Swiss Euro opponents Italy ‘hate to lose’, says Aebischer

Swiss Euro opponents Italy ‘hate to lose’, says Aebischer
Switzerland’s midfielder Michel Aebischer, Germany’s midfielder Leroy Sane and Swiss midfielder Ruben Vargas fight for the ball during their Euro 2024 Group A match at the Frankfurt Arena in Frankfurt on Jun. 23, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 27 June 2024
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Swiss Euro opponents Italy ‘hate to lose’, says Aebischer

Swiss Euro opponents Italy ‘hate to lose’, says Aebischer
  • Aebischer moved to Bologna from Young Boys Bern in 2022 and said his time with the Serie A side had given him an insight into the Italian football mindset.
  • “The Italians hate to lose”

STUTTGART, Germany: Switzerland midfielder Michel Aebischer said Euro 2024 last 16 opponents Italy “hate to lose” and said his side would be the underdog in Berlin on Saturday.
Switzerland had been on track to top their group but qualified second in Group A behind Germany after conceding a Niclas Fuellkrug header in injury time on Sunday.
Aebischer moved to Bologna from Young Boys Bern in 2022 and said his time with the Serie A side had given him an insight into the Italian football mindset.
“The Italians hate to lose,” he said.
“They are the reigning champions, they never give up... Italy are the favorite — there’s nothing more to say.”
After the group phase, several tournament favorites including Germany, Portugal, Spain and France are now on the other side of the draw to the Swiss.
The 27-year-old however dismissed suggestions Switzerland had an easy ride, with England potentially waiting for them in the quarter-finals.
“Of course, we saw that there are many big names in the other half of the table. But from the round of 16 onwards there are no easy opponents anyway.”
Aebischer said England “fell short of expectations” but added “I think they will improve now.”


Mathys Tel ‘100 percent’ committed to Spurs, says Postecoglou

Mathys Tel ‘100 percent’ committed to Spurs, says Postecoglou
Updated 05 February 2025
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Mathys Tel ‘100 percent’ committed to Spurs, says Postecoglou

Mathys Tel ‘100 percent’ committed to Spurs, says Postecoglou
  • Postecoglou told his pre-match press conference that Tel had been right to take his time over such a major decision
  • “He obviously wants to play. We’ve already shown that irrespective of age, he’ll get an opportunity here”

LONDON: Ange Postecoglou said Mathys Tel is “100 percent” committed to Tottenham after the French forward signed on loan despite reportedly rejecting a move to the club earlier in the January transfer window.
Tottenham were busy in the final hours of Monday’s deadline day as they bolstered Postecoglou’s injury-ravaged squad, bringing in Tel and defender Kevin Danso.
Bayern Munich’s Tel, 19, was also linked with Manchester United and Arsenal before opting for Tottenham, who have an option to make the move permanent in the summer transfer window.
Postecoglou, whose team take a 1-0 lead into Thursday’s League Cup semifinal second-leg at Liverpool, told his pre-match press conference that Tel had been right to take his time over such a major decision.
“It’s not so much that he rejected us or rejected anyone else,” said the Spurs manager. “Rightly so he was getting as much information as possible.”
The Australian added: “I had a conversation with him and I guess mine was purely around the football and I think he’ll find a really great place here in terms of where he is in his career.
“He obviously wants to play. We’ve already shown that irrespective of age, he’ll get an opportunity here, and the way we play will suit him.


“Certainly with what we have in the next few months and then more importantly what we’re building beyond, I thought he would be a perfect fit.”
When asked if he felt the France under-21 international was fully committed to Spurs, Postecoglou said: “Yes, 100 percent. I am more than 100 percent sure because he took so much time, was so diligent about finding out everything when he made a decision that it’s us.
“He obviously had options and that sort of gave me even more confidence that we are getting the right kind of mentality, the right kind of player.
“He is very ambitious. He’s got a great deal of self-belief and self-confidence. He feels he can reach the top of the game and he has chosen us, which is a great vindication of what we are doing.”
Tel and Danso will both be available for Thursday’s match at Anfield, but Micky van de Ven and fellow center-back Cristian Romero are set to miss out, with Postecoglou taking a “conservative” approach after the duo’s injury absences.
Tottenham are one match away from a League Cup final at Wembley as they seek to end a trophy drought that stretches back to 2008.
Former Celtic boss Postecoglou, in his second season at Tottenham, put himself under pressure earlier in the campaign when he said he “always wins things in my second year.”
But he said Premier League leaders and League Cup holders Liverpool would also be feeling the pressure.
“I don’t think Liverpool will be any less anxious than us about the fixture,” he said. “You’re in a semifinal, particularly a second leg and it’s still very tight.
“It’s a big game for both clubs so you recognize that, you embrace that but ultimately if you want to be successful these are the games you want to be involved in.”


