1.6m ticket requests for 2010 World Cup

Flamengo appointed former Brazil goalkeeper Rogerio Ceni as their new head coach, the Brazilian champions announced on Tuesday.

Ceni – who holds the record for most goals scored by a goalkeeper with 131 – replaces Domenec Torrent at the Campeonato Brasileiro and Copa Libertadores champions, after leaving Fortaleza.

Flamengo turned to Ceni after Torrent was sacked following just three months in charge following a 4-0 rout at the hands of title rivals Atletico Mineiro, having also lost 4-1 to Sao Paulo a week earlier.

The 47-year-old joins a Flamengo side third in the table and only a point adrift of leaders Internacional.

Veja algumas imagens de como foi o primeiro treino do técnico Rogério Ceni no Mengão!

— Flamengo (@Flamengo)

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So, 19 games in and the big three are exactly where you would expect them to be in the LaLiga table.

Saturday saw all three teams in action following the resumption of top-flight action in Spain, with leaders Barcelona conceding late to lowly Espanyol as they were held to a 2-2 draw in an entertaining derby.

While Barca remain on top, Real Madrid are now level on points with their rivals after a 3-0 triumph away at Getafe. As for Atletico Madrid, they overcame Levante 2-1 at home to make it four wins on the spin in all competitions, keeping them in touch with the top two ahead of what could be an intriguing battle (after all, Sevilla are level on points with Atleti, too).

There has not been a genuine title race in the competition since Real Madrid were crow…

Thomas Tuchel may be less than a week into his role as Chelsea head coach but some clear patterns are emerging from his first two games in charge particularly in defence.

Tuchel is the first Chelsea boss to keep a clean sheet in each of his first two Premier League games in charge since Rafael Benitez in November 2012 following a 2-0 win over Burnley on Sunday.

Having conceded 77 goals in 57 Premier League games under predecessor Frank Lampard, this represents a much-needed tightening of the rearguard at the start of Tuchel s reign.

In fact, Burnley s first attempt did not arrive until the 94th minute – their longest ever wait for their first shot in a Premier League game.

It was a similar story in Tuchel s first game when his side stifled Wolves in a…

France were many people s tip heading into Qatar 2022, having been so impressive when they lifted the World Cup four years ago.

On paper, they have the sort of team that would have most players of the FIFA 23 video game drooling, or at least, they did before injuries started to pile up.

Midfield pair Paul Pogba and N Golo Kante, both so crucial to their 2018 success, had already been ruled out, and in the days since head coach Didier Deschamps announced his squad, two more high-profile names have been forced to withdraw.

The loss of Christopher Nkunku was a blow despite the RB Leipzig forward being unlikely to start, his 48 goal involvements (37 goals and 11 assists) in 2022 only second to France team-mate Kylian Mbappe (57 43 goals and 14 assists) among players …

Liverpool and Newcastle United produce goals.

Across 50 prior Premier League encounters ahead of Wednesday s meeting at St James Park, the ball had found the net 159 times.

Indeed, in Premier League history, only four fixtures – Arsenal v Liverpool (166), Liverpool v Tottenham (162), Arsenal v Everton (162) and Arsenal v Tottenham (161) – have provided more goals.

With Liverpool – who claimed their biggest ever top-flight away win in their previous game on the road, thrashing Crystal Palace 7-0 – aiming to respond to a Sam Allardyce special at Anfield, and Newcastle having failed to keep a clean sheet in their past 11 home league matches, the stage seemed set for another goal-fest.

Yet on a snowy night on Tyneside, the champions were held for…

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has confirmed Marcos Rojo is set to leave Manchester United, but Jesse Lingard could still have a future at the club despite nearing a loan move to West Ham. 

Argentina international Rojo has played for United since 2014, when he was brought in by Louis van Gaal, but has long been out of the first-team reckoning. 

The last time he managed to reach double figures for Premier League appearances in a single season was 2016-17, when he played 21 times in Jose Mourinho s first campaign in charge. 

But injuries and poor form saw that figure drop to nine in 2017-18 – he then featured just five times in 2018-19 and thrice last term before he was sent to former club Estudiantes on loan. 

His brief stint back in Argentina did not …

Eddie Howe has admitted he will never be able to bask in glory no matter what he achieves at Newcastle.

The 45-year-old has guided the club to the brink of Champions League qualification in his first full season in charge.

A win over Premier League strugglers Leicester at St James’ Park on Monday will be enough to seal a top-four place.

Team.

— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC)

But even ending a 20-year wait to return to the big stage, at the end of a campaign which also included a first major cup final appearance since 1999, would not satisfy the Magpies’ head coach.

Asked if that was just the way he is, Howe said: “Unfortunately, yes, which means you’re on sort of a conveyor belt that you can’t get off.

“Everyone will s…

Graham Potter has told his Chelsea players there can be no excuses for failure in 2023 – even as injuries strike at the heart of their squad.

The head coach will be without the sidelined Reece James, Ben Chilwell, N Golo Kante and Wesley Fofana, among others, as Chelsea begin the new year at Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

Chelsea have lost their last three away games, last losing on four consecutive road trips in January and February 2019 under Maurizio Sarri, so the imperative is to end that dire streak immediately. Potter says he is experiencing his most challenging time as a coach.

Second-bottom Forest have not hosted Chelsea at the City Ground since February 1999, and Potter is wary of what he expects to be a fierce welcome by the River Trent.

However…

Patrik Schick s fifth goal at Euro 2020 was not enough to inspire a comeback as Denmark beat the Czech Republic 2-1 to take their place in the semi-finals.

Schick joined Cristiano Ronaldo at the top of the scoring charts with his fifth goal of the tournament early in the second half in Baku.

Yet he will have no further opportunity to add to his tally, as a fantastic first-half performance, which included goals from Thomas Delaney and Kasper Dolberg, ensured Denmark reached the last four of a Euros for the first time since they won the 1992 edition.

Kasper Hjulmand s team, whose tally of 11 goals trails only fellow semi-finalists Spain, will face either England or Ukraine next.

Approximately 1,500 Danish supporters were able to make the trip to Baku, and t…

Diego Simeone warned Atletico Madrid against focusing all their energy on stopping Vinicius Junior in Thursday s Copa del Rey quarter-final against rivals Real Madrid.

Vinicius is enjoying another standout campaign for Carlo Ancelotti s men, leading his team-mates for goal contributions (16 – 11 goals, five assists) across all competitions as they bid to follow up last season s LaLiga and Champions League double.

The last Madrid derby was marred by racist abuse being directed towards the winger, who responded by dancing in front of Atletico s supporters after Los Blancos took the lead in a 2-1 win.

The Brazil international will look to guide Madrid to their first Copa del Rey semi-final since 2019 on Thursday, but Simeone is aware he will not be the only threat…