Kahn impressed by Pickford’s World Cup displays but ‘he isn’t used properly’

Germany legend Oliver Kahn has highlighted England’s Jordan Pickford as one of the standout goalkeepers of the World Cup, but believes he could be used to greater effect.

The Everton shot stopper received a lot of praise for his performances throughout the tournament and was the only the Three Lions star to play every minute as they finished in fourth place in Russia.

And former Bayern Munich and Germany star Kahn says Pickford is one shot stopper he has come to admire, but would like to see Gareth Southgate make use of his technical ability.

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“The young Englishman, Jordan Pickford plays is the closest to a goalkeeper, like I described him after the final,” Kahn told Goal. “In addition to his strong reflexes, I especially noticed his excellent opening. In the semi-final against Croatia he played fewer passes than his counterpart Danijel Subasic, but was more than twice as often adapted by his teammates and used as a back-up defender.

“Pickford can use both feet and despite his lack of experience, for a long time he has been the first safe No.1 in the England goal. He also proves with his 1.85 metre height that the size of a goalkeeper only plays a minor role.

“But also for Pickford, as happens with so many goalkeepers, he is not used in the best way! The improved footwork of goalkeepers over the last 25 years has almost no influence on the game, unless they are also used accordingly as a goalkeeper and still get more involved in their team’s possession.

“In my view, the involvement of the player who is currently least integrated into the game plan, but could be the most obvious and logical option to make a variety of game situations superior and create a clear advantage. Here I see the greatest potential.”

The 2002 World Cup runner-up had praise for newly-crowned world champion Hugo Lloris, as well as Belgium’s Thibaut Courtois, who won the competition’s Golden Glove.

“Hugo Lloris is one of the best keepers in the world on the line and convinces with an excellent presence and a courageous, offensive positional play.

“Thibaut Courtois is exceptionally strong in one-on-one and control. Danijel Subasic was able to build his self-confidence by the many penalties he saved, show experience and radiate enormous security.”

Kahn is currently doing his part to improve the development of goalkeepers through his company Goalplay and started the Goalplay Academy.

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Boga nears Sassuolo move as £3.5m fee agreed with Chelsea

Chelsea and Sassuolo have agreed a £3.5 million fee for Jeremie Boga, as the midfielder nears a Stamford Bridge exit.

Boga has been looking for a move away from the Blues, which Chelsea hoped would be another loan after he spent last season with Birmingham City in the Championship.

It was Boga’s third straight year on loan having spent the previous two seasons with Rennes of Ligue 1 and Granada of La Liga.

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Boga still loves the club and would prefer to remain if he could feature in the first team.

However, he would rather not spend a fourth straight year on loan and believes a permanent switch would be best for his career.

Boga told Goal while on loan last season that he was frustrated with his development, believing he needed to do more at his age.

While an agreement between Chelsea and Sassuolo, which includes a buy-back option for the Blues, has been reached, Boga must still come to terms with Sassuolo over a contract.

That leaves the door open for the 21-year-old to possibly find a home elsewhere if he cannot agree a deal, with Goal previously reporting Lille, Celta Vigo and Real Betis among the clubs vying with Sassuolo over the winger.

Boga joined the Blues after signing from an amateur club in Marseille at age 16. He has only made one senior appearance for Chelsea – the Blues’ 2017-18 Premier League opener against Burnley.

The youngster started but only went 18 minutes in the 3-2 defeat after Gary Cahill’s early red card forced a tactical change from Antonio Conte.

He would go on to a loan at Birmingham City, where he played in 31 games in the Championship, making 24 starts. He scored twice and added three assists for the club, who finished 19th in the league.

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Torres: Iniesta encouraged me to make Japan move

Fernando Torres says Andres Iniesta encouraged him to move to Japan and join Sagan Tosu.

The Spanish striker left Atletico Madrid at the end of last season after winning the Europa League title and announced last week that he has signed for the J1 League side.

Torres is the second big-name player to move from La Liga to Japan, following in the footsteps of Barcelona icon Iniesta, who moved to Vissel Kobe in May.

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And former Liverpool and Chelsea forward Torres says he spoke to his fellow World Cup winner before choosing a switch to Japan over a country in Europe.

“We are playing against each other on the penultimate day of the season! I spoke with Iniesta when the possibility came up for him,” Torres told Goal. “He told me the idea he had. Then everything went as he expected and it became official.

“He was also aware of my option and encouraged me to go there. The references he had to the league and the country were very similar to the ones I was given.”

Although he is looking forward to playing against his old national team-mate, Torres hopes he can convince Iniesta to join his side eventually.

“We have had parallel lives: we debuted together in Spain Under-15, we have achieved the greatest successes with the national team as main players and now we finish the same year at our clubs to go to the same league.

“It will be a pleasure to play against Iniesta. I wish it was with him, but we can make him a place in Sagan Tosu whenever he wants!”

Torres expects to settle in well in the Japanese top flight because of the pace and time on the ball he will have.

“It’s a very fast football, very dynamic, with very explosive players in short distances,” he said. “We had the chance to see [Takashi] Inui here in La Liga and it is that profile of an electric player, who attacks the spaces very well.

