Category: News

Home / Category: News

London – Luxury retailer Burberry has been recognised for its ongoing effort to
become more sustainable and is included in the 2015 Dow Jones
Sustainability Index for the first time.

The admission to the Index lists Burberry as one of the top performing
companies under the ‘Consumer Durable and Apparel’ sector for Corporate
Sustainability in the world. “It is a great honour to be included in the
2015 Dow Jones Sustainability Index,” commented Burberry’s Chief Creative
and Chief Executive Officer, Christopher Bailey.

“I believe our inclusion reflects the real focus, importance and integrated
approach that we place as a culture on managing our business in a
responsible and sustainable manner – this recognition means a great deal to
all of us at Burberry.” Currently in its 16th year, the industry specific
and top-in-class ranking approach to its selection of companies sees the
Dow Jones Sustainability Indices act as trusted benchmarks for recognising
sustainable business practices as indicative of long-term shareholder value.

Launched in 1999 as the first global sustainability benchmarks, the Dow
Jones Sustainability World Index tracks and recognises the performance of
the top 10 percent of the 2500 largest companies in the S&P Global Broad
Market IndexSM.

Inexmoda, the fashion
giant behind Latin America’s largest textile and fashion trade fair
Colombiatex de las Americas as well as Colombia’s biggest fashion week
ColombiaModa recently launched a new B2C event, named as part of its five year plan to
reconnect both its local and international players to its ever expanding
fashion system. Held in the industrial heart of the county’s capital,
Bogota over the course of three days, FashionUnited took a moment to talk
to Carlos Eduardo Botero Hoyos, Executive President of Inexmoda to learn
more about BCapital and their plans to stimulate the fashion industry in
Colombia.

What is BCapital exactly?

“BCapital is our debut business to consumer fashion event in Bogota,
structured under main three pillars: BSmart, which is based on the idea of
sharing of fashion knowledge and consisted of 27 conferences held at 6
distinct locations throughout the city of Bogota, all open to the public;
BFashion, created around the series of fashion shows, flash mobs and
fashion shorts seen at the Centro Creativo Textura these past days and
BCool; combining all these themes into a lifestyle experience, with local
cuisine, films, shopping opportunities and beauty. We created an integrated
theme which is part of our long-term scheme to reconnect Bogota to its
fashion system.”

Why did you choose to host BCapital in Bogota, rather than the
self-proclaimed fashion capital of Latin America, Medellin?

“Inexmoda is a non-profit organisation founded over 25 years ago to promote
the Colombian fashion industry on both a national and international level.
When we looked at the total spend on fashion in Bogota last year, we
realised that the city alone accounted for close to 38 percent of the
country’s total spend on fashion, the highest percentage of all. But, the
city lacked an event like this linking its population directly to fashion.”

“Then when we looked at consumer spend per capita, we saw that Bogota was
in fact in fourth place, coming after other cities such as Medellin,
Barranquilla and Calli. So these factors inspired us to think of a
long-term strategy to help boost fashion sales in Bogota, whilst
reconnecting the city locals with the fashion system.”

How would you compare the understanding of fashion in Bogota to Medellin or
other cities?

“Well, there is a larger culture for fashion in Medellin than in Bogota, in
the sense that there are two major industry events in Medellin per year –
ColombiaTex and ColombiaModa and nothing of the sort in Bogota. But any
local or international fashion brand seeking to open up offices or
headquarters in Colombia always looks to Bogota first as their starting
point due to its size, location, population and consumer consumption. So we
wanted to find a way to reconnect this to our fashion system and events
like this facilitate that connection.”

“In general terms though, we see the level of fashion in Colombia
increasing every year. This year the designers who showed at ColombiaModa
presented speculator collections and continued to lift the bar for the
industry whilst functioning on a globalised level of excellence and
retaining the DNA strands of Colombia fashion, which is incredibly valuable
to their work. What I saw at ColombiaModa was incredibly positive for the
ongoing development of Colombian fashion.”

Was it easy for you to locate the correct venue to host BCapital
in?

“No, not at all. These types of initiatives always call for a lot work and
we spent a lot of time looking around Bogota for the right venue for the
event. There is also an increasing issue with travelling and mobility for
the citizens of Bogota so we to find that magical place which was
accessible to all and in the right creative area as well. That for us ended
up being the Centro Creative Textura.”

