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Claims that drone use was not a one-off cast doubt over Bev Priestman’s future in women’s game and team’s 2021 glory

The reputation of one of the most respected coaches in the women’s game lay in tatters on Friday after the spying scandal engulfing the Canada team led to Bev Priestman being sent home from the Paris Olympics in disgrace.

Three years ago Priestman, who is from County Durham in England, oversaw one of Canada’s proudest modern-day sporting achievements, as her side upset the odds to win a historic first gold in women’s football. Back-to-back nominations for the Best Fifa coach of the year award followed for Priestman, who had been Phil Neville’s assistant with England at the 2019 World Cup. Such was her standing in the game that, when Neville announced in April 2020 that he would leave the England head coach role, Priestman was initially installed as the bookmakers’ favourite to succeed him.

• Dutchman fears repeat of last season’s injury woes
• Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee have joined this summer

Erik ten Hag is concerned that Manchester United need to “catch up on squad depth” with the manager worried that the 60-plus injuries his side suffered last season could happen again due to the load on players.

United have already signed the defender Leny Yoro and forward Joshua Zirkzee this summer. The manager is also pursuing a full-back – Bayern Munich’s Noussair Mazraoui is a target – plus a defensive midfielder, with Paris Saint-Germain’s Manuel Ugarte of interest.

The 2024 FA Cup winners have lost several big names but have added the Norway striker who sparkled for Brighton

Elisabeth Terland’s first taste of English football was one of sour defeat. She came on in the 84th minute to make her tournament debut at the 2022 European Championship for a hopeless Norway side who went on to lose 8-0 against England, the eventual winners, in their Group A encounter.

That humiliation took place at the Amex Stadium and, as such, Terland could have been forgiven for never wanting to step inside the venue again. Instead, however, she made it her home that summer, moving from Brann to Brighton in August 2022 and subsequently scoring 23 goals in 50 appearances for the club. Of those goals, 13 came in 22 Women’s Super League appearances last season, leading to her finishing joint-second in the race for the golden boot.

• Guardiola has not ruled out staying beyond next summer
• Manager had said he was ‘closer to leaving than staying’

Pep Guardiola has insisted he has not ruled out signing a new contract with Manchester City, after speculation centred on the expiry of his current deal next summer. The City manager appeared to hint in May that next season could be his last at the club, saying he was “closer to leaving than staying”. But speaking to reporters during the pre-season tour of the United States, Guardiola opened the door to extending his tenure.

“When I’m leaving, I will say I’m leaving, but I didn’t say that,” Guardiola told reporters before City’s friendly against Milan at New York’s Yankee Stadium. “We will see what happens. But I will not rule it out absolutely to extend my contract. I would love to stay because I would love to stay.”

Emile Smith Rowe is set to complete Fulham move while Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson are also close to exit

As Arsenal sat 15th and stared at an embarrassing relegation fight at Christmas in 2020 two youngsters stepped up to drag them out of the mire. Mikel Arteta turned to Emile Smith Rowe to inject creativity alongside the more established but still 19-year-old Bukayo Saka and a team that had taken two points from their previous seven games claimed an unlikely victory against Chelsea on Boxing Day.

Smith Rowe, on his third Premier League appearance and first of the season, provided the pass for Saka to send a perfect clipped finish over the goalkeeper Édouard Mendy. These were players the fans could project their faith on to as senior squad members struggled and other academy products have provided moments of unbridled joy under Arteta. Think Eddie Nketiah’s two goals against Manchester United in January 2023 and Reiss Nelson’s left-foot, half-volley rocket to complete a remarkable turnaround against Bournemouth later that season.

• London mayor gives backing to long-standing idea
• Football Supporters’ Association restates its opposition

Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, likes to portray himself as a football fan but has risked upsetting many with his claim that Premier League fixtures being played abroad is an inevitability.

The idea of competitive English top-flight games taking place outside the country was first mooted by the Premier League in 2008 and was met with an immediate backlash from domestic supporters, with various organisations, including the Football Association, also making clear their objections. The proposal, which would have seen clubs receive around £5m from their involvement in an additional “international round”, was quickly ditched only to rear its head this year when Jon Miller, an executive at NBC Sports, which hold the rights to screen the Premier League in the United States, outlined the network’s desire to hold matches there, with the Premier League’s chief executive, Richard Masters, stating soon after that the “door looks ajar” for such a move.

• James says he ‘hope things can be resolved smoothly’
• Argentinian has apologised for song about France players

Reece James admits the racism storm surrounding his Chelsea teammate Enzo Fernández could be a “problem” within the dressing room.

