Bayern Munich wins 1000th match in Bundesliga.

      Arjen Robben scored on his arrival from harm Saturday as Bayern Munich crushed going to Cologne 4–0 for the club's 1,000th Bundesliga triumph.

     Robben, who hadn't played since getting a crotch harm on global obligation on Sept. 3, softened the gridlock up the 35th moment after Robert Lewandowski's underlying exertion was blocked.

    "Extremely upbeat," Robben said. "It's decent when you are compensated for your diligent work by being back on the pitch."

       Arturo Vidal made it 2–0 five minutes after the fact with a softly avoided exertion after Kingsley Coman pulled the ball back, Lewandowski asserted his thirteenth of the season in the 62nd with a header off Douglas Costa's  kick, and Thomas Mueller finished the scoring with a punishment in the 77th.

     "They shielded with 10 men. It was essential for us to score the primary objective. At that point when you get the second objective before half time—I wouldn't say it's settled—however it looks great," Robben said.

     Bayern, which encountered its first thrashing of the season at Arsenal in the Champions League on Tuesday, moved temporarily 10 focuses clear of Borussia Dortmund in the wake of extending its group record begin to 10 wins from 10 amusements.

     "No one can envision how hard a win it is to be rationally solid consistently and to win each amusement," Bayern mentor Pep Guardiola said.

          Likewise Saturday, Admir Mehmedi scored in the 89th moment for Bayer Leverkusen to upset a two-objective shortfall and beat Stuttgart 4–3, Wolfsburg crushed Darmstadt 1-0, Eintracht Frankfurt dug out from a deficit to win 2–1 at Hannover and Werder Bremen won 3–1 at Mainz.

         Germany's national football affiliation Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL) will give Bundesliga live recreations in Ultra HD from harvest time 2016 interestingly.

          At first, one amusement for every match day will be created in the new standard, to be communicate live by pay-TV administrator Sky Deutschland. There have likewise been early articulations of enthusiasm for the UHD  from the Bundesliga's worldwide TV accomplices, as per DFL.

          The official presentation of the Bundesliga scope in UHD was gone before by a serious test period as a team with DFL's creation backup Sportcast and Sky Deutschland.

       "The presentation of the UHD innovation shows by and by the inventive quality of the Bundesliga," said Dr Holger Blask, chief varying media rights and in charge of the DFL methodology in this field. "We are satisfied to have the capacity to give our live communicating rights accomplices with yet another top item."

       Carlo Ancelotti's first Bundesliga match in charge of Bayern Munich will see the defending champions take on Werder Bremen at the Allianz Arena.

The German top-flight announced its full schedule for the 2016-17 campaign on Wednesday, with Bayern hosting Bremen to kick off the campaign in a Friday fixture on August 26.

      Ancelotti has replaced Pep Guardiola following the former head coach's move to Manchester City and takes over a team who won the league by 10 points last season.

Last season's runners-up Borussia Dortmund are at home to Mainz, while the pick of the opening fixtures sees Borussia Monchengladbach host Bayer Leverkusen as the teams who finished fourth and third respectively last season go head-to-head.

        Promoted club Freiburg start at Hertha Berlin, while RB Leipzig's first Bundesliga match having risen through the leagues will see them travel to Hoffenheim.

     Bayern's first match against rivals Dortmund will take place at Signal Iduna Park on matchday 11 between November 18 and 20.

The return match will take place on matchday 28 at the Allianz Arena between April 7 and 9, with the late-season clash potentially a crucial one in the title race.

Bayern have won 26 league titles – a record – with last season's success making them the first team to win four in a row.

Seria A starts with some great matches.

Udinese on fire in the first 60min of the match.

Beppe Iachini can’t believe Udinese lost 4-0 when they had neutralised Roma so successfully for an hour.

A pair of Diego Perotti penalties broke the deadlock, paving the way for late Edin Dzeko and Mohamed Salah tap-ins.

“For an hour we allowed Roma nothing and even created chances we were unable to make the most of,” the Coach told Sky Sport Italia.

“The two penalties changed the course of the game and the lads let their heads drop. We should’ve done better and now we will resume working hard in training.

“We have a young squad with a lot of potential. They need to learn how to work on tactics and move as a team.

