Spadafora: "Sollecito Sport e Salute, basta ritardi"

Il ministro dello sport Vincenzo Spadafora ha "sollecitato 'Sport e salute' per recuperare il ritardo nell'erogazione delle indennità dei mesi scorsi".

Lo ha detto lo stesso ministro durante una diretta sul suo profilo fb.

"Dopo la partenza sprint, 'Sport e salute' sta accumulando un pò di ritardi. Io -ha aggiunto il ministro- sto sollecitando tutti i giorni il presidente Cozzoli affinchè chiuda il ritardo sulle ultime migliaia di pratiche. Mi dicono che c'è un cda che domani dovrebbe chiudere questa partita".

Per quanto riguarda le indennità di giugno, su cui "non ha responsabilità 'Sport e salute' perchè svolge una funzione di servizio", ieri sera -ha spiegato Spadafora- in consiglio dei ministri è stato approvato uno scostamento di bilancio che ci consente la prossima settimana di avere risorse per i bonus di giugno. Il bonus quindi è confermato, la prossima settimana si farà decreto, realisticamente i pagamenti che si riferiscono al mese di giugno potranno quindi essere fatti nei primi giorni di agosto". 

 "Mi appello al ministro dell'economia Gualtieri, non mortifichi il mondo dello sport. Il credito d'imposta sulle sponsorizzazioni sportive può concretizzarsi grazie ai fondi disponibili per lo sport con lo scostamento di bilancio" approvato ieri sera dal consiglio dei ministri.

"In una prima fase non eravamo riusciti a trovare le risorse. Poi il ministro Gualtieri non ha dato copertura alla misura in fase di conversione del decreto Rilancio. Ora io tornerò a fare la mia battaglia in consiglio dei ministri cercando di attingere ai fondi accantonanti con lo scostamento di bilancio. Mi auguro che col provvedimento di prossima settimana possano esserci i soldi per il credito imposta".

In questo senso Spadafora ha rivolto un appello specifico al ministro dell'economia: "Gualtieri non mortifichi un mondo straordinario come quello dello sport".

Benfica anuncia saída de Fer Drasler

Num curto comunicado publicado no site das águias, os encarnados revelaram que o fixo brasileiro não vai fazer parte do plantel 2020/21 do Benfica, confirmando os rumores que apontavam à saída do jogador.

Termina assim, sem grande brilho, a passagem discreta de Fernando Drasler no futsal português. O internacional canarinho chegou à Luz vindo do ElPozo e era um dos jogadores na porta de saída durante este defeso.

Ainda sem destino confirmado, Fernando Drasler tem sido apontado pela imprensa espanhola especializada como de regresso à LNFS, com o Zaragoza a ser uma das hipóteses mais fortes.

Benfica 2020/21

Reforços: Arthur (Barcelona), Nílson (SC Braga)

Regressos: Silvestre Ferreira (Eléctrico)

Renovações: Robinho e Fits

Saídas: Bruno Coelho (ACCS), Fernandinho (Kairat), Miguel Ângelo (SC Braga), André Coelho (Barcelona), Fernando Drasler

Frankfurt: Ljubicic als Hasebe-Nachfolger im Visier

Eintracht Frankfurt droht ihren Außenbahnspieler Filip Kostic an seinen Ex-Trainer zu verlieren, das eventuell eingenommene Geld soll auch an anderer Stelle in den Kader investiert werden. In den Fokus gerückt ist nun ein Defensiv-Stratege aus Österreich, der auf kurze Sicht Makoto Hasebe beerben könnte.

Ob im defensiven Mittelfeld oder als verkappter Organisator in der Dreierkette - der Wert von Makoto Hasebes Qualitäten in der Eröffnung war auch in der abgelaufenen Saison ein großes Plus von Eintracht Frankfurt. Doch der Japaner geht steil auf seinen 37. Geburtstag zu, demnach sucht Frankfurt nach einer baugleichen Alternative.

Profil passt - Konkurrenz aus England

Dabei ist die Eintracht nach Informationen des kicker auf den österreichischen Junioren-Nationalspieler Dejan Ljubicic aufmerksam geworden. Der 22-Jährige kann wie Hasebe im defensiven Mittelfeld oder der Innenverteidigung eingesetzt werden und verfügt über eine gute Übersicht. Sein Vertrag bei Rapid Wien läuft im Sommer 2021 aus, somit könnte die Eintracht günstig zuschlagen.

