Italy striker Mario Balotelli says Euro 2012 will provide him the opportunity to prove he can keep his cool.
The controversial forward, 21, is expected to play a key role in Poland and Ukraine as Italy search for their first European title since 1968.
Balotelli was twice sent off for Manchester City in the English Premier League last season but believes he can perform on the international stage.
This could be the chance of a lifetime for me, Balotelli said.
I think my season was OK. I am young, this is when one can make mistakes.
I am not affected by the responsibility that coach Cesare Prandelli has put on me. Like Roberto Mancini, he has put his faith in me.
I cannot wait to repay him for that. I do not think I will ever leave him …
Willy Caballero has signed a new one-year contract with Chelsea.
The 37-year-old, who joined after leaving Manchester City in 2017, is now committed to Stamford Bridge until the end of the 2019-20 season.
I am very happy to renew my contract with Chelsea and hopefully we can enjoy the next season and achieve a lot of targets, he said via the club s official website after his new deal was announced on Wednesday.
For me to stay at a big club like Chelsea was a really easy decision.
Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia added: Willy is an excellent professional who has served us extremely well over the past two years.
He has provided reliable back-up in that time and enjoyed some memorable performances, as well as helping us secure the FA Cup l…
Borussia Dortmund defender Lukasz Piszczek hopes to be fit and available for selection by 2014.
The Poland international is currently undergoing hip and groin treatment and has not featured for the club this season.
While the 28-year-old is eager to return to the side, he insists he will not rush his comeback and risk a further lay-off.
My goal is to come back for the second half of the season, Piszczek told Bild, before stating his intention to complete his return in good time.
Even though I have now and then a little pain, it is definitely much better than before the operation. I am satisfied.
I will do nothing unnecessary to put myself under pressure after such a major operation.
There were fears that manager Jurgen Klopp may be without fellow d…
Gareth Southgate acknowledged heightened England expectations contributed to a drab start at Euro 2024, as he called for a fearless Three Lions in Wednesday s semi-final against the Netherlands.
England were unconvincing en route to topping Group C, scraping past Serbia before back-to-back draws with Denmark and Slovenia.
Southgate s side again needed some fortune in the last 16, levelling through Jude Bellingham s remarkable 95th-minute overhead kick before Harry Kane sealed victory in extra time.
Though a penalty shoot-out victory was required to see off Switzerland in the last eight, where England trailed late one before Bukayo Saka s sumptuous equaliser, Southgate believes that showing was an improvement.
One of our strengths over the years has been …
Paris Saint-Germain coach Laurent Blanc is confident another successful year awaits as they prepare for Sunday s Coupe de France trip to CFA outfit Wasquehal.
PSG enjoyed a near perfect 2015 as they emerged victorious in Ligue 1, the Coupe de la Ligue, the Coupe de France and the Trophee des Champions.
Blanc has no intention of resting on his laurels, though, and wants more silverware in the coming 12 months.
The year 2015 has been great for us in every way, Blanc said at a news conference.
It was a good year both in terms of results and in terms of the way we played. The players now all know how to play together and that is the biggest success of the past year.
I hope for more of the same in 2016. It will be difficult because everyone expects…
Robin Le Normand has completed his move from Real Sociedad to Atletico Madrid, the 11-time La Liga champions confirmed on Saturday.
Le Normand, who featured in all but one of Spain s record fourth European Championship winning campaign, has signed a five-year deal for a reported £25million fee.
The 27-year-old made 43 appearances in all competitions for La Real last season, keeping 15 clean sheets and scoring twice.
Le Normand arrives as part of a defensive shakeup for Diego Simeone, with Mario Hermoso, Gabriel Paulista, Stefan Savic and Caglar Soyuncu all leaving the club so far.
The Spaniard won 165 of his 275 contested duels in La Liga last season with a success rate of 60%, the highest within the Sociedad squad.
Atletico are expected to …
Good ol’ NFL Week 17 used to be a mess for bettors when it served as the final week of the schedule. But now with the expanded slate, it provides some excellent opportunities for situational handicappers searching for hidden value in the NFL odds.
We look past the advanced stats and power ratings, getting our hands dirty by digging into this week’s schedule to unearth our top spot bets for Week 17 – letdown, lookahead, and schedule spots.
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New Orleans Saints will meet for the final time this season on Monday Night Football at Raymond James Stadium as the curtain comes down on Week 13.
The NFC South is still very much up for grabs heading into this tilt, and the performance Tom Brady puts in for Tampa could go a long way in determining if the Bucs will still be in first place on Tuesday morning.
With that in mind, here are my three favorite Tom Brady props for Monday, December 5. Be sure to also check out Josh Inglis’ three favorite MNF player prop bets as well as Jason Logan’s MNF full-game betting preview!
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While Patrick Mahomes has not had the best of times as of late, he will hope to gift the Kansas City Chiefs a textbook Week 16 odds performance on Christmas Day.
After losing two straight to the Packers and Bills in prime time, Mahomes bounced back last week with a 300+ yard and two touchdown game for the Chiefs. He did, however, have two picks in that contest — bringing his tally to four across the last three games.
Will Mahomes shine against the Las Vegas Raiders in the latest NFL odds, or will Vegas ruin Christmas for the two-time MVP?
Continue reading for free Patrick Mahomes props as we gear up for Raiders vs Chiefs on Monday, December 25th.
Make sure to also check our Raiders vs. Chiefs betting analysis and MNF prop picks!
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We have a divisional clash this Sunday with the Carolina Panthers visiting the New Orleans Saints. Both of these teams come into Week 1 looking to get off to a good start in the NFC South, but with plenty of question marks and doubters.
Find out why my Panthers vs. Saints predictions and NFL picks believe the Saints will take a step toward silencing the critics on Sunday, September 8.
Panthers vs Saints prediction
My best betSaints -4 (-110 at BetMGM)
My analysis
This NFC South clash is a tale of two coaches with both Carolina Panthers’ head coach Dave Canales and New Orleans Saints’ head coach Dennis Allen desperate to win this one.
For Canales, it would be a strong start to his reign as HC and a …