Ecuador head coach Felix Sanchez has said it is an honour to face Lionel Scaloni s Argentina ahead of their Copa America quarter-final on Friday.
Sanchez s side qualified for the quarter-finals as runners-up in Group B, taking four points from their three games to set-up a tie with the reigning champions.
The Spaniard, looking to secure Ecuador s first victory over Argentina since October 2015, praised his opposite number for his role in their 2021 Copa America and 2022 World Cup successes.
Scaloni has built something with which he has made history, Sanchez said.
It s a team that, as a spectator, is great to watch. It is an honour to be able to play against a team of this level.
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A hero for newly crowned European champions Chelsea, Petr Cech is looking to add Euro 2012 to his growing list of honours.
World-class goalkeepers are a rare commodity and the Czech Republic have one of the best in the business. If not, the best.
For over a decade Petr Cech has performed and continues to perform at the highest level for club and country. Goalkeepers of Cech s ilk come around once in a lifetime and at the age of 29, his best years should be yet to come.
The Chelsea stopper is one of the most decorated players in Czech history. Not one season passes where he isn’t donning a smart black suit to collect yet another accolade.
Earlier this month, Cech picked up his seventh Czech golden ball in eight years, he lost out to Pavel Nedved in 200…
Arsenal left it late as two goals in second-half stoppage time saw them overcome a resilient Leicester City 4-2 at Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Leicester looked set to claim a point against the odds thanks to an unlikely James Justin double in the opening 18 minutes of the second half.
Arsenal had been in complete control in the opening exchanges, with Gabriel Martinelli opening his account for the season with an instinctive finish inside the box.
Leandro Trossard then doubled the hosts advantage before the break, marking his return from suspension with a goal after firing home Martinelli s cutback.
Yet Justin – whose second was an eye-catching volley – turned the match on its head until Mikel Arteta’s side came good again in the closing stages.<…
Alessandro Del Piero scored twice to help Juventus complete their Serie A season with a 3-3 draw against Sampdoria and deliver a timely Euro 2008 reminder to national team coach Roberto Donadoni.
The veteran attacker, who has been consistently overlooked by the world champions, also took his league goal tally to 21 to make him the top scorer in Serie A this season.
Only Genoa striker Marco Borriello, who has 19 goals, can depose him from the top scorers chart when he takes the field against Atalanta on Sunday.
Juve were already assured of finishing third in the table and will play in the final Champions League qualifying round next season, just a year after winning promotion from Serie B to where they had been demoted as punishment for the match-fixing scanda…
James Rodriguez has sealed a return to LaLiga, joining Rayo Vallecano on an initial one-year contract.
James left Brazilian giants Sao Paulo in July following a sublime Copa America campaign with Colombia, winning the Player of the Tournament award as they reached the final.
Rodriguez laid on six assists throughout the tournament, breaking the single-edition record set by Lionel Messi at the 2021 competition (since records began in 2011).
He also led all players at the tournament for chances created, with 20, with 14 of those coming from set-pieces.
The 33-year-old, who spent six years with Real Madrid between 2014 and 2020, has now returned to the city with Rayo, who narrowly avoided relegation last term.
James has penned an initial one-year deal…
Gareth Southgate is daring to dream of lifting the European Championship trophy at Wembley after England thrashed Ukraine 4-0 to reach their first semi-final in 25 years.
A couple of goals from Harry Kane and one apiece for Harry Maguire and substitute Jordan Henderson earned the Three Lions a routine win at Stadio Olimpico on Saturday.
It is just the second time England have scored four goals in a knockout match of a major tournament, the other instance being the 1966 World Cup final against West Germany.
That was the last occasion England reached the final of a major competition, while only three times since then have they made it as far as the semi-finals.
After losing on penalties to Germany at Italia 90 and Euro 1996, as well as to Croatia in extra t…
Germany brushed Greece aside with a 4-2 win on Friday to book a semi-final against England or Italy at Euro 2012.
Germany coach Joachim Loew spring a surprise with his team selection, omitting Mario Gomez, Thomas Mueller and Lukas Podolski in favour of Miroslav Klose, Andre Schurrle and Marco Reus.
The incoming trio did not disappoint, with Lazio striker Klose and Borussia Dortmund s Reus getting on the score sheet, while Schurrle had a goal ruled out, as Germany romped into the last four.
The pre-tournament favourites, beaten finalists against Spain in Austria and Switzerland four years ago, dominated possession for the majority of the first half at PGE Arena, Gdansk.
They had the ball in the back of the net through Bayer Leverkusen forward Schurrle as…
Real Madrid striker Raul will likely quit Real Madrid at the end of the 2010-2011 season. The Spaniard said this in an interview with sportspaper Marca.
The player added that instead of ending his career right there and then, he might spend another year playing in the Major League Soccer.
It is difficult because you always want to go when you are playing at the highest level, he said. For now, I have a contract until 2011. Six months before that, in December or January, it will be the right time to analyse the situation and see if it benefits the club for me to go on.
The forward, currently 32 years old, is one of Real Madrid s most prominent club icons.
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Chelsea and England defender Reece James has revealed he had his Champions League winners medal and Euro 2020 runners-up medal stolen during a burglary at his home.
The break-in happened while the 21-year-old was playing for the Blues in Tuesday s 1-0 Champions League win over Zenit.
James played a full part in Chelsea s 1-0 victory over Manchester City in last season s final and was used once for England in their run to the European Championship final, where they lost to Italy.
He took to social media on Thursday to appeal for help finding the culprits, who took a safe that also contained his Super Cup winners medal.
These medals were won representing Chelsea and England – honours that can never be taken away from me whether or not I have the physic…
Luis Suarez overshadowed his Uruguay team’s stunning World Cup victory over Italy when he bit defender Giorgio Chiellini on this day in 2014.
The incident took place in the final group game between the sides as Diego Godin headed a late goal to secure a 1-0 win for the South Americans to progress at the expense of the 2006 world champions.
Suarez then fell to the floor holding his mouth and Chiellini protested the Uruguayan forward had dived.
My apologies to Chiellini:
— Luis Suárez (@LuisSuarez9)
Chiellini told Italian television station Rai TV afterwards: “It was ridiculous not to send Suarez off. It is clear, clear-cut.
“Then there was the obvious dive afterwards because he knew very well that he did something that he shouldn…