BUDAPEST: Real Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni said he will captain France “with a lot of pride” in their Nations League game against Israel in the absence of Kylian Mbappé.
The 24-year-old Tchouaméni wants to be a leader “who brings people together” but is not interested in turning the captaincy into a popularity contest.
“To be approved by everyone. What does that mean? Obviously within teams there are some people you get on better with others, the important thing is to respect each other,” he said at a pre-match news conference in Budapest. “Some people are liked by everyone in a dressing room, some are less popular. It’s the same as in any business.”
Tchouaméni has made 36 appearances for France and brings his experience to a team lacking their biggest star.
“I chose him because I think he has the profile to handle this responsibility,” France coach Didier Deschamps said. “Even though he’s still young, he took part in the last World Cup and the last European Championship.”
Mbappé, France’s usual captain, is nursing a minor thigh injury in Madrid.
“I spoke with Kylian last night, but we didn’t really talk much about the captaincy,” Tchouaméni said. “We spoke more about other things.”
Mbappé’s absence from the France team raised questions since he still played for Madrid last weekend. Deschamps accepted the situation given that the club is Mbappé’s employer.
“Clubs have always had this power,” Deschamps said, adding that clubs in general are becoming more “attentive,” given the volume of games that their players must play.
“I don’t want to put players in conflict with their clubs,” Deschamps added.
When asked, Tchouaméni assured that Madrid did not ask him to pull out of playing for France.
“That’s not the case,” he said. “People can interpret things how they like, but all I can say is that there is not a form of pressure from within the club.”
France are also without vice-captain Antoine Griezmann, who surprisingly announced the end of his international career last month after scoring 44 goals in 137 matches.
Griezmann and Mbappé helped lead France to the 2018 World Cup title and were coach Deschamps’ most influential players in recent years, along with midfielder Paul Pogba, central defender Raphaël Varane and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
Varane, Lloris and Olivier Giroud — France’s all-time leading scorer with 57 goals — have all retired from the national team. Tchouaméni compared it to a generation ending but said the time was ripe for “a new generation to emerge.”
Italy have a three-point lead over France and Belgium in their Nations League group after two rounds. France play Israel on Thursday and travel to Belgium four days later.
A young Deschamps played in midfield when France lost a World Cup qualifier 3-2 at home to Israel in 1993 and subsequently failed to qualify for the World Cup.
A reporter asked Deschamps what he remembered about the match, which he also reminded Deschamps was Israel’s finest moment in soccer.
“Thank you,” Deschamps responded dryly, before adding that “it was far from the happiest” moment in his career as he watched the 1994 World Cup from his living room.
Tchouaméni’s proud to lead France against Israel in Nations League in Mbappé’s absence
https://arab.news/ccrps
Tchouaméni’s proud to lead France against Israel in Nations League in Mbappé’s absence
- The 24-year-old Tchouaméni wants to be a leader “who brings people together” but is not interested in turning the captaincy into a popularity contest
- “Obviously within teams there are some people you get on better with others, the important thing is to respect each other,” he said
Man City sink Barca in Women’s Champions League as Bayern outgun Arsenal
PARIS: Manchester City made a spectacular return to the Women’s Champions League on Wednesday, defeating holders Barcelona 2-0 in the opening round of group stage matches as Bayern Munich downed Arsenal 5-2.
Both teams hit the woodwork in a lively start to the Group D clash at a sold-out Joie Stadium in Manchester, with City grabbing the lead when defender Naomi Layzell bravely scrambled home.
Vivianne Miedema headed smartly back across goal from a corner and a lunging Layzell reacted quickest to prod the ball past a crowd of Barcelona players.
Last year’s Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati went close to an equalizer with a deflected effort, but Khadija Shaw grabbed a second for City to condemn Barcelona to a rare defeat.
Shaw beat the offside trap with a perfectly-timed run to latch onto Layzell’s pass and rounded goalkeeper Cata Coll to clinch a memorable win.
“It’s fantastic from Naomi and Bunny (Shaw) finishes it off. It gave the players a real lift and we have to remember who we’re playing against. It’s a step for us,” City manager Gareth Taylor told DAZN.
“I said in my press conference yesterday that I really admire Barcelona and what they’ve done and we try to replicate that.”
City are making their first group stage appearance, having last played in the Champions League proper in 2020-21 when Barcelona knocked them out in the quarter-finals.
The defeat is only Barcelona’s second in 19 games in the group stage since its introduction for the 2021-22 season. It is also the first time they have failed to score a goal.
Pernille Harder scored a second-half hat-trick as Bayern kicked off their Group C campaign with a convincing victory over Arsenal in Germany.
Arsenal led through Mariona Caldentey’s strike in Germany, but Bayern captain Glodis Viggosdottir brought the home side level before Sydney Lohmann put them ahead.