Chelsea star Kerr ‘feared for my life’ during taxi ride

Chelsea star Kerr ‘feared for my life’ during taxi ride
Updated 05 February 2025
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Chelsea star Kerr ‘feared for my life’ during taxi ride

Chelsea star Kerr ‘feared for my life’ during taxi ride
  • Kerr told a jury at Kingston Crown Court on Wednesday that she had put her head out of the window when she began to feel sick
  • She added the dangerous driving continued for 15 to 20 minutes

LONDON: Chelsea striker Sam Kerr said she “feared for my life” while she and her partner were in the back of a taxi moments before one of them smashed the vehicle’s rear window.
The Australia international is on trial charged with causing racially aggravated harassment to police officer Stephen Lovell during an incident in south-west London in the early hours of January 30, 2023.
It is alleged Kerr, 31, and her partner, West Ham midfielder Kristie Mewis, had been out drinking when they were driven to Twickenham Police Station by a taxi driver who complained the pair had refused to pay clean-up costs after one of them was sick, and that one of them smashed the vehicle’s rear window.
Kerr told a jury at Kingston Crown Court on Wednesday that she had put her head out of the window when she began to feel sick before the driver “rolled it up” and began to “drive dangerously.”
She added the dangerous driving continued for 15 to 20 minutes, saying: “I was terrified for my life. Everything was going through my mind about being in a car with a stranger I deemed to be dangerous. There was no reasoning with him. It was his way or nothing.
“Kristie asked him to stop the car but there was no change to his driving. We had no idea where we were.
“Kristie was very distressed. She was crying and scared. I’ve never seen her like that before and it made me more scared.
“I started to realize how serious the situation was. It put me in protective mode... he had the power over us... I deemed him to be dangerous because of the driving, but also because he could have taken us anywhere.”
Kerr said the pair tried to open the doors and windows several times, but they remained locked.
Mewis eventually “kicked out (the window) with her boot” which led Kerr to feel “relieved,” but she added: “We didn’t get out straight away as the car was still moving.”
On Tuesday, the court was told Lovell first saw Kerr as she crawled through the smashed taxi window outside the station.
A “heated” discussion about the incident ensued between Kerr and the police, during which she allegedly became “abusive and insulting” toward Lovell, calling him “stupid and white.”
Kerr made her debut for current Women’s Super League champions Chelsea in 2020. She is currently out of action with a knee injury.


On eve of his 40th birthday, Ronaldo says he is the best soccer player ever

On eve of his 40th birthday, Ronaldo says he is the best soccer player ever
Updated 05 February 2025
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On eve of his 40th birthday, Ronaldo says he is the best soccer player ever

On eve of his 40th birthday, Ronaldo says he is the best soccer player ever
  • “I am the greatest scorer in history,” Ronaldo said in an interview with Spanish television channel La Sexta
  • He had said it before, more than once, that he feels he will go out as the best ever in the history of soccer

MADRID: Cristiano Ronaldo approaches his 40th birthday with the same confidence and self-esteem as he has always boasted throughout his successful career.
Ronaldo, the former Real Madrid star who now plays for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, will turn 40 on Wednesday and apparently has no doubt about who should be considered the best soccer player ever.

“I am the greatest scorer in history,” Ronaldo said in an interview with Spanish television channel La Sexta. “Although I am not left-footed, I am in the top 10 in history for goals scored with the left foot. These are numbers, I am the most complete player who has ever existed.

“I play well with my head, I take good free kicks, I am fast, I am strong, I jump... I have never seen anyone better than me.”
The Portugal star holds most scoring records in men’s international soccer, including most appearances with 217 and most goals with 135.
He had said it before, more than once, that he feels he will go out as the best ever in the history of soccer. Whenever he was asked about the discussion of who is better, him or Lionel Messi, he always praised the Argentine but ended siding with himself.
Ronaldo’s most recent comments prompted a few reactions in the soccer world.
“I have a lot of respect for Cristiano and I don’t have to analyze his opinions. It’s what he thinks. I have my own thoughts and it isn’t that,” said Javier Mascherano, a former teammate of Messi and his current coach at Inter Miami.


