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The latest news as they roll-in from newspapers and online media
Arsenal v Bayern Munich: Women’s Champions League quarter-final second leg – live
The Guardian Sarah Rendell - 28 minutes agoUpdates from the 8pm (BST) kick-off at Emirates StadiumArsenal backed to overturn Bayern deficit from first legEmail Sarah with any thoughts or tweet @rendellxBarcelona are through to the Champions League semi-finals after an impressive display at Camp Nou. They finished the second leg 5-1 and with their first leg 1-0 win, they have dominated the quarter-final 6-1 on aggregate. I’ll bring you the report from that one as soon as I have it so you can catch up with all the action.Have you been reading our Women’s Football newsletter? If you sign up for free it will land in your email inbox and you will be kept up to date with the sport’s news and features. This week Anita Asante has written about the WSL’s relegation battle. Sign up here: Continue reading...
Wales show there is life after genius Gareth Bale with emotionally charged displays | Elis James
The Guardian Elis James - 1 hour agoEuro 2024 qualifying performances did not set pulses racing but results were positive after Rob Page saw cult heroes retireThe Wales men’s football team have sidled into their transitional phase with a disarming, suspicious ease over the past five days, causing supporters to look over their shoulders uneasily, trying to find the catch. The performances won’t set pulses racing but an unexpected four points from the opening two games have left Wales joint top of Group D having played their most difficult fixture. Gareth Bale is irreplaceable. But there may be life after him.The qualification campaign for Euro 2024 began in Split last Saturday night, as a new-look Wales squad travelled to a country who have never lost a European Championship qualifier at home, in a record that stretches back to 1994, and the 29-year-old goalkeeper Danny Ward’s earliest dalliances with solid food. Bale had retired in January, to be followed by more cult heroes from the class of 2016. Joe Allen, a player’s player; the shrewd, perceptive, metronomic presence in our midfield who allowed a succession of Wales managers to get the best out of Bale and Aaron Ramsey decided in February that his time at the highest level was over, followed shortly after by Jonny Williams and Chris Gunter. Continue reading...
Barcelona v Roma: Women’s Champions League quarter-final second leg – as it happened
The Guardian Daniel Harris - 1 hour agoBarcelona outclassed Roma to earn a fifth straight semi-final – this time against either Chelsea or LyonPublic service announcement: the full 12” digital remaster of New Order’s The Perfect Kiss is on Spotify. Do not mind if I do.This is an interesting appointment: Continue reading...
‘I was wrong’: Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic apologises for shoving referee
The Guardian PA Media - 3 hours agoManager Marco Silva also says sorry for his behaviourBoth sent off by Chris Kavanagh at Manchester United Aleksandar Mitrovic has apologised for shoving the referee Chris Kavanagh during Fulham’s FA Cup defeat at Manchester United. Fulham’s manager, Marco Silva, has also said sorry for his dismissal in his side’s 3-1 quarter-final loss this month and that he too regretted his actions.Mitrovic was shown a red card after making contact with Kavanagh and shouting in the referee’s face after the official awarded a penalty and dismissed Willian for handball. The Serbia striker, waiting to learn his punishment after being charged by the Football Association for violent conduct, said his reactions were wrong. Continue reading...
Fifa removes Indonesia as host of 2023 Under-20 World Cup amid Israel row
The Guardian Reuters - 3 hours agoGovernor of Bali refused to host Israel team for World Cup drawTournament set to start in May had sparked protests in JakartaIndonesia has been stripped of the right to host the Under-20 World Cup, Fifa has announced. The decision to remove the Asian nation as host of the tournament starting in May was taken by Fifa after the Indonesian football federation (PSSI) said it had cancelled the draw because the governor of Bali refused to host Israel’s team.“Fifa has decided, due to the current circumstances, to remove Indonesia as the host of the U-20 World Cup 2023,” a Fifa statement said. “A new host will be announced as soon as possible, with the dates of the tournament currently remaining unchanged. Potential sanctions against the PSSI may also be decided at a later stage.” Continue reading...
Wenger and Ferguson enter Hall of Fame but legacies run deeper still
The Guardian Daniel Harris - 4 hours ago“Nostalgia – it’s delicate but potent,” reckoned Donald Draper. “It lets us travel the way a child travels – around and around and back home again, to a place where we know we are loved.” Except it was also Donald Draper who advised that “what you call love was invented by guys like me, to sell nylons.” Continue reading...
Germany fans seek new ‘summer fairytale’ but need a team to believe in | Jonathan Liew
The Guardian Jonathan Liew in Cologne - 4 hours agoThe Euro 2024 hosts have work to do if they are to unite the nation as they did even in glorious failure at 2006 World Cup“Bring on the new Sommermärchen,” read a banner that was unfurled at the Rhein-Energie Stadion just before kick-off on Tuesday night. Almost two decades on, it’s hard to overstate what a cherished place the 2006 World Cup still holds in Germany’s collective memory. The “summer fairytale”, they call it: a summer of golden memories and national euphoria, of street parties on scorching evenings, a summer that has spawned films and books and songs, despite ending in the semi-finals for the hosts.“All the streets were full, everything with German flags, public viewing was practically invented,” remembered Matthias Ginter last week. Ginter was a 12-year-old boy in the summer of 2006 and is now a 29-year-old defender in the squad that will be expected to recreate the Sommermärchen in 2024. And ever since Germany was awarded the right to host next year’s European Championship the tournament has been imbued with an almost alchemic power: a chance to unite and dream and make magic again.For the players, still bruised after last year’s Qatar World Cup and its road of many miseries, a Euros on home soil offers a clear redemptive arc. Twelve fixtures separate Hansi Flick’s side from the opening game in Munich in June 2024. All are friendlies, which is less than ideal. No host nation has won a World Cup or European Championship on home soil since France in 1998, and perhaps the lack of competitive practice is one reason. The indeterminate 2-0 win over Peru last Saturday was one example: friendlies may show you how bad you are, but they won’t necessarily show how good you are. Continue reading...
Chelsea wait on Millie Bright fitness while Lyon’s Ada Hegerberg may return
The Guardian Will Unwin - 4 hours agoChampions League quarter-final poised at 1-0 before second legEmma Hayes ready to make late call on crucial defender BrightEmma Hayes will give Millie Bright as much time as possible to prove her fitness for Chelsea’s Champions League quarter-final second leg against Lyon on Thursday night.Chelsea earned a 1-0 victory in the first leg in south-east France thanks to a Guro Reiten goal to give the Blues the advantage over the eight-time Women’s Champions League winners and current holders. Continue reading...
Rodri got it wrong: self-assured Scotland taught graceless Spain a lesson | Ewan Murray
The Guardian Ewan Murray - 5 hours agoThe visiting captain was not happy but Steve Clarke’s side did not need to resort to the dark arts to beat a fading superpowerRodrigo Hernández has not learned his lesson. Shortly before the World Cup, the Manchester City midfielder confidently asserted that his nation, Spain, stood out as the strongest collective in the tournament. What happened next represents wounding history for the Spanish and Luis Enrique. Having scraped out of the group stage in Qatar, they were removed from the tournament by Morocco. Farewell to Luis Enrique and a red face for Rodri.It was perfectly appropriate that Tuesday evening in Glasgow ended in fractious fashion for Spain. “Rubbish” was among the terms used by Rodri to describe Scotland’s approach during a 2-0 win. Rodri bemoaned provocation from the bully boys in navy blue. Scotland wasted time, he said. “For me, this is not football.” These were the sourest of grapes, not at all befitting the captain of a respected international side. Continue reading...
Son Heung-min says he 'feels responsible' for Antonio Conte's Spurs departure – video
The Guardian - 6 hours agoSon Heung-min has commented on the exit of Antonio Conte from Tottenham, saying he feels partially responsible. Speaking after South Korea's 2-1 loss to Uruguay in an international friendly in Seoul, the Korean captain said he could have done more on the pitch this season to support his manager. 'I should have played better,' Son told Korean media, 'I feel responsible for his departure, because I haven't helped the club all that much.' Son was the first Spurs player to speak about Conte's leaving and wished his ex-manager well as he moves on. Continue reading...
France captain Kylian Mbappé is leading an exciting new generation
The Guardian Eric Devin - 7 hours agoDidier Deschamps has taken France to two straight World Cup finals. Given their talent, expect them to excel at Euro 2024By Eric Devin for Get French Football NewsIt seems like only yesterday that Kylian Mbappé was a fresh-faced teenager, his knee slides propelling Monaco to the Ligue 1 title and a place in the Champions League semi-finals. He is now 24, a Paris Saint-Germain player and the captain of France. Is this a new era for Didier Deschamps’ side or is it just a reminder of how quickly time moves as one ages? On the evidence of France’s two wins in the international break – 4-0 over the Netherlands and 1-0 over the Republic of Ireland in Euro 2024 qualifying – the evidence points to the former.The current France side bear little resemblance to the one that became world champions in 2018 and, after a raft of international retirements (Raphäel Varane, Steve Mandanda, Karim Benzema, the captain Hugo Lloris), one can even make the case that they have little in common with the team that lost the World Cup final in December – save Mbappé, the evergreen Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud. Some of this is circumstantial, with injuries waylaying the careers of the erstwhile midfield linchpins Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kanté, as well as the defender Presnel Kimpembe. But, more than ever, an incredible generation of footballers is coalescing around Mbappé, who looks very happy to take on the mantle of captain. Continue reading...
