Cannavaro: Italy cannot afford to miss another World Cup

Italy great Fabio Cannavaro insists the Azzurri cannot afford to fail to qualify for two consecutive World Cups.

The reigning European champions could not top their World Cup qualifying group, leaving them having to beat North Macedonia in the playoffs semi-final on Thursday to keep their hopes alive.

Italy would then have to bypass either Turkey or Cristiano Ronaldo s Portugal in the final to secure their spot at Qatar 2022, which means one of the previous two European Championship winners will not be present at the World Cup.

Robert Mancini s reinvigorated Azzurri responded to failure to qualify for FIFA s showpiece event in 2018 by lifting the delayed Euro 2020, and Cannavaro explained that it is vital that they find a way through this year.

Rober…

Napoli striker Llorente piles title pressure on Juventus

Fernando Llorente expects new club Napoli to have a successful season but insists the title pressure remains firmly on former employers Juventus.

Spanish striker Llorente signed on at Stadio San Paolo two months after the end of his contract at Tottenham.

The 34-year-old has prior experience in Italy, having scored 23 Serie A goals in a two-season stint with Juve.

Llorente won the Scudetto twice during his time in Turin and knows toppling the Bianconeri is a tough ask.

It s not easy. When I was at Sevilla we beat them 1-0 [in 2015], with me scoring, Llorente said.

I ve beaten them before but it s one thing to do it in a single game and another thing to do so over the course of a season.

Ottima prima sensazione in campo!  

— F…

Baines offered extension as Williams leaves Everton

Leighton Baines has been offered a 12-month extension at Everton but Ashley Williams will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the month.

Left-back Baines could extend his stay at Goodison Park to a 13th season after manager Marco Silva moved to keep the experienced former England international.

Signed from Wigan Athletic in 2007, the long-serving defender lost his place to Lucas Digne in 2018-19 and made just five Premier League starts.

Reports indicate Baines will take up the offer and bring an end to speculation linking him to Rangers.

Centre-back Williams, however, will not be returning to the Toffees.

corner!

Just Leighton Baines being Leighton Baines, at in 2012!  

— Everton (@Everton)

The 34-…

Neymar reveals he almost quit football

Paris Saint-Germain and Brazil star Neymar revealed he considered retiring from football.

Neymar is regarded as one of the best players in the world, but he is a maligned figure due to his theatrics on the pitch and lifestyle away from the game.

The most expensive player in history after joining PSG from LaLiga giants Barcelona for €222million in 2017, Neymar admitted criticism has had an impact on him.

I will never lose the passion for football, but I have had moments that I did want to stop playing, the 28-year-old told Gaffer Magazine. Once, I reached a point of asking myself why I should keep playing if they do not like it.

I used to go home hot-headed and then remembered everything I ve done to get me here.

The love I have for football a…

Iniesta and Cheryshev left out

Andres Iniesta, the hero of Spain s 2010 World Cup final win over the Netherlands, was dropped for Sunday s last-16 clash with Russia in Moscow.

Iniesta has failed to shine thus far and is replaced by Real Madrid s Marco Asensio as one of three changes made by Fernando Hierro.

Thiago and Dani Carvajal were also named on the bench with Nacho and Koke handed places in the starting XI.

Arguably more surprising was the decision taken by Russia coach Stanislav Cherchesov to leave out Denis Cheryshev.

Cheryshev has scored three goals in the tournament but is named among the substitutes.

Yuri Zhirkov, Mario Fernandes, Aleksandr Golovin and Daler Kuziaev come in.

TEAM NEWS!

Here s how and will begin in Moscow

— FIFA World Cup…

Schmeichel agrees new five-year Leicester deal

Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel has signed a new five-year deal with Premier League champions Leciester City, the club have announced.

Schmeichel was one of the Foxes key performers in their remarkable title success last season, playing every minute of every game.

The 29-year-old has made more than 200 appearances since signing from Leeds United in 2011 and is now contracted to the club until 2021.

He told LCFC TV: I m just buzzing and I can t wait for the season to get started. It was a very easy decision.

Absolutely delighted to have signed a new five-year contract with

— Kasper schmeichel (@kschmeichel1)

It was a case of coming back after winning the Premier League and making sure that the hunger was the same within myself and the …

Prediction: West Ham United vs Manchester United

Prediction: Correct Score 2-2

Odds:

Bookmaker:

Manchester United have the chance to notch back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time since March as they face West Ham United at the London Stadium on Sunday.

The Red Devils now sit fourth in the league table and could rise all the way to second. Elsewhere, Manuel Pellegrini s troops have enjoyed a positive start to the campaign and will be hoping to continue that in what looks to be a potentially tough test on home soil.

West Ham United

Despite having got their season underway in the worst possible way with a 5-0 mauling at the hands of Manchester City on the opening day, Manuel Pellegrini’s Hammers come into this match in very good form. Sitting eighth in the Premier League table, th…

Pochettino: Unsettled squad making it difficult for Tottenham

Mauricio Pochettino feels Tottenham s unsettled squad is contributing to a below-par start to the 2019-20 season.

Spurs crashed out of the EFL Cup at the first hurdle on Tuesday, exiting 4-3 on penalties at League Two side Colchester United.

They have not won away from home in the Premier League since January and sit seventh in the table, level on points with Burnley and Sheffield United, after a 2-1 loss at Leicester City last time out.

Spurs also threw away a two-goal lead to draw at Olympiacos in the Champions League this month, with Pochettino appearing increasingly frustrated.

Star midfielder Christian Eriksen s contract expires in 2020 and the Denmark international, who missed a penalty in the shoot-out, has been open about his desire to move on fr…

England labour to opening win over Haiti thanks to Georgia Stanway penalty

Georgia Stanway’s retaken first-half penalty was enough to earn England a nervy 1-0 victory over World Cup debutants Haiti in their Group D opener at Brisbane Stadium.

This was not the decisive victory most had predicted for the European champions and world’s number-four side against a team 49 places below them in the FIFA rankings.

Haiti came close to levelling more than once, including a late second-half chance denied at the last by Mary Earps’ outstretched foot.

Job done

Three points from our first fixture!

— Lionesses (@Lionesses)

While the Lionesses ultimately walked away with all three points, it was an underwhelming performance that will leave boss Sarina Wiegman with plenty of questions ahead of Friday’s meeting with …

Guardiola offers sympathies to ´beautiful´ Barcelona

Pep Guardiola has paid tribute to the victims of the Barcelona attacks and says he is very affected by the events in his home city on Thursday.

Thirteen people died and more than 100 were injured when a van drove into pedestrians on the crowded Las Ramblas street, in an incident that local police are treating as an act of terrorism.

Five terror suspects were later killed in a police operation in Cambrils, a resort town roughly 100 kilometres from Barcelona, in a second vehicle attack in which one woman died.

Guardiola came through Barcelona s youth system to star in Johan Cruyff s feted Dream Team before returning as head coach to lead an unprecedented spell of success at home and abroad between 2008 and 2012.

Now in charge of Manchester City, the 46-yea…