Latest news with #DynamoKyiv
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Bournemouth Reject PSG's £55m Bid for Defender
Bournemouth Hold Firm as PSG Circle Illia Zabarnyi Big money, bigger statement Paris Saint-Germain's £55 million approach for Illia Zabarnyi has been turned away by Bournemouth, as revealed by Sky Sports. It is not just a show of transfer window intent but a statement of rising ambition on the south coast. Bournemouth's decision to reject the second bid, following PSG's initial £40 million plus £5 million in add-ons, signals how highly they rate the 21-year-old Ukrainian. Photo Yahoo Sports Advertisement Zabarnyi cost Bournemouth £24 million plus add-ons when he arrived from Dynamo Kyiv in 2023. His composure on the ball and defensive assurance have quickly made him a centrepiece of the club's rebuild. Now, valued at over £70 million, he is attracting the kind of offers once reserved for more established Premier League defenders. Zabarnyi's rise and value Bournemouth's valuation is not simply stubbornness. As a club once regarded as a stepping stone, they are growing bolder. In Zabarnyi, they see a long-term project worth protecting. The Cherries 'do not want to sell but the ongoing advances may be difficult to reject,' says Sky Sports, and rightly so. Financial prudence always dances with ambition in the modern game. PSG's persistence and timing PSG's willingness to return with another offer shows how seriously they rate Zabarnyi. They are expected to submit a third offer in the coming days. Their gaze stretches across Europe's elite, but targeting a Bournemouth centre-back speaks volumes about the player's progress. Premier League clubs no longer pushovers Bournemouth's stance is part of a wider trend. Clubs outside the traditional top six are showing teeth. Whether it is Brighton, Brentford or now Bournemouth, the model has shifted. Talented players come in, are developed smartly, and sold only on terms that make sporting and financial sense. Our View – EPL Index Analysis As a concerned Premier League supporter, especially one who has seen talents like Nathan Aké and Tyrone Mings leave Bournemouth for bigger stages, this report prompts worry and admiration in equal measure. Advertisement On one hand, Bournemouth's hardline stance deserves respect. Turning down £55 million for a defender bought at £24 million less than two years ago suggests ambition, belief and a refusal to be bullied by football's financial giants. They clearly value what Zabarnyi brings not just in defence but as a symbol of their evolution. Yet, PSG's ongoing pressure is relentless. You fear that, much like many before him, Zabarnyi could be tempted by Parisian lights and Champions League football. Bournemouth might hold out for £70 million or more, but if the player pushes for a move, that balance becomes fragile. 'PSG are expected to submit a third offer in the coming days' sounds like inevitability, not just interest. As fans, we hope the club is prepared for every scenario. Whether that means keeping Zabarnyi or replacing him smartly, the message must remain clear: Bournemouth are not here to make up numbers anymore.
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Maccabi Tel Aviv faces opponent from Cyprus in Champions League qualifying draw
NYON, Switzerland (AP) — Israeli soccer club Maccabi Tel Aviv was paired with Pafos of Cyprus in the Champions League second qualifying round draw on Wednesday. Maccabi must travel from its home city — which has been under attack this week from Iranian missiles — to Cyprus for the first-leg game on July 22 or 23, and find a stadium outside Israel for the return game the following week. European soccer body UEFA has required Israel's national and club teams to play international competition games in neutral countries for security reasons since October 2023, when the Hamas attacks provoked wider conflict in the region. Maccabi could stay in Cyprus, or return to Hungarian capital Budapest where it hosted a game in the Champions League preliminary round one year ago. Ukrainian champion Dynamo Kyiv was drawn to play either Zalgiris of Lithuania or Hamrun Spartans of Malta, who start in the first qualifying round next month. Last season, Dynamo chose to host Champions League qualifying games in Lublin, Poland. UEFA has set a deadline of Monday for clubs to propose neutral venues for their European competition games. Hours before its opening game at the Club World Cup, Salzburg was paired with Brann in a separate sections for teams that did not win their domestic title. The first leg in Norway will be the Austrian club's first competitive game on returning from the United States. In the FIFA club tournament later Wednesday, Salzburg plays Pachuca of Mexico in Cincinnati at 6 p.m. local time. Scottish league runner-up Rangers will host the first leg against Panathinaikos from Greece, and Viktoria Plzen of Czech Republic was paired with Swiss side Servette. Three teams in Wednesday's draw played in the 36-team Champions League opening phase last season, though none advanced to the knockout rounds. Red Star Belgrade was best placed in 29th, Salzburg was 34th and Slovan Bratislava lost all eight games and finished 35th. Red Star, the 1991 European champion, is away first against Vikingur of the Faeroe Islands or Lincoln Red Imps from Gibraltar. Slovan hosts the first leg against Virtus of San Marino or Zrinjski Mostar of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Losing teams in the Champions League second qualifying round switch across to the Europa League, in the third qualifying round that is played in August. Games in the first qualifying round are played from July 8-16. Higher-ranked clubs enter the Champions League qualifying program in two subsequent rounds played in August. They include Benfica, Celtic, Club Brugge, Fenerbahce and Feyenoord. ___ AP soccer:
Daily Record
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Rangers Champions League draw LIVE as Russell Martin set to learn Euro fate
Ten months ago the Rangers players trooped off the sodden Hampden turf after a miserable Champions League night. They had just lost 2-0 to Dynamo Kyiv at their temporary home with their European dream crushed. Now they have renewed optimism with a new manager and a new era under the ownership of 49ers Enterprises. And they will at least play their first qualifier at Ibrox Stadium, unlike the start of last season when they endured a miserable start to the campaign away from Govan due to a construction cock-up that haunted their whole season. Russell Martin didn't experience UEFA 's premier competition during his playing career so it will be a first for the new Light Blues boss. They face three qualifiers in a bid to reach the revamped league phase and will find out their first opponents today.
