According to president Joan Laporta, winning LaLiga this year would demonstrate that Barcelona’s “recovery process is on the right track.”
In recent years, Barca has struggled with both bad financial conditions and underwhelming field performances.
A group-stage exit in this season’s Champions League extends their seven-year wait to win Europe’s premier club prize for a sixth time, and they last won the league crown in the 2018–19 season.
However, Barca is experiencing a domestic comeback under Xavi, who joined the team as a coach after a great playing career.
Xavi is Barca’s eighth head coach since Pep Guardiola left in 2012 and his team led LaLiga heading into the World Cup break.
“The priority objective is LaLiga,” Laporta told reporters. “Clear and low.
“The dressing room, with Xavi at the helm, is clear about it.
“We want to win LaLiga to show that the club’s recovery process is on the right track.”
It appears it will be a two-horse race for the title with Real Madrid, who are two points behind Barca but came out victorious when the sides met at the Santiago Bernabeu in October.
Barca will get their league campaign back underway against city rivals Espanyol on December 31.
The appointment of 15 more justices to the Court of Appeal has been accepted by President Akufo-Addo.
The President received the recommendation from the Judicial Council.
In the Jubilee House‘s Banquet Hall on Wednesday, December 21, in the late afternoon, they will be sworn into office.
They are Justice Ackah Boafo, Justice Asare-Botwe, Justice Alex Owusu-Ofori, Justice Emmanuel Ankamah, Justice Jerome Noble-Nkrumah, Justice Mrs. Gifty Agyei Addo, Justice Samuel Obeng-Diawuo and Justice Mrs. Hafisata Amaleboba.
The rest are Justice Jennifer Abena Dadzie, Justice Charles Ekow Baiden, Justice Stephen Oppong, Mr Patrick Kwamina Baiden, Mr Christopher Archer, Prof. Mrs. Olivia Anku-Trede and Dr. Ernest Owusu-Depaah.
According to assistant manager Pep Lijnders, Liverpool is prepared for a “new start” before their return to action against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup.
Early on in the season, Jurgen Klopp’s team struggled, as they entered the World Cup in sixth place in the Premier League standings, 15 points behind league leaders Arsenal and seven points behind fourth place.
With performances like back-to-back victories over Tottenham and Southampton, Lijnders believes good indicators were displayed before the tournament in Qatar, leaving Liverpool among those in need of a big improvement heading into the rest of the season.
“We see it as a new start. The boys are hungry, they are passionate, they want to show this on the pitch,” Lijnders said.
“We know we have to be committed. Against City there will be moments where it will not be easy, but all our boys have this experience. It will be a top show for sure.
“I think we were on our way back, to be honest, I felt that we got momentum, and then it was the World Cup. You have to take life as it is, a lot of things you cannot change, you have to make the best out of it.
“That’s what we always tried to do, we used this time to not only train the lungs, the legs, the heart, but to train the eyes and the mind with video meetings.
“We know we can be successful, there are many things left to play for.”
Liverpool and other sides competing in Europe have previously shuffled their deck for Carabao Cup encounters, using them as an opportunity to hand experience to younger players within the squad, and Lijnders says the World Cup showed why rotation is key.
“If there’s one thing this World Cup proves, it is that you need your whole squad. The teams that became successful needed their whole squad,” he said.
“When we play League Cup it’s always in a busy schedule, and we know we have to be top to win these games. We cannot rest players. The boys have to be on top in games, and it’s a perfect time to use the squad.
“Age is just a number, we still believe we need to give our talents chances, not just younger players against lower-league oppositions but against Premier League sides too.
“We want them to have challenges and make them struggle because that’s how they improve. It’s my job and Klopp’s job to improve our players and to improve the team, and that’s what we try to do.”
Pep Guardiola emphasized that the Champions League was not the primary reason he renewed his contract with Manchester City, although he acknowledges that the position would feel lacking without a successful European campaign.
Last month, Guardiola signed a contract extension with City, extending his stay with the team until the 2024–25 season.
The Premier League has been won by City four times in the last five seasons, thanks in large part to the former Bayern Munich and Barcelona coach.
But they’ve failed to win the Champions League. Both the final in 2021 and the semifinals of the previous season were lost to Real Madrid.
Guardiola knows it will be a blemish on his record if Citycannot end their bad luck in the competition before he leaves.
“I admit it’s the trophy that we want and of course it would not be complete – my period here – if we don’t win it,” Guardiola told reporters ahead of City’s EFL Cup clash with Liverpool.
“But it’s not the only reason I extended the contract, absolutely not. What does it mean if for the last 11 months we didn’t play in the Champions League?
“Of course, I will do everything in this time we are together, we are going to try, as we tried before. Of course it’s the trophy we don’t have and we will try to do it.”
City’s trophy count under Guardiola stands at 11, but the 51-year-old is immensely grateful for the faith shown in him by the club’s leadership.
“I said many times what I had here. Thank you so much for the confidence they have in me,” he said. “It would be difficult to repay what in these many years, the board, all the people have shown me.
“It’s difficult for me to reject them because of how they still want me and my staff, to try and do our best.
“I don’t have enough words to express the incredible gratitude for this club.”
After taking on Liverpool on Thursday, City restart their Premier League campaign against Leeds United on December 28.
Isco has decided to end his contract with LaLiga team Sevilla, and as a result, he is now a free agent.
The 30-year-old made 19 appearances in the first half of the season for Sevilla after moving on a free transfer from Real Madrid. He scored one goal and contributed three assists.
The club announced the playmaker’s departure from Sevilla on Wednesday, but he has since left the city.
Isco and the club would decide what would happen to him moving forward, according to coach Jorge Sampaoli on Tuesday.
Serie A heavyweights Juventus and Napoli have been linked with a move for Isco, who is also reportedly drawing interest from Premier League sides Aston Villa and Wolves.
Announcing his exit, Sevilla said in a statement: “The club wants to wish Isco all the luck in the world in his new professional challenges.”
Mustapha Ussif, the Minister of Youth and Sports, has disclosed that his department spent $5 million of the $8.16 million allotted for Ghana’s participation in the group stages of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
He explained that, the expenditure covered appearance fees, per diems, flight arrangements, medicals, equipment, logistics and hospitality.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament, the minister said “out of estimated budget of ($8,166,200.00 for the tournament,) our total expenditure for our group stage participation amounted to $5, 071, 840.36.”
He however noted that “the reason for the surplus of over $3m, after our exit at the group stage, is as a result of the Ministry’s prudent management of resources, as well as the Ministry’s decision to negotiate a qualification bonus to the next round, instead of paying winning bonus per match.”
“What this means is that, in spite of the Black Stars defeating South Korea 3:2 in our second group match, we did not pay winning bonuses for that win. However, we would have paid qualification bonus to the team had they been able to progress from the group to the next stage of the World Cup, regardless of the results of our group matches.
“Mr Speaker, this measure we have adopted is aimed at motivating the team to go all out and progress from one stage of competitions to the other, and also ensure prudent management of resources.
“Even though we would have been very happy for the Black Stars to progress for us to pay the qualification bonus, this measure has also saved the nation some money, which will go back to our continuous sports development,” he added.
On December 2, 2022, Ghana was eliminated from the World Cup after losing to Uruguay 2-0 in their final group match.
NDC’s Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, has tied the knot.
It is reported that he married one Irene Amankwaa Karikari.
There is little information on Mr Gyamfi’s newly weded wife, but reports have it that just like Mr Gyamfi, Irene is a lawyer as well as a politician who works with the NDC.
Per details on her Facebook account, it is recorded that the said Irene hails from Sunyani.
Information on her parents, education and professional life is currently unknown to the media.
If she indeed got married, Irene Amankwaa Karikari will now go by the name, Mrs Irene Gyamfi.
In South Australia, sacred artifacts that are estimated to be around 30,000 years old have been destroyed by vandals.
For the local Aboriginal Mirning people, the Nullarbor Plain art—details carved into the chalk limestone walls of the Koonalda Cave—holds unique significance.
The vandals are thought to have dug under a steel gate before scrawling “don’t look now, but this is a death cave” on the walls.
The authorities are investigating.
“This is quite frankly shocking,” South Australia Attorney-General and Aboriginal Affairs Minister, Kyam Maher, told ABC Radio. “These caves are some of the earliest evidence of Aboriginal occupation of that part of the country.”
Senior Mirning elder, Uncle Bunna Lawrie, told the BBC he first heard about the “devastating” vandalism from the media and said it was another example of “the constant disrespect” his people had experienced.
“It’s abuse to our country and it’s abuse to our history,” he said. “What’s gone is gone and we’re never going to get it back.”
Since 2014, the Koonalda Cave has been recognized as a National Heritage monument.
Mr. Lawrie expressed his appreciation for Mr. Maher’s suggestion that individuals found to be guilty for the vandalism may face punishment.
Elders and cave specialists have, however, criticized Mr. Maher and the federal authorities, claiming that they brought up the issue of lax security at the site months ago.
Under South Australia’s Aboriginal heritage legislation, anyone found to have harmed an Aboriginal site or object faces a fine of A$10,000 ($6,700; £5,500) or up to six months in jail.
Gianluca Vialli has been urged to “stay strong and keep fighting” in his cancer battle after it emerged the Serie A great is being treated in hospital.
The 58-year-old former Italy striker has been visited at a London clinic by his mother and a brother, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.
Concern in Italy about Vialli’s health is shared in England, where former Chelsea defender John Terry sent a message of support.
Terry was given his Blues debut by player-manager Vialli in 1998 and went on to be a long-standing club captain.
He wrote on Twitter: “Stay strong and keep fighting Luca. We are all thinking of you. We are sending our love, strength and prayers.”
Vialli began his career at Cremonese, his hometown club, before going on to star in Serie A for Sampdoria and Juventus, later ending his playing career at Chelsea before going into management and coaching.
