ST. PETERSBURG, Russia: As Spain’s jubilant players sprinted onto the field to celebrate a penalty-shootout victory at the European Championship, Luis Enrique stood alone and simply pumped his fists.
Amid the tension and rising pressure inside Saint Petersburg Stadium, the Spain coach might have been the calmest person around.
“I’d tried to convey a message that what would be, would be,” Luis Enrique said, revealing what he’d told his team ahead of the 3-1 shootout victory over Switzerland in the quarterfinals on Friday. “I told them to relax ... and to enjoy the moment as much as they could.”
Easier said than done for a team that had missed its last five regulation penalties in matches, two of them at Euro 2020. For a team that had squandered chance after chance in extra time as Switzerland’s energy-sapped players hung on for a 1-1 draw through extra time. For a team that had come into the match as the favorite and had taken an eighth-minute lead, only to see that wiped out by a defensive mistake.
So imagine the relief when Mikel Oyarzabal stepped up to convert the decisive spot kick past goalkeeper Yann Sommer, whose save on Kylian Mbappe’s shot in a shootout win over France got Switzerland to the tournament’s quarterfinals for the first time.
After seeing the ball hit the back of the net, Oyarzabal headed straight to Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon, who had made two saves in the shootout. They were soon consumed by their teammates as “Y Viva Espana” blasted out from the stadium’s loudspeakers.
“When it goes your way,” Luis Enrique said, “it feels very good indeed.”
Of course, the Swiss know that feeling. But unlike against France, when they scored all five of their penalties in the shootout, they failed with three of their four attempts this time. Fabian Schar and Manuel Akanji had shots saved by Simon, while Ruben Vargas fired the ball over the crossbar.
“Penalties are a bit 50-50,” said Switzerland captain Xherdan Shaqiri, who scored his team’s goal in regulation time. “I think we just lacked a little bit of luck today.”
Spain will play Italy in the semifinals on Tuesday at Wembley Stadium in London. The team is two wins away from emulating the country’s golden generation, which captured European titles in 2008 and 2012.
After the wild fluctuations of “Manic Monday,” when Spain and Switzerland won chaotic games in the round of 16 that both needed extra time and featured a combined 14 goals, their quarterfinal match was perhaps unsurprisingly a more labored affair punctuated by big moments.
Among them was a red card in the 78th minute for Switzerland midfielder Remo Freuler, whose studs connected with the ankle of substitute Gerard Moreno in a sliding challenge.
Yet a rearguard effort — requiring a string of diving saves by Sommer and a number of last-ditch blocks by sprawling defenders — kept the Spanish at bay in the extra 30 minutes that were played almost entirely in Switzerland’s half. A crowd made up of mostly Russian spectators was fully behind Switzerland, even to the extent of jeering Spain’s players when they had the ball.
Moreno, in particular, squandered four chances with poor finishing or the acrobatics of Sommer, though the striker made amends by converting one of Spain’s kicks in the shootout.
The Swiss initially missed the energy and authority of suspended captain Granit Xhaka, whose replacement — Denis Zakaria — had the misfortune of scoring the 10th own-goal of the tournament when he sliced the ball into his own net. Jordi Alba sent in the shot after latching onto a corner from the right that had sailed over everyone’s heads in the area.
A defensive mix-up brought about Shaqiri’s equalizer in the 68th, which came just as Switzerland’s players had started to assert themselves.
Aymeric Laporte came across to cover a pass over the top but touched the ball onto the leg of his center back partner, Pau Torres. Freuler pounced on the ball and laid it off to Shaqiri, whose first-time shot crawled into the bottom corner.
Freuler’s red card ensured a penalty shootout was the best ending Switzerland could realistically hope for, and the team just about made it thanks to the misses from Moreno.
Switzerland bowed out in the same stadium where the team was eliminated from the 2018 World Cup. Then, the Swiss lost to Sweden 1-0 in the round of 16.
Spain beats Switzerland, reaches Euro 2020 semifinals
https://arab.news/zz2pr
Spain beats Switzerland, reaches Euro 2020 semifinals
All 4 Brazilian clubs advance at Club World Cup, one is guaranteed to make the quarterfinals
Botafogo, which shocked Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain, and Fluminense qualified in second place
SAO PAULO: One clear and unexpected force has surged as the group stage of the Club World Cup comes to a close: Brazil.
