Euro 2024 final: Spain goes for record 4th title, England looks to end 58-year wait for major trophy

(From L) England's midfielder #25 Adam Wharton, England's midfielder #26 Kobbie Mainoo, England's forward #09 Harry Kane and England's defender #12 Kieran Trippier attend an MD-1 training session at the team's base camp in Blankenhain, on July 13, 2024, on the eve of their UEFA Euro 2024 final football match against Spain. (AFP)
(From L) England's midfielder #25 Adam Wharton, England's midfielder #26 Kobbie Mainoo, England's forward #09 Harry Kane and England's defender #12 Kieran Trippier attend an MD-1 training session at the team's base camp in Blankenhain, on July 13, 2024, on the eve of their UEFA Euro 2024 final football match against Spain. (AFP)
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Updated 14 July 2024
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Euro 2024 final: Spain goes for record 4th title, England looks to end 58-year wait for major trophy

Euro 2024 final: Spain goes for record 4th title, England looks to end 58-year wait for major trophy

BERLIN: Spain and England meet in the final of the European Championship on Sunday. Spain is seeking a record fourth title at the Euros to break a tie with Germany/West Germany, while England is bidding for a first major trophy in men’s soccer since the 1966 World Cup. Kickoff is at 9 p.m. local (1900 GMT) in Berlin. Here’s what to know about the match:
Match facts
— Spain will start as the favorite after winning all six of its matches at Euro 2024 and being widely regarded as the best team at the tournament. Winning the title would continue a strong period of success for Spanish national teams, with the men having captured the UEFA Nations League in June last year and the women following that up by winning the World Cup two months later.
— Lamine Yamal is Spain’s new star having set up three goals before the semifinals, where he scored a spectacular long-range strike in the victory over France — all at the age of 16. He turned 17 on Saturday, the day before the final. It is a breakthrough major tournament for Yamal, much like it was for a 19-year-old Kylian Mbappé at the 2018 World Cup and a 17-year-old Pelé at the 1958 World Cup.
— Spain last appeared in a final at a major tournament in 2012, when the team won the third of its European Championship titles by beating Italy 4-0. England played in the final of Euro 2020, which was played in 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic, and lost in a penalty shootout to Italy.
— England has shown resilience by coming from behind in all three of its knockout-stage matches at Euro 2024. Jude Bellingham scored an equalizer from an overhead kick in the fifth minute of stoppage time in the extra-time win over Slovakia in the last 16, Bukayo Saka equalized in the 80th minute against Switzerland in the quarterfinals before England won a penalty shootout, and substitute Ollie Watkins scored a winner almost exactly on 90 minutes against the Netherlands in the semifinals.
— England coach Gareth Southgate is often criticized for his in-game management but he has changed the culture inside the squad and is regularly getting the team deep at major tournaments. In Southgate’s tenure that started in 2016, England has reached the World Cup semifinals in 2018 and now back-to-back European Championship finals.
Team news
— Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said on Saturday that the injured Pedri and Ayoze Pérez are the only players unavailable, meaning captain Alvaro Morata can play. Morata was limping after the semifinal win over France when he was knocked to the ground in the post-match celebrations by a steward trying to stop a pitch invader. Right back Dani Carvajal returns from suspension, leaving de la Fuente’s only selection dilemma at center back, with Nacho or Robin Le Normand vying to partner Aymeric Laporte. Dani Olmo will likely fill in again for Pedri as Spain’s attacking central midfielder.
— Southgate has to decide who to play at left back — or left wing back — out of Kieran Trippier or Luke Shaw. Shaw is a natural on that side but has only made two appearances as a second-half substitute at Euro 2024 after recovering from an injury that had sidelined him since February. Otherwise, Southgate will choose the same players, with the 19-year-old Kobbie Mainoo having nailed down the problematic spot in central midfield alongside Declan Rice.
By the numbers
— Spain’s previous European Championship titles came in 1964, 2008 and 2012.
— There are six players on a tournament-high three goals at Euro 2024 and two are playing in the final: England captain Harry Kane and Spain playmaker Dani Olmo. The others are Georges Mikautadze of Georgia, Cody Gakpo of the Netherlands, Ivan Schranz of Slovakia and Jamal Musiala or Germany.
— It has been six years since Spain and England met in a senior men’s international. In 2018, they played a Nations League double-header, with Spain winning 2-1 at Wembley Stadium and England winning 3-2 in Sevilla a month later.
What they’re saying
— “I don’t say it becomes run of the mill but it’s a little bit more normal for us. That statement in itself is probably ridiculous given our history.” — England coach Gareth Southgate on reaching a second straight final at the Euros.
— “I would like him to work with the same humility, keep his feet on the ground in order to keep improving, learning with the same kind of attitude and that professionalism, that maturity that he shows on the pitch. He looks like a much more experienced player, to be honest.” — Spain coach Luis de la Fuente on Lamine Yamal.
 

