France, England lead the contenders as Germany hosts Euro 2024

Germany’s head coach Julian Nagelsmann speaks at a press conference after an international friendly football match between Germany and Ukraine at the Max Morlock stadium in Nuremberg, Germany, Monday. (dpa via AP)
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Updated 04 June 2024
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France, England lead the contenders as Germany hosts Euro 2024

  • England carry the burden of never having won the Euros
  • Absent from the last two World Cups, Italy will be in Germany to defend their European crown

BERLIN: Euro 2024, beginning in Germany on June 14, is a mouth-watering prospect, as France and England lead the heavyweight contenders for a tournament which will be played out in some of the continent’s finest stadiums across a football-mad nation.

The setting for the month-long competition is important, given the underwhelming nature of the last Euros three years ago, held all over the continent rather than in one country, and played before limited crowds during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This time all fans will descend on 10 stadiums in Germany, many with memories of the unforgettable summer of 2006 when the country last staged a major tournament.

The hope is this competition will be just as memorable, and for the right reasons, despite security concerns in a tense global climate and complaints about Germany’s creaking rail network.

That 2006 World Cup was won by Italy, who come into this European Championship as title holders, but it also saw Germany emerge again as a force to be reckoned with after years in the doldrums.

Back then there were question marks about the host nation’s chances, yet they reached the semifinals.

There are similar doubts this time surrounding Julian Nagelsmann’s team, given Germany have exited the last two World Cups in the group stage and lost in the last 16 at the last Euros.

However, it would be foolish to talk down the three-time European champions too much given the players at their disposal.

“I have the feeling that we can win the tournament. And most of the time, my intuition is not too bad,” said Nagelsmann, whose team play Scotland in the opening game in Munich.

There are good reasons why France and England are widely seen as the favorites to raise aloft the Henri Delaunay trophy at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium on July 14.

France are Europe’s top-ranked nation and have been in the last two World Cup finals. Their team has evolved since Qatar in 2022 but the quality at their disposal, beyond Kylian Mbappe, is fearsome and they are eager to win a first European Championship since 2000.

“Like other nations we have the potential to maybe go all the way, but we must not already be thinking about the semifinals or a possible final,” warned coach Didier Deschamps.

It is not always the case that everything goes to form. But if it does, and France and England top their groups, they will be on a collision course to meet in the semifinals at Borussia Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park.

England carry the burden of never having won the Euros. Beaten on penalties by Italy in the 2021 final, Gareth Southgate’s team lost a nail-biting quarterfinal to France at the last World Cup.

The two men who could give them the edge are Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham.

Kane will be at home in his surroundings having just scored 44 goals in his first season for Bayern Munich.

Munich’s Allianz Arena hosts the first semifinal. The other semifinal venue was Bellingham’s home ground for the three years he spent at Dortmund, but he comes to the Euros after a fine first campaign at Real Madrid, fresh from winning the Champions League.

“Are we one of those teams who can win? Of course,” said Southgate, whose team are in Group C with Denmark, Serbia and Slovenia.

“I’d be an idiot if I said no, but if I said yes, that doesn’t mean there’s not a lot of work ahead of us.”

Absent from the last two World Cups, Italy will be in Germany to defend their European crown, despite losing twice to England in qualifying.

The Azzurri are in a group with Spain, semifinalists at the last Euros but who have not won a major tournament knockout game in 90 minutes since Euro 2012.

There may be as many as eight realistic potential champions, including 2016 winners Portugal, still led by Cristiano Ronaldo, even though he is now 39.

Belgium and the Netherlands will hope to make an impact too, but the Euros — the third edition since expanding to 24 teams — is richer for the presence of less-fancied nations.

Ukraine will be afforded widespread sympathy and have a decent team under Serhiy Rebrov.

Albania, under the Brazilian Sylvinho, appear at only their second Euros, while Georgia make their debut.

Managed by former France and Bayern Munich defender Willy Sagnol, and led by Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, they will be worth watching.

Their tournament starts on June 18 against Turkiye in Dortmund.


