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

FEATURED - Africa Cup 2019 - Date switch makes African players more attractive

African players will be "more attractive" to European clubs now the Africa Cup of Nations will take place in the summer, say leading agents.

The tournament, held every two years, is being moved to June and July from January and February.

Previously, Premier League clubs were among those who faced losing players mid-season for several weeks.

"It'll make my job easier as an agent.

Clubs use it as an excuse not to sign African players," said Papa Agyemang.

Changes to the competition, which will increase from 16 to 24 teams, were approved by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) at a conference in Morocco.

Players have previously been caught between duty for their national team and clubs that employ them.

"They will become more attractive because teams won't be thinking about losing them every two years," said Agyemang.

Saif Rubie, another agent who specialises in brokering deals for African players, said the tournament's timing had a bearing on transfer deals.

"Some clubs 100% told me they would not bring in a player if they were tied to the Cup of Nations. 

Now it will mean they don't have that concern," said Rubie, who is also the agent of former Chelsea and Ghana coach Avram Grant.

"The flip side is they will be playing in the summer, so could be late for the start of the season though it's better to have a player missing part of August than most of January and February.

"I believe it will mean a player has more of a chance of being signed as opposed to under the old schedule."

 


Cup of Nations case study - Sadio Mane

Liverpool were so keen for Sadio Mane to return from this year's Africa Cup of Nations they arranged for a private jet to fly the Senegal striker back.

Mane was away for four weeks before he missed the crucial spot-kick as Senegal lost to eventual champions Cameroon on penalties in the quarter-finals.

Liverpool won only one game from eight while he was away on international duty following a 2-2 draw at Sunderland on 2 January.

They were knocked out of the EFL Cup by Mane's former club Southampton, then eliminated from the FA Cup by Championship side Wolves.

The scheduling switch has been welcomed by Reds boss Jurgen Klopp, particularly after the club signed Egypt winger Mohamed Salah from Rome in a £34m deal this summer.

"It's fantastic. When we signed Mo Salah, I was already thinking 'Oh my God in one-and-a-half years we lose both in the winter', but that's not happening now so that gives us two more players in winter time. 

That's very good," said Klopp on Friday during the club's pre-season tour in Hong Kong.


Liverpool had a 63% win rate in the Premier League last season when Sadio Mane played, but only 45% when he was not in the team (Source: Opta)

 

'Value to the team will be greater'

Last season, 23 Premier League players were called up by their countries for the competition.

"African players are becoming more and more influential and that stage of the season is crucial," said Agyemang, who represents several African footballers in Europe.

"The better players are generally gone for longer and if they can't replace those players, it has been difficult for clubs.

"I'm not sure moving the tournament means their transfer values will go up or down but they won't be missed for vital periods. 

Their value to the team will be greater.

"Players are going away in the middle of the season and some of them are tired. 

The Africa Cup of Nations is a tough, tough tournament. 

I think players will welcome this.

"Copa America is held during the summer months. 

You have to move with the times."


'Pressure behind closed doors'

Former Cameroon goalkeeper Joseph-Antoine Bell believes the switch is not being made to satisfy European clubs, but makes sense.

"It is good for our players, our people and the game," he told BBC World Service.

"You cannot keep saying players should come to play for their home team while they are being paid by somebody else."

AFC Wimbledon's Ghana striker Kwesi Appiah said the current scheduling placed some players in a difficult position.

"I never would have had that problem myself, but you probably do get some players who pull out because they don't want to leave or upset their club. 

They don't want to lose their place in the team," he said.

"No manager would come out openly and say I don't want my player to play in this tournament but I'm sure there is some pressure behind closed doors."


 

23 Jul 2017
(BBC Sport by Frank Keogh)

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