IP addresses are NOT logged in this forum so there's no point asking. Please note that this forum is full of homophobes, racists, lunatics, schizophrenics & absolute nut jobs with a smattering of geniuses, Chinese chauvinists, Moderate Muslims and last but not least a couple of "know-it-alls" constantly sprouting their dubious wisdom. If you believe that content generated by unsavory characters might cause you offense PLEASE LEAVE NOW! Sammyboy Admin and Staff are not responsible for your hurt feelings should you choose to read any of the content here. The OTHER forum is HERE so please stop asking.
The Juventus goalkeeper is set to receive his 150th cap for Italy when they take on Bulgaria on Sunday and the coach spoke of his admiration for his former team-mate
Antonio Conte says it is difficult to find the words to describe Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon ahead of his 150th Italy cap.
The 37-year-old, who played with Conte at Juventus and then under his tutelage when the former midfielder took over the Bianconeri first team, has been a key player for the Azzurri for the last 18 years, leading them to World Cup glory in 2006.
The shot-stopper will reach a new milestone of appearances when he takes on Bulgaria in Sunday's Euro 2016 qualifying clash and Conte was full of praise for him.
“Finding the words to describe Gigi is tough," Conte told reporters. "He is such a champion. I admire him as a player and as a man. He was my team-mate, my goalkeeper at club level and now for Italy.”
After Thursday's 1-0 win over Malta, Italy are top of qualifying Group H but were criticised for the performance and Conte insists his side will work hard to win over the doubters.
“I am not disappointed by criticism - it's part of the game. The national team is on its own. It’s open to criticism more than any other team. We will try to silence the critics with hard work."
The coach revealed that he is not entirely sure of the condition of his squad heading into Sunday's game and refused to reveal if Andrea Pirlo would feature.
“We will evaluate who has recovered well in tomorrow's training session.
“You’ll find out my line-up tomorrow evening. There are many players who can play in Pirlo's position, like Claudio Marchisio, Daniele De Rossi, Riccardo Montolivo and Mirko Valdifiori.
“Simone Zaza can play up front with Graziano Pelle, but also with Ciro Immobile."
Ahead of Sunday's crucial Euro 2016 qualifying clash with Israel, the Welsh governing body has cautioned fans to remain in the right spirit throughout any possible celebrations
The Football Association of Wales has warned fans against invading the pitch should the country qualify for Euro 2016 on Sunday, fearing a points deduction or stadium closure could "spoil" a stellar campaign.
Three points from this weekend's clash with Israel in Cardiff would be enough to see Wales reach a major tournament for the first time in 58 years.
However, with Wales having already been fined after a number of fans entered the field of play during their opening-round victory over Andorra, it is feared Uefa could come down hard in the event of another incident of a similar nature.
"Uefa do look upon these things quite poorly and we know there can be penalties if such things happen," FAW chief executive Jonathan Ford told WalesOnline.
"There is a range of disciplinary procedures and ultimately they do have the ability to take points away from teams or order games to be played behind closed doors.
"It goes without saying we do not want that to happen and potentially spoil what could be a great night.
"We want every single person at the stadium and across the country to enjoy the occasion and hopefully celebrate what could be a fantastic day in Welsh football but all should remember to do it in the right spirit.
"It would be a terrible shame if something like that happened and, come the Andorra game [Wales' final home fixture], we couldn't give the team the sold-out celebration the team deserves."
Spain stars support Pique as Barcelona star subjected to more boos
By Peter McVitie
Sep 6, 2015 00:27:56
The centre-back was once again the subject of jeers in La Roja's 2-0 win over Slovakia, but his team-mates and coach have voiced their backing of him
Spain's star players and coach have leapt to the defence of Gerard Pique after the defender was jeered throughout the side's 2-0 win over Slovakia on Saturday.
The central defender has proven to be a divisive figure with the national team, having drawn the ire of Real Madrid fans for criticising Cristiano Ronaldo, while many Spain fans are irked by his stance on Catalan independence.
Saturday's Euro 2016 qualifier saw him booed by one part of the home side's support, though a large section cheered him on.