Scotland stun Spain at Hampden and Belgium make history – Football Weekly
The Guardian Presented by Max Rushden with Philippe Auclair, Jonathan Fadugba, Jim Burke and Elis James. Produced by Joel Grove and our executive producer is Danielle Stephens. - 8 hours agoMax Rushden is joined by Philippe Auclair, Jonathan Fadugba and Jim Burke look back at all the international actionRate, review, share on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud, Acast and Stitcher, and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and email.Today: Scotland beat Spain 2-0 to go top of their Euro 2024 qualifying group – and while victory was unexpected, it was not undeserved. The panel discuss Scott McTominay’s emergence as a goalscoring threat and the strange transitional period ahead for the Spanish team. Continue reading...
'A bit rubbish': Rodri slams Scotland's style of play in win over Spain – video
The Guardian - 8 hours agoThe Spain midfielder Rodri labelled Scotland's style of play 'a bit rubbish' and accused them of time-wasting following Scotland's first win against Spain since 1984. Rodri said 'It's the way they play...for me it's a bit rubbish. Because it's always wasting time. They provoke you. They always fall. For me, this is not football.' Scotland beat the three-time European champions 2-0 after Scott McTominay scored in the seventh and 51st minutes.Scott McTominay stuns Spain to extend Scotland’s perfect start to qualifyingSteve Clarke draws on Dalglish history to inspire Scotland victory over SpainContinue reading...
Roman Abramovich secretly bankrolled Dutch football club, leaked documents suggest
The Guardian David Conn, Simon Lock and Rob Davies - 8 hours agoExclusive: Files reveal €117m in loans for Vitesse Arnhem originated with then owner of Chelsea, despite repeated denialsRoman Abramovich secretly funded the takeover of a Dutch top division football club and bankrolled it for years during the period that he also owned Chelsea, leaked documents appear to show.Two investigations by the Netherlands football association were unable to uncover any financial ties between Abramovich and the club, Vitesse Arnhem, and concluded that the Russian oligarch had no managerial influence on Vitesse. Both Vitesse under its then owners, and Chelsea under Abramovich, repeatedly denied the oligarch was involved in funding the Dutch club. Continue reading...
West Ham’s Lucy Parker hits out at London Stadium snub for women’s team
The Guardian PA Media - 8 hours agoParker reacts after men’s under-18s get to play cup game thereDefender asks: ‘When will we get a game at the stadium?’ The West Ham defender Lucy Parker has criticised her own club for failing to facilitate a match for their women’s team at the London Stadium. Parker was responding on Twitter to West Ham’s announcement that their men’s under-18s will play their FA Youth Cup semi-final at the stadium next week.West Ham are seventh in the Women’s Super League and reached the semi-finals of this season’s Continental Cup, where they were beaten 7-0 by Chelsea. Continue reading...
Battling relegation can feel suffocating – but it made me a better person | Anita Asante
The Guardian Anita Asante - 9 hours agoIn this week’s newsletter Anita Asante talks about her season at Villa in 2020-21 and the current WSL battle to avoid the drop• Sign up for our free weekly women’s football newsletter hereWe talk a lot about pressure at the top of a league but the stress involved at the bottom is on a different scale entirely.It’s something I learned after joining Aston Villa in the summer of 2020. Villa were newly promoted to the Women’s Super League and, at the age of 35, I had just left Chelsea after two seasons interrupted first by a serious knee injury I sustained playing for England and then the Covid-19 pandemic. Continue reading...
Sunday League player returns keeper's kick to back of the net for stunning goal – video
The Guardian - 9 hours agoThe amateur footballer George Slaney scored a goal from beyond the halfway line for Greenwich Challenge Vets as he returned the keeper's kick during a Sunday league game in London against Greenwich Battle Cruisers, who recovered to draw 2-2. A club spokesperson for the Cruisers said that they record all their games on a mobile phone 'as we can’t afford a camera', adding that it is 'nice for the lads to get to see their goals and highlights back'. Even if sometimes the highlights include an amazing goal for the opposition. Continue reading...
Fabio Paratici’s football ban extended worldwide by Fifa in blow to Spurs
The Guardian Paul MacInnes - 10 hours agoTottenham’s managing director of football must step asideParatici banned as part of Juventus case but has appealedFabio Paratici will have to step away from his job as Tottenham’s managing director of football after Fifa said it had extended worldwide a ban imposed on him in Italy after his former club Juventus were found guilty of false accounting.Juventus were docked 15 league points in January at the resolution of a long-running investigation. Paratici, who joined Spurs in 2021, was among a number of former and current Juventus executives to receive lengthy bans, after a hearing at the federal court of appeal. Continue reading...
From coaches to pushy parents, US men’s soccer is married to mediocrity
The Guardian Eric Wynalda - 11 hours agoA recent debacle at the top of the game in America caused uproar. But the same patterns are repeated through the sport in the USThe American soccer community is still reeling from the fallout between former USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter and the Reyna family. It left the men’s soccer program in an absolute shambles – without a head coach, sporting director, or general manager. The whole thing is a mess, and yet we see similar things in soccer across the US every day. It’s a product of the industry we’ve created. Parents feel entitled because they hand over big money for their child to play – they effectively pay to have an opinion.As the men’s game in America continues to stall – the women’s game is still thriving after two successive World Cup victories – the rest of the world looks at us and wonders why we can’t figure it out. Why is US soccer still a laughing stock?Eric Wynalda is a broadcaster who scored 34 goals in 106 appearances for USA and played at three World Cups Continue reading...
Which manager had the highest win percentage when they were sacked? | The Knowledge
The Guardian Guardian sport - 11 hours agoPlus: scorers hitting four or more but still losing and players to appear for champions and relegated sides in the same seasonMail us your questions or tweet @TheKnowledge\_GU“Julian Nagelsmann was sacked by Bayern Munich despite a win percentage of 71.4,” says Oisin Hughes. “With a minimum of, say, 10 games, is this a record?”When, in 1990, that esteemed philosopher Robert Matthew Van Winkle sang, “Anything less than the best is a felony,” he evidently had a vision of 21st-century football. Europe’s superclubs have become so dominant that entitlement and expectation are greater than ever and Julian Nagelsmann’s departure continued the modern trend of managers being sacked for failing to achieve perfection. When you’ve won 10 Bundesliga titles in a row, as Bayern have, being a point behind the leaders just won’t cut it. Continue reading...
Hervé Renard quits Saudi Arabia to lead France at Women’s World Cup
The Guardian Reuters - 11 hours agoFrenchman replaces Diacre four months before tournamentRenard led Saudi Arabia men to win over Argentina in QatarHervé Renard has resigned as Saudi Arabia’s coach so he can take over the France women’s team before this year’s Women’s World Cup. The 54-year-old Frenchman was appointed by Saudi Arabia in July 2019 and led the country to a famous 2-1 win over Argentina at the World Cup in Qatar last year.The Saudi Arabian Football Federation said it had agreed to terminate Renard’s contract at his request and wished him “every success in his future career”. Its president, Yasser al-Misehal, told Saudi Sports Channel: “\[Renard\] has an offer from the French federation and expressed his desire to take this opportunity. We were informed four days before the current international window and I received a letter from the French federation, and consulted with a number of members of the board of directors, and we decided to accept this request.” Continue reading...
Lionel Messi scores hat-trick to pass 100 Argentina goals in rout of Curaçao
The Guardian Reuters - 12 hours agoLionel Messi passed the 100-goals mark for Argentina while scoring a hat-trick in their 7-0 friendly win over Curaçao. The Paris Saint-Germain forward reached a century of international goals on his 174th cap when he opened the scoring after 20 minutes, Giovani Lo Celso setting him up in the centre of the box to slot home a low shot.“We will never stop celebrating and I think it’s fair and deserved,” Argentina’s coach, Lionel Scaloni, said. “I hope there will be more \[Messi goals\]. He deserves all the praise and it’s good that these goals were on Argentine soil, that has a special value too.” Continue reading...
Chelsea’s Kai Havertz: ‘From day one I felt a special relationship with donkeys’
The Guardian Sid Lowe - 13 hours agoThe forward talks about his love for animals, his new charity and how he deals with the highs and lows of being a footballer“Some of my teammates call me Donkey.” A grin creeps across Kai Havertz’s face. “It’s not because of my football,” the Chelsea forward adds, as if he needed to. Instead, he says, it is something deeper. “From day one, I felt a special relationship with donkeys. It’s a very calm animal: maybe I personalised myself in them because I’m calm too. They chill all day, don’t do much, just want to live their life. I loved them always. And when I lost, I would go to the sanctuary. You look at the animals, see something human in them. It was a kind of recovery, a place I felt peace.”It is a cold, wet morning in Wimbledon and Havertz is talking about football and life, the game and everything that goes with it, including politics, money and war. In a clear, calm tone, he talks about change at Chelsea and throughout football: of players, coaches, staff, even owners. In himself, too. About scoring the winner in the Champions League final, the release and responsibility, and the dreams players pursue and the pressure that pursues them, exposed early. But the first thing – and the last thing – is animals. Continue reading...
