Martinez ´kicked three times´ by Mbappe and France before World Cup penalty shoot-out heroics

Mathieu Valbuena is determined to prove himself at Lyon and win back his place in the France team as he seeks to forget an unhappy 2015-16 season.

Valbuena, 31, was not selected by Didier Deschamps for Euro 2016 on home soil.

His compatriot Karim Benzema, infamously, was also absent from the European Championship after being charged as part of an investigation into an alleged attempt to blackmail Valbuena over a sex tape. 

The attacking midfielder has acknowledged, unsurprisingly, the previous campaign was one to forget, professionally and personally.

It was a s***** season, he told France 2.

The Benzema thing? It was not easy you have to be strong. I have no complaint against him, and we have not met since. Frankly, I haven t thought about it …

Yacouba Sylla will aim to kick-start his career at Rennes after leaving Aston Villa to sign a four-year deal with the Ligue 1 club.

Mali international Sylla made just 24 appearances for Villa following a move from Clermont in January 2013.

The defensive midfielder spent last season on loan with Kayseri Erciyesspor in the Turkish Super Lig and has now become the latest player to depart Villa Park, as Tim Sherwood oversees a close-season clear-out after the club s 17th-placed finish in the Premier League.

Darren Bent and Andreas Weimann have each left Villa for Derby County, while full-back Matthew Lowton is reportedly on the verge of signing for Burnley.

Having sealed a return to France, Sylla told Rennes official website: I needed to regain stability.

Having recorded a shock victory over Slovenia in their opening fixture, Estonia were unable to avoid defeat in Lithuania, and they are now set to face arguably the best team in the group. After rolling over San Marino in midweek, England should have plenty left in the rank to ensure the third successive triumph in the Euro 2016 qualifiers.

Estonia are one of the weaker national teams to have emerged as the Soviet Union collapsed, and their best result up to date remains a second-place finish in the Euro 2012 qualifying group, when they left the likes of Serbia, Slovenia and Northern Ireland behind. The team, however, haven t enjoyed a lot of success of late, picking up mere seven points in their 2014 World Cup qualifying group, albeit holding Netherlands to a 2-2 draw at home. …

Diego Milito has hailed Wesley Sneijder s legacy at Inter but accepted that the player must now choose his own path.

Sneijder has been locked in an internal struggle at the club for several months over a new contract, leaving him to play a bit-part in the current campaign as his relationship with coach Andrea Stramaccioni soured.

But Milito has stressed that the players continue to get on well with the man who inspired the side to an historic treble in 2010, although he accepted that the 28-year-old must now decide where his future lies.

He told Sky Italia: (Sneijder) helped write the history of this club and the players get on great with him. We have left him free to decide which path he wants to take.

Stramaccioni has come in for criticism from some q…

Wigan Athletic are closing in on the signing of Sunderland winger James McClean, .

Queens Park Rangers and Blackburn Rovers have also been linked with a move for the 24 year old who is not part of Paolo Di Canio’s plans at the North East side.

The Republic of Ireland international initially impressed when he burst on to the scene under then manager Martin O’Neill in the second half of the 2011/12 campaign.

However, he struggled to reproduce that form last team as the Black Cats flirted with relegation – with Di Canio now willing to let him leave.

The Latics are keen to wrap up a deal as soon as possible as they embark upon a season that will see them make their bow in Europe having clinched the FA Cup back in May.

They won their open…

Olympic champion Jessica Ennis-Hill wants her name removed from Sheffield United s stadium if Ched Evans is offered a contract at the club.

The London 2012 heptathlon champion was born in Sheffield has a stand named after her at Bramall Lane, but the 28-year-old is opposed to convicted rapist Evans possible return.

Evans was released from prison last month after serving half of his five-year sentence and has subsequently been offered the chance to train with his former club, who have insisted the decision was taken at the request of the Professional Footballers Association.

It is an issue that has been the cause of much debate and the club s two main kit sponsors have issued a threat to withdraw their support if Evans is re-employed, with Ennis-Hill now following…

Mikel Arteta vowed to lift Bernd Leno s spirits after the goalkeeper s error cost Arsenal in a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea, and the new Gunners boss also said he hoped Granit Xhaka would stay at the club.

Leno allowed a Mason Mount cross to pass him by before Jorginho scored Chelsea s equaliser at Emirates Stadium, cancelling out Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang s opener in a game Arsenal dominated before half-time.

Arsenal collapsed in the closing stages, with Tammy Abraham sliding Chelsea s winner through Leno s legs three minutes from time to ensure Arteta suffered his first defeat since taking charge.

Arteta admitted the defeat would affect Leno s confidence, but called upon his players to look forward to their clash with Manchester United on New Year s Day.

He …

Paul Pogba will not leave Manchester United in January but must play for a club that can challenge for major trophies in the longer term, according to his agent Mino Raiola.

Having been reportedly desperate to leave Old Trafford in the previous transfer window, Pogba appears almost certain to see out the season with the Red Devils as manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has no desire to sell.

The midfielder has played only seven times in the Premier League in 2019-20 due to an ankle injury and, with suitors Real Madrid and Juventus apparently content not to force the issue, a transfer next month appears highly unlikely.

Raiola previously stated that Pogba wants to stay at United, but he has made it clear the club must show they can match the World Cup winner s ambitions…

West Ham United are bracing themselves for more financial bad news when former manager Alan Curbishley s case of constructive dismissal is finally heard before an independent Premier League tribunal next month.

Curbishley is confident of matching the £2million recently won by Kevin Keegan against Newcastle United, with strong similarities between the two cases. The ex-West Ham boss is claiming the club broke a promise not to sell George McCartney to Sunderland on transfer deadline day in 2008, giving him no choice but to resign.

The Icelandic-owned club have been badly affected by the global financial crisis and manager Gianfranco Zola has been forced to scale down his squad and sell key players. The club is up for sale and is attracting interest from a handful…

Having won the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal clash with Bayern Munich at the Etihad by 3-0, Manchester City went and completed the job at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday by drawing 1-1 against the Bundesliga champions.

The match was obviously far more interesting than the one played in Manchester, and City boss Pep Guardiola says the whole tie was much more difficult than the aggregate scoreline suggests.

In the semifinals, his team will face Real Madrid, the old foe from his Barcelona days, and the team that knocked City out at that same stage last season, on their way to lifting the trophy eventually.

I’m so happy to be in the Champions League semi-finals for a third year in a row.

Pep Guardiola s Man City set up showdown with holde…