Former Tottenham and England midfielder Paul Gascoigne is recovering at home after being released...

Former Tottenham and England midfielder Paul Gascoigne is recovering at home after being released from hospital.The 58-year-old, who lives in Poole, on England's south coast, was admitted to intensive care on Friday after being found semi-conscious by a friend.However, his management company has confirmed he has now been discharged.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"Paul voluntarily went into A&amp;E (Accident and Emergency) on Friday after struggling with a throat condition (not by ambulance) he has had for a while," said a statement from the MNT Agency. "He is already back home and doing well."Gascoigne, who won 57 caps for his country, was discovered by Steve Foster, who works as his driver and personal assistant.He was treated by intensive care staff and later moved to an acute medical unit, where his condition was said to be stable, and he has since been released.One of the most naturally gifted footballers of his generation, Gascoigne played for Newcastle, Tottenham, Lazio, Rangers, Middlesbrough and Everton.He became a global star after his eye-catching performances at the 1990 World Cup in Italy, where England reached the semi-finals, and he also impressed at Euro 96.The midfielder's issues with alcohol addiction and depression are well-documented and he has suffered a series of health problems in recent years.In 2020, Gascoigne said he had turned his life around after having anti-alcohol pellets sewn into his stomach.But last year, he admitted on the High Performance podcast that he was a "sad drunk" living in a spare room at the home of his agent.

Rangers' Paul Gascoigne before the 150th Anniversary match at the Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow. Picture date: Saturday March 26, 2022.

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England icon Gascoigne released from hospital after collapse at home

Last season's Serie A top goal-scorer Mateo Retegui has joined Al-Qadsiah from Atalanta, the Saud...

Last season's Serie A top goal-scorer Mateo Retegui has joined Al-Qadsiah from Atalanta, the Saudi club announced on Monday.According to Italian media Al-Qadsiah have paid more than 60 million euros ($70 million) for the Italy attacker but the length of his deal has not been revealed.The 26-year-old scored 25 goals in the league last season having joined Atalanta in 2024.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"El Matador. Al-Qadsiah's new power," the club said on social media.Argentina-born Retegui replaces ex-Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has reportedly agreed a move back to Marseille.

Reggio Emilia, Italy - June 9: Mateo Retegui of Italy looks on during the FIFA 2026 Qualifier match between Italy and Moldova at Mapei Stadium on June 9, 2025 in Reggio Emilia, Italy.

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Retegui leaves Atalanta for Al-Qadsiah in deal reportedly worth over €60M

Gritty Germany reached the Women's Euro 2025 semi-finals on Saturday after prevailing 6-5 in a pe...

Gritty Germany reached the Women's Euro 2025 semi-finals on Saturday after prevailing 6-5 in a penalty shootout against France after playing with 10 women for almost all of a gruelling match which finished 1-1 after extra time.Ann-Katrin Berger was the hero by saving Amel Majri and Alice Sombath's penalties to secure a last-four clash with Spain. Germany will take on the world champions in Zurich on Wednesday.Germany maintained their record of having never lost to France in a major summer tournament after battling back from going a goal and a woman down in the first 15 minutes to win a bruising encounter in Basel.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"I would have loved to have had the game in 90 minutes and done and dusted," Berger told reporters."I did my part of the game. In 120 minutes they (the team) worked incredibly hard and I think all the credit should go to the team, not me."Maybe it was the decisive moment in the penalty shootout but everyone here should talk about it with him (coach Christian Wueck) now about the performance of the team because that was amazing and incredible."St Jacob's Park was dominated by fierce German support which flocked over the nearby border with Switzerland and roared their team on even after Kathrin Hendrich was sent off and gave away the penalty from which Grace Geyoro opened the scoring.Sjoeke Nuesken -- who also missed a penalty in the second half -- levelled the score 10 minutes later and, after a long battle to hold off France, Berger sent the majority of the crowd wild.France have now fallen at the quarter-finals stage in eight of their last 10 Euros after losing a match in which they had two goals ruled out for offside."I don't think it was down to character, you have to remember that Germany are third in the FIFA rankings. They sat back and it was hard to break them down -- they put in a huge effort against us," said France coach Laurent Bonadei."We couldn't make the difference, we had two goals ruled out for offside... it's a lack of being clinical in front of goal."Germany came into the match already missing key defenders Giulia Gwinn and Carlotta Wamser, to injury and suspension respectively, while star striker Lea Schueller was also surprisingly left on the bench.And the Germans' task was made even harder in the 13th minute when Hendrich inexplicably pulled Griedge Mbock's hair while defending a free-kick.But out of nowhere Nuesken drew a huge roar from the fans when she rose, completely unmarked, to glance home Klara Buehl's inswinging corner.From there Germany were content to sit back and hold France off by fair means or foul, and they were saved from being behind at the break by Delphone Cascarino needlessly straying offside before flicking home Kadidiatou Diani's low cross.That was one of the few decent attacks France managed to conjure up with an extra woman, and they continued to struggle after the break.Even when Geyoro had the ball in the net for the second time, lashing home on the rebound after a fine save from Ann-Katrin Berger, the goal was ruled out as Maelle Lakrar impeded the Germany goalkeeper while in an offside position.And Pauline Peyraud-Magnin saved France's skin when she kept out Nuesken's awful penalty in the 69th minute, given for a soft foul on Jule Brand.But it was Berger who made possibly the save of the tournament 12 minutes into extra time when she somehow clawed out Janina Minge's inadvertent header and stopped Germany going out with an own goal.Berger could only watch as Melvine Malard shook the crossbar with almost the last kick of the game before the shootout, in which Majri and Sombath both had weak efforts saved and allowed Germany to win against all odds.

