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‘Grumpy’ Guardiola unclear about Bernardo Silva’s Manchester City future: football news – live | Football
Key events
Leeds midfielder Ao Tanaka played a key role in last week’s epic FA Cup semi-final win at West Ham, scoring the opening goal, and could be in line for a rare start in place of the injured Anton Stach in Monday night’s Premier League game at Manchester United.
Daniel Farke praised Tanaka’s “really good performances” of late and said: “I’m very happy with his development because Ao is not the youngest anymore and for him it’s his first season in a top flight.”
Tanaka is a fan favourite at Leeds fans, but has been self-critical of his own performances since helping the club win promotion last season. He hasn’t started in the league since 14 December.
“He has said publicly he’s not yet good enough for this level, but we’ve always believed in Ao,” Farke added. “He produced a really good performance [at West Ham] and proved against a Premier League side that he can play at the top level.
“For Ao there is no limit because he’s a top player. He’s done this in recent weeks and for that there will be more chances for him in the coming weeks to shine. If he produces performances like he did at West Ham then we are all happy.”
The lads and lasses on The Overlap have been asking who is the best centre-back partnership in Premier League history …
Lots of love for Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, which would be my answer, closely followed by John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho. Jamie Carragher said Alan Hansen and Mark Lawrenson, perhaps forgetting that A) both retired before the Premier League began and B) their contrasting punditry careers.
Drop me an email with your favourite PL CB duo.
What a day of sport we have. The return of the Premier League tonight, county cricket back in full swing and the Masters day two. Lovely.
I’ve received an email from Krishnamoorthy:
“Having successfully completed the exits from Carabao and FA [Cups], and that the Champions league pursuit will probably be over by next week, what wizardry will Arsenal deploy this weekend to surrender the league?”
Despite those cup exits, I feel like Arsenal aren’t quite as weakened as their detractors may think/be hoping. Bournemouth at home this weekend ought to yield three points.
Want some more from Pep on Bernardo? He’s really waxed lyrical about the former Monaco man, despite having the grump with him …
All managers would say how much they love him because he is incredibly competitive, has a fire inside him always. In the toughest moments and on the biggest stages, he is always there.
He has been an incredible signing for us, incredible. I love this club and I would love if he could stay and finish his career here but I do not know. He will decide what he will decide.
He has been an incredible signing with the numbers, minutes, titles. I judge players when everything is difficult and he always steps up
‘Grumpy’ Guardiola asks Bernardo Silva to confirm City future
Pep Guardiola admitted he doesn’t know whether Bernardo Silva will be at Manchester City next season, after his assistant Pep Lijnders appeared to suggest the midfielder was leaving.
Guardiola was asked to clarify Bernardo’s future at today’s press conference, but said: “I don’t know.
“I am so grumpy with Bernardo. A month ago I said I had to be the first [he would tell] and he didn’t say anything to me yet. I do not know if he has already decided. I said jokingly to him to tell me, I deserve it, but he didn’t tell me. I do not know what is going on.
“He is really good in all departments. He plays a lot of games. Nine years we have been together and no injuries. He can play in different positions, he is so smart and reads every moment that the action and game requires. When you play a lot of games, it gives us a lot of trust and confidence how he is going to perform.”
Here’s Pep Guardiola on Manchester City’s hopes of chasing down Arsenal in the final weeks of the season:
Hopefully we can get a lot of points. The situation we are in in the Premier League, we need to get all of them otherwise it will not give us a chance to try until the end.
We need to get a lot of points. We have not been consistent enough in the season. We have dropped points that we should have taken which is why we are now in the position where we cannot do it differently.
We have to win every single game.
Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams is set to return from injury to feature against Arsenal in the Premier League tomorrow (Saturday).
The 27-year-old has missed Bournemouth’s last two matches as well as two USA international friendlies over the recent break with a quadriceps problem.
“I am feeling strong and ready to go,” Adam has told club media. Staying in Bournemouth over the international break to rehab “gave me a period of time to get stronger, get more fit and focus on the objectives with the boys here.” He added: “I’m feeling consistent, I’m feeling strong now and I think it’s just important to finish the season strong.”
Thanks Barry. As a follower of Manchester United, these three weeks without Premier League action have felt VERY long. Thank goodness it’s back.
It’s easy to forget Manchester City are still nine points off Arsenal, for all the talk of the Gunners wobbling. Guardiola’s men do have a game in hand, but they also have to travel to Chelsea on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola is due to speak to the press any minute now and Dominic Booth is here to tell you what the Manchester City head coach has to say for himself.
Bayern Munich: Lennart Karl has been ruled out of the return leg of his team’s Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid with a hamstring injury. The 18-year-old rising star was an unused substitute in the first leg but will now be sidelined indefinitely.