What expectations did you have for the first edition of BCapital? Would you
say that the event fulfil them?

“It was our desire to bring to life our dreams for BCapital, which we had
been planning and working on for over a year. We aimed to develop an event
for consumers that successfully expressed our expectations of reconnecting
them to the fashion industry and built on our goal of creating an
experience that combined the best fashion and lifestyle.”

“Yes, I do believe that we fulfilled our expectations – we held
fascinating talks in the city, we had beautiful fashion shows, we managed
to cultivate the locals who came and encourage them to experiment with new
types of fashion and beauty by putting them outside of their zone of
comfort in relatively unknown area of the city. Although BCapital is part
of our long-term goal of reconnecting local with the culture of fashion, it
seems like we slowly getting there. The city of Bogota was very welcoming
to us and to us hosting BCapital here as well.”

Did you find it difficult to approach local designers with your idea for
BCapital and get them on board?

“No, to be honest that was one of the easiest parts of the planning for
BCapital. Easiest in the sense that we were established as non-profit
organisation 25 years ago to help the local fashion industry thrive, so
with a history like that we have little difficulty approaching the
designers we wanted to participated in the event. In fact, I would say that
from all the planning for BCapital, getting the designers and local
retailers we wanted to participate was the least complex.”

What about your other brand partnerships for the event, such as those with
L’Oreal and Levi’s, were they keen to be a part of BCapital as well?

“That was slightly more difficult area for us, in the sense that companies
are always more wary of new initiatives and prefer to sit back and observe
the first editions rather than jump in with both feet. So in that sense we
really wanted to secure the best partnerships possible and are very happy
we were able to partner with L’oreal and have them provide all hair and
make-up services for an event in Colombia for the first time, as well as
our other partners such as Peroni, Choco Lynne and Punto Blanco. But all
the business who believed in our event from the start where present at
BCapital, which was great to see.”

The designers and retailers who hosted catwalk shows throughout the event
presented a mix of AW’15 collections and a few SS’16 collections – is there
a particular reason why?

“Well, our goal with BCapital was to create the ultimate fashion commercial
event for consumers. We mainly wanted designers and retailers to show
collections that our visitors would be able to purchase in store the next
day, or at our BPop-Up shop, rather than having them wait 6 months to be
able to buy what they saw. And considering that the fashion calendar seems
to be moving away from a fixed cycle of seasons we felt it was important to
promote current Autumn/Winter 2015 collections. As this is a B2C event, the
commercial viability of the collections shown was important to us.”

Now that BCapital first edition has ended, are the plans for a second
edition?

“Yes there is. The idea that we came up with at Inexmoda was to aline
BCapital as the top fashion event for the industry’s end consumer to be
held during the third quarter of the year, in the city of Bogota on an
annual basis. Next year’s edition, which will also be held at the Centro
Creativo Textura will continue to solidify the themes we have focused on
this year and continue to build on them as well. The event is part of our
five year plan, which focuses on launching numerous events to support the
growth of the Colombian fashion industry that we started last year at
Inexmoda.”

Image credit: Inexmoda

Click Here: Cheap France Rugby Jersey

Rival carmakers PSA Group and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles unveiled a plan to combine, pooling resources to confront an expensive new era of trade tariffs, emissions rules and electrification.

Shareholders of each company will own 50% of the combined entity, to be listed in Paris, Milan and New York. Investors in Fiat will receive a dividend of 5.5 billion euros ($6.1 billion) and its robotics arm Comau, while France’s PSA plans to distribute its 46% stake in auto-parts maker Faurecia SE. Cost savings from the deal without plant closures are projected to be about 3.7 billion euros.

PSA shares dropped as much as 9.1% in Paris, the most in more than three years, while Fiat rose as much as 10% in Milan.

The boards of Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot and Citroen-maker PSA agreed to work toward a binding agreement in the coming weeks, they said Thursday in a joint statement. The accord would create the fourth-largest automaker with a combined market value of about $50 billion.

The Brief Newsletter

Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now. View Sample

Sign Up Now

A merger of Fiat Chrysler and PSA, the No. 2 for car sales in Europe, would create a regional powerhouse to challenge Volkswagen AG. The tie-up would bring together the billionaire Agnelli clan in Italy and the Peugeot family of France as consolidation sweeps through an industry trying to finance major transformation.