Fernández and some of his Argentina teammates caused ­controversy during their Copa América celebrations, when they were filmed singing a derogatory song aimed at a number of France players.

Yorkshire club’s supporters decry Red Bull’s logo bringing colour of Man Utd and Lancaster rose to all-white shirt

With the football season fast approaching, fans young and old will be looking forward to getting their hands on their club’s new kit.

But Leeds United supporters have to contend with the beloved white of their home shirt being blemished with their most hated colour: red.

• Changes may be made by new company after this season
• NewCo on track to take over leagues by September

The names of the Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship could be changed once the top two divisions in the English women’s game are run separately from the ­auspices of the Football Association.

It is understood there are no immediate plans to alter the names but the company that will run both divisions from the 2024-25 season will be keeping an open mind and is not ruling out such tweaks beyond next summer.

Latest transfers and club-by-club guides for every team in Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Serie A

• Women’s transfers 2024: all the moves in top five leagues

After financial fair play concerns stifled the January transfer market, what is the outlook for this summer? One club who have already strengthened are Real Madrid. The European champions have signed Kylian Mbappé on a free (but with a €125m signing bonus going to the player), while Brazilian sensation Endrick will join up with Carlo Ancelotti’s side this summer, 18 months after a deal was agreed with Palmeiras.

There have been coaching changes at several European heavyweight clubs already this summer. Vincent Kompany (Bayern Munich), Hansi Flick (Barcelona), Arne Slot (Liverpool), Enzo Maresca (Chelsea), Antonio Conte (Napoli) and Juventus’s incoming new manager, Thiago Motta, will all surely be planning to spend money on reshaping their squads.

Every deal in the WSL, Liga F, Frauen-Bundesliga, Division 1 Féminine and Serie A Femminile as well as a club-by-club guide

• Men’s transfers 2024: all the moves in top five leagues
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Keir Starmer’s Britain is looking to improve relations with its continental partners, so surely the more sporting ambassadors the country has within the European Union the better. The bureaucratic appointments are being made already, despite him only being weeks in the job. Sir Oli McBurnie has been sent to the Canary Islands, Che Adams is building relations with car manufacturer Fiat in Turin and Andy Carroll is bringing good vibes and hair to France.

Additional information has come to our attention regarding previous drone use against opponents” – the spygate story keeps rumbling on at Big Sports Day, with the Canadian Olympic Committee removing head coach Bev Priestman from her role for the remainder of the competition as it investigates other alleged tactical espionage. Priestman said: “My reaction was you feel like this programme has let the country down. That’s why I took the proactive step to do what I felt was the right thing. Irrespective of the details, I’m ultimately accountable.” Canada won their opener, against New Zealand, 2-1.

Re: yesterday’s Football Daily. How extremely cultured of you to find a way to mention ‘The Prince of Denmark’ in a footballing context!” – Nigel Sanders.

Mention of Charlie George (yesterday’s Memory Lane, full email edition) reminded me of his unlikely – and often overlooked – role in one of Nottingham Forest’s European triumphs. He scored the only goal in the home leg of the 1979 European Super Cup, against Barcelona, and he also played in the away leg, a 1-1 draw. As a result, he picked up a winner’s medal, despite those matches being half of just four he played in a brief loan spell from Southampton. According to Stan Bowles, during one dressing room face-off, Charlie called Brian Clough a ‘northern [snip – Football Daily Bad Word Ed]’, hence the brevity of the stay” – Mike Slattery.

Regarding Canada’s outrageously disgraceful yet imaginatively amusing attempts at alleged cheating, could Football Daily please stop droning on about it?” – R Dolan.

Send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s prizeless letter o’ the day winner is … Mike Slattery. Terms and conditions for our competitions can be viewed here.

• Dane joins from Napoli, Sessegnon returns to Fulham
• £35m striker set to swap Villa Park for London Stadium

Everton have signed the Denmark international Jesper Lindstrøm on a season’s loan from Napoli. The deal for the attacking midfielder includes the option of a permanent transfer for €22.5m (£19m) next summer.

Lindstrøm, 24, had been tracked by Everton before he joined Napoli for €30m from Eintracht Frankfurt last summer. He had two productive campaigns in the Bundesliga, helping Eintracht win the Europa League in 2022 and playing in the Champions League the following season, but struggled to make an impact in Italy as Napoli endured a turbulent season. The former Serie A champions will receive a €2.5m loan fee from Everton, who will cover all of Lindstrøm’s wages.

Big names are missing but matches will offer introduction to Arne Slot’s tactics and return of a gifted midfielder

Getting to know a new squad in a summer when most senior players have been away on international duty could be “a disadvantage but not an excuse” according to Slot, and the reality of his first pre-season was laid bare by the 28-man squad that headed out for a three-game tour of the US on Tuesday.

