Football

Saturday, June 15, 2013 , by

Kevin Azzopardi

Fenech wins top MFA award

Birkirkara midfielder Paul Fenech crowned an excellent season last night after winning the MFA Footballer of the Year award for the first time in his career. The driving force of Birkirkara’s midfield, Fenech topped the poll with 53 points, just four ahead of team-mate and club captain Gareth Sciberras who was second. Hibs winger Clayton Failla, the winner...

Monday, June 10, 2013

Spain hold on for Haiti win

World champions Spain held on for a 2-1 win over Haiti in a friendly on Saturday night as they warmed up for this month’s Confederations Cup. After Fernando Torres went close with a spectacular volley, Vicente del Bosque’s team grabbed the lead in...

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Monday, June 10, 2013 by
Kevin Azzopardi

Protagonists remember historic three-game final in 1972/73

June 10, 1973 is etched in letters of gold in the history of Gżira United. That day, Gżira won their first and only major honour to date after capturing the prestigious FA Trophy, seeing off the more-quoted Birkirkara 2-0 in a second replay after...

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Monday, June 10, 2013

Big decisions await Mourinho

Jose Mourinho will set foot back in Stamford Bridge today with a list of high-profile transfer targets and a blueprint for taking Chelsea back to the top of the English game. The 50-year-old will be formally unveiled as the new Chelsea manager, just...

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Monday, June 10, 2013

Football news

Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger remains “hungrier than ever” for success after completing a bumper treble-winning campaign with the Bundesliga club. The 28-year-old Germany international was a key figure in the Bayern squad which...

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Monday, June 10, 2013

Sporting briefs

Coloccini: Newcastle United defender Fabricio Coloccini’s potential departure to San Lorenzo is looking increasingly unlikely as the Argentine club’s attempt to sign the 31-year-old is on the brink of collapse. Initially the club had hoped to take...

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Sunday, June 9, 2013 by
Kevin Azzopardi

Ghedin takes many positives from heroic Malta victory

Success is all the sweeter when it’s achieved in adversity and against all expectations. The weary but happy faces of the Malta players encapsulated this feeling late Friday as the national squad, Malta FA officials and the media entourage departed...

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Sunday, June 9, 2013

Haber crowns ‘great’ year with Yerevan clean sheet

Having played an instrumental role in Malta’s win over Armenia on Friday, shot stopper Justin Haber was visibly emotional as he spoke to reporters after the game. “This win should strengthen our confidence. If we play like that we can make it...

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Sunday, June 9, 2013 by
James Calvert

Time for Wayne to move on

There seems to be a growing consensus among Manchester United fans that one of David Moyes’ most urgent jobs when he takes over next month is to persuade Wayne Rooney to stay. The players handed in a transfer request toward the end of last season...

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Sunday, June 9, 2013

Prandelli stands by Balotelli

Italy head coach Cesare Prandelli will remain patient with Mario Balotelli despite the striker’s im-petuous dismissal in Friday night’s World Cup qualifying meeting with the Czech Republic. The points were shared in Prague as a lacklustre Italy side...

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Sunday, June 9, 2013

Montenegro upbeat despite 4-0 upset

High-flying Montenegro were brought down to earth in World Cup qualifying after a 4-0 home rout by Ukraine but the tiny Adriatic nation’s coach Branko Brnovic remains optimistic about their chances of reaching next year’s finals. Their heaviest...

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Sunday, June 9, 2013

Argentina held by Colombia at home

Colombia climbed into second place in South America’s World Cup qualifying group after holding leaders Argentina 0-0 on Friday, while Chile did their chances of reaching the finals no harm with a win in Paraguay. Colombia’s goal difference puts them...

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Sunday, June 9, 2013

Bernstein against WCup in winter

Football Association chairman David Bernstein has come out strongly against proposals to move the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to the winter. Bernstein, who steps down as FA chairman next month, said the idea was “fundamentally flawed” and believes the...

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Sunday, June 9, 2013

Swiss snatch last-gasp win over defiant Cyprus

Substitute Haris Seferovic ended 90 minutes of frustration for Switzerland by scoring a last-gasp goal to give them a 1-0 win over defiant Cyprus in a World Cup qualifier yesterday. The two sides looked set for their second goalless draw in the...

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Sunday, June 9, 2013

Treble leaves Lahm hungry for more

Bayern Munich captain Philipp Lahm insists his side are not satiated by winning the treble this season and believes they will be hungry for even more titles next year. Bayern became the first side ever to win a Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions...

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Sunday, June 9, 2013 by
Mike Collett

Confederations Cup more than a dress rehearsal for hosts Brazil

This month’s Confederations Cup is far more than just a straight dress rehearsal for next year’s World Cup finals because nothing is straightforward as far as soccer in Brazil is concerned. Controversies involving the government, FIFA, local sports...

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Sunday, June 9, 2013

Football news

Roma director of football Walter Sabatini expects a “foreign” head coach to take control at the Serie A club this week. The capital club remain without a permanent coach since the dismissal of Zdenek Zeman in February, with interim boss Aurelio...

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Sunday, June 9, 2013

Sporting briefs

Finke: Germany’s Volker Finke, appointed as coach three weeks ago, has signed a two-year contract with Cameroon. Finke has been tasked with qualifying the Indomi-table Lions for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. US win: The US and Costa Rica claimed...

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Saturday, June 8, 2013 by
Kevin Azzopardi, Yerevan

Bold Malta shock Armenia to end a 20-year drought

Armenia 0Malta 1Mifsud 8 Dismissed as no-hopers from the moment they jetted into Yerevan, Malta left eastern Europe brimming with pride last night. Michael Mifsud’s early goal earned Malta a rare victory – their first competitive win away from home...

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Saturday, June 8, 2013

Great performance for Malta says Ghedin

Pietro Ghedin (coach “This is a great win and performance for Malta against a very strong team who play fluid football. We had to suffer though because Armenia put us under pressure but, at the same time, we could have also scored a second goal. “I...

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Saturday, June 8, 2013

Balotelli sent off as Italy held by Czechs

Mario Balotelli was sent off as Group B leaders Italy were held to a 0-0 draw by Czech Republic in a World Cup qualifier yesterday. The Milan striker was dismissed by Norwegian referee Svein Oddvar Moen after receiving a second yellow card in the...

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