Riyadh prepares for 2nd annual Saudi Elite Hockey Championship

Updated 11 January 2025
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Riyadh prepares for 2nd annual Saudi Elite Hockey Championship

  • 80 players from 8 teams will battle it out at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Olympic Complex on Jan. 17 and 18
  • Najd Falcons were crowned winners of the inaugural event last year, ahead of runners-up Alittihad Club

RIYADH: Final preparations are underway for the second annual Saudi Elite Hockey Championship at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Olympic Complex in Riyadh next week.
Eight teams, featuring a total of 80 players, will battle it out on Jan. 17 and 18: defending champions Najd Falcons, last year’s runners-up Alittihad Club, Alshabab Club, Jubail Buraq, Naqi, UTSC, Arab Legends and Hamra Legends.
The event has been organized under the supervision of the Saudi Hockey Federation, which said the championship represents a significant step in the development of hockey, in line with the wider sports renaissance in the Kingdom as part of efforts to enhance quality of life and contribute to the goals of the Vision 2030 plan for national development and diversification.


Leipzig sign wing back Ridle Baku from Bundesliga rival Wolfsburg

Updated 10 January 2025
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Leipzig sign wing back Ridle Baku from Bundesliga rival Wolfsburg

  • Leipzig said Friday that the 26-year-old Baku had signed a 2½-year contract to 2027
  • “Ridle will give us more options in the future,” Leipzig sporting director Marcel Schäfer said

LEIPZIG, Germany: Leipzig have signed wing back Ridle Baku from Bundesliga rival Wolfsburg after an injury to Benjamin Henrichs.
Leipzig said Friday that the 26-year-old Baku had signed a 2½-year contract to 2027. He will be available for Sunday’s home game against Werder Bremen as the league restarts this weekend after its winter break.
“Ridle will give us more options in the future,” Leipzig sporting director Marcel Schäfer said. “He can play anywhere on the right side, loves to get forward, is a good finisher and tackler, and comfortable in possession too.”
Baku’s contract with Wolfsburg was set to expire at the end of the season. Kicker reported that the clubs had agreed on a transfer fee of under 5 million euros ($5.1 million) for the player.
Baku, who was born in Mainz, made his Bundesliga debut against Leipzig for Mainz in 2018. He joined Wolfsburg in 2020 and established himself as a regular at the Volkswagen-backed club. Altogether he scored 20 goals in 166 appearances for the team.
Baku made his debut for Germany under Joachim Löw in a friendly against the Czech Republic in November 2020, and made three more appearances for the team in World Cup qualifying in 2021, but hasn’t been called up since.
Henrichs ruptured an Achilles tendon in his right foot in Leipzig’s 5-1 loss at Bayern Munich on Dec. 20 before the winter break. The club said he “will remain out of action for a while.”
Leipzig have struggled so far this season, losing all their games in the Champions League and dropping points in seven of their 15 games in the Bundesliga.


Amorim keen to keep hold of Mainoo, Garnacho

Updated 10 January 2025
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Amorim keen to keep hold of Mainoo, Garnacho

  • “I really love my players. I want to keep my players, especially the talented ones,” Amorim said
  • “It’s a special moment in this club, it’s a hard moment, but, of course, I’m really happy with Kobbie, he’s improving, and also with Garna“

MACNEHSTER: Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has expressed his desire to keep talented youngsters Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho despite rumors the duo could be sold to ease the club’s financial pressures.
United sit 13th in the Premier League and have won only four of Amorim’s 12 games in charge so far.
The club’s ability to hand the former Sporting Lisbon coach, who took charge in November, significant funds to rebuild in the transfer market is limited by profit and sustainability rules.
United lost £113.2 million ($139 million) in the financial year to June 2024 — their fifth straight year in the red.
As academy graduates, any fee received for Mainoo or Garnacho would appear on the books as 100 percent profit.
Reports this week said United were therefore open to offers for the pair, as well as a number of other recently acquired signings such as Leny Yoro, Manuel Ugarte and Matthijs de Ligt.
“I really love my players. I want to keep my players, especially the talented ones,” Amorim said at his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup trip to Arsenal.
“It’s a special moment in this club, it’s a hard moment, but, of course, I’m really happy with Kobbie, he’s improving, and also with Garna.”
Amorim has previously admitted United’s recruitment must be better and he stressed the need to also improve the club’s academy to help save money in the transfer market.
“When we are targeting players, we need to be sure that they will cope with the demands,” he added.
“I also said we have to improve our academy, to bring young kids that fills the club in the right way, and also with that rules, we are able to do some business and have some money to invest in the team.
“Our idea is always to keep the best players and the players that we build for this club.
“We know the position that the club is in at the moment, but we will see. I’m very happy, I like our players, especially the guys from our academy.”
Another United academy graduate — Marcus Rashford — does seem set to leave Old Trafford this month.
The 27-year-old reportedly held talks with AC Milan this week, with other European clubs, including Borussia Dortmund, also interested.
Rashford has not featured in United’s last six games and Amorim refused to be drawn on whether he could return at the Emirates.
The Portuguese coach did confirm that second string goalkeeper Altay Bayindir will feature ahead of Andre Onana despite his errors in a 4-3 League Cup quarter-final exit to Tottenham last month.