Germany players celebrate after winning the penalty shoot-out during the UEFA Women's Euro 2025 quarter-final match at St. Jakob-Park in Basel, Switzerland. Picture date: Saturday July 19, 2025.

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Germany overcomes early red card to oust France, reach Euro 2025 semis

Spain reached the semi-finals of Women's Euro 2025 on Friday after battling past Switzerland 2-0 ...

Spain reached the semi-finals of Women's Euro 2025 on Friday after battling past Switzerland 2-0 as the world champions continued their bid for a first-ever European crown.Athenea del Castillo and Claudia Pina scored the goals in the second half in Bern to give La Roja deserved passage to the last four where they will face either France or Germany on Wednesday.But Montse Tome's team didn't have it all their own way as hosts Switzerland put up a brave fight in front of a passionate crowd at the Wankdorf Stadium.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The Swiss survived an early scare when Mariona Caldentey shot wide a ninth-minute penalty and from there did a great job in gumming up Spain's usually free-flowing football.Pia Sundhage's players acquitted themselves brilliantly in their home tournament and were given a loud round of applause from the majority of the nearly 30,000 supporters.The Swiss, who finished the match with 10 women after Noelle Maritz was sent off in the final minute, had never progressed past the group stage of a Euros before and in the end Spain proved to be too much for the team ranked 23rd in the world.Spain meanwhile overcame a serious test of patience before their superior quality eventually prevailed, with Alexia Putellas' wasted penalty late on changing nothing.An already raucous home crowd roared with delight when Caldentey scuffed wide her spot-kick after the Arsenal forward was brought down by Nadine Riesen.But that didn't discourage Spain who dealt well with the fervent atmosphere and some fierce tackling but struggled to find a way through the home team's packed defence.The efforts that Spain did have on goal were wayward with a series of potshots and blocked efforts before Irene Paredes headed Pina's corner onto the post two minutes before half-time.The same pattern continued after the break with Spain probing and bumping against both a Swiss wall and the woodwork.Patri Guijarro headed another corner onto the post and in the ensuing scramble Esther Gonzalez somehow contrived to strike the other post in front of an open goal.It didn't look like it was going to be Spain's night but del Castillo finally made the breakthrough in the 66th minutes -- four minute after replacing Caldentey -- collecting Aitana Bonmati's through ball and rolling home the goal which ended Switzerland's spirited resistance.Pina whipped home a wonderful second goal five minutes later and that was that for the Swiss, who at least had one more thing to cheer for when Livia Peng pushed out Putellas' weak spot-kick with two minutes remaining.

BERN, SWITZERLAND - JULY 18: Players of Spain celebrate after scoring the team's first goal during the UEFA Women's EURO 2025 Quarter-Final match between Spain v Switzerland at Stadion Wankdorf on July 18, 2025 in Bern, Switzerland.

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Spain sees off spirited Swiss to reach Euro 2025 semifinals

Thomas Frank said he wanted to take Tottenham Hotspur to "new heights" during his first press con...

Thomas Frank said he wanted to take Tottenham Hotspur to "new heights" during his first press conference on Friday as the club's manager.The 51-year-old Dane joined from Brentford after Spurs sacked Ange Postecoglou after the Australian guided Spurs to Europa League glory -- their first major trophy in 17 years -- but also presided over the club's worst top-flight campaign since 1976-77.But while Frank was generally upbeat about his desire to improve upon Spurs' dismal 17th-placed finish in the Premier League that included 22 defeats in 38 games, he made no guarantees over the future of Son Heung-min and was guarded concerning the club's pursuit of Morgan Gibbs-White.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>He did confirm club skipper Son and vice-captain Cristian Romero, who have both been linked with a move away from Tottenham during the transfer window, would feature in Saturday's friendly at Reading.But Frank added he had yet to decide on the captaincy, despite Son skippering Spurs to their Europa League final win over Manchester United in May."Two top players, Sonny, been here 10 years, finally got his well-deserved trophy in the summer, so important for the team and the club. Cristian Romero, World Cup winner, Europa League winner, Copa America winner, very, very important for us as well," said Frank.He added: "I haven't decided anything on that (captaincy). I have a long list of bullet points I need to get through and I take them in the right order."He (Son) was the captain last year and when we play two 45s (halves of 45 minutes each) tomorrow, Son and Romero will be the two captains, but I haven't made a final decision."As for Gibbs-White, Tottenham were thought to have triggered the £60 million ($80 million) release clause in the England midfielder's contract at Nottingham Forest.But Forest have accused Spurs of contacting Gibbs-White directly before going to the club and his future remains uncertain."I will not speak about players who are not mine," said Frank. "I think I have two exceptions and they are getting older –- (Cristiano) Ronaldo and (Lionel) Messi."<h3>'More risk in my daily life'</h3>Frank joked he only came to Spurs to be sacked. He also guaranteed they will still lose matches, which was followed by a mention of the unbeaten 2003-04 campaign enjoyed by Arsenal, Tottenham's arch-rivals."One thing is 100 percent sure, we will lose football matches," he said. "I haven't seen a team that is not losing any football matches. There is Arsenal, that we can't mention, in the Premier League. So I made my first rookie mistake there!"He added: "I have the privilege of I have never been sacked before. That is one of the reasons why I took the job. I get a little bit more risk in my daily life."Frank, however, paid tribute to Postecoglou's time at Spurs by saying: "First and foremost, I have said that before, Ange will forever be a legend here at Tottenham. He is one of three who has won a European trophy and the first in 41 years. Unbelievable, fantastic achievement."It is now nearly 65 years since Spurs were last crowned champions of England, winning both the old First Division and the FA Cup in the 1960-61 season."Going into a new season and in football, it's about dreaming and hoping," said Frank. "That's what we do."I'll do everything every day to work towards hopefully taking this club to new heights –- that's the ambition."

