United News of Bangladesh

The Euro 2020 was suspended because of the pandemic coronavirus. The competition was postponed for a year due to growing concern over covid-19. Finally, UEFA Euro 2020 will begin on June 11 this year. The month-long tournament will end on July 11 at wembley stadium in London with the final match. Although Portugal won Euro 2016, they are not the favourites to win this year's tournament. Other European giants are strong contenders for the prestigious title. Which European teams have the best chance of winning the competition this year? In this article, we discussed the UEFA Euro 2020 favorites, underdogs, and outsiders.  Who are the favourites to win Euro 2020? France The 2018 World Cup champion, France are one of the favourites to win Euro 2020 this year. This team has some of the most well-known players in the world today, who can make opponents scared. France can win the European Championship for the third time if they are in good form from the start of the tournament. Five key playersto watch out for Antoine Griezmann (Striker), KylianMbappé (Striker), N'GoloKanté (Midfielder), Paul Pogba (Midfielder), RaphaëlVarane (Defender)  Read: BAN vs SL ODI Series 2021: Bangladesh Player Ratings  Belgium Belgium's greatest team in history will compete in the Euro 2020 competition. They have several outstanding players in every department. However, they lack confidence as they yet to win a major championship. Belgium's best achievement in the Euro tournament is finishing second in the 1980 edition. Five key players to watch out for RomeluLukaku (Striker), Kevin De Bruyne (Midfielder), Thomas Meunier (Midfielder), Toby Alderweireld (Defender), ThibautCourtois (Goalkeeper) England A handful of standout players have joined the England national squad in the last five years. That's why England coach Gareth Southgate feels optimistic about his team. England, who have never played in a final before, are hoping to win the tournament this year. Five key players to watch out for Harry Kane (Striker), Raheem Sterling (Midfielder), Phil Foden  (Midfielder), Kieran Trippier (Defender), Jadon Sancho (Midfielder)  Read 2022 World Cup qualifiers: Bangladesh start preparations in Qatar Who are the underdogs to win Euro 2020?  Germany Germany have always been the hot favourite of the tournament.  Their form have deteriorated in recent times. However, the Germans may become invincible once the tournament begins. If that happens, no one will be able to stop Germany from becoming the first team to win the tournament record four times. Five key players to watch out for Timo Werner (Striker), İlkayGündoğan (Midfielder), Toni Kroos  (Midfielder), Manuel Neuer (Goalkeeper), Thomas Müller (Midfielder)  Portugal The tournament's current champion, Portugal have a chance to win it again. However, they are not favorites this time. Many consider Portugal to be the underdog side in this year's tournament. Cristiano Ronaldo will be hoping to win one more Euro before retiring from international football, and this might motivate the Portuguese. Five key players to watch out for Cristiano Ronaldo (Striker), Bernardo Silva (Midfielder), Bruno Fernandes  (Midfielder), Rúben Dias (Defender), Pepe (Defender)  Read Women's Football: Jamalpur Kacharipara beat Kachijhuli 4-3 Spain 2010 World Cup champion, Spain are no longer as strong as they were five years ago. The team have a number of new players. Nonetheless, Coach Luis Enrique remains hopeful. If Spain can make it to the knockout stage, they have a chance to do well. Five key players to watch out for Álvaro Morata (Striker), Sergio Busquets (Midfielder), Rodri Hernández (Midfielder), Koke (Midfielder), César Azpilicueta (Defender)  Read: Winners and losers at the end of 2020/2021 European Season Who are the outsiders to win Euro 2020?  