Irish Examiner
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Luxembourg won't be distracted by Gerson Rodrigues controversy against Ireland says manager
Luc Holtz insists his Luxembourg side are not distracted by the ongoing controversy over Gerson Rodrigues ahead of Tuesday's friendly against Ireland. The striker – who scored the winner in a 2021 World Cup qualifier at Lansdowne Road – has been handed an 18-month suspended sentence after being convicted of three assault offences, including against his former girlfriend Emily Boland. His appeal against the sentence was rejected. Rodrigues's presence in the team for Friday's defeat against Slovenia prompted protests from a section of supporters, with banners confiscated. Although the Luxembourg federation issued an apology on Monday for the heavy-handedness of security, outlining their position on Rodrigues in a long statement, the manager batted away questions about the episode on the eve of facing Ireland. 'Nothing interests this team,' Holtz said of the media storm still swirling around Luxembourg and beyond. 'The focus is on the pitch. Everything not on the pitch, in the stands, outside should not distract this team.' Pressed further on the matter, in particular why the manager continues to select a player convicted of such a serious crime, the federation media officer Marc Diederich intervened. 'The reason the federation allows the manager to pick the player is because the punishment came from the court,' he contended on the basis of double jeopardy. 'It is not a reason for the public or the journalists to give him a second punishment for the same thing. 'He did not go to prison and is free to do everything, including go to the supermarket. He could play for the club and national team. 'There are similar examples of players who continued to play after conviction, including Lucas Hernandez. 'Nobody says it is okay to bother a woman. Our player is getting a second chance and we have said this can never happen again.' Rodrigues, who has just completed his eight loan spell away from parent club Dynamo Kyiv, will spearhead their attack at the Stade de Luxembourg in what is their final friendly before the World Cup qualifiers kick off in September. First up in a group that includes Germany and Slovakia is Northern Ireland. Just like arranging a friendly against Slovakia's neighbours Slovenia, there's a purpose to undertaking a dry run against Ireland. 'It will be a very good test because both Ireland and Northern Ireland are physically very strong players,' said Holtz, embracing the stereotypes. 'They high intensity in the game. The mentality is quite close between Ireland and Northern Ireland so this is perfect preparation for the match in September.' Holtz's first magic moment of his five-year spell at the helm came in an Covid-19 enforced empty Lansdowne Road in 2021 but Ireland exacted revenge by running out 3-0 victors in the return. 'The team did not change so much since 2021, only a few new young players being added,' he summarised as the difference between the team led by Stephen Kenny against what he'll be confronted by under Heimir Hallgrimsson. 'Ireland's other players have now got more experience and confidence but football is the same in 2021 and 2025. Maybe we have more experience too.'
