Category: Football

MADRID: Real Madrid legend Karim Benzema netted a penalty in his farewell La Liga game at the Santiago Bernabeu but was unable to inspire his side to victory as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Athletic Club on Sunday.

Elsewhere Real Valladolid were relegated after a nil-nil draw with Getafe, while five other sides near the bottom were able to breathe a sigh of relief on the final matchday of the season.

Champions Barcelona end the La Liga 2022-23 with a 2-1 defeat at Celta Vigo, with Gabri Veiga’s brace ensuring that his side remains in the top flight next season.

Karim Benzema, who would leave Real Madrid after spending 14 years at the club, struck from the spot to level the game, before being substituted to great applause.

The draw ensured that Real Madrid would finish ahead of city rivals Atletico Madrid in second place as Diego Simeone’s side was held to a 2-2 draw at Villarreal on the final day.

Apart from Valladolid, Espanyol and Elche were also demoted from the top-tier Spanish League, occupying the last two spots on the table.

Almeria, on the other hand, survived the La Liga elimination on a thin margin, with Adri Embarba’s netting a penalty three minutes before time to earn his side a 3-3 draw against Espanyol.

Almeria finished 17th on the table with 41 points, only one point above the relegated Valladolid.

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MADRID: Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has agreed a deal to leave the club, the Spanish giants said on Sunday.

The 35-year-old forward has been heavily linked this week with a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia.

“Real Madrid and our captain Karim Benzema have agreed to put an end to his brilliant and unforgettable era as a player at our club,” said Los Blancos in a statement.

“Madrid want to show their gratitude and all their love to someone who is one of our greatest legends.”

The announcement comes after Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti had said Saturday there was “no doubt” about Benzema’s future being at Madrid, noting the forward had one more year left on his contract.

And Benzema himself had said “not everything you read on the internet is reality” after reports emerged in the week about his potential departure to Saudi Arabia, where his former Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo is playing for Al Nassr.

The French forward joined Madrid in 2009 from Ligue 1 side Lyon.

Benzema established himself as a key player alongside Ronaldo and Gareth Bale in the vaunted “BBC” attacking trident, before developing into the team’s leader when the Portuguese striker left in 2018.

Benzema has lifted five Champions Leagues, four La Liga titles and three Copas del Rey with Real Madrid and is the current holder of the Ballon d’Or for the world’s best player.

He is Real Madrid’s second top scorer of all-time, with 353 goals for Madrid, behind only Ronaldo on 450.

Benzema’s final appearance for the club could be later today when Madrid host Athletic Bilbao in La Liga at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Madrid confirmed Saturday that Eden Hazard, Marco Asensio and Mariano Diaz are all leaving this summer too, leaving plenty of space for new acquisitions in attack.

Ancelotti avoided talking on Saturday about Madrid’s alleged interest in England and Tottenham striker Harry Kane.

“I’m not going to talk about the future of the squad that is in place,” said Ancelotti.

“Kane is a great player, he is a Tottenham player, we have to respect the player and Tottenham.”

– Rise to glory –

Benzema battled with Gonzalo Higuain for a regular starting spot in his early days at Madrid, and was once derided by then-coach Jose Mourinho for being a “cat” instead of the “hunting dog” he wanted.

While playing alongside Ronaldo, Benzema took the role of supplier and worked hard to provide for his team-mate.

The forward greatly increased his goal output after Ronaldo left, playing centrally, and scored 44 in 46 games last season, a performance that earned him the 2022 Ballon d’Or.

Benzema’s most recent conquest was the Copa del Rey in May, with Real Madrid beating Osasuna to lift the Spanish cup for the first time since 2014.

Benzema may cherish last season’s Champions League triumph the most of all his successes because he played a crucial role in winning it.

The forward scored a stunning hat-trick to help Madrid come from behind against Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16 and progress.

Benzema netted another treble at Stamford Bridge in the quarter-finals against Chelsea and scored the extra-time goal in the second leg which sent his team into the semi-finals.

The forward also scored three goals over two games against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City to help Madrid reach the final, which they won against Liverpool in Paris — his first Champions League triumph as the team’s figurehead.

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French champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) announced on Friday that veteran former Spain defender Sergio Ramos will join Lionel Messi in leaving the club at the end of the season.