Italy The failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup saddened Italian supporters. The national squad of Italy is still under a lot of pressure and many people regard them as one of the outsiders to win the tournament. It will be a great success for Italy if they can make it to the semi-finals. Five key players to watch out for Moise Kean (Striker), Marco Verratti (Midfielder),  Leonardo Bonucci (Defender), Giorgio Chiellini (Defender), GianluigiDonnarumma (Goalkeeper)  Netherlands The Netherlands football team is also in a bad position. They have been trying to build a solid team since last year. The Netherlands have a number of talented young players, so it will not be surprising if they reach the Euro 2020 final. Five key players to watch out for Memphis Depay (Striker),Frenkie de Jong (Midfielder), GeorginioWijnaldum (Midfielder), Matthijs de Ligt (Defender), Jasper Cillessen(Goalkeeper)  Read Real Madrid says Zidane stepping down as team's coach Croatia The 2016 runner-up, team Croatia has lost some of its strength. So, it would be unreasonable to expect too much from them. Croatia have a chance to reach the final of the competition if they play at their best. Five key players to watch out for Ante Rebić (Striker), Mateo Kovačić (Midfielder),  Luka Modrić  (Midfielder), Ivan Perišić (Midfielder), DejanLovren (Defender)  Verdict We examined the strengths of the tournament's comparatively stronger teams to predict who could really win the UEFA Euro 2020 and who would be the favorites, underdogs, and outsiders. After evaluating the teams' strengths; it's clear that England, France, and Belgium are the front-runners to win the championship. Furthermore, Germany, Portugal, and Spain all stand a good possibility of winning Euro 2020. Momentum is crucial for this type of mega event. Overall, we expect the best team will win the tournament.  Read: Copa America 2021: Things you need to know

Bangladesh National Football team, now in Qatar's Doha to play Group E 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup joint qualifiers, started their preparations at the Qatar University Ground Saturday. Bangladesh will play against Afghanistan, India and Oman in their remaining three Group E qualifiers on June 3, 7 and 15 at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha. Earlier, the Bangladesh football team reached Doha on a Qatar Airways flight Friday. Soon after reaching Doha, the Bangladesh team gave their samples for Covid-19 test and all of the team members tested negative. Bangladesh squad Goal-keeper: Md Shahidul Alam, Rasel Mahmud and Anisur Rahman Zico Defender: Md Rahmat Miya, Topu Barman, Riyadul Hasan, Yeasin Arafat, Rimon Hossain, Mehadi Hasan, Habibur Rahman Shohag, Tariq Raihan Kazi and Mohammad Emon Midfielder: Jamal Bhuyan, Mohammad Abdullah, Masuk Miya Zoni, Sohel Rana, Biplu Ahmed, Md Matin Miah, Rakib Hossain, Manik Hossain Mollah and Md Mehadi Hasan Forward: Md Sumon Reza and Mohammad Jewel

Jamalpur Kacharipara Ekadash earned a 4-3 victory over Kachijhuli Sporting Club in the Women's Football League 2020-21 at the Bangabandhu National Stadium Friday. Maleni Chakma struck twice in the 53rd and 60th minutes while Kanon Rani and Ratna scored two more goals for the winners in the 8th and 88th minutes. Amena Khatun, Shikha Akhter and Marufa Akter scored one goal each for Kachijhuli in the 18th, 41st and 47th minutes.

A 32-member Bangladesh National Football team left the capital for Qatar Friday to play in the next month's Group E 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup joint qualifiers. Bangladesh team left Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport for Doha at 11am on a Qatar Airlines flight with 23 players and nine officials. Two footballers of the team – Mohammad Ibrahim and Mahbubur Rahman Sufil – failed to accompany the Qatar-bound team as they reportedly tested Covid-19 positive. Bangladesh will play against Afghanistan, India and Oman in their remaining three Group E qualifiers on June 4, 7 and 15 at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Qatar's Doha. Earlier, national team captain Jamal Bhuiyan expressed dissatisfaction over the failure of the Bangladesh Football Federation to arrange practice matches in Saudi Arabia. Bangladesh football team was supposed to leave for Saudi Arabia last Monday on a five-day visit for training and to play a couple of warm-up matches as part of their preparation for the 2022 World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.