 


David Beckham arrives in Sweden for funeral of former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson

David Beckham arrives in Sweden for funeral of former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson
Updated 12 September 2024
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David Beckham arrives in Sweden for funeral of former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson

David Beckham arrives in Sweden for funeral of former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson
  • Beckham was England’s captain under Eriksson, who was in charge of the team from 2001-06
  • Beckham was pictured in Swedish media checking into a hotel in Karlstad

KARLSTAD, Sweden: England soccer great David Beckham arrived in Sweden on Thursday ahead of the funeral of Sven-Goran Eriksson, his former national-team coach.
Eriksson died on Aug. 26 at the age of 76, eight months after he revealed he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had at most one year to live.
Beckham was England’s captain under Eriksson, who was in charge of the team from 2001-06, and visited his former coach in Sweden in June.
Swedish news agency TT reported that Beckham landed in the early evening on Thursday at Karlstad airport, which is a short drive from Torsby — a town, located about 310 kilometers (193 miles) west of Stockholm, where the funeral will take place Friday in the 600-seat Fryksande church. Beckham was pictured in Swedish media checking into a hotel in Karlstad.
Torsby is in the region of Varmland, where Eriksson grew up and died.
After the church ceremony on Friday, a musical procession will accompany the coffin that will be transported the 700 meters (766 yards) to a museum in Torsby with a large number of original wooden houses with traditional furnishings. Speeches and eulogies will be given there.
“It is an honor to be able to come to his funeral, although it is a sad day,” Roy Hodgson, another former England coach who also arrived in Torsby on Thursday, was quoted as saying by the local Warmlands Folkblad outlet.


PSG refuse League order to pay Mbappe disputed EUR55 million

PSG refuse League order to pay Mbappe disputed EUR55 million
Updated 12 September 2024
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PSG refuse League order to pay Mbappe disputed EUR55 million

PSG refuse League order to pay Mbappe disputed EUR55 million
  • The LFP oversees all matters concerning the top two tiers of football in France
  • PSG said they would seek a legal ruling elsewhere

PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain refused Thursday to pay departed striker Kylian Mbappe a disputed 55 million euros ($60.6m) despite a French league (LFP) order to do so earlier in the day.
The LFP oversees all matters concerning the top two tiers of football in France, but PSG said they would seek a legal ruling elsewhere.
The 25-year-old striker says PSG owe him 55 million euros in wages and bonuses, but the Parisians say Mbappe agreed to waive the money in August 2023.
On Thursday, the LFP commission told PSG to pay, reportedly within a week, sparking a response from the Qatari-backed club.
“Given the limits of the Commission’s legal scope to make a full decision on this matter, the case must now be pursued before another court.”
“PSG will look forward to presenting all the facts over the coming months and year.”
Lawyers representing the two parties met early on Wednesday after Mbappe, who joined Real Madrid this summer, had referred his case to the LFP’s legal committee.


Kuwait football federation suspends bosses over Iraq match chaos

Kuwait football federation suspends bosses over Iraq match chaos
Updated 12 September 2024
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Kuwait football federation suspends bosses over Iraq match chaos

Kuwait football federation suspends bosses over Iraq match chaos
  • Kuwait Football Association expressed ‘deep regret’ for ticketing and other logistical problems that marred the game on Tuesday
  • The federation said it had suspended its secretary-general, Salah Al-Qanai, and public relations boss Mohamed Bou Abbas

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s football federation has suspended one of its top bosses and its PR chief over failings that left fans in sweltering temperatures for hours during a World Cup qualifier against Iraq.
In a statement late Wednesday, the Kuwait Football Association expressed its “deep regret” for ticketing and other logistical problems that marred the game at the 60,000-capacity Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium on Tuesday.
It also said it would launch a probe into the shortcomings, which resulted in fans fainting in temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) as they pleaded with staff for water, with videos of the incidents shared on social media.
Ticketing problems also meant some fans without tickets were allowed in, while others who had purchased tickets were refused entry.
The federation said it had suspended its secretary-general, Salah Al-Qanai, and public relations boss Mohamed Bou Abbas over the “unacceptable events.”


Mbappe rejects mediation offer in $60m financial dispute with PSG

Mbappe rejects mediation offer in $60m financial dispute with PSG
Updated 12 September 2024
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Mbappe rejects mediation offer in $60m financial dispute with PSG

Mbappe rejects mediation offer in $60m financial dispute with PSG
  • Mbappe, who joined Real Madrid this summer on a free transfer, says PSG owes him €55 million ($60 million)
  • PSG has argued that it does not owe money to the World Cup winner under an agreement when Mbappe was sidelined ahead of the 2023-24 season

PARIS: Kylian Mbappe is not ready to compromise with Paris Saint-Germain.