And Spain's leading figures all urged fans to put their opinions of him to one side and get behind the Barcelona player in future.
"The whistles at Pique are unfortunate," coach Vicente del Bosque said. "I do not understand it. I think it's lamentable.
"People come to watch football and he played very well today.
Meanwhile, Andres Iniesta insists the fans and the team need to show unity as they look to defend their European crown in France next year.
"I would like the whistles at Pique to stop," he told Teledeporte. "All of us have to go in the same direction."
Jordi Alba, another Barca team-mate, insists Pique does not deserve the jeers because he gives his all for La Roja.
"People are free to say whatever they want. Whenever Pique has been called up for the national team, he is the first one there, he told us it's a privilege to play for the team.
"The people are free to voice their opinions, and they have done so with whistles and applause, but Pique is very committed to the team."
And Santi Cazorla cannot understand why he receives such criticism from the nation's own fans.
"Pique is fundamental for us. He is living in a strange situation, because nobody understands it," he added. "Hopefully it will end soon."
Midfielder Mario Gotze insists he never considered leaving Bayern Munich and he is confident he can shine under Pep Guardiola.
The Germany international was heavily linked with a move away from the Bundesliga champions in the close-season.
Juventus, Manchester United and Arsenal were all said to be interested in Gotze, Germany's hero in the 2014 World Cup final.
Gotze, who is with the national team preparing for Euro 2016 qualifiers against Poland and Scotland, said he always wanted to stay at Bayern.
"For me it was never a topic to leave Bayern Munich. I feel good at Bayern," he said.
"I appreciate the fans, the manager, the team, everything. I had two good years, we've won titles.
"Of course sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't.
"I'm excited for the new season and I have high aims. I'll work on myself and try to get more minutes on the pitch. I'm optimistic.
"You should not forget that I came to Munich two years ago [from Borussia Dortmund] with an injury. Until today I had no further big injury, played a lot, played a tournament in Brazil.
"If you only watch my stats, they aren't bad. I'm just happy and I hope I will have many years in Munich without an injury. I will give the best - that's my attitude."
Gotze, who is contracted until mid-2017, has come off the bench in two of Bayern's three league wins to start the season.
Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben faces four weeks on the sidelines after picking up a groin injury in Netherlands' Euro 2016 qualifying defeat to Iceland.
The winger - making his first appearance since taking the captain's armband from Robin van Persie - limped off less than half an hour into the 1-0 defeat in Amsterdam.
Robben, already replaced by Sunderland's Jeremain Lens in the Dutch squad, has struggled with injuries throughout his career and was even forced to deny he missed Bayern's pre-season tour of China with a fitness issue.
The 31-year-old was clearly frustrated after his limited contribution on Thursday.
"It's really incomprehensible," he told NOS. "Specialists will now begin to say that I am prone to injury.
"But I was very fit and started super sharp in the competition."
Vicente del Bosque has warned David de Gea that he will not be selected by Spain unless he plays regular football for Manchester United.
There has not yet been any indications as to whether the goalkeeper will regain his No 1 spot for the Red Devils following the breakdown of his proposed move to Real Madrid on transfer-deadline day, but his national-team boss has made it clear that he cannot afford to remain benched, with Euro 2016 on the horizon.
“I've made it clear that [De Gea] will not be selected unless he plays for his team,” he told Radio Marca.
However, while De Gea was called up for La Roja's matches against Slovakia and Macedonia, Del Bosque was more forgiving when discussing the omitted Victor Valdes, who is understood to have no future at United, despite being named in their Premier League squad.
“[Valdes] is a reflection that I've thought long about. We lacked a bit of courage to call him up,” he added.
“Victor's case is especially unique for everyone [connected to the national team].
“His conduct when he was behind Iker [Casillas] and [Pepe] Reina was fantastic.
“He's one of the most committed players to have ever represented the national team. We're stronger with him in the squad.”
Carrick withdraws from England squad through injury
By Stephen Crawford
Sep 7, 2015 10:46:16
The midfielder looked set for a return to the starting XI against Switzerland, but must now return to Old Trafford for treatment
Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick has withdrawn from the England squad due to injury.
