None of Ireland’s group opponents at Euro 2016 won their respective friendlies last night. It was a particularly chastening night for Italy as the Azzurri lost 4-1 against world champions Germany in Munich.

Rio Ferdinand has branded the valuations placed on young English players “a joke”.

The story goes about Marcelo Bielsa, manager of Marseille, that back in Argentina, he had a football pitch built next to his home in the country.

Arsenal’s Premier League surge is in marked contrast to their rivals in Champions League Group D.

Marseille 1 Arsenal 2

Marseille 1 Arsenal 2

Manager Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal have been handed the toughest group of this year’s Champions League and will struggle to progress unless their injury situation improves.

FT: Marseille 0 Arsenal 1

IT TOOK a young head in an old team to book Manchester United’s passage into the Champions League quarter-finals, but a tense victory came at a price which could yet cost Alex Ferguson his treble dream.

Manchester United 2 Marseille 1 (agg 2-1 )

IT said everything about his team’s performance that the most positive news for Alex Ferguson over the weekend came from across the English Channel.

Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti has named a strong side to face Marseille for the final Group F game in the Champions League.

Chelsea 2 Marseille 0

Nicolas Anelka admits his “head was gone” during the infamous row with Raymond Domenech which led to him being sent home from the World Cup, but denied swearing at his former national team boss.

FRANCE exited the World Cup at the first-round stage with barely a whimper after this humbling defeat by the host nation at the Free State Stadium.

France 1 South Africa 2

France 0 South Africa 2

France striker Nicolas Anelka has been sent home from the World Cup after after refusing to apologise for his half-time rant at coach Raymond Domenech.

France striker Nicolas Anelka launched an astonishing verbal attack on coach Raymond Domenech at half-time of Thursday’s 2-0 defeat to Mexico, according to reports.

William Gallas has retained his place in a reduced France squad as Raymond Domenech’s side begin their World Cup preparations in earnest in Tignes tomorrow.

FOUR months after Thierry Henry’s ‘Hand of Gaul’ ended Ireland’s World Cup dreams, France return to international action against Spain tonight (8pm) with a recall for another enfant terrible.

France coach Raymond Domenech played down reports that he and skipper Thierry Henry had a blazing row ahead of tonight’s World Cup play-off victory over the Republic of Ireland.

Republic of Ireland 0 France 1

Republic of Ireland 0 France 1

HALF TIME: Republic of Ireland 0 France 0

Liam Lawrence was handed the task of shoring up the Republic of Ireland’s right flank in their World Cup play-off with France.

THE wind and rain was of King Lear proportions outside the French team’s Dublin hotel last night but the storm clouds have never been far from Raymond Domenech during his five years in charge of Les Bleus.

France midfielder Jeremy Toulalan remains a major doubt for Les Bleus’ World Cup play-off first leg against Ireland tomorrow.

Richard Dunne admits he may have to crawl off the pitch against France tomorrow evening if he is to keep his World Cup dream alive.

IRISH fans had been hoping that French striker Andre-Pierre Gignac would be employing his Gaelic football skills by putting plenty over the bar at Croke Park tomorrow.

Defender Eric Abidal has urged France not to fall for the Republic of Ireland’s “provocation” on Saturday.

FRANCE’S first-choice front man André-Pierre Gignac suffered an injury scare during Toulouse’s 3-2 win against Rennes in Ligue 1 yesterday.

Raymond Domenech today left captain Patrick Vieira out of his France squad to face the Republic of Ireland in their World Cup qualifying play-off this month.

RAYMOND DOMENECH names his France squad for next week’s World Cup qualifying play-off against Ireland this afternoon with doubts over his two most senior players.

PORTUGAL booked themselves a place in the European play-offs for next year’s World Cup after an easy 4-0 Group One victory over Malta.

Faroe Islands 0 France 1