BRENTFORD, ENGLAND - MAY 18: Thomas Frank, Manager of Brentford, acknowledges the fans after the Premier League match between Brentford FC and Fulham FC at Gtech Community Stadium on May 18, 2025 in Brentford, England.

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Frank prepared to take Tottenham to 'new heights'

Barcelona abandoned their plan to return to their Camp Nou home in August on Friday, pushing the ...

Barcelona abandoned their plan to return to their Camp Nou home in August on Friday, pushing the stadium's re-opening back further.The Catalan giants had planned to play a friendly match on August 10 as the first game in their stadium after two years of construction work, but blamed difficulty in obtaining a license to partially open the stadium for their decision."Barcelona informs that the first match back at the Spotify Camp Nou has been suspended," said the club in a statement.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"Because of the magnitude of the work done it was impossible to meet all the requirements demanded by the regulations governing the granting of the first occupancy license, despite the club's willingness to open Spotify Camp Nou in sections."The first match at the Camp Nou is now set to be the La Liga game against Valencia on September 13 or 14, with Barca's first three league matches away from home.However Barcelona did not state whether they can guarantee they will be able to open the stadium for the fixture, or potentially a home Champions League tie before then.Barca said the friendly they had planned, reported to be against Italian side Como, will take place instead at the Johan Cruyff stadium beside their training ground.Barcelona have played at the Olympic Stadium on the city's Montjuic hill over the past two seasons during the development at the Camp Nou.The club initially planned to return to the Camp Nou in November 2024 to mark the club's 125th anniversary but the stadium opening has been repeatedly delayed.Capacity at the Camp Nou will be around 60,000 until works are eventually completed, planned to be next summer, with the stadium expanded to 105,000 seats.Barcelona are estimated to be paying 1.5 billion euros ($1.75 billion) for the Camp Nou rebuild project.

A general view shows the construction site of the Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona on May 23, 2025.

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Barcelona scrap planned Camp Nou return in August

Italian champions Napoli completed their latest signing on Friday with the arrival of Udinese for...

Italian champions Napoli completed their latest signing on Friday with the arrival of Udinese forward Lorenzo Lucca.Lucca's move to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona comes 24 hours after the Serie A club secured Dutch attacker Noa Lang from PSV Eindhoven."Napoli announces that it has loaned Lorenzo Lucca with a purchase obligation," the club confirmed.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Local media report that the deal is costing Napoli 35 million euros including nine million for the initial loan, for the forward who earned the first of his five caps for Italy last October.Lucca, 24, the scorer of 12 league goals for Udinese last season, will be competing for a place alongside Romelu Lukaku, Matteo Politano, Giacomo Raspadori, Giovanni Simeone, and Noa.He joined Udinese in 2023 after spells with Palermo and Pisa in Italy and Ajax in the Netherlands.

FLORENCE, ITALY - DECEMBER 23: Lorenzo Lucca of Udinese celebrates his goal during the Serie A match between Fiorentina and Udinese at Stadio Artemio Franchi on December 23, 2024 in Florence, Italy.

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Napoli sign Lucca from Udinese in deal reportedly worth €35M

England roared into the semifinals of Women's Euro 2025 on Thursday after coming back from two go...

