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The England captain Leah Williamson has claimed that Sweden “deserve more recognition” ahead of tomorrow’s Euro 2025 quarter-final meeting.

She said: “Sweden’s previous results at tournaments are incredible. They are relentless when it comes to tournament football. I do think they deserve a little bit more recognition.”

• Contract expected to be four years plus one-year option

• Brentford fail with move for Ipswich’s Omari Hutchinson

Ethan Nwaneri is poised to commit his future to Arsenal by signing a new contract despite interest from Chelsea and clubs in Germany.

Negotiations with Nwaneri’s representatives are understood to be in the final stages, a four-year deal with an option to extend by a year having been agreed in principle. The 18-year-old has entered the final 12 months of his contract and had been linked with Chelsea in recent weeks. Borussia Dortmund were also believed to be keen after his brilliant breakthrough season in which he scored nine goals in 37 appearances.

• Applicants beset by software problems and lost time on 18 June

• Some resits on 30 June but others told to wait 12 months

Technical problems with Fifa’s online football agent exam have prevented candidates from completing the test, with many told they will have to wait 12 months for their next opportunity.

New regulations on agents introduced at the start of this year mean candidates must complete 20 multiple‑choice questions online rather than attend a test in person, usually at their national federation’s headquarters. It is understood the change was made by Fifa to provide consistency over the cost, with candidates now paying $100 (or the equivalent in pounds or Euros) to sit the annual exam, which took place for the first time on 18 June.

Scotland’s domestic league has been dominated by Celtic and Rangers, but American investors see untapped potential

A club that plays in red, white and blue was always ripe for American investment. The arrival of Andrew Cavenagh and the San Francisco 49ers as Rangers’ new owners has the potential to shake up a Scottish top division that has been won by Rangers’ fierce rivals, Celtic, in 13 of the last 14 seasons.

It’s not just at the top, however, where American money is reshaping Scottish soccer. Six of the Scottish Premiership’s 12 clubs are now American-owned. The 49ers’ purchase of Rangers wasn’t even the only US takeover of a Scottish club this summer: Calvin Ford, the great-great-grandson of Henry Ford, completed a deal to buy Livingston. Scotland’s top division is now just one club away from having a majority of American owners.

Lionesses’ impact players are viewed as an important piece of the team’s puzzle and have a key role to play in their Euro 2025 quarter-final

There was confusion among England’s starters on Sunday night when both Beth Mead and Aggie Beever-Jones scored and wheeled away clicking their fingers. It was an in-joke between the substitutes, or “finishers” as they are referred to internally, viewed as an important a piece of the team’s puzzle as much as those who step out of the tunnel before kick-off.

“It’s great,” the Arsenal forward Chloe Kelly says. “We have a little group of us, the finishers, the positive clique [pronounced click by Kelly, a play on words] we call it. We said if one of us comes on to score then we should do that as our celebration.

• ‘We earned the right to be there and will show support’

• Palace in Conference League after ownership breach

Furious Crystal Palace supporters have demanded that Uefa reverses its decision to demote the FA Cup winners from the Europa League to the Conference League next season as they staged a protest march outside Selhurst Park on Tuesday evening.

It was confirmed last week that Uefa’s club financial control body had concluded Palace breached its multiclub ownership criteria, with the south London club expected to appeal to the court of arbitration for sport against a decision that their chair, Steve Parish, described as “probably one of the greatest injustices that has ever happened in European football”.

Plus: most champions-in-waiting beaten en route to Champions League glory and the hottest English match on record

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“Arsenal have signed a new keeper, Kepa,” noted John Marsden last week. “Are there any other examples of players with a name so similar to their position?”

While we can’t find a player named Left Back, there is a former Anderlecht defender by the name of Mark De Man (which, admittedly, is an on-pitch instruction not a role). The Belgium international earned five caps for his country and retired in 2012 with a spell at third-division KSK Hasselt, having rejected the chance to make the move to Kilmarnock. “I have two children and my wife has a good job. I did not want to move to Scotland on my own,” said De Man.

