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News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Delhi Dynamos FC, on Wednesday, announced that Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez will be the club's brand ambassador for the upcoming Indian Super League season.
Heading into the fourth edition of the tournament, Jacqueline will help the club in embracing and engaging with fans across the country.
The decision to sign the Judwaa 2 actress is driven by the idea to not only engage the city of Delhi better, but to also raise awareness of the club in the sub-continent.
At the same time Jacqueline will help spread the message that anyone can learn and play the 'beautiful game'. This will also help engage more female audience to the world of football.
"With Jacqueline coming on board, Delhi Dynamos will become the first Indian Football Club to have a female brand ambassador that has a wide international audience. This goes in line with the club’s vision to be not only a club of India, but a club with international ambitions," Delhi Dynamos director Rohan Sharma said.
Bayern malaise won't infect Germany, says Hummels
Bayern Munich's poor form that led to the sacking of coach Carlo Ancelotti will not spill over to the German national team ahead of Thursday's crucial World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland, defender Mats Hummels said on Wednesday.
World Cup winners Germany, who need one point from their last two qualifiers to secure a spot in next year's tournament in Russia, have won all eight of their Group C games so far. They take on Azerbaijan on Sunday.
German champions Bayern are without a win in their last three matches in all competitions, having dropped to second place, five points off leaders Borussia Dortmund and have twice in a row squandered a two-goal lead in the league.
They sacked Ancelotti and have yet to appoint a successor.
"We (Bayern players) are in a normal mental and physical state," Hummels told reporters. "We are not new to this business and we have gone through quite a bit in our careers."
"Clearly the past few days or even weeks have not been easy at Bayern, no doubt about that. But why should we be in a different state. We are all fit. Jerome (Boateng) is back after a year so I don't see a problem."
Hummels, whose Bayern were also beaten 3-0 by Paris St Germain -- one of six German club losses in Europe last week -- said the national team was still one of the best.
Kane named England captain for Slovenia qualifier
England striker Harry Kane is confident he will not be weighed down by the added responsibility of being named captain for Thursday's World Cup qualifier against Slovenia at Wembley.
Kane, who scored 13 goals for club and country last month, said England had plenty of leaders in the side irrespective of who wore the armband.
"For me personally nothing really changes," the 24-year-old told a news conference on Wednesday, after manager Gareth Southgate named him skipper for the Slovenia game.
"I will go out there and try and do my job for the team, try and score goals and try and win the match. I don't think having an armband on your arm makes any difference to how you play or if you score goals or not."
Southgate has yet to name a permanent captain of the team and Kane, who has filled in on a couple of occasions, said it did not matter as long as everyone kept working together.
Don't write Bulgaria off, says captain Popov
Bulgaria captain Ivelin Popov believes his side can pick up maximum points in their last two matches in Group A and qualify for the 2018 World Cup after a 14-year absence from major tournaments.
Bulgaria, who have failed to reach a major tournament since Euro 2004, host leaders France on Saturday, knowing only a win will keep their chances of playing at the finals in Russia next summer alive.
"There are still games to be played in the group and a turnaround is possible," said Spartak Moscow striker Popov, who will miss the France game due to suspension.
France top the standings with 17 points from eight matches, followed by Sweden on 16. Netherlands are third with 13 points while Bulgaria are fourth on 12.
"We'll go out and try to take maximum points in these two matches (Bulgaria visit Luxembourg in their final game on Tuesday), so they really shouldn't write us off," Popov said. "We're very strong at home."
The eight best runners-up from the qualifying groups in Europe will play home-and-away over two legs with the winners going through to Russia.
Allardyce to sue FA over sacking
Former England manager Sam Allardyce has sent a "5,000-word letter" to the Football Association seeking damages for the way they handled his sacking, according to a report in the Daily Mail newspaper.
Allardyce left his role with the national side by mutual consent after just one game following a newspaper investigation by Britian's Daily Telegraph which featured a video of him offering advice to undercover reporters on how to "get around" FA rules on player transfers.
The Daily Mail story says that lawyers for the 62-year-old, who lasted 67 days in the job, have now obtained transcripts of the recordings and have written to FA chairman Greg Clarke and chief executive Martin Glenn.
They argue that the FA did not confirm facts before firing Allardyce and that the experienced manager did not breach the terms of his employment.