England roared into the semifinals of Women's Euro 2025 on Thursday after coming back from two goals down and then beating Sweden 3-2 on penalties to continue their title defence. Smilla Holmberg blasted over from the spot in an eventful shootout in Zurich after the match finished 2-2 after extra time thanks to Lucy Bronze and Michelle Agyemang's quick-fire strikes just as England looked to be limping out of the tournament.The reigning European champions were staring at elimination with 11 minutes remaining in normal time after Kosovare Asllani, who opened the scoring with her 50th international goal in the second minute, and Stina Blackstenius shot Sweden into a two-goal lead at half-time.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>But Sarina Wiegman's team will face Italy, who are in the last four for the first time since 1997, in Geneva on Tuesday after a sensational comeback."That was one of the hardest games I have ever watched. We could have been out four or five times," Wiegman told the BBC. "We started badly. We didn't create anything so we changed shape and we scored two goals which was crazy. The shootout, we missed a lot but they missed more and we're through."Defeat ended Sweden's bid for a first major honour since winning the first official Euros back in 1984, Peter Gerhardsson's team falling in the most painful of fashions.England scored 10 goals in their final two Group D matches to reach the last eight but showed none of that attacking flair in the early stages at the Letzigrund Stadium.Sweden were on the front foot from the off and somehow it was no surprise when Asllani drilled home her opener after just one minute and 46 seconds, the attacking midfielder being completely free to collect Blackstenius' lay-off and score.Jess Carter's loose pass led to that goal and moments later goalkeeper Hannah Hampton almost gifted Blackstenius her third goal of the tournament after miscontrolling the ball and allowing the Arsenal striker to bear down on an open goal before Leah Williamson slid in to cut out the danger.Lauren Hemp's shot was brilliantly tipped onto the bar by Jennifer Falk but that was a rare bright spot in a dismal opening half for England, who were deservedly two behind at the break.Blackstenius showed how lethal she can be in the 25th minute when she raced in behind a dozing English defence, collected Julia Zigiotti Olme's pass, held off Carter and slotted home.England were brighter after the restart and Hemp should have halved the deficit when she failed to direct Lauren James' cross on target.And Bronze gave England hope by heading home Chloe Kelly's searching cross in the 79th minute before Agyemang reacted quickest to a loose ball and prodded England level.Extra time passed without much incident and that left the shootout in which a parade of poor penalties, nine of which were missed, ended with Holmberg ballooning her effort way over and ending her team's year-long unbeaten run.

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND - JULY 17: Esme Morgan of England (C) celebrates after Smilla Holmberg of Sweden (not pictured) misses the team's seventh penalty in the penalty shoot out which results in an England victory and progression to the semi finals following the UEFA Women's EURO 2025 Quarter-Final match between Sweden and England at Stadion Letzigrund on July 17, 2025 in Zurich, Switzerland.

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England into Euro 2025 semis after surreal shootout win over Sweden

An investigation has been opened into potentially fraudulent payments made by Kylian Mbappe to fi...

An investigation has been opened into potentially fraudulent payments made by Kylian Mbappe to five police officers assigned to protect the French national football team, the public prosecutor's office told AFP on Thursday.The probe comes after a tip-off from the French finance ministry's anti-money laundering unit, which reported "unusual financial transactions" benefitting the five police officers."Investigations, which are by their very nature complex in the case of financial transactions, are underway in order to establish whether any criminal offences have been committed," the public prosecutor's office said.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>French investigative weekly Le Canard Enchaine on Wednesday reported that the France national team captain's money was used to "pay under the table for private services", to the tune of 180,300 euros ($209,000).The Real Madrid striker's entourage issued a statement saying "everything was done in compliance with the rules".It added that Mbappe had "always chosen to donate in full his bonuses" for playing for France at international level. "It's what he did after the 2022 World Cup, with complete transparency," the statement continued, saying the money went to charitable organisations and security personnel that accompanied the team.

05 June 2025, Baden-Württemberg, Stuttgart: Soccer, Nations League A, Spain - France, play-off round, semi-final, Stuttgart Arena, France's Kylian Mbappé reacts with disappointment. Photo: Marijan Murat/dpa

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Report: Mbappe investigated for potentially fraudulent payments to police

Serie A champions Napoli announced Thursday the signing of Netherlands attacker Noa Lang from PSV...

Serie A champions Napoli announced Thursday the signing of Netherlands attacker Noa Lang from PSV Eindhoven."SSC Napoli announces that it has definitively acquired the registration of the player Noa Noell Lang from PSV Eindhoven," the Serie A outfit wrote in a short statement on their website.According to Italian media, Napoli have paid 25 million euros ($29 million) for the 26-year-old who is the second high-profile player to leave PSV within the last week following Malik Tillman's move to Bayer Leverkusen.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Lang came through the ranks at Ajax, before joining Belgian side Club Brugge in October 2020 on loan, later making the move permanent the following summer. In 2023, Lang signed for PSV where he would go on to make 63 appearances in all competitions, scoring 19 goals and creating 14 more.During his time with PSV he won two Eredivisie titles, in addition to the brace of Belgian league titles he collected at Brugge.Noa boasts 14 caps for the Netherlands, scoring three goals and laying on two assists for the Oranje.The addition of the diminutive winger follows on from Napoli's acquisition of Kevin De Bruyne from Manchester City -- Italy's biggest transfer of the summer.Napoli are also in advanced negotiations with Udinese to sign another attacker in Italy international Lorenzo Lucca (35 million euros) and are targeting Bologna's Dutch defender Sam Beukema (30 million euros). Napoli, crowned Italian champions for the fourth time in their history last season, hope to finance these arrivals with the permanent transfer of Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen to Galatasaray for a fee of 75 million euros.