• Spaniard left QPR last month by mutual consent

• Foxes had also spoken to Gary O’Neil and Chris Wilder

Leicester have confirmed the appointment of Martí Cifuentes to fill the vacancy left by Ruud van Nistelrooy after relegation from the Premier League last season.

The Spaniard left QPR last month having been placed on gardening leave in April at the tail end of a Championship campaign that resulted in a 15th-placed finish in the 24-club division. Rangers finished seven points above the relegation places and the 43-year-old Cifuentes left by mutual consent last month.

Our cartoonist on the US president’s central role in the final of a tournament that seemed like it would never end

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Local and travelling fans have been captivated and most problems could have been avoided with more spending or care

The headline in SonntagsBlick Sport reads: “Lia hier, Lia da, Lia überall.” It is not metaphorical; Switzerland’s Lia Wälti is literally here, there and everywhere. From billboards and tram stops to produce packets and tourism adverts, the Arsenal midfielder is the poster girl of Euro 2025, the captain, the Champions League winner, the fulcrum of a team who captured the heart of the country as they set up a blockbuster quarter-final with the world champions, Spain.

There were raised eyebrows when Switzerland was announced as the host country. The largest stadium is the 38,512-capacity home of Basel, St Jakob-Park, where the opening game and final are being played. It felt like a step back from the 74,310-capacity Old Trafford, which hosted the opening game in 2022, and Wembley, which hosted 87,192 fans for the final between England and Germany.

Pre-season trips to Asia may not be new for English clubs, but they remain a huge global engagement opportunity

Fifty years ago, Arsenal lost 2-0 to Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, with jet-lagged players struggling to deal with frogs bouncing around the Merdeka Stadium pitch as well as the legendary local striker Mokhtar Dahari.

Since then, however, many aspects of Asian tours by English clubs have changed. They have become, mostly, slick affairs. This summer, Arsenal will visit neighbouring Singapore for games against Newcastle and Milan. Then to Hong Kong for an unusual north London derby against a Tottenham team that will also travel to South Korea to face Newcastle. Liverpool visit Japan and Hong Kong just weeks after Manchester United were in action there on a post-season tour, which they finished in Malaysia.

• England captain lauds ‘incredibly powerful’ clubmate

• Praises influence of retired Jill Scott in England camp

Leah Williamson has described Arsenal teammate Stina Blackstenius as an “incredibly powerful footballer” as the pair prepare to go head-to-head in the Euro 2025 quarter-final between England and Sweden.

“She’s a great player and she has been for many years now,” said the England captain. “Her experience speaks for itself. We were celebrating her success at Arsenal, but not so much now. We’ll see. Stina is an incredibly powerful footballer and very intelligent with her runs. She’s a hard player to play against in that respect.”

Despite their group-stage exit, Nina Patalon’s side have made history and changed perceptions back home

As Poland were on their way to a historic Euro 2025 win over Denmark the commentator on national TV encouraged people to visit the website of a Polish FA campaign called “Girls’ Team”, which is designed to help young girls find a team to train with. There was such a rush to the website the server broke down.

That would have been unthinkable only a few months ago but the Polish team that played in their first Euros, scored their first goal and secured their first win at the tournament have changed the perception of women’s football in the country for ever. “One of the key goals was to leave the best possible impression and to get little girls interested in the sport,” said the coach, Nina Patalon, after the 3-2 win against Denmark. “That was our biggest responsibility at our first Euros.”

There is no shortage of contenders but who will finish as the tournament’s top scorer in Switzerland?

The race to be top scorer at the Women’s Euros 2025 in Switzerland is a fascinating one. Spain, the world champions, have several players who can top the list: Esther González, Clàudia Pina and Salma Paralluelo. The beaten finalists in Australia and New Zealand – England – count Alessia Russo as their main threat but also have Beth Mead, Chloe Kelly, Lauren James and Lauren Hemp who can chip in with goals.

Germany and France also have high hopes of going all the way this summer and have, among their ranks, Lea Schüller, Jule Brand, Klara Bühl, Marie-Antoinette Katoto, Sandy Baltimore and Kadidiatou Diani.

