liverpool 3-1 on an absolutely magical, baffling bicycle kick goal from Gareth Bale to win a third straight Champions League crown. Two very bad bloopers from Liverpool’s goalkeeper also proved to be the ...

KIEV: Cristiano Ronaldo responded to his worst run of domestic form at Real Madrid with a record-smashing scoring streak in the Champions League and in Saturday´s final he can join the club´s iconic forward Alfredo di Stefano on five European Cup triumphs. Ronaldo, 33, leads the competition´s scoring charts for a remarkable fifth year in a row and a goal ...

TOKYO: Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta joined Japan’s Vissel Kobe on Thursday, the club’s owner Hiroshi Mikitani said, describing him as a “world-class” player. “I am pleased to announce today that Andres Iniesta will be signing up to play with Vissel Kobe after his historic career at FC Barcelona,” Mikitani told reporters in Tokyo. The 34-year-old Spanish World Cup winner, who ...

KIEV: Istanbul’s Ataturk Olympic Stadium will host the 2020 Champions League final, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin confirmed in Kiev on Thursday. The 76,000-capacity ground played host to Liverpool’s famous comeback from 3-0 down to win the Champions League on penalties over AC Milan in 2005. UEFA have been under pressure to ensure future final host cities have the hotel and ...