• Bev Priestman sent home as new spying scandal allegations emerge
• Assistant coach Andy Spence to lead defending gold medallists

The Canadian Olympic Committee has removed women’s national football head coach Bev Priestman for the remainder of the Paris Games following an alleged drone spying scandal.

The COC said in a statement released early Friday that assistant coach Andy Spence would lead the defending gold medallists for the remainder of the tournament.

• Several Ligue 1 clubs say broadcaster requested badge for every player
• Claim is denied by source at PSG and beIn Sports

The broadcaster beIN Sports requested that every player in Ligue 1 next season wear a Visit Qatar badge on their shirt for games shown live, as part of negotiations for its new TV deal, according to senior figures at French clubs.

Multiple sources claim the request was made on behalf of the Qatari-owned company by its chairman, Nasser al-Khelaifi, who is also the president of Paris Saint-Germain, during a meeting between the presidents of several Ligue 1 clubs this week. A source close to the discussions at beIN Sports and PSG strenuously denied any such request was made. One owner, who did not want to be named, described it as “an attempt to build a captive league”. This month, the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) announced it had reached an agreement for Dazn to show the vast majority of live Ligue 1 matches until 2029, with beIN Sports paying €100m a season for one primetime match a week.

• Huijsen played for Juve and Roma in Serie A last season
• Bournemouth owner expects Dominic Solanke to stay

Bournemouth have agreed an initial €15m (£12.6m) deal with Juventus for the defender Dean Huijsen. The 19-year-old, who has played for the Netherlands and more recently Spain at youth level, could cost €18m with add-ons.

There is rival interest but Bournemouth are hopeful of winning the race for Huijsen, who made one Serie A appearance for Juventus last season before going on loan to Roma, where he played another 13 top-flight matches. He has tended to be used as a central defender.

From Georgia beating Portugal to missing out on currywurst, our writers reveal their ups and downs

Austria and Turkey promised high intensity on and off the pitch in their last-16 game. Merih Demiral, later the subject of a Uefa ban, scored within a minute of kick-off and the tempo barely let up. At the very end Turkey’s goalkeeper, Mert Gunok, made one of the best saves you will ever see to deny us extra time amid a tinderbox atmosphere in Leipzig. While Austria had been good, Red Bull fuelled fun, the way Turkey fed off the vibes of their ear-splitting support was a feature of the summer. Nick Ames

Plus: teams wearing their away strip all the time; clubs dominating tournament squads; and did Stuart Pearce’s brother run the line in a Forest game?

• Mail us your questions or tweet @TheKnowledge_GU

“England came from behind to win three knockout games at Euro 2024,” notes Chris Dibsdall. “Are they the first team to do this in a major international tournament?”

Sunday’s Euro 2024 was the irresistible force versus the indestructible object. Eventually Spain broke England, but for a few giddy minutes it looked like England might win Euro 2024 after conceding the first goal in all four knockout matches.

Georgia, Turkey, Austria and Spain won over a lot of new fans but too many of the favourites flopped

Started so brightly, with a real run of high-scoring matches, but tapered off significantly in the knockout stages. France, Portugal, Belgium and England all arrived with big reps but were criminally negative. It feels very much like an Italia 90 situation, where the tournament will be fondly remembered by England fans, but considered a bit of an anticlimax elsewhere. Only Spain and Germany were consistently brilliant in their attacking verve. Dani Olmo was one of Spain’s best players and I adored the movement and invention of Nico Williams. Georges Mikautadze was a real surprise in a very dynamic Georgia team and I loved the puckish cheekiness and control of Arda Guler for Turkey. I was in Germany for all of 24 hours to see Scotland play Switzerland. Our tournament was woeful from the first minute. Once again Scotland found a way to build up hopes of finally making the knockout stages only to utterly underperform in the tournament itself. Rohan Berry Crickmar

Our cartoonist channels Simon & Garfunkel while looking back on more heartache for the departing Gareth Southgate

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The English coach was brought in to transform a team that had stumbled badly at last year’s World Cup. The early signs are encouraging

For US women’s national team manager Emma Hayes, just one roadblock seemed to be troubling her team as they made their way to France for their Olympic opener: the invisible brick wall that had been erected in front of goal.

In the team’s two pre-Olympic warmup friendlies, Hayes’ squad had 43 shots. Just 18 landed on target, and only one resulted in a goal. The team showed in a 1-0 win over Mexico and a 0-0 draw with Costa Rica that they had improved as an attacking unit over the course of Hayes’ first games in charge, but their ability to finish off plays was in question.