Get to know every single squad member at the tournament. Click on the player pictures for a full profile and ratings

All the latest Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Serie A deals and a club-by-club guide

• Women’s transfers summer 2025: all the moves

Every deal in the NWSL, WSL, Liga F, Frauen-Bundesliga, Première Ligue and Serie A Femminile as well as a club-by-club guide

• Men’s transfers summer 2025: all the moves

• England midfielder joins on two-year deal after Ajax exit

• Gary Lubner and Sir Matthew Vaughn buy shares in club

Brentford have completed the signing of Jordan Henderson after Ajax agreed to end his contract a year early. The England midfielder has a two-year deal and becomes the second arrival since Keith Andrews’ appointment as head coach.

“After a couple of years away I still have that fire to come back and play in the Premier League again,” he told Brentford’s social media channels. “Obviously it’s the best league in the world, with the best players. So it’s a big challenge but one I’m keen on doing. When I was given the opportunity by Brentford and after speaking with the club it became an easy decision.”

• Liverpool plan to keep Díaz for final two years of contract

• Newcastle have £70m Ekitike bid rejected by Eintracht

Liverpool have rejected an offer from Bayern Munich to sign Luis Díaz for €67.5m (£58.6m). Bayern and Barcelona have been linked with the Colombia international this summer and the Bundesliga champions submitted their first bid on Tuesday. Liverpool rejected the approach and reiterated that the 28-year-old was not for sale.

The Premier League champions value Díaz at more than €100m given his status on the domestic and global stage and market prices. There is also longstanding interest in the winger from the Saudi Pro League. Liverpool’s valuation is based on their accounting position rather than an asking price.

• US president was given trophy earlier this year

• Chelsea won newly expanded tournament on Sunday

Donald Trump has claimed that the Club World Cup trophy that has featured prominently in the Oval Office will stay there, and that Fifa made a copy of the trophy that was awarded to Chelsea after their win in the tournament’s final on Sunday.

Trump attended the final along with numerous members of his cabinet and Fifa’s president, Gianni Infantino. The pair of presidents jointly presented the trophy to Chelsea captain Reece James, with Trump staying front and center despite the apparent confusion of Chelsea players and the pleading of Infantino.

• Sergio Marchi likens Infantino to Roman emperor Nero

• He says staging was reminiscent of ‘bread and circuses’

The president of Fifpro has described the Club World Cup as a “fiction” and compared Gianni Infantino to the Roman emperor Nero, as the dispute between the players’ union and Fifa continued to escalate.

Sergio Marchi joined the ranks of those critical of Infantino’s expanded tournament, saying a “lack of protection” for players had left the Club World Cup equivalent to “bread and circuses”.

• Player’s claim relates to injury in final year at club

• Fletcher appointed lead coach of United’s Under-18s

Axel Tuanzebe has lodged a legal complaint against Manchester United alleging “medical negligence”, with the claim by the club’s former defender relating to an injury sustained in or after July 2022.

A submission entitled “Tuanzebe v Manchester United Football Club Limited” was registered last Wednesday at the high court, with the case type described as “Clinical Negligence – Part 7 Claim – Medical Advice”. The claim is understood to relate to an injury in his final year at the club.

We asked readers if they enjoyed the tournament, how it could be improved and if they will watch in four years’ time

It is a senseless attempt to line Fifa’s already gilded pockets and increase the demands on already exhausted players who must be close to breaking point. The idea of the world’s top clubs playing each other is dull because of the mismatch in resources between Europe and the rest. No one needs more games in an already crowded calendar. Playing it in the heat of the American summer is another mistake. I suspect the clubs that participated will pay for it next season. Scrap it. Max, an Arsenal fan

The football was at times intriguing, but the true meaning of the first expanded Club World Cup will be debated for years

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For the first four weeks of the 2025 Club World Cup, there had been the danger that the tournament would soon be largely forgotten. There is no danger of that after the final. There had been unease after the 2022 World Cup final at the way Qatar inserted itself into the trophy presentation by draping a bisht over Lionel Messi, but at least the Emir kept his distance. Donald Trump, by contrast, placed himself front and centre of the celebrations – and he was soon joined by the Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, who has a pathological fear of missing out, and must follow his great ally in all things.

