Spain boss Luis Enrique has described the abuse received by Alvaro Morata as a crime and says it should be a matter for the police.
Morata has been the focus of attention since being jeered by his own fans during a pre-Euro 2020 friendly with Portugal after missing several opportunities.
He was then criticised for his displays in Spain s 0-0 draw with Sweden in their Group E opener and 1-1 draw with Poland, a game in which he scored but missed more chances.
The Juventus striker, whose loan from Atletico Madrid was extended for another season last week, then missed a penalty in Wednesday s 5-0 win against Slovakia, which saw Spain progress from their group in second place.
Morata revealed in an interview that he has received vicious messages on social…
Rafael Benitez s dismal tenure as Everton manager was brought to an end on Sunday after a run of just two wins in 14 games across all competitions.
Former Liverpool boss Benitez was a divisive appointment at Everton when he was drafted in to replace Carlo Ancelotti in July after the Italian left for Real Madrid.
Everton started the season well, winning three of their first four league matches, yet injuries to key players and a dreadful loss of form has seen them slide down the table.
A win over Hull City in the FA Cup third round offered Benitez a reprieve, but defeat to lowly Norwich City on Saturday marked a new nadir, and Everton have decided to make a change.
Here, Stats Perform looks at the data behind Benitez s miserable spell at Goodison Park.…
Lionel Scaloni says Lionel Messi is determined to enjoy his last World Cup and will give everything to end Argentina s 36-years wait to lift the trophy.
Argentina were last crowned world champions when Diego Maradona inspired the 1986 triumph in Mexico, and have since lost in the 1990 and 2014 finals.
Scaloni said nobody could promise the team would enjoy success in Qatar, saying that football is sometimes unfair .
Yet he senses a pleasing eagerness to please from 35-year-old Messi, who lacks only a World Cup victory on his career record, having won a stack of trophies with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, as well as seven Ballon d Or awards.
Argentina s Copa America success last year gave Messi a major international trophy, but the World Cup is the one…
Best Odds: 19/20
Bookmaker:
Looking to reclaim their spot at the top of the La Liga table, Real Madrid will travel across the capital on Thursday night when they meet Getafe.
Getafe
Starting with the hosts, managing to make a crucial return to winning ways earlier in the week as they secured a 2-0 victory against Granada, Getafe will be desperate to use that performance as a platform to build on. However, although the Blues might have found a route into the top-half of the La Liga table, Jose Bordalas’ side are seeking some recent top-flight stability. Opening the New Year with a 2-0 defeat at home against Rayo Vallencao, the Azulones have won just a pair of their previous six appearances against La Liga opposition. Crashing out of the Copa del Rey on January…
Nestor Lorenzo is relishing Colombia s upcoming battle with Uruguay for a place in the Copa America final this Sunday.
Colombia extended their unbeaten run to 27 matches following a 5-0 thrashing of Panama in their quarter-final match up last time out.
But they are faced with a Uruguay side buoyed by their penalty shootout victory over Brazil in Las Vegas last weekend.
Colombia s last defeat was a 1-0 loss to Argentina, who they could meet in the tournament s showpiece, back in February 2022.
However, Lorenzo insisted that full focus was on the game at hand, saying that the record will be put to the back of his players mind when they walk out on to the pitch at the Bank of America Stadium.
I don t mention the unbeaten record, it s about taki…
Best odds: 1/2
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Canada will face Uruguay in the 2024 Copa America third-place playoff at Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina on Saturday night.
While the Reds experienced semi-final heartbreak against Argentina, La Celeste were defeated in their last-four match by Colombia.
Canada
Canada s aspirations of becoming only the second CONCACAF team, after Mexico, to reach the Copa America final were dashed at the semi-final stage on Tuesday with a 2-0 defeat to defending champions Argentina.
Following a penalty shootout win over Venezuela in the quarterfinals, the Reds faced a familiar fate against La Albiceleste, suffering a two-goal loss similar to their opening group-stage match against them three weeks prior. Goals from Julian Alva…
In what was a pulsating Champions League showdown on Tuesday night, Arsenal eventually settled for a 2-2 stalemate against Bayern Munich in north London.
Getting off to a flying start at the Emirates as the red-hot Bukayo Saka produced a wonderful strike in the opening 12 minuets, the Gunners dominated large spells of the early proceedings.
However, while Bayern Munich might be at the heart of a public domestic crisis, the German giants mounted a dramatic first-half comeback.
With one-time Arsenal starlet Serge Gnabry slotting home just six minutes after Saka’s opener, it was the Gunners’ arch-nemesis who silenced the vocal home support in north London.
Watching former Tottenham talisman Harry Kane convert from the penalty spot just after the half-ho…
Prediction: Rangers to win 2-1
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Aberdeen and Rangers will face each other in the Scottish Premiership this week. The match between the Dons and the Gers will be held at the Pittodrie Stadium and is scheduled to kick off at 8pm UK time on Tuesday evening.
Aberdeen
Aberdeen are one of the biggest clubs in Scotland and have been much successful of late. The Dons ended up second in the Scottish Premiership table for four successive seasons from 2014-15 to 2017-18 before dropping down to fourth in the standings from 2018-19 to 2020-21. However, Aberdeen struggled last season and finished as low as 10th in the Scottish Premiership table, just five points above 11th-placed St. Johnstone.
Jim Goodwin’s side are doing better th…
England will face Australia in a friendly at Sunderland s Stadium of Light on May 27 as they warm up for Euro 2016.
Football Federation Australia (FFA) on Friday confirmed the fixture, which will mark the first meeting between the two sides since Australia s 3-1 win at Upton Park in 2003.
Australia coach Ange Postecoglou said: We are excited to have secured this friendly against England as they are preparing for the 2016 European Championships.
We have stated that we want to continue progressing as a football nation so we can challenge the best teams in the world and England was strong in qualifying for the Euros.
This is another opportunity for the players to step up against a big football nation and show that our journey to make an impact on world foo…
Watford striker Troy Deeney could be a surprise inclusion at Euro 2016 after revealing he has been in discussions about representing the country.
Northern Ireland have previously explored the possibility of picking Deeney, given his great grandfather hails from the country, but FIFA rules state that a player must have a parent or grandparent from the nation they wish to play for to be eligible.
However, the door is seemingly still open for the in-form Watford forward, who has scored nine goals in 29 league games for his club this season.
Yes, we are just confirming the Northern Ireland thing at the moment, he told Soccer AM.
And I didn t reject Jamaica and say don t call me . It was just when they did call me it was in the middle of June and I had ju…