Scottish Premiership: With six games of the season remaining, Hearts remain a point clear of Rangers at the top of the table but the gap is closing with each passing week. At a time when every match is important, Hearts face another tough assignment when they host Motherwell tomorrow, ahead of an Edinburgh derby at Hibernian followed by a home match against Rangers.
Derek McInnes says Motherwell have been a “breath of fresh air” in the Scottish Premiership this season, echoing the sentiments of many who have praised Jens Berthel Askou’s side. Going into the final pre-split game of the season at Tynecastle on Saturday, they sit in fourth place, 10 points behind Celtic, albeit without a win in their last four matches.
Motherwell are the only side Hearts have failed to beat this season following a thrilling 3-3 draw at Tynecastle in August and a goalless stalemate at Fir Park in November. “I think they’ve been a breath of fresh air and the manager’s done a brilliant job,” said Mcinnes. “The players are responding brilliantly to him. Motherwell are playing with a lot of confidence and you see that in their game, and they’ve had a brilliant season.
“I know they’ve hit a wee sticky spell at the minute, but it’s not going to take away from a lot of the good work that they’ve done. I did say ahead of the game last week that certain teams are probably punching above their weight and kind of getting a bit more than maybe what was expected, and Motherwell is one of them. Very few people have not commented on how good they’ve been this season and you can understand why.” [PA Sport]
EFL Trophy final: Jack Wilshere’s promotion-chasing Luton Town take on Stockport in Sunday’s Vertu Trophy final with renewed momentum, writes Simon Burnton.
Brighton: Scott Parker’s side are 10 points from safety with seven games to remaining and while few people give them much chance of avoiding the drop, Fabian Hurzeler has said Brighton will not be taking them lightly.
“Burnley is a team fighting relegation but they proved in the last weeks that they can win against every team in the league,” he said. “They have individual qualities. They show really good togetherness. That they showed, especially in the last games, really good performances so you can’t underestimate any team in this league. It is a game where we have to reach our limits, our standards, our highest levels if you want to beat them.”
It sounds to me like Hurzeler might be confusing tomorrow’s opponents with some other club because since the end of October, the only Premier League team Burnley have proved they can beat is Crystal Palace.
Tom Garry
Women’s football: Sue Day, the FA’s director of women’s football, has said their proposed changes to the structure of the women’s leagues are “vital to securing the long-term success of women’s football”, as she defends the plan which would include adding four WSL academy teams to the third tier.
“The purpose of these proposals is to futureproof the women’s game,” Day said. “We are approaching a crucial turning point. Too many talented young players are not getting the opportunities they need to develop, and without action, that risks holding back the future of the sport.
“No decisions have been made at this stage, and consultation is ongoing. We would not be putting these proposals forward unless we believed they are vital to securing the long-term success of women’s football.”
The Guardian exclusively revealed the plans on Tuesday and there has been a mixed reaction, including some heavy criticism from third-tier coaching staff.
Tottenham Hotspur: Ahead of Roberto De Zerbi’s first press conference as head coach scheduled for 1.30pm (GMT), Chris Pauros writes that the Italian’s apology for past comments about his former player, Mason Greenwood, was important but insufficient and adds that if we want things to change in football, we need some accountability. Read on …
Brighton: Fabian Hurzeler’s side return to action against Burnley at Turf Moor tomorrow, having won four (and lost one) of their last five Premier League games before the international break. Brighton currently sit 10th in the table, six points off the final Champions League spot. Following the corresponding international break last season, Hurzeler’s team took just one point from their next four games before winning four and drawing one of their final four.
“I think after a very successful period before the international break and during the international break,” the German told reporters this morning. “Our players were quite successful and that is a very positive thing so they kept the positivity, they kept the confidence and belief.
“Now it is about when they return from their national teams. They come together as a group again, re-emphasising what made us strong, what we need to get back to the standards we reached before the international break. Re-emphasise what it means to play for the badge.”
Hurzeler will be forced to sit out Brighton’s match against Burnley on the Naughty Step, where he will be accompanied by his captain, Lewis Dunk. “We have a other leaders who can solve it on the pitch and beside the pitch,” he told reporters. “Regarding me, we already had a situation against Brentford where my team and my staff did an incredible job.
“Regarding Lewis, of course he played unbelievably well in the last weeks but we have shown we have a lot of options to replace him. Not just options, really good options to replace him. Therefore, we are quite confident that the team are strong enough to handle these things.”
Dunk will miss Brighton’s next two games after picking up his tenth booking of the season, while Jack Hinshelwood is available for selection after recovering from a knee problem that prevented him from joining up with England U-21s.
