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Argentina captain Lionel Messi has suggested that his side cannot be considered serious candidates to win the 2018 World Cup. Argentina is ranked fifth favourites with most bookmakers to lift the famous trophy in Russia this summer, behind only Brazil, Germany, Spain and France. Lionel Messi was part of the Argentina side that finished runners-up four years ago in Brazil and, after netting a hat-trick in the midweek friendly win against Haiti, the Barcelona superstar is not entirely giving up hope of going one better this time around. “I am very grateful to all the people, we always feel the affection of all, not like other times that we received insults,” he told reporters. “We all go to Russia for the same reason, the World Cup is the dream of us, of the country. “We are not candidates but we are very good, training and improving day by day. We have good players and we are getting stronger to fight as an equal with anyone. “In a World Cup, logic is almost never given.

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said Thursday he was leaving the Spanish giants, just days after winning the Champions League for the third year in a row. Zinedine Zidane has quit as Real Madrid manager just days after becoming the first coach to win the Champions League in three consecutive seasons. Zidane, 45, replaced Rafael Benitez in January 2016 and despite his European success has come under pressure for winning only one La Liga title during his two and a half years in charge. He told Real president Florentino Perez he would be leaving on Wednesday before informing captain Sergio Ramos. "I know it is a strange moment for everyone involved," said Zidane. "But it had to be done for everybody. "This team has to continue winning and need a change. After three years they need a new voice, a new way of saying things - possibly another way of working. "That's why I've taken that decision. I love this club, I love the president, he's g

Three-time champion Serena Williams will make her eagerly-awaited return to Grand Slam tennis on Tuesday with a French Open first-round match against Kristyna Pliskova on Court Philippe Chatrier. The 36-year-old last played a major tournament in a victorious 2017 Australian Open campaign while two months pregnant, before taking time out of the game to give birth to her daughter. Serena has since crashed to 453 in the world as a result, although she was able to use her protected ranking to enter the French Open. The former world number one briefly returned for the American hardcourt season, but suffered early losses to sister Venus and Naomi Osaka in Indian Wells and Miami respectively. A run to the title at Roland Garros so soon into her comeback may be unlikely, but Serena can never be ruled out and victory would draw her level with Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles. Should she get through the first couple of rounds, Serena appears to have

 Brazil was the first team from CONMEBOL to book their place at Russia 2018. FIFA Ranking: 2 Continent: South America Nickname: Samba Boys  World Cup History: Qualifying Campaigns : 20  First stage appearances : 12 Semi final appearances :11 Finals: 7 Titles: 5 First World Cup : 1930  Last World Cup :2014 Best outing :Champion (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002) Key Player: NEYMAR Neymar is set to make his second appearance at a World Cup. The Paris Saint-Germain star also won the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup title with former club Barcelona. MATCHES: June 17: BRAZIL vs SWITZERLAND June 22: BRAZIL vs COSTA RICA June 27: SERBIA vs BRAZIL

 Mohamed Salah will sit out two months and miss the world cup after a shoulder injury he sustained during Liverpool’s Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid, Saudi Arabian sports administrator Turki Al-Sheikh has said.                    Image of injured salah Salah was substituted with just 30 minutes into the game following a challenge with Madrid captain Sergio Ramos that saw him land awkwardly on his shoulder. Bale came off the bench to score two goals- including a overhead stunner, to seal a third consecutive title for Real after Sadio Mane had earlier on cancelled out Karim Benzema’s opener, thanks to Loris Karius’ clanger. Al-Sheikh who holds a number of administrative roles and was until last week an honorary president of Egyptian club Al-Ahly took to Facebook to react to Salah’s injury. He wrote, “With great sadness, sadly our great Arab star Mohamed Salah was confirmed in his absence [of] two months to injury, which means that he will miss the World Cup,”

Cristiano Ronaldo says he will soon make an announcement about his future after helping Real Madrid win a third successive Champions League title. Real beat Liverpool 3-1 in Kiev on Saturday thanks to a Gareth Bale double and a Karim Benzema strike. Although Ronaldo did not score, he did finish as the competition’s top scorer this season with 15 goals. “In the next few days I’ll give an answer to the fans,” Ronaldo told Bein Sports.  “It was beautiful to be at Real Madrid. The future of any Madrid player is not important; we have just made history.” When asked to clarify why he spoke about being at Real Madrid in the past tense, Ronaldo added: “I don’t have any doubts, it’s not important. “I have to rest now, go and meet up with the Portugal team [before the World Cup] and in the next few weeks. [I’ll make an announcement].”

