International news thread

[PastyHusty]

Luis Enrique has retired from football! The decision came after an injury torn season last year. Another player that will be greatly missed from the pitch. I wonder if he will go on to take a coaching role.

[DrTagnian]

Originally posted by brit4ever
Overmars, Scholes, Nedved, who's next?

So there really was more to come ...

[PastyHusty]

Originally posted by brit4ever
So there really was more to come ...

Yes..

Lets just hope there won't be anymore this summer.

[ForeverInLoveWithJus]

Thats sad. Enrique was a superb player.

[ForeverInLoveWithJus]

Originally posted by GetNasty
Yes..

Lets just hope there won't be anymore this summer.

It looks like its Zizou!

Zinedine Zidane will reveal on Thursday whether or not he has decided to retire from international football.

The Frenchman will tell all on a special programme on the Canal Plus TV channel.

The likes of Lilian Thuram and Marcel Desailly have already retired from Les Bleus.

[DrTagnian]

And also the 33 year old Finidi George quits playing football. In the 90's he was one of the Ajax players who won the Dutch title 3 times in a row, CL and the World Cup. After Ajax, he played for Real Mallorca, Real Betis and Ipswich Town.

2004 seems to be the year of the retirements.

[ForeverInLoveWithJus]

I remember Finidi George from the days when he played for Ipswich, I forgot about him.

[ForeverInLoveWithJus]

New Germany coach Jürgen Klinsmann has appointed Bayern Munich midfielder Michael Ballack captain of the national team.

Former captain Oliver Kahn will now assume the role of vice-captain. Klinsmann made the announcement after a 20-minute meeting with the players today in preparation for Wednesday's friendly with Austria in Vienna.

Klinsmann told reporters: "the crucial point for me was that a midfield player in contrast to the goalkeeper has contact to with all sections of the team." On Kahn's reaction, Klinsmann said: "he took it very professionally." Kahn was recently preferred to Ballack as Bayern captain by club coach Felix Magath.

For his part, Ballack said: "I look forward to this new task and, above all, the confidence of Jürgen Klinsmann. I hope that I can contribute in this role so that we achieve our goal with the World Cup in 2006. I was always criticised that I was never the loudspeaker of the place, but I am a central midfield player and can thereby influence the team."

[Riapanonias]

Norway 2-2 Belgium..

Boring game really and norway should have played better at defence in first half...

[ForeverInLoveWithJus]

Not a bad game between Ireland and Bulgaria, ended 1-1, Scotland doing really badly, losing yet again, not good.