“As for Roma, they have so much quality and strength in depth all over the pitch. They are one of the candidates for the Scudetto.”

Juventus-Fiorentina 1-0.

The opening weekend provided one of the hottest fixtures in the Serie A calendar, as there’s a bitter rivalry between these sides. Injured Miralem Pjanic and €90m man Gonzalo Higuain were on the bench, but Dani Alves made his competitive Bianconeri bow. Borja Valero missed out with a sprained ankle, but Paulo Sousa shocked everyone by giving Federico Chiesa – the 18-year-old son of legendary striker Enrico – his debut.

Sami Khedira failed to make the most of a poor Ciprian Tatarusanu clearance after four minutes, while Davide Astori’s handball was considered involuntary as it bounced off his leg first.

Kwadwo Asamoah looked sharp and blasted over on the spin and Paulo Dybala’s curler was wide of the far top corner. Dybala and Dani Alves were already combining well, but it was Giorgio Chiellini who provided the unexpected cross for a powerful Khedira header to break the deadlock.

Dybala’s ferocious half-volley skimmed the bar from the edge of the box and Alex Sandro should’ve done better when firing over.

Dennis Praet in Sampdoria.

Dennis Praet arrived for his Sampdoria medical, but it’s reported the €10m move from Anderlecht includes a release clause.

The 23-year-old midfielder touched down in Rome this evening and will undergo a medical before travelling up to Genoa.

According to Sky Sport Italia, the transfer will be worth €10m.

However, the five-year contract for €1.2m per season should also include a release clause for €28m.

This effectively means Praet’s stay at Sampdoria could be short-lived, though the Blucerchiati are guaranteed a healthy profit.

Praet had also been linked with Sevilla, Lazio and Fiorentina before choosing Samp.

Moratta prefer Juan Cuadrado then Simone Zaza.

Beppe Marotta confirmed Juventus are “optimistic” over Juan Cuadrado from Chelsea, while there’s still time to sell Simone Zaza.

The director of sport spoke to Mediaset Premium ahead of tonight’s Serie A opener against Fiorentina. 

“I hope that over the next few days we can conclude the Cuadrado deal,” said Marotta.

The Colombian was not even on the bench for today’s 2-1 win away to Watford, fuelling reports he’ll arrive on loan for €3.5m.

“For now he is a Chelsea player. We presented a proposal to them and are waiting for a response, but we are optimistic.”

The race is still on to find a midfielder to replace Paul Pogba, although it may well be two.

“We are seeking a player who is suitable for our team. We also hope that within two months Claudio Marchisio will be back at our disposal.”

Zaza’s transfer to Wolfsburg collapsed at the last minute, but there is still interest from West Ham United and Milan.

“We spoke to Zaza. The transfer is not a punishment, but he would undoubtedly find more space elsewhere,” continued Marotta.

“There was the Wolfsburg idea, but it all fell apart. Over the final 10 days of the transfer window, we’ve got all the time to find him a new club.”

Can FC Valencia make the top four?

          Last season's center table finishers Valencia CF and UD Las Palmas are set to face each other at the Mestalla Stadium on August 22, Monday to open their particular 2016-2017 La Liga season battles.

Valencia completed at the twelfth spot of the Spanish top flight standings with 44 focuses toward the end last term, missing the last Europa League qualifying billet by a long eight focuses. 

Previous colleague chief Pako Ayestarán, who was advanced as new head mentor last March to supplant sacked manager Gary Neville, will lead the group in his first full season as primary seat strategist for Los Che.

The club had an OK preseason, winning three, losing two, and drawing one amid their six-amusement swing.

Els Taronges nipped Italian Serie A side ACF Fiorentina, 2-1, in their keep going preseason neighborly on Saturday likewise at their home stadium to close their offseason preparing on a high note, Football Italia reported.

Ayestarán pulled off a couple of striking signings this late spring to fortify the squad, in particular midfielders Federico Cartabia, Robert Ibanez, Alvaro Medran, and Nani from Deportivo La Coruna, Granada, Real Madrid, and Fenerbahçe individually. The mentor additionally got protector Martin Montoya from La Liga champs Barcelona to support his backfield.

Striking ways out were those of Andre Gomes to Barcelona, Alvaro Negredo and Antonio Barragan to Middlesbrough, Sofiane Feghouli to West Ham United, Javi Fuego to Espanyol, and Denis Cheryshev to Villarreal.

