#captain Stephan Lichtsteiner

[footballnewspapers]

Switzerland captain Stephan Lichtsteiner signs for Augsburg Augsburg have secured the services of Switzerland captain and former Juventus and Arsenal full-back Stephan Lichtsteiner on a one-year deal valid until the end of the current season.

[investmart007]

MOSCOW | The Latest: James Rodriguez could be fit to play England

New Post has been published on https://is.gd/63AyXm

MOSCOW | The Latest: James Rodriguez could be fit to play England

MOSCOW— The Latest on the World Cup (all times local): 6:20 p.m.

Switzerland doesn’t want to be caught napping early in its World Cup round-of-16 match against Sweden.

The Swiss have twice conceded the opening goal in Russia — first in their 1-1 draw with Brazil and again against Serbia — when Switzerland became the first team at this World Cup to win after going a goal down.

Coach Vladimir Petkovic says that “we have to be ready to play really from the get go in such a way to have the initiative on our side.” Switzerland takes on Sweden in St. Petersburg on Tuesday. The winner faces either England or Colombia in the quarterfinals.

The Swiss team is without the heart of its defense, with captain Stephan Lichtsteiner and Fabian Schaer suspended after picking up their second yellow cards of the tournament. ___ 6:15 p.m.

Colombia coach Jose Pekerman says James Rodriguez could be fit to play against England in the World Cup round of 16.

The Bayern Munich attacking midfielder was substituted with a calf muscle problem during Colombia’s 1-0 win over Senegal last week and has undergone medical scans which Pekerman says shows he “doesn’t have a serious injury.”

Pekerman says “we hope of course that he will be able to play” but he won’t guarantee Rodriguez will be in the starting lineup and “the team is quite stable” even without him.

If Rodriguez can’t play, Pekerman says Sevilla’s Luis Muriel will step in as he did against Senegal. ___ 6:10 p.m.

Neymar has scored in the 51st minute to give Brazil a 1-0 lead over Mexico in the World Cup round-of-16 game at Samara.

The Brazil forward slid toward goal and tapped in after Willian sprinted down the left and fired in a low cross.

The goal made Brazil the World Cup all-time scoring leader with 227 goals, surpassing Germany with 226.

Mexico made a change at halftime, replacing 39-year-old defender Rafael Marquez with Miguel Layun.

Marquez is playing in his fifth World Cup, and was the first player picked in a starting 11 at five World Cups. ___ 5: 45 p.m.

Mexico and Brazil are tied 0-0 at halftime in their World Cup round-of-16 match at Samara Stadium.

While Mexico controlled the possession early, Brazil appeared to have the best scoring chances.

Neymar’s right-foot shot was stopped by Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa only moments before the Brazil playmaker rolled a pass to Philippe Coutinho, who fired over the goal in the 26th minute.

The Mexicans were playing to reach the elusive fifth game at the World Cup, meaning the quarterfinals. El Tri has not been able to get past the round-of-16 for the last six tournaments.

Brazil is a five-time World Cup champion, the most recent in 2002. ___ 5:15 p.m.

Rafa Marquez has become first player to be included in the starting lineup at five World Cups. The veteran defender was used off the bench earlier in the tournament in Russia but started for Mexico in its round of 16 game against Brazil and FIFA noted his record at kickoff.

And, according to international analytics company Opta Sportsdata, Marquez (39 years, 139 days) is the oldest outfield player to start a World Cup knockout match since Stanley Matthews started for England against Uruguay in 1954 at the age 39 years, 145 days. Marquez made his World Cup debut in a 2-1 win over Croatia on June 3, 2002 in Niigata, Japan. ___ 5 p.m.

It’s a case of do or dye in Samara.

Brazil star Neymar’s blond highlights from the group stage are gone, and he’s back to his natural color for the round-of-16 match Monday against Mexico.

But his Mexico counterpart, Javier Hernandez — better known as Chicharito — has arrived in Samara Stadium as a bleached blond. Some opined on social media that Chicharito was trolling Neymar to try and get inside his head before the match. ___ 4:25 p.m.

The Croatia squad has wasted no time getting to the coast of the Black Sea to begin preparations for its quarterfinal match against Russia.

Just hours after edging Denmark in a penalty shootout, Croatia left behind Nizhny Novgorod and arrived in Sochi on Monday afternoon, well ahead of Saturday’s match against the tournament hosts. Croatia was scheduled to have a light practice Monday night. Several teams have come to Sochi early to prepare for the combination of heat and humidity. For Croatia it makes even more sense with its base camp for the tournament north of St. Petersburg.

Croatia is in the quarterfinals for the first time since 1998, when it placed third. ____ 4:10 p.m.

Tite has called in Filipe Luis to replace Marcelo for Brazil’s World Cup round of 16 game against Mexico.

Marcelo had back spasms in the opening minute of Brazil’s last group match against Serbia and didn’t recover in time to return to the starting lineup. Luis went on as a substitute at left-back against Serbia and retains that spot.

Mexico’s Hector Moreno was unavailable because of yellow card accumulation and has been replaced by Hugo Atala. Coach Juan Carlos Osorio also added 39-year-old defender Rafael Marquez to the starting lineup. Lineups:

Brazil: Alisson, Thiago Silva, Miranda, Casemiro, Gabriel Jesus, Neymar, Philippe Coutinho, Filipe Luis, Paulinho, Willian, Fagner. Mexico: Guillermo Ochoa, Carlos Salcedo, Carlos Vela, Javier Hernandez, Hector Herrera, Hugo Atala, Rafael Marquez, Andres Guadrado, Edson Alvarez, Hirving Lozano, Jesus Gallardo. ____ 3:20 p.m.

While Uruguay sweats on striker Edinson Cavani’s fitness ahead of the quarterfinal against France, Les Bleus must cope without influential midfielder Blaise Matuidi in Friday’s eagerly-awaited match.

The 31-year-old Matuidi, who has 70 international appearances, is suspended and assistant coach Guy Stephan acknowledges his experience and fighting spirit will be sorely missed against a rugged Uruguay side.

Stephan says “Blaise has the ability to hassle (opposition players), he always looks to stop the opponent, and he’s very good at defending but also at attacking.”

Looking ahead to the Uruguay game, Stephan anticipates “a huge battle” against Cavani’s in-form side.

Cavani scored twice in the 2-1 win over European champion Portugal in the round of 16, but limped off with a leg injury in the 70th minute. ____ 2:50 p.m.

On the eve of the biggest match of his international career, Sweden captain Andreas Granqvist could be forgiven for having one eye on what’s going on back home.

Granqvist’s second child is due on Tuesday — the same day that Sweden plays Switzerland in the last 16 of the World Cup. The center back has no plans yet to leave the team but hasn’t ruled out returning to Sweden if he needs to.

“My wife (Sophie) is doing great, no changes so far,” Granqvist said Monday. “We’ll have to wait and see what happens. I’m fully focused on the game tomorrow and my wife is very strong.”

When asked about the situation, Sweden coach Janne Andersson said “we will deal with that when we get there.” Switzerland forward Breel Embolo has returned to Russia after going home to attend the birth of his first child.

Denmark’s players paid for a private jet for teammate Jonas Knudsen so he could fly home from the World Cup to see his newborn daughter during the group stage, while England midfielder Fabian Delph is currently back home for the birth of his third child. ___ 2:20 p.m.

The Kremlin is comparing celebrations of Russia’s World Cup win over Spain to those for its victory over Nazi Germany.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov says, “what I’ve personally seen was in many ways probably comparable to the events of May 9, 1945,” when the Soviet Union marked the wartime victory.

Putin did not attend the game, but Peskov says he was supporting Russia from afar. The only game Putin has seen in person is Russia’s opening 5-0 win over Saudi Arabia, which he watched alongside the Saudi crown prince and FIFA president Gianni Infantino. ___ 1:25 p.m.

Denmark’s former goalkeeper, who’s also the father of the current goalie, is praising the team after it was eliminated from the World Cup in a penalty shootout.

Peter Schmeichel tweeted Monday that he “can’t be more proud of my country, my son, his teammates, all the staff and our fantastic national coach.”

He adds that the Danes “will realize how well we did” once “all the tears have dried out.”

His son Kasper Schmeichel saved a penalty late in extra time Sunday night against Croatia and stopped two more spot kicks during the decisive shootout. But Croatia goalkeeper Danijel Subasic saved three penalties to eliminate Denmark.

The 54-year-old Peter Schmeichel played for Manchester United and was in goal when Denmark beat the Netherlands in a penalty shootout in the semifinals of the 1992 European Championship. Denmark went on to win that title. ___ 1:15 p.m.

Denmark midfielder William Kvist says he is retiring from the national team.

Kvist punctured a lung and broke two ribs in the Danes’ World Cup-opening win against Peru. He was forced to go back to Denmark for treatment and tests but later returned to the team.

He played in 81 games for the national team, scoring two goals. He announced his decision on his Facebook page, writing, “thank you for many good years.”

Kvist formerly played for Fulham and Stuttgart and will continue his club career with Copenhagen. He told Denmark’s public broadcaster he had hoped to play in every game for the Danes in the World Cup, but “nevertheless, I still feel that I have won something by getting back to the team.”

Denmark was eliminated by Croatia in a penalty shootout on Sunday night. Another Denmark midfielder, Michael Krohn-Dehli, also announced after the game that it would be his last for the national team

By Associated Press

[andreabarzagli]

Happy birthday Juventus Stadium!