Whether in Oslo, Reykjavik or an Anglesey caravan park, happening upon a game is always a happy accident

By Mike Whalley for When Saturday Comes

The guidebook I had during a holiday in Oslo late last summer recommended the museum dedicated to sculptor Gustav Vigeland (portrayer of human struggle, recluse, twice divorced, hater of dogs, and alleged Nazi sympathiser, whose most well-known work took 14 years to complete and resembles a giant phallus). So off I went. But as I strolled through the neighbouring park, I caught sight of some floodlights.

Drawn to them, I found a small sports stadium, and a football match in progress, one significant enough to be charging an entrance fee of 100 kroner – just under £10. Vigeland was forgotten as I joined a smattering of spectators on a shallow terrace. This hadn’t been in the guidebook. It took effort to establish that I was watching a match from the Norwegian fourth division, Lokomotiv Oslo losing 2-1 at home to Skjetten in a contest so obscure that no detailed report – not even a record of the goalscorers – seems to exist online. Yet it was a highlight of my break.

Spain are primed for gold but all 12 teams will have to cope with a heavy workload and anxieties around player welfare

On Thursday, 12 nations will begin their bid for gold at the Paris Olympics. The eighth edition of the women’s football tournament is expected to be one of the most competitive to date.

Killing the golden goose is far from unprecedented, as the fall from grace of Serie A and La Liga can attest

The triumphalism of the Premier League is unlikely to disperse any time soon, even during a chastening 2024. Performances in last season’s Uefa club competitions were disappointing. Though Rodri was named player of the tournament, Euro 2024 struggled for Premier League stardust. In its final, a Spanish team backboned by Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao deservedly beat a team of English top-tier all-stars.

As a content provider, the Premier League can still be boastful without too much censure. The £5bn received for domestic rights and the £5.05bn from 2022 to 2025 for international rights dwarfs its competitors, though compared with the £7.7bn a season the NFL receives, the body headed by Richard Masters must still bow.

Ukrainian combines managing Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih with helping his country in the war against Russia

Yuriy Vernydub is busy preparing Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih for their Europa League qualifying campaign but unlike other coaches in the competition he knows the call from his military unit could come at any time. “I am still a soldier,” the 58-year-old says. “I haven’t been demobilised.”

Vernydub joined the Ukrainian army immediately after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. He had just signed a lucrative contract extension at the Moldovan side Sheriff Tiraspol but did not think twice when his country needed him.

U-turn does not mean instant turmoil, but sale is complex and existing loans mean the club is haemorrhaging cash

There was shock and deflation inside Everton’s HQ at the Liver Buildings on Friday when it was confirmed the Friedkin Group would not be buying the club after all. Stability, direction and owners with a sound reputation in the football industry and beyond – everything Everton are crying out for – appeared within reach. Alas, no, the consequences of Farhad Moshiri’s calamitous reign must be felt for some time yet.

Everton insist it is business as usual after the collapse of the American company’s proposed takeover. The club can, in fairness, support that claim. The construction of their stunning new stadium at Bramley Moore dock is not far off completion, with the remaining costs covered by Friedkin’s initial loan of £200m. There is no pressure on the club to repay that sum in the short term. The threat of administration has lifted and Everton’s day-to-day finances will benefit soon from the next instalment of broadcasting revenues.

Guardian journalist Barney Ronay explains what Gareth Southgate's legacy will be as he steps down as England manager after eight years in the role. Southgate led England to two finals, a quarter-final and a semi-final and is arguably one of the most successful managers the team has had. Support by fans took a 'dark turn' however when success became 'expected as a default' and some took umbrage at his politics once England began taking the knee. Due to this Southgate faced serious scrutiny and his legacy of success will be entwined with the criticism he received.

Nearly 80,000 fans welcomed 25-year-old France star Kylian Mbappé during his official presentation as a Real Madrid player. After signing his five-year contract with the Spanish powerhouse alongside club president Florentino Pérez, Mbappé entered the stage set up at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium to loud cheers.

Spain's players received a warm welcome back home in Madrid after beating England 2-1 in the Euro 2024 final in Berlin. Thousands of fans lined the streets of the capital to get a glimpse of the players as they made their way to the centre of the city on a bus, championship trophy in tow. England faced heartbreak for the second time in a row on Sunday, four years after their devastating Euro loss to Italy at Wembley

• Oyarzabal shows value of De la Fuente's 'true team' on road to winning Euro 2024

The goalkeeper of the Scottish League Two club Stirling Albion halted their game against Raith Rovers to point out a hole on the pitch. He then ran over to a pile of dirt at the side and used a shovel to carry it back and fill in the hole before play continued

Fans in Buenos Aires and Miami celebrated wildly after Argentina secured a record 16th Copa América title by beating Colombia 1-0. Fans partied in the streets with songs, drums and fireworks. Some even hung from lampposts. Meanwhile, fans in Bogotá were left proud of their team despite the loss. One fan insisted that 'Colombia keep their spirits and heads high'.