Sergio Ramos, 37, arrived in the French capital in 2021 after a trophy-laden spell with Real Madrid, lifting the Champions League four times.

“We would like to express our immense gratitude to Sergio Ramos for the two years he has spent with us,” PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said in a statement.

“Sergio’s leadership, team spirit and professionalism, combined with his experience at the highest level, make him a true football legend, and it was an honour to have him in Paris.

“Everyone at the club wishes him all the best,” Al-Khelaifi added.

The announcement came less than 24 hours before PSG’s final game of the Ligue 1 season as they host Clermont.

Sergio Ramos follows Argentina’s 2022 World Cup winner Lionel Messi out of the Parc des Princes door with reports also linking Brazil’s Neymar with a departure.

“Tomorrow is a special day, tomorrow I will say goodbye to another stage of my life, goodbye to @psg,” Ramos said on social media.

“I don’t know in how many places one can feel at home, but without a doubt PSG, the fans, and Paris were one of them for me.

“Thank you for two special years in which I was able play in every tournament and give my all,” he added.

The ex-Sevilla defender won Ligue 1 twice in Paris, playing 57 games and his PSG contract will end on June 30.

44 of those appearances came this campaign after a first season, with Mauricio Pochettino in charge, was plagued by injury.

Sergio Ramos, who won the 2010 World Cup with Spain, and Messi arrived in the same summer eyeing a Champions League title with PSG but they were knocked out in the last 16 of both editions.

Lionel Messi has been linked with moves to Inter Miami and a club in Saudi Arabia as well as a return to Barcelona.

Later on Friday, newspaper L’Equipe claimed PSG boss Christophe Galthier will also say goodbye to the club after this weekend’s fixture.

Despite this year’s league title win, the failure in European competition is what Galthier has been judged on.

Reports say PSG are interested in bringing in Real Madrid attacker Marco Asensio for next season as well as Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar, as another summer of re-building is set to get underway.

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RIYADH: Saudi Pro League has the potential to become a top-five league in the world if they can rope in more big names, said star footballer Cristiano Ronaldo. 

Cristiano Ronaldo, who has just completed his first season at the Saudi League after an extravagant deal with Al Nassr in December last year, maintained he enjoyed his time in the Gulf nation and confirmed that he “will continue with the team” next season.

“I am happy here, I want to continue here, I will continue here,” Ronaldo said in an interview with the SPL. 

“And in my opinion if they continue to do the work that they want to do here, for the next five years, I think the Saudi league can be a top-five league in the world,” he added.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner asserted that if more renowned faces joined the league, it would take the league’s status to new heights.

“If they are coming, big players and big names, young players, ‘old players’, they are very welcome because if that happens, the league will improve,” stated the 38-year-old.

Ronaldo’s assertion came amid heated speculations about Lionel Messi, Karim Benzema and Luka Modric’s prospective moves to the Saudi League.

World Cup winner Messi is all set to leave PSG after their last Ligue 1 fixture on Saturday, confirms the team’s coach Christophe Galtier on Thursday.

The Argentinian forward is likely to play in Saudi Arabia next season under a very lucrative deal, a source with knowledge of the negotiations told AFP.

Similarly, Ronaldo’s former teammates at Real Madrid, Benzema and Modric, are also believed to be closing in on attractive deals from Saudi clubs.

“The league is very good but I think we have many opportunities to still grow. The league is competitive. We have very good teams, very good Arab players.” added Ronaldo, who holds the records for most international goals and appearances.

“But they need to improve a little bit more the infrastructure. Even the referees, the VAR system, should be a little quicker.” he concluded.

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Star footballer Lionel Messi is all set to leave Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) after their last Ligue 1 2022/23 fixture against Clermont Foot on Saturday, coach Christophe Galtier confirmed on Thursday.

“I had the privilege of coaching the best player in the history of football. This will be his last match at the Parc des Princes, and I hope that he will receive the warmest of welcomes,” Christophe Galtier told reporters on Thursday.

“This year, he has been an important part of the team, always available. I don’t think any of the comments or criticisms are justified,” Galtier said.

“He’s always been there for the team. It’s been a great privilege to accompany him throughout the season.”

Lionel Messi, who has 21 goals and 20 assists for PSG in all competitions this season, moved to the club from Barcelona in 2021 on a two-year contract.

