MUNICH: Euro 2024 kicks off on Friday in Germany as the continent’s footballing heavyweights prepare to fight it out over the next month with the aim of taking the crown away from reigning champions Italy.
Germany play Scotland in the opening game in Munich and the host nation are hoping their journey will continue all the way to the final in Berlin on July 14.
It is the first time the country has hosted a major men’s international tournament since the 2006 World Cup, and it is a mouth-watering setting after the underwhelming nature of the last European Championship.
Euro 2020 was delayed by a year because of the pandemic, finally taking place in 2021 in front of limited crowds.
It was also staged in cities all across the continent, from Seville to Baku, and those factors stripped away much of what makes these tournaments so special.
This time all supporters will descend on Germany, where matches will be played in 10 stadiums, from Hamburg in the north to Munich in the south.
Germans are hoping for a repeat of 2006, when many fell in love with their national team again after a period in the doldrums similar to what they have experienced in the years leading up to this competition.
Philipp Lahm, the captain of Germany’s 2014 World Cup-winning team and now Euro 2024 tournament director, also hopes the competition will bring people together at a time of division and disunity across the continent.
The tournament begins less than a week after far-right parties made significant gains in EU parliament elections, while Europe is still dealing with the crisis of the war in Ukraine.
“I hope at the very least the Euro will lead to a more united Germany again,” said Lahm.
A good performance by Germany on the field would help, and the outlook is more positive for Julian Nagelsmann’s team now than a few months ago.
A group also containing Hungary and Switzerland should be straightforward enough given the quality in Germany’s ranks, from veteran playmaker Toni Kroos to younger stars Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala.
“We have gone through difficult phases as a national team, but something big can happen here,” Musiala, of Bayern Munich, told Sportbild.
However, there are good reasons why France and England are so strongly fancied to raise aloft the Henri Delaunay trophy on July 14.
France are Europe’s top-ranked nation and have been in the last two World Cup finals. Fresh from sealing his move to Real Madrid, Kylian Mbappe is eager to make up for a disappointing showing at the last Euros, when his penalty miss sealed a shoot-out defeat to Switzerland in the last 16.
“Kylian is our captain and a great leader. We will need him to be at his best,” admitted France coach Didier Deschamps.
England have never been European champions, although they came mightily close in 2021 when they lost the final on penalties to Italy.
Optimism about their prospects this time is fueled by the fact that star players Harry Kane, of Bayern, and Jude Bellingham, formerly of Borussia Dortmund, should feel so at home on German soil.
“We want to make history,” said England midfielder Declan Rice this week.
“We say it all the time, but genuinely we have a group, a manager, that really believes. We have a confidence that we can go there and do something really special.”
England begin their tournament against Serbia on Sunday in Gelsenkirchen, home of fallen German giants Schalke 04.
The French and English will be on course to meet in the semifinals if they both top their groups.
The prospect of Italy — who are in the same group as Spain — successfully defending their title seems slightly remote, but it would be foolish to rule them out.
“This Italy team is underrated and very competitive,” insisted legendary former Azzurri goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.
Portugal, champions in 2016, are genuine contenders even if they are still led by Cristiano Ronaldo, now aged 39 and playing club football in Saudi Arabia.
This Euros is the third since the competition was expanded to feature 24 teams, a move that has afforded a chance to some smaller nations, including Georgia, debutants this time.
However, injuries at the end of a long season are taking their toll on some leading players.
Frenkie de Jong, the Barcelona and Netherlands playmaker, has been ruled out with an ankle injury, while his club colleague Robert Lewandowski will not play in Poland’s opening match due to a thigh problem.
Germany braced for Euro 2024 kick-off with France, England the favorites
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Germany braced for Euro 2024 kick-off with France, England the favorites
- Germans are hoping for a repeat of 2006
- England have never been European champions
Newcastle shoot down Arsenal to be back in League Cup final in bid to end 70-year wait for domestic trophy
- Newcastle will play either Tottenham or Liverpool in the March 16 final at Wembley Stadium
- Newcastle reached the 2023 League Cup final, but lost 2-0 to Manchester United
LONDON: Newcastle are back in the English League Cup final for another chance to end their 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy.
