The Federation Internationale de Football (FIFA) has announced a twelve man shortlist for the coach of the year on Thursday with a list of star attractions put on the list.
As the group stage draws for the UEFA Champions League is to be announced next week in Monaco, the UEFA Men’s player of the year will be also be announced as well as the UEFA Women’s player of the year; but all eyes will be who wins the Men’s Award after an incredible year of football from all the teams who participated in the competition.
Cincinnati: Alexander Zverev enters the US Open confident and feels his best ahead of any Grand Slam event, even after a fatigue-filled loss Wednesday in his ATP Cincinnati Masters opener.
US 19-year-old wildcard Frances Tiafoe beat the seventh-ranked German 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in a second-round matchup at the year’s last major tuneup for the Open, which begins August 28 right after the ongoing Cincinnati open.
Zverev won titles at Montreal and Washington, giving him five on the year, matching Wimbledon and Australian Open champion Roger Federer for the ATP’s most in 2017 after beating the 19-time Grand Slam winner in the Montreal final.
“I’ve beaten a lot of great players. I’ve beaten a lot of top-10 players. I’ve played a lot of big matches,” Zverev said.
“I feel very confident with how I’m playing. I feel the best I ever felt going into a Grand Slam and that confidence shows on the court.”
But the toll of the 10-match win streak caught up to the 20-year-old from Hamburg at Cincinnati, where he said he was only playing at 10 percent by the middle of the second set.
“I’m not a machine. I’m tired. There was no hiding it,” Zverev said. “There’s a physical limit to all of us and I’ve reached that now.
“This match is already forgotten. But it’s something that’s normal. It happens to all of us.”
Zverev pondered withdrawing but said he made a promise to play doubles with India’s Leander Paes at Cincinnati and they did, losing Tuesday in their first match.
“I’m someone who keeps my promises,” Zverev said. “I actually felt OK yesterday but I only hit for 30 minutes.”
As well as Zverev has played — taking titles at Montpellier, Munich and Rome as well as his US and Canada trophies — he is ready to put away the racquets for a while.
“I’m going to take three or four days off, play a load of golf and go to the beach and not touch a tennis racquet,” Zverev said.
Zverev had his best Grand Slam run at Wimbledon, falling in the fourth round. But his back-to-back hardcourt titles have boosted him to a career-best ranking and made him a target for rivals in New York.
When he is ready and rested, Zverev counts himself among those just behind Federer and Rafael Nadal, who will return to world number one next week, as US Open favorites.
“Roger and Rafa are the biggest ones,” Zverev said. “And there are a few guys coming after that. And I’m involved in that. But overall, the favorites are Roger and Rafa.”
2016 Africa Women Cup of Nations winning Coach, Florence Omagbemi has been nominated for The Best FIFA Women’s Coach 2017.
Exiled striker Diego Costa has repeated his wish to return to Atletico Madrid and believes his stand-off with Chelsea will come to an end when he travels to Spain.
Speaking from his native Lagarto earlier this week, Costa criticised Chelsea and head coach Antonio Conte.
Costa claims he was told he was not wanted by a text message sent by Conte during the off-season.
But the Blues insist it was decided in January, with the striker and his agent, Jorge Mendes, that Costa could leave this summer.
As a consequence, Diego has been ordered by Chelsea to return to London, get himself match fit and make himself available for selection, as he still has two years remaining on his contract.
Costa met with Milton Dantas, the president of the Sergipe Football Association, and afterwards reiterated his desire to return to Atletico. Sergipe is the region of Brazil where Diego is from.
In a statement released by Federacao Sergipana de Futebol and published by O Globo, Costa said: “My destiny is already set.
“I must return to Atletico Madrid next season.
“There happens to be an impasse as Chelsea do not want to release me.
“But I believe this situation will be resolved upon my return to Spain.”
He did not say when he would be returning to Spain, but his preferred move is complicated by Atletico’s transfer embargo, which forbids them from registering new players until January.
The statement from the Sergipe FA is the first sign that Costa is prepared to use official channels to negotiate his departure from Stamford Bridge.
Press Association Sport understands Costa has not yet contacted FIFA, football’s world governing body, over his concerns.
And FIFPro, the global players’ union, is yet to by contacted by Costa.
But FIFPro has general concerns about the trade of players through transfers.
A FIFPro statement said: “We strongly believe that players at every level of the football pyramid should have the same right as workers in other industries to follow the career path of their choice.
“A footballer’s career should not be tied to a transfer market which has spiraled out of control.
“FIFPro is not in a position to comment on the specifics of the situation of either Diego Costa.
“However, we are aware of repeated instances of the financial interests of clubs interfering with the short career of players.
“Indeed, FIFPro’s recent global survey of professional players found that 29 per cent of those traded for a transfer fee to their current club were unhappy with the move.”
From what we have seen, Liverpool will not budge on selling Philippe Coutinho, and that could well be one of the most meaningful decisions of this summer beyond Neymar’s move to Paris Saint-Germain – although it is of course connected to that.
Nigerian Billionaire, Aliko Dangote has vowed to return with a better offer to Arsenal’s majority shareholders and has laid out plans to replace Manager Arsene Wenger if his acquisition of the club succeeds.
Video Credit: GOLAZO TV
Africa’s richest man has expressed a desire to buy Arsenal, report football.london.
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