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Nations League: England relegated

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Italy 1 - 0 England It was another awful night for England as they were relegated from their Nations League. There are now a lot of questions to answer for Gareth Southgate.  He has of course been here before – in his nightmares at Molineux. Back in June, at the end of the 4-0 humiliation against Hungary, the England manager had ventured onto the pitch to applaud the home crowd. The boos that greeted him dripped with venom. And so to full time here. After Hungary at home; goodness, after the loss to Hungary away – plus the draws in between against Germany and Italy which had got this Nations League campaign off to such a bad start – it was a night when Southgate desperately needed a mood-changer, something to restore belief. Yet there would only be more frustration, more dead-ends and an absence of creative inspiration. Watch the highlights from England's dismal night. Footage from  England - YouTube   Jude Bellingham was England’s standout man on another poor night in the Nati

Nations League: The 2022/23 draw has been made

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The UEFA Nations League is still a fairly new idea. It is a biennial international football competition contested by the member associations of UEFA. The last edition of the competition was won by France. You can read about it here. UEFA Nations League: Spain 1 - 2 France (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Ahead of a busy year of international football, nations are now preparing for the next edition of the competition. Here are the UEFA Nations League groups in full. We have highlighted some of the more interesting groups. Group A1: Austria, Croatia, Denmark, France. Group A2: Czech Republic, Switzerland, Portugal, Spain. Group A3: Hungary, England, Germany, Italy. England have faced all of these sides in recent times. They beat Germany in a memorable Euro 2020 last-16 match before eventually losing to Italy in the final of the same competition. More recently, they beat Hungary in a World Cup qualifier. England manager Gareth Southgate believes that the tough Nations League group is

UEFA Nations League: Denmark stun France

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France 1 - 2 Denmark Andreas Cornelius scored twice as Denmark came from behind to beat holders France in the Nations League. Karim Benzema opened the scoring with a stunning effort. He cut in from the right-wing before dummying his way past three defenders and slotting in. Cornelius volleyed in Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's ball over the top to level. The 60th-minute substitute won the game when he ran onto a long ball before firing in. This was the first time the former Cardiff striker has scored twice in an international game. What a time to do it! Denmark look like a team that are on the rise. It will be interesting to see them progress over the next few years. Both sides had several chances in a lively opening game to group A1. In the first half, Denmark's Joakim Maehle hit the outside of the post and Benzema had a goal disallowed. In between Cornelius' two goals, France's N'Golo Kante crashed a shot off the post and Denmark's Christian Eriksen forced a save

Nations League: France ease to comfortable win

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France 2 - 0 Belgium France picked up their first victory of their Nations League campaign with a comfortable win over Belgium.  After losing 3-1 to Italy in their first League A Group 2 match and they faced a tough challenge against Belgium.  Kylian Mbappe, the France captain, started on the bench for this game as he had played the full 90 minutes against Italy.  France's coach, Didier Deschamps, decided to change the entire forward line for this match. Belgium had a bright start but fell behind just before the half-hour mark when Kolo Muani scored his sixth goal for France after pouncing on a loose ball.  Ousmane Dembele, Muani's teammate at Paris St-Germain, made it 2-0 after the break with a well-struck shot. Mbappe came on in the second half and had two good chances but was unable to score. Click here for more news and stories from across France What next for Belgium? They opened their Nations League campaign with a 3-1 win against Israel - with De Bruyne scoring t

Nations League: Bellamy earns first win as Wales boss

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Montenegro 1 - 2 Wales Craig Bellamy secured his first victory as Wales head coach in a high-octane Nations League clash against Montenegro, played in dreadful conditions in rain-soaked Niksic. Kieffer Moore gave Wales an early lead just 37 seconds in with a sharp finish, followed by Harry Wilson doubling the advantage with a brilliant 25-yard shot two minutes later. Great memories in the Nations League for Wales fans. https://t.co/4bqtHt7LQr https://t.co/axWiOLvszN — European Super Football (@ESFootballNews) September 10, 2024 The relentless rain wreaked havoc on the pitch, making the game at times seem chaotic, but it also added to the excitement of a thrilling match with opportunities at both ends. Montenegro’s captain, Stevan Jovetic, came close with a remarkable effort from his own half that struck the crossbar, while Driton Camaj saw his chance blocked on the line by Ben Davies. Moore missed a golden chance to make it 3-0 in the second half when he fired over from close ran

Who will win the 2021 Ballon d'Or?

