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World Cup legend Just Fontaine Dies at Age 89

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Former French international footballer Just Fontaine poses in front of a trophy commemorating the top-scoring record at the 1958 World Cup.

Former French international footballer Just Fontaine poses in front of a trophy commemorating the top-scoring record at the 1958 World Cup. Copyright AFP

By: AP

Just Fontaine’s Stade de Reims, and the French soccer association confirmed Fontaine’s death on Tuesday. The French star had scored 259 goals in 283 club matches.

Fontaine scored 13 goals at the World Cup, a record. It took Fontaine six games to accomplish his feat in 1958 at the tournament in Sweden. This was shortly after he won a French League and French Cup Double for his team.

Didier Deschamps, France’s coach, said: “Justo has been and will continue to be a legend for the French team.”

Fontaine, a Moroccan-born forward, was little-known outside of France’s top league when he entered the World Cup. He tormented his opponents with his speed, finishing touch and even using someone else’s boot. He had to borrow a set of cleats when he damaged his own boots during practice.

Fontaine scored four goals against West Germany in the third place game, but he could have had five had he taken the penalty kick.

Fontaine, who played for USM Casablanca and Nice, won the French Cup four times and reached the finals of the 1959 European Cup.

Fontaine served as chairman of the French Players’ Union for a few decades after he retired. Fontaine briefly coached the France national team, before stints at Luchon, Paris Saint-Germain and Toulouse, as well as the Moroccan national football team.

Paris Saint-Germain released a statement saying that “a French football icon passed away, and would like to pay homage to the man who guided them to the First Division some 50 years ago.” PSG was referring to Fontaine, who led the club to the top division after a playoff victory in 1974.

The French soccer federation announced that tributes to Fontaine would take place in France this weekend. A “minute of homage,” will also be observed Wednesday before French Cup matches at Toulouse, Marseille, and Nantes.

The death of Just Fontaine has plunged French soccer into deep emotions and immense sadness, said Philippe Diallo. “He was an iconic figure, with his incredible 13 goals at 1958 World Cup. He wrote “one of the most beautiful chapters in the history of France’s national team.”

In 213 games, Fontaine scored 200 goals. He scored 30 goals for France in 21 games

Fontaine’s career ended abruptly when he was 28. The Frenchman, known for his lightning speed and ruthless finish, suffered a horrific leg fracture in March 1960 after a mistimed tackle.

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For the first time in 40 years, the Olympics will not be broadcast in Russia

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Not a single TV channel, streaming platform or cinema in Russia will show the competitions from the Summer Olympics in Paris, which begin on July 26, sports.ru writes. This happened for the first time in 40 years, when in 1984 the USSR boycotted the Olympics in Los Angeles.

The official explanation is that this time only 16 athletes will participate under a neutral flag, without an anthem and in “unpopular sports”. The unofficial thing is that this is a purely political decision of the Kremlin, and heads of federations call those who agreed to participate traitors, homeless people and foreign agents.

Paris Mayor on Russians at the 2024 Olympics: It would be better if they didn’t come

Anne Hidalgo condemned the International Olympic Committee’s decision regarding representatives of the aggressor country, she said already in March.

According to the official, it would be good if athletes from the terrorist country did not participate in international competitions.

“I prefer that they not come. We cannot act as if the invasion does not exist. We cannot act as if Putin is not a dictator who is threatening all of Europe today.”

At the same time, she added that such sanctions cannot be imposed against Israeli athletes, since Israel’s actions are different from Russia’s aggression.

“There can be no talk of imposing sanctions against Israel in connection with the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Because Israel is a democratic country,” the mayor told Reuters.

Photo: Social Network /  korrespondent.net.

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Theo Hernandez tries to shut down the controversy

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Theo Hernandez tries to shut down the controversy

In the second half of the challenge between Milan and Lazio Rafa Leao and Theo Hernandez did not participate in the cooling break with their teammates. The two champions remained on the other side of the field and did not join the group that was listening to Paulo Fonseca&#39s instructions.

The behavior è appeared to be a kind of polemic against the coach, who was guilty of keeping the Portuguese and the Frenchman initially on the bench.

In the postgame Theo Hernandez tried to explain: “We had been in for two minutes, we did not need the cooling break. It was nothing against team and coach. Now we have to keep working to win all together. Then people talk, they say things that are not true. Rafa and I are always with the team to help, and è that’s the important”.

These are the words of Paulo Fonseca on the’incident: “There are no problems with Theo Hernandez and Leao, we do not create cases becauseé this week I spoke with both of them explaining my choice, which they accepted. I didn’t see that they stayed on the field during the cooling break, but they had been in for two minutes and didn’t need to stop or directions. The players’s reaction to entering the field è was positive, so let&#39s not create problems that are not there”.

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Antonio Conte furious: “Absurd, this is difficult.”

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Antonio Conte furious: “Absurd, soì è difficult”

At the end of the match won in extremis against Parma, Antonio Conte è vented: “It’s absurd that the soccer market ends on the third day. You coach players who are going to leave and you find yourself playing with players you haven&#39t coached. Since soccer è is constantly changing I hope we change this rule that è is absurd. We had Lobotka and Anguissa on the field today and I didn’t have any other midfielders on the bench because Iaccarino and Saco who were with us were sold on loan”.

“This is not good and I hope that in the future we will change this rule. Lukaku today è entered with two training sessions, Neres è arrived very recently. Now I hope to use this break to get both of them fit, while Gilmour and McTominay will leave with the Scottish national team and return next week. Soì è really difficult”.

The Parthenopeans triumphed 2-1 thanks to goals from Lukaku and Anguissa, both of which came in the dying minutes: “I told the boys that we have to sweat the three points and always celebrate wins. Every game will be hard-fought and we should sweat it out. We have a path to take. The way we approached these three games, with a small number of players, there’s something to be proud of. Today we had no changes in midfield, è the è absurdityà of starting the championship with the market in progress”.

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