Doch neben den Frankfurtern soll auch der FC Brentford an Ljubicic interessiert sein. Die Engländer kämpfen momentan noch um den Aufstieg in die Premier League und hatten vor Kurzem bereits das Leipziger Talent Mads Bidstrup verpflichtet. Ob die Eintracht in einen Gehaltspoker mit einem gut betuchten Verein von der Insel eingehen wird, ist mehr als fraglich.

Giroud détaille ses futurs objectifs avec les Bleus

Devenir une légende.

Attaquant n°1 de l'équipe de France depuis plusieurs saisons, Olivier Giroud ne s'en cache pas : il espère marquer l'histoire de la sélection. Et pourquoi pas dès cet automne, après presque un an sans match des Bleus ? « J'ai eu la chance de faire une finale d'Euro et de gagner la Coupe du Monde. J'ai encore soif de trophées et de battre des records en équipe de France, a-t-il affirmé à Infosport +. Ce serait bien de passer la barre des 100 sélections, et puis essayer de passer devant Platini à la deuxième place du classements des meilleurs buteurs de l'équipe de France. Ce sont des objectifs et l'Euro l'été prochain en est, bien sûr, un.

Dmbitions élevées mais pas impossibles pour celui qui compte déjà 97 apparitions avec les tricolores pour un total de 39 pions marqués (soit deux de moins que Platoche). Surtout au vu de son état de forme actuel avec un Chelsea où le début de saison fut compliqué. « Ç'a été très dur pour être honnête. C'est pour ça que j'ai voulu partir parce que je n'étais plus heureux mais le coach a voulu me garder et il m'a donné sa confiance, précise l'intéressé. Mon avenir à court et moyen terme est en Angleterre. »

Real Salt Lake 0, Sporting Kansas City 2 | MLS is Back Tournament Match Recap

Sporting Kansas City, are heading to the Round of 16 at the MLS is Back Tournament. 

With a 2-0 win over Real Salt Lake, Sporting finish their group stage fixture list with six points and will finish either first or second in Group D, pending the group's final game on Wednesday night. With this result, the Colorado Rapids have been eliminated, while RSL advanced on Tuesday night.

Sporting got off to a flying start, opening the scoring after just 51 seconds through Johnny Russell. The Scot pounced on a loose ball that RSL failed to clear after a corner kick, finding the back of the net from just next to the penalty spot.

Minutes after coming off the bench, Gerso Fernandes made his presence felt immediately. He took his defender one-on-one from the right wing, cut in on his left foot and fired a curling shot into the corner. Alan Pulido was credited with an assist on both goals, he now has three goals and four assists in his first five games with SKC.

Goalkeeper Tim Melia returned after serving his one-game suspension for an opening game red card and needed only to make one save.

RSL young Designated Player Jeizon Ramirez made his tournament debut off the bench. The 19-year-old Venezuelan joined the club in February. 

Goals

• 1' — SKC — Johnny Russell | WATCH
• 86' — SKC — Gerso Fernandes | WATCH

Man of the Match presented by Heineken 

It wasn't one of his greatest goals ever, but Johnny Russell's smart finish in the first minute helped guide Sporting to all three points.

Russell has now opened his scoring for the season, after two strong campaigns with Sporting in which he had at least nine goals and nine assists each year. He now has one goal and one assist in five appearances this season.

Three Things

• THE BIG PICTURE: Sporting KC entered the tournament as one of the favorites after two strong performances to start the season four months ago and their group stage efforts confirmed that prognostication. SKC's attack has looked potent, their defense solid enough. Can they go all the way? 
• MOMENT OF THE MATCH: Russell's goal opened the scoring and was the eventual game-winner, but Gerso's goal was one for the highlight reel.
• YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Gianluca Busio's first start of the season was a mixed bag, with some encouraging moments and room for improvement. The 18-year-old rising star continues to be the subject of widespread interest from European clubs. 

Montreal Impact 1, DC United 0 | MLS is Back Tournament Match Recap

Needing a win to remain alive in the MLS is Back Tournament, the Montreal Impact responded, defeating D.C. United in both teams’ final Group C match Tuesday night.