And so we were presented with a grimly perfect image of this misguided tournament, a celebrating football team struggling to be seen from behind the politicians who took centre stage. The confusion of Cole Palmer and Reece James at Trump’s continued presence was clear. History, and not just football history, will not forget such shameless grandstanding, or Fifa’s complicity in allowing football to be hijacked by a national leader.

A tournament won by Chelsea exposed international divides and sparked questions about workload and weather

Fifa: The world’s governing body had hoped to gain more of a foothold in the club game with the expanded version of this tournament. Now that it has taken place without major disruption or mass protest, chances are it won’t go away any time soon. In many respects, that alone is mission accomplished – Fifa now runs a property that will allow it to control the global profile of some of the world’s biggest soccer properties, which had been mostly out of its reach. There are also plenty of positive storylines Fifa can pick to tout (more than 2.4m cumulative attendance and any number of highlights on the field), even if some of those are balanced out by some less flattering realities (more than 1.5m empty seats).

The midfielder’s switch to Italy reaffirms the league’s undisputed status as home of the gifted senior citizen

Luka Modric will turn 40 in September. He has played 930 games over the course of a career and has won seven league titles and six Champions Leagues. He even broke the Messi-Ronaldo duopoly to claim the Ballon d’Or after inspiring Croatia to the World Cup final in 2018.

He rarely lasts a full 90 minutes these days, didn’t start a game during the Club World Cup and suffered the indignity of coming on for his Madrid farewell with the semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain long since lost. He could have retired five years ago and still been one of the most respected players in the history of the game but, his eyes on next summer’s World Cup, when his contract at Real Madrid expired Modric chose to join Milan.

Aggressive, motivated, extremely talented and now champions of the world, Enzo Maresca’s squad have the confidence and real depth

When Chelsea won the Conference League in May, a victory secured by the standard ice‑cold Cole Palmer performance in a final, the reaction was restrained and there was no internal talk of an impending title challenge. Now the vibe is different. It is hard not to dream when Chelsea perform as they did against Paris Saint‑Germain in the final of the Club World Cup.

Nobody is getting carried away. Chelsea know what the rest of us know, which is that they are not the best team in the world. They are not the finished article. They are young and still have much to learn. Yet there is a gold badge on the shirt for the next four years and if Chelsea woke up feeling $100m on Monday morning it will not only have been because of the prize money made during their month in the US.

All 20 teams are jetting around between league seasons, including for friendlies, training camps and the Club World Cup

After a training camp in Spain the Gunners head to Asia, kicking off their tour with a friendly against Milan in Singapore. They play again at the National Stadium four days later, against Newcastle, then face Spurs in Hong Kong. Two friendlies follow at the Emirates Stadium, against Villarreal and Athletic Club.

• Footballer revealed details in social media post

• Test failure after match against Manchester United

Athletic Bilbao’s Yeray Álvarez has been provisionally suspended because of a failed doping test after a Europa League game against Manchester United, with the defender saying he unintentionally ingested a banned substance in medicine used to treat hair loss.

Álvarez said he had tested positive after Bilbao’s 3-0 home defeat in the semi-finals of Uefa’s second-tier club competition in May. The Spanish side also lost the return leg 4-1.

Announcement disappoints her legions of fans who hoped she might one day retake the field

US international and two-time World Cup winner Tobin Heath announced her retirement on Thursday, after years away from the sport due to injury, disappointing her legions of fans who hoped she might one day retake the field.

Famed for her cool demeanour and extraordinary intelligence on the pitch, Heath picked up two Olympic golds and won the NWSL championship twice with the Portland Thorns.

• Former Real manager will not spend any time in jail

• Ancelotti convicted of failing to pay tax on image rights

The Brazil coach and former Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has been given a one-year prison sentence and a fine of almost €400,000 (£345,000) after a Spanish court found him guilty of one count of tax fraud.