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It's time to decide the world's best footballer again The winner of the Men's Ballon d'Or will be decided on 29th November. Let's have a look at some of the contenders. Will we see a shock? Cesar Azpilicueta Chelsea's Cesar Azpilicueta is one of the more surprising names on the shortlist.The defender is something of an unsung hero, helped Chelsea to win the Champions League last season and also reached the Nations League final with Spain. Karim Benzema The French forward was overshadowed at Real Madrid for a long time but he's now getting the praise he deserves. He scored 30 goals in 46 matches in all competitions for Real Madrid and finished second in the La Liga Golden Boot race. He won the UEFA Nations League with France a few weeks ago. For all his goals, this was the only trophy he has picked up over the last 12 months. Erling Braut Haaland Unless things go drastically wrong for him, the Norwegian forward is going to feature on Ballon d'Or shortli

UEFA Nations League: Hungary edge out England

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Hungary 1 - 0 England In this Nations League match, England produced one of their worst performances of recent time.  Southgate’s team were strangely passive, lacking bite in the areas that mattered, especially the final third, and they came to threaten too late, playing with the bit between their teeth only after they fell behind to Dominik Szoboszlai’s 66th minute penalty. The award was soft, but it was correct and punishment for a moment of clumsiness from Reece James, who had only just entered as a substitute. 🇭🇺 Hungary beat England for the first time since 1962! 👏👏👏 #NationsLeague pic.twitter.com/62Y3bS88X8 — UEFA Nations League (@EURO2024) June 4, 2022 James touched a cross back towards his goalkeeper, Jordan Pickford, and worried that he had not put enough on it. And so he stepped across Zsolt Nagy to make sure that the Hungary wing-back could not give chase. Nagy went down theatrically and England had a sinking feeling. Szoboszlai once told Neymar before he took a p

Nations League: England win on historic night for Kane

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England 2 - 0 Finland England captain Harry Kane celebrated his 100th cap by scoring two spectacular goals to lead his team to victory over Finland in the UEFA Nations League at Wembley. Before kick-off, Kane was honoured with a golden cap to mark the milestone and sported golden boots, which he used to break down a stubborn Finnish defence. Despite England's struggles to convert possession into goals early on, with Kane being thwarted twice by Finnish keeper Lukas Hradecky and having a goal disallowed for offside, he eventually broke the deadlock. Click here to discover more news from the England national team Kane netted his 67th international goal with a strike that perfectly suited the occasion. In the 57th minute, he took a clever pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold in his stride and, after evading the Finnish defenders, unleashed a stunning shot that soared past Hradecky. Kane’s memorable night continued when, with 14 minutes remaining, England debutant Noni Madueke pr

UEFA Nations League: Italy 1 - 2 Spain

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The UEFA Nations League group stage involves all 55 Uefa countries and was brought in to replace international friendlies with more meaningful games, involving promotion and relegation. The finals of the competition are considered a proper tournament, with the winner getting a sterling silver, 7.5kg, 71cm tall trophy.  Italy 1-2 Spain post match reaction Two first-half goals from Manchester City ’s Ferran Torres set Spain on course for a win at the legendary and iconic San Siro stadium. This earned then a place in the Nations League final. Italy rallied in the second-half but an 83rd minute goal from Lorenzo Pellegrini wasn't enough to extend their long unbeaten run.  It was a superb game and a great showcase for the competition. This was two international sides that were close to their best and putting on a show for the fans. It has given the Spanish side an opportunity to start a relatively new era with a trophy and provides them with a boost ahead of next year's World Cup.

UEFA Nations League: Spain 1 - 2 France

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Kylian Mbappé scores late and sinks Spain to clinch the UEFA Nations League for France You can watch the highlights from the entertaining match in the final below. The video was posted by Sky Sports Football.  The final four of the UEFA Nations League brought three fantastic nights in Milan. The champions had twice to come from behind to lift a still unfamiliar trophy. When it came to the moment that decided its destination, there in the madness was Kylian Mbappé. Spain were not happy about Mbappé's winner. He had been clearly offside when he was released by Theo Hernández and Eric García admitted he had trouble accepting Anthony Taylor’s explanation that his tiniest of touches had played the Frenchman back onside again. It was certainly a cruel way to lose any match, never mind a final. This is the place for more football news from across Europe.  Comments from around the internet On The Guardian, one fan commented on the post match story:   "Well done by France. In the en