The 11-member board of the new Netherlands-based group will have six members from PSA including Chief Executive Officer Carlos Tavares, who will remain CEO for five years, and five from Fiat Chrysler. Fiat Chairman John Elkann stays in that role. It’s unclear what role Fiat CEO Mike Manley will hold.

The announcement comes several months after Fiat Chrysler and PSA explored a partnership on pooling investment to build cars in Europe, and following the collapse in June of negotiations between Fiat and French competitor Renault SA.

“It’s not as good a partner as Renault, but any partnership is good,” said Felipe Munoz-Vieira, an analyst with Jato Dynamics in Turin. Fiat Chrysler “is not facing very good times, and it seems it’s getting worse as the time passes.”

Click Here: Cheap France Rugby Jersey

Both PSA and Fiat Chrysler lag on investments in electrification and neither has a strong presence in China, but a combination could help them grow in the lucrative commercial vehicle market in Europe, Munoz said. Fiat Chrysler, which reports third-quarter earnings on Thursday, is suffering in Europe with an aging Jeep lineup and lack of SUVs under the Fiat brand, he said.

Automakers face tremendous pressure to combine to help pay for platform development, manufacturing and purchasing as they battle through trade wars, a global slowdown and an expensive shift toward electrification and autonomous driving. Producers face the additional burden in Europe of new rules on emissions.

Against this backdrop, the pace of dealmaking has picked up. Volkswagen in July said it will work with Ford Motor Co. on electric and self-driving car technology, while Toyota Motor Corp. is strengthening ties with partners such as Subaru Corp. and China’s BYD Co. The Indian conglomerate that owns Jaguar Land Rover has said it’s open to finding partners for the British automaker but isn’t planning on selling the embattled unit.

Dismal car sales have also added to the mix. Volkswagen on Wednesday lowered its outlook for vehicle deliveries this year due to a faster-than-expected decline in auto markets.

France is one of the biggest shareholders of PSA, whose brands also include Opel and Vauxhall, and the government has signaled support for a deal, while warning it would scrutinize the jobs impact and governance structure of the new company, as well as its commitment to build a European battery-maker.

“The operation responds to a need in the auto industry for consolidation to face the challenges of the future,” French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said in a statement Thursday.

PSA had been floated as a logical merger partner with Fiat, because of their complementary product and geographic fit, and the two sides discussed partnership possibilities this year. However, the Italian-American carmaker instead pursued a deal with Renault.

Those talks fell apart in June when Elkann, who also heads Fiat Chrysler’s largest shareholder, Exor NV, walked away amid opposition from the French government and a lack of support from Renault’s Japanese alliance partner Nissan Motor Co.

Tavares has sought to re-establish Peugeot’s foothold in the U.S., a market it exited in 1991. He set plans earlier this year for a return, with shipments starting from Europe or China in 2026.

Fiat has sought to secure its future with a larger partner for several years, dating back to late CEO Sergio Marchionne’s failed courtship of General Motors Co. After being rebuffed by GM in 2015, rumors of talks with other automakers have swirled with varying intensity.

Common vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus), such as this group day-roosting in a cave in Mexico, can form cooperative, friendship-like social relationships.

Click Here: Christian Dior perfume

Vampire bats might have a nasty reputation because of the way they ruthlessly drink their victims’ blood, but these bloodthirsty beasts can be both generous and loyal when it comes to their fellow bats.

Captive common vampire bats will share their food with hungry bat companions, and forge such a bond that they continue to hang out with these buddies once they’re released back to the wild, according to a newly published study in the journal Current Biology.

“Bats are very maligned, and vampire bats are the most maligned of the bats,” says Gerald Carter of The Ohio State University, who is also a research associate at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. “What I study about them often makes people think about them in a more positive light.”

Common vampire bats don’t actually suck the blood of their victims, which are usually livestock like horses or cows. Instead, the bats make little cuts with their razor-sharp incisors and lap at the bleeding wounds.

Bats need to lap up about a tablespoon of blood every night, Carter says. If they miss two nights, these small bats get very weak, and missing three nights might mean death.