Then, last season's eleventh put squad Las Palmas, who completed keep going term tied on focuses with Valencia however having a predominant objective contrast, had an amazing preseason with five wins in seven matches, including a five-amusement winning pursue opening their preparation with a 0-1 misfortune to Tenerife.

Their last preseason cordial finished in a 1-1 draw with Bundesliga side Darmstadt 98, however, at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor last Friday to close their offseason arrangements, according to Soccerway.

Director Quique Setién returns for a brief moment season with the Canary Islands occupants. The Spanish tutor additionally pulled off a couple of options this late spring, for example, Kevin-Prince Boateng from AC Milan, Asdrúbal Hernández from Leganes, and Marko Livaja from Empoli.

The anticipated result is a nearby 2-1 choice for Valencia.

Valencia beginning lineup (4-3-3 development): Alves; Cancelo, Vezo, Mustafi, Santos; Cartabia, Perez, Ibanez; Parejo, Alcacer, Nani

Las Palmas beginning lineup (4-1-4-1 development): Varas; Simon, Lemos, Garcia, Macedo; Artiles; Gomez, Montoro, Boateng, Araujo; Livaja.

Mario Suarez moves to Valencia on loan.

Watford midfielder Mario Suarez has joined Valencia on a season-long loan, with the LaLiga side having an option to purchase the player for an undisclosed fee, upon the initial deal's expiration. The 29-year-old's move, after only arriving at Vicarage Road in January, was confirmed via the club's website on Tuesday. Making just nine appearances for Fiorentina following his €5.3m transfer from Atletico Madrid, Suarez went on to play in 17 matches in half a season at Premier League outfit Watford.Wasserman Schultz denounces DNC email questioning Bernie Sanders’ faith.

AS Roma will have excellent start of the new season.

       Mauro Baldissoni Roma's director guaranteed they were "getting ready for the season ahead paying little mind to the Champions League."

The Giallorossi make their Serie A presentation today against Udinese, take after the development and activity.

"We are making arrangements for the season ahead paying little respect to the Champions League capability," Baldissoni told Mediaset Premium.

It comes days after a 1-1 Champions League play-off draw at Porto, get ready for the second leg on Tuesday.

"The group is finished and we are fit as a fiddle. Clearly we can't be at our top now, yet we're prepared for these enormous tests and demonstrated that against Porto.

"We played that diversion with quality and now have the chance to roll out improvements off the seat, guaranteeing we keep up that force."

Bruno Peres is given his Roma debut in the season opener against Udinese, who have many new faces in their line-up.

It kicks off at the Stadio Olimpico at 17.00 UK time (16.00 GMT).

Luciano Spalletti has to balance the first Serie A match with the Champions League play-off, as they host Porto on Tuesday evening.

There is also the strain of needing to play for almost an hour with 10 men in Wednesday’s 1-1 first leg draw, thanks to Thomas Vermaelen’s red card.

As he’ll be suspended for the second leg, Vermaelen starts today against Udinese with Kostas Manolas.

Juan Jesus was originally set for left-back, but at the last minute Spalletti switched to Emerson Palmieri.

Bruno Peres gets his Roma debut after the transfer from Torino, while Leandro Paredes and Stephan El Shaarawy step in to rest Daniele De Rossi and Diego Perotti.

Wojciech Szczesny recaptures the gloves from a not entirely convincing Alisson, while Alessandro Florenzi, Mario Rui and Antonio Rudiger are injured.

Udinese have changed a great deal over the summer and there are several Serie A debutants today, including ex-Manchester City midfielder Seko Fofana and Rodrigo De Paul, but Adalberto Peñaranda is on the bench.

Cyril Thereau sits out a two-match ban.

Napoli-owned centre-forward Duvan Zapata leads the attack, but Udinese crashed out of the Coppa Italia to Spezia earlier this week.

Roma: Szczesny; Bruno Peres, Manolas, Vermaelen, Emerson; Nainggolan, Paredes, Strootman; Salah, Dzeko, El Shaarawy

Roma bench: Alisson, Marchizza, Juan Jesus, Fazio, Gerson, Iturbe, Totti, Perotti, Seck, De Rossi, Ricci

Udinese: Karnezis; Herteaux, Danilo, Samir; Widmer, Badu, Fofana, Halfredsson, Adnan; De Paul, Duvan Zapata

ARSENAL vs LIVERPOOL 3-4 review.

