football
SportReutersForsberg hails Swedish show of strength in last-gasp Poland win
Sweden winger Emil Forsberg hailed his side's mentality as they topped their Euro 2020 group ahead of Spain after a thrilling 3-2 win over Poland that earned them a few extra days of rest ahead of their last-16 tie next Tuesday. The Swedes opened with a dour 0-0 draw against Spain and beat Slovakia 1-0 thanks to a Forsberg penalty.
NewsReutersAnalysis: Lewandowski’s best efforts not enough to keep Poland at Euro 2020
If ever Poland needed a decisive contribution from a player who has proven a talismanic presence for them, it was on Wednesday in St Petersburg in their final Euro 2020 group match against Sweden. But there was only so much impact Robert Lewandowski could have on a must-win game for his side, even if he did score twice. Following a record-breaking scoring season in the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich, Lewandowski took his tournament tally to three goals as Poland made a gallant bid to stay alive, but in the end lost 3-2 to the Swedes to finish bottom of Group E.
SportThe TelegraphMan Utd make increased bid of £72.6m for Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho
Manchester United have made an improved offer worth €85 million (£72.6 million) for the Borussia Dortmund and England winger Jadon Sancho. United’s new bid, a £7.7 million increase on their opening offer, is still less than Dortmund’s €95 million valuation but there is a growing expectation that a deal will be done. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the United manager, was desperate to sign Sancho last summer but the Old Trafford club refused to meet Dortmund’s £109 million price tag. Dortmund’s demands hav
SportAFP NewsArgentine Gonzalez joins Fiorentina on five-year deal
Striker Nicolas Gonzalez has signed for Fiorentina after three seasons with Stuttgart, the Serie A club confirmed on Wednesday.
SportThe TelegraphCrystal Palace close on new manager Lucien Favre – as Spurs miss out on another
Crystal Palace are poised to finally end their protracted pursuit of a new manager with the appointment of Lucien Favre. The former Borussia Dortmund coach is in advanced talks with Palace over a move to the Premier League, with the south London club already discussing a work permit. Favre, 63, has been in negotiations this week with the Palace board and there is now a growing expectation that he will succeed Roy Hodgson at Selhurst Park. Hodgson departed Palace at the end of the season and the
NewsAFP NewsGermany in rainbow colours as Hungary LGBTQ row heats up
Germany put on a show of colour on Wednesday in defiance of UEFA's refusal to light Munich's Euro 2020 stadium in rainbow hues, as a political row over Hungary's anti-LGBTQ law escalated.
SportReutersInter sign Calhanoglu from rivals AC Milan
The 27-year-old midfielder signed a three-year deal with Inter after helping Milan finish second in Serie A and securing Champions League football after a gap of seven years. Calhanoglu, who joined Milan from Bayer Leverkusen in 2017 after a three-year spell at the German Bundesliga club, scored four goals and provided 10 assists in 33 league appearances for the side in 2020-21.
SportReutersHungary need perfect defensive strategy to beat Germany, says coach
Hungary goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi will face his idol when his team play Germany in their last match in Euro 2020 Group F at Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena, home to Germany keeper Manuel Neuer. Gulacsi, who plays for Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, said Neuer had been the best keeper of the past decade. Acknowledging that Hungary are clear underdogs, Gulacsi said they had to approach this match like the previous ones against defending European champions Portugal and world champions France - as a defensive-minded and cohesive unit.
SportAFP NewsNorwich sign Rashica from Werder Bremen
Premier League new boys Norwich signed Kosovo winger Milot Rashica from Werder Bremen in a reported £9.4 million ($13 million) deal on Tuesday.
NewsEvening StandardGerman clubs to light stadiums with rainbow colours during Hungary game after UEFA rejects Munich proposal
Multiple football stadiums around Germany will be lit with rainbow colours during the Euro 2020 game against Hungary after UEFA rejected a similar request from Munich authorities. The Mayor of Munich, Dieter Reiter, sent a formal request to UEFA for the Allianz Arena - the home stadium of both Bayern Munich and the German national team - to be illuminated in rainbow colours for Wednesday’s Group F game against Hungary.
NewsAFP NewsUEFA blocks rainbow lighting for Germany-Hungary match in Munich
UEFA's decision to block plans by Munich to light the Allianz Arena in rainbow colours for the Germany-Hungary Euro 2020 match was met on Tuesday with defiance in the Bavarian city, which vowed to decorate other landmarks in protest at a law passed by the Hungarian government.
SportReutersSoccer-Malen chasing starting berth as Dutch look ahead to last 16
Netherlands striker Donyell Malen would be disappointed not to start his country's last 16 match at the European Championship after bursting onto the tournament stage in the last two games, he said on Tuesday. Memphis and Georginio Wijnaldum are so experienced, those guys know what's being asked of them in the game.
SportEvening StandardTomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal: West Ham’s Czech ambassadors primed to take next step against England
Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal have taken West Ham and the Premier League by storm since arriving from the Czech Republic and are tonight ready for another landmark step. The pair’s rise to prominence in east London, since arriving from Czech champions Slavia Prague, has helped re-established their nation on the footballing map. "With them now there is a lot of light put on Czech football," Libor Secka, the Czech Ambassador to the United Kingdom, and newly adopted West Ham, tells Standard Sport.