A desperate vampire bat, however, can find help in its home roost, where neighbors who did manage to drink blood are often willing to share food by regurgitating some of their last blood meal.

“The females will do this for their offspring, but they also do it for adults, including unrelated adults,” Carter says. “What’s particularly interesting about this species is these non-kin food donations.”

Carter has been studying this in captive bats for years. “We don’t need to train them to cooperate with each other,” he says. “We can just take a bat, deprive it of food for a while, put it back. And then see who is willing to share food with it. And we can just do this repeatedly over time.”

This research has shown that bats can develop social bonds with certain individual bats based on reciprocal food sharing.

“We could see that during the time the bats are in captivity that some of their relationships are getting stronger,” Carter says. “Almost certainly, there were some bats that were forming new relationships in captivity.”

He and his colleagues wondered if these social bonds were real or just something that emerged in the artificial environment of the lab because these bats were forced to hang together.

They decided to do an experiment using 23 female bats that had been captured from a large hollow tree. These bats, and their social connections, had been closely observed for nearly two years in captivity. Over that time, social grooming and food sharing increased within the group. The scientists tagged the bats with special sensors and released them back into the wild, along with a control group of 27 female bats from the wild that were also given sensors.

A team of researchers took common vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus) that had been in captivity and from the wild and tagged them with tiny sensors. The bats’ social interactions were then tracked for eight days.

The sensors, lighter than a penny, were stuck onto the bats using surgical glue, says Simon Ripperger, a visiting scientist at the Museum of Natural History in Berlin. “They do not report the exact location,” Ripperger says. “They do report who they are with.”

Every two seconds, he explains, the sensors searched for the presence and relative proximity of all the other tagged bats. This information got sent to shoebox-sized recording stations located at the roost and at a known foraging site. Researchers tracked the bats, and their social interactions, for eight days.

The sensors, which were attached to the bats using surgical glue, could determine how close the tagged bats were to other tagged bats.

What they found is that bats with strong histories of cooperation in the lab continued to spend time together out in the wild. “These relationships that have been forming in captivity, they seem to persist,” Ripperger says.

“The relationships are in the animals’ minds, and they’re not just a byproduct of the environment,” says Carter, who adds that other animals such dolphins, elephants and nonhuman primates also seem to have “complex individualized relationships” with others.

Whether to call these relationships “friendships,” though, is controversial.

“I’m very reluctant to use that word to describe it, and I don’t even like it when it’s in in quotes,” says Joan Silk of Arizona State University, who has studied social bonds in primates. “The bats can’t tell us how they feel, which is a really big problem in trying to figure out what’s going on with the animals. So do animals have friends? I think the answer is, I don’t know.”

Still, in nature, some creatures clearly can form social bonds based on mutual preferences of the individuals. “These strong social bonds play an important role in the lives of these bats and probably in the lives of many social animals,” Silk says.

“I think animals probably do integrate many experiences over time and build up a kind of ‘trust’ with different individuals,” Carter adds.

His research team has been expanding its tracking studies using the special sensors, also putting them on cows to see whether the tagged bats share the bloody wounds they make on these animals with other bats.

“This is a whole aspect of the behavior of vampire bats that people have just sort of looked at anecdotally,” Carter says. “That’s pretty exciting for us right now.”

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Jordyn Bahl of Papillion (Neb.) La Vista High School was named MaxPreps/NFCA National High School Player of the Week for her outstanding play during the week of Oct. 14-20. It marks the junior hurler’s second honor this season after keying the Monarchs to a 36-0 season and Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA) Class A state title.

Over the weekend, Bahl was 4-0 in the circle, tossing three no-hitters and striking out 41 in 19 innings of work. She surrendered two runs on four hits, posted a 0.74 ERA and issued five walks. At the plate, Bahl hit .583 with two doubles, four home runs, eight RBI and 1.750 slugging percentage.

In wins over Millard West, Gretna and Elkhorn, Bahl fanned nine, 10 and 11 batters respectively, twirling a four-inning perfect game against their quarterfinal opponent, Gretna. Against the Dragons, she also connected on two long balls and drove in three runs. In the title game, Bahl was 3-for-4 with both doubles, a home run and three RBI. She fanned 11 more batters, allowing two runs, four hits and two walks in Papio’s second straight run-rule win over Elkhorn.