Laia Codina equalized for Arsenal midway through the second half only for Harder to find the net three times in the final 20 minutes to secure an impressive win for German champions Bayern.
“The last few years have been tough with injuries, so now I’m just happy to be back playing in the Champions League. I was happy with the goals and the win,” said Harder, who ended a two-year goal drought in the competition.
Juventus are level with Bayern on three points following a 1-0 win away to Norway’s Valerenga, with Sofia Cantore netting the only goal.
Swedish side Hammarby won their first ever group stage game 2-0 against Austrian champions St. Poelten, who are appearing in the group phase for the third season in a row.
Vilde Hasund’s long-range effort gave Hammarby the lead and Cathinka Tandberg followed up her late winner in qualifying by wrapping up the points with another goal two minutes from time.
Panathinaikos defender Baldock found dead in his Athens home
ATHENS, Greece: Panathinaikos defender George Baldock, a former Greece international who also played for Sheffield United for seven seasons, has been found dead in his Athens home, Greek media reported. He was 31.
State-run ERT television said the body of Baldock was found late Wednesday in his swimming pool in the southern suburb of Glyfada. The cause of death was not immediately clear.
Britain-born Baldock was called up for Greece in 2022 and played 12 matches, the last in March in Greece’s loss on penalties to Georgia in the Euro 2024 playoffs.
He was not in Greece’s squad for Thursday’s UEFA Nations League game against England.
Baldock joined Sheffield United in 2017 and helped the club earn promotion to the Premier League twice, in 2019 and 2023. He joined Panathinaikos in May, on a three-year contract, after Sheffield United was again relegated to England’s second division.
“Sheffield United Football Club is shocked and extremely saddened to learn of the passing of former player, George Baldock,” the English club said on social media. “The defender left the club in the summer after seven years at Bramall Lane and was extremely popular with supporters, staff and team-mates who pulled on a red and white shirt alongside him.”
Striker Firas Al-Buraikan resumes training with Saudi national team ahead of World Cup qualifier
- Green Falcons take on group leaders Japan at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah on Thursday in the 3rd round of the Asian qualifiers
JEDDAH: Firas Al-Buraikan took part in a training session with the Saudi national football team on Wednesday ahead of their match against Japan in the third round of the World Cup qualifiers. The Al-Ahli striker recently recovered from a muscle injury.
Thamer Al-Khaibari also trained after joining the Green Falcons at the training camp, as head coach Roberto Mancini oversaw the final preparations for Thursday’s game at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah.
The session began with warm-up exercises, followed by passing practice and tactical training, before concluding with half-pitch mini matches followed by stretching.
Saudi Arabia are in second place in Group C of the Asian World Cup qualifiers with 4 points from two games. Japan lead the group with a maximum 6 points, Bahrain are third with 3 points, followed by Indonesia on 2 points, Australia with 1 point, and China who have yet to claim a point. The top two teams from each of the three groups will qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup, while the teams who finish third and fourth will advance to the fourth round of qualification.
Fahd Al-Harbi retains skeet shooting title at Saudi Games
- Mohammed Al-Khamshi takes silver, Saeed Al-Mutairi bronze
- Weightlifter Siraj Al-Sulaim wins gold in men’s 67 kg division
RIYADH: Fahd Al-Harbi successfully defended his skeet shooting title at the Saudi Games on Wednesday, the final day of the shooting events at the Public Security Training City.
Mohammed Al-Khamshi and Saeed Al-Mutairi took silver and bronze, respectively.
Prince Khaled bin Bandar bin Musaad, vice president of the Saudi Shooting Federation, handed out the medals after five days of fierce competition. Maj. Gen. Nasser bin Othman Al-Nasser, assistant director of public security for training affairs, also attended the medals ceremony.
In the weightlifting competition, Saudi Weightlifting Federation President Mohammed Al-Harbi crowned the winners of the youth, women’s and men’s competitions, in three weight categories at Boulevard 4.
The medals ceremony was also attended by Antonio Conflitti, president of the European Weightlifting Federation, and Khaled Mhalhel, president of the African Weightlifting Federation.
Al-Ula Club’s Siraj Al-Sulaim won gold in the men’s 67 kg category, while Nawaf Al-Muzaidi of Al-Tarf took the silver and Mansour Al-Sulaim of Al-Ula the bronze.
In the youth’s 55 kg category, Mohammed Al-Ajyan of Al-Huda Club took the gold, ahead of Al-Omran’s Hassan Al-Wubari and Reda Al-Zori of Al-Noor.
In the women’s 59 kg category, English Kimloni of Al-Ittihad won the gold medal, Jannah Al-Amari of Jeddah Club took silver and Al-Anoud Al-Shahri of Al-Tarf took the bronze.
They were awarded their medals by Fawzia Hobani, a board member of the Saudi Weightlifting Federation.