GRONINGEN - Noa Lang of Netherlands celebrates the goal during the World Cup qualifier between the Netherlands and Malta at the Euroborg stadium on June 10, 2025 in Groningen, Netherlands. ANP COR LASKER

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Napoli sign Dutch winger Noa Lang from PSV

Cristiana Girelli shot Italy into the semi-finals of Women's Euro 2025 on Wednesday with a brace,...

Cristiana Girelli shot Italy into the semi-finals of Women's Euro 2025 on Wednesday with a brace, including a last-gasp winner, in the Azzurre's historic 2-1 triumph over Norway. Italy will play one of holders England or Sweden in the last four next Tuesday after Girelli headed home the decisive goal in the final minute in Geneva.The Italians hadn't reached last four of a Euros since losing the final to Germany in 1997 and will be a tough nut to crack after seeing off Norway, who have two of the women's game's biggest stars in Ada Hegerberg and Caroline Graham Hansen.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Hegerberg, who also missed a penalty, netted for the Norwegians in the 66th minute after Girelli opened the scoring five minutes after half-time.Juventus forward Girelli, 35, has now scored 61 times for her country, with Wednesday's double probably the most important goals of her career.<figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🎥 The moment that has sent Italy into the semi-finals 😲🇮🇹<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WEURO2025?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WEURO2025</a> || <a href="https://twitter.com/AzzurreFIGC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AzzurreFIGC</a> <a href="https://t.co/oTPFTlCTeE">pic.twitter.com/oTPFTlCTeE</a>— UEFA Women's EURO 2025 (@WEURO2025) <a href="https://twitter.com/WEURO2025/status/1945605415368044946?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2025</a>
</blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure>The Norwegians were pioneers of modern women's football and the first country to win the World Cup, European Championship and Olympics but have fallen behind since triumphing at the Sydney Games.Now managed by Gemma Grainger, Norway haven't reached the semi-finals of a major tournament since losing the final of the 2013 Euros.Italy were the better side for large chunks of the match but continued to squander chances just as they did while qualifying from Group B behind Spain.Arianna Caruso was the the first to fluff her lines in the ninth minute when after bundling her way into the penalty area she scuffed a great opportunity wide.Girelli then stopped Emma Severini from heading home Barbara Bonansea's inviting cross in the 20th minute by challenging for the same ball even though she had little chance of getting an effort on target.And moments later Severini hit a weak shot at Norway goalkeeper Cecilie Fiskerstrand after being sent clean through by Caruso's superb first-time pass.And Hegerberg almost made Italy pay in the 37th minute when Thea Bjelde's deflected low cross struck her thigh and dribbled wide in front of an open goal.Girelli finally gave Italy their deserved lead by prodding home Sofia Cantore's mishit shot, but going behind seemed to wake Norway up and as she did in their first Group A match against Switzerland, Hegerberg both won and then shot wide a penalty.The former Ballon d'Or winner made up for her horrendous mistake six minutes later when she pounced on hesitant goalkeeping from Laura Giuliani to poke home the leveller.Both teams traded blows from that point but it looked like extra time was nailed on until Girelli struck at the last, perfectly guiding home Cantore's searching cross and giving Italy a date with one of the tournament favourites in the next round.

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - JULY 16: Cristiana Girelli of Italy celebrates scoring her team's second goal during the UEFA Women's EURO 2025 Quarter-Final match between Norway and Italy at Stade de Geneve on July 16, 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland.

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Girelli's 90th-minute goal sends Italy to Euro 2025 semifinals

Young Barcelona star Lamine Yamal inherited the club's number 10 shirt, previously worn by all-ti...

Young Barcelona star Lamine Yamal inherited the club's number 10 shirt, previously worn by all-time great Lionel Messi, on Wednesday."Messi made his path and I will make mine," Yamal told reporters at an event at the club shop at the Spotify Camp Nou stadium."I will work as hard as I can, give everything and try to make those Barca fans who are there happy and those who are at home."<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The 18-year-old winger, often compared to the Argentine superstar who also came through the club's La Masia youth academy, helped the Catalan giants win a domestic treble last season.He signed a new contract with Barcelona until 2031 in May, becoming one of the best paid players at the club."I hope to enjoy myself more than last year and make my dreams come true," continued Yamal, who said he wanted to win the Champions League with the Catalan giants, and also the World Cup with Spain.Yamal has scored 25 goals for the club in over 100 appearances, making his debut in 2023 at the age of 15 wearing the number 41 shirt."Barca is my life, I've been here since I was seven, for all kids from La Masia their dream is to make it to the first team and I'm doing it and I have to keep working," said Yamal."When I was little I dreamed of being at Barca and having this number."After a season wearing the 27, last summer Yamal followed in Messi's footsteps by taking the number 19, which the Argentine wore at the club between 2005 and 2008.Ansu Fati inherited Messi's number 10 shirt in 2021, when now Inter Miami player left Barca for Paris Saint-Germain.Beset by a series of injuries Fati was unable to fulfil his potential at Barca and signed on loan for Monaco earlier in July.Other star names including Diego Maradona, Ronaldinho and Rivaldo have worn the Barcelona number 10 shirt in the past."(Messi, Maradona, Ronaldinho) are three legends of football, three legends of this club," said Yamal."I am grateful for what they gave the club and I will try to continue this legacy."Yamal made headlines after celebrating his 18th birthday last weekend with a private event involving hired entertainers with dwarfism.Spain's Ministry of Social Rights asked the public prosecutor to investigate the party after a complaint from the Association for People with Achondroplasia and Other Skeletal Dysplasias (ADEE)."In the end I work for Barca, I play for Barca, but when I'm away from (the club) I enjoy my life, and that's all," he added.

