Jan Vertonghen is desperate for silverware with Tottenham and believes they have made significant progress over the past few years.

Spurs came close to lifting a trophy twice in recent seasons, challenging for the Premier League title right until the very end in 2015-16, after losing the EFL Cup final to Chelsea the year before.

Mauricio Pochettino s side are still in the race for the Europa League and FA Cup this term, though, and Vertonghen hopes they will win a major trophy at last.

I think this team and the technical staff deserve a trophy with this club, the Belgium international told Standard Sport.

I won some silverware when I was at Ajax and it is the best thing there is in football.

We played the Capital One Cup final against Chels…

Switzerland thrashed Iceland 6-0 in their opening Nations League match on Saturday, as Xherdan Shaqiri played a starring role.

The Liverpool winger scored his side s third goal and was involved in three others in the second half as Vladimir Petkovic s side ran riot in St Gallen.

Steven Zuber blasted the hosts ahead 13 minutes in before Denis Zakaria scored his first international goal after Shaqiri s free-kick deflected off Fabian Schar.

Shaqiri was credited with the third 53 minutes in when his free-kick glanced off the head of Birkir Bjarnason, who spent two years playing for Basel in Switzerland s top flight.

Haris Seferovic scored a fine fourth, drilling home from the edge of the box after Schar backheeled Shaqiri s pass into his path, and the Benfica…

Market: Sydney win

Odds: 7/10 @

Hoping to extend their buffer in the top-half chase, Sydney will welcome Adelaide to the Allianz Stadium on Saturday morning.

Starting with the hosts, although many in Sydney’s camp might have already accepted that they face a major uphill battle in their bid to claim a sixth A-League crown in 2024, the Australian heavyweights are enjoying an extended flurry. Last seen putting in a rampant performance as they stormed their way to a 3-1 victory away at Central Coast, Ufuk Talay’s men should find the mood in his squad at a season-high. Really finding their stride on either side of opening up the New Year, the Sky Blues have lost just one of their previous eight appearances a run that stems back to December 16th. With their recen…

Market: Both teams to score

Odds: 3/4 @

In what could prove to be an enjoyable La Liga affair from the Baladios on Tuesday evening, Celta Vigo will welcome Girona to Galicia.

Starting with the hosts, putting in another downbeat display over the weekend as they suffered a 2-1 loss away at Athletic Bilbao, it is fair to say that Celta Vigo are certainly limping their way over the finish line. With some in Carlos Carvalhal’s camp still looking over their shoulder at a potential late relegation scrap, the one-time Sheffield Wednesday boss does find some growing pressure on his shoulders. Knowing that they best that they can do is claim another bottom-half finish this season, the Sky Blues have lost each of their last four straight La Liga appearances. Signing off …

Monaco have confirmed that captain Eric Abidal will return to training on Wednesday after being hospitalised with a viral infection.

Abidal missed Monaco s 2-0 defeat at Saint-Etienne last weekend, as his team-mates slipped to a defeat which likely signals the end of their attempts to overhaul Paris Saint-Germain at the top of Ligue 1.

The France defender underwent a liver transplant in 2012 when he was with Spanish side Barcelona, after initially receiving treatment for a tumour in 2011.

And, given his previous health history, the 34-year-old was taken into hospital as a precaution to treat the infection.

However, the former Lyon man has made a positive recovery from the illness and is in line to feature in Saturday s clash with struggling Sochaux.

A state…

Wolfsburg head coach Dieter Hecking has extended his contract with the club until 2018.

The 50-year-old took over in 2012 and guided the club to its maiden DFB-Pokal title last season, triumphing over Borussia Dortmund in the final.

Hecking more recently masterminded Wolfsburg s DFL-Supercup win over Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich and has now been rewarded with a new contract.

His previous deal had been due to expire in 2016.

If something good has come together, one should not separate, Hecking said of his decision to sign.

I am therefore delighted that we will continue the successful path together in the coming years.

I have always stressed that I am pleased to remain beyond 2016. We have a lot of plans for the coming years and I l…

Lyon forward Nabil Fekir is delighted to have been likened to Lionel Messi, but insists he tries not to focus on such comparisons.

Having missed a large part of the 2015-16 season through injury, Fekir has returned to be a key performer for Lyon as they chase Europa League glory.

The France international has scored 11 goals in all competitions this term and his fine form has seen him compared to Messi in some sections of the media.

It s nice to be compared to Messi, he told UEFA.com. Everyone knows that I am still very far from his level, but, as I say, it pleases me.

I try not to pay too much attention.

Lyon face Besiktas in the Europa League quarter-finals, having knocked out highly fancied Roma in the previous round.

…

Everton are ready to make a move for out-of-favour Southampton defender Cuco Martina, .

Toffee’s boss Ronald Koeman, who brought the Curacao international to England in 2015 when he was managing the south coast club made a move last summer though the Saints were reluctant to sell without having cover for first choice full back Cedric Soares.

However the twenty-seven year old will be available on a free transfer at the end of the season and Koeman is ready to pounce, not least due to Seamus Coleman being ruled out indefinitely with a double leg break.

Since arriving at St Mary’s Stadium, Martina has racked up thirty-six appearances for the club in all competitions with his one and only goal for the club so far coming in a 4-0 win over Arsenal on Boxing Da…

Leicester defender Jonny Evans does not know what the future holds following their relegation to the Championship.

The Foxes became just the second former Premier League champions to be relegated when their 2-1 win against West Ham was deemed meaningless by Everton’s victory against Bournemouth.

A large number of players, including Evans and Youri Tielemans, are out of contract while the likes of James Maddison and Harvey Barnes look set to be sold to help balance the books.

Evans revealed the squad had said their goodbyes in the dressing room ahead of a likely summer exodus.

Dean Smith reacts after the Foxes were relegated from the Premier League

— Leicester City (@LCFC)

Evans, 35, said: “It is a tough thing to take.

“Th…

Sassuolo forward Giacomo Raspadori is in line for an Italy debut after Roberto Mancini named him in an initial 33-man squad ahead of Euro 2020.

On the day Mancini extended his contract until after the 2026 World Cup, the Azzurri head coach confirmed a first group to face San Marino in a May 28 friendly.

Italy have to trim that selection to 26 men for the rescheduled European Championship finals, with a second warm-up fixture following against the Czech Republic on June 4.

Raspadori will hope he can impress Mancini in order to play a part having come to the fore for Sassuolo since the March international break.

The 21-year-old had a goal and an assist across just 110 minutes in the European Under-21 Championship group stage during that period, having only …