Ancelotti, who managed Real Madrid from 2013 to 2015 and between 2021 and 2025, appeared in court in Madrid in April to stand trial on charges of defrauding Spain’s tax office of more than €1m (£836,857) in undeclared earnings from image rights in 2014 and 2015.

The US lost a final but gained competitive options at multiple positions, which should make some entrenched yet absent stars nervous.

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In the end, the status quo went unchanged. Mexico won its second consecutive Concacaf Gold Cup trophy in a heated final with the United States in Houston’s NRG Stadium on Sunday. The oddly angular cup will be tucked into Mexico’s federation trophy case next to El Tri’s first Concacaf Nations League title, lifted in March. The program was unquestionably on top of Concacaf before the Gold Cup – now that it’s over, they still are.

If anything is changing, it’s the momentum in Mexico’s favor. The 2-1 victory over the United States men’s national team was the first time the Mexicans vanquished their arch-rivals in six years – minus one day.

Donald Trump is closing the borders even though the World Cup and 2028 Olympics will take place in the US

Call it big, beautiful timing. On Tuesday, Fifa announced it had taken an office in Trump Tower. On Wednesday, Donald Trump announced he would attend the Club World Cup final. And who could begrudge the US president a little sporting entertainment after the week he has had? Those Nobel peace prize applications don’t write themselves.

Trump’s attendance at a tournament we can be 95% sure he doesn’t understand is, doubtless, a huge coup and political victory for football. This is a sport that only a decade ago was openly considered un-American, scrawled into the rightwing commentator’s list of pet peeves between meteorologists and Judy Blume. Ann Coulter described soccer’s growing popularity as a “sign of the nation’s moral decay”. Glenn Beck likened it to Obamacare: “It doesn’t matter how you try to sell it to us, it doesn’t matter how many celebrities you get … we want nothing to do with it.”

Despite objections from the Premier League, a regulator tasked with protecting the whole of the sport has moved a significant step closer to reality

It seems like a lifetime ago that the fan-led review into football governance emerged from the wreckage of the failed European Super League. The ideas that underpin the independent regulator were born out of that crisis: an attempt to stop the drift of our national game toward private greed, corporate overreach and ownership disconnect from local communities. Years later, we are probably on the verge of finally seeing those ideas enshrined in law.

Tuesday’s resounding 415 to 98 vote on the football governance bill. in the House of Commons means the process should come to a resolution with royal assent in the coming days. Although that may feel inevitable given the overwhelming cross-party support in the Commons, anyone who has worked in politics knows better than to celebrate before the final whistle. But we are, at last, in what looks like the final minutes of the game.

Unexpectedly cheap tickets gave my boy an overwhelming soccer experience, and me a jolt of faith in a flawed tournament

My son had never been to a professional soccer game.

Soccer is, shall we say, not really his thing. It’s also never been particularly important to me that he likes soccer, that he likes what I like. Our sons will be their own men, come what may.

Spurs signing Klinsmann or selling Waddle were bolts from the blue. Now, transfer influencers track private jets and almost nothing is unknown

Which transfer fee blew your mind? It was probably Spurs signing Gazza for £2m in the summer of 1988. TWO MILLION. No one is worth that kind of money. The following year, I distinctly remember running into the living room – Spurs had just signed Gary Lineker. I was preparing for the season ahead, invisible football at my feet, commentating to myself: “Gascoigne, to Waddle, in for LINEKERRRR.” The next moment I switched on the TV and someone (let’s say Ray Stubbs) was telling me that Spurs had sold Waddle to Marseille. I was bereft. There was no warning. For me, or for Lineker it turns out.

I heard the striker talking about the transfer recently on the excellent What Did You Do Yesterday? podcast hosted by David O’Doherty and generic broadcaster Max Rushden (perhaps the second-best podcast he hosts).

Our cartoonist on the opening matches at the Women’s Euros and tributes to Diogo Jota

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Win over the Netherlands shows Sarina Wiegman has kept spirits high in the Lionesses’ camp as decisive matches loom

England are back on track. They really needed that display against the Netherlands and it was a pivotal moment for them. It was a very, very commanding performance.