The France superstar rejected a mediation offer by the French soccer league’s legal commission on Wednesday in his dispute with his former club over wages and bonuses.

PSG officials and Mbappe’s representatives met in Paris after Mbappe asked the commission to get involved. Mbappe, who joined Real Madrid this summer on a free transfer, says PSG owes him €55 million ($60 million).

In a statement to The Associated Press, Mbappe’s representatives said the player asked the commission to take note of the non-payment of three months’ salary and the last third of a loyalty bonus.

“The eventuality of a mediation was mentioned this morning,” the statement read. “This possibility was rejected during the meeting by the player’s representative. A mediation would be useless to record a lack of payment that would be seen from a simple analysis of the player’s payslip.”

PSG, which said it was pleased with the two-hour hearing at the commission on Wednesday, said in a statement it recalled that Mbappe had formerly made “clear, repeated public and private commitments that must be respected, having been afforded unprecedented benefits by the club over seven fantastic years in Paris.”

PSG has argued that it does not owe money to the World Cup winner under an agreement when Mbappe was sidelined ahead of the 2023-24 season — following his decision not to prolong his contract with the club — with the player allegedly stipulating that he would relinquish bonuses over his reintegration into the team.

“To avoid its payment obligation, the club seeks to demonstrate the existence of a secret agreement that would justify it. But the club fails to demonstrate the existence of such an agreement,” Mbappe’s representatives said.

PSG said that the league’s legal commission recommended “mediation between the parties,” which the club said it had been seeking for months.

The French league did not respond to a request for comments from the AP.

The player’s representatives did not say what action they will now take. In light of the current deadlock, it’s likely the case will ultimately be settled by an employment court.

Mbappe’s relationship with PSG ended amid deep tensions during his final season at the club.

PSG felt let down by Mbappe after offering him the most lucrative contract in the club’s 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 the new deal, he was paraded in front of fans holding up a jersey with 2025 on it. Mbappe was reportedly annoyed about this because the contract was until 2024 with the option for an extra year.

Mbappe stunned PSG in June last year 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 free when the contract expired.

His PSG career could have ended in the summer of 2023 amid a tense transfer standoff. After telling the club he would not extend his contract for an extra year, 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 team Al-Hilal.

PSG left Mbappe out of the team’s opening league game of that season as the standoff continued but eventually let him return to the lineup after “constructive and positive talks” between the two parties, PSG said at the time.


Argentina goalkeeper Martinez under fire for hitting TV cameraman after loss to Colombia

Argentina goalkeeper Martinez under fire for hitting TV cameraman after loss to Colombia
Updated 12 September 2024
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Argentina goalkeeper Martinez under fire for hitting TV cameraman after loss to Colombia

Argentina goalkeeper Martinez under fire for hitting TV cameraman after loss to Colombia
  • Jackson: Out of the blue he slapped me. I felt angry, very angry. I was working, just like he was
  • Footballers have been suspended from games in similar situations, and that is what Colombia’s association of sports journalists — known as ACORD — wants FIFA to do
  • Martinez and South American soccer body CONMEBOL did not make comments

BOGOTA, Colombia: A TV cameraman said Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez “slapped me” after Colombia’s 2-1 win in a World Cup qualifying match.

Jhonny Jackson told Colombian media he approached Martinez after the final whistle in Barranquilla on Tuesday as the goalkeeper greeted another player. Footage he captured shows the World Cup winner who Argentines know as Dibu hitting the camera, which quickly shakes to the ground after the impact.

“Out of the blue he slapped me,” Jackson told RCN Deportes on Wednesday. “I felt angry, very angry. I was working, just like he was. He was playing and I was shooting with my camera.”

He also sent a message to Martinez: “Dibu, my brother, how are you? I am Jhonny Jackson, the cameraman you assaulted in the match against Colombia. I wanted to tell you it is all good, my brother. Everyone has lost a match in their life. This defeat clearly meant a lot to you. But look ahead, Dibu.”

Jackson works for a company that delivers footage to channels Caracol Television and RCN Deportes.

Footballers have been suspended from games in similar situations, and that is what Colombia’s association of sports journalists — known as ACORD — wants FIFA to do. Its president Faiver Hoyos Hernandez said in a statement that Martinez attacked freedom of expression.

“As the journalistic authority in this country, ACORD wants FIFA to produce an exemplary sanction against Mr. Emiliano Dibu Martinez, who is no role model for new generations,” the statement said.

Martinez and South American soccer body CONMEBOL did not make comments.

Argentina lead the South American World Cup qualifying with 18 points after eight matches, two points ahead of Colombia. All teams have two more qualifying matches next month. The top six teams will get automatic spots at the 2026 World Cup.