Broken promises? Future of Qatar’s World Cup stadiums still up in the air | Nick Ames
The Guardian Nick Ames in Doha - 13 hours agoThere appears to be no rush to dismantle and repurpose the venues despite lavish pre-tournament assurances on legacyThe workers’ accommodation next to Ahmad bin Ali Stadium is at least two thirds empty now. Those who remain can make the short walk from the central block to the mess room, where food and drink are available. The other two structures have virtually been hollowed out since the World Cup: one of the alleys between them is all but blocked by a pile of bedframes and mattresses, of which there are plenty because the inhabitants lived four to a room. Presumably someone, at some point, will arrive to clear up the extensive clutter; further behind is a spread of binbags and other trash. An employee estimates 100 men remain: they are contracted to the two firms who built the venue and, while the showpiece event is long gone, there is still work to be done here.Exactly how much remains to be seen. These workers appear to be carrying out routine maintenance but, according to Qatar’s post-tournament legacy plan for the site, Ahmad bin Ali Stadium will soon be scaled back from its present 45,000 capacity to a more manageable 20,000. The removed seats in its upper tier will be donated to venues domestically and “nations in need of sporting infrastructure”; a newly compact arena will be neatly sized for domestic and continental games played by the local club, Al Rayyan. Continue reading...
Steve Clarke draws on Dalglish history to inspire Scotland victory over Spain
The Guardian Ewan Murray at Hampden Park - 21 hours agoScotland’s 2-0 win is their first over Spain since 1984Rodri: ‘The way Scotland play is rubbish, wasting time’Steve Clarke revealed he used the memory of an iconic Kenny Dalglish goal against Spain in 1984 to inspire his Scotland players towards a 2-0 victory over the same opposition at Hampden Park.Dalglish notched the third goal of a 3-1 win which was the last success for the Scots against Spain until Scott McTominay, with two goals, sunk Luis de la Fuente’s men. Scotland’s head coach later explained how he drew upon history. Continue reading...
Socceroos turn focus to new World Cup qualifying cycle after loss to Ecuador
The Guardian Australian Associated Press - 21 hours agoAustralia lose 2-1 in Melbourne on Tuesday nightGraham Arnold delights in debuts of young quartetSocceroos coach Graham Arnold has delighted in Australia’s learning experience and unearthing of depth against Ecuador as he turns his focus to the start of a new World Cup cycle and next year’s Asian Cup.Arnold shrugged off a difficult 2-1 loss in the second match in Melbourne, four days after a 3-1 victory in Sydney, instead savouring his four debutants and building depth. Continue reading...
England Under-21s slip to Croatia defeat despite Morgan Gibbs-White penalty
The Guardian PA Media - 22 hours agoEngland 1-2 Croatia (Gibbs-White 87; Baturina 34, Beljo 53)Lee Carsley makes 10 changes after England’s win over FranceEngland Under-21s slipped to a 2-1 defeat by Croatia in their final warmup match ahead of this summer’s European Championship. Lee Carsley’s side were bidding to sign off for Georgia with a fourth friendly win out of four, having beaten Germany, Italy and, on Saturday, thumping France 4-0.But Carsley changed all 10 outfield players for their last tune-up match and they had only a late Morgan Gibbs-White consolation from the penalty spot to show for a ragged display at Craven Cottage. Continue reading...
Scott McTominay stuns Spain to extend Scotland’s perfect start to qualifying
The Guardian Ewan Murray at Hampden Park - 23 hours agoIn November 1984, Steve Clarke stood alongside his father on the north terrace of Hampden Park as a Scotland team inspired by Kenny Dalglish swatted aside Spain. Almost 40 years on, Clarke found himself masterminding a result which is arguably even more impressive given the football paths subsequently taken by the nations in question.Scotland, who sit proudly atop their Euro 2024 qualifying section, were fully worth their first win over the Spanish since Clarke was that paying punter. Two-goal Scott McTominay was the hero, but every Scotland player may as well have worn capes. Continue reading...
Kieffer Moore header helps Wales sink Latvia after Gareth Bale farewell
The Guardian Ben Fisher at the Cardiff City Stadium - 23 hours agoSo far, so good. Wales built on their draw in Croatia by claiming their first Euro 2024 qualifying win courtesy of Kieffer Moore’s first-half header against Latvia.This was Wales’s first game in Cardiff since their group-stage exit at the World Cup and a sold-out crowd gave Gareth Bale, the most-capped Wales male player and surely the greatest in their history, a fitting send-off. The Latvia head coach, Dainis Kazakevics, went on the charm offensive in the buildup, talking up Wales’s chances of topping Group D, but this display offered only a smattering of those credentials. Continue reading...
Scotland v Spain: Euro 2024 qualifying – live
The Guardian Scott Murray - 23 hours agoMatch at Hampden Park kicks off at 7.45 (BST)Clarke tells Scotland to forget playoff and take on SpainShare your thoughts with Scott via email4 min: Other than that, it’s a fairly staccato start to the match. Neither side yet to properly settle.2 min: Christie and McGinn shuttle the ball down the middle for Dykes, who takes a whack from the left-hand edge of the D. Porro blocks well. A decent early showing by the hosts. Continue reading...
Premier League CEO offers no comment on reinvestigation of Newcastle links with Saudi Arabia – video
The Guardian - 1 day agoThe chief executive of the Premier League, Richard Masters, has told MPs he cannot comment on whether Newcastle’s links with Saudi Arabia are being reinvestigated in light of a recent US court case. Newcastle were taken over in 2021 with the Saudi Public Investment Fund holding a majority stake after providing 'legally binding assurances' to the Premier League there would be no state involvement in the running of the club. A recent LIV Golf Series legal case against the PGA Tour, however, has seen the Saudis argue that PIF and Newcastle’s chairman, Yasir al-Rumayyan, should be protected from giving evidence owing to sovereign immunity laws. LIV, which is backed by the Saudi government, has stated that Rumayyan is 'a sitting member of the Saudi government' and PIF is 'a sovereign instrumentality of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia' to support its case. In doing so, it has raised fresh questions about the level of separation between PIF and Newcastle. Speaking at a digital, culture, media and sport select committee hearing, Masters said he was aware of the case but refused to be drawn on its implications for Newcastle.Premier League offers no comment on whether Newcastle face investigationContinue reading...
‘It’s been a journey’: Republic of Ireland’s James McClean shares autism diagnosis
The Guardian PA Media - 1 day agoWigan Athletic winger noticed traits shared with daughter‘Being autistic won’t and should never hold her back’James McClean, the Republic of Ireland international, has revealed he has been diagnosed with autism.The 33-year-old made his diagnosis public in an Instagram post on Tuesday during World Autism Acceptance Week, prompting his wife, Erin, to write of her pride. McClean underwent an autistic spectrum disorder assessment after recognising traits he shared with the couple’s daughter, Willow-Ivy. Continue reading...
Football Daily | Alfredo Di Stéfano, can you hear me? Your boys took one hell of a beating!
The Guardian Scott Murray - 1 day agoSign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now!We probably shouldn’t be waving big meaty slabs of succulent temptation in front of fate’s drooling maw, so apologies in advance to all affected supporters should the worst happen this evening. But facts are facts are facts: Scotland have a surprisingly good record against Spain. Their first-ever World Cup qualifying match that wasn’t part of the old Home Championship was against the Spanish at Hampden in May 1957, and if you think the Scots are underdogs tonight, then this was another level altogether. Scotland’s team was made up from players from Clyde, Charlton and second-tier wastrels Liverpool, while Spain were a glamorous amalgam of the brightest stars from Barcelona and Real Madrid. The Spanish forward line that evening consisted of Ladislao Kubala, Alfredo Di Stéfano, Luis Suárez and Paco Gento. Time to crank that old Sunday Post-o-meter up to 11: jings, crivvens, help ma boab! Continue reading...
Gary Lineker wins battle with HMRC over £4.9m tax bill
The Guardian Mark Sweney - 1 day agoTribunal rules TV host has not failed to pay any tax or national insurance as IR35 rules do not apply to himGary Lineker has won his battle with HMRC over a £4.9m tax bill.The tax authorities had told the Match of the Day host, who operates his own company and works on a freelance basis for the BBC and BT Sport, that he should have been classed as an employee. Continue reading...
Arsenal backed to overturn Bayern deficit in Women’s Champions League
The Guardian John Brewin - 1 day agoJonas Eidevall predicts a WSL side will rule Europe soon‘With the squad we have here, we can beat any team’Jonas Eidevall has expressed full confidence that Arsenal can overcome a 1-0 first-leg deficit against Bayern Munich and reach their first Women’s Champions League semi‑final in 10 years.By Tuesday lunchtime 19,600 tickets had been sold for the fixture at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night. This season’s Continental Cup winners crushed Tottenham 5-1 in a Women’s Super League north London derby on Saturday, ideal preparation for the return leg against the German club. Continue reading...
Premier League offers no comment on whether Newcastle face investigation
The Guardian Sean Ingle - 1 day agoSaudi Public Investment Fund took majority stake in clubUS court case raises questions over state involvementThe chief executive of the Premier League has told MPs he cannot comment on whether Newcastle’s links with Saudi Arabia are being reinvestigated in light of a recent US court case.Newcastle’s takeover saga ended in 2021 after the Saudi Public Investment Fund took a majority stake, having provided “legally binding assurances” to the Premier League there would be no state involvement in the running of the club. Continue reading...
