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Netherlands have sacked coach Danny Blind in the wake of their World Cup qualifying loss to Bulgaria . The Dutch Football Association (KNVB) has called time on the former defender’s reign after only 20 months and 18 matches. Saturday’s 2-0 defeat in Sofia was Netherland’s second in their opening five games in World Cup qualifying Group A and left them in fourth place in the pool, already six points behind leaders France and three behind second-placed Sweden .

Italy captain Gianluigi Buffon has said their narrow 1-0 win over Sweden showed once again that his team’s unity is their biggest quality at Euro 2016. The Azzurri had to wait until the 88th minute of Friday’s Group E match to book their place in the round of 16 as Eder found a rare gap in the Swedish defence to score past Andreas Isaksson. Italy were much less impressive in Toulouse than they were in their opening 2-0 victory over Belgium but Buffon was pleased they had still found a way to win a cagey game. “As everybody knows, I believe our team’s strength is the collective and our solidity,” the Juventus goalkeeper told reporters after the game. “That’s our best weapon. “We have guys who are very useful to the way we play and this allows us to make the best of any situation.” Sweden captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic has now failed to score in his last six games against Buffon but the Italian still remembers how the striker netted a crucial equaliser that helped ...

Andy Murray has lost the world number two spot to Roger Federer in the latest ATP rankings released on Monday, after his defeat to Novak Djokovic in the Madrid Masters final. The Scot played well in Spain, but by failing to successfully defend his title, he drops below Federer ahead of the Italian Open this week. Djokovic, an 11-time major champion, retains his massive lead on his closest challengers at the top of the rankings after claiming a record 29th Masters title. Australian youngster Nick Kyrgios moves back into the top 20 thanks to his run to the quarter-finals in Madrid.  ATP top 20: 1. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 16,550 pts  2. Roger Federer (SUI) 7,525 (+1) 3. Andy Murray (GBR) 7,525 (-1)  4. Stan Wawrinka (SUI) 6,380  5. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 5,675 6. Kei Nishikori (JPN) 4,290  7. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) 3,400 8. Tomas Berdych (CZE) 2,940 9. David Ferrer (ESP) 2,920 10. Milos Raonic (CAN) 2,740  11. Marin Cilic (CRO) 2,725 12. Richard ...

The management of Shooting Stars Sports Club, has apologised to the side’s fans, after they were thrashed by Kano Pillars.The Oluyole Warriors lost 6-0 to the former NPFL champions, in Sunday’s Nigeria Professional Football League (NFPL) Match Day 13 fixture, at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano. An official of the club, Jubril Arowolo, vowed that they will put the defeat behind them. “It was really a bad day for us but we cannot continue to rue the loss as no amount of regrets will undo the painful result,” he told SuperSport. “We feel the deed has been done we must head straight to the trenches to fight back toward returning to winning way again. “We are deeply sorry mostly to our teeming supporters who strongly believe in us and must have been disappointed by the shocking result. “We have to quickly come up with modalities to make up for the defeat and avert further occurrence in the ongoing league. “We need the supporters understanding now more than ever to help us t...

Home / Sport / Chelsea players betrayed Mourinho’s trust – Fabregas Chelsea Star, Cesc Fabregas has claimed that Chelsea players let former boss Jose Mourinho down.Mourinho was sacked as manager of the Stamford Bridge last December, after a run of poor results and reports of him falling out with some players including Fabregas. The Portuguese had given the squad extra holiday, after they won the Premier League and Fabregas feels the players failed to repay that trust. “A lot has been said, and many wrong things, about that,” Fabregas explained on Monday Night Football. “I love Jose, and I even consider him my friend. We still keep in touch right now and some of the things said were unfortunate. “But I have huge respect for him, and I think Jose’s biggest problem was that he trusted us too much. He gave us more holiday because we were champions, he believed in us more, he trusted us more, and we let him down. “The whole team, all the players. And that was the m...

