STUTTGART, Germany: Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said his side may need to get creative to stop Germany’s “brutal” Toni Kroos in Friday’s Euro 2024 quarter final in Stuttgart.
“We thought about tying Kroos feet together, but I’m not sure if UEFA will let me,” the 63-year-old coach joked in Stuttgart on Thursday.
“We know how Kroos behaves. We will try and make sure he doesn’t have the chance to receive the ball and will limit his passing options.
“We’ll appeal to UEFA to see if we can tie him down.”
Spain head into Friday’s clash as the only side at Euro 2024 who have won every game, with four wins from four.
Hosts Germany are however not far behind, having won three and drawn one on their way to the quarter final.
De la Fuente called Kroos “a world-class player, a footballer playing at a brutal level.
“He brought talent, charisma and quality into the dressing room. The confidence he transmits to the other players is contagious and has been very good for Germany.
“It’s a pity he’s leaving football because I love to watch him play.”
Germany and Spain are the equal most successful sides in Euros history, with both having won three Euros titles.
The Spanish coach however said the winner on Friday would not become the favorite to win the final in Berlin on July 14.
“No, there are other powerful teams. Nothing is free here — the closer you get to the final, the best will remain.
“We don’t see ourselves as favorites, we see ourselves as a strong team who want to fight for everything and fight until the end.”
Germany captain Ilkay Gundogan said a passionate home crowd in Stuttgart “could be the difference” between the two form sides at the competition, but de la Fuente said it could work to Spain’s advantage.
“At this level, home-field advantage doesn’t have much influence. My players are professionals and will not be intimidated by the hostile environment.
“Sometimes, that factor goes against the home team.”
Spain captain Dani Carvajal, who has played alongside Kroos at Real for a decade, said he “hadn’t spoken to him — I’ll wait until tomorrow.
“As the manager said, I hope we can tie him down. It’ll be a very special match for him.”
‘Tie his shoes together’: Spain wary of ‘brutal’ Kroos
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‘Tie his shoes together’: Spain wary of ‘brutal’ Kroos
- “We thought about tying Kroos feet together, but I’m not sure if UEFA will let me,” the 63-year-old coach joked in Stuttgart on Thursday
- “We will try and make sure he doesn’t have the chance to receive the ball and will limit his passing options”
Man Utd seek to finish off Athletic Bilbao in chase for Europa glory
- United have now suffered their highest number of league defeats in a campaign for 35 years
- “Thursday is the most important game. The end of this season is very important,” Amorim said
MANCHESTER: Manchester United are preparing for the second leg of their Europa League semifinal against Athletic Bilbao knowing only a calamity will prevent a likely showdown with Tottenham later this month.
Ruben Amorim’s men came away from the first leg in northern Spain last week with one foot firmly in the final, also in Bilbao, after an impressive 3-0 win.
It was an extraordinary result in a season of ceaseless turmoil at United and the club reverted to type on Sunday, crashing to their 16th Premier League loss of a miserable season at Brentford.
United have now suffered their highest number of league defeats in a campaign for 35 years.
They are 15th in the Premier League — on course for their worst finish since they were relegated in 1974, though this time they are safe from the drop.
Amorim has made no secret of his priorities for the rest of the season, making eight changes to his starting team at Brentford, naming the third-youngest side in Premier League history.
“We are losing games in the Premier League, we are fighting for the Europa League, so we need to accept that and to think about Thursday as the most important game for us,” said the Portuguese boss.
“Thursday is the most important game. The end of this season is very important.”
This season and next hang on whether United can complete the job against Athletic and go on to win the final against Tottenham or Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt, with Spurs 3-1 up after the first leg in London.
Winning the competition would not make up for a disastrous Premier League campaign but it would bring a place in the 2025/26 Champions League — a potential game-changer for United financially and for their ability to attract top players.
Former Sporting Lisbon boss Amorim admits that even though winning the Europa League is crucial, his team are not ready to balance the demands of the Premier League and the Champions League.