Physically, they showed their dominance and exposed the Netherlands’ weaknesses at the back. With Lauren James, in what I think is her best position, playing from the right and being able to drift in, you can maintain your midfield structure. Her performance showed why Sarina Wiegman has selected her and the team performance showed why she stuck with the group that she did.

Shakhtar Donetsk coach on staying calm on the touchline and learning from Diego Simeone and Luis Enrique

Arda Turan knows the question is coming. How has the firebrand who thrilled and exasperated during a successful, sometimes wildly controversial, playing career become a manager with the temperament to take on one of Europe’s most delicate jobs? It comes down to taking a breath. “When there is something going on, right now the first thing that comes into my mind is thinking rather than reacting,” he says with a grin.

There will be plenty to occupy that fizzing brain at Shakhtar Donetsk, where he was appointed head coach in May. His competitive debut comes on Thursday, against the Finnish side Ilves, but it is a Europa League first qualifying round tie and the Ukrainian giants are not used to that stage. This is only their second year since the turn of the century without any form of Champions League football and they have rolled the dice by asking one of Turkey’s greatest ever footballers to set them straight.

Under the guidance of a former Manchester United assistant, Minnesota United are finding MLS success with a surprising tactic

Not many soccer players are as passionate about dead balls as Anthony Markanich. Then again Minnesota United, under the 33-year-old first-time head coach Eric Ramsay, don’t play soccer like most teams.

“All the guys get really excited about set pieces, especially myself,” Markanich gushed last Friday after scoring a goal off a long throw-in by the center back Michael Boxall for the second time in a week. “I told Boxy I love when he has the ball for throw-ins and stuff – I get so excited about that.”

His loved ones’ lives are changed for ever and at one level this is not a sports story. But Jota’s footballing talent, heart and will should be cherished, amid the grief

Bad moon, bad times and a river that will be overflowing for some time yet. It is impossible not to feel a deep sense of pain, sadness and shared heartbreak at news of the sudden death of Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva in a car crash in Spain. Jota was 28, father to three young children and a husband to his long-term partner, whom he married 11 days before his death.

Things that happen in sport are often described, with due dramatic licence, as tragedies. This is not a sports story. But it is the most terrible human tragedy. Those who have suffered similarly can empathise. But it is above all a private horror, an event that will alter the lives of family and friends for ever.

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It is well known that the birth of two global sportswear companies, Adidas and Puma, was fuelled by a family feud between two German brothers, Adi and Rudolf Dassler. After working together for 30 years, the pair fell out shortly after the second world war; Rudi founding Puma in 1948 and Adi starting, you guessed it, Adidas in 1949. What started the rift is a point of contention. The most common explanation is that Rudi had an affair with Adi’s wife, Käthe, for which he was never forgiven. Other theories suggest it was Rudolf’s increasing suspicion that his brother was behind his conscription into the German army and thus his short imprisonment by the allies.

It’s unacceptable that in the 21st century, people with dwarfism are still used for entertainment at private parties, particularly when public figures are involved. The dignity and rights of our community cannot be a source of amusement under any circumstance” – Carolina Puente, president of the Association for People with Achondroplasia and Other Skeletal Dysplasias, vows to take legal action over the reported hiring of people with dwarfism as entertainment at Lamine Yamal’s recent 18th birthday party, condemning the practice as discriminatory. The player’s representatives are yet to comment.

As an Arsenal supporter for many a decade, I should just like to say that The Auld Triangle pub you referred to (yesterday’s Football Daily), was to those who should easily remember, in fact originally named the Plimsoll Arms. People I knew were always perturbed by its renaming, so despite the fact that it’s now a gastro pub, I’m glad that, name-wise, it’s returning to its roots. Make mine a Guinness!” – Colin Grant (and others).

