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

NATIONAL TEAM - TUNISIA - COACH - Kasperczak to coach Tunisia again

AFRICA CUP 2017 QUALIFIERS

 

Henry Kasperczak has been appointed coach of Tunisia for a second stint, replacing Belgian Georges Leekens.

Kasperczak, who signs a three-year deal, had been on the final three-man shortlist to coach Ivory Coast.

The 69-year-old parted ways with Mali after this year's Africa Cup of Nations.

He coached Tunisia for four years from 1994, leading them to runners-up at the 1996 Nations Cup where they lost to hosts South Africa in the final.

The former Poland international coached Ivory Coast to third place at the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations and has also had spells in charge of Morocco, Mali and Senegal.

His latest job was a second spell with Mali that ended after the Nations Cup in Equatorial Guinea, where they failed to progress beyond the group stages despite being unbeaten.

The Eagles finished tied with Guinea in Group D but were eliminated after the drawing of lots to separate the teams.

Leekens left his post last month by mutual consent saying his vision for the future differed from the football association's.

The appointment means there are just two names left in the frame to coach Ivory Coast - Frenchmen Michel Dussuyer and Frederic Antonetti.

The Ivory Coast Football Federation originally said 69 people had expressed an interest in the job before cutting the list to five and then again to three.

Former Guinea coach Dussuyer, whose second spell with the Syli Nationale ended after this year's Nations Cup exit, when they lost 3:0 to Ghana in the last eight.

Antonetti's only overseas job was with Japanese side Gamba Osaka in 1998; otherwise he has worked with French clubs including three spells at his former side Bastia.

 

14 Jul 2015
(BBC Sport UK)

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