Fernando Torres Europa League 16052018

“From what I’ve seen of the Sagan Tosu matches that have been sent to me, it’s a very fun type of football. I am going to have fun, I will have space, I will have time to be on the ball, options to attack and defend. I was looking for that fun football, back and forth, with a lot of rhythm. We’ll see if I’m ready and if I’m up to the challenge, but of course I’m really looking forward to it.

“I was looking for a competitive league that would make me feel like I have a challenge ahead of me. And I’m thinking 100% about football, about being a football player, about doing my best, like a hard-working player, a team player. I’m available to the team for anything.

“I want to be important, to make myself important, to become a reference for my teammates, for the club, and to ensure that when I finish my time in Japan, they can remember me only with good words, as has happened in all the places I’ve been before. It’s my goal, and that’s what I’m going to try to achieve.”

Torres has already had his taste of Japanese pop culture, having been influenced as a child by the iconic manga and anime series Captain Tsubasa, known in Spain as ‘Campeones: Oliver y Benji’.

“Yes! I started to like football because of Oliver and Benji,” he added. “I was between five and seven years old and I had not touched a ball in my life when they started to put Oliver and Benji on TV.

“I remember that you had to turn the wheel on the television to find the channel. And I stayed glued to the television watching Oliver and Benji. I promise.

“In fact, once when the president of Sagan Tosu visited Madrid, he brought us a picture of Oliver and Benji where I was one of the characters with the Atlético shirt, and the painting was signed by the author. They found out that I liked it, and they brought this kind of gift.”

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France’s World Cup winners given heroes’ welcome in Paris

France’s World Cup winners were treated like royalty by hundreds of thousands of supporters upon their return to Paris on Monday and have been promised the Legion of Honour award ahead of a presidential reception.

A 4-2 win over Croatia in Moscow on Sunday secured France their second World Cup triumph, sparking non-stop celebrations back home.

Supporters swarmed the Champs-Elysees, Paris’ most famous avenue, after the game and saw their heroes projected on to the Arc de Triomphe, with more than a million people reported to have taken to the street in the area to celebrate through the night.

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The France team set off from their Istra base in Russia on Monday morning and were greeted by swathes of fans at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport upon landing – coach Didier Deschamps and bleary-eyed captain Hugo Lloris appearing first from the aircraft with the famous trophy.

In an open-top bus, France were taken through Paris with the trophy held aloft, the public screaming their adulation at their heroes as they were driven down the Champs-Elysees amid clouds of flare smoke.

Despite many of the Parisian population spending much of the night in delirium, they were still out in numbers for France’s return and trophy parade.

Defender Presnel Kimpembe appeared particularly confident he was now untouchable, as he leaned especially far off the top deck of the bus, arm outstretched and clutching the trophy.

Their destination was the Elysee Palace, where they met with president Emmanuel Macron, who himself was joining in with the team’s celebrations in Russia the night before.

Several metro stations around the city have been temporarily renamed after France’s heroes, with their coach securing arguably the biggest coup with the Champs-Elysees stop renamed Deschamps-Elysees.

But that will not be the only tribute, as the office of Macron said on Monday that France’s players will all be awarded the Legion of Honour, the highest recognition for “exceptional service” to the country.

Over 3,000 people are reported to be attending Macron’s reception for the World Cup winners, including an estimated 1,000 youth players from football clubs across France.

Although 24 hours have passed since victory, France’s celebrations have only just begun, with the squad and Macron getting things started with a hearty rendition of the national anthem – ‘La Marseillaise’ – on the front steps of the presidential palace.

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Juventus director reveals how ‘crazy’ Ronaldo move happened

Juventus sporting director Fabio Paratici said his club got the idea to sign Cristiano Ronaldo after his stunning bicycle kick against them in April. 

The then-Real Madrid star lit up the Champions League quarter-final first leg in Turin with two goals, including a sensational overhead kick in the second half. 

Ronaldo’s strike was so stunning that it even caused fans at the Allianz Stadium to stand up and applaud the visiting player’s effort. 

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In addition, Paratici has revealed it was the moment that set the move in motion.

“The crazy idea started after the crazy goal he scored against us,” Paratici told Sky Italia.

“(Ronaldo’s agent) Jorge Mendes told us that Cristiano was stunned by the attention he received, he said that one day he would like to come to Juventus.”

That vision became a reality earlier this month, when Ronaldo signed for Juve in a deal worth €100 million (£88m/$117m).

Ronaldo was officially unveiled on Monday, when Paratici revealed more details of the transfer.

“I asked Mendes about Cristiano when we closed the deal for [Joao] Cancelo,” Paratici said of a transfer completed at the end of June. 

“[Mendes] explained the situation to me,” Paratici continued. “I talked to our president, Andrea Agnelli. In the first place, the figures were the most difficult thing.

“Agnelli took a few hours, he told me to go ahead and see if there was really an opportunity.

“Cristiano is the strongest player in the world and the negotiations were done between two big clubs like Juventus and Real Madrid.

“It’s easier to do business and make transfers with a great player like him and a great agent like Mendes.”

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