Cremonese posted a picture of a young Vialli on Tuesday, adding the message: “Always by your side.”
He scored 16 goals in 59 appearances for Italy and featured in the Azzurri’s 1986 and 1990 World Cup squads.
It was announced last week Vialli would be stepping away from his role as delegation chief with the Italy team to focus on his battle with pancreatic cancer.
He has been reunited of late in the Italy set-up with head coach Roberto Mancini, his former Sampdoria strike partner, and Vialli is hoping to recover in order to resume his national team role.
Vialli announced he had undergone radiotherapy and chemotherapy in November 2018, having been diagnosed with cancer one year earlier.
He was initially given the all-clear in April 2020, but he announced he was fighting the disease again in December 2021.
Explaining his decision to suspend his Italy involvement, Vialli said on December 14: “The goal is to use all my psycho-physical energies to help my body overcome this phase of the disease, in order to be able to face new adventures as soon as possible and share them with all of you.”
Stay Strong and keep fighting Luca 💙
We are all thinking of you. We are sending our love, strength and prayers.@ChelseaFC 💙 pic.twitter.com/i3Ax5lX25y
The yearly program is one of the events planned by Parliament to get the holiday season started and promote fellowship.
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, Speaker of the House Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, lawmakers, representatives from the judicial and executive branches of government, as well as certain clergy members, all attended the occasion.
Three days after France’s loss in the World Cup final, Kylian Mbappe returned to Paris Saint-Germain training on Wednesday.
Mbappe became just the second player to score three goals in a World Cup final with his hat-trick against Argentina on Sunday.
However, it was only enough to secure a 3-3 tie and send a confused France squad to a penalty shootout, where they lost 4-2 despite Mbappe once more scoring from the spot.
After scoring once in France’s 2018 victory and setting a new record for most World Cup final goals, Mbappe won the Golden Boot award ahead of PSG teammate Lionel Messi.
Messi and Argentina continued to enjoy their victory over Qatar 2022 at home this week, while Mbappe quickly returned to club play after his 24th birthday on Tuesday.
Next Wednesday, PSG returns to competitive play in Ligue 1 against Strasbourg in an effort to increase their five-point lead atop the standings.
Kylian Mbappe’s younger brother, Ethan, has participated in mid-season friendlies with the PSG first squad and sat on the bench for Wednesday’s match against Quevilly-Rouen.
The new technical director for Premier League team Chelsea is Christoper Vivell.
In October, Vivell was fired from a comparable position at Bundesliga team RB Leipzig amid rumors Chelsea was trying to sign the 36-year-old to a deal in west London.
The German has already relocated to Stamford Bridge, and Chelsea on Wednesday announced his hiring.
“Chelsea are building the most exciting project in global football and I’m extremely proud to be joining the club,” said Vivell.
“There is so much potential for the club to continue to succeed, develop and grow. Under the new ownership, Graham Potter and the broader sporting team, there is a clear and sustainable philosophy underpinned by performance analysis, data and innovation, and I am looking forward to playing a part in that.”
Chelsea FC is pleased to announce the appointment of Christopher Vivell as the club’s new technical director.
Prior to the World Cup break, Chelsea had dropped four of their previous five games, with Potter’s squad dropping three straight Premier League games during that stretch.
Due to his team’s poor performance, Potter had some allegations of pressure mounting on him, but co-owner and chairman Todd Boehly thinks Vivell will be crucial in helping to support the head coach.
“We are delighted that Christopher is taking up this important leadership role at the club,” Boehly said. “His work in Germany and Austria speaks for itself. We are confident he will continue on his impressive trajectory here at Chelsea.
“He will provide important support to Graham and the ownership group and play a vital part in advancing our overall vision for the club.”
Chelsea restart their campaign on Tuesday with a home match against Bournemouth.
In a tough Carabao Cup match against League Two strugglers Gillingham, goals from substitutes Raul Jimenez and Rayan Ait-Nouri gave Julen Lopetegui’s Wolves team a victory to start his tenure as manager.
Ait-Nouri sealed a 2-0 victory and a quarterfinal spot in extra time before Jimenez, playing in his first club match since August, broke the tie with a 77th-minute penalty at Molineux.
Wolves dominated the game but lacked bite against the Gills, who showed incredible tenacity despite being towards the bottom of the English Football League.
Against Everton on Boxing Day, Lopetegui made an intriguing start to his quest to help Wolves climb out of the Premier League’s basement.
Jose Sa and Ruben Neves, two of Wolves’ five World Cup players, were on his first team.
Jimenez, Hwang Hee-chan, and Matheus Nunes were the other three athletes who competed in Qatar, and they all had supporting roles.
Wolves controlled possession during the first 30 minutes, but the visitors sat back to take the pressure.
Goalkeeper Jake Turner was not put to the test despite blocked shots from Diego Costa, Joe Hodge, and Neves.
When the Gills got a corner on one infrequent excursion forward, their supporters cheered as though they were celebrating a goal while the team itself struggled to leave their own half.
In the later stages of the first half, Wolves picked up the pace and came near when Neves curled a free-kick just wide before Daniel Podence and Hodge were denied in a melee in front of goal.
More frequently, Podence started to worry the Gills and test Turner from a distance. After being brought down in the area, he then demanded a penalty. However, the game continued, and Hodge was superbly set up at the back post to score.
After a deft run and dummy by Podence at a corner, Wolves came even closer when Neves smashed a shot against the post with the final kick of the first half.
The break came just in time for Gillingham after that burst of activity and gave them a chance to reorganize.
The second half continued the first’s theme of Wolves being continuously disappointed in the final third.
Finally, the visitors started to lose energy, and Wolves saw their chance after receiving some superb reinforcement from the bench.
Nelson Semedo was at the feet of Costa when he glanced a shot just wide, and Turner made a great save.
Even as the pressure increased, Wolves didn’t score until Cheye Alexander was penalized for fouling Hwang in a crowded penalty area. Jimenez calmly moved forward to score the ensuing penalty kick.
Ait-Nouri wrapped up victory when he prodded home a second in time added on.
Newcastle advanced to the Carabao Cup quarterfinals thanks to an own goal by Adam Smith as Eddie Howe’s team defeated Bournemouth.
The Magpies’ 1-0 triumph at St. James’ Park thanks to the Cherries captain’s 67th-minute tragedy gives them more confidence that they can break their domestic trophy drought, which dates back to 1955.
If the victory was deserved—the Magpies dominated for the majority of the 90 minutes in front of a supportive crowd of 51,579—it was hard-fought. Goalkeeper Nick Pope had to make saves from Dominic Solanke and Jack Stacey to maintain his clean sheet and secure a seventh straight victory.
Howe made a bold statement when he selected Pope, Kieran Trippier, Fabian Schar, Bruno Guimaraes, and Callum Wilson as his starting lineup’s five returning World Cup heroes.
After Lewis Cook brought Joelinton back in the 13th minute, Trippier curled a free kick over, and seconds after, Sean Longstaff blasted well off target after intercepting an errant pass from Adam Smith.
As the visitors countered, Pope had to be alert to catch Kieffer Moore’s knock-down before Ryan Christie, but Pope’s opponent Mark Travers was relieved to see Schar’s piledriver go just wide of his right post in the 20th minute with no chance of getting to it.
With Bournemouth defending deep, Howe and his assistant Jason Tindall were constantly urging their team to move the ball more quickly. After 26 minutes, they believed they had taken the lead when Wilson pushed a shot past Travers, only to be met by a delayed offside flag.
The Newcastle players increased their efforts as the England forward headed a driving Trippier cross over and then fired a well-placed volley that cleared the crossbar in the 35th minute, but Travers easily stopped Guimaraes’ long-range attempt six minutes before halftime.
On the stroke of halftime, Miguel Almiron should have opened the score, but he miskicked as he met Dan Burn’s cross beyond the far post. The home team was fortunate that a deft stoppage-time combination involving Jaidon Anthony, Jordan Zemura, and Solanke ended in futility.
With Schar failing to connect with an attractive Trippier free-kick in front of goal in the opening moments of the second half, the Magpies lacked the necessary precision. They were also given a warning in the 57th minute when Moore fired a diving header over from Smith’s cross.
The game started to open up as Anthony and Zemura had more influence and Bournemouth launched a series of counterattacks, but the visitors ultimately contributed to their own demise when the deadlock was finally broken.
Despite the best efforts of teammate Marcos Senesi on the line, Smith valiantly battled in the air to keep Wilson from receiving Trippier’s cross, but ultimately only managed to head the ball into his own net.
In the final 16 minutes, Stacey put Pope to the test with a hard-hit attempt, and Travers had to dive to stop Guimaraes’ deflected effort. However, Solanke was stopped at the last second by the England goalkeeper.
Coach Xavi of Barcelona said that midfielders Gavi and Pedri are superior to him and fellow Blaugrana icon Andres Iniesta when they were 20 years old.
Both Gavi and Pedri started each of Spain’s four games during the World Cup in Qatar. They have both played important parts for LaLiga leaders Barca ever since Xavitook over as manager last year.
The pair’s telepathic connection and sharp passing have drawn similarities to Xavi’s own collaboration with Iniesta, which enjoyed extraordinary success at both the club and international levels.
However, Xavi claimed in a Tuesday interview with Barca’s media outlets that the Blaugrana’s current midfield pairing had advanced more quickly than their great forebears.
“Me at 20 years old and Andres at 20 years old were not at the level of Pedri or Gavi,” Xavi said. “How Gavi competes, the passion he puts in… we were not at his level.
“We have very young players. Eric [Garcia], Pedri, Ansu [Fati], Gavi… Frenkie [de Jong] is young. We have Barca for the present and for the future.”
Xavi did concede the demands on some of Barca’s young players may be too great, adding: “Gavi has played practically everything. Ansu is a talent, but perhaps we are asking too much of them.”