Thierry Henry’s side are in contention for one of the wildcard spots in the Round of 16, while Ben Olsen’s squad, which had rallied to earn a share of the points in their first two matches, were eliminated from the tournament.

The Impact took the game to United in the first half, carrying a bulk of possession with occasional pokes and prods in the attacking third. As such, they took a deserved lead in the 31st minute following a corner kick. Saphir Taider unleashed a shot from distance that took a deflection off defender Frederic Brillant past a helpless Bill Hamid.

It was Taider’s third goal of the tournament, which gave Montreal its first lead in Orlando.

United came out with more urgency after halftime and pressed for the equalizer just before the hour mark. But Clement Diop denied both Ulises Segura and Kevin Paredes in quick succession with a pair of kick saves.

Maxi Urruti had a golden chance to put the game away for the Impact in the 68th minute, but his shot caromed agonizingly off the inside of the post and back across the goal.

Federico Higuain, who sparked both of United's previous comebacks, entered the match in the 70th minute, but the veteran midfielder couldn't draw up another magical moment in Orlando.

Goals

• 31’ — MTL — Saphir Taider | WATCH

Man of the Match presented by Heineken

For much of the game, Clement Diop was a spectator, with his team dominating possession. But with D.C. United pressing for the equalizer, the French goalkeeper came up huge with two kick saves in quick succession to secure a needed win to keep the Impact alive in the MLS is Back Tournament.

Three Things

• THE BIG PICTURE: The Impact’s best performance of the tournament came late — very late — but it counts all the same. It secured the top spot in Group C for rivals Toronto FC, with the New England Revolution finishing second. Montreal will have to wait to see if they’re one of the four third-place finishers to advance to the Round of 16.
• MOMENT OF THE MATCH: If not for this Taider goal (and a little help from the deflection), the Impact would have been eliminated.
• YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Julian Gressel was brought in to be a major impact player. He was subbed off after a quiet 52 minutes. Still, it was change that made some scratch their heads.

Souness in awe of Liverpool's consistency as they are crowned champions

Vince Mignott

Liverpool great Graeme Souness has hailed the "incredible" consistency of Jurgen Klopp's champions as they prepare to receive the Premier League trophy at Anfield on Wednesday.

Liverpool, who won the title with a record seven games to spare, have lost just four matches over the past two seasons in the English top flight.

Captain Jordan Henderson will lift the trophy after their match against Chelsea.

"It's not just this season, it's the last two years, the consistency levels have been incredible," Souness, who skippered Liverpool to three league titles, told the BBC.

"They just missed out (on the title) last year, but they are the current Premier League champions, World Club champions and European champions.

"Their consistency is just off the charts and I know how hard it is to achieve that."

Souness, who won five league titles and three European Cups in his time as a player at Liverpool and later managed the club, singled out Senegalese forward Sadio Mane for praise.

"I enjoy watching (Sadio) Mane -- the hardest thing to do is be a striker in the game," he said.

"He's a warrior, he's got great skills and his attitude is always spot on. He's never a 95 percent, he's 100 percent all the time."

The 67-year-old Scot, a tough-tackling midfielder, said he was also impressed by his modern-day successors in the engine room.

"They have a really hard-working midfield that never give their opponents peace if they are on the ball, they are after you all the time," he said.

"But forget the individuals -- they work as a team and that's what makes them so special. They are all at it every time they go across the white line."

Another former Liverpool captain, Steven Gerrard, came agonisingly close to lifting the trophy himself under Klopp's predecessor Brendan Rodgers.

The 40-year-old, who won the Champions League with his hometown club but never tasted Premier League glory, said the title win had exorcised some ghosts.

One moment of ill-fortune in 2014 famously cost Gerrard his last chance of winning a league title as his slip allowed Demba Ba to open the scoring for Chelsea in a costly defeat at Anfield.

"It was fantastic for everyone connected to the club but it was mixed in many ways because of my own experiences being a fan and being an ex-player," said Gerrard, now manager of Rangers.

"A lot of demons were put to bed, not all of them, but certainly I felt a lot better when Liverpool got over the line recently.

"I look back every day (at not winning a Premier League title) and I think I will forever and ever. It is the one that eludes me in terms of being a player and it would have completed the set."