Roy Hodgson has praised the work of Crystal Palace sporting director Dougie Freedman in helping assemble the club’s sought-after young stars at Selhurst Park.
The club has seen the value of players bought for relatively modest sums rocket in recent seasons, with winger Michael Olise – an £8million buy from Reading two summers ago – the subject of an unsuccessful £35m bid from Chelsea this week.
Palace’s long stay in the Premier League has largely been built on shrewd work in the transfer market, plucking lesser-known young players from the Championship or overseas and giving them the chance to prove themselves in the top flight.
Michael Olise. Crystal Palace.
Four years
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC)
Eberechi Eze joined from Q…
Xabi Alonso believes Bayer Leverkusen passed their challenge to bounce back from defeat with flying colours after their 4-1 victory at Hoffenheim on Saturday.
Victor Boniface scored twice and set up Martin Terrier, with Florian Wirtz adding the other after Mergim Berisha had pulled one back for the hosts.
It was an important win for last season s domestic double-winners as they recovered from their loss to RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga before the international break.
It was an important test for us to not concede a second goal after going 2-0 up, said Alonso, whose team had taken a two-goal lead at home against Leipzig before eventually losing 3-2.
We reacted well and this time we controlled the game better and were more stable until the end. We know we …
Sven-Goran Eriksson feels England can win Euro 2012 and has also backed Harry Redknapp as the man to take over from manager Fabio Capello.
The Swede managed England for six years, taking them to the 2002 and 2006 editions of the World Cup as well as Euro 2004.
England were drawn in Group D for next year s finals with France, Sweden and the co-hosts Ukraine.
I think they have big possibilities of the semi-final or final. Why not win it? With a little bit of luck, not a lot of injuries and players not too tired, they have a chance, Eriksson told BBC Radio 5.
England face France in their first game and Eriksson believes that they will be the toughest test for Capello s men.
They (France) have changed everything since the last World Cup and things…
Mauricio Pochettino suffered his first defeat in charge of the United States, losing 2-0 away to Mexico in a friendly on Tuesday.
For Mexico, it was their third match without defeat or even conceding a goal as they celebrated the international swansong of veteran midfielder Andres Guardado in style.
Mexico opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, when Raul Jimenez whipped a powerful free-kick past Matt Turner from distance.
The in-form Fulham man hit his shot with the perfect amount of power and height to lift it up and over the wall and find the top corner.
Jimenez continued to threaten in the first half, with long-range shots and audacious flicks, but there was little else to get excited about in the opening period.
The home side doubled their lea…
Newcastle United CEO Darren Eales says the club will fight to keep Eddie Howe, amid speculation linking the Magpies boss with the England head coach vacancy.
Howe is among the frontrunners to replace Gareth Southgate, who announced on Tuesday he would step down as the Three Lions boss after their Euro 2024 final heartbreak against Spain.
The 47-year-old, who guided Bournemouth into the Premier League in 2015 and oversaw a five-year stay in the top flight, has also made great strides with Newcastle since replacing Steve Bruce in October 2021.
The Magpies were bottom of the Premier League when Howe took over the reins, but he guided them into the Champions League in his first full season, while they finished a respectable seventh last term.
Howe, who previo…
Jose Mourinho revealed he prayed and cried for Christian Eriksen after the Denmark star collapsed during Saturday s Euro 2020 clash against Finland.
Inter midfielder Eriksen suffered cardiac arrest when collapsing on the pitch before being resuscitated, Denmark s team doctor Morten Boesen said.
Eriksen was given CPR by medics in the first half of the Group B match after falling to the ground with no other player around him – the fixture was originally suspended, but the former Tottenham star was later confirmed to be awake and the game resumed a little under two hours later, with Finland winning 1-0 in Copenhagen.
Ex-Tottenham head coach Mourinho spent time with Eriksen prior to the Denmark international s move to Inter in 2020 and the Roma-bound boss said he w…
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Dinamo Batumi and Ludogorets Razgrad will lock horns with each other in the UEFA Champions League First Qualifying Round this week. The second leg of the tie between the Erovnuli Liga club and the First League team will be held at the Adjarabet Arena and is scheduled to kick off at 6 pm UK time on Wednesday. The first leg of the tie was held at the Huvepharma Arena in Razgrad last week. It ended in a 3-1 win for Ludogorets.
Dinamo Batumi
FC Dinamo Batumi are a club based in Batumi, the second-largest city in Georgia. They were founded back in 1923, but it is only in recent years that they have started to get some success. Dinamo won the Erovnuli Liga in 2021 and 2023.
Dinamo won the 20…
Iran coach Carlos Queiroz believes his team can qualify for the World Cup but reminded his players they need to stay focused.
Iran have not qualified for a World Cup since 2006 and the former Portugal and Real Madrid boss is well aware of the expectations that are on him and his players, but praised them for their continued development over the past two years.
He told Fifa.com: Pressure is just part of my life, and part of football. For me, it encourages you to obtain good results. It goes without saying that every Iranian dreams of experiencing the World Cup again.
It s been good. As far as our progress is concerned, we ve been improving steadily up to this point.
There are three matches left to play – we re going to have to hang in there right unti…
Euro 2024 action returned on Friday, as the first two teams booked their places in the semi-finals.
Spain scored a last-gasp goal to knock hosts Germany out of the tournament thanks to their 2-1 win. Meanwhile, France were perfect from the spot in their shootout win over Portugal after a 0-0 draw over 120 minutes.
Two more ties were on offer on Saturday as Switzerland and England face off before the Netherlands and Turkiye vie for the final spot.
But what about the action online?
Here is the best of the social media posts from Friday and Saturday at Euro 2024.
Saying goodbye to a legend
Germany suffered heartbreak as they became the first host nation to exit the tournament at the quarter-final stage of the tournament.
But their de…
After Cleveland Cavaliers shocked Golden State Warriors to claim their first ever NBA title last season, it is the Warriors who head into the new campaign as clear favourites, having added superstar Kevin Durant to their star-studded roster.
The Oracle Arena outfit are priced at 4/5 to go all the way, whereas you can get 20/23 odds on any other team beating them to the championship ring.
Cleveland Cavaliers (7/2) and San Antonio Spurs (8/1) are the only other sides tipped to make life difficult for Steph Curry and Co., but it remains to be seen whether Warriors will be able to live up to the billing.
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