Barca are two points clear of rivals Real Madrid at the top of LaLiga, winning 12 of their 14 games this season after investing heavily in the transfer window.
The Catalan giants put together big-money moves for the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Jules Kounde and Raphinha in the off-season, but Xavi does not expect a repeat in January.
“I told [director of football] Mateu [Alemany] not to play too much, that I’m happy with the family, it’s a fantastic group,” Xavi said. “We don’t know if we’ll be able to incorporate new players.
“I think we can be competitive. I’m happy with the leaders, we train at 100 per cent and it shows on the field. If we don’t touch anything, I’ll be very happy.”
Management of the University of Ghana, Legon, has increased its academic fees for the 2022-2023 academic year by 14 per cent.
This follows the passage of the Fees and Charges (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2022 (Act 1080) by Parliament of Ghana.
In a statement from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) dated December 16, 2022, this allows a 15% increase across board for all institutions covered by the Act.
“Please be advised therefore that Fees and Charges applicable in all Public Tertiary Education Institutions for the 2022/2023 Academic Year may be adjusted by up to maximum of 15% of the last approved rates,” the statement added.
Fresh students (Undergraduate Regular students) at the College of Humanities (Bachelor of Arts) were initially to pay GHS1,813.00, while those who studied Administration/ Law pay GH1,914.00.
Following the adjustment, they will now pay GHS2,069.00 and GH2,185.00 respectively.
Those in level 200, 300 and 400 studying Bachelor of Arts and Administration/ Law under the College of Humanities were to pay GHS1,340.00 and GHS1,441.00.
These continuing students will now pay GHS1,524.00 and GHS1,640.00 respectively.
For fresh undergraduate students under the full fee paying category and studying Bachelor of Arts and Administration/ Law, they will pay GHS5,054.00 and GHS6,128.00 respectively instead of GHS4,401.00 and GHS5,342.00.
Continuing students offering such programmes will now pay GHS4,500.00 and GHS5,583.00.
Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee in Parliament, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has revealed that government’s plan to demolish the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) and construct a new one has been rejected.
The decision was taken on Tuesday night at the Foreign Affairs Committee and at the plenary, according to Mr Ablakwa.
The new edifice would have cost government €116million (GHS1.3billion).
The facility was built in 1991, to host the 10th Ministerial Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement.
It has since become the convergence point for many national and monumental events over the past 30 years.
However, engineers have deemed the facility unfit for purpose as structural defects have been uncovered during recent expert assessments.
On the back of this, funds were allocated as part of the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s approved ¢574.7 million 2022 Budget, to see to the reconstruction of the edifice to prevent any looming disaster.
Minority insisted that the details of the procurement processes leave much to be desired.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Mr Ablakwa also noted that the Minority has blocked the decision to open new Ghanaian embassies in Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago & Mexico.
He argued that government under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo cannot “still be pursuing fanciful projects” when it is “defaulting on its loan obligations & imposing crude haircuts, particularly on pensions for the vulnerable aged.”
According to the North Tongu legislator, such projects can be “deferred to better economic times in the future.”
A parliamentary committee in The Gambia has recommended legal action against the Indian company that makes cough syrups, which is thought to be responsible for at least 70 child fatalities there.
For exporting what it called tainted drugs, it claimed Maiden Pharmaceuticals should be held liable.
In October, the WHO issued a warning urging authorities to halt the sale of the syrups.
Government labs in India said their tests on the syrups found that they were “complying with specifications”. An Indian official said last week that the WHO was “presumptuous” in blaming the syrups.
But the global health body told the BBC it was only following its mandate and “stands by the action taken”.
After weeks of investigation, the Gambian parliamentary committee has now recommended that authorities should take tough measures, including banning all Maiden Pharmaceuticals products in the country and taking legal action against the firm.
The committee said it “is convinced that Maiden Pharmaceuticals [is] culpable and should be held accountable for exporting the contaminated medicines”.
“The findings remain the same with the previous reports which indicates that Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip N Cold Syrup were contaminated with diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol,” the parliamentary committee said in its report.
Diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol are toxic to humans and could be fatal if consumed. But the panel added that the exact scientific cause of the children’s deaths was still under investigation.
The committee also wanted the country’s Medicine Control Agency to ensure all medicines imported into the country are properly registered and background checks conducted on manufacturers – including visiting their facilities.
The report also revealed inadequacies in the country’s healthcare system urging the government to strengthen it and provide better equipment and medicines to the country’s hospitals.
What happened?
In late July, The Gambia detected an increase in cases of acute kidney injury among children under the age of five. The government later said around 69 children had died from these injuries.
The WHO then identified four of the Maiden Pharmaceuticals’ medicines as potentially linked to the deaths of the Gambian children and issued a global alert.
After the news broke in October, India said that it was investigating the products and ordered Maiden Pharmaceuticals to stop production at its main factory in the northern state of Haryana.
On 13 December, Dr VG Somani, India’s drugs controller general, wrote a letter to the WHO saying that the samples it tested at a government laboratory “were found not to have been contaminated” with the compounds.
“As per the test reports received from [the] government laboratory, all the control samples of the four products have been found to be complying with specifications,” he added.
The test results are being further examined by a panel of Indian experts.
A senior adviser to India’s information and broadcasting ministry told the BBC last week that the WHO had been “presumptuous” in blaming the cough syrups for the deaths of the children.
“Subsequent inspections, tests and studies by Government of India’s notified bodies and technical team have shown that WHO’s presumptuous statement was untrue and incorrect,” said Kanchan Gupta, adding that the health body had “[jumped] the gun without valid scientific reasons”.
India produces a third of the world’s medicines, mostly in the form of generic drugs.
Home to some of the fastest growing pharmaceutical companies, the country is known as the “world’s pharmacy” and meets much of the medical needs of African nations.
Erik ten Hag has told his Manchester United stars to “live the high standards” it will take to carry the club back to the top of English football.
The United manager has the bulk of his squad back together after the World Cup interval and will embark on the next stage of rigging up a group capable of challenging for titles.
Former Ajax coach Ten Hag says his players must not “get too satisfied” with their progress, which he nonetheless feels has been significant since a difficult start to his reign.
United will be back in action on Wednesday when they host Burnley, leaders of the Championship, at the EFL Cup last-16 stage.
Their first Premier League game after the resumption comes on December 27 when they tackle Nottingham Forest.
Ten Hag said: “Satisfaction makes you lazy. So don’t get too satisfied with yourself as a team. Give every day the best.
“Only when you set those high standards and keep the high standards – it’s up to me to control that and give that example, clear. But the players and staff at Manchester United have to live the high standards, and then it’s possible to compete with the best clubs in the Premier League and achieve our goals.
“Where we were at the start of the season, we were just not good enough. I knew it when I stepped in that we would have days like that, that we would have defeats.”
United lost their opening two Premier League games of the campaign to Brighton and Hove Albion and Brentford, but they have recovered strongly to win eight of their next 12 in the competition to rise to fifth place, three points off the top four with a game in hand.
They were last champions of England in 2012-13 and have not won a major trophy since landing the EFL Cup and Europa League in the 2016-17 season.
Ten Hag, who spoke to the Manchester Evening News and national newspapers during a training break in Spain, said it was obvious he was taking on “a difficult project”.
“Manchester United was not in the circumstances that you would expect of them, and I think now we’re in the right direction, but we’re far away from where we need to be,” he said.
United have lost three of their last four home games in the EFL Cup, as many as they had in their previous 36 at Old Trafford, and Ten Hag will be wary of the threat Burnley pose.
The Dutchman is confident United can keep building in the coming weeks and months, but bringing everyone back into tune with how he wants to play is another challenge. Many have been away with their national teams, playing and being coached in contrasting ways to his methods.
“Players come back and they have been playing six weeks in a different environment and different style of play,” said Ten Hag, “and then they have to get back to our style and system and our rules and principles, and it’s a team sport. So, all 11 have to be on the same page.”
At Sixfields, Northampton overcame a goal down to defeat Carlisle 2-1 and firmly establish their position in the League Two automatic promotion spots.
All three goals were scored in the space of six second-half minutes after Jack Armer gave the visitors the lead before Sam Sherring and Louis Appere gave the Cobblers an instant response.
They are now just two points behind second-placed Stevenage.
Both teams had been idle for the previous two and a half weeks, which may have contributed to the first half’s fairly dull and monotonous nature.
Ryan Edmondson missed Carlisle’s lone opportunity early on, while Sam Hoskins was denied by Tomas Holy with the home team’s best chance remaining before halftime.
But immediately after the break, the game erupted into life with three goals scored in a row.
After 50 minutes, Armer put Carlisle ahead after a goalmouth melee, but Northampton’s reaction was equally good and quick.
Three minutes later, Sherring scored from a corner to tie the score, and a few seconds later, Appere completed the comeback by finding the bottom corner, which ended up being the game’s decisive goal.
Diego Maradona “encouraged us from heaven,” according to Lionel Messi, as Argentina defeated France in the World Cup final on Sunday.
At Lusail Stadium, La Albiceleste defeated the defending champions in a penalty shootout to win their third World Cup, ending a 36-year drought.
After extra time, the clubs were locked in a 3-3 draw as goals from Messi twice and Angel Di Maria once each were offset by a hat-trick from Kylian Mbappe.
Messi won his first World Cup in dramatic manner as Argentina won the shootout 4-2 despite Kingsley Coman and Aurelien Tchouameni missing their penalties.
The World Cup in Qatar is the first since Maradona’s death in November 2020, when he famously led Argentina to victory in the World Cup in 1986. This makes the victory all the more poignant.
Messi was relieved that Argentina did not suffer a similar fate against France after falling to Germany in the 2014 World Cup final thanks to a Mario Gotze goal in the 113th minute.