Sarina Wiegman 'doesn't expect' Beth Mead to be in England World Cup squad after injury – video
The Guardian - 1 day agoSarina Wiegman has said it would take a 'miracle' for Beth Mead to be ready for the World Cup in July. The England striker ruptured an ACL playing for Arsenal in November and this is the first time Wiegman has all but ruled her out of the tournament. While the England manager announced her squad for the team's upcoming games she admitted, 'the World Cup is actually too early. So what we said now, she is not in our plans now.'Beth Mead needs ‘miracle’ to be fit for World Cup, admits Sarina Wiegman Continue reading...
Beth Mead needs ‘miracle’ to be fit for World Cup, admits Sarina Wiegman
The Guardian Suzanne Wrack - 1 day agoEngland manager has concerns over Fran Kirby’s knee injuryHannah Hampton recalled but still no place for Beth EnglandSarina Wiegman has said it would take a “miracle” for Beth Mead to be ready for the World Cup in July. The England striker ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament playing for Arsenal in November and this is the first time Wiegman has all but ruled her out of the tournament.“I had conversations with her, she’s doing well in her rehab, she’s doing good,” the England manager said after the announcement of her squad for the Finalissima next month against Brazil and a friendly with Australia. “But the World Cup is actually too early. What we said now is she’s not in our plans, just really take the time to get back well but if a miracle happens and she goes \[through recovery\] so fast, we will reconsider it. But at this moment I don’t expect that.” Continue reading...
Security guards in Qatar still being paid as little as 35p an hour
The Guardian Pete Pattisson in Doha - 1 day agoFifa and Qatar claimed the World Cup would transform workers’ rights, but 100 days on from the final, the Guardian has found that for some it has become worseSecurity guards employed by a company with contracts at sites linked to the World Cup in Qatar are allegedly still being paid as little as 35 pence an hour, four months after the Guardian first revealed their plight.In a Guardian investigation, published on the eve of the World Cup, the guards alleged they were being subjected to abusive practices, including overtime pay below the legal minimum. Interviews this month with security guards employed by Al Nasr Star Security Services at multiple sites suggests the issue of illegal pay remains. Continue reading...
Australia 1-2 Ecuador: international football friendly – as it happened
The Guardian Jonathan Howcroft - 1 day agoSecond-half goals from Pervis Estupiñán and William Pacho seal victory for EcuadorBrandon Borrello opened the scoring for AustraliaThe roof is closed tonight at Marvel Stadium, which may go some way to retaining the noise from what appears to be an underwhelming crowd. I’m not sold on this idea of a “homecoming” tour, but then, I am a curmudgeon.Opta have furnished us with some stats.Australia have scored three goals in each of their two previous men’s internationals against Ecuador, picking up a win and a loss from those two fixtures including a 3-1 win when these teams met four days ago.This will be just the second time in the last five years that Australia have faced the same team in two consecutive men’s internationals; each of the last three times it’s occurred the Socceroos have won the second of the two games.Ecuador have lost their last two men’s internationals in succession after having lost only one of their 17 previous games as a team (W6 D10); they’ve not lost three straight games since June 2021.Australia have conceded more shots at goal than they’ve made in each of their last five men’s internationals after having made at least as many shots as their opposition in nine of their 11 games prior; they were outshot 10-12 in their last game against Ecuador.Awer Mabil (Australia) has scored one goal in each of his last three starts for the Socceroos in men’s internationals, including one goal in the Socceroos’ last game against Ecuador. Continue reading...
David Squires on … England, Harry Kane and his return to Tottenham
The Guardian David Squires - 1 day agoOur resident cartoonist on the striker’s record-breaking achievement and Marcus Rashford’s much-maligned trip to NYCGuardian Print Shop: buy a copy of this cartoonContinue reading...
Sir Alex Ferguson joins Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney to announce Wrexham v Man Utd – video
The Guardian - 1 day agoManchester United will play Wrexham in San Diego this summer as part of a week-long pre-season training camp in the United States. For Wrexham, the 25 July encounter at the Snapdragon Stadium in southern California will be the first trip to the USA in the non-league side’s history. The friendly date, which will be part of United’s first trip to the US in five years, was announced via Twitter with a video posted by the clubs of the Wrexham co-onwers, Reynolds and McElhenney, taking part in an online video call with Sir Alex Ferguson.Manchester United to play Wrexham in San Diego friendly game this summerContinue reading...
Celtic Women manager butted by Rangers assistant after game
The Guardian PA Media - 1 day agoScottish Football Association set to investigate incidentCeltic manager Fran Alonso: “I was called a ‘little rat’’The Scottish Football Association is set to investigate after the Rangers assistant manager, Craig McPherson, appeared to butt the Celtic manager, Fran Alonso, at the end of Monday’s Scottish Women’s Premier League encounter.In footage captured by Sky Sports, McPherson seemed to aim a butt at the back of Alonso’s head as the players were shaking hands after the end of the match. Continue reading...
Canadian MPs summon senior soccer officials as they investigate response to abuse
The Guardian Matthew Hall - 1 day agoFormer Canada Soccer presidents Nick Bontis and Victor Montagliani will be asked about the organization’s response to sexual abuse within the sportConcacaf president Victor Montagliani has been summoned to appear at an investigation by Canadian elected government officials into business dealings by Canada Soccer and how the organization has responded to sexual abuse within the sport.A summons has also been issued to another former Canada Soccer president, Nick Bontis. He was elected to Concacaf’s Council in February as its representative for North America just days before resigning from his position at Canada Soccer amid a labor dispute with the women’s national team. Sean Heffernan, Canada Soccer’s chief financial officer, has also been issued with a summons. Continue reading...
Antonio has joined the chat: group therapy for departed Spurs managers | Jonathan Liew
The Guardian Jonathan Liew - 1 day agoWhatsApp group where Daniel Levy’s former employees discuss his wine gum obsession and sketchy transfer policyDaniel Levy Support Network Nuno, José, Mauricio +10 othersJosé Mourinho someone add antonio Continue reading...
‘Legacy, what legacy?’ Fight goes on for migrant workers in Qatar 100 days after World Cup
The Guardian Pete Pattisson and Nick Ames in Doha - 1 day agoThe eyes of the world are no longer on Doha and, although some progress has been made, many workers feel let downThe grass inside Lusail Stadium is lush, richly coloured, moist. One hundred days after the World Cup final, the pitch is still watered daily and cut once a week; a team of around 30 workers are on hand to maintain the site. Empty white seats glare from stands that once housed swaying, jubilant Argentina fans; an unseasonable wind whistles under the roof that once held in their songs. The nearby boulevard, where Lionel Messi and his victorious teammates paraded into the December night, is almost empty save for groups of south Asian workers, cloths covering their heads to protect them from the midday sun, filling in the gaps between paving slabs with fresh cement.There is still work to be done here even though the circus has moved on. But many of those who remain are patently at risk of exploitation and abuse despite Qatar’s attempts to mask the cracks in its partially successful labour reforms. When Qatar announced those flagship measures in August 2020, a decade after it won the right to host the World Cup, Fifa called them “groundbreaking”. The Qataris claimed they were a “major step forward”. The UN said they marked a “new era”. Even Qatar’s strongest critics gave them a cautious welcome. Continue reading...
Socceroo, milkman, friend to Pelé: football mourns Manfred Schaefer
The Guardian Guardian sport - 1 day agoDefender counted 1974 World Cup among 73 Australian capsSocceroos to wear black armbands during friendly with EcuadorFootball fans across Australia are mourning the death of 1974 Fifa World Cup Socceroo and Football Australia Hall of Fame member, Manfred Schaefer, who was 80.The defender represented Australia 73 times between 1967 and 1974, 49 of those ‘A’ Internationals, and was a member of Australia’s first FIFA World Cup squad in 1974, starting all three of Australia’s group games at the tournament in West Germany. Continue reading...
Ricardo Pepi’s delightful chip seals USA’s Nations League win over El Salvador
The Guardian Associated Press - 1 day agoConcacaf Nations League: USA 1-0 El SalvadorAmericans reach tournament’s semi-finals after victoryRicardo Pepi scored with his first touch of the match in the 62nd minute, and the United States beat El Salvador 1-0 on Monday night to reach the Concacaf Nations League semi-finals.The US extended their unbeaten streak against El Salvador to 22 matches since 1992, including 16 wins. The Americans joined Mexico in the Nations League semi-finals, which will take place in Las Vegas on 15 June, part of a final four that will include Canada or Honduras along with Costa Rica or Panama. Continue reading...
Manchester United to play Wrexham in San Diego friendly game this summer
The Guardian PA Media and Guardian sport - 1 day agoMatch on 25 July will be Wrexham’s first ever in United StatesSir Alex Ferguson features in Twitter clip to promote fixtureManchester United will play Wrexham in San Diego this summer as part of a week-long pre-season training camp in the United States.Erik ten Hag is likely to pick a youth-focused team from their travelling tour squad, including academy prospects, for the 25 July encounter at the Snapdragon Stadium in southern California. Continue reading...