MaxPreps.com, the official high school statistical provider of the NFCA, provides all statistics for the NFCA High School Player of the Week award. To nominate a player for the award, the coach must enter his or her athlete’s game stats into MaxPreps.com by Sunday evening to be eligible for that week’s award.

The MaxPreps/NFCA High School Players of the Week are announced on NFCA.org every Monday during the fall season, with one representative chosen from the participating regions. During the spring campaign, a player from each of five separate high school regions is selected.

MaxPreps is a free stat tool that is available to high school coaches across the country and is one of the most recognized and respected high school athletics websites on the internet. Coaches who enter their team’s stats on Max Preps will not only be nominating their players for this award, but they will be getting their team’s information out to thousands of high school sports fans, as well as college coaches across the country.

To obtain a coach’s login, please contact: [email protected] or call (800) 329-7324 x1. To enter a team’s stats on the MaxPreps website, please click here.

2019-20 MaxPreps/NFCA Players of the Week

10/21/19 – Jordyn Bahl / Papilliion (Neb.)-LaVista High School

10/14/19 – Tavia Hausman / Beatrice (Neb.) High School

10/7/19 – Olivia Cato / Northgate High School (Newnan, Ga.)

Click Here: nrl league jerseys

9/30/19 – Katherine Johnson / Millard North High School (Omaha, Neb.)

9/23/19 – Laurin Krings / Loveland (Colo.) High School

9/16/19 – Denver Bryant / Dougherty High School (Albany, Ga.)

9/9/19 – Kynlee Marquez / Southern Valley/Alma High School (Oxford, Neb.)

9/3/19 – Bryna Kapelke / Broomfield (Colo.) High School

8/27/19 – Jordyn Bahl / Papillion (Neb.)-LaVista High School

Chrysler is considered one of the United States’ “Big Three” automakers, but it has cast its gaze overseas to build its future. The company has had two major mergers with European automakers in a little more than a decade — first, a failed 1998 marriage with German automaker Daimler, and then a somewhat more harmonious 2009 union with Italy’s Fiat, turning it into Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, or FCA. Now, the company is planning to go to the altar for a third time, with French manufacturer Groupe PSA, best known for its Peugeot brand.

Industry experts warn that mergers are always a challenge. As in the case of Daimler, a cultural mismatch between two companies can cause friction, and worse. However, experts say that a super-sized FCA-PSA that pools the resources and strengths of the two automakers may be better able to invest in new technologies and compete globally.

Here’s why experts say a merger may be just what Fiat Chrysler and PSA both need.

Merging can help both companies innovate

Erik Gordon, of the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, says that both Fiat Chrysler and PSA are behind on technologies like electrification and safety features. Coming together could make the automakers innovate more efficiently, he says, as they can pool development resources and share designs. Manufacturing will be more efficient as well, he argues, because each company will be able to share parts and designs with the other.

The Brief Newsletter

Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now. View Sample

Sign Up Now

Gordon admits that there’s an open debate as to whether mergers actually lead to innovation. In part, that’s because companies tend to spend money elsewhere after a tie-up. However, he argues that mergers also offer companies cover to nix ideas that aren’t working out. “When you do a merger, everything is looked at,” says Gordon. “So, there’s more freedom to close things without career damage.”

Harley Shaiken, a professor with expertise in labor and globalization at the University of California-Berkeley, says that it’s important that post-merger companies focus not just on efficiency, but also on “vision” — creating innovative, well-marketed products that people want to buy.

Shaiken says PSA has already shown signs that it’s capable of acquiring and turning around ailing assets. In 2017, it purchased two struggling car brands — Opel and Vauxhall — from General Motors. A year later, both brands were profitable again.

It’s a chance to reset their relationship with workers

Shaiken says that the merger could be an opportunity to hit the reset button on Fiat Chrysler’s battered relationship with United Auto Workers (UAW) and the company’s employees, which has suffered mightily amid a corruption scandal. “It could be very good news for workers, for their communities, and for a more competitive auto firm,” says Shaiken.

If the combined company chooses to build its new technologies in the United States, it could bolster their relationship with workers. Of course, the company could decide to shrink U.S. production, but he says that such a move would be “short-sighted.” Maintaining a relationship with workers is essential to keeping them motivated and encouraging innovation, he argues. “It’s something companies take for granted at their own peril,” Shaiken says.

However, Gordon says that he doubts that the deal will have much of an impact on the issues that most concern workers. With or without the merger, he believes it’s likely that Fiat Chrysler will need to reduce its domestic workforce because Americans are buying few of Chrysler’s small cars, focusing instead on larger SUVs and trucks like those from the company’s Jeep brand.

The merger will help them compete on a global level

If the two companies merge, the new company would be among the largest automakers in the world. Michelle Krebs, an executive analyst for Autotrader, says that such massive size could be a big advantage as it plans for the future. “The thinking is that you really need to be a big company to compete on a global basis,” Krebs says.

Pooling resources will enable the company not only invest in new technology such as autonomous and electric vehicles, but also to take advantage of different markets. Chrysler has a stronger foothold in the United States, where Peugeot has no presence, while Peugeot is in a strong position in Europe.

Click Here: Golf Equipment Online

The merger may also help them to move into another market where neither company has much of a presence: China.

“As a global automaker, you can’t ignore China. It’s the biggest market in the world, by a very wide margin,” says Krebs. “It’s also the largest market for electric vehicles. So if you’re going to be a true global automaker, you need to have strength in China.”

Click:30FU 30kA 3 Phase 2 SPD

The 19-year-old will move to the Santiago Bernabeu after establishing himself as one of Europe’s best goalkeeping prospects

Real Madrid have confirmed the signing of 19-year-old Ukrainian goalkeeper Andriy Lunin.

Lunin joins from Zorya Luhansk in the Ukrainian Premier League, where he made 29 league appearances in the 2017-18 season, signing a six-year deal with the Spanish side for a reported €14 million (£12.3m/$16.3m) fee.

The teenager is considered one of the top goalkeeping prospects in Europe, and had attracted interest from several Premier League sides, including Liverpool, while Juventus and Inter were also said to be tracking him.

It is a dream come true for the player, who revealed in 2017 that his goal was to play for one of the world’s best teams .

“Real is my favourite team,” he said. “Of course, I would like to be there some day, to play for that club at that level.”

Lunin began his professional career at Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, making his debut as a 17-year-old and quickly cementing himself as first choice before joining Zorya Luhansk last summer.

The Krasnogard native was a key player for Zorya as they finished fourth in the league and played in the Europa League group stage, where Lunin impressed against Athletic Club.

He became the youngest goalkeeper to feature for Ukraine in his senior international debut in a 1-1 draw with Saudi Arabia in March and earned his second cap in a 4-1 win over Albania in a friendly earlier this month.

“We thank Andriy Lunin for his efforts for Zorya,” the Ukrainian club said in a statement.

“We wish with dignity to accept the challenge of fate and eventually he can become the main goalkeeper of one of the best clubs in the world. 

“Thank you, Andriy! Good luck in the new club!”

Madrid have previously been linked with Roma’s Brazil goalkeeper Alisson, as well as Manchester United’s David de Gea.

Click Here: Cheap Golf Golf Clubs

The Swiss will hope to build on their draw with Brazil when they take on Serbia in Kaliningrad on Friday

Vladimir Petkovic has shrugged off concerns about the distance his Switzerland side have had to travel for their clash with Serbia on Friday, claiming “it’s better not to complain, that’s for losers”.

The Swiss have embarked on a 2000-kilometre journey from their training base in Samara to Kaliningrad for their second Group E encounter having gained an impressive draw against Brazil in their opener.

Serbia’s camp is in nearby Svetlogorsk but Petkovic does not see it as an issue, even though there is also a two-hour time difference from Samara to contend with.

He said: “It’s better not to complain, that’s for losers and we don’t want to be losers.

“We want to be strong against every opponent and we want to show on Friday that we are at a very good level and that we can beat any side.”

Click Here: cheap shoe stores

Petkovic has a couple of players carrying injuries, one being midfielder Valon Behrami, and said he would only know about their availability following Thursday’s training session.

He also played down talk of Switzerland being favourites against a side he rates highly.

He added: “I think if you want to be the favourite you have to show it on the pitch.

“We have to be confident but full of respect for we are playing against a good team with high-quality individuals.

“I will speak with the players and tell them we’ve had a great match against Brazil but we must now focus on Serbia.”