When I first came to London in 1997, I moved into a house on St Thomas’s Road, opposite the Auld Triangle. The landlord was grouchy when it was busy, but really approachable when it was quiet (non-match days). Arsenal fans really sustained that pub, because in the off-season, sometimes we would be the only patrons in the pub. I remember quiz nights with the bullet-headed, no-necked Robbie (‘It’s ahnly a paaaahnd!’), an intimidating figure, but a stand-up comedian in his own right. Happy days” – Paul Chan.

To describe Cole Palmer as scooting through ‘Wythenshawe high street’ (yesterday’s Football Daily) is to misunderstand the type of settlement that Wythenshawe is. As an overspill housing estate on the edge of the Greater Manchester conurbation, its pencil-pushing post-war town planners did not see fit to install anything as grand as a high street, but a civic centre grandly named the ‘Forum’ and pedestrianised shopping area can be found sitting nearish to the middle of this somewhat amorphous suburban mass. I wouldn’t expect a London-centric, anti-northern email to be aware of all this, and this lazy journalism points to a wider decline at the centre of our once great, free press” – Mike Lovelady.

If there’s one thing to be thankful about at the Copa Gianni, it’s that Donald Trump didn’t squeeze his corpulent rump into a full Chelsea strip first, like the last guy to sneak his way into the Blues’ cup-raising celebrations” – Declan Hackett.

Montse Tomé’s side have scored 11 goals in two games with Aitana Bonmatí on the bench – but all is not lost for rivals

One week of Euro 2025 has passed and already there is unquestionably a frontrunner. Spain with their glittering array of talent have already shown the levels that they can reach in their opening two matches.

Even though two-time Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmatí is yet to return to the starting XI after suffering from a brief bout of viral meningitis, they have caught the eye with their goalscoring prowess and command of the ball. In among the goals and dominant play, however, are there some gaps in the armour that can be exploited?

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When Real Madrid refused en masse to turn up for last year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony because they knew their man on the shortlist hadn’t won the main award, their snub was widely and correctly perceived to have been an act of the most extreme petulance. And while their players and coaching staff did deign to attend last night’s Copa Gianni semi-final at the MetLife EnormoDome, they certainly didn’t turn up in any meaningful sense of the word and were duly humiliated by Paris Saint-Germain, the Bigger Cup holders Kylian Mbappé famously abandoned last summer to pursue his dream of … winning Bigger Cup. Subjected to the footballing equivalent of being attacked by a swarm of angry bees, Real simply had no answers for PSG’s terrifyingly energetic onslaught across 90 minutes.

Chelsea did offer me another contract, but I decided to go to Aston Villa because they were in the Championship. And I had an agreement with Villa that if we got promoted that year – we lost in the playoff final to Fulham – that I wouldn’t play against Chelsea the following year in the Premier League. So the two games I would have missed the next year would have been Chelsea, it just wouldn’t have felt right” – Plain Old John Terry tells TalkSport that his Aston Villa contract included a ‘won’t play against Chelsea’ clause.

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Fifa has long promised to grow the game in the USA USA USA, and what better place to do that than by opening a new office at the original venue of the 1991 Rumblelows League Cup fifth-round draw, Trump Tower in New York City. With its former leader recently involved in (and acquitted from) a corruption case, and accusations of the current president pursuing “private interests” over his responsibilities, what better place for Fifa to shake off the image as a cash-chasing, power-hungry behemoth than in the actual residence of the current USA president?

If it’s not a nice moment for Beth, it’s not a problem for me. Tomorrow for once we will not be friends. I will do everything I can to win tomorrow. Our golden rule is we do not discuss anything [pre-match]. I don’t know whether she’ll be starting tomorrow or whether she’ll be on the bench. As a Dutch player I will do everything possible to win the game” – Vivianne Miedema has insisted she will “not be friends” with her partner Beth Mead as the two face off for England’s critical Euro 2025 game against the Netherlands.

Today’s rumours are without a lightbulb

Manchester United have realised they still have a Scott McTominay-sized hole in their midfield and want to fill it with the former Bayern Munich playee Corentin Tolisso. The box-to-box midfielder turns 31 in August but has just had one of the best seasons of his career at Lyon – scoring 10 goals and registering nine assists in all competitions – and, given the French club’s financial problems, there may be a deal to be done for around £15m.