“We know that, but we need to win, and we need to fight to win this competition (Europa League), to give something to our fans, and to go to the Champions League,” he told Sky Sports.
“Then we will have time to prepare the team to cope with those two competitions. So, it is a dilemma, but we want to win, of course.”
Amorim has had a nightmare start to his United reign — only relegated sides Ipswich, Leicester and Southampton have won fewer Premier League matches than United’s tally of six since he replaced the sacked Eric ten Hag in November.
That they are even on the brink of the Europa League final is thanks largely to inspirational captain Bruno Fernandes, who scored two goals in Bilbao in a match in which United were helped by the first-half dismissal of Athletic defender Dani Vivian.
The Portugal international’s 31 goal involvements in 32 knockout-stage appearances in the Europa League (19 goals, 12 assists), are the most of any player in the history of the competition since it was rebranded in 2009.
If Tottenham complete the job in Norway and United progress, they would compete in the sixth all-English final in the Champions League or Europa League.
Spurs themselves have had a traumatic season in the Premier League — they are one place below United with an eye-catching 19 defeats in 35 games.
But Ange Postecoglou still has the chance to make good on his claim that he always wins a trophy in his second season at a club by collecting Tottenham’s first silverware since 2008.
If either English club go on to win the Europa League there would be six Premier League teams in next season’s Champions League.
Trump vows ‘seamless’ experience for 2026 World Cup fans
- Vice President JD Vance, the vice-chair of the World Cup task force, said while foreign visitors would be welcome they would have to leave at the end of the tournament
- Infantino, the president of football’s world governing body, said his organization had “full and entire” confidence in the Trump administration to help deliver a successful tournament
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that all fans from across the globe would be welcome at the 2026 World Cup despite concerns over his border crackdown impacting the tournament.
Trump, who has appointed himself chairman of the White House task force for the tournament, said visitors to the US could expect a “seamless” experience.
The US is co-hosting the 2026 World Cup with neighboring Canada and Mexico.
“We can’t wait to welcome soccer fans from all over the globe,” Trump said at a White House briefing alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
“Every part of the US government will be working to ensure that these events are safe and successful, and those traveling to America to watch the competition have a seamless experience during every part of their visit.”
Foreign traveler arrivals in the US are expected to decline by 5.1 percent in 2025, according to one recent study by Tourism Economics.
The World Tourism Forum Institute has said a mix of stringent US immigration policies and global political tensions could “significantly affect” international arrivals.
Vice President JD Vance, the vice-chair of the World Cup task force, said while foreign visitors would be welcome they would have to leave at the end of the tournament.
“I know we’ll have visitors, probably from close to 100 countries. We want them to come. We want them to celebrate. We want them to watch the game,” Vance told Tuesday’s briefing. “But when the time is up, they’ll have to go home.”
Infantino, the president of football’s world governing body, said his organization had “full and entire” confidence in the Trump administration to help deliver a successful tournament.
“The entire world will focus on the United States of America, and America welcomes the world,” Infantino told the meeting. “Everyone who wants to come here to enjoy, to have fun, to celebrate the game will be able to do that.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said US officials were using next month’s FIFA Club World Cup as a testing ground for the World Cup, stating that the US expected 2 million overseas visitors.
“We’re processing those travel documents and visa applications already ... that is obviously going to be a precursor to what we can do next year for the World Cup as well,” Noem said. “It is all being facilitated.”
Trump, meanwhile, said he was confident of working closely with Canada and Mexico despite his broiling trade disputes with the two World Cup co-hosts.
“I don’t see any tension either,” Trump said, shortly after meeting Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney. “We get along very well with both.”
Inter beats Barcelona 4-3 after extra time to reach another Champions League final
- Substitute Davide Frattesi was the extra-time hero for Inter, firing home in the 99th minute to leave the Barcelona players slumped to the ground
MILAN: Inter Milan beat Barcelona 4-3 after extra time in another rollercoaster encounter Tuesday to reach a second Champions League final in three years.