Lazio midfielder, Ogenyi Onazi, has admitted he would love to play for Nigeria at the Olympic Games in August this year.The 23-year-old is desperate to be part of the Dream Team VI to the competition in Rio. “I spoke with [the coach] and it will be another chance for me to represent my country to achieve something important, for my country and for myself as well. I will be glad to be part of the [Olympic] team,” Onazi told Goal. Meanwhile, coach of the Nigerian team, Samson Siasia, has revealed that he has already made up his mind about the three over-aged players he will pick. “I already have in mind the three over-age players that I intend using at the Games,” Siasia said. Nigeria have been drawn against Sweden, Japan and Colombia in Group B.

Lionel Messi remains the world’s highest paid footballer, with an annual income of 74 million euros ($84.3 million, £59.3 million), according to a report in France Football magazine. The Argentina and Barcelona star’s income in 2015 rose by nine million euros. It keeps him ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo (67.4m euros) and Neymar (43.5m euros) as the top three stayed unchanged for the third year running. France Football’s estimates were based on players’ pre-tax salaries, sponsorship revenues and various bonuses. Angel Di Maria, who moved to Paris Saint-Germain from Manchester United last year, was adjudged the best paid player in France with 24 million euros. The winger narrowly edges his PSG team-mates, Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Jose Mourinho is named the highest earning coach, despite being sacked from Chelsea in December.

La Liga has condemned anti-gay chants, that were aimed at Cristiano Ronaldo, during Saturday’s El Clasico at the Nou Camp.The reaction came after a group which tackles discrimination in Spain, The Observatorio Espanol contra la LGTBfobia (StopLGBTfobia), requested that the government takes action. The fans responsible, allegedly made the chants during the one-minute silence, that was held in honour of Johan Cruyff before the match. La Liga has already promised to send a report to the government’s committee against violence, racism, xenophobia and intolerance in sport. “These lamentable and shameful actions are punishable under the Sport Law of 2007,” StopLGBTfobia director Francisco Ramirez said. “These are nothing new in Spanish stadiums, where for years players and referees have often been insulted using homophobic terms, without there being any public or exemplary punishment. This ends up continuing the presence of homophobia in Spanish football.”

  Siasia Samson Siasia has admitted that he is keen on taking charge of the Super Eagles on a permanent basis. The current U-23 team handler, was appointed interim coach of the senior team, after Sunday Oliseh resigned from the role in February. Siasia took charge of the two AFCON 2017 qualifiers against Egypt, which ended in the Eagles failing to qualify for the tournament. But he insists his past failures does not stop him from wanting the job. “I won’t shy away from the Eagles job because of two failed attempts to deliver,” Siasia said in a chat with media on Monday at the Glass House. “Those two occasions were on interim basis and so should not be used to judge what I am capable of doing as a big coach. Egypt were just fortunate to get a draw in Kaduna and beat us narrowly in Alexandria. With little luck, we should have beaten them but God knows best. “As for the Super Eagles job, it is only God who gives jobs and I believe that if the time comes, it will...

Arinze Agudosi has expressed his delight, with how Ifeanyi Ubah FC, were able to beat Nasarawa United 1-0, in a rescheduled Nigeria Professional Football League on Wednesday.The Anambra Warriors moved into second place, one point behind leaders Enugu Rangers, with victory at the Rojenny International Stadium. “I am very happy because we won,” Agudosi told Goal. “We suffered a little, but the important thing was getting the three points seeing that it was an opportunity to catch up with Rangers. “Our coach had told us to press high up the pitch because Nasarawa United play a possessive style of football. “We did it and managed to hit back often on the counter attack. “We are closer to Rangers.”

The Nigeria Football Federation has issued a statement following the failure of the Super Eagles to qualify for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations finals:The NFF, like most Nigerians, are saddened by the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations final competition, following a 1-0 defeat by seven –time African champions Egypt in Alexandria on Tuesday, 29th March 2016. We see this failure to qualify as an unfortunate turn of events, because it came despite the undoubted efforts of the Coaching crew led by Coach Samson Siasia and the players led by the captain, Mikel Obi, and the efforts of the NFF leadership who not only supported the technical crew but also provided necessary support regarding comfortable traveling arrangement and accommodation for the team’s home and away matches. Football being the paramount national pastime in our dear country, we understand and share the disappointment in the land. But we crave the indulgence of all to contin...