Outgoing Germany head coach Joachim Loew admitted the 2-0 defeat to England in the last 16 of Euro 2020 was “hugely disappointing” after his side failed to take their chances.

Late goals by Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane at Wembley put England into the quarter-finals Tuesday and brought down the curtain on Loew’s 15-year reign as Germany coach.

The visitors only had themselves to blame as Thomas Mueller missed a clear late chance, nine minutes from the end, when he fired wide with the goal at his mercy and England 1-0 up.

Loew said the Germans simply came off second best.

“It’s a huge disappointment. The players are gutted. It’s very quiet in the dressing room,” said the 61-year-old, who steps down to be replaced by former assistant Hansi Flick.

“In games like this, it is crucial to convert all goal chances, which we didn’t do, neither through Timo Werner nor Thomas Mueller.

“I don’t blame anyone, normally Mueller would have put that away. It’s unusual that he didn’t, but these things happen.

“Many players are still young and I think many of them will be at the top of their game in 2024,” he added, with Germany to host the next European Championship.

Midfielder Toni Kroos said the loss was a “very, very bitter” pill to swallow.

“We weren’t effective enough and the 1-0 (when Sterling scored) changed everything, until then we had played a decent game.

“When you go out in the last 16, it’s disappointing, even though we came through a difficult group.”

Germany qualified from Group F alongside France and Portugal, but all three teams exited in the last 16.

Germany captain Manuel Neuer said England were more “greedy” in front of goal.

“The game was finely balanced, but England were more greedy in the situations where they scored their goals than we were,” said Neuer.

“The disappointment is huge.”

Neuer also paid tribute to the departing Loew, whose tenure brought the highs of the 2014 World Cup triumph in Brazil and the lows of finishing last in their group four years later in Russia.

“Joachim Loew has shaped a great era. It’s very sad that it ends like this for him.”

Source:  AFP

UEFA on Tuesday rejected plans by the city of Munich to light the Allianz Arena in rainbow colours for the Germany-Hungary Euro 2020 match in support of the LGBT community and to protest at a law passed by the Hungarian government.

“UEFA is a politically and religiously neutral organisation,” said European football’s governing body in a statement ahead of Wednesday’s match.

“Given the political context of this request — a message aimed at a decision taken by the Hungarian national parliament — UEFA must refuse.”

The mayor of Munich, Dieter Reiter, had wanted the stadium in rainbow colours for the crucial Group F match to “send a visible sign of solidarity” with Hungary’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

Hungary’s right-wing government last week passed a law banning the “promotion” of homosexuality to minors, outlawing any educational programmes or material in which homosexuality is mentioned.

On Monday, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto claimed that plans to light the Munich stadium in rainbow colours was “harmful and dangerous”.

While UEFA have rejected the request for the day of the match, it has suggested alternative dates for June 28, which is Christopher Street Liberation Day, or from July 3-9, the week of gay pride in Munich.

The last European Championship match in Munich takes place on July 2.

Tensions are running high on and off the pitch.

Hungary need a win to have a chance of reaching the last 16, while hosts Germany know just a draw would secure a spot in the knockout phase.

Source: AFP

Germany got their Euro 2020 campaign back on track — and blew Group F wide open — with a 4-2 romp against Portugal in Munich on Saturday.

France’s 1-1 draw with Hungary earlier in Budapest and Germany’s win mean there is all to play for in Wednesday’s final group games when the Germans host Hungary and the French meet holders Portugal.

After Cristiano Ronaldo claimed his 107th international goal, leaving him two short of Ali Daei’s all-time record, to give Portugal an early lead, the Germans roared back with four unanswered goals.

German pressure forced own goals by Ruben Dias and Raphael Guerreiro to put the hosts 2-1 up at half-time.

A Kai Havertz goal underlined Germany’s dominance before left-back Robin Gosens capped his man-of-the-match display by heading in Germany’s fourth goal to add to his two assists.

Portugal hit back when Diogo Jota tapped in Ronaldo’s hooked volley to make it 4-2 with 23 minutes left.

Germany continued their domination of Portugal, who they have now beaten five consecutive times at World Cup or European Championship finals since Euro 2000.

Germany created a huge amount of chances compared to Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat by France, while Portugal lacked the composure of their 3-0 win over Hungary the same day.

The match began at a frantic pace amid sweltering conditions in the Bavarian capital.

The Germans had a goal disallowed after five minutes when VAR spotted Serge Gnabry was offside as Gosens hit a spectacular volley.

However, sloppy Germany defending saw Portugal take the lead.

With only Gosens and Havertz defending at a German corner, Bernardo Silva started a counter-attack, then picked out Jota in the area with a world-class pass.

