Bad Kompany News for Belgium

Kompany injured in Madrid - Getty Images

Belgium suffered a blow on Saturday when skipper Vincent Kompany was ruled out of the EURO 2016 tournament with his latest in a series of muscular injuries.

"I'll miss the Euros. To me that's very sad news," the 30-year-old Manchester City captain wrote on his Facebook page.

"So I could be standing here, feeling sorry for myself. I could fear for my career, as others may do. I could give up...That is not me."

Kompany has been dogged by a series of injuries for most of the season and the defender limped out of the Champions League semi-final defeat to Real Madrid on Wednesday after just 10 minutes with a groin problem.

In Kompany's absence, it is expected that Chelsea's Eden Hazard is likely to captain Belgium at Euro 2016 which starts in France on June 10.

Belgium coach Marc Wilmots will also have a further defensive headache for the tournament as Barcelona centre-back Thomas Vermaelen is also injury prone and features little for the Spanish giants.

Recently, Belgian newspaper Le Soir calculated that in his 13-year career, Kompany has spent 1,045 days in hospital, highlighting his reputation as a player of brittle build.

At Manchester City, he has won the Premier League title on two occasions - in 2012 and 2014.

Kompany has suffered five different injuries this season, appearing in only 22 of City's 57 matches.

"So I remain calm and positive. I will continue to follow my path and I will do so with more conviction than ever," the 70-capped player wrote on Facebook.

"I trust my friends and teammates to do well and do us proud at the next European Championships in France. I am now officially their most fervent supporter and I will be there to support them.

"Written from my hospital bed. Never giving up."

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Pellegrini Doesn't Look Back in Anger

Pellegrini - Getty Images

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure is unlikely to face Real Madrid in Tuesday's Champions League semi-final first leg because of a thigh injury.

Toure was hurt late on in Saturday's 4-0 win over Stoke but stayed on as they had used their three substitutes.

Captain Vincent Kompany, who has only played 20 times this season for the club, says he is "100% fit" after repeated calf injuries.

Real are bringing all their players to Manchester despite injury concerns. They are hopeful Cristiano Ronaldo will be fit despite missing Saturday's 3-2 win over Rayo Vallecano with a thigh injury.

But fellow forward Karim Benzema is a doubt after limping out of the match in the first half.

Toure, 32, has featured in all but one of City's Champions League matches during a campaign that has seen them reach the last four for the first time.

City boss Manuel Pellegrini has not ruled the player out of next week's second leg in Spain, saying the club will assess his fitness over the coming nine days.

Defender Kompany was rested for Saturday's home win over Stoke but is ready to return and insists he and his team-mates are ready for the challenge of facing the 10-time European champions.

""There's not a day in my life where I'm thinking these occasions are stressful or difficult," said the 30-year-old Belgium international.

"I want this for myself - and at this level all players want this for themselves. You have to play against those players as many times as we can and try and beat those teams.

"That's what's going to make history for this club.

"For every single player in the team, if you're not hungry tomorrow, then you'll never be hungry in football."

Asked what role City's supporters could play in helping the team gain a first-leg advantage, he said: "The biggest.

"I have never seen a Manchester City team not turn up when the fans are up for it. It's an appeal to them that they have to be as loud as they've ever been. Otherwise, what's the point in buying your ticket to come in?"

The tie brings City's outgoing manager Pellegrini up against the club that sacked him in 2010 after just one season in charge.

However, the Chilean, who is leaving City at the end of the current campaign to be replaced by Pep Guardiola, said: "I don't look back. I always prefer to think about what is happening now.

"I'm happy if we win the title, but I'm not wishing anything for my future."

Pellegrini also called on his team to control their emotions after having players shown red cards in previous big European games.

They had a man sent off in both legs of the last-16 defeat by Barcelona in 2013-14, while Gael Clichy was dismissed in the first leg of last season's loss to the same opponents at the same stage.

"We need to have a very hot heart but a cold mind, that's a lesson we've learned," Pellegrini added.

Manchester City and Real Madrid's only previous competitive encounter was in the 2012-13 Champions League group stages. The Merengues won 3-2 at the Bernabeu before a 1-1 draw at Etihad Stadium.

For the sixth time in a row, Real Madrid will play the first-leg of a Champions League knockout tie away from home.

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Belgium Friendly Switched to Portugal

Belgium's friendly against Portugal next week has been switched from Brussels to Leiria in Portugal after Tuesday's attacks which killed more than 30 people in the Belgian capital.

