The first week of World Cup hosting duties has been a triumph for the city of Rostov-on-Don.
Brazil kicked things off with a bang off the field at least by taking over the streets in a sea of colour and noise before their 1-1 draw with Switzerland.
The quality of Uruguay s routine victory over Saudi Arabia was impacted by oppressive heat and humidity, before Mexico displayed their considerable quality in seeing off South Korea.
Away from the football, the city s blend of Cossack heritage and Soviet architecture, together with a welcome dose of classic Russian cultural, have offered visitors a warm and engaging welcome on the banks of the Don River.
Here, we review some of the highlights so far…
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On-form Real Madrid striker Raul has not been handed a recall to Spanish colours after he was omitted from the 23-man squad Spain coach Luis Aragones named on Saturday for Euro 2008 in June.
Raul, Spain s top scorer with 44 international goals and currently third in La Liga goal-scoring charts this season, has not been named in the Spanish side since September 2006 and his probable omission from the Euro squad had been widely predicted.
Also accurately reported was his replacement by uncapped Real Zaragoza striker Sergio Garcia, especially after the withdrawal of Barcelona teenager Bojan Krkic.
I talked to (Bojan) and he told me that he did not feel at his best physically and mentally, said Aragones.
Garcia makes the squad on the back of some strong …
Thibaut Courtois says he will not play for Belgium again, while Domenico Tedesco is still in charge of the national team.
Courtois made his international debut in October 2011, becoming the youngest goalkeeper to represent Belgium in a 0-0 friendly draw with France.
He has since made 102 appearances for his country and was an ever-present at five major tournaments between 2014 and 2022, earning his 100th cap in a 0-0 draw with Croatia as Belgium were knocked out at the group stage in Qatar.
However, the goalkeeper had a public falling-out with Tedesco in 2023 after leaving the Belgium camp ahead of a Euro 2024 qualifier amid a dispute over not being selected to succeed Eden Hazard as captain.
While Tedesco claimed the 32-year-old s exit was due to not fee…
Denmark and England have joined Italy and Spain in the semi-finals of Euro 2020, with the Czech Republic and Ukraine sent packing following their respective defeats.
England seemed to back up pre-tournament suggestions of them being among the favourites when they dumped Germany out in the last 16, and they picked up where they left off to make light work of Ukraine.
It was a slightly trickier occasion for Denmark in Baku earlier in the day, though ultimately the efforts of Patrik Schick weren t enough for the Czechs as they failed to emulate the 2004 vintage that reached the last four.
Following the conclusion of the quarter-finals, Stats Perform looks at the key data takeaways from Saturday s action.
Ukraine 0-4 England: Record-breaking Three …
Fabio Capello believes England will fail to reach the Euro 2012 final even if they beat Italy in Sunday s quarter-final.
Roy Hodgson s side face Italy in Kiev after winning Group D and are in a buoyant mood, with the former West Brom boss still unbeaten with the national team.
But Capello, the man Hodgson replaced, is predicting a Germany-Spain final while also admitting he has mixed emotions ahead of the clash between his native country and former team.
I have contrasting sentiments about Sunday s game, the 66-year-old told the Mirror.
I worked with England for four years and I can t easily forget that. However, Spain and Germany will be the two finalists at Euro 2012.
Germany face Greece on Friday, with Spain playing France on Saturday, and…
Wembley stadium was on Thursday chosen by UEFA to host the 2011 Champions League final with the same season s UEFA Cup final going to Dublin s new Lansdowne Road ground.
London and Dublin were named as venues for the two European showcase matches by UEFA s Executive Committee meeting in Nyon.
European football s governing body also named Munich s Allianz Arena as the venue for the 2012 Champions League final with Bucharest s National stadium hosting the 2012 UEFA Cup final.
For the Republic of Ireland this will be the first time the country has staged a major European final with the venue, the new Lansdowne Road, still under construction.
This year s Champions League final is in Rome and the UEFA Cup final in Istanbul.
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Fabio Capello claimed former side England have a monkey on their back and then fail when it comes to finals.
Gareth Southgate s men reached their first major final in 55 years at Euro 2020, but lost on penalties as Italy claimed their first European Championship since 1968.
England have enjoyed relative success in September s World Cup qualifiers, crushing Hungary and Andorra 4-0 before conceding a late equaliser to draw 1-1 with Poland.
In the latter game, Southgate opted to not make any substitutions – the first time the Three Lions have done so since the Euro 1996 semi-final against Germany.
And Capello believes there is a reason for the England manager s lack of substitutes in Warsaw after heartbreak in the Euro 2020 final two months ago.
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Frank Lampard announced that he would leave Chelsea after 13 years at the club on this day in 2014.
Speculation had been rife over the England international’s future, with his contract running down in west London, and the former West Ham midfielder confirmed in a statement that he had played his last game for the Blues.
Lampard joined Chelsea in 2001 after six seasons at Upton Park and went on to make 648 appearances and become the club’s all-time top goalscorer with 211 in all competitions.
During his time at Stamford Bridge, Lampard won the Champions League, the Europa League, three Premier League titles, four FA Cups and two League Cups.
“When I arrived at this fantastic club 13 years ago I would never have believed that I would be fortunate enou…
The New Orleans Saints head to the rainy Pacific Northwest for a date with the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field for Week 7’s final matchup.
The Seahawks will once again be missing franchise quarterback Russell Wilson for this Monday Night Football tilt, and NFL betting lines have them installed as 4.5-point home underdogs with the Over/Under at 43.
Here are our best free Saints vs. Seahawks picks and predictions for Monday, October 25, with kickoff at 8:15 p.m. ET.
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The Arizona Cardinals put Kyler Murray’s contract drama to bed before the start of training camp, paying $230 million to shoo that dark cloud away from the 2022 season.
The Cardinals’ upcoming campaign is far from devoid of drama, however. Top receiver DeAndre Hopkins is suspended for the first six games due to PED use and the defense lost two impactful leaders this offseason.
The NFC West got a little weaker with the departure of Russell Wilson, and Arizona’s NFL odds have it on the cusp of another double-digit win season and playoff appearance. We dig into how things will go down in the desert with our Arizona Cardinals 2022 betting preview.