Aleksandrs Starkovs has returned to take charge of Latvia for a third time, replacing his former national team forward Marians Pahars.The 61-year-old Starkovs steered Latvia to the finals of UEFA EURO 2004 – the Baltic side's greatest achievement – and he enjoyed a second spell in the post from 2007 to 2013 following a stint with Spartak Moskva. His third coming begins with Latvia fifth in Group B of the European Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup, two points ahead of Andorra, with European champions Portugal their next opponents on 9 June. "It's a major honour to take charge of the
Football Update
Champions League podcast: Ronaldo the star
Hear from Jamie Vardy and Kamil Glik as host Rob Daly is joined by UEFA.com's European football expert Andy Brassell and match commentators Richard Kaufman and Mark Scott to review Real Madrid and Atlético reaching the semi-finals and discuss who could join them in the official UEFA Champions League podcast.DOWNLOAD THE PODCAST NOW Download the podcast from iTunes or audioBoom, or listen in the official competition app. Our radio show Matchday Live returns with commentary and updates on Wednesday from 19:30CEST on UEFA.com and in the app. ... UEFA.com - News
Bayern’s Lahm hoping to head out on a high
At 33, Philipp Lahm has confirmed that this season will be his last; UEFA.com spoke to the Bayern captain about his glory days – and triumphs hopefully yet to come, despite a 2-1 home defeat by Real Madrid in last week's quarter-final first leg.Why did you decide this summer was the right time to call an end to your career? Philipp Lahm: I felt I can only play at my current level until the end of the season, and not beyond. Everything's getting a bit harder for me; training is harder and you get a bit more annoyed in training. And that's
United and Ajax strike blows, Schalke suffer late
SCHALKE v AJAX Darmstadt 2-1 Schalke (Vrancic 11, Jérôme Gondorf 90+3; Coke 75)There was late misery for Schalke as Markus Weinzierl's men slipped to a third defeat in four matches in all competitions following a last-gasp winner for Bundesliga bottom side Darmstadt. The Royal Blues looked good for at least a point when Coke headed in his first goal for the club on 75 minutes, but Thilo Kehrer was dismissed soon after and the hosts had the final word.Ajax 5-1 Heerenveen (Viergever 24, De Ligt 32, Klaassen 42, Dolberg 68pen, Neres 83; Ghoochanneijhad 8)Ajax took their tally to 1... UEFA.com - News
Ronaldinho praises Maldini on Trophy Tour
The biggest prize in European club football and three former winners – Ronaldinho together with Ajax heroes Frank and Ronald de Boer – sent Vietnam into a frenzy when they touched down on the final leg of the 2017 UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour, presented by Heineken.Ronaldinho, who lifted the trophy in 2006, was a man in demand in the south-east Asian country and wooed upwards of 30,000 fans at packed events across Can Tho, Ho Chi Minh City and Bien Hoa with his beaming smile and infectious personality. The former Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and AC Milan playmaker also sat down for
UEFA.com’s weekly wonderkid: Theo Hernández
Younger brother of Atlético Madrid club-mate Lucas, Theo Hernández has been catching the eye with his fleet-footed performances while on loan at Alavés. Both Barcelona and Real Madrid are said to be keeping tabs on the 19-year-old Rojiblancos left-back. Here's why.Name: Theo HernándezClub: Alavés (on loan from Atlético Madrid)Debut: 28 August 2016 v Sporting Gijón (Liga)Position: defenderNationality: FrenchBorn: 6 October 1997Preferred foot: leftHeight: 184cm
Who are the most in-form teams in European football?
Real Madrid extended their unbeaten run in the UEFA Champions League to 14 games with a 2-1 win at Bayern, and are now on the longest unbeaten run in all competitions in any of the top European leagues. However, they cannot match Tottenham's record of seven straight victories in all competitions, while Barcelona continue to outscore them in the Liga despite drawing a blank last weekend. UEFA.com sizes up the hottest of the hot.How the eight leagues were chosenListed below are the statistics from the top eight leagues in Europe according to UEFA's association club coefficients.Statistics last ... UEFA.com - News