Steve Clarke tells Scotland to forget Euro 2024 playoff and take on Spain
The Guardian Ewan Murray - 1 day agoClarke: ‘We don’t speak about playoff. We want to qualify direct’Lyndon Dykes will start and Scott McTominay likely for first XITalk of Scotland qualifying for Euro 2024 via the playoff place they have already secured has been banished from the squad, Steve Clarke has revealed, with the head coach making clear the focus is on qualifying automatically for the tournament.Scotland’s Nations League exploits mean a one-off tie for the finals in Germany is secure, regardless of how they fare in Group A. Yet with Scotland having opened their campaign with a 3-0 win over Cyprus on Saturday before Tuesday’s visit of Spain to Hampden Park, Clarke maintained there is no prospect of complacency. Continue reading...
Southgate will not rest England starters and risk ‘shambles’ going into Euro 2024
The Guardian David Hytner - 1 day agoLong season looms before two England qualifiers in June‘If we don’t select certain players it sends the wrong message’Gareth Southgate will not risk a “shambles” at England’s next Euro 2024 qualifying camp by resting players after a long season. The manager was delighted at how his team began the campaign with wins against Italy in Naples and Ukraine at Wembley and has started to think about the fixtures in the summer.England face Malta away on 16 June before entertaining North Macedonia at Old Trafford three days later. The final round of Premier League games is on 28 May, with the FA Cup final on 3 June. The Europa League final is on 31 May and the Champions League final on 10 June, meaning Southgate’s players will have breaks of varying lengths before Malta and North Macedonia. Continue reading...
Benjamin Pavard’s superb strike helps France deny spirited Republic of Ireland
The Guardian PA Media - 1 day agoBenjamin Pavard’s sweet strike edged World Cup finalists France to a Euro 2024 qualifying victory in Dublin as the Republic of Ireland were made to pay for one fatal error.Pavard’s 50th-minute contribution, which came after he had picked off Josh Cullen’s ill-advised pass across the edge of his own box, secured a 1-0 Group B victory to go with Friday’s 4-0 rout of the Netherlands. However, it took a brilliant 90th-minute save from Mike Maignan to deny Nathan Collins a last-gasp equaliser in a grandstand finish. Continue reading...
Republic of Ireland 0-1 France: Euro 2024 qualifying – live reaction
The Guardian Scott Murray - 1 day agoGroup B game at Aviva Stadium, kick-off 7.45pm (BST)Live scoreboard – follow all the goals as they go inShare your thoughts with Scott via email7 min: This is an impressively confident start by Ireland. France were about to go two up at this point against the Netherlands, but have done nothing so far tonight.5 min: Ferguson makes his presence felt down the inside-left channel and nearly releases Ogbene on the overlap with a reverse flick. Not quite. Then he sends Ogbene into space down the right. Hernandez does just enough to stop his opponent bursting into the box. Ferguson is a player who things happen around. He’s 18! Continue reading...
Criminal case is opened over death of migrant worker during Qatar World Cup
The Guardian Exclusive by Nick Ames in Doha - 1 day agoProceedings against employer Salam Petroleum beginFilipino worker fell when fixing lights at training baseQatari authorities have opened criminal proceedings against the employer of a Filipino migrant worker who died at a World Cup training base during the tournament last year.Salam Petroleum is being investigated after the worker, named only as Alexander, fell when fixing a set of lights at Sealine Beach resort, which hosted the Saudi Arabia national team during Qatar 2022. A court will now consider the case after it was initiated by Qatar’s public prosecution. Continue reading...
Lionel Messi takes centre stage in Argentina’s organic outpouring of joy | Michael Butler
The Guardian Michael Butler - 2 days agoTribute to World Cup heroes in Buenos Aires was a pure and outstanding moment that brought their captain to tearsYou would be forgiven for missing it last Thursday evening, amid the excitement of England’s win in Italy or the sacking of Julian Nagelsmann at Bayern Munich, but there was a brief moment, captured in Buenos Aires, where football turned its best trick, creating a moment so full of togetherness that one felt grateful just to watch, even if it was on a laptop or a phone a few thousand miles away.Argentina started the international break with a friendly against Panama, the first game since their World Cup triumph, but the actual match served just as an excuse for a rousing pre-match sing-song, where fans bellowed out “Muchachos” into the ether at the Estadio Monumental.“Boys, now we’re dreaming again I want to win it for the third timeI want to be world championAnd Diego, we can see him up in heavenWith Don Diego \[Maradona’s father\] and Tota \[his mother\]Cheering on Lionel.” Continue reading...
Carlton Palmer kept in hospital after ‘suspected small heart attack’
The Guardian PA Media - 2 days agoFormer England midfielder taken ill at Sheffield Half MarathonPalmer, 57, had lengthy operation for heart condition in 2016The former England midfielder Carlton Palmer said he was being kept in hospital for further tests following a “suspected small heart attack” during the Sheffield Half Marathon on Sunday.Palmer – who had spells at West Brom, Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds during a lengthy playing career, winning 18 international caps – was admitted overnight with observations continuing. Continue reading...
Conte thanks ‘everyone at Spurs who shared my passion’ in farewell post
The Guardian PA Media - 2 days agoFormer Spurs manager posts on Instagram after departureConte left club ‘by mutual agreement’ on Sunday eveningAntonio Conte has thanked everyone at Tottenham who “appreciated and shared my passion and intensity”, following his departure as head coach.The 53-year-old Conte, whose 16-month stint at the Premier League club ended “by mutual agreement,” took to Instagram on Monday evening to reflect on his reign. Continue reading...
Fifa agrees to pay clubs extra £119m to release players for men’s World Cup
The Guardian Sean Ingle - 2 days agoClubs will also get a greater say in football calendarDeal could make European Super League less likelyFifa has agreed to pay clubs an extra $146m (£119m) to release their players for the men’s World Cup and give them a greater say in the game’s calendar. The moves are part of a new deal that indicates a significant thawing of relations between the sport’s governing body and Europe’s top teams.Relations have been frosty since the Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, offered his tacit support for the failed European Super League project and advocated for a World Cup every two years. Infantino signed a new memorandum of understanding on Monday with the European Clubs Association in Budapest. Continue reading...
Football Daily | Daniel Levy’s procrastination means Nagelsmann’s suddenly on the market
The Guardian Scott Murray - 2 days agoSign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now!There must be something in the London water. Well, of course there is, it’s jobby; thanks to the shower in charge of the country, there’s tonnes of the stuff bobbing up and down the Thames. But it’s also an idiom, and just like exactly this time last week, it gives us an excuse to lash Chelsea and Tottenham together for the purposes of our story. Thing is, neither club appears to be a model of corporate competence right now. Only this morning, Chelsea posted a loss of £121m for the 2021-22 season, a number which doesn’t look all that clever to simple folk like Football Daily. The club blame the Boris Johnson-approved sanctions imposed on former owner Roman Abramovich, which will continue to be felt “in the following years”, as presumably will the £500m splurge set to hit next year, so good luck to everyone at the Bridge. Perhaps someone can find a way of pinning Kalidou Koulibaly and Marc Cucurella on Liz Truss when it all goes up. Continue reading...
Rob Page hails ‘fresh energy’ in Wales setup after squad and staff changes
The Guardian Ben Fisher in Cardiff - 2 days agoGareth Bale will attend first Wales game since retirementAaron Ramsey says Croatia draw was important markerWales will give Gareth Bale a warm send-off before hosting Latvia on Tuesday with the manager, Rob Page, hailing the “fresh energy” that has swept into his team thanks to changes to the squad and staff after the World Cup.Bale will be in attendance for the Euro 2024 qualifier at the Cardiff City Stadium, the first game to take place there since the 33-year-old announced his retirement. Bale, who is Wales’s all-time leading male goalscorer and widely considered to be his country’s greatest player, has since played golf at Pebble Beach on the PGA Tour. Continue reading...
Southgate must be ruthless to elevate England – starting with Harry Maguire
The Guardian Barney Ronay - 2 days agoThe Manchester United defender is a fine team player but his lack of mobility will be exposed by the best at Germany 2024At times during the opening half‑hour of England’s slow‑burn 2-0 defeat of Ukraine the only real football on show was that very modern kind of non‑football: the things that happen in the strange, dead time while everyone in the stadium waits for the assistant referee to raise the flag for offside. This was the only real entertainment on show: invalid entertainment.There was one of these moments shortly before England’s opening goal as Harry Maguire chased back to retrieve a loose ball, then just seemed to stop. Except it wasn’t that. Maguire hadn’t actually stopped. There he was, still going, still turning like a fully-laden container ship easing its way grandly out of port. We’re still on. This was just Maguire attempting to sprint. Continue reading...
As the climate crisis threatens life on Greenland, football gives some hope
The Guardian Julian Roberts - 2 days agoIn our documentary Playing on the Edge, we spoke to people in Greenland about the impact climate change has on their livesA film by Drumkit Productions for Copa90There is a story in Inuit mythology that is taught to every child from the moment they learn to talk. The legend goes that when local people treat their environment badly, Sedna, the Mother of the Sea, punishes them by gathering all of their animals in her fiery hair at the bottom of the ocean. With no animals, there is no food for the people and nature is out of balance. To keep Sedna happy, the people must comb her hair – clean the sea – so she releases the animals back into the wild.There are a few versions of the Sedna story but this one is known by everyone in Greenland. It tells of their relationship with nature – which is not about profit but balance, where everyone respects and understands their place within the wider landscape. Continue reading...
