Section: Daily News & Analysis (India)
Coach Del Bosque wants more constructive criticism of Spain
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has called for more constructive criticism and less negativity as the European champions prepare to take on Netherlands in a friendly in Amsterdam on Tuesday. Spain’s 5-1 drubbing at the hands of the Dutch at last year’s World Cup finals marked the end of La Roja’s glittering six-year run when they...
Goalscorer Morata hailed as “the future of Spain”
Alvaro Morata was designated “the future of the national team” after the Juventus forward fired holders Spain to a 1-0 win against Ukraine in Euro 2016 qualifying in Seville on Friday. There was a strong element of luck about Morata’s 28th minute strike, the ball looping up off a defender and over the Ukraine goalkeeper into the...
Laboured Spain win leaves coach Del Bosque with “bad taste”
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque was left with a “bad taste in his mouth” after the holders laboured past visiting Ukraine 1-0 in Euro 2016 qualifying Group C on Friday. Spain started brightly at the Sanchez Pizjuan stadium in Sevilla, taking a deserved lead through Alvaro Morata in the 28th minute, but lost their way in the second half...
Astronauts board space station for 1-year mission
Two Russians and an American floated into the International Space Station on Saturday, beginning what is to be a year away from Earth for two of them. Mikhail Kornienko and Scott Kelly are to spend 342 days aboard the orbiting laboratory, about twice as long as a standard mission on the station. Russia’s Gennady Padalka is beginning a...
Morata goal fires off-colour Spain past Ukraine
Forward Alvaro Morata justified his selection for Spain by scoring his debut international goal in a laboured 1-0 home win for the holders against Ukraine in Euro 2016 qualifying Group C on Friday. Morata galloped on to a Koke pass in the 28th minute at the Sanchez Pizjuan stadium in Seville and his shot took a slight deflection off a defender...
Michel Platini calls for creation of European police force to battle returning `hooliganism` in stadiums
UEFA president Michel Platini has called for the creation of an European sports police force as he fears that stadiums in Europe are witnessing a return to hooliganism, which he believed to be a thing of the past. Platini, who was re-elected unopposed for a third term as president of UEFA, claimed that there is a rising trend of nationalism and...
Muted UEFA response as Prez Blatter calls for unity
FIFA president Sepp Blatter received muted applause from UEFA delegates after he gave a low-key speech at the opening of their congress on Tuesday which included a less-than-subtle call for unity ahead of May’s FIFA presidential elections. Most European delegates, including president Michel Platini, are against Blatter winning a fifth term...
Diego Costa out of Ukraine qualifier and Netherlands friendly
Spain forward Diego Costa will miss the holders’ Euro 2016 qualifier at home to Ukraine on Friday and a friendly away to Netherlands four days later due to a hamstring injury sustained playing for Chelsea at the weekend. Spanish soccer federation (RFEF) medical staff confirmed the injury in tests in Madrid and Costa has withdrawn from the...
Russia has ‘more right’ to Crimea than UK to Falklands, says Russian lawmaker
Russia has more claim to Crimea than Britain has to the Falkland Islands, a senior Russian lawmaker insisted today as London again denounced Moscow’s “illegal annexation” of the peninsula. “Attention London: Crimea has far more reason to be in Russia than the Falklands have to be part of Great Britain,” said Alexei...
Mother of captured Ukraine pilot lobbies Germany to help free daughter
The mother of captured Ukrainian pilot Nadia Savchenko sought German support on Monday in her campaign to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin into ordering the release of her daughter who has become a national hero in Ukraine. Pro-Russian separatists battling Kiev’s forces captured Savchenko, 33, last June and handed her over to...