Barcelona's Spanish forward Lamine Yamal poses holding his new #10 jersey at the Camp Nou stadium's shop on July 16, 2025 in Barcelona. Young Barcelona star Lamine Yamal inherited the club's number 10 shirt, previously worn by all-time great Lionel Messi, today. The 18-year-old winger, often compared to the Argentine superstar who also came through the club's La Masia youth academy, helped the Catalan giants win a domestic treble last season.

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Yamal takes iconic No. 10 shirt at Barcelona

Atletico Madrid signed US midfielder Johnny Cardoso from Real Betis on Wednesday for a reported 2...

Atletico Madrid signed US midfielder Johnny Cardoso from Real Betis on Wednesday for a reported 25 million euros ($29 million)."Our club and Real Betis have reached a deal for the transfer of the midfielder... who will wear red and white for the next five seasons," Atletico said in a statement.Born in New Jersey, the 23-year-old is a US international but is of Brazilian descent and has an Italian passport which allows him to be registered as an EU player.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>On Tuesday, Atletico confirmed the arrival of 24-year-old Argentina attacker Thiago Almada from Brazilian side Botafogo.Diego Simeone's side also brought in playmaker Alex Baena from Villarreal earlier this summer and Matteo Ruggeri from Atalanta as they rebuild their squad following a disappointing 2024-2025 campaign which they finished empty-handed.

NASHVILLE, TN - JUNE 9: Johnny Cardoso of the United States arrives at the training facility during USMNT on June 9, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee.

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USMNT's Cardoso joins Atletico Madrid from Betis for reported €25M

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has confirmed his club will appeal to the Court of Arbitrati...

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has confirmed his club will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after being demoted from the Europa League.Palace qualified for the Europa League with a shock FA Cup final win over Manchester City in May.But UEFA, European football's governing body, ruled Palace should drop down to the Conference League over a conflict of interest involving the club's former director John Textor, who also part-owns French side Lyon.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Textor stepped away from Palace at the start of July, but the ownership issue relates to the end of last season when the south London team secured a maiden European appearance by winning the first major trophy in their history.UEFA's ruling would mean Nottingham Forest, who finished seventh in the Premier League, take Palace's place in the Europa League, but Parish has signalled his intent to contest the decision."We are still fighting," Parish told the The Rest is Football podcast. "There's an appeal process, so we go to CAS which is the court for arbitration and, you know, we're very hopeful. We think we've got great legal arguments."We don't think this is the right decision by any means. We know unequivocally that John didn't have decisive influence over the club."We know we proved that beyond all reasonable doubt because it's a fact."UEFA rules say that no owner or co-owner can have a controlling interest in more than one club competing in the same European competition during the same season.Palace's position throughout has been that Textor did not have a sufficiently controlling role for the club to fall foul of the regulations.But the deadline for shareholders to divest their interest in a club, or in some other way to alter their ownership structure, in order to comply with the regulations was March 1.

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 17: Chairman Steve Parish of Crystal Palace celebrate with a trophy after winning the Emirates FA Cup Final match between Crystal Palace and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on May 17, 2025 in London, England.

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Crystal Palace chairman: We're appealing Europa League demotion

Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic joined Bournemouth in a deal worth a reported £25 million ($3...

Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic joined Bournemouth in a deal worth a reported £25 million ($33 million) on Wednesday.Petrovic agreed a contract that will keep him at the Vitality Stadium until June 2030.The 25-year-old had been at Chelsea since joining from MLS side New England Revolution in 2023.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Petrovic, who spent last season on loan at French team Strasbourg, made 31 appearances for the west London club."I'm really happy to be here. I came to Bournemouth because I want to grow and I want to play at the best level," the Serbia international said."Together with this club, with these facilities, I think we can achieve it. I want to help the team get the results, improve every day and be a better player."Bournemouth had Kepa Arrizabalaga on loan from Chelsea last season.The Spain keeper has since joined Arsenal on a permanent basis, while Cherries back-up Mark Travers signed for Everton on Tuesday.

TIRANA, ALBANIA - JUNE 07: Djordje Petrovic of Serbia saves a penalty kick during the FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifier between Albania and Serbia on June 07, 2025 in Tirana, Albania.

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Djordje Petrovic leaves Chelsea for Bournemouth in reported £25M move

Real Madrid defender Lucas Vazquez will leave the club, the Spanish giants confirmed Wednesday.  ...