The Saudi-backed northeast club beat Arsenal 2-0 in the second leg of the semifinals Wednesday to advance 4-0 on aggregate. Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon scored the goals at a boisterous St. James’ Park.
Newcastle will play either Tottenham or Liverpool in the March 16 final at Wembley Stadium. Tottenham lead 1-0 after the first leg, with the return match at Anfield on Thursday.
For Newcastle, it marks another opportunity to capture a first piece of silverware since being bought by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund in 2021. Newcastle’s last trophy was the now-defunct Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1969 and the most recent domestic title was the FA Cup in 1955.
Newcastle reached the 2023 League Cup final, but lost 2-0 to Manchester United.
“Play like that and we can dream big,” Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes said after the Arsenal match. “It would be amazing in my first season as the captain to lift a trophy, it is my dream.”
Arsenal arrived buoyed by a 5-1 thrashing of Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday and looking to overturn a 2-0 deficit from the first leg against Newcastle at Emirates Stadium last month.
Mikel Arteta’s team failed to handle the lively atmosphere inside St. James’, with its usually solid defense looking fragile and almost conceding after just four minutes when Alexander Isak was played through on goal and finished into the top corner. It was disallowed for offside following a video review and the decision was announced to fans inside the stadium by the referee via a wireless microphone — a practice being trialed in the English League Cup ahead of use in the Premier League.
After Martin Odegaard hit the post for Arsenal, Newcastle took the lead in the 19th when Isak struck a shot against the post and Murphy converted the rebound.
Arsenal’s remote chances of a comeback were further hit when Gabriel Martinelli went off with a muscle injury before halftime, and Gordon virtually secured Newcastle’s place in the title match by scoring the second after Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice was dispossessed outside his area by a sliding Fabian Schar.
The ball flew straight to Gordon, who swiveled and shot into the bottom corner past stranded goalkeeper David Raya.
Arsenal, two-time League Cup winners, were looking to reach the final for the first time since 2018, when it lost 3-0 to Man City.
Newcastle fans taunted Arsenal’s manager in the last few minutes, singing: “Mikel Arteta, it must be the ball.” It was a reference to Arteta saying after the first leg that the ball used in the League Cup was “very different to a Premier League ball” after his team missed several chances.
And Gordon appeared to deliver a post-match dig at Arsenal, whose players and fans had delighted in goading Man City striker Erling Haaland on Sunday for his “stay humble” comment in the previous match between the teams.
“It is important for us to stay humble now,” Gordon said ahead of the final. “It will be a big occasion but it’s so far away.”
Real Madrid beat Leganes 3-2 to reach Copa semifinals on Garcia’s goal in stoppage time
- The 20-year-old Garcia sealed the victory with a header three minutes into stoppage time after a cross by Brahim Diaz
- In the other two quarterfinals on Thursday, it will be Real Sociedad hosting Osasuna and Barcelona playing at Valencia
MADRID: Gonzalo Garcia scored in stoppage time as Real Madrid avoided an upset by defeating Leganes 3-2 to reach the semifinals of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday.
Madrid had taken a two-goal lead at halftime with Luka Modric and Endrick before the hosts rallied to even the match in the second half.
The 20-year-old Garcia, a striker who usually plays with Madrid’s “B” team, sealed the victory with a header three minutes into stoppage time after a cross by Brahim Diaz.
“I’m thrilled, filled with emotions. It has been a dream since I was a child and since I joined the youth teams. I’m happy to have scored the goal that gave us a place in the semifinals,” Garcia said. “It was a perfect cross by Brahim and the ball went in by itself.”
Another setback would have been troublesome for Madrid after they lost 1-0 at Espanyol in the Spanish league on Saturday for their second defeat in 15 matches across all competitions. Madrid had needed extra time to eliminate Celta Vigo at home in the round of 16 of the Copa last month.
“We suffered but we are in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “We have to be satisfied with the outcome.”
