The 1998 World Cup winner is hopeful the Bayern Munich attacker will reverse his decision to retire from international football

Former France star Zinedine Zidane has urged Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery to reconsider his decision to quit international football and make a comeback ahead of Euro 2016.

The 31-year-old announced that he would no longer be available for France earlier this summer after missing the World Cup due to injury, but Zidane remains hopeful the Bayern Munich winger will play at the European Championship on home soil in two years’ time.

“When you have a talented player like Ribery with so much quality, it would be good to see him back in the team,” Zidane told Canal+.

“I also retired from international football back in 2004, but I simply couldn’t live with it in the six months that followed.

“When you play at the highest level and enjoy playing matches, you want to grab each opportunity to play. I could no longer sit still and do nothing for three to four days when my team-mates were away on international duty. I was all by myself on the training pitch in Madrid and told myself things couldn’t go on like that.

“I had to play for the national team if I wanted to continue to feel like a great player. I hope that Franck will also make the decision to make a comeback. That would be great for France.”

Ribery has made 81 appearances for France, scoring 16 goals in the process.

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World football’s governing body has announced the 23-men shortlist for the prestigious individual award, with the winner to be announced on January 12

Six members of Germany’s World Cup-winning squad feature in Fifa’s shortlist for the Ballon d’Or released on Tuesday, with Barcelona star Lionel Messi and Real Madrid attacker Cristiano Ronaldo again among the leading contenders for the prize.

Captain Philipp Lahm, Mario Gotze, Toni Kroos, Thomas Muller, Manuel Neuer and Bastian Schweinsteiger all tasted success in Brazil this year and have been rewarded for their efforts with a nomination.

Fifa’s award for the best player in a calendar year will be announced in Zurich on January 12.

Ronaldo won the prestigious award in 2013, with Messi emerging victorious in the preceding four years.

Real Madrid and Bayern Munich have six nominees each, while four Barcelona and three Chelsea players are still in the running.

Furthermore, Manchester United, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus all have one candidate each.

2014 FIFA Ballon d’Or shortlist:

Gareth Bale (Wales), Karim Benzema (France), Diego Costa (Spain), Thibaut Courtois (Belgium), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Angel Di Maria (Argentina), Mario Gotze (Germany), Eden Hazard (Belgium), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden), Andres Iniesta (Spain), Toni Kroos (Germany), Philipp Lahm (Germany), Javier Mascherano (Argentina), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Thomas Muller (Germany), Manuel Neuer (Germany), Neymar (Brazil), Paul Pogba (France), Sergio Ramos (Spain), Arjen Robben (Netherlands), James Rodriguez (Colombia), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany), Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast)

Meanwhile, Fifa has also announced the names of the coaches who are in contention to scoop the Coach of the Year award, with Carlo Ancelotti and Joachim Low the favourites following their Champions League and World Cup success, respectively.

Coach of the Year shortlist:

Carlo Ancelotti (Italy/Real Madrid), Antonio Conte (Italy/Juventus/Italy national team), Pep Guardiola (Spain/Bayern Munich), Jurgen Klinsmann (Germany/ USA national team), Joachim Low (Germany/Germany national team), Jose Mourinho (Portugal/Chelsea), Manuel Pellegrini (Chile/Manchester City), Alejandro Sabella (Argentina/Argentina national team), Diego Simeone (Argentina/Atletico Madrid), Louis van Gaal (Netherlands/Netherlands national team/Manchester United)

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The striker has impressed at White Hart Lane this term, recently scoring a hat-trick in the Europa League against Asteras Tripolis and his coach hinted at a start against Brighton

Tottenham head coach Mauricio Pochettino believes Harry Kane will remain at White Hart Lane for the long term.

Kane won admirers after scoring a hat-trick in Spurs’ 5-1 Europa League demolition of Asteras Tripolis last Thursday, with some questioning why the striker does not get more first-team opportunities.

However, Pochettino says Kane is an important part of his squad and could be given another chance to shine when Tottenham host Brighton in the fourth round of the League Cup on Wednesday.

“Harry is a very important player and I am sure he will stay with us for a long time,” Pochettino told reporters.

“I am head coach and I have to make decisions on selection. I have to analyse the situation and pick different players.

“Harry shares a position with other players in the squad and all the players have the opportunity to play and to show themselves. There will be many changes and maybe Harry will be in the first 11.”

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The Russian club’s suspension has been shortened and their fine halved after their appeal was part-upheld by Uefa’s Appeals Body

Uefa has announced it has reduced CSKA Moscow’s stadium ban on appeal to two games, suspending the final match of their original punishment for the behaviour of supporters in a recent European game.

The Russian club were initially prohibited from admitting the general public for three home games and fined €200,000 following ugly scenes at their 5-1 Champions League loss to Roma in Italy in September.

The club’s fans were found guilty of throwing flares onto the pitch and instigating fights with the home support, while there was also a banner with a racist slur being held aloft in the CSKA section.

But now Uefa’s Appeals Body has reduced the suspension and halved the fine after the Russians lobbied for leniency.