Messi released a message on Instagram, saying: “I always dreamed of being a world champion and I didn’t want to stop trying, even knowing that maybe I would never give up.
“This cup we got is also from all those who did not make it in the previous World Cups we played, like in 2014 in Brazil, where they all deserved it for how they fought until the same final, worked hard and wanted it as much as I did.
“It’s also from Diego who encouraged us from heaven.
“And of all those who spent the time always supporting the national team without looking so much at the result but the desire we always put into it, also when things didn’t go as we wanted.
“Many times failure is part of the journey and learning and without the disappointments it is impossible for success to come.
“Thank you very much from my heart! Let’s go Argentina!!!”
Messi’s latest Instagram message came after his photo holding the World Cup trophy became the most popular post in the social media platform’s history, amassing 65 million likes.
He followed that up by uploading a picture on Tuesday of him in bed holding the famous trophy, which was liked over 40 million times in the nine hours after it was posted.
After the country’s government declared Tuesday a national holiday, Messi and his team-mates landed back in Argentina and were greeted by mass crowds of adoring fans.
If you’re looking for a place to unwind and have some fun this holiday season, look no further.
The Best Western Plus Hotel in Nungua-Accra is hosting a fantastic beachfront festival known as the Afro Beach Festival on Friday, December 23, 2022, so be sure to mark that date in your calendar.
You want to be present at this occasion because South African Amapiano superstar, Costa Stitch, one of Nigeria’s hitmakers, Baby Boy AV and Ghana’s very own Highlife champion, Kofi Kinaata will be spitting spicy tunes all night long.
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Baby Boy AV, a young, attractive Nigerian singer, songwriter, and composer is famed for his hit tunes “Big Thug Boys” and “Confession”.
Martin King Arthur popularly known as Kofi Kinaata is a Ghanaian musician and songwriter from Takoradi in the Western Region, who is well known for his unique rap style, primarily in the Fante dialect.
He is highly regarded as one of Ghana’s contemporary greats in highlife music, and is also fondly called the Fante Rap God.
Costa Titch is also a super talented rapper and songwriter in South Africa. He is known for his hit songs like Nkalakatha and Activate.
The rapper, who was a dancer before, has been able to create a style for himself which everybody can reckon with and has been dropping songs consistently since his debut. His songs are well publicised and have got him various recognition.
French football authorities have banned Ghana defender Alexander Djiku for engaging in sports betting activities.
The FA Rule E8 prohibits all professional players from the Premier League, EFL Championship, League One and League Two, National League, National League North and South and Trident Leagues from any form of football betting.
He is among 76 players , coaches and managers sanctioned for failing to respect the ban on sports betting during the 2020-2021 season.
“These offenses are committed even though, together, the LFP and the UNFP (the players’ union) carry out awareness or information campaigns with clubs on a daily basis,” a statement said.
Djiku, who is a member of the Black Stars 2022 World Cup squad will serve a one game ban due following a thorough investigation by the Professional Football League (LFP).
The Strasbourg centre-back will miss the return of the Ligue 1 matches over the serious offence and he will be absent for the big clash with giants PSG because of the ban.
PSG women’s goalkeeper coach Guillaume Lemire is reported to have received the heaviest penalty: a four-match suspension and a fine of €1,000.
Five Ligue 1 male players have also been punished. Auxerre goalkeeper Donovan Léon is suspended for five games, three of which are suspended.
Brest striker Irvin Cardona received four matches including two suspended and a €1,500 fine while Sacha Delaye of Montpellier.
Cameroon defender Jean-Charles Castelletto of Nantes has also been sanctioned, according to French media reports.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, a winger for Napoli who has said he “feels so at home” with the Serie Aleaders, has “absolutely no chance” of quitting the team, according to Cristiano Giuntoli, the club’s director.
The Georgian international, who joined Napoli from Dinamo Batumi in July, has been crucial to the team’s successful start to the campaign, which has seen Luciano Spalletti’s team lead Serie A by eight points.
No player has contributed to more goals directly this season than Kvaratskhelia (11; six goals, five assists), and only teammate Victor Osimhen, who leads the Italian top flight in goals scored, has a higher total (nine).
The 21-year-old’s performances have generated interest from several clubs, with Premier League side Newcastle United reportedly making him their top target and set to offer £50 million (€57.3m) in the forthcoming January transfer window.
But when asked about the speculation, Giuntoli told SportExpress: “There is absolutely no chance of us letting him leave, regardless of how much the offer is.”
Meanwhile, Kvaratskhelia feels settled in Naples, telling students during an event at the Federico II University: “Neapolitans live for football, I realised that from the very first moment I arrived here.
“The first time I played at the Stadio Maradona is when I truly felt like a professional footballer. The people of Naples expect a lot from us, so it’s important to always work at the highest level. I thank them, because they give us so much love.
“Neapolitans and Georgians both put family first and foremost, which is also why I feel so at home here.”
Following Sunday’s “cruel” World Cup final loss to Argentina, Didier Deschamps praised the crowd as France landed back in Paris.
After a thrilling 3-3 draw, Argentina defeated Les Bleus 4-2 on penalties, ending their hopes of being the first team to defend the World Cup since Brazil in 1962.
Despite Aurelien Tchoumeni and Kingsley Coman missing their attempts in the shootout, which resulted in a sad loss for Didier Deschamps’ team, Kylian Mbappe’s hat-trick helped Francecome back from 2-0 and then 3-2 deficits.
Nevertheless, after such a heartbreaking defeat, the team was welcomed by a sizable audience when they arrived back in Paris on Monday. Deschamps acknowledged his gratitude for the encouragement.
“It is our duty with the players to thank all these French men and women who supported us and gave a lot of strength to this France group,” he told TF1. “We shared fabulous emotions even if the ending is cruel and hurts.
“We must not forget all that this group did while having a lot of difficulties before and during the World Cup. They experienced fabulous emotions during this month of competition.”
Captain Hugo Lloris echoed his head coach’s sentiments after missing out on becoming the first man to skipper his team to two World Cup trophies.
“After the pain of yesterday, [the reception is] a little comfort,” Lloris said. “The most important thing is the recognition of the supporters, even if as an athlete we would have liked to have this gold medal and bring the cup back to France.”
France now turn their attentions to the 2024 European Championship in Germany, where they will be looking to win the tournament for a third time.
Lloris compelled his team to carry their strong mentality from Qatar into their next competition, adding: “Despite what happened before and during the tournament, we showed resilience, we remained a group. We have to keep that going for the Euros.”
Striker Olivier Giroud, who surpassed Thierry Henry as France’s all-time record goalscorer in Qatar, added: “We’re going to give each other a big hug and go on vacation to recharge our batteries, because there is a season to finish.
“It is always difficult to leave a group with which we spent a month and a half. We are like a family, like brothers.”
Social media users have been left aghast after a picture of Argentina celebrating their World Cup victory emerged on Twitter.
A first glance at the image does not portray what it actually is. For some, it is an art work and for others, something they just can’t decipher.
It is actually an image of Argentines – a mammoth crowd of Argentines.
It is unknown the number of people gathered in Buenos Aires, but it could be close to a million or half a million. They gathered to welcome they heroes.
The Prince of Wales, Prince William and Princess of Wales, Catherine Elizabeth Middleton have congratulated Lionel Messi and Argentina for emerging winners of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
In a tweet on Monday, the royals wrote: “What. A. Final. Congratulations to Argentina and to Messi.”
However, they left a question many have asked since the end of the World Cup. Is Messi the Greatest Of All Time (G.O.A.T)?
Messi has had to share that rank with Cristiano Ronaldo, but after acquiring a World Cup victory, something Ronaldo has not been able to achieve, many believe the tag G.O.A.T best fits Messi and no one else.
What. A. Final. Congratulations to Argentina and to Messi. 🐐?!
Commiserations to France – both teams played brilliantly. W
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) December 18, 2022
Meanwhile, the British royals have condoled with France after failing to defend their title.
“Commiserations to France – both teams played brilliantly,” they tweeted.
Since the tournament, Kylian Mbappe has been praised for his phenomenal performance. He scored a hat trick and won the golden boot for scoring 8 goals at the World Cup.
🔹 WC winner at 19
🔹 WC Golden Boot winner at 23
🔹 First hat-trick in a WC final in 56 years
🔹 No player has scored more goals in WC finals
🔹 First man to score 7+ goals at a single WC since Ronaldo in 2002
Rehan Ahmed described his five-wicket haul, which placed England on the verge of a historic Test series sweep in Pakistan on Monday, as a “dream come true.”
The third and final Test of the tour saw Ahmed take two wickets on day one, but it was nothing in comparison to what he would do on day three, when the 18-year-old spinner tore through Pakistan.
His match statistics of 7-137 are the best for an England debutant since Peter Such’s 8-145 against Australia in 1993, and they have Pakistan on the verge of losing their first-ever home Test series.
Ahmed admitted to revising his earlier judgement that Saturday was the happiest day of his life after seeing Monday’s performance on BBC Test Match Special.
“It’s probably the best day of my life again! To get five on my debut is a dream come true. It’s great,” Ahmed said.
“I was thinking about the five-for. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t. But at the same time, I was trying to forget it. The more you try and chase the wicket, it just won’t happen.”
The highlight of Ahmed’s performance came when his delivery had Pakistan skipper Babar Azam caught by Ollie Pope, just as the hosts appeared to have steadied the ship following Jack Leach’s early three-wicket haul.
“I’ve bowled better balls and got wickets so just to get Babar Azam out is a dream come true,” Ahmed said. “He’s a very good player. Pope has got good hands so it’s good the ball went to him.
“I liked [Mohammad] Rizwan’s wicket because I’ve been working on my leg spin for the last two years. To get one to spin on the other side was great.”
Meanwhile, Pakistan batsman Azhar Ali saw his final Test innings end in disappointing fashion as he was bowled for a four-ball duck by Leach in his final outing before retirement.
