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      Who is France manager Didier Deschamps’ wife Claude and how many children do they have?

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      DIDIER Deschamps is one of the best known figures in football, thanks to his highly successful playing career, as well as a trophy-laden spell as a manager.What isn’t well publicised is his family life. So who is Deschamps’ wife Claude and how did they meet?
      Claude Deschamps has been married to current France manager Didier since 1989
      Who is France’s manager Didier Deschamps’ wife Claude?
      Claude Deschamps was born in 1966, in Concarneau, in Brittany.
      She studied speech therapy.
      Claude has been married to French national team manager, Didier, since 1989.
      They tied the knot in the same year that Deschamps signed for Marseille, a side he would later captain.
      READ MORE ON DESCHAMPS
      When did they meet?
      They first met in Nantes, when Didier had just graduated from the FC Nantes academy.
      They have been together for over 35 years, meeting when Deschamps was 18 and she was 20.
      How many children do they have?
      The couple have one child, called Dylan, who was born in 1996.
      He is a master of science and lives in London with his girlfriend, entrepreneur Mathilde Cappelaere.
      Most read in Football
      How long has Didier Deschamps been France manager for?
      Deschamps has been manager of France since 2012, replacing his former international teammate Laurent Blanc in the hot seat.
      Qatar 2022 is his third World Cup in charge of the team, having led them to the quarter-finals in 2014, hosted by Brazil, as well as winning the cup in Russia in 2018.
      In winning the title, Deschamps became only one of three men to have won the World Cup as a player and a manager, following Mario Zagallo and Franz Beckenbauer.
      Deschamps was captain of the victorious 1998 winning team, that also won the European championships two years later.
      Deschamps has also overseen two European championships as manager, losing in the final in Paris in 2016, before an early round of 16 exit against Switzerland in the delayed 2020 tournament.
      He successfully led France to the Uefa nations league title in Italy in the 2020/2021 season.
      They took the title 2-1 in the final making Deschamps the second France manager to win two major trophies as manager, after Roger Lemerre. More

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      Will Kylian Mbappe play for France against England and is he injured?

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      KYLIAN MBAPPE has been the best player in the World Cup so far.The France icon, 23, has already won the tournament four years ago – and is hoping to emulate Pele by winning it a second time in a row.
      Kylian Mbappe has been the outstanding player of the World Cup so farCredit: Getty
      Mbappe is the top scorer in the World Cup thus far, with five goals to his name in this tournament, making him the current favourite for the golden boot.
      But the PSG forward MISSED France’s training session on Tuesday, sounding alarm bells over his fitness on the south side of the Channel.
      France are set to play England in the World Cup quarter-finals on Saturday.
      Is Kylian Mbappe injured and will he play against England?
      Mbappe has not missed a club match since August when he was absent for PSG’s match against Clermont.

      Since then he has played in every match for club and country, so he has a robust fitness record this season.
      He played all 90 minutes of France’s 3-1 win over Poland, scoring two goals and extending his lead in the chase for the golden boot.
      But he missed France’s training session on Tuesday, with reports that it is currently a precaution.
      However, the French will not want to be sweating on an injury for their biggest star.
      Most read in Football
      Les Bleus have already lost Karim Benzema, Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kante, Christopher Nkunku and Presnel Kimpembe before the tournament even started.
      And they lost Lucas Hernandez to a knee ligament injury during their first game against Australia.
      Do France have any other injury concerns?
      Yes, Theo Hernandes is also a potential injury problem for Deschamps.
      He picked up an ankle injury in training last week but came through their win over Poland. More

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      What counts as handball in football and how does the rule work?