Please gamble responsibly. - Champions League final- Real Madrid vs Liverpool-1 home win. - Austria Bundesliga-  Austria Vienna vs sv Salzburg-2 away win Czech. -Republic 1st League- Dukla Prague vs Victoria plzen-x2 away double chance. Fastav zlin vs Fc Slovan liberec-12 anybody's win Fastav zlin vs Fc. Slovan liberec- under2.5 Bohemians 1905 vs Sparta Prague-2 away win.  - Thailand Premier League- Burium United Fc vs airforce United Fc-1 home win.   Pattaya United Fc vs Muang thong United-x2 away double chance. -England championship play off- Fulham vs Aston Villa-1 home win. -International friendly- China vs Myanmar-1 home win.

Former UEFA president Michel Platini, who was banned from football activities over a two million Swiss francs (1.8 million euros, $2 million) payment from FIFA, has been cleared by a Swiss prosecutor, French daily Le monde reported on Friday.  Le Monde base their report on a letter dated May 24 by Cedric Remund, a Swiss state prosecutor, and sent to Platini’s lawyer, Vincent Solari.  “We confirm that this procedure will no longer pursue your client,” the prosecutor wrote to Solari.  “We can also confirm that your client will not be incriminated in the present procedure,” an extract of the letter said. Platini was banned from any footballing activities for eight years in 2015, later reduced to four after Swiss authorities investigated a payment made by FIFA to Platini in 2011. Solari insisted Platini was innocent. “It’s a double affirmation, he’s clearly innocent. There are insufficient charges against him,” Solari told Le Monde. The former France and Juventus legend had

Former England midfielder David Beckham has begged his former Real Madrid team-mate Zinedine Zidane to beat Liverpool in the Champions League final. Madrid are aiming for their third consecutive Champions League title - a feat that has not been achieved before - but they must beat Jurgen Klopp's side on Saturday . Beckham played in Madrid alongside the Frenchmen from 2003 to 2006 - the latter year Zidane decided to retire from international and club football.  The former Manchester United player is dreading the possibility of his bitter rivals Liverpool winning the title and hopes Madrid can stop their winning parade. He said: "To have been successful as a player and now to be successful as the boss, the big boss, is incredible. I just want to wish Zizou, the boss, the president, the club good luck in the Champions League final. "And please beat Liverpool, please!" Beckham won the Champions League with United in the 1998-1999 season. He crossed in two

Real Madrid star, Cristiano Ronaldo has said that he simply cannot be compared to Liverpool ace, Mohamed Salah ahead of this Saturday’s Champions League final in Kiev. According to Ronaldo, the Egyptian international cannot be compared to him because Salah’s style of football is completely different to his own style. The 33-year-old inspired Zinedine Zidane’s men to the brink of a third Champions League crown, While Salah has enjoyed a record breaking first season at Anfield, scoring 44 goals in all competitions.  Asked if he saw any similarities between himself and Salah ahead of the Champions League final on Saturday, Ronaldo told reporters, “Not really.  " “He is completely different. He plays with the left, I play with the right. I’m tall he’s a little bit shorter, I play with the head. “We are completely different. People want to compare me with other players but I’m different from everyone. “Salah is different but I have to say he has had a fantastic Champions Le

Real Madrid vs Liverpool : Enugu Police Command calls for caution ahead of Champions League final. The Enugu State Police Command on Friday warned fans of Liverpool and Real Madrid football clubs to control their emotions notwithstanding the outcome of the UEFA Champions League final in Kiev, Ukraine.  Large numbers of fans of the two clubs will be watching the European Champions League final live on Saturday at 7.45 p.m. in hundreds of viewing centres in Enugu State.  The Command’s spokesman, SP Ebere Amaraizu, said in Enugu that residents should watch the match bearing in mind that “football is meant for peace and promotion of love’’. “Do not allow your emotions to cause commotion. “Football is a game primarily meant to promote peace, love and oneness among people. “Residents should not turn around the noble objectives of the beautiful round leather game to the negative. “We are urging all to watch the match and make new friends notwithstanding the outcome as surely

Head coach of the France national team, Didier Deschamps, has explained why he left Arsenal’s Alexandre Lacazette and Manchester United forward, Anthony Martial from his squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. DAILY POST recalls that Deschamps on Thursday evening released his 23-man squad and omitted Lacazette and Martial. Deschamps, however, said he omitted both Lacazette and Martial from his France World Cup squad because he has too many striking options to choose from.  France will open their World Cup campaign against Australia on June 16, before facing Peru and Denmark in their remaining Group C fixtures. “They [Lacazette and Martial] were good against Germany, but the whole team were. And it’s still a friendly match, even if it’s Germany,” Deschamps told reporters. “I have had these two players in several situations, as starters and substitutes.  “I have a complete analysis based on what they have shown me and the role they could have in the squad at the World Cup.