• Martínez inspires Argentina to historic Copa América title in chaotic final

The Copa América final between Argentina and Colombia was delayed by more than an hour after thousands of fans without tickets tried to force their way into the stadium. Footage shows fans climbing into air vents and over fences to access to the stadium ahead of the game.

• Fans receive medical treatment at Copa América final amid chaos outside venue

• Sullivan, 14, is considered future USMNT star
• Expected to join City at 18 in pre-arranged transfer

Cavan Sullivan became the youngest player to appear in an MLS match, Tai Baribo had his first career hat trick and Kai Wagner added three assists to help the Philadelphia Union end a 10-match winless streak with a 5-1 romp over the New England Revolution on Wednesday night.

Sullivan – at 14 years, 293 days – replaced Baribo in the 85th minute, topping the record by 13 days. Freddy Adu set the previous mark at 14-306 when he debuted for DC United in 2004.

Son Woong-jung says he will seek ‘other ways’ to help young athletes stay committed to training

That successful east Asians have strict parents is a well-worn trope in western media but there is no getting away from the fact that Son Heung-min, one of the most successful Asians athletes of all, has a dad with quite a reputation.

I remember being at Korea Football Association (KFA) House in downtown Seoul when officials, some of whom knew Son Woong-jung from a playing career that was cut short by injury, made themselves scarce upon being told he could be about to visit.

• Chelsea midfielder has already said sorry for the video
• Undersecretary of sport sacked for urging Messi apology

Argentina’s undersecretary of sport has been sacked after calling for Lionel Messi to apologise for the racist and transphobic song about France’s players that the former captain Hugo Lloris has described as “an attack on French people”.

Chelsea said on Wednesday they had “instigated an internal disciplinary procedure” against Enzo Fernández after the midfielder posted a video on Instagram that showed him and some of his Argentina teammates involved in the chants as they celebrated their victory against Colombia in the Copa América final. He later apologised, saying the video did not “reflect my beliefs or my character”, and is expected to be fined by his club.

After a transfer more than a decade in the making, the France forward was ‘one happy guy’ at his unveiling

“Good afternoon everyone. I’m going to try to speak Spanish.” Unsurprisingly for a transfer that has been more than a decade in the making, Kylian Mbappé came prepared. It was at Monaco – not long after he had been charmed by Zinedine Zidane on a visit to Real Madrid’s training ground just before his 14th birthday – that the talented teenager had started taking Spanish lessons in anticipation of this moment. And now, finally, it had arrived.

“It’s such an incredible feeling to be here, just incredible,” said Mbappé after he was eventually introduced at a packed Santiago Bernabéu stadium on Tuesday by Florentino Pérez. “I spent endless nights dreaming about one day playing for Real Madrid, and today I’m one happy guy.”

The days of assuming a major tournament, in the US or anywhere else, will proceed smoothly appear to be over. Organizers must prepare for disruption

Conmebol should have seen it coming.

Throughout this summer’s Copa América, the signs of an impending logistical disaster were clear. In cities throughout the United States, transportation bottlenecks frustrated fans, security failures made them less safe, hot weather endangered everyone and games themselves were either sparsely attended or, as on Sunday, the dangerous opposite.

• Coach being investigated for sexual misconduct
• The 64-year-old denies the accusations

Bruce Mwape will not be allowed ­private contact with any of his ­players at the Olympic Games in Paris but the coach of Zambia’s women’s football team has eventually been granted a visa despite an ongoing investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against him.

Fifa is still investigating claims that Mwape rubbed his hands over the chest of a player after a ­training ­session at last year’s World Cup in New Zealand. The Guardian also revealed in May that he was accused of ­intentionally touching a Fifa ­contractor’s breast at the same ­tournament. It has been revealed that before the World Cup Mwape – who has previously denied the ­accusations – was the subject of an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct by a number of players in the squad that had been referred to world ­football’s ­governing body by the Zambian Football ­Association (FAZ).

League president Vincent Labrune predicted broadcast revenues of €1bn a season but reality has proved different

“My watchword will be ‘unity’,” said Vincent Labrune when he was elected president of the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) – the body that governs France’s top two divisions – in 2020. But with little over a month until the new season, the former Marseille president finds himself in the line of fire, with several clubs in Ligue 1 facing the prospect of financial ruin owing to his failure to find a new bumper TV rights deal.

