Craig Bellamy believes he has been handed a rare opportunity as he begins his tenure as Wales manager.
Bellamy was named the new Wales boss on Tuesday following Rob Page s sacking last month, with the country having failed to qualify for Euro 2024.
It is Bellamy s first senior managerial role and the former Wales captain has signed a four-year contract. As a player, he made 78 appearances for the national team, scoring 19 goals.
Bellamy had been named as Burnley s acting head coach following Vincent Kompany s move to Bayern Munich in May, but turned down the opportunity to stay on as a coach following Scott Parker s appointment.
He called taking the Wales position my ultimate dream when the deal was agreed and then faced the media for the first time on We…
Rodri declared his love for Manchester City and claimed his new side have changed the story of football in England to become a more attractive proposition for players compared to rival teams.
City announced the club-record signing of Rodri on a five-year deal on Thursday after triggering the reported €70million (£63m) release clause in his Atletico Madrid contract.
He also attracted rumoured interest from Manchester United, while Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich have been linked with a move in recent days, but the Spain international said joining Pep Guardiola s side was an easy choice to make.
Asked why City are considered a bigger attraction than rivals United, Rodri told reporters: Maybe they have changed the story. I think City this last five or six year…
Vladimir Petkovic wants Switzerland to prove they can match tournament favourites France in their final Euro 2016 Group A game on Sunday.
A win over Albania and a 1-1 draw with Romania have put the Swiss in second spot ahead of their meeting with the host nation in Lille, and a victory would see them pip Didier Deschamps side to top spot.
France, meanwhile, have already sealed their place in the last 16 with two wins from two and need only avoid defeat to safeguard first place.
Les Bleus captain Hugo Lloris has called for his side to justify their place as favourites by beating Switzerland just as they did at the World Cup two years ago but Petkovic has challenged his own players to show they have the same level of quality as their opponents.
France ar…
The United States and Cuba will play their first international friendly since 1947, US Soccer announced on Thursday.
In an historic meeting, USA and Cuba will clash in Havana on October 7.
The friendly will be the second time USA will have visited Cuba in 69 years.
We are happy to have the chance to bring our team to Cuba, USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann said in a statement, having guided the Americans to a fourth-place finish at the Copa America Centenario in June.
In addition to good competition, we are always looking for our group to have different experiences, and this is a unique opportunity.
On September 6, 2008, USA defeated Cuba 1-0 in the semi-final Round of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup.
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Market: Montpellier double chance
Odds: 8/15 @
Hoping to secure back-to-back Ligue 1 victories and making another statement here, Montpellier will welcome Nice to the Stade de la Mosson on Saturday night.
Starting with the hosts, making a return to winning ways last week as they stormed their way to a routine 3-0 romp away at Nantes, Montpellier will be desperate to produce a repeat display here. While Michel Der Zakarian’s side might have eventually fallen to that remarkable 5-4 loss at the hands of Lyon on May 7th, La Paillade should still find the mood in their camp at a real high. Although the Occitanie-based outfit might know that they need a minor miracle in their bid to book a top-half Ligue 1 finish, Saturday’s hosts are signing off the 2022/23 campa…