After weeks of negotiations, United are also reportedly closing on a move for Bryan Mbeumo after agreeing terms with Brentford. The fee is thought to be north of £60m, with the shrewd Bees keen on using some of that money to buy a replacement in Omari Hutchinson. The winger flickered in a struggling Ipswich side last season but was one of England’s best players in their under-21 Euros campaign, scoring in the final against Germany.

Faye Carruthers is joined by Suzy Wrack, Tom Garry and Tanya Oxtoby to discuss England’s dominant win against Wales, France’s comeback, and the final twists in the Euro 2025 group stage

On the podcast today: England hit their stride with a 6-1 demolition of Wales to seal a quarter-final showdown with Sweden. With six different goalscorers and Ella Toone back to her best, Sarina Wiegman’s side looks like they’ve arrived at the tournament. The panel discusses the game and analyses the Lionesses’ chances in the quarter-final against Sweden.

Wales bows out, but Rhian Wilkinson’s honest post-match assessment provides a blueprint for the future. The panel discuss what Wales can learn from their experience at the tournament. Meanwhile, France turn on the style to knock out the Netherlands, who continue to make headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Plus: more non top-flight teams playing in Europe, alumni of semi-finalists and England captains in one team

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“The Lionesses will be out of Euro 2025 after two games if they lose to the Netherlands on Wednesday and France avoid defeat against Wales,” laments Sarah Cassidy. “Would that be the earliest a defending champion has been eliminated at a major international tournament?”

In a less deathly group, England’s 2-1 defeat by France on Saturday would have been a wake-up call rather than a final warning. But that’s what it was, and if England lose to the Netherlands their title defence will probably be over after two games. Even a draw would leave them needing favours from other teams.

Half a dozen teams from outside their nation’s top flight who made it all the way to a domestic cup final

France’s secondary cup competition ran from 1994 to 2020, pushed by Ligue 1 sides who felt aggrieved by the Coupe de France’s great leveller of home advantage for its minnows. Paris St-Germain were the winners of the first and last editions of the League Cup and another seven in between. They lost one final, 25 years ago, to a team that were the antithesis of France’s spoiled ruling classes.

Best players, best managers, best matches, best goals, biggest flops and biggest gripes: our writers have their say

Mohamed Salah. The numbers don’t lie – 47 goal contributions in the Premier League was an outstanding return from the Egyptian, who seems to be getting better with age. Ed Aarons

Arne Slot’s first season could not have gone any better while Wolves fans drank to Vítor Pereira’s arrival

By winning the league, the Dutchman surprised pretty much everyone. He faced the daunting task of succeeding Jürgen Klopp and inherited the German’s squad, adding only Federico Chiesa, who barely kicked a ball in anger. Not much changed from the previous year, except Ryan Gravenberch became the designated defensive midfielder as Slot’s Liverpool looked to get on the ball as much as possible. Slot was never going to be a personality who generated headlines like Klopp did, keeping his cards close to his chest, but he always comes across as someone who is very personable and has brought the players closer together. Slot made Liverpool an efficient winning machine – rarely thrashing teams, often winning by the odd goal or two – and that allowed them to race to a second Premier League title. No one could compete with the Reds, which was partly down to rivals dropping their standards but most of it can be attributed to the fact Slot made his team superior.

Managers, teams and players who have disappointed over the campaign – including the reigning footballer of the year

Ruben Amorim’s average points tally of a point per league game since arriving at Manchester United in early November puts him just above Malky Mackay’s record at Cardiff and Paul Jewell’s Premier League record with Bradford, Wigan and Derby. While Sporting won the Primeira Liga title without Amorim, United have fallen down the table to 15th since the Portuguese took the reins from the interim coach, Ruud van Nistelrooy. Much of the ire towards United has been directed at the owners but on the pitch Amorim has failed to adapt his squad of expensive, experienced internationals into anything approaching a cohesive unit. The Europa League final defeat by Tottenham showed how much work is left to do.