Starboy Saka, last-gasp Wales and arrivederci Antonio – Football Weekly
The Guardian Presented by Max Rushden with Lars Sivertsen, Troy Townsend, Nooruddean Choudry, Elis James and Keith Bailie. Produced by Joel Grove and our executive producer is Danielle Stephens. - 2 days agoMax Rushden is joined by Lars Sivertsen, Troy Townsend and Nooruddean Choudry after a weekend of international football. Plus cameos from Keith Bailie and Elis James.Rate, review, share on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud, Acast and Stitcher, and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and email.Today; England beat Ukraine 2-0, Bukayo Saka shines, Harry Kane scores again and the panel remain positive throughout. Continue reading...
‘I haven’t earned a single rial’: Qatar migrant labourers left stranded and jobless after the World Cup
The Guardian Pete Pattisson in Doha - 2 days agoVisa scams and a collapsed job market mean that 100 days on from the World Cup final, many workers face destitution despite promises of rights reformsMigrant workers from west Africa say they have been left stranded, destitute and jobless in Qatar just 100 days after the end of the World Cup, despite claims that the tournament would leave a legacy of better workers’ rights in the country.The Guardian has interviewed men with so-called “free visas”, under which they must find their own jobs, who say they have been out of work for months. Some can barely afford to eat. Others are so short of money they have been forced to plead for help from their impoverished families back home. Continue reading...
Women’s Super League: talking points from the weekend’s action
The Guardian Suzanne Wrack, Sophie Downey, Renuka Odedra and Andy Hunter - 2 days agoManchester City’s big win, Lucía García finds form and some missed opportunities for wider exposureWomen’s Football Weekend has become a staple of the season after its launch in 2019. It’s a smart idea, capitalising on the men’s international break to highlight the women’s game. This time was no different, with the Football Association, Sky and the BBC heavily promoting the fixtures, which were spread across the weekend. Big crowds duly followed, but there was disappointment with the north London derby being hosted at Brisbane Road while the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was used for Saracens versus Harlequins. The pitch was so poor at Leyton Orient that it was deemed unfit for the women’s match the following day. Meanwhile, Manchester City hosted 5,222 at a packed Academy Stadium while the Etihad across the road loomed large and empty. The FA and broadcasters need the full buy-in of clubs if they are going to make the most of this particular showcase of women’s football. SW Continue reading...
Chelsea claim Roman Abramovich sanctions a factor in £121m losses
The Guardian PA Media - 2 days agoGovernment took action against former owner last MarchLosses do not take into account recent spendingChelsea have claimed UK government sanctions imposed on their former owner Roman Abramovich were a factor in them posting losses of £121m for the 2021-22 season. Abramovich was sanctioned in March last year as the government sought to freeze the assets of individuals believed to have connections to Vladimir Putin after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.Chelsea were placed under a special licence that restricted their ability to sell tickets, accept event bookings and sign contracts with players. The restrictions remained in place until 30 May when a consortium led by the American businessman Todd Boehly completed its £4.25bn takeover of the club. Continue reading...
Who should Spurs appoint as manager to replace Antonio Conte?
The Guardian Ben McAleer - 2 days agoMauricio Pochettino, Julian Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique have all been linked to the Tottenham job By Ben McAleer for WhoScoredTottenham and Antonio Conte have parted ways. Here are eight managers who have been linked with the job or should be on the club’s radar. Continue reading...
A lot of anger but no trophies – how Antonio Conte’s Spurs reign blew up | David Hytner
The Guardian David Hytner - 2 days agoTottenham fans do not expect silverware but they do demand progress, excitement and unity. This is where the manager failedWhat came first at Tottenham? The angst and impatience within the fanbase over the lack of trophies that affects the players? Or the players’ inability to cope with the pressure and win trophies that fires the angst and impatience?Antonio Conte is not sure. But what the latest former Spurs manager came to feel was that both were present and incorrect at the club, shaping an environment that resembled the results of an attempt to sprint through quicksand. Or, to put it another way, the impossible job for a manager. Any manager. Even one as decorated as him. Continue reading...
Saka finish confirms status as England’s greatest hope for taking the next step | Barney Ronay
The Guardian Barney Ronay at Wembley - 2 days agoBest creative attacker is likely to determine whether Gareth Southgate can finally mould a genuine champion teamWith 40 minutes gone at Wembley Stadium Bukayo Saka took the ball in the inside left channel, bumped away the yellow shirt at his back and produced that familiar whip‑crack turn, one of those moments where he just seems to have a weirdly preternatural grasp of the physics of movement, snaking off into spaces that aren’t, technically, supposed to be there. Perhaps this is one reason why he gets kicked a lot. There is no logical answer to this problem.Saka had time to think about what to do next, a micro-second of processing time. The finish was ridiculous. Not novel or unorthodox: the left-foot shot curled across goal, starting outside the line of the post, hips opened out to make the angle. We know that angle. It’s drill, a set move. Continue reading...
What went wrong for Antonio Conte at Tottenham – video explainer
The Guardian Hayden Vernon David Verman - 2 days agoChief sports writer, Barney Ronay, explains the tense relationship between Antonio Conte and Tottenham as the club begin their search for new coach. Conte plunged the club into turmoil on Saturday when he castigated the team after the 3-3 draw at Southampton, criticising the club and the players, and left Spurs on Sunday evening.Antonio Conte set to depart as Højbjerg laments lack of communicationAntonio Conte hanging by a thread as Spurs begin search for new coachThis video was amended on 27 March 2023 to remove a section, which incorrectly claimed Conte had never played in the Champions League.Continue reading...
Antonio Conte departs Tottenham after breakdown in relations with club
The Guardian David Hytner - 2 days agoCristian Stellini placed in charge for rest of the seasonClub chairman Daniel Levy: ‘We all need to pull together’Antonio Conte’s well-advertised departure from Tottenham was finally confirmed on Sunday night, the club announcing it was by “mutual agreement” after a week of behind-the-scenes turbulence and stony public silence.Conte’s long-time assistant, Cristian Stellini, will be acting head coach for the remainder of the season, with Ryan Mason as his assistant. The focus will turn towards the identity of the next permanent manager, with Julian Nagelsmann – sacked by Bayern Munich on Friday – on the club’s wish-list. Continue reading...
Joe Morrell urges Wales not to let unlikely point in Croatia ‘go to waste’
The Guardian Ben Fisher in Split - 2 days agoMidfielder makes rallying call before Latvia matchWales snatched late draw in Euro 2024 qualifier in SplitJoe Morrell has urged his Wales teammates not to allow their Euro 2024 qualifying draw in Croatia “go to waste” and to back up the point with a win against Latvia. Wales host the Baltic nation, 133rd in the Fifa rankings, in Cardiff on Tuesday after snatching a draw in the Group D opener on Saturday with a stoppage‑time strike by the debutant Nathan Broadhead, their sole shot on target.Afterwards the Wales manager, Rob Page, insisted the result and spirited performance against a team who reached the World Cup semi‑finals in Qatar is proof that there is life after Gareth Bale, who retired in January. Morrell said Wales must use the surprise but welcome point in Split as a springboard in their quest to reach the finals in Germany next year. “It’s imperative we back it up now,” Morrell said. Continue reading...
John McGinn backed to climb Scotland’s all-time scoring charts before Spain test
The Guardian Ewan Murray - 2 days agoSteve Clarke tips midfielder to join Law and Dalglish among eliteManager says Scotland need to improve despite Cyprus winSteve Clarke has backed John McGinn to become just the fifth player in history to score 20 times for Scotland after the Aston Villa midfielder took his tally to 16 during their 3-0 win against Cyprus on Saturday.Only Denis Law, Kenny Dalglish, Hughie Gallacher and Lawrie Reilly have reached the 20-goal mark for Scotland. At 28 and as a regular starter in an advanced midfield role under Clarke, McGinn looks likely to join the exclusive club. McGinn is now seventh in Scotland’s all-time scoring chart. Continue reading...
Euro 2024 qualifying: Ronaldo extends records as Kazakhstan stun Denmark
The Guardian Agencies - 2 days agoPortuguese veteran took goals total to 122 and caps to 198Rasmus Højlund double had Denmark 2-0 up until 73rd minuteCristiano Ronaldo extended his goals and appearances records as Portugal enjoyed a 6-0 win in Luxembourg. Ronaldo made a world-record 197th appearance – overhauling the previous record set by Kuwait striker Bader al-Mutawa – in Thursday’s win over Liechtenstein, scoring twice in the 4-0 success.The former Manchester United forward found the net twice more on Sunday, taking his record international tally to 122 in his 198th game. Ronaldo opened the scoring after nine minutes and grabbed his second just after the half hour, with Chelsea’s João Félix and Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva having made it 3-0 to the visitors inside 18 minutes. Continue reading...
Lacklustre Northern Ireland lose to Finland in blow to Euro 2024 hopes
The Guardian PA Media - 2 days agoNorthern Ireland could not produce a performance to match the occasion as Michael O’Neill’s first home game back at Windsor Park ended in a 1-0 defeat by Finland. After the 2-0 win against San Marino on Thursday, this was a more sobering night against stronger opposition, and a result that deals a significant blow to hopes of reaching Euro 2024 even at this early stage of the campaign.Northern Ireland appeared off the pace before Benjamin Källman fired Finland in front with 28 minutes gone and, although the hosts improved while chasing the game, they could not find an equaliser. Dion Charles had a 62nd-minute goal ruled out for handball. Continue reading...