The Liverpool forward squared to Ronaldo, who sprinted into the box to slot the ball past Germany captain Manuel Neuer with less than 15 minutes gone.

It was Ronaldo’s first goal against Germany to extend his record tally to 12 goals at five European Championship finals.

However, two own goals inside four minutes turned the game.

Germany drew level when another Gosens volley was flicked towards the net by Havertz, with Dias getting the final touch as the ball flew past Rui Patricio on 35 minutes.

The second goal soon followed when Guerreiro turned Kimmich’s cross into his own net while trying to stop the ball reaching the on-rushing German forwards.

Gosens caused Portugal problems all afternoon on the left flank.

His low cross was tapped in by Havertz six minutes after the break.

The Atalanta player then capped a superb display by powering in a close-range header from Kimmich’s cross on the hour mark.

German fans sang their approval, with “Oh, wie ist das schoen” (oh, is that beautiful) echoing around the Allianz Arena.

Gosens was substituted soon after with his name being chanted.

Portugal pulled a goal back when Guerreiro’s free-kick was hooked back by Ronaldo and turned in by Jota.

Germany nearly claimed a late fifth goal when Havertz’s replacement Leon Goretzka fired over after another surging attack by the hosts.

This is the first time Portugal have conceded four goals since losing 4-0 to Germany at the 2014 World Cup.

Source: AFP

Reigning world champion and 2016 Euro finalist France make their hotly anticipated debut at the Euro 2021 tournament on Tuesday. Lining up against Kylian Mbappé and company are Germany, none too impressed by Les Bleus’ status as favourites in the competition.

France’s Euro 2021 opener has the makings of a baptism by fire. The French squad takes on Germany, formidable candidates in any football competition, on their home turf in Munich. Favourites France will need to keep their expectations in check, lest they bite off more than they can chew.

Facing Germany to kick off the tournament is a stark contrast to France’s first matches at the 2018 World Cup, where Les Bleus opened against Australia, and at Euro 2016 against Romania, both sides of more modest football stature.

Brimming with confidence, Didier Deschamps’s Bleus must accept their position as frontrunners in 2021. With Paris Saint-Germain prodigy Mbappé, Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema, Barcelona’s Antoine Griezmann and Chelsea’s Olivier Giroud up front, France’s attack – at least on paper – could be stratospheric. Same goes for the landscape at midfield featuring Manchester United’s Paul Pogba and Chelsea’s N’Golo Kanté, fresh off his Man-of-the-match performance to win the Champions League last month.

“I don’t want to run away from this status of ‘favourite’ that we share with other nations,” coach Deschamps told the French sports daily L’Equipe. “But it guarantees us nothing. For some people, we’ve won without having stepped onto the pitch. That’s far from being the case.”

Europe itching to trip France up

Be it managers, pundits or players, Europe agrees that France is favoured to win this tournament. That means a target on their backs and the hefty weight of expectation that comes with it.

History tells us to be wary of the sort of pedestal on which Les Bleus find themselves. At the 2002 World Cup under coach Roger Lemerre, a glittering France side arrived in South Korea looking like it could do no wrong – the defending World Champions (1998) and reigning European champions (2000), after all, boasted a squad featuring Auxerre’s Djibril Cissé, Arsenal’s Thierry Henry and Juventus’s David Trezeguet, the top scorers in the French, English and Italian leagues, respectively. But what happened next was pure, ignominious defeat: Elimination after the group stage, without a single goal scored.

Germany, meanwhile, under coach Joachim Löw, are siphoning extra motivation from their opening opponents’ lofty status. Defender Antonio Rüdiger threw down the gauntlet during a press conference on Sunday. “Of course, they have good forwards. We have to be ready to win the one-on-one challenges,” Rüdiger said at Germany’s base in Bavaria. “We have to be a little dirty, not always be nice or try to play nice football. Against players like them, you have to throw down a marker,” he said.

Is France its own worst enemy?

That being said, France could well be its own worst foe. With his volley of apparent criticism after France’s 3-0 friendly victory over Bulgaria last week, striker Giroud muddled the image that has stuck to Les Bleus since the 2018 World Cup – that of a merry band of mates on a mission to bring the cup home.

“Sometimes you make a run and the balls just don’t arrive,” Giroud said. “I don’t always pretend to make the right calls, but I have tried hard to provide solutions in the area,” the Chelsea forward added, without explicitly targeting teammate Mbappé.

The remarks were roundly dissected in the football press, giddy that a psychodrama might shake up the team’s habitually sleek public relations – and all the more for a flap that indirectly concerns striker Benzema. After his six-year exile from international play, Benzema’s return to the France team is a de facto threat to Giroud’s place as a starter.