Defending champions Bashundhara Kings maintained a 100% win record in the Women's Football League 2020-21 after beating Ataur Rahman Bhuiyan College 1-0 Thursday. With the day's feat, national star-studded Kings have so far dominated the league, securing 12 points from four straight matches. After a barren first half at the Bangabandhu National Stadium, Sheuli Azim scored the match-winner for the Kings in the 49th minute from a penalty (1-0).

Bangladesh National Football team will leave for Qatar on Friday morning to play in the next month's Group E Joint Qualification of FIFA World Cup' 2022 and AFC Asian Cup' 2023. Bangladesh team comprises 25 players and 10 officials. They will fly for Doha on a Qatar Airlines flight at 11am. Bangladesh will play Afghanistan, India and Oman in their remaining three Group E qualification matches on June 3, 7 and 15, all of them at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha. Bangladesh national team, earlier scheduled to leave for Qatar on May 30, are now going to Doha two days ahead of the previous programme. Captain Jamal Bhuiyan and Head Coach Jamie Day were found upset for for the failure of Bangladesh Football Federation to arrange practice matches in Saudi Arabia. Earlier, Bangladesh football team were supposed leave for Saudi Arabia last Monday on a five-day visit for training and play a couple of warm-up matches as part of the preparation for their 2022 World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers Group E matches in June in Qatar. But, the tour was aborted just hours before the team’s departure as Bangladesh Football Federation was yet to receive quarantine exemption letter from Saudi Arabia. Afghanistan and India have already started their preparations in Qatar but Bangladesh had to  prepare themselves at home. Just day before the departure, Bangladesh national team played a preparatory match with former league champions Sheikh Jamal DC and settled for 2-2 draw at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Thursday afternoon.

The European football season 2020/2021 has come to an end after overcoming multiple challenges because of Coronavirus. All of Europe's major teams are in financial problems in the midst of the ongoing Covid-19 situation. So, the teams were relatively quiet during the previous summer transfer window, which had a significant impact on their outcomes. Several European clubs have fallen short of the expectations for the 2021 season. Relatively weak clubs have enjoyed a successful season. This article discusses how the major European clubs fared this season. Let's take a look at the winners and losers at the end of the 2020/2021 European Season. English Premier League Manchester City were crowned English Premier League champion for the 2020/2021 season. Although Man City had a difficult start to the season, they were able to turn things around in December. Manchester City climbed to the top of the table with 15 consecutive victories and went on to win the Premier League with 86 points. This is Manchester City's seventh first-division league title. In addition to the Premier League, Manchester City also won the EFL Cup and secured the Champions League final for the first time. Citizens will face Chelsea in the CL final. Pep Guardiola's Manchester City will end the season with a high if they win the best tournament in Europe. On the other hand, Manchester United came second in the Premier League with 74 points. Ole Gunnar Solskjær's Manchester United reached the Europa League final under, but the Red Devils were defeated by Villarreal in the title match. This season, Manchester United failed to win a single trophy. Following the sacking of Frank Lampard in January, Thomas Tuchel was appointed as Chelsea's new manager. Chelsea reached the Champions League and FA Cup finals under his management but lost the FA Cup final against Leicester City. They will be able to finish the season well if they win the Champions League. Chelsea have also confirmed their place in the Premier League's top four. 2020 premier league champions Liverpool finished third in this season Premier League with 69 points. Despite being in a dire situation in the middle of the season, the All-Reds were able to secure a Champions League spot as their form improved towards the end of the season. Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal also had a bad season. Tottenham reached the EFL Cup final, where they were defeated by Manchester City. Arsenal, on the other hand, had advanced to the Europa League semi-finals. Read: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka 2021: 3rd ODI Match Preview Spanish La Liga Atletico Madrid won the 2021 La Liga title with 86 points, after a strong battle throughout the season. Despite their success in the Spanish league, Atletico Madrid were eliminated from the Champions League in the quarterfinals.   