Bayern Munich approach Chelsea over hiring Blues’ coach Anthony Barry
The Guardian Jacob Steinberg - 2 days agoEx-Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel wants Barry at BayernBarry joined Chelsea in 2020 and works with Portugal tooBayern Munich have made an official approach to Chelsea for Anthony Barry after Thomas Tuchel annoyed his former club by speaking about his desire to bring the coach on to his backroom staff.Tuchel, who replaced Julian Nagelsmann as Bayern’s manager on Friday, was fired by Chelsea in September and the Stamford Bridge club are disappointed with their former manager for going public with his interest in Barry before formal lines of communication were opened. Continue reading...
Southgate tells England players to stay hungry after perfect Euro 2024 start
The Guardian Jacob Steinberg at Wembley - 2 days agoSouthgate warns against complacency in next two gamesManager delighted with Bukayo Saka’s progressGareth Southgate urged his players to remain hungry after England maintained their perfect start to Euro 2024 qualifying by beating Ukraine 2-0 at Wembley on Sunday.England have six points from their first two games in Group C after they responded to facing their main rivals for qualification by winning away to Italy for the first time in 62 years and cruising past Ukraine thanks to goals from Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka. Continue reading...
Ukraine fans bring fervency to England’s soulless headquarters | Jonathan Liew
The Guardian Jonathan Liew at Wembley - 3 days agoSixteen years after reopening, Wembley still does not feel like home but it gave the visitors an opportunity for expressionA recorded announcement plays on a loop on the approach to Wembley Stadium. “I’m Clive Tyldesley,” says the voice, for the voice is indeed Clive Tyldesley’s. “It is not allowed to drink alcohol on Olympic Way or the surrounding streets. This is due to a Public Space Protection Order. I’m sorry, it’s the law.”On Tyldesley goes, advising fans that anybody caught with an open container of alcohol will be dealt with by law enforcement officers, before warning that bags over a certain size will not be permitted into the stadium. “I’m sorry,” Tyldesley repeats, and to be fair he genuinely does sound as if he’s sorry about all this, almost as if he’s reading the message under duress. Then, after a short silence, the recording plays again: “I’m Clive Tyldesley. It is not allowed …” Continue reading...
Kane and Bukayo Saka combine against Ukraine for England’s perfect Euros start
The Guardian David Hytner at Wembley - 3 days ago“This game is more than just a football game for us,” the Ukraine great Andriy Shevchenko told the Wembley crowd before kick-off. “People are fighting for the right to exist.”The Ukraine team could feel their nation watching, a few thousand here, many more millions at home, dreaming of victory, a short respite from the suffering. They had the passion, the goodwill of everybody. England had Bukayo Saka. Continue reading...
England 2-0 Ukraine: player ratings from Euro 2024 qualifier at Wembley
The Guardian Jacob Steinberg at Wembley - 3 days agoBukayo Saka was the pick of the bunch, but there were no weak links in a solid display from Gareth Southgate’s sideJordan Pickford (GK) England’s No 1 did not have to do anything of note. Ukraine were not allowed a shot on target. 6/10 Continue reading...
England 2-0 Ukraine: Euro 2024 qualifying – live reaction
The Guardian Rob Smyth - 3 days agoThe brilliant Bukayo Saka made the first goal for Harry Kane and scored a spectacular second as England cruised to victory“You are, as ever, correct,” says Richard Hirst. “FA Cup final 1975 - Alan Mullery No4, Bobby Moore No6. Never to be forgotten!”You say that, but I’ve just had a look at Liverpool’s team for the 1986 FA Cup final and I could barely be more wrong if Bruce Grobbelaar had worn No722. Continue reading...
Phil Foden has surgery to remove appendix after England withdrawal
The Guardian Jacob Steinberg - 3 days agoManchester City star has operation on Sunday morningFoden trained on Saturday but out of Ukraine qualifierPhil Foden will miss England’s Euro 2024 qualifier against Ukraine after undergoing surgery to remove his appendix. The Manchester City midfielder felt unwell after training on Saturday and has been forced to leave the camp, further limiting Gareth Southgate’s outfield options before his side’s second match in Group C.Southgate, who is set to hand James Maddison his first international start when England meet Ukraine at Wembley on Sunday evening, has already seen Mason Mount, Marcus Rashford and Reece James pull out of the squad through injury. England are also without Luke Shaw, who is suspended following his red card during the 2-1 victory against Italy on Thursday night. Continue reading...
Manchester City sink Chelsea to blow WSL title race wide open
The Guardian Suzanne Wrack at the Academy Stadium - 3 days agoThere were raised eyebrows in December when Gareth Taylor insisted that Manchester City could win the league after a 1-1 draw with Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium. “We want to win the league. We’re not just looking at the Champions League,” he said. “We’ve put ourselves in a position to win the league. If we win all of our games in the second half of the season, we win the league, it’s as simple as that.”Six wins and a draw have followed, including this 2-0 defeat of the Women’s Super League title holders Chelsea, a team City had not beaten in 12 prior WSL games. Suddenly Taylor looks to be either a genius, extremely fortunate, or maybe a touch of both. Continue reading...
Manchester City 2-0 Chelsea: Women’s Super League – live reaction
The Guardian Will Unwin - 3 days agoFilippa Angeldahl and Lauren Hemp settled the match to send City up to second in the tableFriends of the Guardian Robyn Cowen and Rachel Brown Finnis are on comms. And here come the teams!The managers have spoken. Continue reading...
‘I needed the risk’: the former Spurs starlet reviving his career in Romania
The Guardian Will Unwin - 3 days agoShayon Harrison missed a golden chance on his debut and never played for Spurs again. It hit him hard – but now his nomadic path has found an unlikely end-point“I was in the changing room crying, I burst into tears because I knew what that moment meant and how it had escaped me.” This was Shayon Harrison in the aftermath of what should have been the best night of his life, a Tottenham first-team debut at Anfield aged 19. Six and a half years on, his first game as a professional is still what defines his career.Harrison came off the bench in the League Cup fourth‑round tie and had a chance to equalise – but he miscontrolled an Érik Lamela cross, allowing Simon Mignolet to collect, and Spurs went on to lose. He would not play for Tottenham’s first team again. Now 25, the Hornsey-born striker is playing in his fourth country, leading the promotion charge for Poli Iasi in Romania’s second tier. Continue reading...
Novelist Rebecca Watson: ‘I can leave a show or book unmoved, but with football I always feel’
The Guardian Rebecca Watson - 3 days agoAs the adaptation of her novel, little scratch, returns to the London stage, the author and Nottingham Forest fan traces the links between theatre, fiction and the beautiful gameWhen I was six, my family’s tin of felt tips began to deplete. I don’t know whether anyone noticed, or how many disappeared. Memory is fickle like that: it doesn’t care for the whole story. What I do remember is that, nights in a row, I would carefully select my least favourite colour before sequestering the pen in my school bag like a top-secret agent. The pens were for a boy in my class who had set me an entry fee. If I wanted to play football at break, then there was a cost. I knew it was because I was a girl, and that it was unfair, but still I handed over my felt tips. The only thing that really mattered was the football.I never expected that my love of football and my life as a writer would have much overlap, but they do. The space for imagination – for what your mind can build – is vast in football. The experience of being a football supporter is complicated and dramatic, and that’s what I love about it. I love the emotions, the bias, the narrative built into watching a game. Continue reading...
We’ll show Germany at Euro 2024 that we can behave, vow England fans
The Guardian Alexandra Topping - 3 days agoCommitted football supporters disavow ‘idiots’ threatening to disrupt the competitionEngland football fans have vowed to travel to Germany in large numbers for Euro 2024 and show that “idiots” wanting to provoke trouble in the host country are a minority.There were fears that some of England’s travelling fans would try to cause trouble next year after some fans sang the theme tune to the 1955 British war film The Dam Busters during last week’s match in Italy. During the match some fans also chanted about the death of Diego Maradona – in an arena known for its devotion to the former Napoli player who gave the stadium its name. Continue reading...
‘I’ve seen hell’: the allegations rocking women’s football in Sierra Leone
The Guardian Ed Aarons, Romain Molina and Alex Cizmic - 3 days agoClaims of sexual harassment and poor facilities accompany questions over Isha Johansen, who says she did all she could as the country’s FA headFor Bilkisu Kandeh-Turay, representing her country should have been the pinnacle of her career. Yet, despite the arrival of Isha Johansen as the first female president of the Sierra Leone Football Association in 2013, it had turned into a nightmare. “We didn’t get kits, proper food, medical facilities, transport … nothing,” Kandeh-Turay says. “I started raising these concerns and spoke with some FA officials. They said they were planning to do something, but they didn’t.”The talented striker, who went on to captain the under-20s team, was 17 in 2017 when she complained to the senior women’s team coach, Abdulai Bah, about the poor conditions. Kandeh-Turay alleges that he responded by sending her pictures of his penis and pornographic videos, as well as “asking me for sex every day” over the next few months. Continue reading...