When Amazon indicated last year that it would not renew the cut-price deal worth only €250m a season it signed in 2021 after the previous rights holder, Mediapro, pulled out of their €800m deal, Labrune made a bold promise. Yet his prediction that broadcast revenues could top €1bn a season in the new four-year cycle has come back to haunt the 53-year-old former communications executive.

A dramatic extra-time winner from substitute Lautaro Martínez ensured Argentina retained their Copa América title, edging out Colombia 1-0 in a thrilling game in Miami.

The Golden Boot winner’s cool 112th-minute strike settled a scintillating game, which had simply lacked a finishing touch until his arrival on 97 minutes. Martínez latched on to Giovani Lo Celso’s pass to dispatch the ball past a gallant Camilo Vargas in the Colombia goal.

• Bob Iger and Willow Bay announce deal for NWSL club
• Club founded in 2020 by group including Natalie Portman

Angel City is set to become the world’s most valuable professional women’s sports team after finalising a landmark ownership agreement with Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger and his wife, Willow Bay, the club announced on Wednesday.

Iger and Bay will become the controlling owners of Angel City, which is based in Los Angeles, in a sale that will value the club at $250m. The figure shatters the $120m the Levine Leichtman family paid for the San Diego Wave in March, which was then a record-breaking price for a National Women’s Soccer League team.

Supporters are tired of being patronised by adverts for companies which often work against their interests

How was Euro 2024 for you? Exciting, disappointing, fun, all right, intriguing tactically, a waste of environmental resources? There is a whole world of valid responses to that rather banal question. Though for those football fans you see in adverts, for whom the Euros was a busy time, what with ads for TVs, betting, specs, hybrid vehicles, Scottish fizzy drinks, sportswear, holidays, razors and – with Sir Geoff Hurst leading the charge in the no-nonsense style that made his name – beer, any answers would be less expansive.

Television, radio, internet, YouTube and even dear old magazine and newspaper adverts have been dotted with depictions of the football fan. You will recognise the type. Usually male, though advertising researchers have now recognised football attracts a significant female audience. Usually white, too, though again, some semblance of diversity has been addressed. Beyond embracing such modernity, they will almost certainly be wearing a replica shirt and their emotions remain a binary equation.

Championship, League One and League Two players will get moment in the sun thanks to popular online game

Though the new English Football League season does not kick off for almost three weeks with a Friday-night Championship double-header, its fantasy league launches on Monday. Cue punny team names – One Size Fitz Hall, and Ctrl, Alt, De Laet spring to mind – lesser-spotted formations and shrewd, strategic managerial selections. For the first time, Championship, League One and League Two players will get their moment in the sun in a bottomless virtual world as Fantasy EFL embarks on a debut campaign ready to capture the hearts of supporters.

Adebayo Akinfenwa, an EFL icon who surely would have been a popular pick in his heyday, says the Birmingham City goalkeeper and former Wycombe teammate Ryan Allsop, the Leeds winger Crysencio Summerville and Wrexham striker Paul Mullin will be his first picks. “Every year I get put into a WhatsApp group to play in a fantasy league,” says Akinfenwa, revealing an unsurprising team name: Beast Mode. “I think my 14-year-old son and my nephew came first and second in our one last year. They’re methodical when it comes to stats.”

Player diversity is increasing but WSL lacks English youth as the national side plays catch up with European rivals

With the Women’s Under-19 European Championship currently taking place in Lithuania, the spotlight is shining not only on the brightest young players from across the continent, but also on the health of talent pathways in different countries.

In England, the topic of youth development has been high on the agenda of late, not least because one of the key recommendations in Karen Carney’s extensive review into the women’s game was the need for the Football Association to “fix the talent pathway to create generation after generation of world-beating Lionesses”. The same review also called on the FA to “urgently address the lack of diversity across the women’s game”. That an all-white Lionesses starting XI won the 2022 Euros is just one example highlighting how inaccessible the women’s games has been for players from poorer backgrounds.

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Football at Big Sports Day; it’s a concept that has always seemed a little off somehow. The world’s most popular game rarely, if ever, enjoys centre stage at the Games, instead taking a back seat to volleyball and sailing for a couple of weeks every four years. Olympic football usually tends to force its way into the headlines only when something goes wrong. Luckily for tea-timely emails scraping through the dog days of July, football at the Games has a rich history of farce and controversy, dating back to 1896 when an “unofficial” final was played between Denmark and Greece. The referee was Prince George, a royal in both nations (and Prince Philip’s uncle), and it ended either 9-0 or 15-0 to Denmark, with the prince presumably losing interest.