On the other hand, Real Madrid finished second in the league this season and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League. However, Real Madrid finished the season trophy-less for the first time since 2010. While, Barcelona won the Copa Del Rey but exited the Champions League in the round of 16 and finished third in the league. Among others, Villarreal won the Europa League and Sevilla secured the top four of the points table. Italian Serie A After ten years Italian Serie has won a new team. Inter Milan is the new league champion with 91 points. On the other hand, after being the champion for ten years in a row, Cristiano Ronaldo's Juventas have to be satisfied with fourth place in the league this season. The Turin-based team won the Supercoppa Italiana despite not winning the league. Second-placed AC Milan (69 points) and third-placed Atlanta (6 points) have been confirmed as Champions League participants for next season. Napoli finished fifth in the league despite their excellent performances throughout the season. Read: Copa America 2021: Things you need to know Others Bayern Munich have once again won the German Bundesliga. They earned a total of 78 points. Bayern Munich reached the Champions League quarter-finals this season. On the other hand, Leipzig (65), Borussia Dortmund (64) and Wolfsburg (61) have confirmed the top four of the league. Meanwhile, Lille have won the French Ligue 1 with 83 points, following a season-long contest with Paris Saint-Germain, who came in second with 82 points. Paris Saint-Germain reached the Champions League semi-finals this season. Among the other major European leagues, Ajax have won the Dutch league, Sporting Lisbon have won the Portuguese league, and Rangers have won the newly formed Scottish Premiership for the first time. Bottom Line At the end of the 2020/2021 European season, it is apparent that several of the major teams failed to meet the expectations. Barcelona, Real Madrid, Juventus, and PSG are among these teams. They were unable to form strong squads during the summer transfer window last season due to the coronavirus. Next season, fans will be permitted inside the stadium, and it is predicted that the European giants will make a strong comeback in the 2021/2022 season. Read: Tamim, Shakib and Mustafizur Reach Unique Milestones in the first ODI against Sri Lanka

Zinedine Zidane is stepping down as Real Madrid coach, again. The club said Thursday the Frenchman is leaving his job, a few days after a season in which Madrid failed to win a title for the first time in more than a decade. The club said Zidane “decided to bring an end to his current spell” as Madrid’s coach. “We must now respect his decision and express our gratitude for his professionalism, dedication and passion over the years and what he means to Real Madrid,” the club said in a statement. Zidane had a contract through June 2022. “Zidane is one of Real Madrid’s great icons and his legacy extends beyond what he has achieved as a coach and player at our club,” Madrid said. “He is aware that he has a place in the hearts of the Real Madrid fans and that he will always have a home at Real Madrid.” Zidane left the club for the first time after leading Madrid to one of its most successful runs from 2016-2018, with three consecutive Champions League titles. In his two years and five months in charge, Madrid won a total of nine trophies, including two Club World Cups, two UEFA Super Cups, one Spanish league and one Spanish Super Cup. He only won the league title once and a Spanish Super Cup in his second stint. He quit the first time less than a week after leading the team to its third straight Champions League title, saying it was time for a change and that he didn’t see it clearly that the club would keep winning with him in charge. Zidane had been dismissing talks about his future recently, saying that he would discuss it with the club. He said he believed that Madrid could do well without him as coach. Among the possible candidates being talked about to replace Zidane were Massimiliano Allegri, Antonio Conte and former Madrid great Raúl González, who has been coaching Madrid’s “B” team — just like Zidane was before taking over the over the main squad for the first time in 2016. Zidane’s second stint as coach began in March 2019, less than a year after he left for the first time. The team was in crisis after a disastrous season that included losses to rival Barcelona and elimination to Ajax in the round of 16 of the Champions League. But his second run ended with Madrid enduring its least successful season since 2009-10, which was the last time it didn’t win a title. Madrid fought for the Spanish league title until the final round but finished two points behind city rival Atlético Madrid, failing to defend its title and lift back-to-back league trophies for the first time since 2007-08. In the Champions League, Zidane led the team to the semifinals, eventually eliminated by Chelsea. In the Copa del Rey, Madrid lost to third-division club Alcoyano in the round of 32. Zidane had to deal with a series of setbacks in his squad because of injuries. It was without captain Sergio Ramos for nearly the entire second half of the season, and he also couldn’t count much on Eden Hazard. Other key players who were not available for extended periods included Dani Carvajal, Lucas Vázquez and Marco Asensio. Zidane struggled to put together a consistent starting lineup, and he often tried to switch schemes between matches. A move to a 3-5-2 formation worked well in some games but failed miserably in others, giving him little confidence to set up his teams. In addition to Zidane’s departure, there’s also doubt about whether Ramos will return, and major signings are not likely as the club continues to struggle financially amid the coronavirus pandemic. Ramos was among several players who posted messages thanking Zidane. Others included Thibaut Courtois, Dani Carvajal and Raphael Varane. “I wish you all the best. You deserve it,” Ramos said on Instagram. “Enjoy life, enjoy family.”