Argentine superstar Lionel Messi is likely to play in Saudi Arabia next season under a “huge” deal, a source with knowledge of the negotiations told AFP earlier this month.

“Messi is a done deal. He will play in Saudi Arabia next season,” said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity and without naming the club.

“The contract is exceptional. It’s huge. We are just finalising some small details,” the source added.

Asked about the comments, Lionel Messi’s current club Paris Saint-Germain simply noted that he remains under contract until June 30.

A separate PSG source said: “If the club had wanted to renew his contract, it would have been done earlier.”

However, he returned to training with PSG on Monday six days after being suspended for going on an unauthorised trip.

Messi subsequently apologised in a video posted on Instagram to his 458 million followers.

“I had organised this trip to Saudi Arabia having cancelled it previously. This time I couldn’t cancel it. I am sorry for what I did and I wait to see what the club decides to do.”

The affair has made it increasingly unlikely that Lionel Messi will remain at PSG beyond this season, when his two-year contract with the club expires.

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BUDAPEST: Sevilla won a record-extending seventh Europa League title after overcoming Roma 4-1 on penalties in Wednesday’s final in Budapest following a 1-1 draw after extra time.

Yassine Bounou was the hero for Sevilla as he saved two spot-kicks in the shootout while the Spanish side converted all four of their attempts.

Gonzalo Montiel, who converted the winning penalty for Argentina in last year’s World Cup final, did so again for Sevilla — after he was allowed to retake his kick because of encroachment.

Paulo Dybala had struck the opener for Roma on 35 minutes but Sevilla equalised early in the second half through Gianluca Mancini’s own goal.

Chris Smalling nearly won the game for the Italians deep into added time at the end of extra time when his looping header at a corner came back off the bar.

Mancini and Roger Ibanez were denied by Bounou in the shootout as Jose Mourinho suffered his first defeat in a major European final at the sixth attempt.

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Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele and RB Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku are among the players recalled to the France squad named on Thursday by coach Didier Deschamps ahead of two Euro 2024 qualifiers in for June.

Fitness problems meant both players missed France’s opening qualifying matches in March, when they beat the Netherlands 4-0 at home and won 1-0 away to the Republic of Ireland.

They now go into a match against minnows Gibraltar in Faro, Portugal on June 16, and a home clash with Greece three days later, on top of qualifying Group B with six points.

“You will say I am very pragmatic, but the three points that are available against Gibraltar have the same value as those we took against the Netherlands or in Ireland,” Deschamps told reporters in Paris.

“He was supposed to be in the squad for the World Cup but was ruled out by injury, but now he is back on top form,” added Deschamps of Nkunku, who scored four goals in the last five Bundesliga games of the season for his club as they finished third.

He is set to feature for Leipzig in this weekend’s German Cup final against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Chelsea centre-back Wesley Fofana is also in the squad and will hope to make his full France debut after withdrawing from the March list due to injury.

Real Madrid left-back Ferland Mendy was also handed a first call-up since before the World Cup, while injured Arsenal defender William Saliba is among the notable absentees.

Highly-rated Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram was left out, while Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba and Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante — two stars of France’s triumphant 2018 World Cup campaign — are again absent after injury-ravaged seasons.

France squad for Euro 2024 qualifiers against Gibraltar and Greece:

Goalkeepers: Alphonse Areola (West Ham United/ENG), Mike Maignan (AC Milan/ITA), Brice Samba (Lens)

Defenders: Axel Disasi (Monaco), Wesley Fofana (Chelsea/ENG), Theo Hernandez (AC Milan/ITA), Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool/ENG), Jules Kounde (Barcelona/ESP), Ferland Mendy (Real Madrid/ESP), Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich/GER), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich/GER)

Midfielders: Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid/ESP), Youssouf Fofana (Monaco), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Adrien Rabiot (Juventus/ITA), Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid/ESP)

Forwards: Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich/GER), Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona/ESP), Olivier Giroud (AC Milan/ITA), Randal Kolo Muani (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER), Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain), Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig/GER), Marcus Thuram (Borussia Moenchengladbach/GER)

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Organisers of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup – scheduled later this year in Australia and New Zealand – said they were close to selling one million tickets, reported BBC. 