Over the 7 years at home, since the stadium was inaugurated in 2011:

184 matches

146 wins

30 draws

8 losses (3 last year, 5 over 6 years)

14 titles

First competitive match: vs. Parma

First Goal: Stephan Lichtsteiner

Most wins: Gigi Buffon

Most goals: Paulo Dybala

Most assists: Claudio Marchisio

Longest unbeaten streak: 57 matches (Aug 2015-Oct 2017)

First title: Serie A 2011/2012 trophy lifted by Captain Alessandro Del Piero

[footiecentral]

Lichtsteiner to leave Arsenal this summer https://footiecentral.com/lichtsteiner-to-leave-arsenal-this-summer/ Arsenal right-back Stephan Lichtsteiner has confirmed that he will be leaving the club in the summer, and is set to follow Petr Cech, Aaron Ramsey and Danny Welbeck out of the Emirates exit door. The Swiss captain was Unai Emery’s first signing as Arsenal boss last summer but after m...

[lysella]

The Swiss national team has to do without Captain Stephan Lichtsteiner and substitute goalkeeper Roman Bürki for the match against Qatar and Belgium. [...] Roman Bürki is out of action due to a thigh injury he contracted during the week in the European Cup. Bürki got hit in the Champions League match against Atletico Madrid and could not train in the last few days. He therefore missed the top match on Saturday in the Bundesliga against Bayern Munich.

SRF Sport

[pharah]

Posting this in honor of the fact that Switzerland won today!

And with Xherdan Shaqiri’s magnificent (and late) game winner, they have a good chance of making it out of the group stages now.

And yes, that is a custom made jersey I had made for Angela Ziegler. I wanted to give it to her in person in Atlanta, but a change of plans meant Lucie stayed in London instead of going to the ATL.

No worries though, as I got to meet Jen Cohn instead. And it was a wonderful experience.

The #2, in case you’re wondering, is for Stephan Lichtsteiner, the Swiss National Team captain, and the former Juventino. I’ve been watching him in Serie A for years, and I thought it was appropriate to have to have his jersey number here.

(Especially since, like Angela, Licht isn’t known for his offensive prowess. He’s mainly a right sided midfielder/wingback/fullback whose main task is to shut down the opposition, and to support the defenders while contributing to build up play.)

Anyways, congrats Switzerland. May we see you in the round of 16!

Hopp Schwiiz!

🇨🇭

[ladyarse]

Xhaka says 'sorry' and admits he'd be 'stupid' to react again

Xhaka says ‘sorry’ and admits he’d be ‘stupid’ to react again

Granit Xhaka has vowed to ‘never again’ celebrate for Switzerland using the Albanian eagle.

The player and his teammates set off one of many ‘dual nationality’ discussions that took over the summer when they celebrated a Swiss goal with an Albania celebration against Serbia at the World Cup in Russia.

Joined by Stephan Lichtsteiner, Switzerland’s captain, (although now one of five captains which…

[ticket4futball]

Premier League: Granit Xhaka deserves respect and is 100 percent professional claims former Gunner

Stephan Lichtsteiner comes out in support of Granit Xhaka and opines on what went wrong with Unai Emery. Lichtsteiner claims that Emery struggled with Arsenal’s big stars and insists that Xhaka deserves respect. Football fanatics from around the world can obtain Premier League Tickets online to enjoy its stunning performances.

Former Arsenal manager, Emery may have retained his job beyond last week if the Spaniard was able to deal with the big-name stars at Arsenal, according to Stephan Lichtsteiner. Emery was fired after a poor run of form, but he fell out with most of his players and some reports even claimed that he lost the dressing room before he was fired.

“I’d say he is a good trainer, a good coach, but maybe he struggled with the top players,” Lichtsteiner told

“With the big players, he hasn’t maybe the relationship to bring more out [of them] and get the top performances. Maybe that point I can say something negative, but the rest was almost everything positive.”

Stephan Lichtsteiner left Arsenal but still speaking for Xhaka:

The current Augsburg defender left the Emirates stadium after just a season but he was one of the most underperforming players during his stint at the Emirates. He also weighed in on Xhaka’s meltdown and is convinced that the former Arsenal captain deserves more respect.

“I understand both sides, you know? I understand the fans because there is an ambition and they want to win,” he said. “They are not happy, of course, but I understand Granit also because this [reaction] is just human. He deserves more respect because he gives everything for Arsenal. I see how he works; he is 100 percent professional.

“On the other side, the bigger the club is the bigger the pressure. As a football player, you need to manage that pressure because it’s part of the game.

“It’s normal in football, especially when you are at a big club, this pressure, so it’s completely human what has happened with Granit but I hope for him, and for Arsenal, that they are going to find a good solution. It’s important for the team and for him also.”

I am not sure that Lichtsteiner has the respect or gravitas for the Arsenal fans to listen to him. He was utterly dreadful in an Arsenal shirt and did not exactly put his body on the line. I also suspect that many will disagree with him about respecting Xhaka, not after he swore at the fans.

Football fans can get Arsenal Tickets through our trusted online ticketing marketplace. Ticket4football.com is the most reliable source to book Arsenal Football Tickets.

[en24news]

Granit Xhaka gives Stephan Lichtsteiner captaincy

Granit Xhaka gives Stephan Lichtsteiner captaincy

[ad_1]

BENJAMIN SOLAND

1.8

Nice gesture at the Nati game in Geneva against Ireland.

TOTO MARTI

2.8

In the run-up to the 1: 1 in Ireland there was irritation in September because of the bandage

keystone-sda.ch

3.8

The true captain is and remains Lichtsteiner.

TOTO MARTI

7.8

But he does not want to keep the bandage.

keystone-sda.ch

8.8

After…

[gadgetsrevv]

Euro 2020 qualifiers: 10 things to look out for | Football

1) All eyes on fans in Prague

In what looks certain to resemble the world’s most unedifying stag party, an estimated 6,000 England fans will descend on Prague to watch Gareth Southgate’s team take on the Czech Republic. Unsurprisingly designated as a “high risk” fixture, this Friday night game will attract no shortage of thirsty visitors to the Czech capital, hellbent on making a weekend of it in a city renowned for the cheapness of its beer and myriad other nocturnal delights. Scheduled to kick off at 8.45pm local time, when more patriotic fans will have had all day to occupy the city’s Old Town Square, get liquored up and perform their traditional repertoire of ditties, it is difficult to imagine the local constabulary will be kept idle following Uefa’s refusal to move the game to a more suitable day or time. While many England fans are perfectly well-behaved, anti-social behaviour of the kind seen in Amsterdam and Porto on recent excursions seems dismally inevitable. “You’re part of our team, make the country proud,” said Gareth Southgate, in the FA’s attempt to get in front of the problem by releasing a video entitled Don’t Be That Idiot. Somebody will almost certainly be that idiot and, if recent history tells us anything, they are unlikely to be alone. BG

• Czech Republic v England, 7.45pm Friday (all times BST)

The Fiver: sign up and get our daily football email.

2) Is Connolly the solution to Ireland’s scoring problems?

Mick McCarthy’s second coming as Republic of Ireland manager got going in earnest in March when his team played with impressive vibrancy at home to Georgia, though they only won 1-0. Goals, you see, remain extremely hard to come by for Ireland. But a solution may have emerged: Brighton’s Aaron Connolly, fresh from scoring twice against Spurs last weekend, could make his senior international debut in Tblisi on Saturday. If he shows the same sharpness that he did against Tottenham, then Ireland could take a big step towards Euro 2020 qualification, and young Connolly will be hearing more of that ‘new Robbie Keane’ talk. PD

• Georgia v Ireland, 2pm Saturday

3) Ramsey injury may force tactical change on Giggs

Anything less than a haul of four points from games at Slovakia and at home against Croatia over the coming days is likely to end any chance Wales have of qualifying for Euro 2020, although they could still be thrown a lifeline via the Nations League. Suffering from discomfort to his adductor, Aaron Ramsey, arguably a more important player for the Welsh than even Gareth Bale, is out of the Slovakia game. Ryan Giggs could be forced into a tactical change and the thinking by Danny Gabbidon and Iwan Roberts on Elis James’s Feast Of Football podcast was that Giggs needs to avoid playing the brand of expansive football he prefers in charge of making his team more difficult to beat. With this in mind, playing five at the back with two midfielders sitting directly in front of them was mooted as a potential solution. Whatever Giggs decides, a very talented generation of Welsh players is in danger of being wasted and the results of the next two games could have a major say in the future of a young manager who has been far from convincing during his tenure so far. BG

• Slovakia v Wales, 7.45pm Thursday

Gareth Bale at Wales training in Cardiff, in the runup to the match in Slovakia. Photograph: Athena Pictures/Getty Images

4) Endangered Iceland should fear Ben Yedder

Darlings of the last European Championship, Iceland need to pull out some big results if they are to reach Euro 2020. They are third in Group H, behind an exciting young Turkey team and France, who thrashed them 4-0 earlier in the group. On Friday they host Les Bleus, who will be without the injured Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappé but still have no shortage of options. Didier Deschamps could, for instance, use Mbappé’s absence to give Wissam Ben Yedder his most meaningful cap to date. The striker, who joined Monaco in the summer and has been as prolific there as he was at all his previous clubs, has had to wait a long time for international recognition but, at 29, he is still young enough and good enough to make an impact. He would boost his chances of appearing in an international tournament if he helps France beat Iceland on Friday and Turkey three days later. PD

• Iceland v France, 7.45pm Friday

5) Another toothless performance from Scotland?