        Here's a fun actuality you may have seen yesterday in the wake of the 4-3 thrashing to Liverpool: Arsenal have won quite recently once on the opening day of the Premier League season in the most recent seven years. That was in 2014-15 when a harm time objective from Aaron Ramsey gave us a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace. 
       The current year's frightfulness show catches up a year ago's 2-0 annihilation to West Ham. In 2013-14 we had that horrifying 3-1 misfortune at home to Aston Villa, while the three years going before that saw goalless draws against Sunderland and Newcastle, and a 1-1 draw with Liverpool. You need to back to August 2009 for our next win, a day we ran wild at Goodison Park, winning 6-1 after Denilson had opened the scoring with a splitting shot from fresh. 
        So, our outcomes on the primary day have been reliably poor for a really long time. Some will call attention to this agreed with the presentation of pre-season visits and travel and plane voyages, and maybe there's something to that. In any case, it's an actuality of football life, something most groups need to manage, and few of them have a record as awful as our own on the primary day. 
         One win on the opening day in seven years. It's not a fluke, it's not the special case, it's the standard. Furthermore, the reason is our arrangement is basically not adequate. Yes, we had the European Championships to fight with, however that is not a reason. When you have top global players this is a piece of the arrangement, you assemble a squad to adapt. 
            Arsene Wenger didn't utilize Mesut Ozil, Olivier Giroud or Laurent Koscielny yesterday, having offered them a developed reprieve. He indicated the hamstring damage endured by Aaron Ramsey as avocation for that, recommending it was utilizing the Welshman so soon into the new season after his late spring efforts was the purpose behind his hamstring harm. On the other hand, you know, it may be that a player with dodgy hamstrings simply got himself let around them at the end of the day. He said himself a week ago in the wake of playing 63′ against Man City. 
        Regardless of a portion of the punditry yesterday, I completely comprehend the need to give players rest after a late spring competition. Munititions stockpile fans are very much aware of how hurrying players back can be negative. There's a long season ahead and Wenger is oftentimes thrashed for not doing precisely what he did yesterday. It doesn't make a difference which players with comparably truncated summers play somewhere else, the missing trio are well behind as far as their physical arrangement and had any of them endured a damage amid the Liverpool diversion the administrator would have been executed for it. 
       What I can't comprehend is the means by which this football club and this chief have gone into the new season shy of players in key zones when they knew fine well how severely they were required. That lie, that uncertainty, that dithering, that instability, whatever you need to call it, had noteworthy influence in yesterday's outcome and execution. 
We should take a gander at how this mid year started. Having marked Granit Xhaka on May 25th, a pleasant begin to the business, Arsenal initiated Jamie Vardy's discharge proviso on June third. This was the striker that everybody knew we required, and that the club had moved so rapidly to fill that hole was extremely promising … for a couple days. It appeared to be incomprehensible that Vardy would turn Arsenal down, yet he did, likely much sooner than we thought about yet at the same time before long. By mid-June that arrangement was dead in the water. 