“CSKA’s appeal has partially been upheld. Therefore the original decision of the Uefa Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body is modified as follows:

“CSKA have been ordered to play their next three Uefa competition matches as host club behind closed doors. The latest is suspended for a probationary period of five years.

“The Russian team has also been fined €100,000.

“CSKA remain banned from selling tickets to their fans for the next two UEFA Champions League group stage games which the club will play as the visiting side.”

The decision means that CSKA are free to open the Arena Khimki to the general public for the return Champions League Group E home match against Roma on November 25 following the closure of the stadium at the earlier fixtures against Bayern Munich and Manchester City

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The Chile international endured a difficult start to his Loftus Road spell following his loan move from Juventus, though he insists he will not move back to Serie A

Mauricio Isla has denied reports that he is looking to end his loan at QPR prematurely and return to Italy.

The Chile international penned a year-long deal at Loftus Road in the last transfer window after finding himself surplus to requirements at Juventus.

Isla initially struggled for form at QPR, as Harry Redknapp’s men made a sluggish start in the Premier League, leading to suggestions he would look to move back to Serie A.

However, the 26-year-old put in a much improved showing as QPR defeated Aston Villa 2-0 on Monday and insists he is committed to the club.

“That [going back to Italy] was never going to happen,” he told the London Evening Standard.

“People talk but I’ve never spoken about it. I’ve not spoken to a single director at Juventus since I came to England, not even to the coach there, Massimiliano Allegri.

“It is important for me to stay here a long while because I need to get match fitness back after the cruciate knee ligament injury I had [while playing for Udinese in 2012].

“After playing so many games for Udinese, it was a bit of a sad situation at Juventus.

“Because of the injury and other reasons, I didn’t play all that much for Juve. On the other hand, I’m playing regularly here, so I’m really happy about it.”

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Germany dominated the FIFA Player of the Year shortlist, with six nominees among the 23 candidates announced on Tuesday, while the 10-man coaching shortlist was full of anomalies and controversy.

Juergen Klinsmann was included among the coaches after leading United States to the last 16 of the World Cup but Jorge Luis Pinto and Jose Pekerman, who took Costa Rica and Colombia respectively to the quarter-finals, were overlooked.
Jorge Sampaoli, whose hugely entertaining Chile side knocked out defending champions Spain on their way to the last sixteen, and Vahid Halilhodzic, who took an inspirational Algeria to the knockout stages, were also ignored.
On the other hand, there was room for Bayern Munich’s Pep Guardiola, even though his team’s most important match of the year, a Champions League semi-final at home to Real Madrid, ended in a 4-0 defeat.
Almost inevitably, Chelsea’s Jose Mourinho also sneaked in despite failing to land a trophy on his return to Stamford Bridge.
The players’ list showed similar anomalies and appeared to be based more on European club football than FIFA’s flagship tournament.
Manuel Neuer, Thomas Mueller, Toni Kroos, Mario Goetze, Philipp Lahm and Bastian Schweinsteiger were six players from world champions Germany to be included and beaten finalists Argentina had three, Lionel Messi, Angel Di Maria and Javier Mascherano.
Last year’s winner Cristiano Ronaldo was duly named along with his Real Madrid team mates Gareth Bale (Wales) and James Rodriguez (Colombia).
Manchester City and Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure was the only African player short-listed, Neymar was Brazil’s sole representative, and there were none at all from CONCACAF region or Asia.
Notable absentees included United States goalkeeper Tim Howard and Costa Rica stopper Keylor Navas, both outstanding in Brazil, and Costa Rica defender Giancarlo Gonzalez, who many critics saw as one of the tournament’s most influential players.
FIFA, who organise the award jointly with France Football, said the final three candidates for both awards, officially known as the Ballon d’Or, would be announced on Dec 1 with the award ceremony in Zurich on Jan 12.
“The list of 23 male candidates has been drawn up by football experts from the FIFA Football Committee and by a group of experts from France Football,” FIFA said.
“The list of ten coaches has been drawn up by the committee for Women’s Football and FIFA Women’s World Cup and by the FIFA Football Committee, as well as by a group of experts from France Football.”
Player of the Year shortlist: Mario Goetze (Germany) Toni Kroos (Germany) Philipp Lahm (Germany) Thomas Mueller (Germany) Manuel Neuer (Germany) Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany) Angel Di Maria (Argentina) Javier Mascherano (Argentina) Lionel Messi (Argentina) Andres Iniesta (Spain) Sergio Ramos (Spain) Diego Costa (Spain) Karim Benzema (France) Paul Pogba (France) Gareth Bale (Wales) Eden Hazard (Belgium) Thibaut Courtois (Belgium) Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden) Neymar (Brazil) Arjen Robben (Netherlands) James Rodriguez (Colombia) Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast)
Coach of the Year Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid) Antonio Conte (Italy/Juventus FC) Pep Guardiola (Bayern Munich) Juergen Klinsmann (United States) Joachim Loew (Germany) Jose Mourinho (Chelsea) Manuel Pellegrini (Manchester City) Alejandro Sabella (Argentina) Diego Simeone (Argentina) Louis van Gaal (Netherlands)

Source Reuters