The Three Lions qualified for Euro 2016 with a 6-0 win over San Marino on Saturday, with James Milner and Jonjo Shelvey making the cut ahead of the former Tottenham man.
Having previously been tipped to make a return to the starting line-up against Switzerland on Tuesday, the 34-year-old will not be afforded the opportunity to improve on his 33 caps as he returns to Old Trafford for treatment.
The news will come as a blow to Red Devils boss Louis van Gaal, who has utilised the midfielder in all four of the club's Premier League clashes so far this season.
Lars Lagerback's side drew with Kazakhstan to book their place at a first major international tournament while the Czechs saw off Latvia to seal their progression
Czech Republic and Iceland have booked their places at Euro 2016 after securing the top two positions in Group A.
Both teams sit on 19 points after eight matches and cannot be caught by third-placed Turkey, who will now battle it out with Netherlands for a play-off spot.
Czech Republic took advantage of Netherlands' 3-0 defeat to Turkey as goals from David Limbersky and Vladimir Darida helped them to victory over Latvia.
Sejad Salihovic pulled one back for the hosts in the second half, but Pavel Vrba's side held out to reach their sixth straight European Championships.
That result left Iceland needing just to avid defeat against Kazakhstan to book their place in the finals in France, and Lars Lagerback's side obliged as they played out a goalless draw in Reykjavik.
Captain Aron Gunarsson was sent-off in the final minute of normal time but the hosts held out to pick up the result they required.
The Azzurri beat Bulgaria to go two points clear in Group H but were left hanging on at the death after failing to make the most of their first-half domination
Antonio Conte says Italy must become more clinical in front of goal, despite taking a major step towards qualification for Euro 2016 with a 1-0 win over Bulgaria on Sunday.
Daniele De Rossi gave the Azzurri a sixth-minute lead in Palermo, with the Roma midfielder converting a penalty after Antonio Candreva had been felled in the area.
However, despite dominating the remainder of the half - Italy had 15 shots on goal in the opening half - the hosts failed to add to their advantage and were left hanging on at the death, with Gigi Buffon forced into making an excellent stop in injury time from Georgi Milanov.
Conte was pleased with Buffon's contribution, in what was his 150th appearances for his country, while Marco Verratti also caught the coach's eye.
However, he was reluctant to single out anyone in particular for special praise, particularly as he was more concerned with Italy's lack of a killer instinct.
"I don't want to speak about individuals," he told Rai Uno. "I think Marco is a play on whom we can rely but he must grow.
"Gigi made an important save for us but he's always a guarantee.
"We got six points from two games [after beating Malta 1-0 on Thursday] but I'm a little disappointed that the result remained in the balance given we dominated the game. We deserved more goals.
"We have to be more clinical. We created a lot but didn't take our chances.
"Anyway, there was real commitment so I'm happy."
Italy's victory moves them two points clear of Norway at the top of Group H and three ahead of third-placed Croatia.
Kovac slams Croatia players for qualification collapse
By Mark Doyle
Sep 6, 2015 23:59:10
The coach says his troops did not show enough spirit and determination during their draw in Azerbaijan and defeat away to Norway
Croatia coach Niko Kovac has accused his players of a lack of heart after seeing their hopes of qualifying for Euro 2016 unravel over the past week.
The Croats have slipped from top spot in Group H to third place after drawing 0-0 in Azerbaijan on Thursday before losing 2-0 away to Norway on Sunday.
Kovac has pinned the blame for Croatia's collapse firmly on his players, claiming that they have not displayed enough commitment to the cause.
"You should ask the players for the reason for these results," he told reporters.
"My staff and I have done our part, but there are 11 players who must do theirs.
"The team must give 100 per cent. Otheriwse, you cannot win, against neither Azerbaijan nor Norway.
"Playing for the national team is not the same as playing for your club.
"Every player must ask themselves if they have played well today or not.
"Norway fully deserved to win. They were exceptional. We were the worst team on the pitch.
"They show more desire and heart to overcome every obstacle."
Italy now top Group H, two points clear of Norway and three ahead of Croatia, who next host Bulgaria before then travelling to Malta in their final fixture.