Azhar struggled to hide his frustration when speaking to Sky Sports afterwards, saying: “You want to finish on a high and win your last game, you want to contribute. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be.
“It was a bit of a disappointment, so I have mixed feelings. I am thankful to the England and Pakistan team for giving me a send-off.
“I was more emotional in the first innings than the second. It was a nervy start in the first innings. I was quite calm in the second but I am a human being so there was some emotion.
“I played down the wrong line and Leachy got me out. He has bowled really well in this series. It was my time to say goodbye to international cricket.”
Bayern Munich has denounced the racist taunts directed at Kingsley Coman following France’s World Cup final loss to Argentina on penalties.
Coman had an impact after coming on as a 71st-minute replacement with France trailing 2-0 on Sunday. Kylian Mbappe’s hat-trick helped Les Bleus force the decisive penalty kicks at the conclusion of a thrilling 3-3 draw.
The winger, though, was the first shooter to miss in the shoot-out when Emiliano Martinez made a good stop to his right, and midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni missed the following attempt for France.
Following France’s 4-2 shootout loss, Coman received racist comments on social media, which prompted his club to denounce those responsible.
A statement issued via the Bundesliga champions’ Twitter account read: “FC Bayern strongly condemn the racist comments made towards Kingsley Coman.
“The FC Bayern family is behind you, King. Racism has no place in sport or our society.”
On the eve of the World Cup, the French Football Federation condemned racist messages addressed to midfielder Eduardo Camavinga following suggestions he was responsible for an injury suffered by Christopher Nkunku in training.
FC Bayern strongly condemn the racist comments made towards Kingsley Coman.
The FC Bayern family is behind you, King. Racism has no place in sport or our society. pic.twitter.com/9Mvhrt0Zc9
According to Javier Zanetti, Lionel Messi’s World Cup victory is insufficient for him to surpass Diego Maradona as Argentina’s best player.
On Sunday, following a dramatic match against France at Lusail Stadium, Messi won the World Cup for the first time.
Before completing his penalty in the shootout, which Argentina won 4-2, the 35-year-old scored twice in a dramatic 3-3 tie.
Argentina’s third World Cup was particularly poignant because it was the country’s first since the passing of Diego Maradona, who is famous for leading his country to victory in the 1986 competition. Maradona passed away in November 2020.
While Messi’s performances in Qatar have cemented his place as the best player in history in the eyes of many, Zanetti feels he is still yet to outdo Maradona as Argentina’s greatest of all time.
Zanetti told Stats Perform: “No, not for me. I don’t like [the] comparison.
“We have to be grateful that the two greatest [players] in history are Argentines.
“I don’t think [Messi] has changed. I think he is more mature now and he was able to transmit his leadership to the rest of the group this time.”
France twice brought Argentina back, first forcing them to give up a 2-0 lead when Kylian Mbappe scored twice, and then in extra time after Messi had given Lionel Scaloni’s team the lead once more.
The biggest gap between nations winning World Cups is 36 years, and Argentina’s 36-year wait to do so is the longest of any country. Zanetti thinks the dramatic circumstances of their victory made the victory even sweeter.
“It’s a great emotion that the lads gave us because we have been waiting for it for a long time,” Zanetti added.
“I think they made it happen, the dream of millions of Argentinian fans around the world.
“It was a great final for us Argentines because it seemed it was all going in our way but then France had a great reaction.”
Andres Iniesta, Messi’s former team-mate at Barcelona, was delighted the now Paris Saint-Germain forward finally got to lift the World Cup.
“Yesterday’s final was something spectacular, and that he [Messi] had the opportunity now to lift the World Cup is inexplicable,” Iniesta told reporters while visiting Barcelona’s training ground.
“Leo has done everything possible to achieve it. He has had a spectacular World Cup and the icing on the cake was incredible.
Samuel Iling-Junior, a youth player for Juventus, has extended his agreement with the Serie A powerhouse through the 2024–25 season.
In the 4-0 league victory over Empoli in October, the 19-year-old earned his senior debut for the Bianconeri. Since then, he has made two more appearances across all competitions.
In his three first-team appearances, Iling-Junior, a Chelsea academy product who joined Juventus in September 2020, has assisted two goals, one of which came in a Champions League match against Benfica.
On Monday, Juve announced on their official website that the England Under-20 international had signed new contracts.
The previous contract for Iling-Junior was set to expire at the conclusion of the current season.
Samuel Iling-Junior extends his contract until 2025, and is promoted to the Juventus First Team ⚪⚫
Kylian Mbappe has promised France would return to the largest stage after his World Cup final hat-trick failed to prevent Lionel Messi and Argentina from winning the tournament in Qatar.
Following a back-and-forth 3-3 draw at Lusail Stadium, Mbappe’s incredible treble—only the second to be achieved in a men’s World Cup final—ensured that France would have to go to a penalty shootout.
Kingsley Coman and Aurelien Tchouameni’s failure to score gave the Albiceleste a third championship, preventing him from winning a second World Cup. He then converted the first penalty in the shootout.
Mbappe, who turns 24 on Tuesday, was defiant in his first social media post after Les Bleus’ defeat on Monday, writing on Instagram: “We will return”.
Three-time World Cup winner Pele was among those to respond to Mbappe’s post, simply writing: “Merci”.
The Paris Saint-Germain attacker is one of only five players to score in both of the tournament’s championship matches, including Vava, Pele, Paul Breitner, and Zinedine Zidane. His total of four goals in World Cup finals is unmatched by any other player.
In an interview with Sky Sports on Monday, former France forward Louis Saha praised Mbappe’s performance and said it was exceptional for a player his age.
“It was stratospheric, it’s an unbelievable achievement for a young guy like him to do that on that stage,” Saha said.
“Everyone was looking for him, even Argentina were looking to defend him and doing everything to stop him. It was not possible.
“On the big stage, with all the pressure on his shoulders, he managed to do this.
“It’s sad for him because for such a young age, he would have written a unique story. Nobody has done something like this.
“With all respect to other players, legends of the game, this guy’s performance to maintain France’s dream… the quality of his attitude through the tournament, it was absolutely breathtaking.”
In 2023, Cameron Norrie wants “the finest players in the world to be playing,” thus he is hopeful that Russian players will be permitted to return to Wimbledon.
Russian players were barred from SW19 due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine earlier this year.
This prevented players like Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev from competing in the third grand slam of the year, which Novak Djokovic eventually won for the eighth time.
The prohibition on Russians resulted in the elimination of ranking points for the competition, which greatly infuriated the competitors.
Medvedev and Rublev finished a respective seventh and eighth in the year-end ATP rankings, and both took part in the ATP Finals in Turin.
Norrie hopes they are able to return to Wimbledon next year, telling reporters: “For me, I want the best players in the world to be playing.
“I felt last year was tough for those guys, especially for Daniil and for Andrey, who have a chance of winning Wimbledon.
“I know how much those guys sacrificed with their careers and their goals are obviously very high to be winning Slams.
Tennis legend Venus Williams was given a wildcard admission and will play in her 22nd Australian Open in January, it was confirmed on Sunday.
Despite being a seven-time Grand Slam singles winner, Williams, 42, only participated in four competitive matches in 2022, all of which she lost.
Williams is one of the most accomplished players in the sport, having won five Wimbledon titles, two US Open titles, and another 14 Grand Slam doubles championships, including four in Australia.
She made the singles final in both 2003 and 2017, while she won the Australian Open in the doubles competition in 2001, 2003, 2009, and 2010.
Williams announced her wildcard and her intention to participate in Melbourne one more in the same press release.
She said: “I am very excited to be returning to Melbourne to compete at the Australian Open in January.
“I’ve been competing in the country for over 20 years now and the Australian community has always supported me wholeheartedly.
“It will be an honour to play for the fans again and I’m looking forward to making more memories at the tournament this year.”
It remains to be seen if she will be joined by her sister Serena, who is a seven-time singles champion at the event and Venus’ partner for her four doubles successes.
After her exit from the US Open, Serena heavily implied she was weighing up another go in Australia, saying “I always did love Australia”.
Following the departure of longtime ally Francis Roig from his coaching staff, Rafael Nadal has made a quick appointment.
The Argentine Gustavo Marcaccio will work with head coach Carlos Moya and assistant coach Marc Lopez under the guidance of the record-breaking 22-time men’s grand slam singles champion.
After collaborating with the Spaniard since 2005, Roig said on Friday that he was leaving to embark on “a new project.”
Marcaccio, 45, who has worked at Rafael Nadal’s academy in Mallorca for the past 20 months, has agreed to fill in as the new ATP season is just days away from starting.
Marcaccio had a mostly undistinguished playing career, reaching a high of 284th on the rankings, but he has strong coaching credentials, having worked with the likes of Juan Monaco, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Guido Pella.
Nadal wrote on Twitter: “Hello everyone. I want to inform you of the incorporation of Gustavo Marcaccio to the technical team.
“Gustavo has been working at the @rafanadalacademy since April 2021 and I understand that he is a good addition to the team. I am sure he will help us a lot to follow the path. Welcome!”
Nadal will return to Melbourne as the defending champion at the Australian Open in January, having won that and the French Open in 2022 to move ahead of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic on the men’s all-time grand slam list.
As one of the all-time greatest footballers, Lionel Messi’s future at his current club is now expected to be a hot subject.
The legendary No. 10 led Argentina to their first World Cup victory in 36 years in Qatar. Argentina defeated France on penalties after a thrilling 3-3 extra-time draw.
Clubs from all over the world are swarming to become the 35-year-potential old’s ultimate destination when his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires next summer.
We consider the potential future moves for the illustrious playmaker.
MLS move
A switch to Major League Soccer seems the most likely possibility at this point, with reports last month even suggesting a deal to join David Beckham’s Inter Miami has already been agreed.