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      HANDBALL is one of the most well known terms in football.So what happens when the ball touches a hand or arm during a football match? Here’s what we know about the handball rule.
      It is deemed a foul if an outfield player handles the ball in play
      What counts as handball in football?
      The only player who is allowed to handle the ball during a match is the goalkeeper – as long as they’re in their designated area.
      They are not allowed to touch the ball with their hands outside the penalty area, as this would be a handball offence.
      However, it’s off-limit for outfield players to handle the ball anywhere on the pitch, and they will be penalised if they do.
      Despite its name, handball refers to contact from the player’s hand to the top of their arm.
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      A goal scored from a player’s shoulder is not handball, whereas a goal from the top of the player’s arm is handball.
      Handball is given when the player has their hand in an unnatural position when the ball strikes it.
      The referee will penalise the player and a foul will be given.
      According to the International Football Association Board (IFAB) handball will also be given when the player deliberately touches the ball with a hand or arm.
      Most read in Football
      Throw-in’s are not counted as a handball offence, as technically the ball is off the pitch and out of play when it is thrown.
      Rules were changed for the 2021/2022 Premier League season with Mike Riley stating: “An arm extended away from the body makes that body bigger, in an unnatural position.
      “If the ball strikes that arm, particularly if it is blocking a shot on goal, there is a greater likelihood we will penalise that.”
      An accidental handball in the lead-up to a goal will not penalised unless it is from the scorer.
      What is the difference between handball and ball to hand?
      Ball to hand is usually used by referees to describe an accidental handball.
      This is usually used to describe incidents where a player is close to the ball, and cannot reasonably move their hand out of the way quick enough to avoid contact with their hand.
      Handball on the other hand is called when a player either deliberately touches the ball with their hand, or if the players arm is in an unnatural position when the ball is played.
      If a player is judged to have been trying to break their fall when the ball hits their hand, for example, a defender sliding in to stop an attacker from scoring, this is not considered a handball.
      Does VAR intervene on handball offences?
      VAR can intervene on handball offences, as seen in the Premier League.
      There are several reasons for VAR intervention in these situations.
      One of which is that it is illegal for a player to touch the ball with their hand and score directly after that situation.
      This will be given as a foul and a free kick will be awarded to the other team.
      This also applies to when the ball touches a player’s hand in the immediate build-up to a goal.
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      A player who is adjudged to have stopped a goal scoring opportunity by using their hands will receive a red card if they are the last player between the attacking team and a chance of scoring.
      VAR will be used to make sure that the referee has the clearest view of the incident as they may not have seen it initially. More

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      Arsenal vs Lyon: Date, TV channel, stream and kick-off time for friendly clash

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      ARSENAL face Lyon in the Dubai Super Cup as Mikel Arteta’s side look to build fitness ahead of the return of the Premier League.The Gunners sit top of the table during the break as the World Cup takes centre stage in the footballing calendar.
      Arsenal are taking part in a warm weather training camp in DubaiCredit: Getty
      They will be without several of their stars, who are plying their trade for their countries in Qatar at the moment.
      But there will be a familiar face on the other team in Dubai as Alexandre Lacazette faces his former club.
      Read More football
      When is Arsenal vs Lyon?

      Arsenal face Ligue 1 side Lyon on Thursday, December 8.
      The match will kick-off from 3.30pm UK time.
      Al-Maktoum Stadium will play host to the clash in Dubai and it has a capacity of 15,058.

      What channel is it and can it be live streamed?

      Arsenal vs Lyon will be broadcast live by Arsenal.
      You can stream the action on the Arsenal app, which is available for download on your mobile and tablet devices.
      Fans have the opportunity to purchase a pass for the game for £5.99.
      Alternatively, fans can purchase two passes for the Dubai Cup matches (against Lyon and AC Milan) for £9.99.
      The coverage will begin from 3pm as the Gunners look to build match fitness.

      Arsenal also played a friendly against Watford behind closed doors as they look to get up to match fitnessCredit: Getty
      What is the latest team news?
      Arsenal have named a 27-man squad that have travelled to the United Arab Emirates for the match.
      With a number of players featuring in the World Cup in Qatar, Arteta has named several youngsters in his squad.
      Ben White is not travelling with the club after leaving the England squad due to personal reasons.
      Arsenal’s confirmed 27-man squad: Tierney, Gabriel, Odegaard, Smith-Rowe, Nketiah, Holding, Cedric, Fabio Vieira, Lokonga, Nelson, Elneny, Marquinhos, Hein, Zinchenko, Butler-Oyedeji, Cirjan, Foran, Graczyk, Hillson, Monlouis, Sagoe Jr, Smith, Lewis-Skelly, Nwaneri, Cozier-Duberry, Sousa, Walters More

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      Croatia vs Brazil: Stream FREE, TV channel, team news, kick-off time for huge World Cup 2022 quarter-final

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      BRAZIL are in the World Cup quarter-finals once again and this time they will take on Croatia. Tite’s side were electric in their 4-1 win over South Korea in the last-16 as Neymar finally got on the scoresheet.
      Neymar scored in Brazil’s convincing 4-1 victory over South KoreaCredit: Getty
      Croatia beat Japan 3-1 on penalties after the game finished 1-1Credit: Reuters
      Croatia were less convincing as they overcame a tricky Japan side on penalties.
      And now the two sides will face in what is a rematch of the opening game of the World Cup in Brazil in 2014.
      On that day, Brazil ran out 3-1 winners, but Croatia have improved leaps and bounds since then.
      When is Croatia vs Brazil?

      Croatia’s clash with Brazil in the World Cup quarter-final will take place on Friday, December 9.
      The game will get underway from 3pm UK time.
      Croatia vs Brazil will be held at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan.

      What channel is it and can it be live streamed?

      Croatia vs Brazil will be shown live on BBC One in the UK.
      You can live stream the action from the BBC iPlayer, which is available for download onto your mobile or tablet device.