The England boss says that the striker's fitness problems are "bothering" him and suggested that he might not travel to France next summer
England boss Roy Hodgson fears that Danny Welbeck could miss out on a place in the Euro 2016 squad because of his persistent injury troubles.
The Arsenal striker has been out of action since May with a knee injury and has suffered another set back after undergoing surgery.
The Gunners revealed that Welbeck will be out for even longer now and Hodgson has admitted he is worried about his situation.
“Welbeck bothers me now,” he said. “He has already been out for me since March so that’s over four months already.
"Now I hear it’s going to be another six months, so I can only hope that Danny recovers a bit quicker and hits the ground running.
“I’ve got to make certain there are a few Jamie Vardys and Harry Kanes and Theo Walcotts because we can’t keep going around talking about the ones who aren’t there.
“What we’re trying to develop is a bigger pool of players, to get that up to 30, where we can say: ‘Whatever happens, as long as we can get 23 of this 30, we’ll be OK.’
"Then you would have to be very unlucky if two or three in the same position went down. We don’t need more than 30."
The Three Lions boss also admitted that he is waiting on clarification from Aston Villa youngster Jack Grealish over his international career, with the 19-year-old still to decide if he wants to feature for England or Ireland.
“I’m not 100 per cent certain of what he is waiting for,” Hodgson said. “As far as I am concerned I would like him to come out and say: ‘I’ve thought about it, I’ve got the two possibilities and I’m opting for England’ and then he will be available for selection.
”I’m more than happy to speak to the boy. I’m more than happy to speak to his manager and more than happy to speak to his parents.
"We’ve spoken to him and what we’ve said, quite simply, is that we think he is a very talented footballer. We think he could have a very good international career and we would be more than happy if he chose that career to be England.
"I’m still hoping that’s what he will do but at the same time because of his grandparents he has the opportunity to play for Ireland.
“I made it clear to him: ‘It’s got to be your decision, it’s got to be something you really want to do and that feels right because I certainly don’t want to put you under any undue pressure and I’m not going to resort to artificial means to get you with us and stop you playing elsewhere. I want you to play for England because you want to play for England.’
"It would be nice if he says yes and then he would have a year to see if he could knock one or two of these players off their perch. That would be pleasant but there is no time limit."
Hodgson: Time for Grealish to make international decision
By Sacha Pisani
Sep 7, 2015 07:15:10
The 19-year-old enjoyed a breakthrough season for Aston Villa in 2014-15 as the club avoided relegation and the Three Lions manager is keen to pick him at international level
Roy Hodgson has urged Jack Grealish to make a decision on his international career, with the England manager hoping the teenager overlooks Republic of Ireland in favour of the Three Lions.
Grealish is eligible to play for England, while he also qualifies for Ireland through his grandparents, but the 19-year-old is yet to declare his allegiance after rejecting a call-up from Martin O'Neill in May.
Hodgson has made no secret of his willingness to call Grealish into the England squad after the youngster helped Aston Villa avoid relegation from the Premier League last season.
The 68-year-old is still waiting on a decision from Grealish but the England boss is now ready to include the player in his plans with Euro 2016 qualification already assured.
"I'm not 100 per cent certain of what he is waiting for," said Hodgson. "I would like him to come out and say, 'I've thought about it, I've got the two possibilities, and I'm opting for England', and then he will be available for selection.
"But he has been injured, to be fair, so he wouldn't have been selectable for any team during these September fixtures.
"Now, maybe before the October fixtures, he might make that decision."
Hodgson, whose England side host Switzerland in Tuesday's Euro 2016 qualifier, added: "It would be nice if he says yes. Then he would have a year to see if he could knock one or two of these players off their perch.
"That would be pleasant but there is no time limit.
"We think he could have a very good international career and we would be more than happy if he chose that career to be for England.
"I made it clear to him, 'It's got to be your decision, it's got to be something you really want to do and that feels right'."
The Dragons will have to wait for Euro 2016 qualification having drawn 0-0 with Israel and their manager bemoaned having to play an away match just three days earlier
Chris Coleman claimed Wales would have beaten Israel and qualified for Euro 2016 if they had not had to play away at Cyprus just three days earlier.