Messi’s camp were keen to distance themselves from those claims at the time with focus firmly on his exploits in Qatar.
But with his aspirations now achieved, rumours of a switch to the Sunshine State will surely re-emerge.
Messi has proven he can still dazzle at the very top level after scoring seven World Cup goals and providing three assists this winter — a showing which earned him the tournament’s Golden Ball award.
It therefore remains to be seen whether he is ready to move to a league which, for all its development in recent years, would undoubtedly be a step down in the quality the magician is used to.
Remain in Paris
Lionel Messi has formed an impressive partnership with fellow World Cup finalist Kylian Mbappe at Paris Saint-Germain
PSG remain hopeful they can extend the two-year deal Messi signed in the summer of 2021 following his departure from Barcelona.
Club president Nasser Al Khelaifi said: “No decision will be made on Leo Messi’s contract before the new year. We are very happy and Leo’s very happy with us too.
“We will find the best solution together with Messi, we’re so happy and this is fantastic.”
His first season in the French capital — his first away from Barca for 21 years — was somewhat underwhelming as he seemingly struggled to settle in his new surroundings.
But he was back to the very top of his game prior to the World Cup break, managing an incredible 25 goal involvements in 18 games in all competitions for Les Parisiens.
If he can continue that kind of form upon his return, there seems plenty of motivation to continue lighting up the Parc des Princes alongside Kylian Mbappe and Co.
Barcelona return
Lionel Messi was in sensational form for Paris Saint-Germain before the World Cup break
Despite leaving the Camp Nou in somewhat acrimonious circumstances 14 months ago, Barcelona still seem intent on sealing the return of their club legend.
Crippling financial problems forced Messi to emotionally end his long-term association with the Blaugrana but he is still held in the highest regard in Catalonia by clubs chiefs and supporters alike.
President Joan Laporta has rarely stopped talking up a potential return for the superstar since his departure.
In October, he said: “Leo knows that at Barca he always has his home.”
With former team-mate Xavi at the helm, a return to the club he won countless domestic and European titles with could well remain a tempting prospect for Messi.
A move back home
Boyhood club Newell’s Old Boys remain close to Lionel Messi’s heart
Where better a place to spend the twilight of an extraordinary career than the place where it all started?
The Rosario native spent five years at local side Newell’s Old Boys before joining Barcelona as a 13-year-old in 2000 and an eventual move back to his boyhood club has always seemed a strong possibility.
Former Old Boys player Fabian Costello, who hails from the same neighbourhood as Messi, believes it would be the perfect way to sign off in the game.
He said: “Everybody says now that Messi is going to go back to Newell’s Old Boys. It’s a rumour. It would be so special in many ways.
“This [the World Cup win] is his greatest achievement, but the rumour is they want to make all his dreams come true, and his dream was to play for Newell’s Old Boys.”
Given his proven longevity in the game, a final swansong there remains a possibility even if it does not come to fruition next summer.
Following France’s loss to Argentina in the World Cup final, Didier Deschamps is scheduled to hold the first round of negotiations on his future as the team’s coach this week.
Although Deschamps’ contract is up, it is widely anticipated that a new one will be offered if he wants to continue and pursue success at Euro 2024.
It will take some time for the sadness of failing to win the World Cup a second time, four years after triumphing in Russia 2018, to sink in.
Deschamps’ future was therefore not a topic for discussion on Monday as the team traveled back to Paris.
However, French Football Federation (FFF) president Noel Le Graet does not want to waste any time, and he is seeking clarity so has promised to call Deschamps by Wednesday at the latest.
Le Graet told French broadcaster BFMTV on Monday: “I will call him tomorrow or the day after tomorrow when he has recovered, too. We will see each other as soon as possible, of course.”
Speaking in the aftermath of the final, Deschamps said on Sunday night in Qatar that a decision about his future was one for early in the new year.
Former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane has long been linked as the likely next national team coach, but he may have to wait a while longer if Deschamps decides he still has the hunger required for the job.
Former midfielder Deschamps has completed a decade in charge of Les Bleus, and said on Sunday when asked about his future with the team: “You’re not the first to ask. Even if we had won, I would not be able to answer that tonight.
“Of course, I am very sad for the players and staff, but I’ll have a meeting with the [FFF] president at the start of next year and then you’ll find out.”
You had a great World Cup and made a whole country get behind you 🇫🇷
France were beaten 4-2 on penalties after a dramatic 3-3 draw against Argentina, with Kylian Mbappe hitting two penalties in a rare World Cup final hat-trick but still ending on the losing side.
French president Emmanuel Macron told RMC Sport on Sunday he had encouraged the 54-year-old Deschamps to remain in post, saying: “Of course, I asked Didier Deschamps to continue, I want him to continue!”
The great and the good of Italian football bid Sinisa Mihajlovic farewell at his funeral on Monday in Rome.
Following the service, Mihajlovic’s coffin was carried out of the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels and of the Martyrs amid cheers from the congregation by ex-teammates Roberto Mancini, Attilio Lombardo, and Dejan Stankovic.
At Sampdoria and Lazio, Mihajlovic and Italy head coach Mancini were teammates. Mancini later coached Mihajlovic at Lazio before bringing the then 35-year-old player with him to Inter in 2004.
Their connection was strong, and they shared the Serie A championship with Sven-Goran Eriksson’s Lazio in the 1999–2000 campaign and with Inter in 2006 as player and coach.
The news that Mihajlovic had passed away following a battle with leukemia shocked the Italian football world, where the well-liked former Yugoslavia international played for the most of his career. At the age of 53, he passed away last week.
After his playing days ended, Mihajlovic became Mancini’s Inter assistant before having spells as a head coach with Bologna, Catania, Fiorentina, Sampdoria, Milan, Torino and, finally, Bologna for a second time.
Mihajlovic was ousted as Bologna boss in September of this year, after a slow start to the season, and the players he left behind made the trip to Rome to pay tribute.
Mancini said ahead of the funeral that Mihajlovic had “fought like a lion until the last moment, as he was used to doing on the pitch”.
As a player, Mihajlovic was a tough-tackling defender who also packed a fierce shot and became known as a free-kick expert.
Wife Arianna led the family at the funeral. She wrote on Instagram following Mihajlovic’s death: “When you will no longer be part of me, I will carve out of your memory many little stars, then the sky will be so beautiful that the whole world will fall in love with the night.”
She also posted a picture of the couple and their five children, stating: “I’ll take care of them don’t worry. Our greatest masterpiece! We’ll never stop loving you.”
Aleksander Kolarov, a former defender for Serbia, Lazio, Roma, and Inter, attended the funeral together with other notable members of Serie A, such as Francesco Totti, Franco Baresi, Daniele De Rossi, Angela Di Livio, and Stefano Fiore.
Along with Andrea Abodi, Italy’s sports minister, Roberto Gualtieri, was reportedly present, according to the Corriere dello Sport daily.
Paul Barber, the chief executive of Brighton and Hove Albion, is sure that his team can hold onto Alexis Mac Allister despite the midfielder’s high demand following his significant contribution to Argentina’s World Cup victory.
Mac Allister started six of Argentina’s seven games in Qatar, including Sunday’s exciting 3-3 extra-time penalty shootout victory over France at Lusail Stadium.
The 23-year-old, who had already started the scoring in his country’s crucial final group match against Poland, assisted Angel Di Maria’s shot at the conclusion of an excellent team play that gave Argentina a two-goal lead in the first half.
“We were working on a new contract for Alexis in the build-up to the World Cup,” Barber told talkSPORT. “We met Alexis’ father [Carlos] several times. He himself played for Argentina with [Diego] Maradona no less, so there’s a fantastic family history to playing for their country.
“As we’ve always said, when players do well, when their profile increases, there’s always going to be interest in them. This will be no different; Alexis is no different. There was interest in him before the World Cup and I’m sure there will be more interest in him afterwards.
“All we can do in situations where you’ve got a great asset is to try and protect yourself as best as possible. We’ve done that with several of our players and staff over the last several years, and that’s all you can do in these situations. We hope Alexis will continue to be playing for us for some time to come.”
Mac Allister is due to fly back to Argentina with the rest of his team-mates to celebrate their first World Cup success in 36 years, something Barber says he has no issue with despite a packed fixture list coming up.
“We would be a very poor club [to deny him the chance to return to Argentina],” Barber told BBC Sport. “On the other hand, we’ve got games coming up thick and fast and one of the downsides of the Qatar World Cup is that we haven’t yet even completed half a season.
“We’ve actually got a lot of work to do now and Alexis will be a big part of that. We’re all looking forward to it very much.”
Following his injury-related absence from France’s World Cup run, Karim Benzema has announced his retirement from international play.
On his 35th birthday, the Ballon d’Or-winning Real Madrid striker revealed that he would retire with France.
He wrote on Twitter: “I made the efforts and the mistakes it took to be where I am today and I’m proud of it!
“I have written my story and ours is ending.”
J’ai fait les efforts et les erreurs qu’il fallait pour être là où je suis aujourd’hui et j’en suis fier !
J’ai écrit mon histoire et la nôtre prend fin. #Nuevepic.twitter.com/7LYEzbpHEs
On the day of the competition, Benzema’s participation in the Qatar 2022 finals was ruled out due to a thigh injury he sustained during a France training session.
Benzema made his international debut in March 2007 against Austria and went on to score 37 goals in 97 games for France. However, Benzema’s international career was characterized by a protracted absence.
The former Lyon frontman, who was out of favor at the time due to an ongoing blackmail probe, notable missed the World Cup victory in Russia 2018.
He was hoped to contribute significantly to the trophy defense this time, but Benzema had been bothered by a niggle in the months prior to the competition, which did not bode well.
He was battling to prove his fitness but suffered an apparent injury recurrence during his first full training session with Didier Deschamps’ squad.