       However here were are more than two months after the fact, that is 8+ weeks, 60+ days, and we went into yesterday's diversion without a striker. The Vardy offer was implicit affirmation that we required some person in this position, however we begin the season playing an uncomfortable looking Alexis Sanchez there. It is safe to say that we are to trust a club with the assets of Arsenal can't discover another Jamie Vardy level striker in that timeframe? 
       And after that there's the barrier. Munititions stockpile played Lens in a pre-season amicable on July 22nd amid which Per Mertesacker got a genuine knee harm. The club knew immediately it was awful, when authority word had been given, the BFG had surgery back in Germany and was discounted for five months. By then alerts ought to have been ringing. We knew Koscielny was returning late, and that implied Gabriel and youthful players like Calum Chambers and Rob Holding were all we needed to commence another battle (As an aside, the Holding marking is likewise educational. Bolton rejected a £1.5m offer back May, why did it take two months to build it by £1m so it was satisfactory to them? Perhaps we would not like to pay a player's wages for two months, or possibly we're just truly wasteful). 
        The choice not to make a marking after Mertesacker's knee talent – and it must be a choice – was intensified by the damage to Gabriel a weekend ago against Man City. Regardless we haven't made a marking, and it's essentially not sufficient. I felt sorry yesterday to hold and Chambers, both of whom made a decent attempt and who were left uncovered amid that shocking spell in the second time frame when Liverpool seemed as though they were going to flee with it. It wasn't as a matter of course the crudeness of that organization that cost us, however a more experienced couple would have held things together a bit a superior and I don't think we'd have been dismantled that way. 
         It is somewhat unfortunate to lose Mertesacker for five months and Gabriel for two months before the season starts. There is nothing unfortunate about going three weeks from the primary damage without making a move in the exchange business sector to balance that, and when you lose another focal guard without having supplanted the first, your misfortune gets to be rank lack of regard. The outcome of that was seen on the pitch yesterday and there can be no pardoning it at all. At the point when your home is ablaze you don't hold up to check whether it goes out independent from anyone else, you summon 999 straight. Our gaff is seething right now and we've stood viewing. 
         It feels like a response to a considerable lot of the inquiries. Why didn't you purchase a striker? I don't have a clue. Why haven't you done anything to address the undeniable guarded emergency. I don't have the foggiest idea. It is safe to say that we are going to purchase the players we have to vie for the title? I don't have a clue. Why would that be Arsenal's stockpile of money – still a unimaginable sum even in this swelled business sector – is not being utilized to enhance the nature of this group? I don't have the foggiest idea. 
         I don't know either. I don't comprehend it. I can't see any rationale or motivation to the way we've acted – or neglected to act – this late spring. Wenger talks consistently about how he'd like the exchange window to close before the begin of the season, and on that I concur with him. I think it if, it would be better for the amusement. Yet, there's nothing ceasing him forcing that sort of limitation upon himself and ensuring his squad is settled and prepared for the principal diversion. 

         I know, the business sector "moves" in the last week blah, yet in the event that you need players it's a long way from difficult to go out and get them. I know dislike going into a grocery store, but rather it's additionally not the minefield we attempt and make it out to be. Verging on each player has his cost, however we appear to be not able to change the way we work together. In all the more fiscally limited times we got to be usual, inured just about, to any Arsenal exchange must be done in a way that left us ooohing and aaahing over what a decent give it was. Those days are a distant memory. Take a gander at the records, take a gander at the cash in the bank, take a gander at the size and stature of this club, yet regardless we carry on as though we're the poor connection. 
       It's the reason I was so irritated by the remarks from Ivan Gazidis this late spring. When you communicate something specific, and an exceptionally open one at that, saying you can't rival your adversaries, it gets to be pervasive. Obviously everybody knows we're not on the same money related level as Real Madrid or Man United, yet you don't have say it openly. At the point when the Chief Executive of a football club says 'We can't contend' it turns into a self-satisfying prediction. It makes a feeling of inadequacy. It brings forth a danger loath standpoint and I trust it harms the impression of the club. Perhaps it affects making signings since players who need to win will see that message and have questions in the event that they can accomplish their aspirations with Arsenal. 

        When you couple that with a chief who is untouchable and reveled on each football impulse – especially with regards to burning through cash – you set yourself up to underachieve, and that is the thing that we saw yesterday. Stan Kroenke couldn't care less, Ivan Gazidis can do nothing to counter Arsene Wenger's intrinsic conservatism in the exchange market, and the chief's failure to address the extremely evident requirements of his group drove straightforwardly to yesterday's annihilation. 
        The opening day of the season, everybody knows you require a safeguard, you surrender four objectives, that is 100% on the supervisor, since he settles on 100% of the football choices at Arsenal Football Club. It's as infuriating as it is unsurprising as it is woeful. That fervor of the new season decimated in a hour and a half, the indignation and embitterment from fans – a large portion of whom I really trust needed to abandon all that – tightened up afresh. 
          Perhaps we'll see a marking this week to take our psyches off it a bit. Perhaps, before the end of the window we may accomplish something else, possibly something important, however it's difficult to put forth a defense that it isn't Arsenal being receptive yet again. Something that ought to have been done before a ball was kicked is currently happening and there's a touch of you that will think – regardless of the possibility that it's a player we truly require – that it's being done in light of the fact that the locals are anxious. 
        Yesterday was appalling, and the motivation behind why it was terrifying was Arsene Wenger. Without a doubt, circumstances aren't perfect, however his whole employment is to deal with those circumstances and in addition he can, and I don't think he did that. He didn't approach, and that is tragic and frustratin.