Flamengo, Palmeiras, Botafogo and Fluminense — all Copa Libertadores winners in recent years — all advanced to the second round. All offered tough competition to the powerful European clubs, and all have excited tens of millions of fans at home.
There’s renewed hope for Brazilian fans after years of defeats against European teams in FIFA competitions.
Flamengo and Palmeiras topped their groups — Flamengo stunned Chelsea 3-1 to be the first team to qualify for the knockout rounds. Botafogo, which shocked Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain, and Fluminense qualified in second place.
“Our first objective was the Round-of-16, but that isn’t the end objective,” Fluminense midfielder Jhon Arias said Wednesday after a 0-0 draw with South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns. All four clubs from Brazil have similar expectations for the knockout stage.
Botafogo and Palmeiras will face off Saturday, a game which guarantees at least one Brazilian club a spot in the quarterfinals. Flamengo take on Bayern Munich on Sunday and Fluminense will face Inter Milan on Monday.
Corinthians were the last Brazilian club to win the world club title, beating Chelsea in 2012. That tournament format was much smaller than the current 32-team competition which features clubs from five continents.
New optimism
Copa Libertadores champion Botafogo produced the biggest group-stage upset with the June 19 win over PSG. Before that encounter, Brazilian fans and soccer pundits expected the French club to bulldoze the carioca side, which have had ups and downs this year.
“Botafogo were the team that best defended against us in the entire season,” PSG coach Luis Enrique said. “They deserved it.”
Two factors have helped Brazilian clubs: they’re halfway through their season, unlike the European clubs which have finished, and they’re familiar with the kind of heat that has blanketed the tournament.
Still, Brazilian coaches, executives, players and fans weren’t showing much optimism before the tournament began. That has also changed, as Flamengo fans showed in Philadelphia by chanting “the time is coming” for Bayern Munich after the German club were confirmed as their next opponent.
“The cemetery of football is full of favorites,” Botafogo coach Renato Paiva said after victory over the European champions. “Almost nobody can openly face PSG. Could I try that? I could, but that was a big risk in a competition of this kind.”
Atletico Madrid’s late 1-0 over Botafogo was the only defeat for a Brazilian club in the group stage.
South American power
Brazilian teams are so competitive in South America that they have won the past six editions of the Copa Libertadores, including five all-Brazil finals. Their regional superiority can also be seen in this Club World Cup as their two Argentinian rivals in the tournament, Boca Juniors and River Plate, failed to get through the group stage.
Much of that success for Brazilians comes from talent of the rest of South America, as it has happened in the Club World Cup.
The Brazilian league attracts young footballers from across the region before they move elsewhere for money and more prestige. But some choose to stay and grow in a tough league outside of Europe, with up to six serious contenders for the trophy every year.
Flamengo playmaker Giorgián de Arrascaeta is Uruguayan. Botafogo’s key player is Venezuela’s Jefferson Savarino. Fluminense highly depend on Arias. Palmeiras are trusting more goals will come from Argentina’s Flaco López. And none of those have ever played in Europe.
“Many good things in all history that happen in football come from South America,” Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola said Sunday. “The greatest players come from there.”
Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso said ahead of Thursday’s game against RB Salzburg that European teams will benefit from “seeing the competitive level from outside.”
“Adapting is important, but we can see teams that we don’t have to day-to-day and they are very good,” said Alonso, who mentioned the Brazilian teams and River Plate among those who caught his interest. “Before the start we said it was going to be in a way with the Europeans, and now we have opened our eyes.”
Brazil has also brought in several Portuguese coaches, with success. Paiva took over Botafogo from his countryman Arthur Jorge. And Abel Ferreira has won almost every title with Palmeiras since he joined the club in 2020. That has also made Brazilian clubs more competitive.
“I am very proud to be in Brazil. I had many chances to leave and I did not,” Ferreira said at the start of the tournament.
Asked how big the gap is between his team and European clubs, Ferreira said: “It is minimal. We have to compete.”
The knockout stage of the Club World Cup will tell whether he is right.