While Scotland’s rugby players scored 61 without reply against Russia at the Rugby World Cup, their footballing counterparts would gladly settle for victory by a far slimmer margin when they are entertained in Moscow on Thursday. Scotland trail Russia, who are second in Group I behind Belgium, by nine points with four games remaining and their hopes of qualifying via any other route than the play-off place they earned through the Nations League have evaporated. In Ryan Fraser, John McGinn, Andy Robertson, Scott McTominay and John Fleck Scotland have decent players, but their inability to score goals remains aconcern. The six forward players picked by Steve Clarke squad have just eight international goals between them and urgently need to improve that tally ahead of those play-offs so many Scottish hopes are pinned on. BG

• Russia v Scotland, 7.45pm Thursday

John McGinn holds off Ryan Fraser during Scotland training before the match in Russia. Photograph: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

6) O’Neill’s rock-hard run-in starts in Netherlands

Second behind Germany in a group that also contains the Netherlands, Northern Ireland’s remaining fixtures in Group C could scarcely be more difficult. Following their trip to Amsterdam they travel to the Czech Republic for a friendly, before completing their qualifiers against the Dutch at home and Germany away in November. Michael O’Neill will have to make do without Norwich left-back Jamal Lewis, who has pulled out with a knee injury, but the manager remains upbeat about his team’s chances of doing enough in successive qualifiers against the Netherlands to not have to concern himself with a potential route to the finals through the Nations League play-offs. “We are in a double-header with Holland and I believe if we get four points we will qualify,” he said. Having made his first international start in defeat against Germany last time out, Linfield striker Shayne Lavery could be the manplaying up front faced with a defence marshalled by Virgil van Dijk, as O’Neill has hinted the 20-year-old’s pace and intelligence could be a key weapon in a battle against one of the world’s best defenders. BG

• Netherlands v Northern Ireland, 7.45pm Thursday

7) Switzerland need to find the right side of late dramas

Switzerland could have already secured their qualification for Euro 2020, instead they are set for a tense finale in Group D: and they have not coped well with tense finales so far. In their first match, at home to Denmark, they blew a three-goal lead in the last six minutes; and in their last outing, in the Republic of Ireland, they looked comfortable before conceding an 85th-minute equaliser and hanging on for a point. They face those two countries again in the next few days, starting with a trip to Copenhagen on Saturday. Xherdan Shaqiri has chosen to remain in international exile but manager Vladimir Petkovic has recalled Stephan Lichtsteiner after omitting him for the trip to Dublin. Apparently he values the 35-year-old’s experience. “He is still our captain and leader,” said Petkovic of the Augsburg defender, without saying whether Lichtsteiner will actually play. PD

• Denmark v Switzerland, 5pm Saturday

8) Crunch time for Finland to break drought

Finland have never qualified for a major tournament. It’s somewhat of an annoyance for a nation of over five million people who gave football the supremely talented Jari Litmanen. Even tiny Iceland have beaten them to the punch. But having assumed a strong position in Group J – they’re second behind Italy – they will never have a better chance of enjoying a summer party themselves. Markku Kanerva’s side have won four and lost two (both to Italy) but now it’s crunch time. They face Bosnia-Herzegovina and Armenia next, the two teams directly below them. They travel to the Bilino Polje Stadium in Bosnia-Herzegovina on Saturday. With Norwich’s in-form Teemu Pukki leading the line, Kanerva’s compact system is well set up to pick off their inconsistent opponents on the break. Finland have not conceded a goal against any team except Italy and Pukki has been just as lethal in qualifying as he has in the Premier League, scoring five in his last six. If he can continue his hot streak over the next few days, Finland’s long wait for some summer fun could soon be over. GB

• Bosnia-Herzegovina v Finland, 5pm Saturday

Finland’s Teemu Pukki has scored five times in his last six matches. Photograph: Markku Ulander/AFP/Getty Images

9) Can Hungary capitalise against inconsistent Croatia?

Going into their game against Slovakia last time out, Hungary were pretty much two wins from Euro 2020. Now, after a 2-1 loss, qualification from Group E looks unlikely. Hungary did beat a sluggish Croatia in Budapest in their previous group encounter, and looked impressive in doing so. But with Hungary distinctly lacking in individual quality, it’s the sum of their parts that makes this Hungarian apparatus tick. And when two or three of those parts falter, the whole machine malfunctions, as evidenced against Slovakia. Things don’t look like changing in Croatia either, with very few of Hungary’s key men finding any kind of form at club level this season. Yet Hungary are an odd side full of players unheard of in western Europe, but who are prone to big performances in big games. Croatia are massive favourites, but Hungary have refound a quality of turning up when it matters most under Italian coach Marco Rossi. And with Croatia looking decidedly inconsistent since the World Cup, maybe this isn’t as improbable as first thought. TM

• Croatia v Hungary, 7.45pm Thursday

10) Andorra aim to – finally – end long losing streak

Andorra have played 55 European Championship qualifiers and lost 55 European Championship qualifiers. It’s not pretty but maybe, just maybe, the tiny principality (population 76,965) could end that ugly losing streak against Moldova at home. Their visitors are the one nation that have a worse defensive record than them, having shipped 17 goals in six Group H qualifiers to Andorra’s 14. Moldova have managed to win once, 1-0 at home against Andorra, but if ever there was a chance for Koldo Álvarez to take a point – or even three – in a Euro qualifier, it is at the Estadi Nacional on Friday night. It would help if they could score a goal, mind. They haven’t managed that in six Euro 2020 qualifiers but even a 0-0 draw would be enough to make history. GB

• Andorra v Moldova, 7.45pm Friday

Source link . More news

via wordpress https://ift.tt/2VsNyLz

[thisdaynews]

Premier League 2019-20 season: Club-by-club guide

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/premier-league-2019-20-season-club-by-club-guide/

Premier League 2019-20 season: Club-by-club guide

Champions Manchester City finished one point ahead of Liverpool in last season’s table

Club record signings, a number of managerial changes and the introduction of video assistant referees (VAR) – the new Premier League season is almost upon us.

Will Manchester City become the first team since Manchester United in 2009 to win the title three years in a row?

Will European champions Liverpool be crowned champions of England for the first time since 1990 after going so close last season?

Chelsea have a new manager – as well as a transfer ban – while newly promoted Norwich City, Sheffield United and Aston Villa are looking to establish themselves.

Here, BBC Sport assesses each side’s preparations…

Arsenal

2018-19 Premier League finish:5th

FA Cup:Fourth round

Carabao Cup:Quarter-finals

Europa League:Runners-up

Players in:Gabriel Martinelli (Ituano, undisclosed), Dani Ceballos (Real Madrid, loan), William Saliba (Saint-Etienne, £27m*).

Players out:David Ospina (Napoli, £3.1m*), Aaron Ramsey (Juventus, free), Petr Cech (retired), Danny Welbeck (released), Stephan Lichtsteiner (released), Charlie Gilmour (Norwich, free), Julio Pleguezuelo (FC Twente, free), Jordi Osei-Tutu (Bochum, loan), Daniel Ballard (Swindon, loan), Vontae Daley-Campbell (Leicester, undisclosed), Ben Sheaf (Doncaster, loan), Cohen Bramall (released), Xavier Amaechi (Hamburg, £2.25m*).

*Reported cost of player. Officially undisclosed fee.

Summer so far:

Captain Laurent Koscielny refuses to travel on club’s pre-season tour of the United States.

Gunners close in on £72m Pepe deal.

Sixteen prominent supporters’ groups and bloggers sign a letter calling on owner Stan Kroenke to “reinvigorate” the club.

Key fixtures:

Liverpool (away), Tottenham (home) and Manchester United (away) in opening seven games.

North London derbies against Tottenham are: home on 1 September (16:30 BST); away on 25 April (15:00).

Media playback is not supported on this device

Arsenal still a big name in the football world – Emery

Aston Villa

2018-19 finish:5th in Championship – promoted via the play-offs

FA Cup:Third round

Carabao Cup:Second round

Players in:Wesley (Club Bruges, £22m*), Tyrone Mings (Bournemouth, £20m), Matt Targett (Southampton, £15m*), Ezri Konsa (Brentford, £12m*), Bjorn Engels (Stade Reims, £9m*), Trezeguet (Kasimpasa, £8.75m), Anwar El Ghazi (Lille, £8m*), Jota (Birmingham City, £4m*), Kortney Hause (Wolves, £3m*), Douglas Luiz (Manchester City, £15m*).

Players out:Gary Gardner (Birmingham, undisclosed), Tommy Elphick (Huddersfield, free), Matija Sarkic (Livingston, loan), Albert Adomah (Nottingham Forest, released), Mark Bunn (released), Ritchie de Laet (released), Alan Hutton (released), Mile Jedinak (released), Ross McCormack (released), Micah Richards (released), Glenn Whelan (released).

*Reported cost of player. Officially undisclosed fee.

Summer so far:

Villa mark their Premier League return by spending £100m-plus on new players.

New signings include Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz from Manchester City for £15m.

