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Mbappe under Fire for Skipping France Duty While Fit to Play for Real

Football - Euro 2024 - Group D - France v Poland - Dortmund BVB Stadion, Dortmund, Germany - June 25, 2024 France's Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring their first goal. (Reuters)
Football - Euro 2024 - Group D - France v Poland - Dortmund BVB Stadion, Dortmund, Germany - June 25, 2024 France's Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring their first goal. (Reuters)
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Mbappe under Fire for Skipping France Duty While Fit to Play for Real

Football - Euro 2024 - Group D - France v Poland - Dortmund BVB Stadion, Dortmund, Germany - June 25, 2024 France's Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring their first goal. (Reuters)
Football - Euro 2024 - Group D - France v Poland - Dortmund BVB Stadion, Dortmund, Germany - June 25, 2024 France's Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring their first goal. (Reuters)

France captain Kylian Mbappe is facing criticism in his home country for skipping Les Bleus' Nations League games against Israel and Belgium while being available to play for Real Madrid.

The forward picked up a muscle injury last month but made his return to the pitch in the Champions League last Wednesday.

France coach Didier Deschamps left Mbappe out of the squad he announced on Thursday, saying the 25-year-old lacked preparation, having played too few matches.

Mbappe started Real's La Liga game against Villarreal on Saturday.

"Either you're injured, and you don't play with your club and you're not called up in the national team," former France international Maxime Bossis told French sports daily L'Equipe on Monday.

"But when you come off the bench in the Champions League and you start a league game, it makes things fuzzy. He's a special player. We've known that with Michel Platini, when we still wanted him with us when he was injured."

Mbappe's situation is more complicated because the former Paris St Germain player is the national team captain after being handed the armband ahead of Antoine Griezmann, who last week announced his retirement from international football.

Griezmann's commitment to Les Bleus was never in doubt as the Atletico Madrid forward played a record 84 consecutive matches for his country between 2017 and 2024.

"As a captain (Mbappe) must be an example for the fans, and he has not been," Fabien Bonnet, spokesperson for the Irresistibles Francais, the main France supporters' group, told L'Equipe.

"What emerges is that the real captain, Antoine Griezmann, is gone."

France, second in Group A, face Israel in Budapest on Thursday and travel to Belgium next Monday.

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Sports

Bayern Keeper Neuer’s Masterclass Reignites National Team Discussion

07 April 2026, Spain, Madrid: Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer celebrates a goal during the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal first leg soccer match between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich at Santiago Bernabeu. (dpa)
07 April 2026, Spain, Madrid: Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer celebrates a goal during the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal first leg soccer match between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich at Santiago Bernabeu. (dpa)
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Bayern Keeper Neuer’s Masterclass Reignites National Team Discussion

07 April 2026, Spain, Madrid: Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer celebrates a goal during the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal first leg soccer match between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich at Santiago Bernabeu. (dpa)
07 April 2026, Spain, Madrid: Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer celebrates a goal during the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal first leg soccer match between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich at Santiago Bernabeu. (dpa)

Bayern Munich's veteran keeper Manuel Neuer delivered ‌a five-star performance in Tuesday's 2-1 Champions League quarter-final first leg win at Real Madrid, reigniting a discussion about his potential return to the national team ahead of the World Cup starting in June.

The 40-year-old World Cup winner, who retired from international duty in 2024, has been on many German fans' minds with Oliver Baumann currently the first choice keeper for Germany, and Jonas Urbig and Alexander Nuebel as his likely replacements at the tournament. Marc-Andre ter Stegen is out of the mix following consecutive injuries.

Tuesday's performance saw Neuer, who was Germany's starting keeper for 14 years, make a string of spectacular saves throughout the pulsating encounter, including ‌repeatedly stopping Real ‌top scorer Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr in one-on-ones, ‌to ⁠protect the visitors' ⁠slim lead and earn man-of-the-match honors.

He was heaped with praise by German pundits, many of whom called for his World Cup squad inclusion, and even Real coach Alvaro Arbeloa highlighted Neuer's performance.

"I think Neuer was MVP," Arbeloa said. "We had so many chances to score more goals, but we didn't do it."

The Germans never had a shortage of world class keepers to choose from for international tournaments but the ⁠national team has seen little keeper consistency since Neuer's retirement.

With ‌the World Cup starting in the United States, ‌Canada and Mexico in June, and Germany eager to do well after consecutive first ‌round exits in 2018 and 2022, calls for Neuer's return are growing louder.

A ‌lot has also been said about the relationship between the veteran keeper and Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann, which at times appeared to be strained.

The coach, when asked in an interview days ago if he had congratulated the player for his 40th birthday, said he ‌had no idea Neuer had turned 40. He has also repeatedly ruled out any possibility of luring him out ⁠of international retirement.

