Lyon should be proud of the work that has led to them challenging for the Ligue 1 title, according to Maxime Gonalons.
Maxime Gonalons believes everyone at Lyon can be proud of their achievement in challenging for this season s Ligue 1 title.
Champions of France in seven successive seasons from 2001 to 2008, Lyon are in pole position to claim further silverware with 11 rounds of the season remaining.
Hubert Fournier s men hold a one-point lead over title-holders Paris Saint-Germain, despite lacking the financial muscle of their rivals.
Gonalons feels Lyon s success this term is due reward for the focus the club have placed on developing talent.
Something was born a little time ago [at Lyon], the France international told Perform.
Not on…
Verdict: Serbia
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Chris Coleman’s charges travel to Belgrade for a crucial World Cup qualifier against Group D leaders Serbia on Sunday night. Wales will face Slavoljub Muslin’s men without key man Gareth Bale and will be under great pressure to win in order to keep their hopes of grabbing the Russian visa alive.
Serbia
Having missed out on European Championship in France, Serbia kicked off the FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign with a new face on the bench and a renewed hope that the high-quality side will finally be able to make it into a major tournament after a lengthy break. It was in South Africa in 2010 that Serbia last hit the international scene and Slavoljub Muslin faces a daunting challenge in guiding his men to Russ…
Blackburn Rovers striker Jordan Rhodes is being linked with a £12million move to Middlesbrough
Blackburn Rovers finished ninth in the Championship last season and will be hoping to launch a promotion bid for the Premier League this season.
However, those dreams of making a return to the top-flight could be hampered by the fact that their two top strikers Jordan Rhodes and Rudy Gestede may leave the club this summer.
Goals
Last season both strikers were prolific in the second tier of English football. Gestede found the net 22 times in the Championship, Rhodes scored just one less in the second tier. Their performances in front of goal did not go unnoticed by other clubs.
Speculation
Rhodes has long been linked with a move to the Premier …
Manchester City have announced an annual profit for the first time since Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed completed his takeover of the Premier League club in September 2008.
In their annual report covering the 2014-15 season, City announced a £10.7million bottom-line profit for the period in question.
This return means City will not be hit by a repeat of the UEFA Financial Fair Play punishments that limited their squad size and transfer activity for the 2014-15 campaign.
UEFA lifted the restrictions, along with similar sanctions imposed upon Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain, in July this year.
City s overall revenues hit record levels of £351.8m, four years on from reporting a record loss of £195m in 2010-11 following a significant outlay on players and…
Arsenal stung Chelsea with a stunning late fightback as they came from two goals down to snatch a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge.
Mikel Arteta’s side looked to be heading to a first defeat of the season when Mykhailo Mudryk’s cross-shot looped over David Raya minutes after the interval, adding to the lead given to them by Cole Palmer’s first-half penalty.
The visitors were far from their free-flowing best and Mauricio Pochettino’s side, inspired by the increasingly influential Palmer on the right of a front three, were for three-quarters of the game good value for what would have been a third straight league win.
Levelling it up
— Arsenal (@Arsenal)
But the pendulum swung when Robert Sanchez’s careless pass presented the ball to Declan …
Manchester City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo had mixed feelings despite seeing his penalty shoot-out heroics send his side into the EFL Cup quarter-finals.
Bravo made saves from Alfred N Diaye and Conor Coady to lead City to a 4-1 shoot-out victory over Wolves after a 0-0 draw on Tuesday.
The Chile shot-stopper said it had been a tough outing for City, who have been dominant this season but were unable to find a breakthrough against Championship opposition.
I have mixed feelings because it s been a really difficult game for us. It s not what we re used to, Bravo told Sky Sports through a translator.
They created a lot of chances, they could ve scored some goals along the way but luckily we managed to sort it out in the end with the penalty shoot-out.
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Stewart Downing has rejoined boyhood club Middlesbrough on a four-year-deal after the Championship side agreed an undisclosed fee with West Ham.
Versatile midfielder Downing came through the youth ranks at Middlesbrough, and left for Aston Villa in a reported £12million deal in 2009.
The 30-year-old later joined Liverpool, but endured a difficult spell on Merseyside and moved to Upton Park in August 2013.
It s great to be back home I always said I wanted to come back to this club and I m delighted the chance has now come, Downing told Boro s official website.
I didn t put a time limit on it but now the circumstances are right.
There was a shout about me coming back here on loan when I was at Liverpool, but for one reason or another it d…
European champions Spain will step up their preparations for Euro 2016 with an international friendly against Belgium in November.
Spain will travel to Belgium on November 17, four days after hosting England in Alicante.
Spain and Belgium have qualified for next year s European Championships in France after topping their respective groups.
Next month s fixture will be the first meeting between Spain and Belgium since 2009.
David Silva and David Villa scored braces as Spain routed Belgium 5-0 in a World Cup qualifier.
Belgium have not beaten Spain since their quarter-final penalty shoot-out win at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.
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Jules Kounde will set himself no limits at Barcelona following his transfer from Sevilla, while revealing his famed goal celebration is a tribute to basketball legend Kobe Bryant.
The France international sealed a switch to Camp Nou on Thursday, having held out on a lengthy courtship from Chelsea, to become the latest big-name capture amid Xavi s squad revival.
Kounde joins the litany of players to arrive at the Catalan outfit this close season, following the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie through the door.
But despite the rarefied company the centre-back finds himself in, he intends to not allow himself to be limited in comparison and is determined to compete alongside the best to prove his place.
I’m…
It promised to be an emotional night for Sweden and for Zlatan Ibrahimovic in particular.
The 34-year-old revealed in the build-up to Wednesday s final Group E game against Belgium that he would retire from international football after Euro 2016. Only a win at the Stade de Nice would extend the iconic attacker s Sweden career. It was not meant to be.
Sweden lost the game. Sweden lost Ibrahimovic. Sweden lost a legend.
There was a moment of brilliance halfway through the first half when the former Paris Saint-Germain striker lifted the ball off the ground with a subtle touch, before seeing his volley blocked by a Belgian defender, while he again came close minutes later when he aimed just wide from 20 yards out. He even had a goal disallowed after the break.
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