Boss Dean Smith promises his side will still play with a winning mentality in the top flight.

Key fixtures:

Seven games in December including Manchester United (away) and Chelsea (away).

Start and finish the season in London – Tottenham on 10 August (17:30) and West Ham on 17 May.

Media playback is not supported on this device

John Terry will make top manager – Aston Villa’s Smith

Bournemouth

2018-19 Premier League finish:14th

FA Cup:Third round

Carabao Cup:Quarter-finals

Players in:Lloyd Kelly (Bristol City, £13m), Jack Stacey (Luton Town, £4m), Philip Billing (Huddersfield, £15m*)

Players out:Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa, £20m), Lys Mousset (Sheffield United, £10m), Connor Mahoney (Millwall, undisclosed), Marc Pugh (released), Mikael Ndjoli (Gillingham, loan), Emerson Hyndman (Atlanta United, loan).

*Reported cost of player. Officially undisclosed fee.

Summer so far:

England striker Callum Wilson signs new four-year contract.

England Under-21 defender Lloyd Kelly joins from Bristol City for £13m.

Midfielder Dan Gosling out for about three months after surgery.

Key fixtures:

Tough December including games against Liverpool (home), Chelsea (away) and Arsenal (home).

Host newly promoted Sheffield United on the opening Saturday (15:00).

Dan Gosling joined Bournemouth in 2014 from Newcastle

Brighton

2018-19 Premier League finish:17th

FA Cup:Semi-finals

Carabao Cup:Second round

Players in:Leandro Trossard (Genk, £18m*), Matt Clarke (Portsmouth, £5m*), Taylor Richards (Man City, £2.5m*), Lewis Freestone (unattached, free).

Players out:Bruno (retired), Ales Mateju (Brescia, undisclosed), Will Collar (Hamilton, undisclosed), Anthony Knockaert (Fulham, loan), Alexis MacAllister (Boca Juniors, loan), Ben White (Leeds United, loan), Leo Ostigard (St Pauli, loan), Christian Walton (Blackburn, loan), Jayson Molumby (Millwall, loan), Robert Sanchez (Rochdale, loan), Jan Mlakar (QPR, loan), Viktor Gyokeres (St Pauli, loan), Percy Tau (Club Brugge, loan).

*Reported cost of player. Officially undisclosed fee.

Summer so far:

Boss Chris Hughton is sacked and replaced by ex-Swansea City manager Graham Potter.

Midfielder Leandro Trossard joins from Genk for a reported £18m.

Winger Anthony Knockaert, who played 30 league games in 2018-19, joins Fulham on loan.

Key fixtures:

New boss Graham Potter’s first game in charge is at Watford on 10 August (15:00).

April includes home games against Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City.

Burnley

2018-19 Premier League finish:15th

FA Cup:Fourth round

Carabao Cup:Third round

Europa League:Play-off round

Players in:Jay Rodriguez (West Brom, £10m*), Erik Pieters (Stoke City, £3m*), Joel Senior (Curzon Ashton, undisclosed), Ryan Cooney (Bury, undisclosed).

Players out:Peter Crouch (retired), Jon Walters (retired), Stephen Ward (Stoke, free), Anders Lindegaard (Helsingborg, free), Mark Howarth (released).

*Reported cost of player. Officially undisclosed fee.

Summer so far:

Striker Peter Crouch announces his retirement aged 38.

Striker Jay Rodriguez returns to his hometown club in a £10m deal.

Boss Sean Dyche says he is working with a stronger squadthan last season.

Key fixtures:

Start and end the season at Turf Moor against Southampton and Brighton respectively.

Away to Chelsea and Manchester United in January.

Jay Rodriguez scored 31 league goals for Burnley before leaving for Southampton in 2012

Chelsea

2018-19 Premier League finish:3rd

FA Cup:Fifth round

Carabao Cup:Runners-up

Europa League:Winners

Players in:Mateo Kovacic (Real Madrid, £40m*).

Players out:Eden Hazard (Real Madrid, £88m*), Alvaro Morata (Atletico Madrid, £58m*), Ola Aina (Torino, £8.9m*), Tomas Kalas (Bristol City, £8m*), Jay Dasilva (Bristol City, £2m*), Gary Cahill (released), Fankaty Dabo (Coventry City, free), Rob Green (retired), Todd Kane (released), Nathan Baxter (Ross County, loan), Richard Nartey (Burton Albion, loan), Eduardo (released), Kyle Scott (released), Mario Pasalic (Atalanta, loan), Charly Musonda (Vitesse Arnhem, loan), Nathan (Atletico Mineiro, loan), Daishawn Redan (Hertha Berlin, loan), Ethan Ampadu (RB Leipzig, loan), Jake Clarke-Salter (Birmingham, loan), Matt Miazga (Reading, loan), Lewis Baker (Fortuna Dusseldorf, loan).

*Reported cost of player. Officially undisclosed fee.

Summer so far:

Boss Maurizio Sarri leaves to take over at Italian champions Juventus.

Blues appoint former midfielder Frank Lampard as their new boss.

Club take their appeal against a two-window transfer ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Key fixtures:

Lampard’s first match in charge is away to Manchester United on 11 August (16:30).

Face Arsenal away on 28 December before entertaining the Gunners on Wednesday, 22 January.

Media playback is not supported on this device

Chelsea need to be ‘competitive straight away’ – Giroud

Crystal Palace

2018-19 Premier League finish:12th

FA Cup:Quarter-finals

Carabao Cup:Fourth round

Players in:Stephen Henderson (free), Jordan Ayew (Swansea, £2.5m*).

Players out:Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Manchester United, £50m), Jason Puncheon (released), Julian Speroni (released), Bakary Sako (released), Levi Lumeka (Varzim, undisclosed), Ollie O’Dwyer (Aldershot, free), Joseph Hungbo (released), Tyler Brown (released).

*Reported cost of player. Officially undisclosed fee.

Summer so far:

Palace incensed by Arsenal’s approach to sign Ivory Coast winger Wilfried Zaha.

Everton make reported £52m offer for Zaha.

England Under-21 right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka joins Manchester United in a £50m deal.

Key fixtures:

Start at home to Everton – who are interested in signing Zaha.

Two of the final three games are at home to Manchester United and Tottenham.

Wilfried Zaha scored 10 Premier League goals for Crystal Palace in 2018-19

Everton

2018-19 Premier League finish:8th

FA Cup:Fourth round

Carabao Cup:Third round

Players in:Andre Gomes (Barcelona, £22m), Fabian Delph (Man City, £8.5m*), Jonas Lossl (Huddersfield Town, free).

Players out:Nikola Vlasic (CSKA Moscow, £14m), Ademola Lookman (RB Leipzig, £22.5m*), Idrissa Gueye (Paris Saint-Germain, £30m*), Phil Jagielka (Sheffield Utd, free), Brendan Galloway (Luton Town, free), Antonee Robinson (Wigan, undisclosed), Jonjoe Kenny (Schalke, loan), Sandro Ramirez (Real Valladolid, loan), Korede Adedoyin (Hamilton, loan), Kieran Dowell (Derby, loan), Joao Virginia (Reading, loan), Luke Garbutt (Ipswich, loan), Josh Bowler (Hull, loan), Ashley Williams (released), Harry Charsley (released), Boris Mathis (released), Mateusz Hewelt (released), Shayne Lavery (released), Jack Kiersey (released), Danny Bramall (released), Joe Hilton (released), Chris Renshaw (released).

*Reported cost of player. Officially undisclosed fee.

Summer so far:

Toffees release designs for new £500m ground.

Club confirm bid – reported to be £52m – for Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha.

Midfielder Fabian Delph signs from Manchester City for a fee of up to £10m.

Key fixtures:

Away to Liverpool on Wednesday, 4 December before hosting the Merseyside derby on 14 March.

December includes Liverpool (away), Chelsea (home), Manchester United (away) and Arsenal (home).

Media playback is not supported on this device

Designs for Everton’s new £500m stadium on Liverpool’s waterfront are revealed

Leicester City

2018-19 Premier League finish:9th

FA Cup:Third round

Carabao Cup:Quarter-finals

Players in:Youri Tielemans (Monaco, £40m*), Ayoze Perez (Newcastle United, £30m), James Justin (Luton Town, undisclosed), Vontae Daley-Campbell (Arsenal, undisclosed), George Hirst (OH Leuvens, undisclosed), Ali Reghba (Bohemians, undisclosed), Mitchell Clark (Aston Villa, free).

Players out:Shinji Okazaki (Malaga), Danny Simpson (released) Daniel Iversen (Rotherham United, loan).

*Reported cost of player. Officially undisclosed fee.

Summer so far:

Defender Harry Maguire is subject of a £70m offer from Manchester United.

Belgium midfielder Youri Tielemans signs from Monaco for a reported club record £40m.

Striker Ayoze Perez signs from Newcastle United for £30m.

Key fixtures:

Last two games of the season are at Tottenham on 9 May and at home to Manchester United on 17 May.

Host Champions League winners Liverpool on 26 December.

Youri Tielemans scored three Premier League goal on loan at Leicester in the second half of 2018-19

Liverpool

2018-19 Premier League finish:2nd

FA Cup:Third round

Carabao Cup:Third round

Champions League:Winners

Players in:Sepp van den Berg (PEC Zwolle, £1.3m), Harvey Elliott (Fulham, undisclosed).