Benzema underwent an MRI at a Doha hospital and it was decided he faced three weeks of recovery, leading to him leaving the France squad and not returning.
Deschamps said at the time: “I’m extremely sorry for Karim who had made this World Cup a major objective.”
One day after suffering a shocking final defeat to Argentina, losing 4-2 on penalties following a 3-3 game, Benzema made his declaration as France was leaving Qatar for home.
For a France team that came agonizingly close to becoming the first team to win back-to-back World Cup crowns since Brazil 60 years ago, Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Giroud proved to be a productive front pairing, so Karim Benzema’s absence scarcely registered.
In response to rumors that he might rejoin the France team two days before the championship game, Benzema wrote a mysterious comment on Instagram that simply said, “That doesn’t interest me.”
He has returned to training with Madrid ahead of the resumption of their season, and may have been fit to play a part in the final, having not been formally removed from France’s squad list.
Asked if Benzema could make a shock return for the final, however, Deschamps said: “I don’t want to answer you. It’s a stupid question.”
Now there will be no return in the future either, Benzema signing off from France duty three short of a century of international caps.
The return of club football is fast approaching and a host of Chelsea starlets will be looking to make their first-team breakthrough.
The Blues’ Cobham academy has a stellar track record of producing talented youngsters, with the likes of Reece James, Mason Mount and Conor Gallagher now regulars at Stamford Bridge.
Ahead of the West Londoners’ first game back against Bournemouth on December 27, we pick out five prospects who could be the next to rise from the production line.
Levi Colwill
While currently struggling to get a game on loan at Brighton, 19-year-old Levi Colwill has been tipped as a long-term candidate to lead Chelsea’s backline.
The teenage centre-back earned plenty of recognition during his first season in senior football in 2021-22, making 31 Championship appearances for Huddersfield as they went within one game of achieving an unlikely promotion through the play-offs.
And while minutes have been hard to come by in the top flight since making the switch to the Seagulls, the defender still has plenty of time to make his mark.
Having made his first Premier League start against Aston Villa in the final game before the World Cup, Colwill will hope to be more involved as he looks to bolster his first-team hopes at his parent club.
Levi Colwill made his first Premier League start for Brighton against Aston Villa
Harvey Vale
Attacking midfielder Harvey Vale has similarly been used sparingly on loan at Hull this term but that looks set to change following Liam Rosenior’s arrival as boss.
Having made just one league appearance for the Tigers in the first half of the campaign, the new manager has already spoken highly of Vale and fellow Chelsea loanee Xavier Simons.
The 38-year-old coach said: “They’ve both made an excellent impression on me. Harvey’s got some outstanding abilities and is a really good athlete, Xavi’s got everything in a midfield player that I like and he’s going to be a great player in the long term.
“I’ve had a conversation with Chelsea about those two and Nathan [Baxter], as well, and we’ve decided that come the last week in December, first week in January we’ll have another conversation on that.”
Introduced as a late substitute in the 1-1 draw against Sunderland last weekend, the Blues will hope their 2021-22 academy Player of the Year will now be given the chance to showcase his talents in the second tier.
Omari Hutchinson
Omari Hutchinson has been heavily involved for Chelsea in their mid-season friendlies
Excitement over Omari Hutchinson is gathering pace as the youngster edges closer to the first team.
Chelsea re-signed the teenage forward from Arsenal last July and the 19-year-old has managed an impressive five goals and four assists for Chelsea’s Under-23s this term.
It earned him a place on the bench for a handful of Premier League games prior the World Cup and he impressed manager Graham Potter during the Blues’ mid-season friendly against Aston Villa in Abu Dhabi earlier this month.
He said: “[Hutchinson] was really good, dangerous and asked a question all the time.
“Throughout the game, he showed his quality but he wasn’t the only one.
“It was a spirited performance with a lot of young players so it was good.”
Lewis Hall
Lewis Hall’s performance was a positive from Chelsea’s Carabao Cup exit to Manchester City
Despite crashing out of the Carabao Cup to Manchester City in the third round last month, the performance of Lewis Hall in the 2-0 defeat offered an exciting glimpse into the future.
The versatile midfielder, 18, made only his second Chelsea start at the Etihad, putting in a confident showing at left wing-back as he consistently pushed his team on with his dangerous driving runs.
He even went painstakingly close to getting on the scoresheet against the Premier League champions, having been denied twice by stopper Stefan Ortega.
The display earned him his first top-flight start the following game, playing 73 minutes of a narrow 1-0 defeat at Newcastle.
With the eighth-placed Blues looking to improve on their poor form and returning World Cup stars likely to be used sparingly in the first few games back, Hall could be primed for further action versus the Cherries.
Carney Chukwuemeka
Carney Chukwuemeka has made three Premier League appearances from the bench since joining Chelsea
While not a product of Chelsea’s academy, there is plenty of expectation surrounding Carney Chukwuemeka following his summer move from Aston Villa.
Landing the teenager shortly after he inspired England to glory in the European U-19 Championship, the talented midfielder is one of the country’s brightest prospects.
He has since made three league appearances for the Blues, with outings against Wolves, Brentford and Manchester United coming since Potter’s arrival.
After his Bees cameo, the Blues boss said: “Well, if you look at these attributes, he’s a big powerful boy that can run and run away from people. [He] affected the game.
“He’s a young player, but he’s got exciting attributes. We just need to help him reach his potential because his potential is exciting.”
Leading documentary director Asif Kapadia wants to bring a Lionel Messi movie to life.
Messi won the World Cup with Argentina on Sunday, with La Albiceleste triumphing 4-2 over France on penalties following a thrilling 3-3 draw at Lusail Stadium in Qatar.
The World Cup was the final trophy missing from Messi’s vast collection, and now the 35-year-old has surely ended the debate as to who is the greatest player of his generation.
Messi scored seven goals and contributed three assists across his sensational campaign in Qatar, and there are sure to be no shortage of offers for his story to be taken to the silver screen.
Given his critically acclaimed prior films, Senna, about the life and death of Formula One driver Ayrton Senna, Amy (a movie about Amy Winehouse’s rise to prominence), and Diego Maradona, Kapadia may have the advantage.
The latter, which was published in 2019, revealed the tale of Argentina’s former enchanted number 10 player, a feat now shared by Messi and Maradona in winning the World Cup in 1986.
“Pardon me, but I feel I should put this out there,” tweeted Kapadia on Monday.
“Dear #LionelMessi, I know you’re probably busy and need a holiday, but If you’re interested in having your epic story told at some point, I’m definitely interested & available!”
Pardon me, but I feel I should put this out there:
The idea that Newcastle United should sign Enzo Fernandez, an Argentine World Cup standout, was mocked by Alan Shearer.
Following his outstanding midfield exploits for La Albiceleste, who defeated France 4-2 on penalties in a dramatic final on Sunday, Fernandez won the Young Player Award at Qatar 2022.
At Lusail Stadium on Sunday, Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick, but Lionel Messi and Argentina prevailed in the penalty shootout following a 3-3 tie.
One of the tournament’s breakout stars, Benfica’s Fernandez played in all seven of Argentina’s games and started five of them after scoring an incredible goal in a 2-0 victory over Mexico in the group stage.
Newcastle great Shearer, a BBC Sport pundit during the World Cup, quipped he would love the cash-rich Magpies to make a move for the 21-year-old, saying: “Absolutely yes. See if he wants to play against Bournemouth on Tuesday.”
Naturally, ahead of that EFL Cup tie, Howe was quizzed on whether he had heard Shearer’s comments.
“Sorry, I didn’t, I think I was on the other channel,” Howe said with a smile. “That’s a mistake on my part.”
Asked if he would like to target Fernandez, Howe replied: “I’m aware of him and I know him. But I think the transfer fee might be quite lumpy.”
Howe also noted it would be unlikely that any team buys a player based solely off their World Cup displays.
“From a recruitment perspective you never just analyse a World Cup and sign a player on the back of those performances,” he said.
“There’s a huge body of work that goes into signing a player, it’s never after four weeks. There’s a period of work that goes into it. It’s not to say we wouldn’t use the World Cup as a recruitment tool.”
Howe, who also dismissed the idea Newcastle would move for Messi in January should the 35-year-old be available, is also pleased that England manager Gareth Southgate has elected to stay on with the Three Lions following their World Cup exit.
Southgate will take charge of England heading into Euro 2024, with Howe having often been cited as a possible replacement.
“The only time it affects me is sat here [in front of the media],” Howe said.
“I’m pleased Gareth made his decision so I don’t have to field questions on it.
“My focus has only ever been Newcastle and making sure that we return from this break in the best possible form we can. I’m enjoying the job and loving the challenge of managing this huge club.”
After playing Bournemouth, Newcastle, who sit third in the Premier League, face Leicester City on Boxing Day in their first top-flight game after the World Cup break.
Lightning struck twice for Arsenal, with the Netherlands striker suffering the same terrible knee injury as her partner Beth Mead. Vivianne Miedema feels “gutted” to have torn her ACL.
The WSL’s all-time leading scorer, according to Arsenal and Miedema, will be out for a “extended” period of time, just like Mead, who suffered the same injury in November, according to the club.
Both may now be unable to attend the Women’s World Cup, which will be held in July and August of 2019 in Australia and New Zealand.
Four days after the injury in a European match with Lyon, Miedema seems to have written herself off for that competition.
She said: “It was one of those moments, where I knew straight away. So many things going through your head: I won’t be able to help my team anymore this season, no World Cup, surgery and rehab for a long time.”
She expects “plenty of difficult days” and said there had already been tears.
The anterior cruciate ligament injury is one that requires surgery and a long recovery period, and Arsenal’s hopes in this season’s Women’s Super League and Women’s Champions League have taken a fresh hit with the loss of Miedema so soon after Mead’s setback.