Mbappé, for his part, said he was “affected” by Giroud’s public comments, but nevertheless wants to turn the page. “We’re here to represent France and the national team represents the most important thing,” Mbappé told reporters at France’s training centre on Sunday. “We have a big competition and these trivial things aren’t going to disrupt our preparation. We have a common objective, that he and I are a part of,” he added. “We are 48 hours from a super important match. I’m actually surprised that no one has asked me questions about the match …”

France will also be battling against history: Since the group stages were introduced in 1980, Germany has never lost its opening match in 10 appearances. As it happens, neither has France, in eight appearances of its own. And in the event of a Les Bleus victory, surely all will be forgiven.

Source: France 24

Denmark international Christian Eriksen showed no hint of any underlying health condition, Inter Milan’s team doctor said Sunday, after the midfielder’s collapse in Copenhagen.

Midfielder Eriksen, 29, remained in hospital but is in a “stable” condition as he undergoes further tests after his dramatic collapse during a Euro 2020 game against Finland on Saturday.

“We had a bad time, not just me, but the whole family of our club,” Piero Volpi told Gazzetta Dello Sport.

“In the next few days he will be subjected to in-depth examinations.

“The important thing is that he is well, but there had never been any episode that even remotely hinted at a problem when he was at Tottenham nor at Inter. In Italy there are very strict controls.”

The Inter Milan star suddenly fell to the turf in the 43rd minute of Denmark’s opening Euro 2020 game, laying motionless as medical personnel administered CPR.

He laid on the field for about 15 minutes before being carried off the pitch and rushed to hospital.

Inter CEO Giuseppe Marotta said that Eriksen had sent a message on the team chat reassuring them: “I’m fine, I hope to be back soon.”

“Those harsh images foreshadowed dramatic things, but luckily it wasn’t so thanks to the doctors,” said Marotta.

“Thanks to everyone, opponents and friends, because they stayed close to us. He never had Covid and he has never been vaccinated, we don’t want to be intrusive because it’s right for the player to be calm.

“He is a champion, we want to hold onto him for a long time and hope he can resolve these health problems.”

Source: AFP

Chelsea defender Antonio Ruediger insists Germany need to get a little dirty in their Euro 2020 opener against France on Tuesday in order to subdue the world champions’ forward firepower.

France start as clear favourites for the Group F clash at Munich’s Allianz Arena while Germany’s defence faces a stern test having leaked 20 goals in 13 games this season.

Fresh from winning the Champions League final with Chelsea, Ruediger insists the Germans can ill afford to allow France’s star forwards like Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann room to attack.

“Of course, they have good forwards, we have to be ready to win the one-on-one challenges,” Ruediger said Sunday at Germany’s Euro 2020 base in Bavaria.

“We have to be a little dirty, not always be nice or try to play nice football.

“Against players like them, you have to throw down a marker.”

He is set to make his 42nd appearance for Germany having become “a very important player” for head coach Joachim Loew who regards him a “centre-back of the highest level”.

Ruediger sees France as one of the favourites to win the European Championship title and says Germany must “dictate the game. We can, and are ready, to do that.”

France warmed up for Euro 2020 with 3-0 friendly wins over both Wales and Bulgaria, while Germany were held to a 1-1 draw by Denmark before a 7-1 rout of minnows Latvia.

Ruediger, 28, is set to partner 2014 World Cup winners Mats Hummels and Matthias Ginter in Germany’s three-man defence.

The Chelsea centre-back is wearing a mask to protect a facial injury suffered during Chelsea’s Champions League semi-final, first leg draw at Real Madrid.

“It’s still there for protection,” Ruediger said of the mask, “I’ll have to see what the Chelsea doctors say when I get back to London.”

Source: AFP

Ajax goalkeeper André Onana had his ban for a positive doping test cut to nine months on Thursday and can resume playing in November.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport said its judges found Onana was not at significant fault and reduced his one-year ban by UEFA. The ban now ends on Nov. 3.

The ruling could see Arsenal step up its reported interest in signing the 25-year-old Onana, who is cleared to play for Cameroon at the African Cup of Nations in January.

Onana tested positive last October for furosemide, a banned diuretic often used as a masking agent to hide the presence of other drugs.

He said he was feeling unwell and took a pill prescribed for his girlfriend from a packet he mistook for aspirin “because the packaging was almost identical.”

Anti-doping rules make athletes liable for banned substances in their bodies, though they can argue they were not at fault nor negligent.

The court said its judges “considered that a 9-month ban was proportionate to the negligence committed … but could not accept the goalkeeper’s request for the removal of the suspension entirely.”

The case was fast-tracked with the verdict given eight days after the appeal hearing.

Source: Africa News