Confirmed transfers 2018 19

(FILES) In this file photo taken on July 8, 1982 The French and West German teams listen to their national anthems before the 1982 World Cup semifinal football match between West Germany and France in Seville. AFP

Didier Deschamps’ France head to Munich for the Group F game with a feud brewing between forwards Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Giroud but are still the title favourites, while the Germans are struggling and under pressure.

After 15 years in charge, their coach Joachim Loew will step down after the European Championship and wants to forge a mentality “like 2014” when his squad “pulled together” to win the World Cup.

The French need no reminding of Brazil, where they bowed out in the quarter-finals when a Mats Hummels header sealed victory for Germany at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

The French got their revenge when Antoine Griezmann scored both goals in a 2-0 semi-final win at Euro 2016 before the hosts lost to Portugal in the final.

France won the last meeting between the neighbouring countries in 2018 when Griezmann again scored both goals to seal a 2-1 Nations League win in Paris.

Germany face a tough start to Euro 2020, with a match against holders Portugal four days after the France game before finishing their group campaign against Hungary.

Tension is already bubbling in the French squad after Giroud, who scored twice off the bench in a 3-0 friendly warm-up win over Bulgaria, complained about the passes he received, which Mbappe took to heart.

It promises to be a heated match after Chelsea defender Antonio Ruediger admitted Germany may need to be a “little dirty” to counter the French attack.

“Germany have good, young players and I don’t believe they are as weak as they were,” said France’s Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard.

– Germany wary of France front three –

Loew, 61, is desperate to land Germany a record fourth European title and enhance his reputation, dented after his side failed to get out of their 2018 World Cup group.

Three years after that debacle in Russia, Loew must hope his shaky defence can cope with France, who could name a fearsome front three of Mbappe, Griezmann and the re-called Karim Benzema.

The Germans are expected to play with a 3-5-2 formation in an attempt to counter France’s obvious threat.

But Germany have conceded 20 goals, keeping just three clean sheets, in their last 13 matches.

Loew has assured fans that his players will wear the shirt “with pride”.

“(We will) have to go through hell and be capable of suffering if we want to achieve something. We will give everything,” he said.

Germany reached at least the semi-finals of every major tournament from the 2006 World Cup to Euro 2016, but the last three years have been bleak.

After the World Cup disaster, they finished bottom of their 2018-19 Nations League group, were thrashed 6-0 by Spain last November and slumped to a 2-1 home defeat by minnows North Macedonia in World Cup qualifying in March.

“The blows of the last three years have left their mark,” admitted centre-back Hummels, who along with Thomas Mueller has been recalled after Loew reversed his 2019 decision to axe the pair.

Bayern’s Joshua Kimmich says the team are seeking redemption from their own fans.

“We have only disappointed people over the last few years,” he conceded. “We can’t always hide and say that we have a lot of quality. Now it’s up to us.”

AFP

PVOIL donates an ambulance to help Kim Dong district fight COVID-19 (Photo: PetroVietnam )

Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) has donated 30 billion VND (1.3 million USD) to the COVID-19 vaccine fund in a bid to join hands with the nation to fight the pandemic as well as ensure social welfare and people’s wellbeing.

Following the directions of the Politburo and the Secretariat of the Communist Party of Vietnam on the policy of purchase of vaccines against COVID-19 for the people using the state budget and other legal financial sources, the Government issued a resolution on COVID-19 vaccine purchase and use. Per the resolution, 150 million doses of vaccines will be bought for the injection of about 75 million people. It is estimated to cost some 25.2 trillion VND (1.08 billion USD). Of the total, about 16 trillion VND is expected to come from the central budget, while the remaining 9.2 trillion VND will be sourced from the local budgets and contributions by businesses and organisations.

In order to meet the urgent requirements of pandemic prevention and control, and speed up access to buying and importing vaccines for large-scale vaccination, the Ministry of Finance has asked for Government permission to set up a COVID-19 vaccine fund. The fund aims to receive funding from domestic and foreign organisations and individuals, as well as other legal capital sources for the purchase of vaccines against COVID-19.

To join hands with such efforts and implement its corporate responsibility , PetroVietnam has decided to donate 30 billion VND (1.3 million USD) to the COVID-19 vaccine fund. Of the sum, 5 billion VND was from the mother company PetroVietnam, 10 billion VND from the PetroVietnam Gas Corporation (PV GAS), and 5 billion VND from each of the Vietsovpetro joint venture, Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical Company (BSR), and PetroVietnam Power Corporation (PV Power).

PVEV grants aid to Bac Giang province (Photo: PetroVietnam)

In addition to the above-said units, PetroVietnam will continue to call on its other members to support the vaccine fund.

On the occasion, the group also earmarked 2 billion VND which was raised from its staff to assist the northern provinces of Bac Giang and Bac Ninh, which are the nation’s current hotspots of COVID-19 outbreaks, in the fight against the pandemic.

Its member units and trade union also donated hundreds of millions of VND and items to support front-line medical staff and localities in the effort.

Earlier, to protect the health of 56,000 oil and gas workers amid the complicated developments of the pandemic, PetroVietnam’s trade union offered its members 2.8 billion VND to buy medical supplies and necessities for COVID-19 prevention and control.

So far, staff of the oil and gas sector donated over 70 billion VND to the fight against the pandemic.

The number of domestically-transmitted COVID-19 cases in Vietnam has risen to 4,621 cases, with 24 patients confirmed in the past 12 hours to 6am on May 27, according to the Ministry of Health. Of the new cases, 23 were recorded in Bac Giang province, and one in Lang Son.

As many as 3,051 domestic cases have been logged since the nation was hit by the fourth COVID-19 wave on April 27. Another case was added to the imported infection tally on May 27 morning, raising the imported count of the outbreak to 1,490.

Report from the ministry’s Medical Examination Administration showed that the country has seen 2,853 recoveries and 45 deaths related to the disease.

Since the pandemic has become more complicated, people nationwide are advised to strictly follow the Ministry of Health’s 5K message: khau trang (facemask), khu khuan (disinfection), khoang cach (distance), khong tu tap (no gathering), and khai bao y te (health declaration)./.

Health screening carried out for volunteers in the third phase of human trials of the homegrown Nano Covax COVID-19 vaccine at the Vietnam Military Medical University. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — There were 194 new COVID-19 cases detected in Việt Nam from Saturday evening to noon on Sunday, bringing the total number of positive patients to 10,435.

Four of the cases announced at noon on Sunday were imported and the rest local transmissions.

As many as 3,827 patients have been given the all-clear so far, while the death toll rose to 59.

A 76- year-old man living in Thuận Thành District, Bắc Ninh Province, was reported to have died of COVID-related complications. The patient died early morning on Sunday at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases. He is the 59th person to die with COVID-19 in Việt Nam.

On May 8, the man was transferred to Thuận Thành District’s health centre suffering from pneumonia. He was moved into isolation at Gia Bình field hospital.

On May 21, he was transferred to Bắc Ninh Provincial General Hospital and tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 on May 23. The patient was transferred to the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases on June 3 with a diagnosis of septic shock, multi-organ failure, severe ARDS pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2, polyarthritis, and gastrointestinal bleeding due to duodenal ulcer.

Twenty provinces affected by the pandemic have now gone 14 days without any new infections. — VNS