Newcastle boss Howe eager to hang onto goalkeeper Dubravka

Updated 10 January 2025
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Newcastle boss Howe eager to hang onto goalkeeper Dubravka

  • Newcastle manager Eddie Howe still hopes goalkeeper Martin Dubravka will stay at St. James’ Park beyond the end of the January transfer window

LONDON: Newcastle manager Eddie Howe still hopes goalkeeper Martin Dubravka will stay at St. James’ Park beyond the end of the January transfer window.
The in-form 35-year-old Slovakia international has been heavily linked with a move to Saudi Pro League side Al Shabab as he enters the final six months of his contract with the Magpies.
Dubravka has conceded just two goals in seven games in all competitions — all of them victories — while deputising for the injured Nick Pope during a run where Newcastle are closing in on a place in the English League Cup final and are fifth in the Premier League table.
“Martin’s been in a difficult situation,” Howe said Friday.
“Like any player that is coming out of contract in the summer, with every player that I’ve ever worked with, there’s always that feeling of doubt.
“He will naturally want some conclusion to his future, whether that’s a new contract with us, whatever the outcome. But he’s certainly played very well and I’ve been really pleased with him.
“He’s more than played his part in our recent run of fixtures. Again against Arsenal (a 2-0 win in the first leg of a League Cup semifinal), I thought he was very, very good, so hopefully we can come to some sort of agreement with him.”
Dubravka was seen to be in tears following the conclusion of Tuesday’s game against Arsenal, in what many observers interpreted as a farewell to Newcastle.
He was signed by former Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez, initially on loan, in January 2018, but has largely been a back-up to England international Pope for the last two-and-a-half years, a period which included a loan spell at Manchester United.
But he has shown his value in recent weeks with Howe, who must decide whether or not to rest Dubravka for Sunday’s FA Cup third-round tie against fourth-tier Bromley, saying: “I know how much Newcastle means to him and you can see that emotionally, he’s very invested.
“Of course, all those things will be playing a part in his decision-making and our decision-making and hopefully there’s a successful outcome at the end.”
Newcastle have been linked with a move for Burnley’s England under-21 international James Trafford should Dubravka move on.
And Howe refused to say whether Pope, who is back in training, remained his first-choice goalkeeper.
“It’s always in a state of flux,” he said. “It’s always changing and moving because that’s down to the player’s performances.”


Manuel Neuer set to return in goal for depleted Bayern as Jamal Musiala is out with illness

Updated 10 January 2025
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Manuel Neuer set to return in goal for depleted Bayern as Jamal Musiala is out with illness

  • Musiala hasn’t been training because of illness and now is confirmed to miss Bayern’s first league game of the new year

MUNICH: Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is set to return for Bayern Munich for the first time in more than a month in Saturday’s Bundesliga game against Borussia Moenchengladbach but Jamal Musiala will miss out.
The 38-year-old Neuer missed Bayern’s last four games of 2024 with a broken rib and wasn’t in the squad for a friendly against Salzburg on Monday, but now looks fully fit again, coach Vincent Kompany said Friday.
Neuer’s return for Bayern’s first league game of 2025 is all the more important after backup Daniel Peretz injured a kidney in a training incident on Wednesday. He’s expected to miss a few weeks, Kompany said.
Kompany confirmed Musiala, who hadn’t been training because of illness, won’t be available Saturday for the German league leader.
Among several other absences are midfielder João Palhinha, who hasn’t played since early November with an adductor muscle tear, and defender Dayot Upamecano, who’s serving a one-game Bundesliga suspension for five yellow cards.