Tolisso returns to Lyon on five-year deal

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Croatia, following consecutive defeats in their recent matches, are aiming to bounce back to winning form as they face Latvia in their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign at the Skonto Stadium on Saturday.

The Croats experienced setbacks against Turkey and Wales in October, causing them to lose their hold on automatic qualification. Meanwhile, Latvia secured their first victory in the same qualifying phase but still find themselves at the bottom of Group D.

Latvia

Latvia suffered a substantial defeat of 5-0 in the earlier meeting against Croatia, where Bruno Petkovic netted twice at the Stadion Rujevica in September.

The team has been struggling and found themselves at the bottom of the table for a while. Their first points…

Alexandre Lacazette rode to Arsenal s rescue with the winner from the bench at Brighton and Hove Albion as a 1-0 success made it back-to-back Premier League victories since Christmas.

A seven-game winless run in the league was ended on Boxing Day as the Gunners beat Chelsea, although Mikel Arteta s men remained in 15th place after a dismal start to the season.

Rather than build on that triumph, a further setback appeared likely for a time at the Amex Stadium on Tuesday against Brighton, whose only prior home league win in 2020 had come on Arsenal s previous visit back in June.

But Lacazette, who lost his place in the XI to fit-again captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, scored 29 seconds after his introduction as a substitute to settle a key clash in the bottom hal…

Manchester United have postponed their friendly against Preston North End on Saturday due to a small number of suspected coronavirus cases in the squad.

United on Thursday announced that the unnamed players are isolating pending further tests.

A statement on the club s official website said: Following routine testing of the first-team training group today, we have identified a small number of suspected positive cases.

This has led to those people isolating, pending further tests.

As a precautionary measure based on COVID protocols, we have taken the difficult decision that we will not now be able to play the friendly match against Preston North End this Saturday.

The Red Devils were held to a 2-2 draw by Premier League newcomers Brentford on We…

Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua have parted company with Quique Sanchez Flores, the coach citing personal reasons for his exit.

Former Atletico Madrid, Watford and Espanyol boss Flores leaves with the club 14th in the table, a point above the relegation zone.

A club statement said Flores resignation had been accepted and praised the coach for giving young players a chance to impress despite poor results.

Since taking office in December 2018, Mr Flores and his team have worked diligently and conscientiously, the club said in a statement. 

Although the team did not perform well in the first half of the season, a group of young players got the opportunity to play, laying a good foundation for future development of the team.

Shanghai…

Cesc Fabregas has told Chelsea to feel the fire inside in next Saturday s FA Cup final against Manchester United.

Antonio Conte s side finished a disappointing fifth in the Premier League in 2017-18, meaning they will not play in next season s Champions League.

The cup showdown with United at Wembley offers a chance for last season s league champions to finish their campaign on a high, in what could be Conte s last match in charge.

And Fabregas, who married Daniella Semaan in a lavish ceremony on Tuesday, is desperate to finish the campaign with silverware after they ended their league season with a 3-0 loss to Newcastle United.

Just married to the woman of my dreams  Thank you Pamela, , for making this day so perfect  

— Cesc Fàbregas Sol…

Sevilla right-back Diogo Figueiras will spend the upcoming season on loan at Serie A club Genoa.

The 24-year-old has featured regularly for the UEFA Europa League winners since making the move from Pacos de Ferreira in 2013.

Yet to be capped by Portugal, Figueiras will move to Genoa on loan for the 2015-16 campaign, with the Italian club having an option to make the deal permanent.

Figueiras joins a side that finished sixth in the league last term, but were denied a UEFA licence to feature in the Europa League.

…

Benjamin Mendy owned his big mistake in Manchester City s 3-2 loss to Wolves in the Premier League on Friday.

City s title chances took a huge hit with the loss at the Molineux, where they led 2-0 despite Ederson s early red card.

Adama Traore, who had earlier scored, set up Raul Jimenez for the equaliser after dispossessing Mendy before Matt Doherty s 89th-minute winner.

Mendy accepted he made a huge error, but the left-back is desperate to improve.

It s easy to talk when everything is going well, but it s hard to do when s*** hits the fan, he wrote on Twitter.

It s easy to talk when everything is going well, but it s hard to do when sh*t hits the fan Big mistake tonight and I owe you my best for your continued support. Time to keep our heads up…

Auckland City have withdrawn from the 2020 FIFA Club World Cup.

The New Zealand club had been nominated as the Oceania Football Confederation s (OFC) representative for the tournament in Qatar, which is scheduled to begin on February 1.

However, the quarantine measures in place in New Zealand in relation to the coronavirus pandemic have led Auckland to pull out.

They had been set to face Al-Duhail in the opening game but that contest will now not take place.

A FIFA statement read: FIFA has today [Friday] been informed by Auckland City FC that, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and related quarantine measures required by the New Zealand authorities, the club will be unable to participate in the FIFA Club World Cup 2020.

Despite FIFA s regular ex…

Jamaica s Reggae Boyz face a must-win home match Wednesday in order to keep alive their dreams of a spot at the 2010 South Africa World Cup from the North, Central American and Caribbean zone.

Three of six spots in next year s final round-robin qualifying tournament are at stake while the United States, Costa Rica and El Salvador have already clinched their places in the 2009 showdown for three places in South Africa.

The Jamaicans will host eliminated Canada while Group B leader Mexico will travel to Honduras with each team vulnerable to being overtaken by Jamaica and eliminated should the Caribbean squad conquer the winless Canadians.

With Mexico on 10 points at 3-1-1 and Honduras on nine at 3-0-2, the Jamaicans on 2-1-2 for seven points must win to have a …

Jakub Blaszczykowski believes that Borussia Dortmund s derby clashes with Schalke are the most important fixtures of the season.

The reigning Bundesliga champions head into the crunch match on Saturday on the back of a 3-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday, which secured their spot in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Juergen Klopp s men lost 2-1 to Schalke earlier this season, and Blaszczykowski is refusing to let the 10-point gap between Dortmund in second place in the Bundesliga and their rivals in sixth give the team a false sense of security.

The derby games are always a bit special. It’s an important game for us here, the most important of the season, the attacking midfielder told Bundesliga.com.

In the week leading up to the d…