Tag: Football News

Brazilian superstar Neymar insisted that Paris Saint-Germain always believed they could come back from the brink to defeat Atalanta with two goals in the dying moments of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday.

“I never thought of going home. From start to finish, from the warm-up, we only thought of qualifying for the semi-finals,” the world’s most expensive footballer toldl news men

Substitute Eric Choupo-Moting’s goal three minutes into added time allowed PSG to beat the Italian outsiders 2-1.

Mario Pasalic gave Atalanta a 27th-minute lead but PSG were rescued when Marquinhos came forward to scramble in a last-minute equaliser.

Kylian Mbappe set up fellow substitute Choupo-Moting to win the tie right at the end.

The French champions will play RB Leipzig or Atletico Madrid next Tuesday for a place in the final.

“Nobody is going to take my mind off that I want to go to the final,” added 28-year-old Neymar as PSG made the last-four for the first time since 1995.

“We really have a great group, we’re a family, we know that with this state of mind it’s impossible. to put us out of competition.

“We knew that a ball could arrive, that even after the equaliser we could score a second goal.”

Neymar hailed Atalanta, the team which captured the imagination of neutrals, reaching this stage despite their city of Bergamo being one of the worst hit by the coronavirus.

“Atalanta are a great team, they played very well, they are the surprise of the competition. They were very aggressive, we knew they were going to press us,” said Neymar.

“Now we’re going to have to rest, it was a tough game mentally.

Kylian Mbappe could return for Paris St-Germain in Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final against Atalanta.

The France forward, 21, has recovered from an ankle injury and boss Thomas Tuchel says he will feature in Lisbon if “nothing extraordinary happens”.

However, Tuchel did then suggest Mbappe was most likey to be used off the bench against the Italian side.

“We are really pleased to have the possibility of finishing the match with Kylian on the pitch,” said Tuchel.

“That gives Neymar someone who likes playing alongside him.”

World Cup winner Mbappe sprained his ankle during PSG’s French Cup final win over Saint-Etienne on 24 July, but he has recovered in time for the ‘final eight’ stage of the Champions League.

The French champions have not reached the semi-finals of Europe’s elite club competition since the Qatari takeover of the club in 2011.

Canadian forward Jonathan David has officially joined Ligue 1 side Lille.

The French club announced the signing, which has been rumoured for days.

The 20-year-old David, voted Canada’s player of the year in 2019, tied for leading scorer in the top Belgian league this season with 18 goals for KAA Gent.

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., David was three months old when his family moved to its native Haiti and six when the family came north to Ottawa.

With 11 goals in just 12 senior appearances, he is already halfway to matching Dwayne De Rosario’s Canadian men’s record of 22 national team goals. De Rosario, who doubled as an attacking midfielder and forward, compiled his total in 81 games between 1997 and 2015.

Southampton have confirmed the signing of defender Kyle Walker-Peters on a five-year deal.

The right back has been on loan at St Mary’s since January and moved for a fee of around £12million plus add-ons.

The deal was announced after midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg moved the other way in a separate £20m deal.

Kyle Walker-Peters told the club’s official website: ‘I’m delighted to have signed here. The last few months on loan have been great for me and a lot of fun too. I’ve really enjoyed my football, the atmosphere here and also the style of play.

The club definitely fits the way I like to play, and I hope that people were able to see that during the last month or so of the season.

‘I feel like I’ve already developed in the time I’ve been here, and that’s a big part of wanting to stay too. Obviously, it’s a club with a great reputation for improving young players and, personally, I’ve found it really valuable working under the manager, with his ideas on the game and what he expects from you as an individual.

‘I think the way we finished the season gives us real optimism about where we’re heading too, and it just feels like a really good place for me to keep developing as a player and make the best out of what I have.’

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhüttl added: ‘It was not easy for Kyle when he arrived here. He needed some time to adapt to our style of play, and then we had this period where we could not be together as a team.

But you could see from how he performed when we came back that he had worked a lot in this time, both on his physical condition and also on his understanding of our own game. It says a lot to me about this player that he was able to do this.

‘He is a very good fit for our style. He is a young, intelligent player, and he is very good on the ball, with good quickness and an ability to play this intense style that we like.

‘I am very pleased we have been able to bring him back as our player, as this is a position that we have been looking to improve in and Kyle does this for us. I think he can develop his game even more here too.’

UEFA have confirmed that the Champions League tie between Linfield and KF Drita has been cancelled following a positive coronavirus test.

The preliminary round tie between the Northern Ireland side and the Kosovan counterparts was due to take place on August 11 in Nyon, Switzerland.

It comes after a Kvita player tested positive on Monday, having previously produced a negative Cover-19 test on August 7.

The whole Drita squad also tested negative prior to their arrival in Switzerland.

However, a UEFA statement confirmed: “On Friday, in a separate case, a player from KF Drita returned a positive result for COVID-19 following testing on the eve of their match against Inter Club d’Escaldes (AND) in accordance with the UEFA’s above-mentioned protocol.

“This player was put into quarantine, together with one teammate after tracing found he had come into close contact with the affected player.

This second positive test of a player who was in contact with other members of the delegation over the last days has prompted the Swiss authorities to put the whole Kosovan team into quarantine.

Accordingly, the upcoming fixture cannot be played.

“The matter will now be submitted to the UEFA Control and Disciplinary Body, for a decision to be taken in accordance with Annex I of the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League regulations, which was approved by the UEFA Executive Committee last week.”

Kvita could be booted out of the competition, with Linfield potentially advancing to the next round.

Daniel Sturridge wants to play in the Premier League again with the former Liverpool and Chelsea striker believing he has ‘unfinished business’ in England.

The ex-England international has been without a club since leaving Turkish side Trabzonspor in March after being handed a four-month ban for breaching betting rules.

Sturridge, 30, has since been based in Los Angeles keeping up his fitness as he awaits the right offer.

And though he says there has been interest from clubs all over the world, a return to Premier League football would be his preference.

‘We have options around the world but I’m an English player and I’ve always loved playing in the Premier League,’ Sturridge told Sky Sports.

‘I believe I’ve got a lot to give to the Premier League and I would say that’s my first choice. I do feel I have unfinished business so I would like to go back and play there.

‘I’m open to playing in other leagues, it’s not just the Premier League I’m going to consider, but to come back to England and give my best would be a huge option for me.

‘I’m very excited, I’m hungrier than ever and I’m totally focused on the next chapter.’

Sturridge started his career at Manchester City before signing for Chelsea in 2009.

Four years at Stamford Bridge saw the striker scored 24 goals in 96 appearances before he was sold to Liverpool for £12m in 2013.

Sturridge played and scored regularly in the 2013-14 season, when Liverpool came close to winning the Premier League title, but less frequently under Jurgen Klopp.

Nonetheless, he was part of the Liverpool squad that won the Champions League in 2019.

In July 2019, Sturridge was banned from football for six weeks, four of which were suspended, for breaching betting rules by telling his brother to bet on him signing for Sevilla.

However, the Football Association appealed this punishment by an independent regulatory commission and it was upgraded to a four-month worldwide ban from football in March this year.

Sturridge’s fine of £75,000 was also doubled as a result.

This led to the mutual termination of his contract with Trabzonspor and Sturridge, having served the ban, is now looking for a new club.

‘I’m a free agent and I’ve played for a lot of top clubs around the world,’ he added.

‘I’m just ready to help a team be successful and to be a big part of their plans