From dust to data: NEOM McLaren’s Bird and James eye strong finish after tough Jakarta test
- Despite some setbacks this season, Bird emphasized the importance of staying focused and united as a team
Riyadh: Coming off a demanding weekend at the Jakarta E-Prix, NEOM McLaren Formula E driver Sam Bird and managing director and team principal Ian James joined a media roundtable on June 24 to discuss their takeaways from the race and the team’s trajectory heading into the final stretch of the season.
Bird pointed to the circuit conditions in Jakarta as the toughest challenge of the weekend. He said that while dust was expected at the venue, the addition of rain made the surface even more unpredictable. “We saw a dusty circuit almost get even dustier and even more difficult,” he said.
The only grip available was on the narrow racing line, and deviating from it often meant a ruined lap or a potential crash. “There was pretty much only the racing line that cleaned up, and then if you put one wheel off the racing line, the lap was finished or you were in the wall,” Bird said. That made overtaking extremely limited, and strategy around attack mode became even more critical.
A technical issue with attack mode activation during the race also stood out as a key learning moment for Bird. Despite following standard procedures — pressing the activation button and passing over the loops — his boost failed to activate.
“We put that down to a regulation I didn’t know about with regards to the amount of time that I needed to press the button for,” he said.
In response, the team is now conducting an internal study of his button press durations over the past year to ensure consistency and compliance in future.
Despite some setbacks this season, Bird emphasized the importance of staying focused and united as a team. “If we can all operate at 100 percent — that’s engineers, mechanics, myself, Taylor (Barnard) — then we know that we can score some big points,” he said. Acknowledging a few missed opportunities, Bird noted that the remaining four races are an opportunity to convert potential into performance.
For James, the most rewarding part of his role has been leading a group of highly skilled and motivated individuals. He described the NEOM McLaren Formula E team as “a group of men and women who are brilliant at what they do,” crediting their dedication and collaboration as key drivers of success. “In bringing all of those ingredients, all those team members together, you then really unlock the performance potential of the team,” he added.
Beyond the racing, James highlighted the progress the team has made in brand development and fan engagement. He confirmed that internal benchmarks in these areas have been met, reflecting Formula E’s growing global appeal.
In particular, he pointed to Saudi Arabia as a case study for that growth. He recalled the early days of Formula E in Diriyah in 2018 when the sport was still unfamiliar to many in the Kingdom. “Every year that we’ve gone back, that interest has grown and grown,” he said, noting that the recent move to Jeddah has introduced the championship to new audiences and strengthened its presence in the region.
With the team fourth in the standings with four races to go, James admitted that more work is needed to meet their goal of a top-three finish. Still, both he and Bird expressed confidence that the team has the talent, structure, and momentum to close the season on a high.
Ronaldo renews Al-Nassr contract until 2027
- “Cristiano Ronaldo is staying at @AlNassrFC until 2027,” the club wrote in a post on X
- Ronaldo later posted a message on his Instagram, confirming the extension
RIYADH: Cristiano Ronaldo inked a two-year extension with Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, the club announced Thursday, following months of speculation over which team he would sign for next season.
“Cristiano Ronaldo is staying at @AlNassrFC until 2027,” the club wrote in a post on X.
Minutes before the official confirmation, the team posted a teaser video, with the 40-year-old Ronaldo walking along a beachfront and saying: “Al-Nassr forever.”
Ronaldo later posted a message on his Instagram, confirming the extension.
“A new chapter begins. Same passion, same dream. Let’s make history together,” read the post.
The Portuguese superstar arrived in 2023 in the kingdom to play with the club, heralding a rush of players in the latter stages of their careers to the Kingdom.
Last month, Ronaldo posted “This chapter is over” hours after the Saudi Pro League wrapped up with Al-Nassr finishing third and trophyless once again.
“Ronaldo’s presence is a key factor in developing the Saudi league in the last two years and a half. He opens the door for elite and young players to come to Saudi Arabia,” a source from the Public Investment Fund (PIF), a major investor in Saudi football, told AFP last month.
Ronaldo’s announcement in May came just months after Brazilian star Neymar ended his injury-plagued 18-month stay in January, after playing just seven times for Al-Hilal — on a reported salary of around $104 million a year.