A 0-0 draw at the Cardiff City Stadium put the celebrations on pause and Coleman felt the 10-hour round trip to Cyprus, where his side won 1-0 courtesy of a Gareth Bale header, had negatively impacted on his players.
He said: "The lads were tired at the end. Baley was tired. A five-hour flight to Cyprus three days ago and a five-hour flight back has taken its toll.
"Had we not had a game in Cyprus three days ago, I think we'd have won."
Bale almost secured a historic win when he had a late effort saved and Simon Church had the ball in the net in injury time, only to have the goal ruled out for offside.
But Wales remain top of Group B and need just one more point to be sure of qualification for a major tournament for the first time since 1958.
"We felt that if we'd scored early they would have opened up, but it wasn't to be," Coleman added.
"But if you'd have offered us four points from these two games beforehand, we'd have bitten your hand off. We're four points closer to where we need to be. Had Israel have beaten us it would be a different story.
"The teams behind us have to win the games. Belgium and Israel have to play each other and they can't both win."
Wales' final two qualifying matches see them travel to Bosnia-Herzegovina before hosting Andorra.
Gotze has my trust even if he doesn't have Bayern's - Low
By Miles Chambers
Sep 6, 2015 16:37:13
The World Cup winners' coach has no intention of dropping the attacker and stressed how important Ilkay Gundogan is to their Euro 2016 hopes
Joachim Low has insisted Mario Gotze remains an important player in his Germany set-up, irrespective of his struggles at Bayern Munich.
Gotze has entered his third season at the Allianz Arena but is not considered a crucial cog in Pep Guardiola's side – he has started from the bench in two of their three Bundesliga matches so far in 2015-16.
Low believes Gotze has earned his spot in the national team through his performances in last summer's World Cup – including his matchwinning goal in the final – and backed the 23-year-old to make his mark on Bayern's XI.
"I told Mario Gotze he should fight for his place at Bayern," the Germany head coach told reporters on Sunday. "There will always be injuries, there will always be chances.
"In Bayern, there might even be more competition than in our team. As a club coach who has matches every three to four days, you have to look at how the players work together.
"I am sure that Mario will have a lot of games if you check it at the end of the season. I've seen a lot of young players who had a bad patch like Mario had after the World Cup.
"But Mario always gave everything for us. He lives and breathes football 24 hours a day. He is technically good and has a great sense of direction in confined space.
"And Mario scores against strong teams like Brazil or Argentina. That is why I trust him."
Low, who has been in charge of the national team since 2006, also insinuated Borussia Dortmund midfielder Ilkay Gundogan can play a pivotal role in their efforts to win Euro 2016.
"Gundogan played very well against Poland," he said, referencing Friday's 3-1 win over their European Championship qualification rivals. "He gaves us time to breathe by attacking and gave us stability.
"He is almost back in the form he had two years ago and back then he was superb. Looking at the Euro 2016 he is an extremely important player. If he plays like this, it is hard to replace him."
Germany have no fresh injury concerns for Monday's visit to Scotland and Low suggested he will make only “one or two” tinkers to the XI from the Poland clash when they line up at Hampden Park.
With all six teams in Group D to play three more matches, the world champions are top with 16 points, Poland are second with 14, Republic of Ireland third with 12 and Scotland fourth with 11.
The top two automatically qualify for the finals in France next summer, with the third-placed team likely to go into the eight-team play-offs for the last four spots in the continental tournament.
The Arsenal forward says he and captain Wayne Rooney has faith in Roy Hodgson's youthful squad after becoming the first team to book their place at the tournament
Theo Walcott sees no reason why England cannot win Euro 2016 next summer after becoming the first team to qualify for the competition on Saturday.
A routine 6-0 win over San Marino secure Roy Hodgson & Co.'s place in France, with the Arsenal forward scoring twice inside 10 minutes of his introduction as a second-half substitute.
England have failed to reach a semi-final of a major tournament since Euro 1996 and suffered their worst ever showing at a World Cup two years ago, but Walcott has faith in the current crop of players.
"I think this team is getting better and better, and that's what we want to do going into the tournament next year," he told reporters. "We've gone a long way towards that, so I am sure things are going to improve.