SportThe TelegraphUefa draws criticism after opposing plans to light up Allianz Arena in rainbow colours
Key landmarks close to the Allianz Arena will be lit up in rainbow colours for Germany’s European Championship match against Hungary on Wednesday amid a backlash against Uefa’s refusal to permit a similar display at the stadium. The homes of other German clubs were set to light up their own stadiums in solidarity, while LGBTIQ organisations planned to hand out 11,000 rainbow flags outside the Munich ground as the city’s mayor, Dieter Reiter, condemned the “shameful” decision by European football
SportAFP NewsHungary's Gulacsi a guardian in more ways than one
Peter Gulacsi is ready to wreck Germany's dreams of reaching the last 16 of Euro 2020 and cement his reputation as one of Europe's best goalkeepers, but off the pitch the Hungary shot-stopper is a strong believer in human rights.
SportReutersAnalysis: Soccer-Versatile Alaba runs free to keep Austria dream alive
All it took for Austria to rediscover their mojo and advance to the last 16 of the European Championship for the first time was a simple positional change for David Alaba in their 1-0 win over Ukraine on Monday. The 28-year-old, who set up the second goal against North Macedonia in their opening game, had a night to forget against the Netherlands when he played at the heart of a back three and conceded an early penalty. A booking and another mistake which nearly led to a goal also meant Alaba played the rest of the match against the Dutch on a tightrope as Austria lost 2-0.
SportAFP NewsTurkey's Calhanoglu switching from AC Milan to Inter
Putting Turkey's early exit from Euro 2020 behind him, Hakan Calhanoglu focused on his future in Serie A on Monday, announcing a move from AC Milan to city rivals Inter.
SportReutersSoccer-England boss Southgate unlikely to take risks again Czechs
England manager Gareth Southgate looks likely to resist the clamour for a major change in approach for Tuesday's final Euro 2020 Group D match against the Czech Republic at Wembley. The disappointing performance in Friday's goalless draw with Scotland has led to calls from pundits and fans for Southgate to adopt a more positive style. But while some personnel changes could be on the cards, it is not expected that the England manager will switch to the kind of attacking lineup some of his critics have been demanding.
SportThe TelegraphThe Harry Kane blueprint: How to get the best out of England's subdued superstar
In his first two games at Euro 2020, England talisman Harry Kane has mustered just three shots at goal - with none hitting the target. So what is going wrong for the Spurs star - and how can it be fixed? Our experts suggest what is required to draw the best out of England's No 9. Full-backs need to deliver By Ally McCoist You can count on one hand the amount of times Reece James, Kyle Walker, Luke Shaw or Kieran Trippier have got close to the byline and just whipped it in for Harry Kane to attac
SportThe TelegraphGareth Bale rejects Italy coach Roberto Mancini's assessment that Wales resemble Stoke City
The best game of Euro 2020: Nine reasons Germany 4 Portugal 2 was so much fun Robert Lewandowski keeps Poland's hopes alive as Spain left to rue missed penalty Reading this on the Telegraph app? Sign up for Euro 2020 notifications here Wales captain Gareth Bale dismissed Italy coach Roberto Mancini's comments likening the team to English club Stoke City and said they were ready to challenge them in today's Euro 2020 meeting in Rome. Mancini, who spent three and a half years as Manchester City ma
SportThe TelegraphJadon Sancho forced to play waiting game for England despite shining for Borussia Dortmund
The first question Jadon Sancho fielded when he spoke to radio broadcasters on the eve of the European Championships was whether he was going into the tournament under the radar. It was a pertinent line of enquiry for a player who headed into the summer as one of the in-form wingers in Bundesliga, enjoying a productive season at Borussia Dortmund but having less exposure than his Premier League team-mates in the England squad. Gareth Southgate once joked about sending Steve Holland out to German
SportThe TelegraphGermany romp to victory in six-goal thriller after Portugal score two own goals
Reading this in the Telegraph app? Sign up for Euro 2020 notifications here Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring with his 12th goal at the European Championship But Germany hit back with four goals in a rampant display Diogo Jota scored a late consolation and although Portugal threatened a comeback, they succumbed to defeat Signs of life for Germany in Euro 2020’s group of death, and the possibility that the old masters are stirring once again with a new generation to carry on the tradition. Sud
SportReutersSoccer-'Miracle man' Witsel back for Belgium after determined recovery
Axel Witsel has been hailed as Belgium's "miracle man" after his sooner-than-expected return from a serious Achilles tendon injury, but he said his recovery came with doubt and sacrifice. The midfielder tore his tendon in early January in Bundesliga action with Borussia Dortmund and, after surgery, was told it could take up to nine months before he played again. Belgium were trailing in their Group B match in Copenhagen but with Witsel, Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard coming on after the break, they came back for a second Euro 2020 win.
SportAFP NewsKimmich, Germany's key player who 'can do everything but lose'
Even as a schoolboy playing at an indoor tournament more than a decade ago, Joshua Kimmich demonstrated the fighting spirit Germany will need Saturday to get their Euro 2020 campaign back on track against Portugal.
SportAFP NewsGermany desperate for more cutting edge against Portugal
Germany coach Joachim Loew is under pressure to find a way for his side to create more chances when they host holders Portugal at Euro 2020 on Saturday, with their hopes of reaching the knock-out stage hanging in the balance.
