Clarence Seedorf has achieved virtually everything there is to do in the game. Born in the football backwater of Surinam, he was the child prodigy who played his way into the last great Ajax team, winning the Champions League aged 19 alongside his hero Frank Rijkaard.
He wasted no time in cashing in on his talent with a move to Italy before settling down at Real Madrid where the trophies and glory nights continued to flow. Back to Italy again to add a Scudetto and two more Champions League crowns to his glittering CV and you would think his career would be complete - having just turned 32.
But what has he ever done for Holland ?
Seedorf yesterday made the surprising …
Ilkay Gundogan has announced his retirement from international football after captaining Germany on home soil at Euro 2024.
Gundogan captained Germany in all five of their matches as they reached the quarter-finals of their home tournament, ultimately suffering a 2-1 extra-time defeat against Spain.
The midfielder was initially handed the captain s armband by Hansi Flick in the absence of the injured Manuel Neuer last year, retaining it under new head coach Julian Nagelsmann despite Neuer s return to fitness.
Gundogan played a total of 82 games for his country, scoring 19 goals including two at major tournaments – versus Japan at the 2022 World Cup and Hungary at this year s Euros.
Amid rampant speculation over his future at club level, the Barcelona ma…
Former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson believes Manchester United will be completely convinced Jadon Sancho is poised to become one of football s biggest stars.
United and Borussia Dortmund have agreed a deal in principle for the transfer of Sancho, which is worth around £73million and expected to be completed after his involvement in Euro 2020.
Winger Sancho is reportedly poised to make his first start in the competition when England do battle against Ukraine in Rome on Saturday.
Leaked team news ahead of the quarter-final tie suggests Bukayo Saka is struggling through injury and that Sancho will get a chance to start on the right wing, with Mason Mount and Raheem Sterling completing the trio who will provide support to lone striker Harry Kane.
Sancho …
Spain can move a step closer to retaining their European crown when they face France in the quarter-finals of Euro 2012 on Saturday.
After years of underachievement on the big stage, Spain finally fulfilled their promise by winning Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland.
They went one better two years later, lifting their first FIFA World Cup courtesy of a 1-0 extra-time victory over the Netherlands.
And Vicente Del Bosque s team now have a chance to make history, by becoming the first country to win three successive major international tournaments.
It has been something of an underwhelming start to Euro 2012 for the holders, with Spain coming from behind to draw 1-1 with fellow quarter-finalists Italy in their Group C opener.
They cruised to a 4-0…
Argentina were chosen as hosts of the 2011 Copa America on Tuesday, a spokesman for the South American Football Confederation told AFP.
However Julio Grondona, president of the Argentinian Football Federation (AFA), said there were other priorities ahead of the hosting of South America s most prestigious football tournament.
Our priority is to qualify for the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa, said Grondona, who recently appointed Argentina legend Diego Maradona as coach of the national side after a faltering start to their qualifying campaign.
After that we can work on the 2011 Copa America.
Grondona also revealed that Argentina would be inviting Japan to the Copa the Japanese guested in the 1999 edition.
We will discuss this invite fo…
Inter consolidated their position at the top of Serie A with a slightly scrappy 1-0 win over Torino in their final match of 2021.
This has been a year to remember for the Nerazzurri, ending an 11-year wait for the title under Antonio Conte, but Simone Inzaghi may yet ensure the coming 12 months are equally exciting.
While Inter will surely have to be better than they were against Torino to retain their crown, another Denzel Dumfries goal was enough to secure the three points.
Victory took Inter seven clear at the summit ahead of matches later on Wednesday for challengers Napoli and Milan, able to put their feet up over the festive period before returning to a potentially season-defining sequence of fixtures.
| DUMFRIES
Torino had been enc…
The Netherlands might not have the standout stars they had at the 2014 World Cup, but Louis van Gaal thinks the overall quality of his squad in Qatar is better.
Van Gaal, who was in typically good humour as he previewed the Netherlands game against Ecuador, led the Dutch to the semi-finals eight years ago.
Memphis Depay, Daley Blind and Stefan de Vrij are the only players who featured in Van Gaal s squad in 2014, with the rest of the Oranje s selection in Qatar being World Cup debutants.
Although their squad lacks the leading lights of Robin van Persie, Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben that Van Gaal had at his disposal in Brazil, the Netherlands coach thinks his squad of 2022 has more to offer across the board.
With Germany and Argentina losing their firs…
The New Orleans Saints roll into a soggy Lumen Field to face the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football in Week 7.
Seattle is still sorting out life without QB Russell Wilson while New Orleans is off a bye week and anxious to find some consistency after splitting wins and loses in their first five games.
Oddsmakers are giving the Seahawks the points at home but if you’re not interested in the spread or total, luckily bookies have a massive menu of Monday Night Football prop bets.
Here are our top prop picks for Saints at Seahawks on October 25.
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After all that grumbling, Aaron Rodgers is back with the Green Bay Packers in 2022. But what did it cost him? Not $150.8 million, that’s for sure.
The Cheeseheads did send top target Davante Adams to Las Vegas, leaving the NFL MVP to truly earn his money this season. Luckily for Packers backers, a dominant run game and promising defense can help carry the weight in Rodgers’ golden years.
Green Bay’s NFL odds still hold this franchise to a high standard and there’s major pressure on this team to get over its postseason problems and add to A-Rod’s legacy before he’s fed up. The Packers will once again be good but may go about their business in a different way in 2022.
Find out how in our Green Bay Packers NFL bett…
The second week of the preseason kicks off Thursday night as the Cleveland Browns visit Lincoln Financial Field as 3.5-point road dogs vs. the Philadelphia Eagles with a total of 37.5.
With sharp money moving the Eagles’ spread across the -3 to -3.5, is there still room to back the Eagles at home despite the regular starters likely watching from the sidelines?
Find out in my NFL preseason best bets for Browns vs. Eagles on Thursday, August 17.
Browns vs Eagles odds
Browns vs Eagles predictions
Sharp betting syndicates released the Eagles -2.5 and moved that line through the 3 to -3.5. That was on the backs of the Eagles having the much better defense and being much deeper on the defensive line. …