"There are big tests for us, but I believe in that dressing room. We are playing in the best league in the world, we're improving every day, the players are playing at the top of their game.
"It'll definitely be a big achievement if we can go far. I am sure that we can. The manager has got that in our system, that he believes in us. The belief is there, the confidence is there, so why not?"
Wayne Rooney's opening penalty saw him draw level with England's top goalscorer Sir Bobby Charlton on 49 goals for his country and Walcott says the captain has similar belief in the Three Lions' younger stars.
Walcott added: "What can you say? Wayne has been doing it for years. It just shows how established he is as an England international and at Manchester United. He's so good in the dressing room, he's a winner.
In training, he always wants to win - never wants to lose. He just wants to improve and improve this team. He has belief in this dressing room that this young talent can actually go on and do something special."
The World Cup winning goalkeeper says his side were by no means flawless in their narrow qualifying victory and said he was frustrated at not keeping his sheet clean
Manuel Neuer has admitted Germany made mistakes in their 3-2 Euro 2016 qualification campaign win over Scotland on Monday, but was pleased with their overall performance.
Thomas Muller twice gave Joachim Low's men the lead, but sloppy defending allowed the hosts back into the game on both occasions before Ilkay Gundogan eventually scored the winner after the break.
With two games reamining in Group D, Germany remain top of the table by two points but the Bayern Munich stopper was not satisfied with the team's defensive performance.
"We made mistakes from set pieces, which meant that Scotland were able to equalise twice," Neuer told the official DFB website.
"It’s annoying to concede goals, but we performed well and were the better team overall.
"We want to keep going, as we have played well in the previous two matches. We have to keep the momentum going."
Goalscorer Gundogan, meanwhile, was quick to concede Scotland did not make life easy for the world champions.
"The Scots sat very, very deep. They made it difficult for us. But we played good football and were dangerous throughout. I’m pleased to have scored again," the Dortmund midfielder added.
Muller was once more the hero for Germany and the prolific attacker was happy with his fine form in recent games, having scored eight goals in his past seven matches for his country.
"I have been clinical in the last couple of games, which is always good. We knew what kind of game to expect. We were calm on the ball, it was a case of being patient," concluded the Bayern star.
Coleman: Ireland focused on final games after 'great week'
By Ryan Kelly
Sep 8, 2015 14:54:44
The Everton full-back made a return to the national team as they saw off the challenge of Georgia to consolidate their hold on third place
Seamus Coleman says that the focus now turns to winning the next game after the Republic of Ireland secured six points from six against Gibraltar and Georgia in Euro 2016 qualifying Group D.
The Everton defender sat out the 4-0 win over Gibraltar on Friday with a hamstring complaint, but returned to the starting XI as Ireland narrowly defeated Georgia 1-0 at the Aviva Stadium on Monday.
Following Scotland's defeats to Georgia and Germany, the Boys in Green have strengthened their position in third, opening up a gap of four points to Gordon Strachan's side in Group D, while just two points separate Ireland from second-place Poland.
With crucial ties to come against Germany and Poland in October, the Donegal native now has his sights set on winning the next game.
"We're going to win our next game and win the game after that, that's what we're looking at," Coleman told reporters. "All I want to do is win the next game and go from there.
"It has been a great week. How tight the group is, it just turned around in our favour," added the 26-year-old. "Scotland didnt have the best week and we had a great week and we're delighted with the turn of fortune.
"There's a great buzz [in the dressing room]. There was a great buzz on Friday night too [after the Gibraltar win]. We're happy with how the week went.
"We wanted six points this week and we go into the next games [against Poland and Germany] fully focused, fully concentrate. We've done nothing yet."
Meanwhile, the Blues full-back was fulsome in his praise of Jonathan Walters, who scored the decisive goal on the 69th minute after meeting a Jeff Hendrick cross.
"Jonny [Walters] is different class," Coleman declared. "He's someone you'd want in your team every week.
"You can see the attitude he has and we're happy to have him."
Ireland continue their quest for Euro 2016 qualification in October when they host Germany before playing Poland away.