Players out:Danny Ings (Southampton, £20m), Alberto Moreno (Villarreal, free), Rafael Camacho (Sporting Lisbon, £5m), Sheyi Ojo (Rangers, loan), Marko Grujic (Hertha BSC, loan), Allan Rodrigues de Souza (Fluminense, loan), Kamil Grabara (Huddersfield Town loan), Daniel Sturridge (released), Connor Randall (released), Adam Bogdan (released).

*Reported cost of player. Officially undisclosed fee.

Summer so far:

Boss Jurgen Klopp plays down poor pre-season results.

Reds sign 16-year-old Harvey Elliott from Fulham.

Defender Nathaniel Clyne out for about six months after suffering knee ligament damage.

Key fixtures:

Host champions Manchester City on 9 November and visit Etihad Stadium on 4 April.

Entertain Tottenham on 26 October – the first meeting between the two clubs since the Champions League final.

Media playback is not supported on this device

Incredible scenes at Liverpool Champions League victory parade

Manchester City

2018-19 Premier League finish:1st

FA Cup:Winners

Carabao Cup:Winners

Champions League:Quarter-finals

Players in:Rodri (Atletico Madrid, £62.8m), Angelino (PSV Eindhoven, £5.3m), Zack Steffan (Columbus Crew, £7.2m).

Players out:Fabian Delph (Everton, £8.5m*), Taylor Richards (Brighton, £2.5m*), Vincent Kompany (Anderlecht, free), Patrick Roberts (Norwich City, loan), Jack Harrison (Leeds United, loan), Aro Muric (Nottingham Forest, loan), Zack Steffen (Fortuna Dusseldorf, loan), Philippe Sandler (Anderlecht, loan), Tom Dele-Bashiru (released), Aaron Nemane (released), Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa, £15m*), Yangel Herrera (Granada, loan).

*Reported cost of player. Officially undisclosed fee.

Summer so far:

Spain midfielder Rodri joins from Atletico Madrid for a club record £62.8m.

Pep Guardiola hopes winger Leroy Sane stays at the club amid interest from Bayern Munich.

Former Bayern and Barcelona boss Guardiola describes midfielder Phil Foden as the “most talented player” he has seen.

Key fixtures:

Launch the defence of their Premier League title at West Ham on 10 August (12:30).

Host Manchester United on 7 December and visit Old Trafford on 7 March.

Media playback is not supported on this device

‘Foden most talented player I have ever seen’ – Guardiola

Manchester United

2018-19 Premier League finish:6th

FA Cup:Quarter-finals

Carabao Cup:Third round

Champions League:Quarter-finals

Players in:Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Crystal Palace, £50m*), Daniel James (Swansea City, £15m).

Players out:Ander Herrera (Paris St-Germain, free), Kieran O’Hara (Burton Albion, loan), Antonio Valencia (released), Matthew Olosunde (released), James Wilson (released), Regan Poole (released), Dean Henderson (Sheffield United, loan).

*Reported cost of player. Officially undisclosed fee.

Summer so far:

Forward Romelu Lukaku left out of friendly amid Inter Milan interest.

United make £70m offer for Leicester City defender Harry Maguire.

Crystal Palace defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka joins in £50m deal.

Key fixtures:

Host rivals Liverpool on 19 October and visit Anfield on 18 January.

Manchester derby dates: away v City (7 December), home (7 March).

Media playback is not supported on this device

‘I love that challenge’ – Solskjaer

Newcastle United

2018-19 Premier League finish:13th

FA Cup:Fourth round

Carabao Cup:Second round

Players in:Joelinton (Hoffenheim, £40m), Kyle Scott (unattached, free), Jake Turner (Bolton Wanderers, undisclosed).

Players out:Ayoze Perez (Leicester City, £30m), Joselu (Alaves, undisclosed), Dan Barlaser (Rotherham United, loan), Liam Gibson (Grimsby Town, loan), Mohamed Diame (released), Cal Roberts (released), Josef Yarney (released), Tyrique Bartlett (released).

*Reported cost of player. Officially undisclosed fee.

Summer so far:

Manager Rafael Benitez leaves saying the club do not share his vision.

Steve Bruce is appointed new head coach on a three-year contract.

Magpies sign striker Joelinton from Hoffenheim for a club record £40m fee.

Key fixtures:

Bruce’s first league match in charge is at home to Arsenal on 11 August (14:00).

Host Liverpool on the final day of the season on 17 May.

Media playback is not supported on this device

‘Whoever was going to sit in this seat was going to find it difficult’ – Steve Bruce

Norwich City

2018-19 finish:1st in Championship – promoted as champions

FA Cup:Third round

Carabao Cup:Fourth round

Players in:Sam Byram (West Ham, £750,000), Aidan Fitzpatrick (Partick Thistle, £350,000*), Daniel Adshead (Rochdale, £300,000*), Rocky Bushiri (KV Oostende, £100,000), Archie Mair (Aberdeen, undisclosed), Rob Nizet (Anderlecht, undisclosed), Josip Drmic (Borussia Monchengladbach, free), Charlie Gilmour (Arsenal, free), Patrick Roberts (Man City, loan), Ralf Fahrmann (Schalke, loan), Reece McAlear (Motherwell, undisclosed).

Players out:Marcel Franke (Hannover 96, undisclosed), Nelson Oliveira (AEK Athens, free*), Carlton Morris (Rotherham United, loan), Mason Bloomfield (Crawley Town, loan), Ciaren Jones (Eastbourne Borough, loan), Josh Coley (Dunfermline Athletic, loan), Sean Raggett (Portsmouth, loan), Savvas Mourgos (Dordrecht, loan), James Husband (Blackpool, loan), Ben Marshall (released).

*Reported cost of player. Officially undisclosed fee.

Summer so far:

Right-back Sam Byram arrives from West Ham for £750,000.

Goalkeeper Ralf Fahrmann joins on a season-long loan deal from German club Schalke.

Switzerland striker Josip Drmic signs on a three-year contract.

Key fixtures:

Mark their return to the Premier League with a match at Liverpool on 9 August (20:00).

Last match of the season is at defending champions Manchester City on 17 May.

Media playback is not supported on this device

Norwich City held a celebration open-top bus parade

Sheffield United

2018-19 finish:2nd in Championship – promoted

FA Cup:Third round

Carabao Cup:First round

Players in:Lys Mousset (Bournemouth, £10m), Callum Robinson (Preston, £6m*), Luke Freeman (QPR, £5m*), Phil Jagielka (Everton, free), Ravel Morrison (unattached, free), Ben Osborn (Nottingham Forest, undisclosed), Dean Henderson (Manchester United, loan).

Players out:Paul Coutts (released), Martin Cranie (released), Conor Washington (released), Daniel Lafferty (released), Caolan Lavery (released) Nathan Thomas (Gillingham, loan), Rhys Norrington-Davies (Rochdale, loan), Jake Eastwood (Scunthorpe, loan), Oliver Greaves (Barrow, loan), Tyler Smith (Bristol Rovers, loan), Nathan Thomas (Carlisle, loan), Regan Slater (Scunthorpe, loan).

*Reported cost of player. Officially undisclosed fee.

Summer so far:

The owners of firms running the Blades embroiled in a High Court battle.

Manchester United keeper Dean Henderson rejoins on a season-long loan.

Boss Chris Wilder signs new three-year contract.

Key fixtures:

January includes Liverpool (away), Arsenal (away) and Manchester City (home).

Mark their return to the Premier League at Bournemouth on 10 August (15:00).

Media playback is not supported on this device

‘He would disappear for a week and come back like nothing had happened’

Southampton

2018-19 finish:16th

FA Cup:Third round

Carabao Cup:Fourth round

Players in:Danny Ings (Liverpool, £20m), Che Adams (Birmingham City, £15m), Moussa Djenepo (Standard Liege, £14m*).

Players out:Matt Targett (Aston Villa, £11.5m*), Jordy Clasie (AZ Alkmaar, undisclosed), Steven Davis (Rangers, free), Alfie Jones (Gillingham, loan), Jack Rose (Walsall, loan), Kingsley Latham (Havant and Waterlooville, loan), Alex Cull (Totton, loan), Harry Hamblin (Bath City, loan).

*Reported cost of player. Officially undisclosed fee.

Summer so far:

Striker Danny Ings completes £20m move from Liverpool.

Mali winger Moussa Djenepo joins from Standard Liege.

Forward Che Adams signs from Birmingham for a reported £15m.

Key fixtures:

Entertain Liverpool and Manchester United in their first two home games.

Away to Chelsea on 26 December and entertain Tottenham on New Year’s Day.

Danny Ings scored seven goals in 24 Premier League games on loan at Southampton last season

Tottenham

2018-19 finish:4th

FA Cup:Fourth round

Carabao Cup:Semi-finals

Champions League:Runners-up

Players in:Tanguy Ndombele (Lyon, £53.8m), Jack Clarke (Leeds, £8.5m*), Kion Etete (Notts County, £200,000*).

Players out:Kieran Trippier (Atletico Madrid, £20m), Vincent Janssen (Monterrey, £6.3m*), Jack Clarke (Leeds, loan), Luke Amos (QPR, loan), Michel Vorm (released), Dylan Duncan (released), Charlie Freeman (released), Tom Glover (released), Connor Ogilvie (released), Jamie Reynolds (released).