Belgium had cancelled next week's friendly against Portugal in Brussels after Tuesday's attacks in the city, which killed more than 30 people. The Belgian Football Association says the city's authorities asked for Tuesday's match to be called off for "security reasons and precaution".

The national team cancelled a training session in the immediate aftermath of the suicide and bomb attacks.

Captain Vincent Kompany was "horrified and revolted" by the incidents.

"I wish for Brussels to act with dignity. We are all hurting, yet we must reject hate and its preachers. As hard as it may be," he wrote on Twitter. 

Next week's match, due to be played at the King Baudouin Stadium, is the second Belgium friendly in succession that has not gone ahead as scheduled.

In November, their match against Spain in Brussels was called off following the Paris atrocities, which killed 130 people.

Netherlands' match against France in Amsterdam - 108 miles away from Brussels - will go ahead as planned on Friday.

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Kompany Plane Suffers Problems

The Manchester City captain, Vincent Kompany, was on board a plane which veered off the runway at Norwich Airport on Saturday.

Press Association Sport understands City’s injured captain had watched his side beat Norwich 3-0 in the FA Cup before boarding a charter plane to take him home. The plane suffered problems as it tried to take off but Kompany was unhurt.

“The airport remained open to helicopter traffic. The Air Accident Investigation Branch has been informed, which is standard practice,” the airport said in a statement to the BBC.

Phil Brockwell, of Centreline Air, told the Eastern Daily Press: “It was at a fairly low speed of its departure, at which point it veered off the runway, for reasons for which we have some guesses.”

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Title for Pellegrini and Kompany

Getty Images

Manchester City cruised to their second Premier League title in three years with a comfortable 2-0 victory over West Ham at the Etihad Stadium.

Needing only a point for glory, City finally broke through the massed ranks of West Ham defenders in the 39th minute when Samir Nasri's low long-range shot proved too hot to handle for goalkeeper Adrian.

That removed any lingering nerves for Manuel Pellegrini's men, who have only led the Premier League for 14 days this season, with Liverpool's 2-1 win against Newcastle at Anfield ensuring City ended the season as they began the final day - two points clear of their nearest rivals.

Vincent Kompany gleefully lashed home a Nasri corner from six yards out early in the second half to start the party at the Etihad, and with Joe Hart a virtual spectator throughout the game, there was never even a hint of a West Ham fightback.

It was raining heavily at kick-off but the atmosphere was raucous and City approached the game with the confidence of a side that were comfortable and in control of their destiny.

City's top scorer Sergio Aguero was back in their side after injury but not at his sharpest, although on this occasion his brilliance was not needed.

West Ham did play a little more positively than the previous visitors, Aston Villa in midweek, but the occasions they threatened were still few and far between.

The hosts appealed unsuccessfully for a penalty early on after Mark Noble deflected a Pablo Zabaleta cross onto his hand.

Their first real chance came after David Silva and Aguero combined well on the edge of the box. Yaya Toure's initial effort was blocked before Silva volleyed over from a Zabaleta cross.

Zabaleta then wanted a penalty after going down under a challenge from Mohamed Diame before Aguero showed some nimble footwork to spark an attack from inside his own half.

The ball was worked across the field and Aguero tried to finish from distance but slipped as he shot and Adrian saved comfortably.

Nasri then had a good cross turned behind and Toure curled a shot narrowly wide as news filtered through that Liverpool had fallen behind in their game against Newcastle.

City maintained the pressure, with Aleksandar Kolarov forcing Adrian to tip over a powerful drive from distance.

Nasri finally broke through six minutes before the interval as he took aim from 20 yards and struck a powerful low shot which flew beyond Adrian and into the side-netting.

City fans then increased the volume significantly and Aguero glanced a header wide before Silva saw an effort deflected onto the bar off Andy Carroll.

City truly got the party started four minutes into the second half when Kompany stabbed home from six yards after Edin Dzeko won the ball from a corner - the City captain celebrating with unconfined joy.

West Ham did make a rare charge to the City end but Matt Taylor's mistimed shot bounced wide.

Aguero had two opportunities to extend City's lead but headed wide at the near post and then failed to connect cleanly in front of an open goal from a Zabaleta cross.

That sparked an unnecessary scuffle between several players of both sides and Aguero was eventually booked, but it could not dampen City's celebrations.

They knew the job was completed and the hosts duly played out the closing minutes with little alarm to prompt a pitch invasion and jubilant scenes.

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