‘In 1946 Iceland played against Ilford. Now it’s England in the Euros … Afram Island!’

 When Halldor Einarsson’s sports kit company started selling shirts to Iceland fans for Euro 2016, they added a felt-tip pen to the deal. The three Group B fixtures were printed on the right sleeve, with a box to fill in the scores.

“I thought we would maybe get one draw from those three games, and I wasn’t arrogant enough to leave space for a fourth match,” said Einarsson, one of the best-known figures in Icelandic football, who once arranged a summer visit by Manchester United and persuaded George Best to play against them.

     His predictions were wrong and his company, Henson, has had to go into overtime to try to cope with demand. Iceland won one, drew two and they next play the biggest match in the nation’s sporting history, a knockout tie against England in Nice tomorrow.

“We’re making more shirts, these ones with the England game on them,” said Einarsson, who was twice a national champion in his playing days with Valur, one of Reykjavik’s top clubs..

   

   “If we win, we can find room for the next one, the quarter-final. No matter how far the team progresses, we will find room to put the matches on there. It’s hard to cope with demand, but it’s great fun.”

Henson and fellow members of the older generation in Icelandic football can barely believe what is happening, but already they are talking about beating England.

.

“This is our dream come true, but for so long it was just a dream,” said Sigmundur Steinarsson, who has written a two-part history of football in Iceland, and has reported on the game since 1970. “We didn’t play a game on grass until 1957. Before that, we played on lava – crushed gravel. We were a very bad team for many years.”

The first “international” contests were in 1939, when the Islington Corinthians, a now defunct amateur team from north London, defeated Iceland’s finest 1-0 and 3-2 in Reykjavik. The visitors were presented with a gift: copies of Iceland: Nature and Nation in Photographs.

True Leader.C'mon!

While historically being one of Europe's smaller football nations, Iceland have enjoyed more success in the 21st century. In thequalifying rounds for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Iceland reached the play-offs before losing to Croatia. Iceland reached its first major tournament, UEFA Euro 2016, after a qualification campaign which included home and away wins over the Netherlands. In doing this they became the smallest ever nation to qualify for a major tournament. After advancing to the knockout stages of Euro 2016, Iceland defeated England in the round of 16, advancing to the quarter finals.

In a friendly against Estonia on 24 April 1996 in Tallinn, Eiður Smári Guðjohnsen entered as a substitute for his father Arnór. This marked the first time that a father and son played in the same international match.
Iceland fans went wild as their national squad crushed England 2–1 to secure a shocking Euro 2016 triumph in the round of 16, one that finished with England chief Roy Hodgson tendering his abdication. 

Iceland had never fit the bill for a noteworthy competition before the European Championship, and it is the littlest nation in the competition. That didn't prevent the island country from toppling England, with Ragnar Sigurdsson and Kolbeinn Sigthorsson scoring after Wayne Rooney opened the scoring in the fourth moment from the punishment spot. 


Look as Iceland's fans, a number of whom pressed a town square in Reykjavik, go insane amid and after the notable win.

Island football stars say 'WE'RE NEVER GOING HOME!'

                       As the final whistle blew in Nice, Benediktsson exploded into a barely intelligible rant, proudly telling the Three Lions their time was up.

He cried: “This is done! This is done! We are never going home!

“Did you see that! Did you see that! Never wake me from this amazing dream!”

Gudmunder benediktsson may not be a household name – but his glorious commentary of the Iceland team’s remarkable run in Euro 2016 has fast become a global hit.

Iceland fans celebrate their remarkable victory in NiceThe high-pitched shrieks of the excitable commentator were back in full swing last night as England were dumped out of the tournament by the smallest nation in the competition.

     Their plane flew low over the capital Reykjavik before landing at Keflavik airport where the local fire services gave them a fire hose guard of honour with shooting water creating a rainbow.

   Striker Kolbeinn Sigthorsson, who scored a consolation goal in thecrushing 5-2 defeat to the hosts at the Stade de France on Sunday said he was happy to be home.