*Reported cost of player. Officially undisclosed fee.

Summer so far:

Boss Mauricio Pochettino says he is “not in charge” of transfers and believes his job title should be changed from manager to coach.

France midfielder Tanguy Ndombele joins from Ligue 1 Lyon for a club record £53.8m.

Harry Kane scores from halfway line against Juventus.

Key fixtures:

North London derbies against Arsenal are: away on 1 September (16:30 BST); home on 25 April (15:00).

Meet Liverpool for the first time since the Champions League final on 26 October at Anfield.

Media playback is not supported on this device

I’m not a person who avoids difficult situations – Pochettino

Watford

2018-19 finish:11th

FA Cup:Runners-up

Carabao Cup:Third round

Players in:Craig Dawson (West Brom, £5.5m*), Bayli Spencer-Adams (Arsenal, free), Tom Dele-Bashiru (Man City, free).

Players out:Obbi Oulare (Standard Liege, undisclosed), Jerome Sinclair (Venlo, loan), Marc Navarro (Leganes, loan), Ben Wilmot (Swansea, loan), Michael Folivi (Wimbledon, loan), Alex Jakubiak (Gillingham, loan), Miguel Britos (released), Tommie Hoban (released).

*Reported cost of player. Officially undisclosed fee.

Summer so far:

Defender Craig Dawson joins from West Brom.

Goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes, 38, signs a new one-year contract.

Striker Obbi Oulare signs for Standard Liege.

Key fixtures:

Away at Arsenal on the final day of the season.

Two of their three games in September are: Arsenal (home) and Manchester City away).

Media playback is not supported on this device

The story of Javi Gracia

West Ham

2018-19 finish:10th

FA Cup:Fourth round

Carabao Cup:Fourth round

Players in:Sebastien Haller (Eintracht Frankfurt, £45m*), Pablo Fornals (Villarreal, £24m*), Roberto (Espanyol, free), David Martin (Millwall, free).

Players out:Marko Arnautovic (Shanghai SIPG, £22.4m), Lucas Perez (Alaves, £2.21m*), Pedro Obiang (Sassuolo, £8m), Sam Byram (Norwich City, £750,000), Edimilson Fernandes (Mainz, undisclosed), Marcus Browne (Middlesbrough, undisclosed), Josh Pask (Coventry City, free), Jordan Hugill (QPR, loan), Adrian (released), Andy Carroll (released), Samir Nasri (released), Toni Martinez (released), Moses Makasi (released), Noha Sylvestre (released), Vashon Neufville (released), Nathan Trott (Wimbledon, loan), Martin Samuelsen (FK Haugesund, loan).

*Reported cost of player. Officially undisclosed fee.

Summer so far:

Hammers sign striker Sebastien Haller in a club record deal worth up to £45m.

Forward Marko Arnautovic completes move to Chinese side Shanghai SIPG for £22.4m.

Midfielder Robert Snodgrass signs a new one-year extension.

Key fixtures:

Host champions Manchester City on opening Saturday of the season (12:30).

Face Chelsea away on 30 November before entertaining the Blues on 4 April.

Sebastien Haller scored 20 goals in the Bundesliga and Europa League for Eintracht Frankfurt last season

Wolves

2018-19 finish:7th

FA Cup:Semi-finals

Carabao Cup:Third round

Players in:Raul Jimenez (Benfica, £30m), Patrick Cutrone (AC Milan, £16m), Leander Dendoncker (Anderlecht, £12m*), Hong (Yeovil Town, undisclosed), Raphael Nya (Paris St-Germain, undisclosed), Tsun Dai (Oxford United, undisclosed), Jesus Vallejo (Real Madrid, loan), Patrick Cutrone (AC Milan, £16m).

Players out:Kortney Hause (Aston Villa, £3m*), Ethan Ebanks-Landell (Shrewsbury, undisclosed), Pedro Goncalves (FC Famalicao, undisclosed), Joao Dias (FC Famalicao, undisclosed), Ryan Leak (Burgos, undisclosed), Helder Costa (Leeds, loan), Christian Herc (Viktoria Plzen, loan), Ryan Giles (Shrewsbury, loan), Ivan Cavaleiro (Fulham, loan), Rafa Mir (Nottingham Forest, loan), Michal Zyro (released), Carlos Heredia (released), Ben Goodliffe (released), Aaron Hayden (released), Diego Lattie (released) Enzo Sauvage (released).

*Reported cost of player. Officially undisclosed fee.

Summer so far:

Spanish centre-back Jesus Vallejo joins on a season-long loan from Real Madrid.

AC Milan striker Patrick Cutronejoins for £16m.

Defender Kortney Hause moves to rivals Aston Villa for a reported £3m.

Key fixtures:

Face Tottenham (home), Manchester City (home) and Liverpool (away) in December.

End the season at Chelsea on 17 May.

Patrick Cutrone made his AC Milan debut at the age of 19

Premier League prepared for VAR controversies

Football’s new laws: Penalties, backpasses, handballs and subs

Read More

[mrbookmaker]

Will Portugal Dominate Nations League Finals?

We have finally reached the first ever Nations League Finals and I can’t say that I am excited, but I am eager to see how it turns out.

I know a lot of people who think that Nations League is a waste of time.

But for me it is hard to say that it is a waste of time because it has added more competitive football instead of the same old boring friendly matches.

Anyway, I need to get back to the main topic and the first semifinal of Nations League will take place on 5 June in Porto between hosts Portugal and Switzerland.

Online bookmaker 10Bet has the latest odds and currently Portugal is favored with 20/33 odds while Switzerland has 17/4 odds.

This is an intriguing matchup because Portugal and Switzerland were in the same group for 2018 World Cup qualification and both teams traded 2-0 home victories.

Portugal and Switzerland both had identical records and twenty-seven points, but it was the Portuguese that prevailed with a better goal difference.

※ Current Odds Date & Time: June 5, 6:00 a.m. (GMT)

This match is a tossup because both teams play disciplined defense and I think we can expect a low scoring affair.

Both teams have similar squads in comparison to the World Cup one year ago.

But if I were to point out any negatives, I feel that the Portuguese roster is getting up there in age considering Pepe is thirty-six, Jose Fonte is thirty-five, and Cristiano Ronaldo is thirty-four.

As for the Swiss, it definitely can’t be a good thing that Stephan Lichtsteiner is not on the 23-man roster.

Granit Xhaka will be wearing the captain armband for the Swiss and he will have to be on top of his game to give Switzerland the best chance of pulling off the upset.

The team that wins this tournament can possibly clinch a spot in Euro 2020 but that would have to entail the winner stumbling in Euro 2020 qualifying and the other eleven Nations League A members qualifying automatically to Euro 2020.

Either way, it is time for Nations League Finals.

Prediction: Portugal 2-1 Switzerland AET

【Useful Links】 ・10Bet Profile ・How to Open a 10Bet Account

【Latest Bookmaker Info Sports Article】 ・Can Bolivia Upset Brazil to Kickoff the Copa America Tournament?

[gibsonsflowofthoughts]

World Cup yellow card suspensions and rules, explained

A big inevitability of any major soccer tournament is yellow card accumulation leading to suspensions. It’s frustrating for fans and managers alike, but it’s something that always has to be considered going into any game.

The World Cup is no exception to this rule, so knowing how the tournament’s yellow card rules are going to work is important before it starts.

Why does a player get a yellow card?

Yellow cards can come for a wide variety of reasons. Most often they come from rash or unnecessary tackles, but they can come for other things like intentional, breakaway-stopping fouls, persistent fouling, dissent, timewasting, or other things that impede or disrupt the flow of the game. Players that earn a yellow card are on thin ice: Earn two in one match and you’re ejected, with your team spending the rest of the game unable to replace you and thus down a man.

How many yellow cards until a player is suspended?

In the 2018 World Cup, accumulating two yellow cards throughout the competition will result in a one-match suspension. That’s true both during the group stage and through the knockout rounds. Given how easy it will be to earn a suspension, keeping track of who on the field is at risk of being suspended will constantly weigh on managers’ minds.

When does a player’s yellow card count reset?

A player’s yellow card count from the group stage carries over into the knockout rounds. There is a reset for the semifinals. This is a measure designed to keep players from being suspended from the final for yellow accumulation. Of course, any red card infractions in the semifinal — whether a straight red or earning a pair of yellows — would still see a player banned from the final. But such a punishment would be much less of a cause for heartache than a yellow card accumulation suspension would be.

So if your favorite player from a certain national team is suddenly missing from a match, check the stats from the last couple of matches they played. Chances are, it was a couple moments of bad behavior that forced them to cool their heels on the sidelines for a match.

Have star players missed crucial World Cup games over yellow cards?

Players missing matches because of yellow card suspensions can create major issues for their squads — just ask Brazil, who were missing captain and key defender Thiago Silva because of an accumulation suspension against Germany in the 2014 World Cup, a game that famously ended 7-1 in Germany’s favor. The Netherlands were a bit more fortunate in the 2010 World Cup when they beat Uruguay, 3-2, despite the absences of the suspended Nigel De Jong and Gregory Van Der Wiel, though Uruguay were also missing a key defender in accumulation-suspended Jorge Fucile and a key attacker in Luis Suarez after his infamous “Hand of God” save of a sure winning goal for Ghana in extra time of their quarterfinal.