Toronto Star
05-06-2025
- Sport
- Toronto Star
Ukraine soccer team on the road again, looking to bring hope to war-torn home
TORONTO - For the 30th-ranked Canadian men, Saturday's matchup with No. 25 Ukraine at the inaugural Canadian Shield Tournament in Toronto is a chance to test themselves against elite European opposition. But for many in the stands at BMO Field and back home in war-torn Ukraine, the game is much more. More than three years after Russia's full-scale invasion, the match offers a rare chance to rally around the Ukrainian national team and show support for a country still fighting for survival. The team can expect a warm welcome, given that it's estimated Canada is home to close to 1.4 million people of Ukrainian descent. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Ukraine coach Serhiy Rebrov knows playing in one of the 2026 World Cup venues could pay dividends down the road. But he sees a bigger reason for coming. 'For me, the most important reason for now, with this situation with the war, is that Canada is one of our most important friends in the world,' he said in an interview. The 50-year-old Rebrov, a former star forward whose playing resume includes stints with Dynamo Kyiv and England's Tottenham and West Ham, says his players know they have a bigger purpose than kicking a ball — even if they do so with a heavy heart. 'Now it's very difficult to play, to concentrate on the game,' Rebrov said. 'Everybody has a friend, family in the army. Everybody's worried about what's happening in our country. Every day they're trying to destroy our infrastructure, kill our people.' 'They're doing their best in this very hard period for Ukraine,' he said of his players. 'We understand we are playing for our soldiers … It's more responsibility now. I'm always telling the players we have to show the spirit, not only spirit of the players but spirit of the country, a country fighting for its freedom.' The Ukraine roster for the Toronto tournament draws on players with clubs in England, Greece, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, the U.S. and Ukraine. After Canada, Rebrov's team takes on No. 86 New Zealand on Tuesday. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The Ukrainian domestic league continues to play, albeit with limits on attendance connected to the capacity of nearby air shelters. One recent game took more than 4 1/2 hours to complete because of air raid sirens going off. Matches are scheduled for early afternoon due to frequent power outages and the difficulty in travelling during wartime. Ukrainian soccer players are subject to the draft at age 25, but clubs can apply for exemptions. The 16-team Ukraine league wrapped up its season last month with Dynamo Kyiv topping the table at 20-0-10. The new season kicks off Aug. 2. Ukraine teams playing in European competitions have had to travel outside their border for home games, often having to take circuitous routes. Rebrov acknowledges that assembling the national team is a challenge but notes it pales 'compared to what the soldiers go through.' Andriy Shevchenko, president of the Ukrainian Association of Football, calls the Canadian Shield a 'very positive event for us.' 'First of all, Canada is one of the biggest supporters of Ukraine. Second, Canada is the largest community of Ukrainian people in the world (outside of Ukraine),' said the former Dynamo Kyiv, Chelsea and AC Milan striker. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'And we really think, in our professional view, Canada is a very good team,' he added. Canada played Ukraine to a 2-2 draw in their only previous meeting, in October 2010 in Kyiv. The 48-year-old Shevchenko remembers it well since he earned his 100th cap for Ukraine that night. 'I have a good memory from that game,' he said. 'One hundred caps for the national team is always a big target. And then for me, I'm very attached to Ukraine, very attached to my country, to the national team jersey. It was a big moment for me.' Shevchenko says the national team helps connect its people. 'We're still fighting for our democracy, for our sons to exist. Football plays a very big role because it is sport No. 1 in Ukraine. All the fans, most of them, defend our country on the frontline. They also connect to the team.' He says Ukraine's people celebrate sporting successes, like qualifying for Euro 2024, playing at the Paris Olympics and finishing third at the 2024 Futsal World Cup. Ukraine will also compete in the FIFA U-20 Men's World Cup in September in Chile. 'This all has a good impact on society in Ukraine,' said Shevchenko, 'People are watching football and are proud.' ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Most recently, Ukraine narrowly lost a two-legged UEFA Nations League promotion/relegation playoff in March to Belgium 4-3 on aggregate, winning the opening leg 3-0 in Spain before falling 3-1 in the rematch in Belgium, with Romelu Lukaku's 86th-minute goal deciding the series. Ukraine starts World Cup qualifying play in September in a group that also contains No. 3 France, No. 74 Ireland and No. 119 Azerbaijan. The group winner qualifies directly for the World Cup finals, while the runner-up moves on to a two-legged playoff. Ukraine reached the quarterfinals in its lone trip to the World Cup, in 2006 with both Rebrov and Shevchenko on the team. Ukraine went 1-1-1 at Euro 2024, failing to advance out of the group stage after losing 3-0 to Romania, defeating Slovakia 2-1 and drawing Belgium 0-0. All three teams finished with four points but Ukraine finished last on goal difference. Ukraine was 6-4-4 in 2024 but has not played at home since November 2021 with more than three dozen consecutive away matches since Russia invaded in February 2022. Ukraine Roster Valeriy Bondar, Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine); Artem Bondarenko, Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine); Yevhen Cheberko, Columbus Crew (MLS); Vladyslav Dubinchak, Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine); Oleksiy Hutsuliak, Polissya Zhytomyr (Ukraine); Vladyslav Kabaiev, Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine); Ivan Kaliuzhnyi, Oleksandriya (Ukraine); Andriy Lunin, Real Madrid (Spain); Oleksandr Martyniuk, Oleksandriya (Ukraine), Mykola Matviyenko, Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine); Mykola Mykhailenko, Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine); Bohdan Mykhailichenko, Polissya Zhytomyr (Ukraine); Oleksandr Nazarenko, Polissya Zhytomyr (Ukraine); Yehor Nazaryna, Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine); Oleksandr Pikhalonok, Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine); Dmytro Riznyk, Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine); Mykola Shaparenko, Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine); Heorhiy Sudakov, Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine); Maksym Talovierov, Plymouth Argyle (England); Anatoliy Trubin, Benfica (Portugal); Viktor Tsyhankov , Girona (Spain); Oleksandr Tymchyk, Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine); Roman Yaremchuk, Olympiacos (Greece); Illia Zabarnyi, Bournemouth (England); Oleksandr Zinchenko, Bournemouth (England); Oleksandr Zubkob, Trabzonspor (Turkey). —- This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2025