Simeone brace powers Atletico Madrid past Getafe into Copa semifinals

Simeone brace powers Atletico Madrid past Getafe into Copa semifinals
Updated 05 February 2025
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Simeone brace powers Atletico Madrid past Getafe into Copa semifinals

Simeone brace powers Atletico Madrid past Getafe into Copa semifinals
  • The 22-year-old Simeone netted twice in the first 17 minutes and Atletico reached the last-four of the Copa for the second straight season
  • In the other quarterfinals, Real Madrid visit Leganes on Wednesday, while on Thursday it will be Real Sociedad welcoming Osasuna and Barcelona playing at Valencia

MADRID: Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone’s son, Giuliano, scored two early goals as the team eased into the Copa del Rey semifinals with a 5-0 home victory over Getafe on Tuesday.

The 22-year-old Simeone netted twice in the first 17 minutes and Atletico reached the last-four of the Copa for the second straight season.

Samuel Lino also scored a first-half goal for the hosts at the Metropolitano stadium, and Angel Correa and Alexander Sorloth added second-half goals.

Atletico, whO last won the Copa in 2012-13, was eliminated by eventual champions Athletic Bilbao last season.

In the other quarterfinals, Real Madrid visit Leganes on Wednesday, while on Thursday it will be Real Sociedad welcoming Osasuna and Barcelona playing at Valencia.

Simeone opened the scoring with a header in the eighth minute and doubled the lead from inside the area in a breakaway in the 17th. Lino scored the third goal after a neat move to clear a defender and find the far corner with a low shot in the 42nd. Correa made it 4-0 with a low strike from outside the area in the 78th and Sorloth closed the rout in the 86th.

Coach Diego Simeone used a few reserve players ahead of the team’s crucial Spanish league match at first-place Real Madrid on Saturday. Atletico trail Madrid by one point.

Getafe, who had only one attempt on target in the first half, have only one win in their last four matches across all competitions. It have not made it to the Copa semifinals since 2009-10.


Al-Dawsari the star as Al-Hilal return to top of AFC Champions League Elite group

Al-Dawsari the star as Al-Hilal return to top of AFC Champions League Elite group
Updated 05 February 2025
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Al-Dawsari the star as Al-Hilal return to top of AFC Champions League Elite group

Al-Dawsari the star as Al-Hilal return to top of AFC Champions League Elite group
  • Malcom opens the scoring after just 10 minutes as his team cruise to a 4-1 victory over Persepolis of Iran
  • Joao Cancelo adds a second before Salem Al-Dawsari steals the show during the remainder of the first half with 2 impressive goals

RIYADH: Al-Hilal strolled to a 4-1 home victory over Iranian side Persepolis on Tuesday to return to the top of their AFC Champions League Elite qualifying group with one game remaining.
The Saudis, who had already secured their place in the round of 16, were four goals to the good before half time. Malcom opened the scoring with just 10 minutes on the clock, the Brazilian winger skipping past two defenders and into the area before lifting the ball over goalkeeper Alexis Guendouz.
The four-time champions continued to press and were rewarded when Joao Cancelo added a second after 24 minutes. The former Manchester City star picked up possession on the right-hand corner of the box and drilled a low shot into the opposite bottom corner, though Guendouz should perhaps have got a stronger hand to it.


The remainder of the first half was the Salem Al-Dawsari show. With seven minutes remaining, the lively Malcom slipped the ball through a crowded area for Al-Dawsari, the 2022 Asian Player of the Year, to skip past the goalkeeper and slot home from the narrowest of angles.
His second, and his team’s fourth, was the best of the night. A minute into first-half stoppage time, Cancelo sent over a beautiful pass from the touchline that made it all the way to a central position, just outside the area, and there was Al-Dawsari charging up to blast the ball into the top corner with the most fluent of first-time shots.
With the game already won, the second half was a much quieter affair. Two minutes from the end, though, Persepolis were awarded a penalty when Ali Al-Bulaihi, who had just come on as a substitute, brought down Issa Alkasir. Giorgi Gvelesiani stepped up to give his team a consolation goal.
This could not spoil the night for Al-Hilal, however, who have 19 points from a possible 21. The result also meant that the penultimate round of games in the group stage was another perfect one for all three representatives of the Saudi Pro League, with Al-Ahli and Al-Nassr winning on Monday. Al-Ahli trail Al-Hilal only on goal difference, while Al-Nassr are three points behind on 16 points and guaranteed at least third place in the group.