Showing posts from 2018

FC Shakhtar Donetsk

FC Shakhtar Donetsk Football Club Shakhtar Donetsk ([fudˈbɔlʲnɪj klub ʃɐxˈtɑr doˈnɛtsʲk], "miner") is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Donetsk. In 2014 the club moved to Lviv but has since early 2017 played in Kharkiv and has its headquarters in Kiev. Shakhtar has appeared in several European competitions and is often a participant in the UEFA Champions League. The club became the first club in independent Ukraine to win the UEFA Cup in 2009, the last year before the competition was revamped as the Europa League. FC Shakhtar Donetsk is one of two Ukrainian clubs, the other being Dynamo Kyiv, who have won a major UEFA competition. The club formerly played its home matches at the Donbass Arena, however, due to the conflict in Eastern Ukraine, the team relocated 600 miles to the west in Arena Lviv in the interim. Following the winter break of the 2016–17 season the club moved to the Metalist Stadium in Kharkiv (150 miles to the north of Donetsk) early 2...

FC Dynamo Kyiv

FC Dynamo Kyiv Football Club Dynamo Kyiv ([dɪˈnɑmo ˈkɪjiw]) is a Ukrainian professional football club based in Kiev. Founded in 1927 as part of the Soviet Dynamo Sports Society, the club plays in the Ukrainian Premier League, and has never been relegated to a lower division. Their home is the 70,050 capacity Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex. Since 1936, Dynamo has spent its entire history in the top league of Soviet and later Ukrainian football. Its most successful periods are associated with Valeriy Lobanovskyi, who coached the team during three stints, leading them to numerous domestic and European titles. The club became the only one in the history of Soviet football that managed to overcome the total hegemony of Moscow-based clubs in the Soviet Top League. The Spartak Moscow–Dynamo Kyiv rivalry became the most exciting football rivalry in the Soviet Union that almost completely eclipsed the Spartak Moscow–Dynamo Moscow rivalry. Since the late 1960s, the club has participated ...

Shakhtar forward Olarenwaju Kayode: We think about Desna Shakhtar forward Olarenwaju Kayode answered the questions from reporters ahead of the match vs Desna - Larry, this coming Tuesday, Shakhtar will meet with Manchester City, with you having spent some time with the Citizens. Do you keep in touch with your former teammates or coaches of the English team? - First of all, we should think about our Premier League game on Friday against Desna. These days, it’s the most important point. And after the game, we could well talk about Man. City. - You’ve done some exercises with Moraes, you both seemed to be quite friendly. Don’t you envy Junior due to the fact that he appears in the line-up more frequently than you do? - There can’t be any envy, because Moraes proves himself and deserves this place. I was injured and he played really well. For me, the most important thing is to benefit the club, because we win all together. Any kind of jealousy or envy is out of the question. Junior i...

Report: Southampton 0 Chelsea 3 Eden Hazard’s eighth goal of the season, Ross Barkley’s first in a Chelsea shirt and Alvaro Morata's second strike in four days secured a comfortable victory at St Mary’s this afternoon. The Blues were mostly dominant on the South Coast, but it might have been a different story had Danny Ings converted a golden opportunity when the game was goalless. The league’s topscorer Hazard made the Saints pay on the half-hour after fine work from Barkley, and it was the recently called-up England man who doubled our advantage shortly before the hour to open his Chelsea account. A stunning fingertip save from Kepa Arrizabalaga late on preserved the clean sheet, our fourth of the league campaign, before sub Morata dinked home from Hazard's pass. It rounded off a very successful day indeed ahead of the international break. Maurizio Sarri made a solitary change to the side that started against Liverpool last weekend, bringing in Barkley for Mateo Kovaci...

Hoffenheim 1-2 City: Match Highlights Hoffenheim 1 Man City 2: Match report What happened? What a start. The game had barely started when Hoffenheim carved an opening as Belfodil found space between Aymeric Laporte and Nicolas Otamendi to fire a low shot past Ederson with just 44 seconds on the clock. City’s response was superb. First Raheem Sterling set off on a mesmerising dribble that took him past the last defender only for the England winger to lose his footing as he was about to enter the box – what a goal it would have been. With Hoffenheim giving the Blues acres of space, it looked just a matter of time before City levelled and the only surprise was that it took seven minutes. David Silva, given the sort of freedom he must only dream of, set Leroy Sane clear on the left and though his pass didn’t immediately find Aguero, the Argentine beat two defenders as he poked home the equaliser. Not long after, the majestic Silva played an inch-perfect pass into the path of Ster...

Hector Bellerin: «We must take the chains off and start talking» When Hector Bellerin saw Danny Rose recently open up about his battle with depression, he could only applaud the England international's honesty and bravery. Our right-back feels that footballers need to start speaking out more and push the issues that most affect them, and this is what he told Arsenal Media: on why more footballers don’t speak out… There’s all sorts of issues. I feel like the football industry is an industry where we have to be really quiet and play. I think the code around it is that footballers can’t really do anything else other than kick a ball. This is kind of the stereotype, so when there’s a footballer who’s stepping out of the box he’s always seen as someone that is not focused enough on football because he’s doing this, he’s doing that. As I always say, we have so much time and we’re humans so we have issues and worries. We should push these things. I think in America they’re more adv...

Bayern's next CL opponents Ajax

Bayern’s next CL opponents Ajax On Tuesday night, FC Bayern entertain Dutch league runners-up Ajax in the first home game of the new Champions League group stage. The two teams have faced each other eight times and the record to date could not be more evenly balanced with three wins each and two draws. The last game between the two teams was in the group stage in 2004. A 4-0 home win for Bayern was followed by a 2-2 draw in Amsterdam. fcbayern introduces the next opponents for FCB. History: Record champions, record cup winners, European Cup winners – Ajax have become the most successful club in the Netherlands both on the domestic and international stages since their foundation in 1883. With 33 league titles and 18 cup triumphs, Ajax are the undisputed number one ahead of great rivals PSV Eindhoven (24/9) and Feyenoord (15/13). However, the last top-flight title wins are quite a while ago. The previous number one finish in the Eredivisie was in 2014 (after a run of three title wins...

Real Madrid. Lopetegui: "I expect a match of the highest level where we'll have to really compete" "We're on the right line and we'll give our best against Atlético", added the coach. Julen Lopetegui appeared in the press room at Real Madrid City after the last training session ahead of the derby (Saturday, 8:45pm CEST). The Real Madrid coach spoke about the match against Atlético: "In a derby everything is important, it’s a match that has an emotional element and we have to go in to it prepared for everything. It's not just another game, it's a demanding game and the team will be ready". "I expect an even game, very demanding and tough. You have to compete, as well as playing well. My team is going to be ready for the kind of match we have tomorrow. We’re up against a good side, a team set up for big games that has great players. We expect that the game will be played at the highest level and we’ll be prepared to match those...