Mbappe among stars missing from Nations League while European teams eye World Cup qualifying
- France captain Kylian Mbappe opts to stay away from Nations League
- The Nations League will open an international door for newcomers
GENEVA: In a congested football season where elite players have aired the idea of going on strike, the Nations League returns this week looking less than a top priority.
France captain Kylian Mbappe opted to stay away, his probable deputy Antoine Griezmann retired from the national team, and Romelu Lukaku asked to work on his fitness at new club Napoli rather than join the Belgium camp.
Add a wave of injury call-offs in Germany and elsewhere — some of them serious, for Spain defender Dani Carvajal and German goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen — and the Nations League will open an international door for newcomers.
Belgium coach Domenico Tedesco called up four potential debutants to experiment in games in what is the third-tier competition for European teams.
“We will not do it during the important World Cup qualification,” said Tedesco, looking ahead to that important next stage in 2025.
The 2026 World Cup in North America is, however, already now in play for teams targeting that tournament and each has two Nations League games from Thursday through Tuesday.
Results in the next week, and two more games in November, are the last chance to gain a better seeding in the Dec. 13 draw in Zurich for European qualifying groups for the World Cup.
Two teams pushing to raise their FIFA ranking and go into the draw pot of second-seeded teams are Norway and Slovenia.
Haaland vs. Sesko
Europe’s most feared striker and one of its emerging stars are due to meet again on Thursday in Oslo.
Erling Haaland and Benjamin Sesko, once club mates at Salzburg, are the main attractions when Norway hosts Slovenia in their second-tier League B group.
Haaland has 11 goals in 10 games for Manchester City this season plus a winning goal in the Nations League, sealing a 2-1 victory over Austria last month.
Sesko has six in nine games for Leipzig — including three in the Champions League — plus four in two Nations League games. The tall striker got a hat trick in a 3-0 win over Kazakhstan.
Thursday’s game will not be decisive in the group but it will decide who leads at the midway point and is set for promotion to the top tier. The return game in Ljubljana is Nov. 14.
France’s leader
The last time France played a game with neither Mbappe nor Griezmann on the field? November 2016, in a 0-0 draw with Ivory Coast in a friendly.
It will happen again Thursday when France faces Israel in Budapest. The Hungarian capital is the neutral venue chosen since Israel’s conflict with Hamas started one year ago.
Mbappe has faced a latest round of criticism at home by asking out of coach Didier Deschamp’s squad last week then starting for Real Madrid in a league game Saturday.
The search for a new captain has taken Deschamps back to Madrid, with 24-year-old midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni named Wednesday to take the armband. France also travels to face Belgium on Monday.
Standout Italy
Italy leads the top-tier group that includes France and Belgium after winning both its September games on the road.
A 3-1 win in France, despite trailing in the first minute, was perhaps the standout performance in the Nations League last month. Italy followed it with a 2-1 win over Israel in Budapest.
Coach Luciano Spalletti’s squad, refreshed with younger players after a round of 16 exit at the European Championship, now has back-to-back home games: against Belgium in Rome on Thursday and Israel in Udine on Monday.
Italy can seal a top-two finish in the group on Monday with two rounds left to play in November. That would earn a place in the Nations League quarterfinals in March.
Top-tier teams that advance to the Nations League Final Four mini-tournament in June will not start their World Cup qualifying games until September. They will need to be placed by FIFA into four-team groups.
Rookie ‘keepers
Manuel Neuer has retired from the Germany team and Marc-Andre ter Stegen is out injured beyond the March international break.
So, in come three newcomers competing to be first-choice goalkeepers for games at Bosnia-Herzegovina on Friday and home to the Netherlands on Monday: Oliver Baumann of Hoffenheim, Alexander Nubel of Stuttgart and Janis Blaswich, who plays at Salzburg on loan from sister club Leipzig.
Coach Julian Nagelsmann also is without the injured trio of Bayern’s Jamal Musiala, Arsenal’s Kai Havertz and West Ham’s Niclas Fullkrug.
Games to watch
Defending champion Spain returns Saturday hosting Denmark which won its first two games under new coach Lars Knudsen without conceding a goal.
Two entertaining teams at Euro 2024, Georgia and Albania, renew rivalry on Monday. Georgia won 1-0 in Tirana last month and leads that second-tier group of four Euro 2024 teams which also includes the Czech Republic and last-place Ukraine.
Cristiano Ronaldo has graced almost every national stadium in Europe across two decades and 214 games for Portugal, though not yet Hampden Park in Glasgow. He should play there Tuesday.
It took Ronaldo until his 214th game last month to even face Scotland, and he scored a men’s record-extending 132nd goal to seal a 2-1 win in the 88th minute.
In the same group, Poland vs Croatia should see two greats face off as captains: 36-year-old Robert Lewandowski and 39-year-old Luka Modric.