But ⁠on Tuesday, following Neuer's stellar performance, the keeper was asked about a possible national team return once more.

"We don't need to bring that up at all," Neuer told reporters.

"Where did we play today? That was a sensational game. We're not talking about the national team now. I've said my piece and I'm concentrating on Bayern here."

While Neuer wants to focus on club football with Bayern still in the running for three titles, performances such as these will only pile more pressure on Nagelsmann.

"To be honest, I am not surprised by his performance," said Bayern's director of sport, Max Eberl. "Manuel has been playing at this level for the entire season. He saved us today on several occasions."

Asked about a potential return to the national team, Eberl said: "I am not in charge of the national team coach."

Sports

'He Has the DNA': Amad Backs Carrick for Man Utd Top Job

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Arsenal v Manchester United - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - January 25, 2026 Manchester United's Amad Diallo celebrates after the match with Manchester United manager Michael Carrick. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Arsenal v Manchester United - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - January 25, 2026 Manchester United's Amad Diallo celebrates after the match with Manchester United manager Michael Carrick. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
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'He Has the DNA': Amad Backs Carrick for Man Utd Top Job

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Arsenal v Manchester United - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - January 25, 2026 Manchester United's Amad Diallo celebrates after the match with Manchester United manager Michael Carrick. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Arsenal v Manchester United - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - January 25, 2026 Manchester United's Amad Diallo celebrates after the match with Manchester United manager Michael Carrick. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

Manchester United's interim manager Michael Carrick is the right man to take charge of the Premier League club on a permanent basis, winger Amad Diallo said.

Since taking charge following Ruben Amorim's dismissal in January, Carrick has guided the club to seven wins in 10 matches, with just one defeat.

Under the former United and England midfielder, the Old Trafford club appear poised for a return to ⁠the Champions League ⁠next season and are third in the Premier League with seven games remaining in their campaign.

"From a personal view he's the right man. He has a lot of experience, he knows the club and ⁠has the DNA. His relationship with every player is very good," Ivory Coast international Amad told reporters on Tuesday.

"Sometimes this kind of manager can bring the club where they belong. It's not the players who decide but my honest opinion is we're really happy to have Michael Carrick as a manager."

Forward Bryan Mbeumo, signed from Brentford ⁠last ⁠year, echoed those sentiments, saying United's players had had a "good experience" working with Carrick, Reuters reported.

"He knows how to talk to us and we're going to try to take as much as we can from him. It's been easier because he knows the place. It's been great to work under him," he added.

Manchester United next host Leeds United in a league game on April 13.

Sports

Havertz Hails Arsenal Turnaround in Champions League Win Over Sporting

Arsenal's Kai Havertz celebrates after scoring the 0-1 goal during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg soccer match between Sporting CP and Arsenal FC at Jose Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon, Portugal, 07 April 2026. (EPA)
Arsenal's Kai Havertz celebrates after scoring the 0-1 goal during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg soccer match between Sporting CP and Arsenal FC at Jose Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon, Portugal, 07 April 2026. (EPA)
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Havertz Hails Arsenal Turnaround in Champions League Win Over Sporting

Arsenal's Kai Havertz celebrates after scoring the 0-1 goal during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg soccer match between Sporting CP and Arsenal FC at Jose Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon, Portugal, 07 April 2026. (EPA)
Arsenal's Kai Havertz celebrates after scoring the 0-1 goal during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg soccer match between Sporting CP and Arsenal FC at Jose Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon, Portugal, 07 April 2026. (EPA)

Arsenal's 1-0 win over ‌Sporting in the Champions League quarter-final was a big turnaround for the English club after the back-to-back defeats in the FA Cup and League Cup, attacker Kai Havertz said.

Havertz scored the winning goal against Sporting in the tie after coming on as a substitute to give Arsenal an advantage heading into next week's return leg in London.

"Definitely a ‌big turnaround ‌for us because we lost the ‌last ⁠two matches. So ⁠we wanted to get a turnaround today and we made that happen," the German told Amazon Prime.

Arsenal's "quadruple" hopes have been downgraded to a "double" this season following their defeat by Manchester City in the League Cup ⁠final and shock loss to Championship ‌side Southampton in the ‌FA Cup on Saturday.

However, Havertz said the north ‌London club can still end the season ‌with trophies.

"We stick together as a group, we have so much more to come this season. Seven weeks to go, we can win big titles, ‌and we're going to go for that," he said.

Havertz was also full ⁠of ⁠praise for goalkeeper David Raya, who was the player of the match in the Champions League tie as he was forced into making several crucial interventions.

"For me, the last two seasons, the best keeper in the world. He's (David Raya) outstanding, he's saved us so many times, and we're very glad to have him."

Arsenal, who are top of the standings with 70 points, host Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday.