And how many knew anything about Riyad Mahrez?

Riyad Mahrez How many football fans gave Leicester a second glance a year ago? And how many knew anything about Riyad Mahrez? Sure, the Algerian international midfielder was amongst Leicester’s more accomplished players, but with the Foxes staring relegation in the face, Mahrez wasn’t in the headlines. Everyone knows the 24-year-old now as his class and quick-thinking complements Jamie Vardy’s pace, power and dogged pursuit of goals.

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Africa Cup of Nations: Caf considers summer move

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Caf president Ahmad Ahmad opens the two-day symposium on the future of the continental game The Africa Cup of Nations could be moved to the summer as part of changes being discussed by the continent's ruling body. The Nations Cup's timing in January and February has long angered clubs in Europe, where many Africans play. The biennial finals could also be boosted from 16 teams to 24. "That is the first thing to talk about - we can't get away from it," said Confederation of African Football (Caf) president Ahmad Ahmad. We are here for a historic chapter and to effect great changes. These are decisions that will determine the future of our game Caf president Ahmad "We have already had a lot of suggestions," the Malagasy said in his opening address at a two-day symposium on the continental game's future in Morocco. An unprecedented number of players turned down call-ups for this year's tournament in Gabon to stay with their clubs....
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Premier League pre-season fixtures: Clubs try to balance fitness & finance

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Defending champions Chelsea head to China and Singapore Premier League clubs are aiming to strike the perfect balance between fitness and finance during their pre-season tours. Australia, China and the United States are among the destinations for more than 100 fixtures this summer. The 20 top-flight sides will also travel within Europe as they seek to combine the best pre-season training with brand promotion around the world. The 25th Premier League season kicks off on 11 August. The clubs will be looking to pick up affluent sponsors Rob Wilson Football finance expert, Sheffield Hallam Univesity It is a tough balancing act between getting the players ready for that new campaign and exploiting sponsorship opportunities, says football finance expert Rob Wilson. "Last year, China seemed to be the significant market and a lot of teams focused on that - but the North American market is the one the teams have been looking at this summer, largely because of spo...
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Senegal's Sadio Mane to miss Liverpool's Asia trip

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  Sadio Mane picked up a knee injury playing for Liverpool against local rivals Everton in April Sadio Mane will not travel to Hong Kong with Liverpool as he continues to recover from a knee operation. The Senegal international has begun light training with the team after missing the end of last season. Liverpool travel to Hong Kong for the pre-season Premier League Asia Trophy. "It makes no sense to take him to Asia because he needs to then do the first steps in team training," he told the club's website. "We will see how we can do it; maybe [some of] the U23s will be here, so when he can start this [training] then we can use this opportunity, but we have to wait. "He is really, really good. He is close; he is closing on coming back to team training. "I think he is getting better, but it is how it is after a long time - you need to build a little bit of muscle again in the quad and thigh, which is important. "There is no risk ...
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