Mead posted a message of support to her 26-year-old girlfriend and team-mate, saying: “STRONGER TOGETHER! I was given sympathy for 3 weeks and now she has to go get some of her own but we got this, YOU got this.”
England international Mead joked that there would be “two new signings incoming”, but the jollity masks a bitter reality for Arsenal, both players, and their national teams.
Arsenal said in a statement: “We can confirm that Vivianne Miedema suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament during our UEFA Women’s Champions League match against Lyon at Emirates Stadium on Thursday.
“Viv will undergo surgery in the coming days and will unfortunately be ruled out for an extended period of time. A more detailed timescale will be established once the operation is complete.
“Everyone at Arsenal wishes Viv well in her recovery and will be providing her with all the support she needs to return to action as soon as possible.”
President Emmanuel Macron claims that Kylian Mbappe made France proud with a “extraordinary” performance despite Les Bleus’ devastating World Cup final loss to Argentina.
After falling behind by two goals at the Lusail Stadium, France were doomed to a demoralizing defeat, but Mbappe scored twice in a span of 97 seconds to force overtime.
Mbappe scored a late penalty to become just the second player—after England’s Geoff Hurst in 1966—to score a hat-trick in a men’s World Cup final after watching teammate Lionel Messi give Argentina the lead back.
While shoot-out misses from Kingsley Coman and Aurelien Tchouameni crushed France’s hopes of retaining the trophy, Macron – who was seen talking with Mbappe after the defeat – said the forward had made his country proud.
“We were very far behind at the end of the first period. It’s already happened, there have been comebacks like that, but it’s very rare in the history of football,” Macron told RMC Sport.
“We came back tremendously. It’s extraordinary what Mbappe did, but the whole team were hungry again. I believed in it immensely.
“Afterwards, we performed a second miracle by coming back from nowhere. We had match point.
“Mbappe is a very great player, but he is young, I told him he was only 23. He was top scorer at this World Cup. He won a World Cup [in 2018], he made a final.
“I was as sad as him. I said he made us very proud and in the end we lost a football match, we went to nothing. That’s sport.”
Mbappe’s treble took him to 12 World Cup goals in his career, drawing him level with Pele’s tally and making him the youngest player to reach double figures at the tournament, aged 23 years and 363 days.
The France forward also became just the fifth player to score in two World Cup finals, after Vava (1958, 1962), Pele (1958, 1970), Paul Breitner (1974, 1982) and Zinedine Zidane (1998, 2006).
Raphael Varane has expressed his pride in the France team following their heartbreaking loss to Argentina in the World Cup final.
Kylian Mbappe became just the second player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final after Geoff Hurst for England in 1966 in a six-goal thriller that saw Didier Deschamps’ team come from behind twice to force a penalty shootout.
Gonzalo Montiel scored the game-winning goal to give Argentina their third World Cup victory, but Emiliano Martinez stopped Kingsley Coman’s penalty kick and Aurelien Tchouameni missed the target first.
After a woeful first-half display, France valiantly fought their way back into the match but ultimately fell short, though that has not altered Varane’s assessment of the squad’s quality.
“We are very disappointed. We gave it our all,” he told TF1. “We faced a lot of obstacles during the competition, we fought until the end. We didn’t give up.
“Today, for an hour, we were not in the game. We came back and we could have won too. Very proud of the French, of this group. We gave everything, we keep our heads high.
“We came back in this match when we were not in it, it was complicated. It played out very quickly. We came back and then physically, we were better than them.
“We started pushing and we believed in it. We were not far from managing to reverse the match which was badly started.
“There is mental strength in this group, a lot of heart. It allowed us to get to the final, but it wasn’t enough to win.”
France will regroup for the start of their qualification campaign for the 2024 European Championship, which begins in March against the Netherlands.
The Red Devils are set to battle it out with Atletico Madrid and Barcelona for the 27-year-old but his desire to play in the Premier League has given them the advantage, according to The Mirror.
Rabiot featured in the nail-biting World Cup final on Sunday but was defeated as Argentina came away with the trophy for the first time since 1986.
It stopped Les Bleus, who had several stars struggling with a virus in the build-up to the game, from becoming the third nation to win the tournament back-to-back.
Rabiot’s performances under Didier Deschamps have put him in the spotlight and he is out of contract in the summer.
The Frenchman is familiar with Manchester having spent time at City’s academy early in his career, which could help influence his decision.
It is likely the 35-cap international, who was among the sick players and sat out of the semi-final win over Morocco, will have no shortage of options when deciding on his future.
In other news
Josko Gvardiol has been a colossus for Croatia in Qatar
Chelsea are hoping to beat both RB Leipzig and Manchester City to the signing of Josko Gvardiol by making a £45million move for the Croatian in January, say The Sun.
The Mirror report that Barcelona maestro Frenkie de Jong has spoken to Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag and admitted he would be happy to move to Old Trafford.
Chelsea and Liverpool are interested in signing Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo but a deal would be difficult to complete in the January transfer window, suggest Sky Sports.
Following France’s loss to Argentina in the World Cup final, Hugo Lloris claims that it is “not the time” to talk about his future in the international arena.
Argentina ultimately prevailed in a six-goal thriller, as the all-time leading appearance holder for the Les Bleus was unable to save any of the penalties he was presented with in the shootout.
It has been questioned whether Lloris, who is now 35 and has been a member of France’s national team for 14 years and has been as captain since 2010, will remain among Didier Deschamps’ players.
However, the captain batted away those queries and believes the result will take time to digest, telling TF1: “Now is not the time to answer those questions.
“It’s a painful night for all the players, the staff, the management and all the supporters, even if we achieved great things.
“It has to be an experiment for the future. It will take a little time for everyone to digest it.”
Lloris also expressed his belief that the France squad did everything they could to emerge as victors, highlighting the response after the break following what was a poor first-half display.
“We were too reactive. It was almost a boxing match, we surrendered blow for blow. The only regret we can have is that we may have missed our first half,” he added.
“Despite that, we didn’t give up, we believed in it until the end. It took a winner, it was played on penalties.
“It’s always cruel to be on the wrong side. But we will have given everything from beginning to end in this competition. We come out empty, it’s been almost a month of competition.
“In this final, we could have dropped at 0-2 but we continued to believe until the end, we were able to turn the game around. It’s football.
“We must congratulate the Argentines who made a great tournament, a great final. The match could have swung either way, but we were too reactive.”
After seeing France’s dramatic World Cup final loss to Argentina on penalties, Didier Deschamps will decide on his future in the new year.
France twice came from behind in an exciting 3-3 tie after extra time at Lusail Stadium thanks to Kylian Mbappe’s hat-trick, the second to be scored in a men’s World Cup final.
However, Lionel Messi, a teammate of Mbappe‘s from Paris Saint-Germain, won the coveted prize after Kingsley Coman and Aurelien Tchouameni both missed their attempts in the shootout.
The setback will probably rekindle rumors about Deschamps’ future, with former France great Zinedine Zidane long considered a potential successor.
Deschamps, however, will take his time to weigh up whether to extend his 10-year stay with the two-time world champions.
“You’re not first to ask. Even if we had won, I would not be able to answer that tonight,” Deschamps said at his post-match press conference.
“Of course, I am very sad for the players and staff, but I’ll have a meeting with the [French Football Federation] president at the start of next year and then you’ll find out.”
After Angel Di Maria was knocked down by Ousmane Dembele’s challenge, Messi scored Argentina’s first goal in the championship, drawing ire from several France players.
After the game, Deschamps expressed his own displeasure with Szymon Marciniak’s performance as the referee, but he also congratulated Argentina.
Messi scored Argentina’s opening goal in the final after Angel Di Maria went down under Ousmane Dembele’s challenge, provoking an angry reaction from several France players.
Deschamps made his own frustration with the performance of referee Szymon Marciniak clear after the game, though he also offered his congratulations to Argentina.
“I need to be careful what I say. You saw as well as I did. It could have been worse, could have been better,” he said when asked about the officials’ display.
“There were some decisions that gave rise to discussion but that’s the case in every game. I said before the game that Argentina had been lucky, not that they were helped by decisions.
“I don’t want to take anything away from them, they fully deserve the title. It’s not because of decisions that they came out victorious, and I just discussed this with the referee.
“I don’t want to get into what was said, I just want to congratulate Argentina.”
French president Emmanuel Macron was seen speaking to Deschamps in the aftermath of Sunday’s defeat and he told RMC Sport he had encouraged the 54-year-old to remain in post.
“Of course, I asked Didier Deschamps to continue, I want him to continue! I told him he had to digest,” Macron said.
When Sergio Aguero donned a game shirt to join in with Argentina’s World Cup celebrations, John Terry, a former Premier League foe, teased him.
When doctors revealed that former striker Aguero had a heart condition, he decided to retire in December 2021, not long after moving from Manchester City to Barcelona.
After Sunday’s thrilling final against France, Aguero was out on the field with Lionel Messi and many other ex-teammates, in the middle of the partying players. Aguero scored 41 goals for his country before having to hang up his boots.
As the celebrations intensified, Aguero joined the players in the locker area and drank champagne.
Muy emocionado, chicos, por vivir este momento que ustedes hicieron posible junto a millones de argentinos. Pase lo que pase, ojalá que todo lo mejor, ya están en la historia y el corazón de todos. Vamos Argentina carajo! 🇦🇷❤️ pic.twitter.com/2zGXqigDsX
The former Chelsea and England captain Terry, who is well-versed in turning out in full gear despite not participating in a game, was alerted by the sight of him wearing a shirt but mismatched shorts, socks, and white trainers.
Following Chelsea’s victory over Bayern Munich on penalties in the 2012 Champions League final, Terry became infamous for donning his Chelsea jersey to participate in the trophy-lifting celebrations.
Due to his standing and contributions during the season, the captain had a right to participate in the presentation of the awards despite missing that game due to a suspension. Terry promptly showed up in full match gear.
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