Real Madrid defender Lucas Vazquez will leave the club, the Spanish giants confirmed Wednesday.After his deal expired at the end of the season Los Blancos had agreed a short-term contract extension for the Spaniard to keep him for the Club World Cup, which they competed in this summer in the United States."Vazquez exemplarily represents the values of Real Madrid, which has made him one of the most beloved players by our fans," said Madrid president Florentino Perez in a statement.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"(He) symbolises the hard work, perseverance, humility, and winning spirit essential to succeed in this shirt."Originally a winger, the 34-year-old won 23 trophies at the club including five Champions Leagues and four La Liga titles, largely as a squad player."I leave Real Madrid but Real Madrid will never leave me," said Vazquez in a goodbye video.The Spaniard came through the Madrid youth system and spent his whole career at the club, with the exception of a loan to Espanyol in the 2014-15 season, playing 402 times across all competitions for Los Blancos.

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - JULY 9: Lucas Vazquez of Real Madrid CF looks on in his last game at the club during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 semi-final match between Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid CF at MetLife Stadium on July 9, 2025 in East Rutherford, United States.

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Real Madrid confirm departure of 'beloved' Lucas Vazquez

England captain Ben Stokes put his body on the line to inspire his side's dramatic victory over I...

England captain Ben Stokes put his body on the line to inspire his side's dramatic victory over India at Lord's, according to team-mate Joe Root.Stokes took five wickets, scored 77 runs and delivered a crucial run-out of Rishabh Pant in two innings of relentless effort from the all-rounder.Driven on by Stokes, England won the third Test by 22 runs on a pulsating final day to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Most remarkable of all was the workload that the injury-prone Stokes put his body through as he bowled 44 overs in total, including gruelling spells of 9.2 and 10 overs on the decisive final day.It was the most the 34-year-old has bowled in over six years and came after two severe hamstring injuries in the past 12 months.Root watched on in awe, remembering his own attempts to stop Stokes pushing himself past the limit during his own captaincy."You can try, but it doesn't make any difference. I tried for five years," Root said."I mentioned it but he doesn't always listen to me. He didn't listen to me when I was captain!"That's his call now. It was an incredible effort to be able to do that, but that's just how he's built, I guess. He's just desperate to be the man and make things happen."It's a great sign for us moving forward, it really is, because that's back to his best. He's got that mentality and that desire to win games and we're lucky to have him as our leader."At one stage in the first innings, England head coach Brendon McCullum sent a message via bowling consultant Tim Southee instructing his skipper to take a breather.Root admits he was also concerned that Stokes might hit breaking point but now accepts that there is only one man who truly knows how far he can go."I was just panicking that he wasn't going to make it through the game after a couple of bad injuries but he clearly trusts his body now," he said."He knows what he's doing and he's got a good handle on where he's at physically."After the match, Stokes admitted his tiredness, telling reporters that he could not wait to "just lie on my bed for four days and then be raring to go for (next week’s fourth Test at) Manchester". The Old Trafford Test starts on July 23.

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 14: Ben Stokes successfully appeals for the wicket of KL Rahul of India during Day Five of the 3rd Rothesay Test Match between England and India at Lord's Cricket Ground on July 14, 2025 in London, England.

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Root: 'Incredible' Stokes put body on line for England

Switzerland's training session scheduled for Tuesday was postponed due to a number of players bei...

Switzerland's training session scheduled for Tuesday was postponed due to a number of players being struck by illness, three days before their Women's Euro 2025 quarter-final with Spain.In a statement, the Swiss football federation (SFV) said: "Today's planned training session has been postponed until tomorrow (Wednesday).""In the past few days, some players have felt the symptoms of a cold. In order to ensure a high-quality training programme, the technical staff have decided to give today off and complete the training session planned for today tomorrow."<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Switzerland host Spain in Bern on Friday, with the winner of the last-eight fixture playing the winner between France and Germany in the semi-finals.Spain are reigning world champions and are bidding to win their first ever European Championship.

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - JULY 10: Smilla Vallotto of Switzerland reacts during the UEFA Women's EURO 2025 Group A match between Finland and Switzerland at Stade de Geneve on July 10, 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland.

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Switzerland squad hit with illness days before Spain quarterfinal

Barcelona star Lamine Yamal is facing an investigation regarding the presence of a group of peopl...