"It was a dream come true to get that support," he said of the estimated 30,000 fans -- some ten percent of the population -- who followed the nation in France.

"We experienced something simply wonderful, it was a dream come true and we are proud to have brought such cheer to our country," he said, adding that the friendly behaviour of the fans had done the country proud.

The players were then paraded through the streets of the capital on a double decker bus in the direction of Arnarholl Park, to celebrate with their fans and sing the famous "huh" - the Viking war chant - which is actually Scottish, punctuated by hand clapping.

"Fairy tales still exist! It's rare - if indeed this has ever happened - to unite us Icelanders as you did on the football pitch," Prime Minister Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson told the team in downtown Reykjavik, to the resounding cheers of tens of thousands of supporters.

"You are a national treasure!" he added as fans waved flags and team jerseys, and children held aloft cards with their favourite players.

To the delight of the crowd, the heroes of the day sang the "huh" watched emotionally by Swedish coach Lars Lagerback who hailed a "team performance" and confided he felt "at home" whenever he was in Iceland.

Many present had also followed the team to France. "They react with pride even after defeat. They did not give up, they did not stop, they return as heroes," said August Ingi Kristjansson, a 23-year-old who was present in Stade de France on Sunday.

"I'm just so proud!" added Sverrir Gardarsson. "What will happen next? We will rule the world!"

Iceland drew with Hungary and Portugal, then beat Austria to book a last-16 place, where they then defeated England 2-1 to set up a quarter-final with France.

         Iceland's footballers received a heroes welcome on returning home on Monday following their astonishing run to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals in France.

France-Ireland -Irish pub in Nice ready for EURO 2016!

     On a Wednesday night in Paris in November, 2009, Thierry Henry deliberately handled the ball twice while passing it to William Gallas, who scored against the Republic of Ireland.

        The Republic’s players went ballistic, as well they should. They had seen the handball. The referee didn’t. Their pleading got them nowhere. The goal counted. It was a playoff match to decide whether France or Ireland would go to South Africa to play in the 2010 World Cup. France qualified and that was that.

       Except it wasn’t. Thierry Henry quickly admitted to illegal play, but said it was the referee’s job to administer the game, not his. For a couple of days, it was the biggest story in the world. A terrible injustice had been done. The Irish soccer authority pleaded with FIFA to rethink the situation, suggesting the match be replayed or Ireland offered a place at the World Cup.

       FIFA president Sepp Blatter, already in South Africa to talk up the tournament, revealed to an audience what the Irish had requested. He sneered. And he laughed. He literally guffawed at the nerve of the Irish.

        A few days later, he apologized, sort-of, for his rudeness. Shortly after that, FIFA quietly wrote a cheque to the Irish soccer organization for €5-million. Hush money. This was only revealed in the investigations last year that illuminated the crazy money going into and out of the governing body of international soccer.

      Where’s Sepp Blatter now? Disgraced, removed from his job at FIFA and bleating about his innocence. Maybe he’s banging fists on the pile of money he accumulated in his FIFA career. But who’s sneering now?

      For the first time since that infamous night in Paris, Ireland will face France. Sunday afternoon in Lyons, the two countries play in the second, knockout round of Euro 2016. The shadow of the notorious handball incident hangs over the game, making it a delicious revenge match. That’s what the commentators will say on TV. There are pundits in newspapers who will say that too. There are Irish fans who will feel that way. There are French fans who worry the Irish will feel that way. A great grudge is held and the Irish want revenge.

     Seven years is a long, long time in soccer. Professional players are trained, not only to kick the ball and play as a unit, but to forget the past. What happened before is gone, yesterday’s news. It’s the next encounter that matters. Prepare for that, forget the past.

    In an Irish context, that is codswallop. Long memories, have the Irish. What happened three hundred years ago is a fresh wound, an outrage that calls for retribution. The Irish hold grievances, with a livid indignation longer that Canada has been a country. One hundred and fifty years is yesterday. Seven years is five minutes ago.

     Republic of Ireland manager Martin O’Neill has been circumspect about the revenge-plot subtext of Sunday’s game. “I think we have decided to forget about it. I think that it will be a talking point but I don’t think it will concern us when we play the game,” O’Neill said on Thursday at the Ireland training camp.

