Blue is definitely the colour for the discreet N'Golo Kante, now shining for France on the pitches of Euro 2016 after playing a key role in LeicesterCity's fairytale run to the Premier League title in England.
France kick off their Euro 2016 campaign against Romania on Friday with the host nation desperate for a ray of sunshine after being hit by strikes, floods and scandals in the build-up. Protests against a labour law and torrential rain that has caused the Seine river to rise to levels not seen in decades have created a bleak backdrop to the tournament where France will start as favourites. A state of emergency is also still in force after last November's Islamist attacks killed 130 people in Paris at several sites including the Stade de France, the venue for Friday's opening game.
'I asked the coach for an explanation. An explanation can be just two minutes long. It's not complicated ... But I am still at the coach's disposal. The coach knows this' 'I have the feeling that my name is being manipulated for reasons that have nothing to do with football'
Colombia beat Ivory Coast 2-1 in yet another action-packed World Cup clash in Brasilia on Thursday to top Group C on six points and move within touching distance of making the knockout phase for the first time since 1990.
Prime Minister David Cameron will lead a show of solidarity with France at an England-France soccer match in London on Tuesday following the bloody attacks on Paris, with English fans expected to sing the French national anthem.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
The expanded European soccer Championship format with 24 teams in the finals instead of 16 contributed to fairytale runs by so-called minnows at Euro 2016 but also helped Portugal lift their first major trophy. The new formula introduces an extra knockout stage, the round of 16, with the top two teams in each of the six groups going through as well as the four best third-placed sides. Portugal did just that, finishing third in their group and going on to win the tournament with a 1-0 victory in extra time over hosts France in Sunday's final.
Thierry Henry's handball sent such shockwaves that barely anyone remembers it was actually William Gallas who scored the infamous goal France that ruined Ireland's chances of a World Cup appearance more than six years ago.
Valtteri Bottas has denied signing a pre-contract with Ferrari, saying he was amused by some of the speculation about his Formula One future.
Mumbai City FC have been fairly inconsistent in the inaugural season of the Indian Super League so far, one could actually term their performance as the strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
Dimitri Payet's spectacular late strike earned France a 2-1 win over Euro 2016 Group A rivals Romania on Friday, giving the host nation a flying start to their campaign.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho delivered an expletive-laden halftime team talk that fired his side to a 3-1 comeback victory over Leicester City on Wednesday and moved them to within three points of the Premier League title.
Chelsea face the prospect of having veteran Didier Drogba as their only fit striker for their visit to Manchester United on Sunday in what is usually one of the standout matches of the Premier League season.
IMAGES from the Euro 2020 qualifiers
Antoine Griezmann had plenty of painful memories to erase in Thursday's European Championship semi-final against Germany and he did that in style, scoring twice to lead the host nation to an historic 2-0 victory over the world champions.
Used to relying heavily on one key player for their European glory in the past -- Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane in the 1984 and 2000 tournaments respectively -- French fans have two talented players on whom to pin their hopes at Euro 2016.
Here is a look at what happened in their previous Euro semis...
After tweaking his formation and starting lineup at Euro 2016, France coach Didier Deschamps seems to have found the perfect formula at just the right time. Thanks to his shrewd tactics, his team turned on the style to outplay Iceland 5-2 on Sunday and advance to an appetising semi-final battle with Germany. The fact that France, who had never got past the last eight at the finals since their 2000 triumph, managed to get almost everything right, has a lot to do with Deschamps' methods.
France's players immediately turned their minds to a semi-final with Germany on Thursday after putting Iceland to the sword in a 5-2 win at Euro 2016.
Hosts France came from behind to beat 10-man Ireland 2-1 and reach the Euro 2016 quarter-finals after two second-half strikes from forward Antoine Griezmann at Parc OL on Sunday. A tactical switch from coach Didier Deschamps at the break revitalised the French, who struggled to find their feet early on after conceding a Robbie Brady penalty in the second minute, the fastest goal in the 2016 tournament.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho was charged with misconduct by the FA on Thursday following comments he made about referee Anthony Taylor.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Sweden missed the influence of captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who was resting a sore calf muscle, as they struggled to create chances in a dull 0-0 draw with Slovenia in their penultimate Euro 2016 warm-up in Malmo on Monday.
FC Pune City maintained a clean sheet by recording their second consecutive win with a solitary goal victory over NorthEast United in an Indian Super League football match on Friday.
There was no celebratory run down the touchline, no dancing on the pitch, just a sober reflection of a job well done from Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho on Sunday after his side beat Crystal Palace to win the Premier League title.
Chelsea have been accused of being boring but they will not mind one bit if they beat Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on Sunday to win the Premier League title for the first time in five years.
The self-styled "Special One" faces what he agreed is a special fixture this weekend but Jose Mourinho refused to accept that beating Manchester United to establish a 10-point lead with six games left would mean Chelsea had won the Premier League.
What you must know about Anthony Martial, the world's most expensive teenage footballer.
Centre-back Eric Abidal and midfielder Samir Nasri were missing when France coach Didier Deschamps named a 24-man squad on Thursday for next week's friendly against the Netherlands.
Ramie was used in ancient Egypt and China long before cotton was introduced to the Far East.
Formula One's 'silly season' of rumour and speculation is heating up.
A summary of Friday's Euro 2020 qualifying matches.
'He has told me that if I continue playing football even after ISL, then he will consider me for the European Championship next year' "This is one of the biggest challenges of my career'
Chelsea plucked a performance straight from the Jose Mourinho textbook -- with John Terry writing a chapter all of his own -- as they grafted to a 0-0 draw at Arsenal on Sunday that leaves them almost certain to claim the title.
The 25-year-old striker, who stands 1.76 metres tall, caught the eye on the big stage against Germany, driving home a penalty at the end of the first half before poking in the ball on 72 minutes following a rare blunder by Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
When France meet Portugal in Sunday's Euro 2016 final, the outcome is likely to depend on the performances of Cristiano Ronaldo and Antoine Griezmann -- the second time the two players have clashed with a European trophy at stake in six weeks. Portugal's Ronaldo steered Real Madrid to their Champions League triumph at the end of May after his French rival Griezmann missed a penalty for city rivals Atletico.
Kerala Blasters strode into the final of the Indian Super League (ISL) after a 10-man Delhi Dynamos, in a shocking display, missed thrice in the penalty shootout in their second-leg semi-final in New Delhi,
France striker Olivier Giroud ended a run of 10 international games without a goal by netting a stunning winner as the world champions claimed a deserved 2-1 victory over the Netherlands in their Nations League clash on Sunday.
Chelsea must add a new dimension to their brand of football if the champions are to mount a strong defense of the Premier League title they won in some comfort last season, said manager Jose Mourinho.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances