The Local

England's Under  21s are hoping to follow in the success of their Under 20 counterparts and reach a major footfall final for only the third time ever.  Andy Boothroyd's team face arch sport nemesis Germany in their semi final in Tychy, Poland, this evening for a place in the touament's final. Ital, ...ادامه مطلب

Joe Hart is set to join Torino on loan. Photo: Jonathan Nackstrand/AFPEngland goalkeeper Joe Hart arrived in Turin on Tuesday ahead of undergoing a medical that should see him sign a season-long loan deal with the unfashionable Serie A club. Hart, 29, has fallen out of favour with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City following the signing of Claudio Bravo from Barcelona and is on his way to join Torino in a bid to preserve his club future and inteational career following England's spectacular Euro 2016 exit.   Television pictures showed Hart arriving at the city's Caselle airport and widespread reports in the Italian media said he will sign for Sinisa Mihajlovic's side later in the day if he successfully completes a medical.   Hart would become the first English goalkeeper to play in Italy's top flight since 1929/30, an era in which English players - some of whom helped lay the foundations of some of Italy's biggest clubs - were prevalent in the country's top flight. It is cons,england,england flag,england national team,england time,england population,england squad,england furniture,england football,england currency,england euro ...ادامه مطلب

Leicester City's manager Claudio Ranieri (C) is mobbed by fans as he leaves an Italian restaurant after having lunch with the team on Tuesday. Justin Tallis/AFPClaudio Ranieri's triumph with Leicester City in England has more than made amends for being sacked by Roma, according to the Italian's 96-year-old mother. "I'm sorry about how it finished for him at Roma: we've always been a big Roma-supporting family," Renata Ranieri told La Repubblica newspaper on Wednesday. "He took over (at Roma) when the season had already started. He didn't ea the respect of his own city... and I'm disappointed it finished like that for him. "But now, he's the king of England and he's getting compliments from all around the world." Ranieri went to Rome to have lunch with his elderly mother on the day Leicester clinched their historic Premier League title when Tottenham failed to beat his former club Chelsea on Monday. It was only two hours, but it gave her 64-year-old son "time to relax" and reflect on an unforgettable season at the tail end of what has been a storied, and not always successful, career for the coach known as the "Tinkerman". Ranieri's achievements with Leicester have resonated around the world, especially in his native Italy. Sacked by Juventus before the end of the season in 2009, Ranieri was appointed Roma coach months later after Luciano Spalletti quit after two opening defeats. It looked a dream appointment for the man who grew up supporting Roma while working as a butcher's boy before embarking on a modest playing career. But despite Roma going 24 games unbeaten, Ranieri's popularity plummeted when they lost the title and the Italian Cup final to Jose Mourinho's treble-winning Inter Milan. After a 1-0 Cup final defeat to Inter, Mourinho mocked Ranieri for showing his players the 'Gladiator' film in a bid to inspire them to victory. Defeat to Inter in the Italian Super Cup final the following season preceded a negative series of results and Ranieri quit Roma in Feb, ...ادامه مطلب

Following Leicester's league win, Claudio Ranieri is the man of the moment. Photo: Jean Christophe Magnenet/AFPIn what people are calling the greatest sports' story ever, rank outsiders Leicester City FC clinched the English Premier League title on Monday. This was in no small part thanks to the input of their charismatic Italian manager, 54-year-old Claudio Ranieri. Following the victory, newspapers across the world have lavished praise on Ranieri, who when he took on the role of managing Leicester last summer, was considered to be "past it". Italian papers have proclaimed him 'King Claudio', while TuttoSport lauded him as 'the King of England.' Prime Minister Matteo Renzi even chipped in, boasting that an Italian had been responsible for the greatest ever story in English football. La più grande impresa della storia del calcio inglese l'ha guidata un italiano. Grande @LCFC. Grandissimo mister Ranieri. #pazzesco — Matteo Renzi (@matteorenzi) May 2, 2016 But who is Claudio Ranieri? And what's all the fuss about? Do we have to? I hate football... Whether you like football or not, everybody can appreciate the fairy-tale nature of Leicester's triumph. In the entire history of the Premier League era, the trophy has only been won by five different teams, whose rise to success has been precluded by monstrous injections of cash by billionaire investors. Ranieri's Leicester was assembled for €68.8 million, which in football terms is not a lot.Last year's champions, Manchester City, have spent an eye-watering €530.6 million on their squad, but were still beaten to this year's title by Leicester, a team which survived relegation to the second division last year by the skin of their teeth. This season, when Ranieri took the helm of the struggling club, nobody thought he could ever help the team win the league, with bookmakers pitching Leicester at 5,000-1 for the title back in September. Is that why I've never heard Leicester? Probably, yes – but don't worry about it. They , ...ادامه مطلب

Roma players Mohamed Salah and Francesco Totti celebrate a goal. Photo: Alberto Pizzoli/AFPRoma coach Luciano Spalletti said his players should look to Leicester City and Serie A rivals Juventus for inspiration as they continue their bid to snatch the league's second automatic Champions League spot from Napoli. Leaders Juventus will clinch a record-equalling fifth consecutive league crown if Napoli drop points against Roma at the Stadio Olimpico on Monday.But while it is only a matter of time before Massimiliano Allegri's reigning champions emulate the club's record-setting feat from 1935, the battle for second place is far from over.Roma cannot catch Juve but are only five points adrift of Napoli, meaning a home win at the Stadio Olimpico would see Spalletti's men close the gap to two points with three games remaining. Spalletti admitted both Juventus and Napoli's campaigns this season have been impressive.But the 57-year-old Italian said if any of his players needed inspiration, they need look no further than Leicester and their astonishing charge towards the English Premier League title."(Claudio) Ranieri's Leicester are doing some great things because they're a team, so are Juventus, and have some great individual players," Spalletti said on Sunday. "And we should look towards the teams that are better than us."Spalletti has spent the past weeks embroiled in a tense stand-off with playmaker Francesco Totti, who is approaching possibly his Serie A swansong in what is his 23rd season with the club, and brushed off questions about the club legend.With a third consecutive automatic qualification for the Champions League at stake, Spalletti is keen to maintain cohesion in the dressing room, and above all avoid the recent fate of Napoli. The southe club finished third in Serie A in 2014 only to fail to qualify for the Champions League proper after an aggregate defeat to Athletic Bilbao in the play-offs."It's a fundamental objective for us and the fans, and should be t, ...ادامه مطلب