Mikel Arteta is the favorite for the Arsenal job. Mikel Arteta is the leading candidate to succeed Arsene Wenger at Arsenal despite having no managerial experience. His appointment would represent a gamble, but a look into his past reveals he has always been destined for the dugout, writes Nick Wright. Alan Stubbs was nearing the end of his first spell at Everton when Mikel Arteta arrived on loan from Real Sociedad. The 22-year-old had been brought in to add flair to David Moyes' grizzled squad, but despite being a young player new to English football, it soon became clear that he was also happy to stand up in the dressing room and speak his mind. "Mikel always had an opinion about how the team was playing," Stubbs tells Sky Sports . "He wouldn't hesitate to come forward and say something to the group. He would talk about what the team wasn't doing or what the team needed to do better, whether that was keeping the ball or creating more in the fina

BEST BETTING SITES : HOW TO EASILY FIND THEM  Every weekend and match day is a great day for you if you are a football fan.  This is because you are going to watch your favorite team take to the field. While watching soccer is a great way to have fun, sometimes it is not enough. You need to take extra steps to enjoy football even more. One of the best ways to do so is to bet on best betting sites.  Football betting will not only help you have fun, but also win big. Remember, when you watch football, you don’t win anything. The only thing you win is self-satisfaction. This changes radically when you start betting. Betting gives you a chance to win a lot of money. The only thing you need to do is to predict the result of scores. The same way you predict that your team will win, is the same way you will do. The only difference is that you will commit a certain amount of money. If your prediction is right at the end of the match, you will win money. This means that it doesn’t ma

FIFA rankings:Nigeria retains 47th position.  Nigeria has retained her last month’s Coca Cola FIFA world ranking on 47th position and sixth in Africa in May.  The rankings released on FIFA website on Thursday recorded few changes as the first 47 countries retained their previous positions.    According to the rankings on the website, seven international ‘A’ matches, all friendlies, took place in the month and as a result, there are few movers in the latest ranking.  Germany, Brazil and Belgium were on the top three positions, while Super Eagles world cup foes Argentina, Croatia and Iceland were on fifth, 18th and 22nd positions. Tunisia is 14th on the table, followed by Senegal on 28th and DR Congo the 38th.  The next rankings would be released on June 7.

Mancini set to become Italy next coach in a few days.  Italy are set to announce Roberto Mancini as their new coach.  The Azzurri failed to qualify for the World Cup in the play-offs Italy will play Saudi Arabia, France, and Netherlands in a friendly Roberto Mancini is expected to be announced as coach of the Italian national team on Wednesday, May, 16, Sky Sports reports.  The former Manchester City manager who left Russian side Zenit St Petersburg on Sunday on mutual consent was due to travel to Rome on Monday to meet up with the Italian FA to finalise his contract.  Italian Federation [FIGC] commissioner Roberto Fabbricini said the ex-Inter Milan coach had agreed in principle to become the next manager of four-time world champions. The Azzurri failed to qualify for this summer's World Cup after defeat to Sweden in a two-leg play-off and reports have it Mancini has agreed a big pay cut to secure the job.  The 53-year-old is giving up potential earnings of €13m (

Arsene Wenger wants his successor to sign more players.  Arsene Wenger believes his successor at Arsenal will succeed if he brings new players in.  The Frenchman has officially left the Gunners on Sunday, May 13, after 22 years in charge Arsenal board are expected to name a replacement for Arsene Wenger this summer.  Frenchman Arsene Wenger has stated clearly that his successor at Arsenal must bring in fresh legs to the Emirates stadium for the Gunners to be able to compete for the Premier League title.  After 22 years in charge of the North London club, Arsene Wenger signed off with a 1-0 win against Huddersfield on Sunday, May 13. Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang got the only goal of the game which was his 10th since arriving the Emirates in January 2018.    Arsene Wenger however believes there is a bright future for Arsenal and the new manager starting from their campaign next season. "I see a bright future for my successor because the team has a g

