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

STARS IN EUROPE - PORTUGAL/ IVORY COAST - CLUB - TRANSFER - Swansea City sign Renato Sanches and Wilfried Bony

 Swansea City Renato SanchesEmbed from Getty Images

 

Portugal international Renato Sanches has signed for Swansea City on a season's loan from Bayern Munich and the club have had an offer for Wilfried Bony accepted by Manchester City.

Swans boss Paul Clement worked with Sanches, 20, during his time as Bayern's assistant manager.

 

Wilfried BonyEmbed from Getty Images

 

Bony is set for a medical on Thursday after leaving south Wales for the Etihad for £25m in January 2015.

The fee for his return is thought to be in the region of £12m.

Sanches joined Bayern from Benfica for 35m euros in May 2016.

He made 25 appearances for the German champions last season and was also part of Portugal's Euro 2016 winning squad.

Sanches is away on Under-21 duty and is expected to arrive at the Liberty Stadium next week.

Swansea are thought to have paid a loan fee of around £4m and will also pay most of the midfielder's wages.

Bayern and the player preferred Swansea over several other interested clubs including Juventus and Benfica.

"He is a player I know well having worked with him for six months at Bayern Munich," Clement told the club's website.

"He has not played as much as he would have liked. 

But this move to Swansea and the Premier League will provide him with a real positive development experience."

There is no option in the deal for Sanches' move to be made permanent.

 

Wilfried Bony played on loan for Stoke City against Swansea City in the 2016-17 season


Bony scored 25 Premier League goals for Swansea before his move to Manchester and is being targeted after the Swans accepted an offer from Tottenham Hotspur for last-season's top scorer Fernando Llorente, who is also a target for Chelsea.

 

1 Sep 2017
(BBC Sport UK)

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