Xherdan Shaqiri, arguably Switzerland’s star man, gave a solid performance against Brazil but Petkovic says the Stoke winger always thinks he can do better.

“I always expect more from him and everyone else in the team,” he said. “But he’s very positive. He’s never satisfied with what he’s achieved, he always wants more. There’s always 10 per cent more you can give and you need to push yourself to constantly improve.”

Switzerland goalkeeper Yann Sommer says morale in the camp remains strong and therefore did not need bolstering despite the positive result against Brazil.

He said: “We didn’t need a match to improve the team spirit but a match like that does provide confidence, it was a good first step.

“But that is it. It was an important match but we are now looking forward to the second game.

“Even if we’d lost we would still be in good spirits.”

Rooney: MLS is physical but that will suit me

November 2, 2019 | News | No Comments

The former England captain says that ideally he would have had longer to get his fitness up before his debut against the Vancouver Whitecaps

Wayne Rooney believes the physicality of MLS will suit him after he joined DC United on a three-and-a-half-year deal.

Click Here: Atlanta United FC Jersey

Rooney spent a single season back with first club Everton before ending his career-long stay in the Premier League, where he scored 208 top-flight goals across 16 seasons for his boyhood side and Manchester United.

And Rooney – who could make his league debut on July 14 pending receipt of his international transfer certificate – thinks the bruising nature of the MLS is perfect for his combative style of play.

“I think the league has certainly improved over the last five years,” he told Fox.

“I know it’s a physical league, which I believe will suit me.

“There are some really top players in the league at the minute and it’ll be tough. I know it’ll be tough and I’m going to be ready for it.

“I have to work hard in training now and get myself ready for that first game. I’m excited, I’m looking forward to it and I can’t wait to get my boots on and play on the 14th.”

Rooney’s last match was on April 28 against Huddersfield Town, but the 32-year-old has dismissed suggestions that he will not be fit enough for his proposed first game against Vancouver Whitecaps.

“I’ve been on vacation and I’ve been training while I’ve been away,” he added.

“I’ve known for maybe six weeks now that this move was going to happen so I’ve been keeping myself in shape the last few weeks, training in the gym and stuff.

“But it’s different when you’re on the pitch training – it’s a lot tougher.

“It’ll be an intense week, 10 days that’s for sure, to get myself ready.

“Ideally it would’ve been nice to have a bit more time but it’s something I have to deal with and try to be in the best shape for the game.”

The Manchester United star believes supporters are expecting too much from Les Bleus, with jeers having greeted last-16 progress at World Cup 2018

Paul Pogba has questioned France fans whistling at players during a World Cup 2018 campaign, with the Manchester United star left wondering whether Les Bleus are expected to win every game 10-0.

Didier Deschamps’ side have yet to produce the form which had them sat among the favourites heading to Russia this summer, but they are still through to the last 16.

Click Here: st kilda saints guernsey 2019

Seven points from three Group C fixtures carried a star-studded squad safely into the knockout stages, with a heavyweight meeting with Lionel Messi and Argentina next up on Saturday.

Expectations will once again be high heading into that encounter, but Pogba is hoping that demanding supporters will realise that success cannot always be achieved with style.

He told reporters in the wake of a dour 0-0 draw with Denmark which did little to inspire those in the stands: “I don’t know what people expect, that we win 10-0 or 5-0? The most important was the qualification, and we did it.

“We need everyone with us. Our fans are the 12th man. We need fans, not spectators.

“I don’t know if the boos only came from the French fans, people wanted more spectacle.

“Our objective was to finish top of the group. It should be the objective of everyone.”

While Pogba clearly felt that the terrace taunts were being directed at the players, France colleague N’Golo Kante believes the jeers were merely a show of frustration from those hoping to witness a more exciting encounter.

The Chelsea midfielder said: “I think the quality of the game sometimes depends on the opposition.

“We all knew it was a special game because we knew all we needed was a draw.

“The tempo was slow, that’s why we played this kind of game. But I think we can do better, we will improve in the next game.

“On the pitch I didn’t feel the booing was for us. It was just for the slow tempo of the game at the end.

“We can understand that some supporters want to see goals and spectacle but sometimes both teams are focused on what they need and we can be happy to be first in the group.”