    Well, he would say that. O’Neill is hardly going to reveal in advance that, in the dressing room, he will quietly tell his players that this is the chance to revenge a great injustice – knock France out of the tournament they’re hosting. Make them ashamed, make them feel the sting of defeat, because they deserve it. No manager is going to reveal in advance his motivational talk.

    Besides, many of his ragtag group of players – professionals, but nowhere near the level of France’s superstars in talent and fame – were not playing for Ireland on that night of notoriety in 2009. They were simply fans, watching as part of an outraged nation. In 2009, Robbie Brady, who scored the goal that defeated Italy, was 17 years old and had just joined Manchester United’s youth academy. 

      A kid. In 2009, Seamus Coleman, who was captain of Ireland in the victory against Italy, was a bewildered 21-year-old who had landed in Liverpool to play for Everton, having spent his early career playing as a semi-professional for Sligo Rovers in Ireland. These men have long memories. They are Irish to the core. Professional short-term memory, be damned. There’s a revenge to be exacted.

      Interestingly, Thierry Henry declined to speak about the handball incident as soon as Ireland was scheduled to play France. Not a word could be extracted from him on the topic. When told of this, O’Neill couldn’t resist the wry reply, “Well, there’s a surprise!”

    As for the Irish and French media’s buildup to the game, the handball incident isn’t something they’ve decided to ignore. The populist newspaper 20 Minutes, declared: “Les Irlandais disent avoir oublié la main de Thierry Henry - mais ils n’en pensent pas un mot.” Which translates as, “The Irish say they’ve forgotten the hand of Thierry Henry – but they’ve not forgotten a word.” You can bet your blarney on it, boys and girls.

     Of course, Ireland goes into the match as underdogs. The best you can get is 9/1 odds betting on them. They have had less rest time than France. The victory over Italy took a lot out of these honest, but in many cases ordinary, players. The climax of the Italy match is unlikely to be reached again. A once-in-a-generation thing.

    But, you know, France is vulnerable. Dimitri Payet has saved games but he’s just one player. The great midfielder Paul Pogba seemed to engage and disengage in the three games to date. The defence isn’t solid – certainly less solid than Italy’s – and vulnerable in set-piece situations.

And karma counts. France went to South Africa and imploded, exiting early, after bad results and embarrassing infighting. Karma could count again. At least, that’s what The Republic of Ireland is hoping.

Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland fans will receive an award from the mayor of Paris for their "exemplary sportsmanship" during Euro 2016.

The medal, known as the Grand Vermeil, is regarded as Paris' most prestigious honour and has been awarded to a variety of cultural and political figures.

Both teams reached the knockout stages but exited Euro 2016 last weekend.

"They participated in the festive atmosphere that has been prevailing in Paris these last two weeks," said Jean-François Martins, deputy mayor for sport and tourism.

"They are a model for all the supporters of the world.

"As shown in the numerous videos that circulate on the social networks, the Parisians particularly appreciated meeting them, speaking with them and sharing those joyful moments that are essential in such a great sportive event."

Hungary, Belgium and Portugal federations charged Euro 2016:

The football associations of Hungary, Belgium and Portugal are the latest to be charged by Uefa over the behaviour of their supporters at Euro 2016.

The Hungarian federation is charged with crowd disturbances, the setting off of fireworks and the throwing of objects during their draw with Iceland.

The Belgian association is charged with the setting off of fireworks and the throwing of objects during their win over Republic of Ireland, while Portugal are charged with a field invasion during the draw with Austria.

The Hungarian case will be heard on 21 June while a date is yet to be set for the other two hearings.

On Monday, Croatia will find out whether they will be punished after crowd trouble marred the closing stages of 2-2 draw with the Czech Republic in Saint-Etienne on 17 June.

Referee Mark Clattenburg had to briefly halt the game when fireworks were thrown on the pitch, one of which exploded near a steward who was trying to remove it.

Earlier in the tournament, the Russian Football Union was fined 150,000 Euros (£119,000) and given a suspended disqualification after supporters caused trouble inside the stadium during their draw with England in Marseille.

Uefa threatened to disqualify England and Russia if there is any repeat of the violence that occurred in the centre of Marseille prior to kick-off.