NATIONAL TEAM - SWITZERLAND - 2014 WORLD CUP - Goodbye, Ottmar Hitzfeld. All the best and take care.

Hitzfeld has made a positive impression wherever he has been stationed and his name is still regularly chanted in the stands at Bayern Munich.

“He put together a really good team that will last for many years to come,” Granit Xhaka told FIFA.com, before Josip Drmic added: “He’s done a great job.” 

2 Jul 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - DAY 19 - LAST SIXTEEN - ARGENTINA VS SWITZERLAND 1:0

LAST SIXTEEN
1st July 2014

Argentina vs Switzerland 1:0

1 Jul 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - DAY 19 - LAST SIXTEEN - BELGIUM VS USA 2:1

LAST SIXTEEN
1st July 2014

Belgium vs USA 2:1

1 Jul 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - ARGENTINA - KEY PLAYER - ‪LIONEL MESSI - PROFILE

Lionel Andrés Messi; born 24 June 1987, is an Argentine footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team. He serves as the captain of his country's national football team.

By the age of 21, Messi had received Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations. The following year, in 2009, he won his first Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards. 

1 Jul 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - USA - KEY PLAYER - ‪JERMAINE JONES - PROFILE

Jermaine Junior Jones, born 3 November 1981, is a German-American footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Turkish club Beşiktaş. He has previously played for Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayer Leverkusen, Blackburn Rovers and Schalke 04. He was born in Germany and represented them at U21 and senior level.

1 Jul 2014
NATIONAL TEAM - NIGERIA - COACH - STEPHEN KESHI RESIGNS AFTER EXIT

He becomes the sixth manager to leave his job during the World Cup, following the departures of Honduras's Luis Suarez, Iran's Carlos Queiroz, Japan's Alberto Zaccheroni, Italy's Cesare Prandelli and Ivory Coast's Sabri Lamouchi.

Keshi, who captained Nigeria at the 1994 World Cup finals, was previously in charge of Mali and Togo.

1 Jul 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - DAY 18 - LAST SIXTEEN - FRANCE vs NIGERIA 2:0

LAST SIXTEEN
30th June 2014

France vs Nigeria 2:0

30 Jun 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - DAY 18 - LAST SIXTEEN - GERMANY vs ALGERIA 2:1

LAST SIXTEEN
30th June 2014

Germany vs Algeria 2:1

30 Jun 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - GERMANY - KEY PLAYER - THOMAS MUELLER‬ - PROFILE

Müller's role can be described as an attacking all-rounder, a player able to play in a variety of forward positions. He can play in any of the attacking midfield roles but usually plays in the center for Bayern Munich, and on the right for Germany.

He has been used as an out-and-out striker on occasion. Müller has been praised for his maturity, pace, technique, awareness and positioning.

30 Jun 2014
2014 WORLD CUP - FRANCE - KEY PLAYER - ‪KARIM BENZEMA - PROFILE

He has been named French Player of the Year twice for his performances in 2011 and 2012. Benzema is a former French youth international and has represented his nation from under-17 level onwards. 

Benzema has earned over 65 caps and represented France at three major international tournaments; the 2008 and 2012 editions of the UEFA European Football Championship and the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

30 Jun 2014

LEGEND - IVORY COAST - Didier Drogba

Didier Drogba Chelsea

 

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has been carried off the pitch by his team-mates after announcing he will leave the club for a 
second time.

Blues players hoisted the injured Ivorian from the Stamford Bridge pitch in the first half of his final game - a 3:1 win over Sunderland on Sunday.

Drogba, 37, first signed for the club in 2004 and has scored a total of 164 goals in 381 appearances.

"In order to play more football I feel I need to go to another club," he said.

He told Chelsea's website:  "I want to play for at least one more season."

Drogba scored a late equaliser and the decisive spot-kick in the penalty shoot-out against Bayern Munich in the 2012 Champions League final.

Drogba has scored seven times in his final season for Chelsea

Blues boss Jose Mourinho re-signed the forward in 2014 on a one-year deal after he left Galatasaray as a free agent.

Voted the club's greatest ever player in a fans' poll in 2012, Drogba then had a spell with Shanghai Shenhua in China before helping Galatasaray to a Turkish league title in 2013.

He returned to Stamford Bridge to "make more history" and this season collected his fourth Premier League winner's medal and third League Cup medal.

Drogba, who signed from Marseille for £24m 11 years ago, has now won 12 trophies in two spells at Chelsea.

 

Drogba's career at Chelsea

Debut:
vs Manchester United
15 August 2004

First goal: 
vs Crystal Palace
24 August 2004

Appearances: 
381

Goals: 
164

Honours: 

Premier League: 
2004-05
2005-06
2009-10
2014-15

FA Cup: 
2006-07
2008-09
2009-10
2011-12

League Cup: 
2004-05
2006-07
2014-15

Champions League:
2011-12

Premier League top goalscorer: 
2007
2010


He added:  "All the fans know my love for Chelsea and I hope to be back here in the future in another role.

"This group of players gave me the best present. 

I came back and have won the league and today is a big celebration. 

We deserve it."

 

 

25 May 2015
(BBC Sport UK)

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