Modric opened the scoring with a strike from close range in the 18th and Endrick doubled the lead after picking up a loose ball inside the area in the 25th.
The hosts rallied with Juan Cruz converting a penalty kick in the 39th and finding the net with a shot that deflected on a defender in the 59th.
Madrid nearly moved ahead again when Díaz’s flick over the goalkeeper struck the crossbar in the 75th.
Atletico Madrid had become the first team to reach the semifinals when thy routed Getafe 5-0 at home on Tuesday with a pair of goals by Giuliano Simeone, the 22-year-old son of Atletico coach Diego Simeone.
In the other two quarterfinals on Thursday, it will be Real Sociedad hosting Osasuna and Barcelona playing at Valencia.
Madrid was depleted in defense because of recent injuries to Antonio Rüdiger and David Alaba. Eder Militão and Dani Carvajal had already been out with long-term ailments.
Ancelotti used youngsters Jacobo Ramon and Raul Asencio as the central defenders, and improvised midfielder Federico Valverde in the right back position. Valverde picked up his 200th win in 295 matches with Madrid.
Ancelotti praised the youth-squad players who came through for the main team.
“The youngsters have been doing a very good job,” Ancelotti said. “They lack experience but have been doing very well. We know that we can count on them.”
Ancelotti rested some regular starters ahead of the Spanish league derby against Atletico at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Saturday. Madrid leads Atletico by one point at the top of the standings.
Madrid last won the Copa in 2022-23. They were eliminated by Atletico in the round of 16 last season.
Leganes only made it to the Copa semifinals in 2017-18, when it was eliminated by Sevilla. It is winless in three matches in all competitions and sits in 16th place in the Spanish league.
Mathys Tel ‘100 percent’ committed to Spurs, says Postecoglou
- Postecoglou told his pre-match press conference that Tel had been right to take his time over such a major decision
- “He obviously wants to play. We’ve already shown that irrespective of age, he’ll get an opportunity here”
LONDON: Ange Postecoglou said Mathys Tel is “100 percent” committed to Tottenham after the French forward signed on loan despite reportedly rejecting a move to the club earlier in the January transfer window.
Tottenham were busy in the final hours of Monday’s deadline day as they bolstered Postecoglou’s injury-ravaged squad, bringing in Tel and defender Kevin Danso.
Bayern Munich’s Tel, 19, was also linked with Manchester United and Arsenal before opting for Tottenham, who have an option to make the move permanent in the summer transfer window.
Postecoglou, whose team take a 1-0 lead into Thursday’s League Cup semifinal second-leg at Liverpool, told his pre-match press conference that Tel had been right to take his time over such a major decision.
“It’s not so much that he rejected us or rejected anyone else,” said the Spurs manager. “Rightly so he was getting as much information as possible.”
The Australian added: “I had a conversation with him and I guess mine was purely around the football and I think he’ll find a really great place here in terms of where he is in his career.
“He obviously wants to play. We’ve already shown that irrespective of age, he’ll get an opportunity here, and the way we play will suit him.
“Certainly with what we have in the next few months and then more importantly what we’re building beyond, I thought he would be a perfect fit.”
When asked if he felt the France under-21 international was fully committed to Spurs, Postecoglou said: “Yes, 100 percent. I am more than 100 percent sure because he took so much time, was so diligent about finding out everything when he made a decision that it’s us.
“He obviously had options and that sort of gave me even more confidence that we are getting the right kind of mentality, the right kind of player.
“He is very ambitious. He’s got a great deal of self-belief and self-confidence. He feels he can reach the top of the game and he has chosen us, which is a great vindication of what we are doing.”
Tel and Danso will both be available for Thursday’s match at Anfield, but Micky van de Ven and fellow center-back Cristian Romero are set to miss out, with Postecoglou taking a “conservative” approach after the duo’s injury absences.
Tottenham are one match away from a League Cup final at Wembley as they seek to end a trophy drought that stretches back to 2008.
Former Celtic boss Postecoglou, in his second season at Tottenham, put himself under pressure earlier in the campaign when he said he “always wins things in my second year.”