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi beats Mo Salah to European golden boot.  set to win the European golden boot as fierce rival Mohamed Salah has ended the current season with 32 goals - Salah's record of 32 goals was enough to ensure the Egyptian set a new Premier League record.  Messi is the joint-record holder with old rival Cristiano Ronaldo on four Rave of the moment, Mohamed Salah may have smashed the Premier League's 38-game goal scoring record — but that still was not enough for the Egyptian to land the European Golden Boot.  Salah's strike in Liverpool's final match of the season against Brighton saw him make it 32 in the league.  However, he was still two goals short of Lionel Messi's tally of 34 La Liga goals— with the Argentina captain having one more match remaining.  Messi is the joint-record holder with old rival Cristiano Ronaldo on four, but will become the outright leader unless something incredible happens next week.  With 29, Ciro

Jonjo Shelvey should go to the World Cup over Arsenal's Jack Wilshere, Steve McMahon told The Debate. Shelvey has not been selected for an England squad in nearly three years, when Roy Hodgson was still manager, but has been tipped for a recall for the World Cup on the back of his fine form for Newcastle this season. McMahon, and fellow The Debate guest Dennis Wise disagreed on who should be on England's plane to Russia - with the former Liverpool man in no doubt about who should be included among Southgate's midfielders. "I don't see any room in my squad for a Jack Wilshere," he said. "Jonjo Shelvey has more of a range.  Wilshere doesn't do enough for me. You talk about Shelvey's character, but look at Wilshere's injury problems. You couldn't afford to take Adam Lallana and Wilshere. " He likes him as a footballer, and you don't play that number of games for Arsenal unless you're a good footballer, but that'

Cristiano Ronaldo returns to training with Real Madrid ahead of Celta Vigo clash.  Cristiano Ronaldo has resumed training for Real Madrid.  But the Portugal captain has quenched fears of his fans by taking part in his team's session at their Valdebebas Sport Complex on a sunny morning in Madrid.  Dailymail report that the former Man United ace only got involved in the more relaxed portion of the session before working on his recovery in the gym for the second half.  And Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane has insisted his star man will be fully fit by the time the Kiev clash with Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool comes around.  Speaking about the Champions League, Zidane said: "They are all going to arrive at the Champions League final," "The worst is Cristiano, because it's just happened, but he's fine. It's incredible that he's already walking after 48 hours. "That shows his ambition, his desire to want to play.  It would be perfe

David Luiz hosts Chelsea teammates at his swanky Mayfair restaurant.  Chelsea defender, David Luiz, hosted his swagger dressed Blues colleagues to his new Mayfair restaurant.  The Chelsea players used Luiz and Willian jointly owned Mayfair restaurant as the after party venue to their end of season award. N'Golo Kante was named as Chelsea's Player of the Year.  Chelsea defender, David Luiz, welcomed his swagger dressed Blues colleagues to his new Mayfair restaurant shortly after their end-of-season awards bash on Thursday night May 10.  Babbo which is jointly owned by Luiz and compatriot Willian was officially opened last month and the plush Italian eatery provided the perfect venue for a post-ceremony meal.  David Luiz took to social media on Friday May 11, to thank his fellow Chelsea players for attending and posted a picture of Antonio Rudiger, Olivier Giroud, Ross Barkley, David Luiz, Gary Cahill, Danny Drinkwater, Ethan Ampadu, Eden Hazard and N'G

Dani Alves ruled out of this year's World Cup after suffering knee injury.  He suffered a knee ligament injury in PSG's cup victory over Les Herbiers earlier this week.  The 35-year-old has won 37 career trophies to make him the most successful player on the planet.  Paris Saint Germain right back Dani Alves has joined the list of stars that will be missing in this year’s FIFA World Cup in Russia this summer according to Daily Mail.  The 35-year-old picked up a knee ligament injury during his side’s 2-0 triumph over Les Herbiers on Tuesday, May 8 in the French Cup final.  Alves wasn’t able to finish the match as limped off the pitch towards the end of the meeting against the lower league side.  However, the former Barcelona’s spokesman was quoted saying his client will need 'at least three weeks to recover from the knock.  Meanwhile, reports coming from the south American country claim the defender will not be able to travel to Russia at all.  Daily Mail