Nations Leaague: Netherlands start new campaign with a win

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Netherlands 5 - 2 Bosnia-Herzegovina New Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee scored his first goal for the Netherlands as they scored Bosnia-Herzegovina in the Nations League. United's summer signing from Bologna who was only winning his third cap, netted a fine flicked header following Xavi Simons' deflected shot. Ermedin Demirovic levelled for the away side with a first-time finish from Denis Huseinbasic's through ball in Eindhoven.  But Zirkzee then picked out Tijjani Reijnders to put the hosts ahead again in first-half injury time. Liverpool's Cody Gakpo then scored a third. He slid the ball into an empty net from Reijnders' low drive across the six-yard box. Former Manchester City and Inter Milan strimer Edin Dzeko did give the Bosnians some hope after he scored his 66th international goal  Wout Weghorst, who also has a connection with Manchester United, came on for Zirkzee and scored the Netherlands' fourth, before Simons eventually wrapped up an

Nations League: Heartbreak for Scotland again

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Portugal 2 - 1 Scotland Cristiano Ronaldo’s late winner shattered Scottish hopes in Portugal, continuing Steve Clarke’s team's miserable run of form. Video and pictures from the European Super Football YouTube Scotland stunned everyone by taking a surprise lead in the seventh minute with a header from Scott McTominay, and they defended resolutely against Portugal’s 16 shots before half-time. However, another mistake cost them the lead. Angus Gunn failed to stop a long-range effort from Bruno Fernandes after the break, letting the ball slip into the net. Ronaldo, who came on at half-time, struck the post twice before finally breaking through, tapping in a brilliant cross from Nuno Mendes for his 901st career goal. The defeat, coming on the back of a loss to Poland on Thursday, means Scotland have now gone eight competitive games without a win —the worst run in their history—and have won just one of their last 14 matches. Despite this, Clarke might find some hope in how his

Nations League: England start new era with a win

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Republic of Ireland 0 - 2 England Lee Carsley started his time as England’s interim manager with a win in the UEFA Nations League against the Republic of Ireland. Declan Rice and Jack Grealish both scored against the team they once represented. Carsley, who also played for the Republic of Ireland during his career, will oversee England for at least two matches following Gareth Southgate's departure after Euro 2024. He had a smooth start as the Three Lions triumphed in a vibrant atmosphere at a packed Dublin stadium. Rice, who earned three senior caps for the Republic of Ireland before switching allegiance in 2019, quietened the home fans with a goal in the 11th minute after Harry Kane’s shot was blocked. Rice opted not to celebrate. However, former Irish youth player Jack Grealish put his fingers in his ears in response to scoring on his return to the England squad, following his exclusion from Southgate’s Euro 2024 team. Does an exciting new era await? When Lee Carsley walk

Nations League: Poland punished Scottish errors

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Scotland 2 - 3 Poland Scotland's tough 2024 continued in heartbreaking fashion as Poland were awarded a stoppage-time penalty, crushing a spirited Nations League comeback at Hampden. Billy Gilmour and Scott McTominay scored second-half goals to revive Scotland after Sebastian Szymanski's long-range strike and Robert Lewandowski's expertly-taken penalty put the visitors ahead. However, as Steve Clarke's men pushed for a late winner , Nicola Zalewski was brought down by a reckless challenge from Grant Hanley. Zalewski, who had also won the earlier penalty, stepped up to slot home the decisive goal in the 97th minute. Scotland, who made a tame exit from this summer's Euros with just one point from three group games, now face a daunting trip to Portugal on Sunday. They have managed only one win in 13 matches in 2024, suffering five defeats. The manner in which this game ended was hard to believe, especially given Scotland’s poor first-half performance.  Clarke'

Nations League: San Marino claim historic win

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San Marino 1 - 0 Liechtenstein San Marino made history by securing their first-ever competitive win, defeating Liechtenstein in the Nations League. With this victory, the world’s lowest-ranked team in FIFA's rankings ended football’s longest winless streak, which stretched over two decades and 140 matches.  For two small countries, the match has now gained a lot of attention across the world. San Marino were even trending on Twitter/X and other social media websites at one point. The video below is from the Esir Sports YouTube account. Their last triumph was a friendly in 2004, also against Liechtenstein and with the same scoreline.This marks only their second win in history. The decisive goal was scored by 19-year-old Nicko Sensoli, who plays in Italy’s fourth division. The teenager, who wasn’t even born when San Marino last tasted victory, found the net in the 53rd minute, lofting the ball over goalkeeper Benjamin Buchel and sparking wild celebrations from his teammates. San