In the end it took extra time, two astonishing Barcelona fightbacks and 13 goals — some of them mesmerizing — to separate the two sides and see Inter prevail 7-6 on aggregate.
Substitute Davide Frattesi was the extra-time hero for Inter, firing home in the 99th minute to leave the Barcelona players slumped to the ground and all his Nerazzurri teammates — including those on the bench — racing to celebrate with him.
Moments earlier, Frattesi had been encouraging the already loud San Siro crowd to make more noise and the atmosphere grew even more feverish after his strike.
Inter, which lost the final to Manchester City in 2023, will face either Paris Saint-Germain or Arsenal in Munich on May 31. PSG beat Arsenal 1-0 in London last week in their first match.
There was little sign of the drama to come at halftime, with Inter comfortably leading 2-0 after Lautaro Martínez scored and earned a penalty, which was converted by Hakan Çalhanoğlu.
But Barcelona had been in that position before, having gone 2-0 down early in the first leg last week before securing a thrilling 3-3 draw.
And Eric García scored nine minutes after the break before Dani Olmo headed in the equalizer six minutes later.
Raphina appeared to have secured the win for Barcelona when he put the Spanish side ahead two minutes before full time, tucking away the rebound after Yann Sommer had saved his initial shot.
However, 37-year-old Francesco Acerbi astonishingly leveled in stoppage time — with his first goal in European competition — to add another 30 minutes onto the tantalizing encounter.
Frattesi had proved crucial off the substitutes’ bench before, both for Italy and Inter, and so he was again, controlling Mehdi Taremi’s pass and dummying round Pau Cubarsí before curling past Wojciech Szczęsny.
Barcelona almost leveled again but Sommer made a fingertip save to push Lamine Yamal’s shot past his post.
Bayern keeper Urbig eyes another title after winning Bundesliga
- The 21-year-old could end up collecting a second title with second-tier club Cologne
- Urbig made 10 appearances for them this season
BERLIN: Bayern Munich keeper Jonas Urbig celebrated his first Bundesliga title on Sunday with his team sitting eight points clear at the top with two games left to play.
But the 21-year-old, who is first choice at Bayern with Manuel Neuer injured, could end up collecting a second title with second-tier club Cologne.
Urbig made 10 appearances for them this season before his January transfer to Bayern. Cologne are second in the standings, a point behind leaders Hamburg SV with two matches remaining.
“I am in very good contact with the lads and I would be extremely happy if Cologne win the second division title,” Urbig said.
Only two players have previously achieved this feat, Pasi Rautiainen with Bayern Munich and Werder Bremen in the 1980/81 season and Frank Hartmann in 1986/87, with Bayern Munich and Hannover 96.
Saudi Arabia to host Youth National Teams Championship during summer
- Eight Gulf football national teams will be divided into two groups
- The tournament marks the first age-category competition held under the supervision of GCFF
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia will host the first Youth National Teams Championship between Aug. 28 and Sept. 9 with the participation of eight Gulf teams, the Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation announced on Tuesday.
The new tournament will see participating teams divided into two groups, each consisting of four teams.
Each group’s top two teams will advance to the semifinals, according to a media statement, which added that the details regarding the draw dates will be announced soon.
The tournament marks the first age-category competition held under the supervision of the AGCFF.
It is also a step aimed at supporting and progressing the base of youth tournaments and reinforcing the focus on promising young players as the core foundation of the future of Gulf football.
The AGCFF is a regional sports organization dedicated to organizing and developing football in the Arabian Gulf region, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE, Qatar, Iraq, Oman and Yemen. It has been best known for organizing the Arabian Gulf Cup, one of the region’s most prominent sporting events.
The idea of establishing the federation began with preparatory meetings held in 2015 under the name Gulf Football Federation. In May 2016, it was officially founded under the name Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation, reflecting its close connection to the oldest sports tournament in the region, the Gulf Cup.