The penalty shootout was going badly for Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea in the Europa League final, beaten by every Villarreal player who stepped up to the spot. At 11-10, it got dramatically worse. The shootout — after a 1-1 draw following extra time — went on so long that all of the outfield players took penalties, meaning De Gea and Villarreal goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli were the 11th men up. Rulli sent his penalty into the top corner, but De Gea’s lacked power and was stopped by the Villarreal keeper. Read:Rebel Super League clubs won’t accept UEFA ‘coercion’ As Rulli lay on the grass after his save, the entire team ran over and piled on top of him. It was an upset to savor as Villarreal — a team from a city of about 50,000 people — secured the first major trophy in the 98-year history of the club by beating one of European soccer’s giants. It also secured a lucrative Champions League spot for next season rather than playing in the new third-tier Europa Conference League after Villarreal only finished seventh in the Spanish league. And it stopped an English sweep of the two big European competitions before Chelsea and Manchester City play the Champions League final on Saturday. “It feels really good,” Villarreal midfielder Francis Coquelin said. “When you go down to the end it’s the winner taking it all. It was tough, we had a tough game. Manchester put a lot of pressure on us, especially in the first half.” For Villarreal coach Unai Emery it was a record fourth Europa League title, and it offered a measure of redemption after he was fired by Arsenal last season. Emery was hoisted aloft by his players before they received their medals. He won three Europa League titles in a row with Sevilla from 2014-16 and lost the 2019 final with Arsenal against Chelsea. “We worked hard this season and I think we deserved to win and to do something important,” Emery said. “We are going to enjoy each moment but above all we are going to prepare for the next season to prepare in the Champions League and have this opportunity with very big teams.” Villarreal’s win also ensured that United went a fourth consecutive season without a trophy for the first time since the 1980s and left its manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer still looking for his first title. United’s last silverware was the Europa League in 2017. Read:Could Koeman be closer to staying at Barca after Camp Nou meeting? “That’s football for you. Sometimes it’s decided on one kick and that’s the difference between winning and losing,” Solskjaer told broadcaster BT Sport. “Got to ... taste this feeling and make sure you don’t get it again.” Asked if United’s season — runner-up in the Premier League and now the Europa League — could be considered a success, Solskjaer said bluntly: “No.” The marathon shootout had more excitement than the entire 120 minutes of the game. United dominated the early possession but it was Villarreal which made the breakthrough. Gerard Moreno pushed past Victor Lindelöf at a free kick in the 29th minute and strained to prod Daniel Perejo’s cross past De Gea in the United goal. United equalized at a set piece when Edinson Cavani reacted quickest to knock the ball in after Marcus Rashford’s low shot was deflected following a corner. A video review ruled the Uruguayan onside for his sixth goal of the season in the Europa League, all of them in the last four games. United could soon have had a second, if not for Rashford scuffing a shot wide when one-on-one with Rulli. Another missed chance followed when Torres blocked a Cavani header. Read:Copa America 2021: Things you need to know When the game went to extra time, United’s hopes of repeating a 2-1 come-from-behind win over Bayern Munich 22 years ago to the day in the Champions League final began to fade. Villarreal looked the fresher team in extra time as Solskjaer — the substitute goal-scoring hero in 1999 — held back all but one of his substitutions until the second half of extra time. Solskjaer brought on two penalty specialists, Juan Mata and Alex Telles, for the shootout. They both scored but that meant little against Villarreal’s perfect 11 penalties from 11 players. Rulli had come close to saving a couple of previous penalties, including when Luke Shaw’s kick eased in over his outstretched hand. De Gea seemed to try mind games. He approached some opponents to talk to them as they prepared to shoot, and made Villarreal’s 10th penalty taker, Pau Torres, wait while he strolled over from the sideline. But in the end it was De Gea who had to trudge back toward his teammates to be consoled after his miss.

Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus strongly criticized UEFA on Wednesday for opening disciplinary cases against them over their roles in trying to launch a European Super League, saying they won’t accept being pressured by the European soccer body. The three clubs also defended their attempt to remake European soccer, saying the sport is headed for an “inevitable downfall” unless there are major reforms. The three clubs are the remaining holdouts among 12 founders of the failed Super League and have refused to renounce the project. They released a statement on Tuesday, a day after UEFA said it had opened proceedings against them for “a potential violation of UEFA’s legal framework.” Its statutes include a section on “prohibited groupings” of clubs or leagues forming without UEFA’s permission or outside its control. The proceedings could lead to the clubs being banned from the Champions League. “Barcelona, Juventus and Real Madrid, all of them more than a century old, will not accept any form of coercion or intolerable pressure, while they remain strong in their willingness to debate, respectfully and through dialogue, the urgent solutions that football currently needs,” the clubs said. “Instead of exploring ways of modernizing football through open dialogue, UEFA expects us to withdraw the ongoing court proceedings that question their monopoly over European football,” they said. “Either we reform football or we will have to watch its inevitable downfall.” The three clubs expressed their “absolute rejection of the insistent coercion that UEFA has been maintaining towards three of the most relevant institutions in the history of football.” “This alarming attitude constitutes a flagrant breach of the decision of the courts of justice, which have already made a clear statement warning UEFA to refrain from taking any action that could penalize the founding clubs of the Super League while the legal proceedings are ongoing,” the three clubs said. A court in Madrid last month issued a preliminary ruling stopping UEFA, FIFA and its members from acting against the creation of the new league, which folded anyway because of widespread criticism from fans, domestic leagues and other clubs. A judge has asked the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg to consider if restrictions on the rebel clubs are breaking European Union laws. The holdout clubs said the opening of disciplinary proceedings by UEFA is “incomprehensible and is a direct attack against the rule of law that we, the citizens of the European Union, have democratically built up, while constituting a lack of respect toward the authority of the courts of justice themselves.” UEFA gave no timetable for the expected disciplinary cases against the clubs, which have all qualified for the Champions League next season. Any bans for the clubs would likely lead to appeals at the Court of Arbitration for Sport and pressure to resolve the cases before next season’s European competitions. The Champions League group-stage draw is on Aug. 26 and matches start on Sept. 14. The Super League project was publicly launched late at night on April 18 then imploded within 48 hours amid the backlash and threats of legislation by the British government. The nine clubs who settled with UEFA are: AC Milan, Inter Milan, Atlético Madrid, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Tottenham, plus Champions League finalists Chelsea and Manchester City. Those clubs agreed to UEFA’s terms to forfeit 5% of their prize money from European competitions in the 2022-23 season and pay a combined 15 million euros ($18.4 million) as a “gesture of goodwill” to benefit children, youth and grassroots football. The holdout clubs said the Super League was “promoted with the aim of improving the situation of European football, through permanent dialogue with UEFA and with the objective to increase the interest in the sport and to offer fans the best possible show.” They said “this objective has to be achieved in a framework of sustainability and solidarity, especially in a precarious economic situation such as the one many clubs in Europe are currently experiencing.”