Which players are currently suspended?

Sweden: Seb Larsson — Can’t play against Switzerland Mikael Lustig — Can’t play in quarterfinal Switzerland: Stephan Lichtsteiner, Fabian Schär — Can’t play against Sweden France: Blaise Matuidi — Can’t play against Uruguay Brazil: Casemiro — Can’t play in quarterfinal

Players who will get suspended with their next yellow card

Dope article from sbnation.com

[winterolympicssports2018-blog]

Real Madrid 1-3 Juventus (Agg: 4-3): Ronaldo penalty saves hosts

Click here for More Olympics Updates https://www.winterolympian.com/real-madrid-1-3-juventus-agg-4-3-ronaldo-penalty-saves-hosts/

Real Madrid 1-3 Juventus (Agg: 4-3): Ronaldo penalty saves hosts

They had battled back from a three-goal deficit and were dreaming of a Miracle in Madrid. Then, deep into added time, Cristiano Ronaldo broke Juve’s hearts.

In scenes of high drama, even by the standards of one of football’s greatest stages, Real were awarded a last-gasp penalty by English referee Michael Oliver, Juve goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was sent off for his full-throated protest and Ronaldo nailed the winner from the spot.

Comebacks can be contagious and whatever Barcelona and Roma had on Tuesday, Madrid and Juventus had a serious dose of it 24 hours later. This time the patient survived. 

Cristiano Ronaldo rips off his shirt and shows off his bulging muscles after sending Real Madrid through in the final minute

Ronaldo rushes towards the corner flag to celebrate with the home fans after putting Real Madrid 4-3 ahead on aggregate

Ronaldo celebrates in front of the jubilant Real Madrid supporters as their hopes of a third successive triumph go on

Ronaldo fired a spotkick into the top corner to extinguish Juventus’ comeback in the 97th-minute of the game on Wednesday

Gianluigi Buffon is awarded a red card by referee Michael Oliver for complaining at the awarding of a stoppage-time penalty

A penalty was awarded after Juventus defender Medhi Benatia brought down Lucas Vazquez inside the six-yard box

Blaise Matuidi bundles home from close range to bring the aggregate scores level at 3-3 on the hour mark on Wednesday

Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas fumbled at the ball and deflected it into the path of the Juventus midfielder

Matuidi celebrates in front of the stunned Real Madrid fans as Juventus grabbed their third goal of the night to draw level

Veteran goalkeeper and Juventus captain Gianluigi Buffon roars in celebration after Matuidi’s goal for the visitors

Mario Mandzukic powers a header into the back of the net at the near post from Stephan Lichtsteiner’s cross to make it 2-0

Mandzukic celebrates after his header shaved the deficit to just one goal shortly before half-time at the Bernabeu

Mario Mandzukic heads beyond the despairing dive of Keylor Navas to hand Juventus a second-minute lead at the Bernabeu

Gonzalo Higuain rushes to congratulate his team-mate after grabbing the ball for a quick re-start on Wednesday night

Real were rattled for 90 minutes but when Lucas Vazquez was put through by Toni Kroos and Medhi Benatia put a hand on his back, he went down and Oliver pointed to the spot before dismissing the furious, wild-eyed Buffon.

Real’s supporters had always planned on giving the legendary goalkeeper a big ovation but never in these circumstances. Still, they applauded him off and former Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny came on. Ronaldo only had eyes for the net and blasted the ball to Szczesny’s left to send Real Madrid into the semi-finals.

Ronaldo said: ‘You have to fight to the finish in football. It was a penalty. I don’t know why they were protesting. Benatia kicked a lot from behind during the game. It was the right decision.’

Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri was not so sure. He lamented: ‘We deserved the extra time. We had substitutes to bring on. But it’s no good to cry over it. There is no video assistant so we are out. We absolutely need VAR in the Champions League.’

A jubilant Ronaldo added: ‘It was a difficult night. We were not great in the first half but this will be a lesson to us.’

‘Difficult’ does not begin to describe how Juventus made Madrid suffer. They were so shaken in the early stages that they could have been 3-0 down after seven minutes. As it was, it was only one. Douglas Costa combined with Sami Khedira, and Mario Mandzukic scored at the far post in the second minute. 

MATCH FACTS, PLAYER RATINGS AND MATCH ZONE 

Mario Mandzukic heads home in the second minute in front of a stunned Bernabeu crowd. CLICK HERE for more from MATCH ZONE

  Real Madrid: Navas 6, Carvajal 6, Varane 6, Vallejo 6, Marcelo 6, Casemiro 5 (Vazquez 45, 7), Modric 5 (Kovacic 75), Kroos 6, Isco 7, Ronaldo 7, Bale 5 (Asensio 45, 6)

Subs not used: Casilla, Benzema, Hernandez, Llorente

Booked: Carvajal, Marcelo

Goalscorers: Ronaldo 90+8 

Juventus: Buffon 7, De Sciglio (Lichtsteiner 17, 7), Benatia 6, Chiellini 6, Alex Sandro 6, Khedira 6, Pjanic 7, Matuidi 7, Douglas Costa 7, Higuain 6 (Szczesny 90+6), Mandzukic 8

Subs not used: Cuadrado, Marchisio, Asamoah, Rugani, Sturaro

Goalscorers: Mandzukic 2, 37, Matuidi 60

Booked: Lichtsteiner, Pjanic, Mandzukic, Sandro, Costa, Benatia

Sent off: Buffon

Referee: Michael Oliver

The recalled Gareth Bale is denied by Gianluigi Buffon as Real Madrid look to get back into the match after Juve’s early strike

Real Madrid No 1 Keylor Navas is at full stretch to dive and palm the ball away as it is directed goalwards early in the match

Juventus defender Mattia de Sciglio looks to ward off the attentions of Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo by the touchline

Cristiano Ronaldo appeals for a decision from the referee as Juventus forward Douglas Costa claps behind him

Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane slides in and wins the ball from the toes of Juventus winger Douglas Costa

The ball bounces loose from Juventus strike pairing Mario Mandzukic and Gonzalo Higuain as Jesus Vallejo watches on

Gonzalo Higuain has his head in his hands on his return to the Bernabeu as a chance goes begging for the visitors

Juventus midfielder Blaise Matuidi rises highest to head the ball away ahead of opposite number Casemiro in the first-half

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo is sent flying into the air after a challenge from Juventus defender Medhi Benatia

Gonzalo Higuain then had a shot cut out by Jesus Vallejo and a second effort from close range saved by Keylor Navas.

With Sergio Ramos suspended, Madrid had 21-year-old Vallejo and Raphael Varane bumping into each other in central defence.

Juventus, meanwhile, were showing the same spirit that saw them turn Tottenham over at Wembley. But could it last? Gareth Bale had a shot saved by Buffon and he back-heeled the rebound into the side-netting. Isco then had a goal ruled out for offside. Ronaldo, who had nutmegged Mattia De Sciglio in the first minute, tried the same on Benatia and was flattened.

Stephan Lichtsteiner was booked for another foul on Ronaldo, playing his 150th Champions League game. The Swiss defender was a liability at the back but on 38 minutes he appeared at the other end and made the second goal with a cross to the far post that Mandzukic converted.

Buffon jumped up and down in his area to celebrate and raised a fist to Juventus supporters as he walked off at half-time. One more goal and they would be level. 

Real Madrid playmaker Isco looks to shield the ball from Juventus midfielder Miralem Pjanic during the second-leg contest

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo attempts to get a shot off at goal but miscues his effort in a crowded penalty area

Juventus were forced into an early substitution as Stephan Lichtsteiner came on to replace Mattia De Sciglio

Miralem Pjanic gestures towards referee Michael Oliver after Juventus team-mate Stephan Lichtsteiner took a blow

Madrid had almost scored just before the break when Varane headed on to the bar but Zinedine Zidane had seen enough and sent Vazquez and Marco Asensio on to replace Casemiro and Gareth Bale. It did not change the narrative. On the hour Juventus were level thanks to a howler from Navas, who failed to gather a routine ball and Blaise Matuidi turned the ball in.

Again, no one celebrated more than Buffon. He then saved brilliantly from Isco, turning the midfielder’s shot round the post.

Madrid knew another Juventus goal would leave them needing two but they camped in the Italians’ half regardless. Ronaldo went down more in hope than expectation of getting anything from referee Oliver.

Juventus, who had spent the first half betraying their tradition by flying forward with abandon, had now reverted to type. There seemed no way through until Vazquez tried to wriggle clear and Ronaldo rammed in the resulting spot kick.

Zidane is now two games from the chance to win a third straight Champions League. ‘It was definitely a penalty,’ he said. ‘I didn’t see it but the referee gave it so it was a penalty.’

Asked about Ronaldo’s five-minute wait to take the kick while Juventus players surrounded the referee fuming at Buffon’s dismissal, he shrugged: ‘He’s used to it. He scored and we’re through.’

Bayern Munich joined Real in the semi-finals after a goalless draw at home to Sevilla took them through 2-1 on aggregate.