Although Ronaldo was the Pro League’s top scorer with 25 goals, he has been unable to win a Saudi or continental trophy with Al-Nassr, who lost in the Asian Champions League semifinals last month.
Last year, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner said he could end his career with the Riyadh team.
Saudi Arabia has shaken up football by spending heavily on stars from Europe, starting with Ronaldo’s move in late 2022, and the desert nation will host the World Cup in 2034.
For the past two years, Saudi football fans could watch the likes of Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, with six Ballons d’Or between them, on any given weekend during the football season in the kingdom.
Pakistan grouped with Saudi Arabia, Iraq in AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026 qualifiers
- Thirty-one international teams to partake in qualifiers from Sept. 20-24
- AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026 will be contested in Jan. 27-Feb. 7
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s football team has been selected in Group D along with Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Chinese Taipei for the qualifiers of the upcoming AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) confirmed on Thursday.
Thirty-one teams have confirmed their participation for the 11th qualifiers, which will take place between September 20 to 24. The draw has divided the teams into eight groups— seven groups of four and one group of three— with each to be played in a centralized league format.
“Our journey to the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026 begins in Group D, sharing the pitch with hosts Saudi Arabia,” the PFF wrote on social media platform X.
“An exciting draw that sets the stage for some incredible matches. Time to prepare!“
India are in Group A with Kuwait, Australia and Mongolia while top seeds Thailand will have to contend with Korea Republic, Bahrain and Brunei Darussalam in Group B.
Four-time winners Japan are the top seeds in Group C with hosts Tajikistan, Macau and Cambodia their challengers. Group E will see Vietnam, Lebanon, hosts China and Hong Kong face each other while Group F includes Uzbekistan, Kyrgyz Republic (hosts), Timor-Leste and Palestine.
Iran, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates and Bangladesh are part of Group G while Afghanistan, Myanmar and Maldives are part of Group H.
The AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026 will be contested from January 27-February 7.
Mbappe files harassment complaint against PSG and judicial officials are investigating
- The Real Madrid star is at odds with his former club, arguing PSG owes him $61 million in unpaid wages
- Mbappe stunned PSG in June 2023 by informing the club he would not take the option for an extra year
PARIS: Kylian Mbappe has accused Paris Saint-Germain of moral harassment in a legal filing, the Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed on Thursday.
The Real Madrid star is at odds with his former club, arguing PSG owes him €55 million ($61 million) in unpaid wages.
Mbappe is also unhappy with the way he was treated by the Ligue 1 club when the France captain was sidelined before the 2023-24 season, following his decision not to extend his club contract.
The prosecutor’s office said Mbappe is “denouncing the ‘lofting’ he claimed to have been subjected to at Paris Saint-Germain.” The word lofting is used in France to describe a practice that involves isolating a player from the main squad for sporting, administrative, or disciplinary reasons.
Mbappe joined Real Madrid last summer on a free transfer after scoring a club-record 256 goals in seven years at PSG, which won the Champions League without him this year.
Mbappe’s relationship with PSG ended amid deep tensions, and some fans booed him in his last home game at Parc des Princes. PSG felt let down by Mbappe after offering him the most lucrative contract in club history when he signed a new contract in 2022.
But Mbappe was frustrated because he felt promises to sign key players were not kept. When he signed that deal, he was paraded in front of fans holding up a jersey with 2025 on it. Mbappe was reportedly annoyed because the contract was until 2024 — with a player’s option for an extra season.
Mbappe stunned PSG in June 2023 by informing the club he would not take the option for an extra year. With his contract effectively into its final year, it put PSG in the position of needing to sell Mbappe to avoid losing him for nothing when the contract expired.
His PSG career could have ended that summer amid a tense transfer standoff.
After telling the club he would not extend, Mbappe was left off a preseason tour to Japan and South Korea and forced to train with fringe players. PSG said it would rather sell him than let the player leave for free in 2024, but he rejected a €300 million move to Saudi Arabia team Al-Hilal.
PSG left Mbappe out of the opening league game of that season but he soon returned to the lineup following talks.
Mbappe’s legal team said in April it would start an action against PSG for harassment because of the way he was treated at the time.
