Wambach defends USA after 13-0 humiliation of Thailand

Peter Moore is to step down as Liverpool chief executive officer at the end of August, the Premier League champions have confirmed.

Moore took up the post at Anfield in 2017 after spending more than 30 years in the United States with companies including Reebok and Microsoft.

Liverpool have enjoyed significant success in the past three years, winning the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, Club World Cup and Premier League, while the club recorded pre-tax profits of £42million and turnover of £533m in February, shortly before the coronavirus pandemic took hold in England.

Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group said Moore has strengthened the club s business operations through his leadership and wished him well ahead of a return to USA.

Moore said:  I ve lov…

Eden Hazard described former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho as special but conceded his own style is more in line with present Blues coach Maurizio Sarri.

Belgium superstar Hazard won a Premier League title and EFL Cup under Mourinho during the Portuguese s second spell in charge at Stamford Bridge.

Hazard s relationship with Mourinho reportedly soured towards the end of his tenure, but the forward has spoken of a desire to play under the ex-Manchester United manager again.

Sarri has found his own position in the Chelsea post come under increasing scrutiny, particularly since the 6-0 battering at the hands of Manchester City on Sunday.

But Hazard accepts the way he plays suits the type of football the Italian wants.

Speaking to Chelsea s official webs…

Thomas Tuchel described Carlo Ancelotti as an inspiration ahead of their Champions League meeting as Paris Saint-Germain host Napoli on Wednesday.

Ancelotti helped PSG to the Ligue 1 title in 2013, the French club s first league championship since 1994, before leaving to take over at Real Madrid. 

He returned to the Parc des Princes with Bayern Munich last season but suffered a 3-0 defeat that brought about the end of his tenure at the Bundesliga giants.

Now back in his native Italy with Napoli, Ancelotti will hope for better fortunes with the Partenopei in the first of two successive Group C meetings with PSG, whose current boss was full of praise for his counterpart.

At first I admired him as a player, I saw him on TV, he was in a big club and you…

Paris Saint-Germain are interested in signing Renato Sanches from Ligue 1 rivals Rennes in the summer transfer window, according to . The report has claimed that new PSG Sporting Director Luis Campos has stepped up the French champions’ pursuit of the 24-year-old Portugal international midfielder.

AC Milan are also interested in Sanches, but talks over a potential transfer have stalled, and PSG are now ready to swoop in and secure the services of the former Bayern Munich midfielder. It was Campos who signed Sanches for Lille when he was their sporting director.

Sanches made 20 starts and five substitute appearances in Ligue 1 last season, scoring two goal and providing five assists in the process. The Lille no. 10 made 14 starts and nine substitute appearances in the …

Napoli star Victor Osimhen will miss the Africa Cup of Nations after undergoing surgery on broken bones in his face.

The forward was hurt in a clash of heads with Inter defender Milan Skriniar as the Nerazzurri ended leaders Napoli s unbeaten start to the Serie A season on Sunday.

He was substituted in the 55th minute and taken for tests, which the club later confirmed had revealed multiple displaced fractures of the left orbit and cheekbone .

Osimhen had an operation on Tuesday that included the fitting of titanium plates and screws.

The club confirmed he will be out of action for three months, meaning he will play no part in Nigeria s AFCON campaign in Cameroon, with the tournament beginning on January 9.

Osimhen is Napoli s leading goalscorer…

Market: Fulham win

Odds: 10/11 @

Desperate to make a return to winning ways this weekend, Fulham will make the trip across the capital on Saturday afternoon when they face off against Luton.

Starting with the hosts, managing to make a thumping return to winning ways with a 3-0 romp against Blackpool last weekend, there is no doubt that Luton will be desperate to build off of that result. However, while the Hatters might still find themselves hanging onto their spot in the top-half of the Championship table, Nathan Jones men will know that they face a stern test on home soil here. Bringing an end to what was a worrying four-match winless run on either side of November s international break, Luton will still be worried by their recent issues at Kenilworth Road. In…

Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud has hinted that he would be open for a return to France, but reiterated his primary choice is to remain in the Premier League.

Giroud left France in 2012, signing with Arsenal on the back of scoring 21 goals for Montpellier as they claimed the Ligue 1 title.

The 32-year-old moved across London 12 months ago but has struggled to hold down a regular spot under Maurizio Sarri, the striker only starting six league games under the Italian.

Marseille have been heavily linked with a move for Giroud, although the club have brought in former Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli in the January transfer window, while Lyon are also rumoured to be interested.

4 Olivier Giroud has scored four goals in his last three Europa League appea…

Ivan Rakitic believes Croatia s blend of talent and experience gives them the opportunity to make a major statement at Euro 2016.

Barcelona midfielder Rakitic was one of a number of Croatia stars who came to prominence during their Euro 2008 run to the quarter-finals progress that was halted by a penalty shootout defeat to Turkey, who they face in their opening Group D encounter in Paris.

Rakitic is now 28 and stands alongside international team-mate Luka Modric, 30, as one of the most accomplished midfielders in Europe and with plenty of flair alongside that impressive fulcrum, the former Sevilla man believes now is the time to shine.

It is true that we have a lot of years together, Rakitic told reporters at a news conference. 

I was talking to Luka […

Best Odds: 5/7

Bookmaker:

Two nations who are looking to extend on their Olympic adventure out in Japan, Germany and the Ivory Coast will meet at the Miyagi Stadium in Rifu on Wednesday morning.

Germany U23

Starting with Germany, after opening this summer s delayed Olympic Games with a dreadful display against defending champions Brazil, the 2016 silver medalists would have been glad to have got their first victory on the board. Opening up their Group D run with a 4-2 drumming at the hands of the South American giants, Stefan Kuntz s side just about managed to avoid what would have been a real banana skin over the weekend. Eventually watching Augsburg s Felix Uduokhai bag a late winner in their action-packed 3-2 victory against Saudi Arabia, The Whites did once…

Miralem Pjanic has praised Massimiliano Allegri for making everything work in the best way during his time in charge at Juventus.

Allegri will take charge of Juve for the final time on Sunday when the Serie A champions travel to Sampdoria, bringing the curtain down on his hugely successful tenure in Turin.

The former AC Milan boss has won the league five times and also the Coppa Italia on four occasions since taking over in 2014.

Pjanic arrived from Roma two years into Allegri s reign but has been impressed by the way the Italian has continually pushed a star-studded squad to get better.

We are a fantastic group and I have to congratulate our coach, who has always managed to make everything work in the best way, he said at a club event on Thursday at t…