Italy s hopes of winning a second UEFA European Football Championship suffered a major setback on Monday, when first-choice left back Domenico Criscito was left out of the Azzurri s Euro 2012 squad after Italian police searched his room at Coverciano in connection with the Scommessopoli scandal.
Criscito was one of seven players cut by Azzurri boss Cesare Prandelli ahead of Italy s international friendly with against Luxembourg, with Emiliano Viviano, Davide Astori, Salvatore Bocchetti, Luca Cigarini, Ezequiel Schelotto and Marco Verratti also getting the ax.
However, Criscito was the only player omitted as a result of the Scommessopoli scandal.
With that said, the drama surrounding Italy s Euro 2012 campaign does not end there.
Juventus…
While the focus of football fans is at the 2018 World Cup finals that have now reached the knockout stage, tennis enthusiasts around the world are eagerly anticipating the start of the 2018 Wimbledon Championships, the 132nd edition of the world-famous tournament.
Main draw starts on 2nd July and with a total of £34 million up for grabs in prize money, chances are we will witness some memorable matches between this Monday and 15th July, when the competition ends with men’s final.
Outright Betting Odds
With 8 Wimbledon titles to his name, veteran Roger Federer has again been made the number one favourite for the coveted title as the world number 2 is .
Fallen giant Novak Djokovic comes second at 5/1, whereas clay court specialist Rafael Nadal can be bac…
Holders Spain have been drawn in the same group as 2010 runners-up Netherlands for the FIFA 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Vicente del Bosque s side beat the Netherlands 1-0 after extra time in Johannesburg three years ago to win football s greatest honour for the first time.
And they were paired with the Netherlands in Group B at Friday s draw, to be joined by Chile and Australia, who are currently the lowest-ranked team in next year s showpiece.
It is the first time that the previous finalists have been drawn in the same group for the next World Cup, and the repeat of the 2010 showpiece comes as early as the second day of the tournament, with the two sides set to meet in Salvador on June 13.
A day earlier, hosts and five-time winners Brazil will open the tournament …
Borussia Dortmund have finally confirmed a new four-year deal for Raphael Guerreiro.
Portugal international Guerreiro had appeared set to commit his future to Dortmund in September, with sporting director Michael Zorc describing himself as very optimistic a contract would be agreed.
The extension was formally announced on Thursday, with the versatile defender set to stay at Signal Iduna Park until 2023.
Guerreiro s previous deal was due to expire at the end of the season, prompting links to Paris Saint-Germain in the previous transfer window.
Upon signing the new terms, Guerreiro said: Borussia Dortmund are a great club where I have been feeling very comfortable with my family for three years.
— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow)
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Germany coach Joachim Low described his team s 1-0 win over Spain on Tuesday as the perfect end to the year.
The World Cup winners edged to their victory thanks to an 89th-minute goal from Toni Kroos at the Estadio de Balaidos.
Low said it was the ideal way to finish 2014, a year which saw Germany win the World Cup for a fourth time.
I don t think you can ask for a better end to the year than that, he said.
As for his team s performance, Low said there were plenty of areas for his side to work on.
I was very pleased in the second half with the attacking play. We had better action than in the first, he said.
We must continue to develop and improve in some things further. That was a very good start today.
Low was most pleased wit…
Domenico Tedesco says Belgium are still hurting after their Euro 2024 exit to France as they prepare to meet them in the Nations League on Monday.
Belgium suffered a 1-0 defeat to France in the round of 16 at the Euros, conceding an 85th-minute Jan Vertonghen own goal to send them crashing out after a poor tournament.
It was a tight affair when the sides met in July, with both only managing two shots on target, though France s came from 19 overall attempts compared to Belgium s five.
And Tedesco would rather forget about that meeting as he targets a more positive result this time around.
At the European Championship, it was a close one against France. We could have won too,” Tedesco told reporters.
France were a bit better, they deserved to wi…
We’re looking at an all-rookie quarterback battle in California as Davis Mills and the Houston Texans, winners of two straight, take on Trey Lance and the San Francisco 49ers, who enter this critical Week 17 matchup as 12.5-point home favorites.
Can Mills and the Texans build off their shocking win vs. the Chargers last week? What can the 49ers expect from Lance who hasn’t thrown a pass since Week 5? Find out in our NFL picks and predictions for Falcons vs. Bills.
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Week 14 props are starting to trickle in, and getting to these numbers early is the best way to get that sweet sweet closing line value.
My prop card is being rounded out by two quarterback passing attempt Overs which I see as the two best values in that market on Sunday. One of them is due to environment and play-calling tendencies while the other is because of injuries, game script, and an overall-low number.
With new picks coming in daily all weekend, here are my best NFL player prop picks for the upcoming action.
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Roger Goodell has blessed us all with a Christmas present tonight as the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers meet in San Francisco on Christmas Day to close out the Week 16 odds.
Central to this MNF odds meeting between two 11-3 teams will be the quarterbacks — Lamar Jackson and Brock Purdy — the top two contenders for this season’s NFL MVP prize. I’m going to shine a spotlight on Brock Purdy’s odds and find the best way to bet on him for this huge game.
Check out my free NFL picks surrounding Purdy below! Be sure to also check out our Ravens vs. 49ers picks!
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The new-look Buffalo Bills are a team to watch on Sunday as they kick off the NFL season against the retooling but dangerous Arizona Cardinals.
After overhauling their receiving corps, two things remain the same, and my Cardinals vs Bills predictions are bullish on one particular Bills player.
Find out why James Cook is my focus in my NFL picks for Sunday, September 8.
Cardinals vs Bills prediction
My best betJames Cook Over 82.5 rushing + receiving yards (-118 at BetMGM)
My analysisJump onboard the James Cook hype train with me here as the Buffalo Bills offense walks into a favorable Week 1 matchup against an Arizona Cardinals defense that ranked last in DVOA in 2023.
It’s no secret that Cook was o…