Our cartoonist reflects on the England manager calling time on the job and clearing out his office at St George’s Park

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Women’s Afcon qualifying concluded last year but fed up teams now have to wait until July 2025 for the tournament

When the final round of qualifiers for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) concluded in December, the 12 qualified teams presumed the tournament would take place in Morocco at some point this year. But they will now have to wait an unprecedented 19 months – until 5-26 July 2025 – before it is staged in order to avoid a clash with this summer’s Olympics.

“It is a ridiculous situation,” said an official of the Nigeria Football Federation, one of the participating teams, when speaking to the Guardian. “Where has it happened, in any confederation, anywhere in the world, for there to be a one-and-a-half-year gap between the end of a qualifying series and the main tournament? How does a coach maintain team momentum and keep the same players for the tournament?

Our cartoonist looks back on some wonky displays in the last eight of the European Championship

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The former Nadeshiko striker believes Futoshi Ikeda’s team have the talent to reach the semi-finals in Paris

Yuki Nagasato has experienced it all with Japan. From the ecstatic World Cup-winning high of 2011 to the crushing disappointment of failing to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

The 36-year-old may not be part of the Nadeshiko setup any longer – although she continues to play for Houston Dash at club level – but she expects them to make an impact at the Olympics in Paris, which starts this month.

Plus: long-shot winners of the Euros, double trouble in major tournaments and Chris Nicholl’s stunning feat

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“After the Portugal/France game I’m wondering what was the most boring Euro game on record (no goals, fewest shorts on target, fewest corners, etc)?” tweets Nicholas Stuart.

There have been 37 goalless draws in the men’s Euros, including a record six at this year’s tournament. The first was in 1968 when Italy beat the Soviet Union on a coin toss. We can’t find the vital statistics for that one, but Sofascore has detailed data for all the others. We’ve based the answer on their “big chances” metric, even though we’re not wholly sure what that entails. Where the games are level, shots on target and then total shots are the tiebreaker.

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Philippe Auclair and Semra Hunter as Spain see off France to extend march towards glory

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On the podcast today; Spain get a deserved 2-1 win over France as they progress to the final of Euro 2024. Lamine Yamal, how do you talk about him without mentioning he’s just 16? What a goal he scored.

Erling Haaland has been voted the best player in the world for 2023 by our 218-strong panel, with Jude Bellingham finishing second

• 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012
• Meet the judges | Best female footballers to launch in January

Aitana Bonmatí, Sam Kerr and Salma Paralluelo top the list of female footballers in the world in 2023 according to our judges

• Putellas tops 2022 list | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | Meet the judges
• Spain and Barcelona lead the way after year of success
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The Norwegian is only 23 but his devastating goal record has seen him voted as the No 1 player in the world by the Guardian’s expert panel

When Pep Guardiola tearfully claimed Manchester City could not replace the departing Sergio Agüero in May 2021, he didn’t just create a meme. Guardiola was soft-launching a global audition for his team’s new attacking talisman. An unsuccessful pursuit of Harry Kane in the summer of 2021 came between two title-winning seasons where Ilkay Gündogan (13) and Kevin De Bruyne (15) were the club’s top league goalscorers. Guardiola’s slick creative machine needed a new front man, and they found him in Erling Haaland.

Like Agüero before him – and in contrast to many of City’s most successful Pep-era signings – Haaland arrived as a bona fide superstar, a plug-and-play addition to an already stellar lineup. Whether he was a bargain is another question. The release clause paid was €60m (£51.2m), but some reports suggest Haaland’s five-year deal could cost the club in the region of £300m. And while there was an ominous logic to the move for City’s rivals, questions remained.

Aitana Bonmatí the clear winner of the Guardian’s best 100 female footballers in the world with 15 Spaniards on the list

• The 100 best female footballers in the world 2023

After Alexia Putellas reigned in 2021 and 2022, her Barcelona and Spain teammate Aitana Bonmatí has been crowned the top female footballer of 2023 by the Guardian’s panel of 112 experts. The World Cup winner triumphed by a clear margin, finishing more than 500 points ahead of second-placed Sam Kerr.

Injuries and a World Cup meant there was a definite changing of the guard feel to this year’s list, sadly emphasised by the fact last year’s top two – Putellas and Beth Mead – missed a large chunk of our 12-month voting period with ACL injuries.

French captain talks about her journey from Martinique and the opportunity to finally win a big prize with her country

Wendie Renard is reluctant on the eve of her 10th major tournament with France to overanalyse her chances of securing Olympic gold and finally winning a title with her country. “I’m someone who likes to do, and then speak” the captain says.