Barcelona star Lamine Yamal is facing an investigation regarding the presence of a group of people with dwarfism as entertainers at his 18th birthday party last weekend, Spain's Ministry of Social Rights told AFP Tuesday.The winger celebrated with a private event in Olivella, around 50 kilometres west of Barcelona, which the ministry asked the prosecutor's office to probe, following a complaint from the Association for People with Achondroplasia and Other Skeletal Dysplasias with Dwarfism (ADEE).Yamal turned 18 on July 13, the day after his party on Saturday night, which many of his team-mates attended, along with celebrities from the music world including Bizarrap and Bad Gyal.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"The ADEE has filed a complaint, so this ministry has asked the prosecutor's office to investigate to see if the law has been violated and, therefore, the rights of people with disabilities (have been)," Spain's Ministry of Social Rights told AFP.ADEE "publicly denounces the hiring of people with dwarfism as part of the entertainment" and said they would take legal action as it "perpetuates stereotypes, fuels discrimination, and undermines the image and rights" of people with disabilities.Guests were not permitted to film at the event but a video emerged of a group of people with dwarfism heading into the party."No one disrespected us, we were allowed to work in peace," said one of the performers anonymously on Catalan radio station RAC1, saying there were four of them present."We're normal people who dedicate ourselves to what we love doing in an absolutely legal way..."For a couple of years these people (the ADEE) have wanted to harm us, they want to prevent us from doing what we like, but they have not offered any work or training to those who are affected..."All this fuss has come about purely because it was Lamine Yamal's party."The performer said they dance, deliver drinks and do magic tricks to entertain guests at the events they work at.Dominican rapper Chimbala, of short stature, published a video on Instagram of himself singing on stage with Yamal, with Barca team-mates Gavi and Alejandro Balde dancing in the background."Lamine Yamal at 18, the best player in the world, signing my song 'Abusadora', thank you for inviting me to your (birthday)," wrote Chimbala.Yamal is a candidate to win the Ballon d'Or after a helping Barcelona to a domestic treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup last season.The Spain international has scored 25 goals for the club in 106 appearances, having made his debut at just 15 years old in 2023.Yamal's representatives did not respond to a request for comment.

BARCELONA, SPAIN - APRIL 30: Lamine Yamal of FC Barcelona warms up prior to the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Semi Final First Leg match between FC Barcelona and FC Internazionale Milano at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on April 30, 2025 in Barcelona, Spain.

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Yamal faces probe for hiring people with dwarfism to perform at birthday party

Holders England reached the quarter-finals of Women's Euro 2025 on Sunday after thrashing Wales 6...

Holders England reached the quarter-finals of Women's Euro 2025 on Sunday after thrashing Wales 6-1 and taking second place in Group D behind France, who won 5-2 in a thrilling match with the Netherlands.Georgia Stanway started England on their way from the penalty spot in the 13th minute and further goals from Ella Toone, Lauren Hemp, Alessia Russo, Beth Mead and Aggie Beever-Jones made sure of passage to the last eight.England will face Sweden in Zurich on Thursday, a repeat of the semi-final at the last Euros three years ago which the Lionesses won 4-0.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>But the Swedes look a tough proposition after topping Group C with a perfect nine points and swatting aside Germany on Saturday."We just wanted to be confident and enjoy it and I think we obviously play better football when we do that. I think there was more flow to the game tonight, there was better connections," said midfielder Keira Walsh."(Sweden are) going to be a really tough opposition but we're just going to keep trying to focus on what we're doing, keep being confident, playing good football."France meanwhile will take on Germany in Basel in the last quarter-final on Saturday, and are on the same side of the knockout draw as world champions Spain who face hosts Switzerland on Friday.Quarterfinal matchupsJuly 16: Norway vs. Italy July 17: Sweden vs. England July 18: Spain vs. Switzerland July 19: France vs. GermanyThe French finished the group stage three points ahead of England after making it three wins from three thanks to Delphine Cascarino's decisive double.San Diego Wave forward Cascarino has been excellent in Switzerland, and she made sure that France would top the group with the key goals in a superb comeback from a goal down.France, who opened the scoring through Sandie Toletti in the 22nd minute, trailed at the break to a Victoria Pelova strike and Selma Bacha's clumsy own goal.But Marie-Antoinette Katoto levelled for France just after the hour and the match was done six minutes later thanks to Cascarino's fine finishes.First Cascarino lashed France back ahead with a sumptuous, dipping long-range strike, before rolling in the fourth after Sandy Baltimore watched her shot ricochet off both posts.Sakina Karchaoui completed the scoring from the penalty spot in stoppage time."I'm having a good Euros, and it's a real pleasure to play in a major tournament. I'm pleased and I hope that we can go a long way," Cascarino told reporters.In St Gallen, England knew a win would be enough to seal a spot in the next round regardless of what happened in Basel, and once Stanway slotted home her penalty after being brought down by Carrie Jones there was no way back for Wales.Eight minutes later Toone doubled England's lead after Wales failed to clear and the Manchester United forward tapped home after her initial effort was blocked on the line by Lily Woodham.Toone then turned provider on the half-hour with a perfect searching cross for Hemp, before Russo rolled home from close range just before half-time to get off the mark for the tournament.Mead drilled home England's fifth in the 72nd minute, but Hannah Cain gave Wales fans something to cheer about by lashing a fine consolation goal past Hannah Hampton.And Beever-Jones completed the rout one minute from the end to send England through on a high.

ST GALLEN, SWITZERLAND - JULY 13: Georgia Stanway of England celebrating the opening goal with her teammates the UEFA Women's EURO 2025 Group D match between England and Wales at Arena St. Gallen on July 13, 2025 in St Gallen, Switzerland.

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Euro 2025 quarterfinals set after England crushes Wales to advance

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