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo wanted a penalty after he tumbled over from a challenge by Medhi Benatia

Ronaldo’s protestations towards the referee fell on deaf ears as Real Madrid saw their lead reduced to one goal at half-time

Ronaldo had a first-half to forget after his bicycle kick goal last week and even lost his left boot at one point in the first period

Raphael Varane’s header on the stroke of half-time cannons off the crossbar as Real Madrid go in search of a vital goal

Buffon trudges off towards the tunnel after being sent off in what is likely to be his last ever Champions League appearance

Source link

[sportticketexchange]

EURO 2021: Players with more than a hundred caps

Sergio Ramos, Cristiano Ronaldo, Eden Hazard and more – meet the EURO centurions.UEFA.com shines a light on those players with a century of caps who could be set to grace the tournament this summer. Euro 2021 fans can book Wales Vs Switzerland Tickets on our website on exclusively discounted prices.

170: Sergio Ramos (Spain)

One of the all-time most decorated international careers. Now Spain captain, Ramos was central to his country’s golden period of successive triumphs at UEFA EURO 2008, the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO 2012.

164: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)

Made his Portugal debut in 2003 but shows no sign of reaching the end. Despite an injury in the final, UEFA EURO 2016 glory was his international crowning glory – who can forget his impact from the touchline that night in Paris? Needs just one more to reach a century of goals for his country and is only ten shies of Ali Daei’s all-time international record.

127: Luka Modric (Croatia)

Oozes class from every pore. Modrić’s annus mirabilis came in 2018 when he helped Croatia to the World Cup final, picked up the tournament’s Golden Ball award and was later named UEFA Men's Player of the Year.

121: Joao Moutinho (Portugal)

Has quietly been doing his thing for Portugal since 2005. As tenacious as he is creative, Moutinho remains a key cog in Fernando Santos’s set-up at the age of 33.

118: Jan Vertonghen (Belgium)

A steadying influence who arrived on the scene while Belgium was still struggling to qualify for major tournaments but has been a mainstay throughout the rise of his country’s Golden Generation.

118: Sebastian Larsson (Sweden)

Compatriot Zlatan Ibrahimović has more often than not stolen the headlines over the past decade or more, but Larsson has been a model of consistency for his country.

116: Sergio Busquets (Spain)

Shown up on the scene not long after La Roja's UEFA EURO 2008 triumph and has been one of the primary names on the team sheet from that point forward. A player who has redefined his position and whose qualities every team craves.

114: Hugo Lloris (France)

Has been Les Bleus’ permanent captain since before UEFA EURO 2012; came so close to leading them to glory on home soil four years ago but more than made up for it in Russia in 2018.

112: Robert Lewandowski (Poland)

The prototype centre forward, Lewandowski has scored nearly three times as many goals for his country (61) than any player in its history. His opening goal of UEFA EURO 2012 in Warsaw lives long in the memory.

108: Jakub Błaszczykowski (Poland)

The closest challenger to Lewandowski, Błaszczykowski has 21 international goals to his name and has long been one of Poland’s key men.

108: Pepe (Portugal) A combative centre-back who rarely takes a backward step, Pepe was at the heart of the Portugal defence that set the platform for UEFA EURO 2016 success.

108: Stephan Lichtsteiner (Switzerland)

Switzerland captain and only a handful of appearances shy of becoming his country’s all-time most-capped player, Lichtsteiner first established himself in the build-up to playing UEFA EURO 2008 at home. Euro 2021 fans can book Switzerland Euro Cup Tickets on our website on exclusively discounted prices.

106: Ivan Rakitić (Croatia)

First forced his way into the senior Croatia set-up during UEFA EURO 2008 qualifying and has been a driving force ever since. A prime member of the 2018 World Cup runners-up team.

106: Eden Hazard (Belgium)

Perhaps the most venerated member of Belgium's much-admired current vintage, Hazard trails only Vertonghen among his country's most-capped players and, with 32 goals to his name, only Romelu Lukaku among their all-time top scorers. Plays with a joie de vivre no matter the stage. Euro 2021 fans can book Belgium Vs Russia Tickets on our website on exclusively discounted prices.

105: Axel Witsel (Belgium)

A less revered member of the Red Devils' recent crop, Witsel has been a regular fixture for more than a decade. Euro 2021 fans can book Belgium Euro Cup Tickets on our website on exclusively discounted prices.

103: Giorgio Chiellini (Italy)

A defender chiselled out of the same rugged Italian mould as many who have gone before him, Chiellini has been turning out for the Azzurri for 16 years and counting. Only six players have ever earned more caps for Italy than the Juventus centre-back.

101: Emre Belözoğlu (Turkey)

Turns 40 this year and is entering his third decade as an international but remains Turkey's captain and heartbeat.

All these players' teams have already qualified for UEFA EURO 2020. The following centurions could still emerge via the play-offs. 120: Marek Hamšík (Slovakia) 117: Steven Davis (Northern Ireland) 108: Balázs Dzsudzsák (Hungary) 108: Goran Pandev (North Macedonia) 108: Edin Džeko (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

[eurotickets20]

Euro 2020: Players that played more than 100 matches

Spanish Sergio Ramos, Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo, Red Devils' Eden Hazard, and more players meet the Euro Cup centurions club. Euro 2020 fans can book England Vs Croatia Tickets on our website on exclusively discounted prices.

170 Matches: Sergio Ramos (Spain) One of the all-time most decorated international careers. Present Spain skipper, Sergio Ramos was central to his country’s golden age of successive victories at UEFA EURO 2008, the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO 2012.

164 Matches: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) He made his Portugal entrance in 2003 but shows no sign of getting the end. Despite an injury in the final, UEFA EURO 2016 magnificence was his international top glory who can overlook his impact from the touchline that night in Paris? Needs just 1 more to reach an era of goals for his country and is only ten shies of Ali Daei’s all-time international record.

127 Matches: Luka Modric (Croatia) Oozes class from every pore. Modric’s came in 2018 when he aided Croatia to the World Cup final, picked up the contest’s Golden Ball prize and was later called UEFA Men's Player of the Year. Euro 2020 fans can book Croatia Euro Cup Tickets on our website on exclusively discounted prices.

121 Matches: Joao Moutinho (Portugal) Has silently been doing his thing for Portugal meanwhile 2005. As stubborn as he is original, Moutinho remains a key module in Fernando Santos’s set-up at the age of thirty-three.

118 Matches: Jan Vertonghen (Belgium) A balance influence who reached on the scene while Belgium was still belligerent to qualify for major events but has been a spine throughout the upsurge of his country’s Golden Group.

118 Matches: Sebastian Larsson (Sweden) National Zlatan Ibrahimovic has more often than not taken the captions over the past period or more, but Larsson has been a model of constancy for his country.

116 Matches: Sergio Busquets (Spain) Inwards on the scene soon after La Roja’s UEFA EURO 2008 victory and has been 1 of the 1st names on the team sheet ever later. A player who has redefined his position and whose makings every team craves.

114 Matches: Hugo Lloris (France) Has been Les Bleus’ enduring captain since earlier to UEFA EURO 2012, came so close to top them to glory on home soil 4 years ago but more than made up for it in Russia in 2018.

112 Matches: Robert Lewandowski (Poland) The example center-forward, Lewandowski has scored nearly 3 times as many goals for his country (sixty-one) than any player in its past. His inaugural goal of UEFA EURO 2012 in Warsaw lives long in the recall.

108 Matches: Jakub Błaszczykowski (Poland) The closest contestant to Lewandowski, Błaszczykowski has twenty-one global goals to his name and has protracted been one of Poland’s key players.

108 Matches: Pepe (Portugal) A belligerent center-back who hardly takes a backward step, Pepe was at the heart of the Portugal defense that set the platform for UEFA EURO 2016 triumph.

108 Matches: Stephan Lichtsteiner (Switzerland) He is Switzerland skipper and his country’s all-time most-capped player, Lichtsteiner 1st familiar himself in the preparations to playing UEFA EURO 2008 at home soil.

106 Matches: Ivan Rakitic (Croatia) 1st forced his way into the senior Croatia set-up during UEFA EURO 2008 qualifying and has been a pouring force ever since. A prime associate of the 2018 World Cup runners-up team.

106 Matches: Eden Hazard (Belgium) Maybe the most familiar member of Belgium's much-respected current old, Hazard imprints only Vertonghen among his country's most-capped players and, with thirty-two goals to his pocket, only Romellu Lukaku amongst their all-time top scorers. Plays by a joie de vivre no stuff the stage.

105 Matches: Axel Witsel (Belgium)

A less respected member of the Red Devils' recent crop, Witsel has been a steady fitting for more than a period.

103 Matches: Giorgio Chiellini (Italy) A defender carved out of the same rocky Italian decay as many who have gone before him, Chiellini has been revolving out for the Azzurri for sixteen years and counting. Only 6 players have ever got more caps for Italy than the Juventus center-back.

101 Matches: Emre Belozoglu (Turkey) Goes 40 this year and is ingoing his 3rd decade as a global but remnants Turkey's captain and heartbeat.

All these centurions’ teams have already capable of UEFA EURO 2020. The next century makers could still arise through the play-offs.

120: Marek Hamsik (Slovakia) 117: Steven Davis (Northern Ireland) 108: Balazs Dzsudzsak (Hungary) 108: Goran Pandev (North Macedonia) 108: Edin Dzeko (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

All cap numbers are reliable with national federation’s data.

We are offering Euro Cup Tickets so Football fans can get Euro 2020 Tickets through our trusted online ticketing market place. EuroTickets2020.com is the most reliable source to book Euro Cup 2020 tickets.