The defender has won 38 competitive trophies, all with Lyon, and recognises that Les Bleues’ first title is long overdue after almost two decades of consistent knockout-stage finishes. “When I speak to some of my foreign teammates, they don’t understand it,” she says. “Sometimes it’s a question of luck, sometimes it’s that one or two centimetres’ worth of effort that we weren’t able to put in, and sometimes we weren’t able to close down the passing angles well enough.”

Although some players may not approve of my nagging, the overwhelming majority of people at my club are supportive

When you think of a football referee, the words “old white male” probably come to mind – or at least they did for me. Quite frankly, it doesn’t seem like a pleasant job at first glance; you are always the first to be blamed and the last to be praised. However, my experience as a young, black and minority ethnic female referee has been largely positive, and refereeing could be the perfect counter to the phenomenon of young women dropping out of sport.

I always dreamed of a career in football growing up but, as I got older, injuries and, perhaps more accurately, a sheer lack of talent meant that a professional playing career did not materialise. When I was 16, the age that many girls lose interest in playing sports, a few of my teammates were doing the Football Association’s referee course to officiate as a weekend job. For me, the prospect of earning money in a football-related job was far more appealing than working in retail or waitressing, so I soon followed suit.

But the three big problems in the team will be hard for anyone to solve without the kind of ball-playing English Rodri the country still isn’t producing

What went wrong? What vital lessons can be learned? How can we make sure England don’t fail again? The postmortems after tournaments are always wearying. So many people have a panacea, an idea of the one detail that will guarantee success. If only we had a deep-lying metronome like Rodri! We’ll never win anything until we control midfield! Unleash this unprecedented generation! Cast caution to the winds! Let the players play! Release the handbrake! Be more like Italy! Be more like France! Be more like Spain!

Gareth Southgate’s greatest strength was his capacity to shut out the noise. A lot of it seems to derive from a basic misunderstanding of football. Being more attacking is a fine sentiment, and perhaps it is true that England could have taken a few more risks with their passing, but the reason England lost against Spain was that after Kyle Walker’s 75th-minute throw-in back to John Stones, which led to Jordan Pickford belting it out for a goal-kick, they didn’t touch the ball in the Spain half for 13 minutes, during which time they conceded. The issue was not what they did with the ball; it was getting the ball back.

In an exclusive extract from her new book, the manager of the US women’s national team relives her final title glory with Chelsea and says she is ready to work in men’s football when the time is right

I know it is a corny old line, but Old Trafford really was the Theatre of Dreams on that rare sunny Saturday in May 2024. I had the luxury of contemplating greatness from the touchline during the game as I looked over the pitch and up, across the stand named in honour of Sir Alex Ferguson, the coach I most admire.

The win over Manchester United, and our fifth successive Women’s Super League title, was secure. Two goals up in eight minutes, four goals ahead at half time, our lead stretched to five two minutes into the second half. I was lost in the moment long before Fran Kirby, Chelsea’s record goalscorer, added a sixth in her final appearance for the club.

From Warren Zaïre-Emery to Endrick, we select some of the best players born in 2006. Check the progress of our classes of 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018

• Next Generation 2023: 20 of the best Premier League talents

We pick the best youngsters at each club born between 1 September 2006 and 31 August 2007, an age band known as first-year scholars. Check the progress of our classes of 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 … and look at the editions from further back

• Next Generation 2023: 60 of the best talents around the world

Five years ago we picked 80 of the most talented players in the world to follow their progress in a cut-throat business

It is the time of year when we check in on the Next Generation players we picked in 2018 to follow for five years, to assess their progress amid success, setbacks, injuries, trophies won and transfers made.

Next Generation started in 2014 with the aim of showing the difficulties that even the best prospects in the Premier League (we pick one from each club at first-year scholar age) and the rest of the world (we choose 60 born in a specific calendar year) face on their way towards the top.

A defensively minded midfielder who is incredibly strong (he used to be a wrestler) but with an excellent touch to go with his physicality. Made his debut in the Swedish top flight as a 16-year-old last year and captained Sweden as they reached the quarter-finals of the Euro Under-17 tournament in England this summer. Has taken an unusual path to the top. He left the top-flight side IFK Göteborg for sixth division Angered MBIK as a 14-year-old as he felt that he was not getting the right support for his football education. Another Gothenburg club, Häcken, snapped him up in 2017 and he made his senior debut that season. Has signed a new contract with the club from Hisingen until 2021 despite interest from Real Madrid and Benfica and trials at both Manchester clubs.