Russia has seamlessly returned to football – and nobody seems overly perturbed | Jonathan Liew
The Guardian Jonathan Liew - 3 days agoEurope may be prepared to ‘forget Russia’ but closer ties to Asian confederation are a warning sign of what is to comeThe Azadi Stadium in Tehran can hold up to 78,000 at capacity. As Anton Miranchuk of Lokomotiv Moscow kicked off under a giant portrait of the former supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini on Thursday night, let’s generously say it wasn’t quite full. Still, what crowd there was made a pretty decent noise.There were even a few hundred travelling fans, who were rewarded when Miranchuk scored for Russia from the penalty spot. Early in the second half the Porto striker Mehdi Taremi equalised for Iran, and although the later stages disintegrated into a procession of substitutions, the visitors were ultimately a little fortunate to escape with a 1-1 draw. Continue reading...
England must show steel as emotions run high before visit of Ukraine
The Guardian David Hytner - 3 days agoGareth Southgate warns against distractions at Wembley on the back of his side’s big step forward in victory against ItalyIt is fair to say that there will be a lot going on at Wembley on Sunday before England kick off their second Euro 2024 qualifying tie, against Ukraine. A golden boot presentation for Harry Kane to mark his status as the nation’s record goalscorer; he set the mark with a penalty in Thursday’s 2-1 win over Italy in Naples and would be congratulated by the prime minister, Rishi Sunak, on Saturday.Another presentation, this one of a posthumous honorary England cap to the family of Jack Leslie, the black player who was denied the chance to play for his country in 1925 because of the colour of his skin. And a minute of applause for George Cohen, the 1966 World Cup winner, who died in December. So, sporting achievement; anti-racism plus the righting of a historical wrong; and the celebration of a cherished football figure. The power of the game – and specifically that of a sold-out Wembley – to provide a platform for so much continues to amaze. Continue reading...
Nathan Broadhead’s last-gasp strike rescues draw for Wales in Croatia
The Guardian Ben Fisher at Stadion Poljud - 3 days agoSo, Wales finally know what life after Gareth Bale looks like and it turns out it’s not so bad, after all. Just ask one of the supporters that flew forward a few rows amid the delirium of the debutant Nathan Broadhead registering a stoppage-time equaliser or one of the dozens of fans, whipping their shirts overhead in a frenzy, who could be heard singing on loop as Rob Page tried to put it all into words more than half an hour after the final whistle.It is safe to say kicking off their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with a draw away at World Cup semi-finalists Croatia will make the Wales squad’s expected 4am arrival at Cardiff airport somewhat easier to stomach. “It will be a quick two hours, absolutely,” Page said of the flight home, smiling. His players had made a mockery of the largely defeatist yet equally understandable attitude among the away supporters who travelled to Split in hope of green shoots rather than anything tangible. Perhaps they had caught sight of Croatia’s home record in European qualifiers, which before kick-off read: won 34, drawn one, lost none. The magnitude of the result was not lost on anyone of a Wales persuasion, particularly given Croatia should have put the game to bed in the first half. Continue reading...
Croatia 1-1 Wales: Euro 2024 qualifying – as it happened
The Guardian Scott Murray - 3 days agoCroatia were seconds away from an opening victory in Group D when Nathan Broadhead scored a dramatic equaliser on his debut3 min: Wales afford Modric far too much time and space, 25 yards out. Croatia’s captain pearls a shot towards the bottom left, and Ward does very well to parry out for a corner. That was heading in.2 min: A fairly quiet start … if you factor out the noise pouring down from the stands at the Stadion Poljud in Split. A fine atmosphere! Continue reading...
Joselu scores twice on long-awaited debut to ease Spain past Norway
The Guardian Sid Lowe at Estadio La Rosaleda - 3 days agoJoselu had waited 15 years to make his international debut and wasn’t going to wait any longer. As fairytales go this was a bit silly. Sent on with eight minutes left, the 32-year-old striker born in Germany and raised in Galicia, a veteran of 10 clubs across three countries including Newcastle and Stoke, was only two minutes into his first game when he scored the goal that finally secured victory for Spain and three minutes into it when he got his second. And so it was that a sometimes nervy opening night for new coach Luis de la Fuente ended with the selección securing a 3-0 win over a Norway team who, like everyone else, left wondering how this had happened.Working it out might take a while, however fast it finally unfolded. After he had reached Fabián Ruiz’s clever cross to nod in the first with six minutes left, just 149 seconds since he had come on, Joselu had stood by the centre circle holding his head barely able to believe itr. Less than 60 seconds later, he was lying in the corner having only gone and done it again, while the Rosaleda chanted his name. A loose ball, an alert mind and a close range finish had closed the game a way that no one had foreseen but they were loving it, lauding an unexpected hero. Continue reading...
In this golden age for football, the threat of overkill looms ever larger
The Guardian Jonathan Wilson - 4 days agoFrom bloated World Cups to dull club competitions excess is everywhere, but who will stand up against the exploitation?It’s worth asking before launching into a jeremiad where you would have stood on major disruptions of the past. Have I become the old man who yells at clouds and is simply opposed to everything new? Would I have been against professionalism, the 1925 change in the offside law, the advent of European football, the foundation of the Premier League? Is this just the conservative creep of age? Perhaps. But, equally, it’s hard to look at football and where it may be headed and not feel fearful.In some ways, football has rarely had it so good. The Premier League this season offers a title race, a battle for fourth and a nine-team relegation scrap; almost every match feels consequential. The World Cup provided a classic variant on one of the greatest narratives of all time, the ageing star triumphing at the last – and Lionel Messi’s consecration came after extraordinary tension against the Netherlands in the quarter-final and France in the final. Continue reading...
García and Ladd fire Manchester United to top of WSL with win over West Ham
The Guardian Sophie Downey at Old Trafford - 4 days agoA comfortable victory for Manchester United in front of almost 28,000 at Old Trafford saw them return to the top of the Women’s Super League. The hosts were uninspired in the first half but burst into life after the break to overwhelm West Ham with a penalty from captain Katie Zelem and goals from Lucia García and Hayley Ladd.“We were not quick enough or progressive enough in the first half,” said Marc Skinner, the Manchester United head coach. “At half-time we had a few words and recognised that we did not give the Red Devil energy that we needed. Second half, you saw that, and the players took ownership which is all we want. Continue reading...
Emile Smith Rowe ends goal drought to help Young Lions maul France
The Guardian PA Media - 4 days agoArsenal forward on target for first time since June in 4-0 winNoni Madueke also scores in dazzling 24-minute cameoEmile Smith Rowe’s first goal in nine months helped England Under-21s continue their Euros countdown in style with a 4-0 thumping of France at the King Power Stadium.The Arsenal forward’s second-half header ended his wait before goals from Noni Madueke, Curtis Jones and Jacob Ramsey wrapped up a comprehensive victory. Continue reading...
Football League roundup: Peterborough close on playoffs with win over Derby
The Guardian PA Media - 4 days agoPosh a point off top six after Nathanael Ogbeta seals winPortsmouth battle back to draw 2-2 at home to Port ValePeterborough claimed a crucial victory in the race for the League One playoffs by beating fellow promotion hopefuls Derby 2-0. Second-half goals from Ephron Mason-Clark and Nathanael Ogbeta settled the contest and moved Darren Ferguson’s men to within a point of the top six.Derby, who kicked off four points clear of their hosts, had the only attempt on target of the first half when Conor Hourihane was denied by the boot of keeper Will Norris. It was a different story after the break, though, as Mason-Clark rifled a 52nd-minute opener past Joe Wildsmith, and Ogbeta made sure of the points in the 82nd. Continue reading...
Southgate wants England to prove they are a 'top team' by beating Ukraine – video
The Guardian - 4 days agoThe England manager Gareth Southgate wants his side to show they can be considered an elite team with a win against Ukraine on Sunday. England started their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with a 2-1 victory over Italy in Naples, and Southgate says they need to demonstrate they can build momentum Continue reading...
Tottenham 1-5 Arsenal: Women’s Super League – as it happened
The Guardian Rob Smyth - 4 days agoThe in-form Caitlin Foord scored twice as Arsenal hammered Spurs in the north London derby1 min Peep peep! After the players take the knee, Celin Bizet gets the north London derby under way.It’s a big day for the Spurs left-back Kerys Harrop. As of the referee’s first whistle, nobody will have played more often in the WSL. Continue reading...
Scott McTominay’s late double adds the gloss as Scotland sink Cyprus
The Guardian Ewan Murray at Hampden Park - 4 days agoThe steady stream of punters heading to the pub long before full-time told a story. Scotland’s road towards Euro 2024 will include significantly greater hurdles than that provided by Cyprus, and this stadium has witnessed far more enthralling encounters. Tuesday evening, when Spain come calling, should deliver a different scene entirely both on and off the pitch. Perhaps players and supporters alike were keeping powder dry.Yet those who succumbed to the lure of the pint missed Scott McTominay, twice, adding gloss to their country’s victory. Scotland have made such a habit of starting qualifying campaigns poorly that victory, any victory, must be appreciated. It is perhaps a tacit indication of how they have progressed under Steve Clarke that a win like this is regarded as mundane. The presence of close to 50,000 spectators for a meeting with the world’s 110th-ranked team adds to the sense of an upwardly mobile Scotland setup. Continue reading...
