European 2016 qualifiers: Claudio Ranieri dismissed as Greece coach

GREECE

Claudio Ranieri on Saturday was sacked as coach of Greece, the day after his side lost 1-0 at home to minnows the Faroes Islands in a Euro 2016 qualifier.

A statement from the Greek Football Federation said that the Italian would remain at the helm for the friendly match against Serbia on Tuesday and would then leave for home.

The humiliating loss to the Faroes left former European champions Greece bottom of Group F and facing an uphill struggle to qualify for the Euro 2016 finals in France.

“There was no other option than to terminate the contract,” a statement said.

The federation denied that a successor to Ranieri had already been found, saying that there was “plenty of time” to look for a new coach as the next Euro 2016 qualification match against Hungary was not until March.

Ranieri only took over as Greece head coach in July, taking over from Portugal’s Fernando Santos who had just taken the team for the first time in their history to the last 16 of the World Cup finals in Brazil.

SCOTLAND

A football fan has died from injuries sustained after he fell in a stairwell following the Euro 2016 qualifier between Scotland and Ireland at Celtic Park in Glasgow on Friday, police have said.

The 22-year-old man passed away at Glasgow Infirmary, with Daily Record reporting that police had issued a statement saying: “There are no suspicious circumstances. A report will be prepared for the procurator fiscal.”

Scottish joy over their gripping 1-0 Group D home victory over neighbours Ireland was tempered by the news of the fan’s death.

“One of our young fans died last night after falling through a stairwell coming out of Celtic Park. I’m so sorry for his family. Tragic news,” Scottish Football Association chief executive Stewart Regan said in a tweet.

Scotland are due to host neighbours England in a friendly on Tuesday.

GERMANY

Germany have seen a dip in form since winning the World Cup in July and a 4-0 Euro 2016 qualifying win over Gibraltar on Friday was proof the players need to get their mind off the awards and start playing again, coach Joachim Loew said.

The Germans had pledged a goal bonanza against the European minnows after losing to Poland and drawing with Ireland in October.

But they only netted three times with a fourth goal coming from a Gibraltar own goal with whistles and jeers to be heard as the World Cup winners walked off the pitch in Nuremberg.

“I think there were a lot of award ceremonies and celebrations,” Loew said after spending much of the week with the team in Berlin, honoured by the country’s president and attending a World Cup movie premiere.

“Now we need to get all of this out of our heads at the end of this World Cup year, draw a line and prepare properly for our next tournament.”

The Germans, second in Group D on seven points along with Ireland and Scotland with Poland top on 10.

SERBIA

Serbia captain Branislav Ivanovic has blamed his team’s 3-1 home defeat by Denmark in their Euro 2016 Group I qualifier on a lack of commitment among the players and their habit of underestimating the opposition.

“We see ourselves as big stars and always think we are better than others and that’s a very bad attitude,” the Chelsea defender told reporters after Serbia were blown away by the Danes in an empty stadium on Friday.

“The players are obviously unaware what it means to put on a Serbia shirt and play for the national team. This has been going on for years and we can’t carry on like that.”

The match was played behind closed doors after the Serbians started serving a two-game crowd ban for fan violence in their previous home game against Albania, abandoned after a drone stunt triggered a player brawl and a pitch invasion by Serbian fans.

Winger Zoran Tosic gave Serbia an early lead but the home side fell apart in the second half, when a Nicklas Bendtner double and a Simon Kjaer header turned the match on its head.

Ivanovic’s Chelsea teammate Nemanja Matic said: “We are simply not good enough. We have to be realistic and adopt a 10-year plan like most top teams do. Belgium are a good example as they went through a long barren spell and are now one of the most feared teams in Europe.”

GEORGIA

Temur Ketsbaia has stuck to his pledge to quit as Georgia manager.

The former Newcastle striker said that Friday’s European Championship qualifier with Poland would be the final game of his five-year tenure as a result of a shocking start to their bid to reach France 2016.

The 46-year-old said he would leave his post regardless of the result, but a 4-0 loss to Poland was unlikely to result in a change of heart.

“I have already spoken at full length recently so I have nothing new to say,” he told UEFA’s official website afterwards.

“Unfortunately my tenure with the national side has ended in a sad manner. From now on I will be supporting the team as an ordinary fan.”

Ketsbaia had managed in Greece before taking the job, while as a player he had spells with Newcastle and Wolves, making his name in England after a fiery goal celebration which saw him smash an advertising board.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Northern Ireland may have suffered the first setback of their Euro 2016 campaign in Bucharest, but manager Michael O’Neill remains cautiously optimistic about his side’s prospects.

For 74 minutes on Friday night they shut out a dominant Romania outfit, clinging to the stalemate that would have kept them top of Group F until the next round of fixtures in March.

But right-back Paul Papp shattered that good work, striking twice in the space of five minutes to take the hosts a point clear at the summit.

There was disappointment but no disillusionment from O’Neill, who had already well exceeded expectations with three successive wins to start the campaign.

Indeed, with the Faroe Islands stunning Greece in Athens and Finland stuck on four points following defeat by Hungary, Northern Ireland’s overall prospects have hardly diminished.

“I actually think the other results have been positive for us,” said O’Neill.

“Hungary have recovered a little from us beating them but for the Faroes to beat Greece is a shock result, let’s be honest.

“On the whole the results in the group have gone well for us.

“We play Finland next in Belfast and that is an opportunity to go eight points clear of them which is a huge amount after five games.

“Our focus now is to win the next two home games and if we do we have an opportunity to cement our place in the top three.”