      Most read in Sport
      Can I watch for FREE?
      Yes, you can watch Croatia vs Brazil for FREE, so long as you have a valid TV licence.
      Odds

      Croatia – 15/2
      Draw – 7/2
      Brazil – 4/11

      *Odds courtesy of Betfair and correct at time of publication. More

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      Why is Son Heung-min wearing a mask during South Korea’s match against Brazil at World Cup 2022?

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      SOUTH KOREA superstar Son Heung-min is in action for South Korea against Brazil at the World Cup.And he is sporting an item of kit fans will not have seen him in before.
      Son Heung-min wears a mask during South Korea’s World Cup opener against UruguayCredit: Getty
      The Tottenham Hotspur ace was almost ruled out of the huge Qatar tournament before confirming that he wouldn’t miss it ‘for the world’.
      Find out why the tricky winger has been forced to wear a mask below…
      Why is Son Heung-min wearing a mask?
      Son Heung-min is wearing a protective mask following a fractured eye socket he sustained in a Champions League win on November 1.
      Son suffered a fractured eye socket in a Champions League win over MarseilleCredit: Reuters
      Son was forced to come off early in the win against MarseilleCredit: Reuters
      Read more on Son Heung-min
      The Spurs star had a sickening collision with Marseille defender Chancel Mbemba’s shoulder.
      And as a result, Son required immediate attention, before coming off the field early where he then needed to undergo surgery a few days later.
      Thankfully for the South Korea captain, the surgery was a success and he was then called up to the Asian giants World Cup squad.
      What has Son Heung-min said?
      The Tottenham forward revealed how honoured he is to play for his country and that it will take a lot more than a fractured eye socket for him to miss the World Cup.
      Most read in Football
      Son said: “Playing for your country at the World Cup is the dream of so many children growing up, just as it was one of mine too.
      “I won’t [miss] this for the world. I can’t wai to represent our beautiful country. See you soon. Sonny.”

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      Why has Raheem Sterling left the World Cup and will he play against France?

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      ENGLAND defeated Senegal to reach a World Cup quarter-final against France.But the win was overshadowed by the news that Raheem Sterling had left the Three Lions camp to return to the UK after an armed burglary at his home.
      Raheem Sterling did not feature for EnglandCredit: Getty
      Why was Raheem Sterling NOT playing for England?
      Raheem Sterling pulled out of England’s last-16 tie with Senegal after learning that his Surrey home was broken into on Saturday night.
      Sterling was forced to fly back from the World Cup after burglars smashed into his home.
      It has since emerged that his wife and children were at home during the time of the break in.
      The FA had said before kick-off that Sterling was missing out to deal with a “family matter”.
      The statement read: “Raheem Sterling is not available for selection for the #ThreeLions tonight as he is dealing with a family matter.”
      The shock announcement came just hours before the Three Lions were due to kick off against the African Cup of Nations champs.
      Sterling had started both of England’s games against Iran and USA but was then benched for the 3-0 win over Wales.
      The 27-year-old has scored 21 times in 80 caps in total.
      Most read in Football
      England boss Gareth Southgate says Sterling intends to return for the France quarter-final on Saturday night, but football has rightly taken a backseat currently.
      Southgate said: “I really don’t know, it’s a situation he needs time to deal with, I don’t want to put any pressure on him.”
      “Sometimes football isn’t the most important thing and family should come first.”
      Raheem Sterling has 80 caps for EnglandCredit: AP

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      Why do footballers spit on the pitch, and why do they also spit out water after drinking?

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      THE World Cup is rolling on at pace in Qatar.The game is being watched by billions across the globe each day as footballers play for the game’s biggest prize.
      Lionel Messi spits during a game for Argentina
      Cristiano Ronaldo spits out his water on the touchline
      But you may have picked up a couple of trends that footballers seem to do in every game…spitting on the pitch and also spitting out their drinks on the touchline.
      Though there is a very scientific reason for this.
      Why do footballers spit?
      Players need to spit while performing exercise as excess saliva develops.
      Additionally, players often spit their drinks out onto the pitch after taking a small swig from the bottle.
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      This is due to a tactic called carb rinsing, which can reportedly improve performance.
      According to a New York Times article on England players at the 2018 World Cup: “Carb rinsing refers to the practice of swishing with sports drinks for five to ten seconds during exertion, but then spitting it out instead of swallowing.”
      Harry Kane spits water out after drinking
      The European Journal of Sport Science published a report in 2017 which found that carb rinsing boosted performance in a range of activities.
      Most read in Football
      Running magazine added that during exercise: “Swishing with a carb-laden drink is refreshing and lets you avoid the feeling of bloating or cramping that may come with swallowing liquid.”
      Spitting is not an offense in football, so does not warrant any disciplinary card.
      However spitting at another player or official is a red card.

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