James Rodriguez gets more support when playing for Colombia than he does at Real Madrid, according to Carlos Bacca.
After a strong debut season at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2014-15, James found game time limited under Rafael Benitez at the start of last term.
The midfielder was given more opportunities following Zinedine Zidane s appointment in January, but his professionalism and physical condition came in for criticism in the Spanish media.
Despite suffering a shoulder injury, James has scored twice in three Copa America Centenario appearances, and Bacca believes the confidence his Colombia team-mates have in him has been key to his change in form.
James is our captain and always wants to play, even with pain, the striker told Marca.
He works f…
QPR manager Mark Hughes said Marseille defender Stephane M Bia is travelling to London for a medical ahead of a potential deadline day deal.
The Rangers boss was confident that the deal for the versatile Cameroon international would be completed ahead of the transfer deadline late on Friday.
He is en route as we speak, he told a press conference.
Hopefully we will get him in to a medical quite quickly.
A lot of discussion has taken place in terms of his contract and expectations from both sides so that s pretty much been concluded.
So once we get through the medical hopefully we will be able to conclude the deal very quickly. He is another player that can play in a couple of positions. I like that flexibility in players. He is a good age, an…
Gianluigi Buffon feels Juventus Champions League absence in the past two seasons has made them more hungry to prove their worth at the top level.
The Turin giants missed out on qualification for European football s elite club competition in 2010/11 and 2011/12, and the veteran goalkeeper has admitted they have missed being active at the highest level.
My team-mates and I have missed playing in the competition, but the two-year exile has been good for us, because now we’ll fight right until the last bead of sweat in every game, Buffon told Sky Sport Italia.
I ve been forced to spend many Tuesdays and Wednesdays watching it from the sofa at home. I’ve got a decent TV and the picture is good, but being there on the pitch is another thing entirely.
Bu…
Prediction: Sweden to win 3-0
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Sweden and Estonia will lock horns with each other next weekend. The UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Group F match between Janne Andersson’s side and Thomas Häberli’s side will be held at the Friends Arena in Solna and is scheduled to kick off at 5pm UK time next Sunday.
Sweden
Sweden are a major force in European football and are expected to do well in qualifying. They are expected at least come close to qualifying for major competitions, which is why their UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Group F campaign has been such a disappointment.
The Blue and Yellow are not going to qualify for the the UEFA Euro 2024 finals. Sweden are third in UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Group F at the moment with seven point…
Moise Kean fired Juventus to a fifth consecutive victory in all competitions with a 1-0 win against Verona at Allianz Stadium.
A relatively quiet game offered little in the way of clear-cut opportunities, Danilo hitting the frame of the goal in the best chance of the first half.
However, Kean ensured the home fans would have something to celebrate after capping off a fine Juve move.
Though far from a vintage performance, Juve have moved four points behind fifth-placed Atalanta and three behind sixth-placed Roma, who play on Sunday.
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen)
Verona almost broke the deadlock after 15 minutes, Kevin Lasagna pulling a dangerous cross to the far post for Fabio Depaoli to smash a volley narrowly wide of Wojciech Szczesny …
Arsene Wenger feels Arsenal are more respected around the world than in England and found the recent divisions among supporters hurtful after giving the best years of his life to the club.
It was announced on Friday Wenger will step down at the end of the campaign, despite having a season remaining on the two-year contract extension he agreed in May 2017.
The veteran manager s position has been a cause of fierce contention among fans of the Gunners in recent years, the team having failed to meaningfully challenge for the Premier League title before falling out of the Champions League qualification places.
Arsenal defeated West Ham 4-1 at Emirates Stadium on Sunday in the first match since Wenger s impending departure was revealed.
Addressing the medi…
Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel believes Neymar and Kylian Mbappe are motivating each other after starring in a 4-1 win over Amiens on Saturday.
Mbappe scored a brace and Neymar also struck before Mauro Icardi s late sealer at the Parc des Princes.
In December, PSG netted 22 goals in six wins, with Mbappe (eight goals) and Neymar (five) leading the way.
Asked if they could get better, Tuchel was unsure how to define that as he praised his star pair.
What does that mean, better? They play very well together. They ve regained confidence and fitness, that s the most important thing, he told a news conference.
They defend with a lot of intensity, they re dangerous together because they like to play together. They re very close together on th…
The deal that was supposed to take s Robert Lewandowski to Real Madrid has broken down as the talks between the Spanish club and the player s representatives have fallen through, according to Sky in Germany.
Plenty of outlets across Europe have been reporting on Lewandowski potentially joining the 12-time Champions League winners, but now it seems the deal is off as Real deem the €100million price-tag too much for them to pay.
Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge had already expressed his belief the striker is going nowhere this summer and is set to remain at the Allianz Arena next season, and now the Madrid giants have inadvertently confirmed his belief by pulling out the negotiations. the Polish international is still keen on the move which was the main reason …
The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) has asked FIFA to remove referee Fahad Al Mirdasi from the upcoming World Cup in Russia after he received a life-time ban for offering to accept a bribe to influence the outcome of a match.
World Cup-bound official Al Mirdasi, 32, was hit with a life-long suspension by the SAFF having confessed to offering to fix Saturday s King s Cup final between Al-Ittihad and Al-Faisaly in Saudi Arabia.
Denied from participating in any football-related activity for life, the SAFF has also called on FIFA to withdraw Al Mirdasi from next month s World Cup, while approving his life ban on an international level.
Following the appointment of the referee, Fahad Al Mirdasi, to manage the match between Al-Ittihad and Al-Faisaly in the Cu…
Haiti pinched a draw from the jaws of defeat, denying Panama 1-1 in their CONCACAF Gold Cup opener on Tuesday.
Alberto Quintero was on hand to power home in the 56th minute, after Haiti defender Reginal Goreux s failed clearance of a high-bouncing ball on the edge of the area left the islanders vulnerable.
But Haiti equalised in the 86th minute, Duckens Nazon scoring just six minutes after gracing the pitch after linking up with Wilde Donald Guerrier and earning a point.
Earlier, Quintero pounced as the ball evaded Goreux s swinging boot, and finished clinically past a stranded Johny Placide.
It was the least the Panamanians deserved at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, as they had more than 73 per cent possession in the first half and with that amount o…