According to the report, around 850,000 tickets have already been sold for the event that takes place between July 20 and August 20, 2023.

“2023 is going to be a landmark moment for women’s football,” said Fifa secretary general Fatma Samoura.

A FIFA spokesperson also informed the British broadcaster that over the next weeks, the one million ticket sale milestone will be crossed.

It is pertinent to mention here that the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup will be the ninth edition of the tournament, featuring 32 teams.

As women’s sports are gathering more and more viewership across the globe, FIFA expects the football megaevent to surpass a record 1.5 million ticket sales and around 2 billion viewers on television.

The United States women’s football team will defend their title at the event which begins with a grand opening ceremony at Eden Park, Auckland before the first match between co-hosts New Zealand and former World champions Norway.

A total of 64 matches will be played across ten venues in nine different cities of the Australian continent.

The final will take place on 20 August at Stadium Australia in Sydney.

Eight teams will feature in their first FIFA Women’s World Cup which includes Haiti, Republic of Ireland, Morocco, Panama, Philippines, Portugal, Vietnam and Zambia.

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LAHORE: The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) on Tuesday, called 28 probables for the national camp here ahead of the upcoming South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship 2023.

Meanwhile, the upcoming national camp will also aid the participating players to gear up for the four-nation cup in Mauritius.

The probables have been directed to report to the camp as it commences on the same day.

The 28 players called by the PFF for the national camp also feature former England U20 player Easah Suliman, former Burnley youngster Rahis Nabi and former Manchester United youngster Otis Khan after the trio were cleared to represent Pakistan at the international stage.

Notably, Pakistan have been drawn with India alongside invitee Kuwait and Nepal in group A of the SAFF Championship 2023.

A total of eight teams, divided into two groups, will participate in the South Asian tournament.

Group A features host India, Pakistan, Nepal and Kuwait while Bangladesh, Bhutan, Lebanon and Maldives were drawn in Group B.

Pakistan men’s football team will mark their return to the SAFF Championship after missing the last two out of the 13 editions held since 1993.

The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) could not send its men’s team for the 2015 edition held in India due to the lack of funds.

The national side then missed the 2021 edition as they were serving a suspension from FIFA, which was lifted last year in June.

Camp probables

Goalkeepers: Saqib Hanif, Salman ul Haq, Abdul Basit and Yousaf Ijaz Butt.

Defenders: Muhammad Umar Hayat, Ali Khan Niazi, Muhammad Sufyan, Muhammad Umer Saeed, Mamoon Moosa Khan, Syed Abdullah Shah, Haseeb Ahmed Khan, Sardar Wali, Sohail, Easah Suliman and Abdullah Iqbal.

Midfielders: Alamgir Ali Khan Ghazi, Ali Uzair Mahmood, Moin Ahmed, Shayak Dost, Muhammad Waleed Khan, Rahis Nabi, Harun Arrashid Faheem Hamid, Umair Ali and Muhammad Adnan Yaqoob.

Forwards: Abdul Samad Shahzad, Otis Jan Mohammad Khan, Hassan Naweed Bashir and Muhammad Waheed.

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Kylian Mbappe was voted the Ligue 1 player of the season for the fourth successive time Sunday after helping Paris Saint-Germain win a record 11th French title.

The France star has scored 28 goals in the league this term and is on course to finish as the division’s top scorer for the fifth season running.

“It’s a pleasure, I always wanted to win, to write my name into the league’s history. But even with all the ambition I have I didn’t expect to win so quickly,” said Mbappe on receiving his award.

Kylian Mbappe, scorer of 40 goals this campaign, snubbed Real Madrid at the end of last season and signed a new three-year contract to stay with PSG.

According to reports, the 24-year-old‘s contract will run out next year unless he exercises an option to stay until 2025.

Asked about his future at the awards ceremony, Kylian Mbappe replied: “I will be here again next season.”

He is the first four-time winner of a prize first awarded in 1994, surpassing Zlatan Ibrahimovic who won the accolade on three occasions with PSG.

Franck Haise of Lens was named coach of the season after leading the club to second place and a return to Champions League football for the first time in two decades.

Lens goalkeeper Brice Samba was also honoured while Paris Saint-Germain left-back Nuno Mendes earned the best young player award.

He was one of four PSG players in the team of the season alongside Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Achraf Hakimi.

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