But he said Premier League leaders and League Cup holders Liverpool would also be feeling the pressure.
“I don’t think Liverpool will be any less anxious than us about the fixture,” he said. “You’re in a semifinal, particularly a second leg and it’s still very tight.
“It’s a big game for both clubs so you recognize that, you embrace that but ultimately if you want to be successful these are the games you want to be involved in.”
Chelsea star Kerr ‘feared for my life’ during taxi ride
- Kerr told a jury at Kingston Crown Court on Wednesday that she had put her head out of the window when she began to feel sick
- She added the dangerous driving continued for 15 to 20 minutes
LONDON: Chelsea striker Sam Kerr said she “feared for my life” while she and her partner were in the back of a taxi moments before one of them smashed the vehicle’s rear window.
The Australia international is on trial charged with causing racially aggravated harassment to police officer Stephen Lovell during an incident in south-west London in the early hours of January 30, 2023.
It is alleged Kerr, 31, and her partner, West Ham midfielder Kristie Mewis, had been out drinking when they were driven to Twickenham Police Station by a taxi driver who complained the pair had refused to pay clean-up costs after one of them was sick, and that one of them smashed the vehicle’s rear window.
Kerr told a jury at Kingston Crown Court on Wednesday that she had put her head out of the window when she began to feel sick before the driver “rolled it up” and began to “drive dangerously.”
She added the dangerous driving continued for 15 to 20 minutes, saying: “I was terrified for my life. Everything was going through my mind about being in a car with a stranger I deemed to be dangerous. There was no reasoning with him. It was his way or nothing.
“Kristie asked him to stop the car but there was no change to his driving. We had no idea where we were.
“Kristie was very distressed. She was crying and scared. I’ve never seen her like that before and it made me more scared.
“I started to realize how serious the situation was. It put me in protective mode... he had the power over us... I deemed him to be dangerous because of the driving, but also because he could have taken us anywhere.”
Kerr said the pair tried to open the doors and windows several times, but they remained locked.
Mewis eventually “kicked out (the window) with her boot” which led Kerr to feel “relieved,” but she added: “We didn’t get out straight away as the car was still moving.”
On Tuesday, the court was told Lovell first saw Kerr as she crawled through the smashed taxi window outside the station.
A “heated” discussion about the incident ensued between Kerr and the police, during which she allegedly became “abusive and insulting” toward Lovell, calling him “stupid and white.”
Kerr made her debut for current Women’s Super League champions Chelsea in 2020. She is currently out of action with a knee injury.
On eve of his 40th birthday, Ronaldo says he is the best soccer player ever
- “I am the greatest scorer in history,” Ronaldo said in an interview with Spanish television channel La Sexta
- He had said it before, more than once, that he feels he will go out as the best ever in the history of soccer
MADRID: Cristiano Ronaldo approaches his 40th birthday with the same confidence and self-esteem as he has always boasted throughout his successful career.
Ronaldo, the former Real Madrid star who now plays for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, will turn 40 on Wednesday and apparently has no doubt about who should be considered the best soccer player ever.
“I am the greatest scorer in history,” Ronaldo said in an interview with Spanish television channel La Sexta. “Although I am not left-footed, I am in the top 10 in history for goals scored with the left foot. These are numbers, I am the most complete player who has ever existed.
“I play well with my head, I take good free kicks, I am fast, I am strong, I jump... I have never seen anyone better than me.”
The Portugal star holds most scoring records in men’s international soccer, including most appearances with 217 and most goals with 135.
He had said it before, more than once, that he feels he will go out as the best ever in the history of soccer. Whenever he was asked about the discussion of who is better, him or Lionel Messi, he always praised the Argentine but ended siding with himself.
Ronaldo’s most recent comments prompted a few reactions in the soccer world.
“I have a lot of respect for Cristiano and I don’t have to analyze his opinions. It’s what he thinks. I have my own thoughts and it isn’t that,” said Javier Mascherano, a former teammate of Messi and his current coach at Inter Miami.