Nations League: England awful against Hungary

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England 0 - 4 Hungary England's awful recent continued as they slumped to a terrible defeat against a ruthless Hungary to leave Gareth Southgate's side rooted to the bottom of their Nations League group. Southgate's side has now gone four games without a victory for the first time since 2014 and they look worryingly out of form and confidence with a World Cup looming at the end of this year. They capitulated to a humiliating and potentially damaging defeat that had the crowd booing and baying for Southgate's job at the final whistle. Watch the highlights of the match in the video below. Footage from Channel 4 Sport Roland Sallai put the visitors in front with a well-taken finish at the back post, then doubled Hungary's lead with his second on the break 20 minutes from time. There was more to come from a rampant Hungary, as Zsolt Nagy fired in from range and after John Stones was sent off to compound a woeful evening for the hosts. Daniel Gazdag finished smartly

Premier League: Brighton hold West Ham to a 0-0 draw

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 West Ham United 0 - 0 Brighton & Hove Albion This match marked the first occasion in 24 league matches that Brighton didn't concede a goal, putting an end to a record-setting streak for the club. For West Ham, they would have been hoping to build on their wins over Manchester United and Arsenal but will ultimately be delighted with their points return over the Christmas and New Year period.  Brighton enjoyed more possession and created better chances in what was largely a dull game to kick off 2024 for both teams at London Stadium . The first half lacked quality and opportunities, with West Ham coming closest to scoring as Jason Steele saved James Ward-Prowse's powerful volley with his legs. Jack Hinshelwood and Pascal Gross of Brighton were both thwarted by Alphonse Areola, the home keeper, with point-blank stops. Premier League news and stories: 2023/2024 Brighton news and stories from European Super Football Cool as you like 🧊 pic.twitter.com/PSz55x9EaN — West

Welcome to the Fenix Trophy

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Did you know there are now four European competitions? No, the European Cup Winners Cup isn't coming back. These four competitions are the Champions League, the Europa League, the Europa Conference League and the Fenix Trophy. 2021 saw a Fenix rise from the ashes of the greed of Europe's elite super league fiasco. Minnows could dream of pure football for the fans. It was new, radical & explosive. 2022 we'll be on 🔥 as we crown the inaugural champions of amateur European football. ⚽️ Happy New Year ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/iIoxY4JLDR — Fenix Trophy (@FenixTrophy) December 31, 2021 What is the Fenix Trophy? The Fenix Trophy is already well underway and features Non-League clubs from across Europe. The clubs involved are famous for a variety of reasons including clubs that have been rebuilt and run by fans and clubs featuring significant social and cultural projects. Aside from football, the FENIX Trophy will also promote friendship between clubs from several European nati

Young and European: Mason Greenwood

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Mason Greenwood (born October 2001) currently plays for Manchester United. Quick summary Greenwood is a player with great potential. He made his first start for Manchester United in a Europa League match against Astana in September 2019. On the night, he scored and became the club's youngest ever goalscorer in a European competition aged only 17. Stats In his first 135 games for Manchester United, Greenwood managed to score a fairly credible 34 goals. His best season came in 2019/2020 when he scored 17 goals in 49 matches. He played a key part in the club securing a place in the following season's Champions League.  International career His senior international came for England in a UEFA Nations League game against Iceland in September 2020. Despite not playing for the senior team since, Southgate will be hoping that he continues his development. What do people think? In July 2019, former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær was full of praise for Greenwood: "

Transfer News: Kalidou Koulibaly signs for Chelsea

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Having signed Raheem Sterling a few days ago, Chelsea have made another signing. They have signed centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly on a four-year deal from Napoli. The Senegal international joined Napoli from Genk in 2014 and made 317 appearances for the Italian side. His arrival at Stamford Bridge follows the departures of defenders Antonio Rudiger to Real Madrid and Andreas Christensen to Barcelona, both on free transfers. The defender has been linked with a number of clubs over recent seasons, including Manchester United and Manchester City. Koulibaly made his senior debut for Senegal in September 2015 and has since earned 62 caps, captaining the team to victory at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. He becomes Chelsea's second signing since the Todd Boehly-led takeover after Raheem Sterling joined the club in a £50m deal. Reaction Another one. 👌 #KoulibalyIsChelsea pic.twitter.com/fcexST5KSy — Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 16, 2022 Koulibaly told the Chelsea website : "I’m v