Newcastle United: Having missed Newcastle’s last 11 matches with a hamstring injury, Bruno Guimaraes is likely to sit out their next two through illness. The Brazilian returned from international duty with mumps and Eddie Howe says he is defintiiely next weekend’s game against Bournemouth too. Fabian Schar remains sidelined having had minor surgery on an infection in his foot, while Lewis Miley is back in training after recovering from an injury that has kept him out since January.
Newcastle United: During an Eddie Howe press conference covering all manner of topics, the subject of Kieran Trippier’s imminent departure from Newcastle was addressed by the head coach who signed him four-and-a-half years ago.
“I think Kieran has handled himself superbly during this period,” said Howe. “He came to see me, we had a discussion. He had a clear vision of what he saw his future looking like and we respected that and wanted him to get the best reception and reaction for his time here.
“For me he goes down as one of the best players that’s played for me, without a doubt. In my time here he has been a model of consistency. He has had that will to win and will to help us prepare the best we can. I think he has been outstanding on the pitch. He has been a really good leader and he deserves to go with all the plaudits. We just hope he can finish the season off on a real high.”
West Ham: Victory over Wolves tonight will lift West Ham out of the bottom three for a couple of days at least and ahead of this crucial fixture, Jarrod Bowen has said it pains him to see his club in trouble. Helping them extricate themselves from their current predicament would “mean the world” to him.
“This club means so much to me,” he said in an interview with Sky Sports. “In the situation that we’re in, it hurts me probably more than anyone else. What I’m trying to do is bring my A-game every single week and also get the team ready to bring their A-game. We know what we have to do in terms of steering away from relegation. We have a massive opportunity to do that.
“We have to keep doing that. Of course you want to score, you want to get assists, you want to be the difference. But also your team-mates as well, they’re so important. They need to keep stepping up like they have been. We all need to keep stepping up and keep changing our destiny and changing our fortunes and win the games that we have. Then we can almost take control of the situation that we’re in. We know what we need to do, so that’s the most important thing.”
Bayern Munich: Vincent Kompany turns 40 today but the Bayern head coach gave extremely short shrift to talk of birthday celebrations during his press conference this morning. Bayern Munich took a 2-1 lead over Real Madrid in their Champions League quarter-final first leg this week and travel to Hamburg to play struggling St Pauli tomorrow with a nine-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga table. They are also in the semi-finals of the German Cup.
“We can only wish for the three points [against St Pauli],” he told reporters who asked if he’d be swinging from the chandeliers tonight. “I always celebrated birthdays at the stage of semi-finals and quarter-finals so it’s a bonus if you get the wins at these moments.
“I am trying to run away from all the birthday stuff. We are in priority mode. At this moment there are enough emotions in the coming days. Maybe some red wine tonight but first prepare for the match.” [Reuters]
Newcastle United: The first signing Newcastle made under their new Saudi owners, Kieran Trippier has confirmed he will be leaving the club this summer when his contract expires. Rumours also abound that Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon could be sold come season’s end. While Howe refused to discuss the future of individual players, he did speak out on the importance of Newcastle managing their fans’ expectations.
“If that’s the reality – and I’m not saying it is – then that’s the reality,” he told reporters. “I’ve no issue working with the conditions the club set and finances dictate. I’ve never had an issue with that all through my career.
“As long as that is made clear to everybody on the outside and the expectations are aligned within that. Because I don’t think you can have expectations that warp reality. Everything has got to be aligned for the players to enter the pitch and play in their best place, where they’re relaxed and not under undue pressure. That’s fundamentally important.”
Howe rejects speculation of Newcastle fall-out
Newcastle United: Newcastle travel to Crystal Palace on Sunday to play their first match since losing the Tyne-Wear derby at home to Sunderland just before the international break. With no shortage of speculation surrounding his own future at the club and the potential summer exit of several key players, Eddie Howe wasn’t short of things to talk about this morning.
“Certainly there’s been no fallings out,” he said, when asked about his relationship with Newcastle sporting director Ross Wilson and the club CEO David Hopkinson. “I’ve got a really good relationship with Ross and David. We’re plotting to try and take the club forward in the smartest way possible. I’ve had really good support from both of them, who are the key figures I work with day-to-day at the football club. We’re all totally aligned on what we need to do.
“The long-term prospects for the football club are really strong but certainly these seasons we’ve experienced previously. Not all the forces are with us and we’re going to have to act really smart and try to outperform the budget to try to hit the levels everyone wants.
“What do I need? I just need support. Good working relationships with people around me and a feeling of being able to express myself in the best way possible so you see the best version of myself. And I think if I feel that and the club feels that then they’re getting the best manager they can from me.
“Obviously if that’s not working for whatever reason on both sides then it’s best for the football club. The most important thing in all of this is Newcastle United, not me, not anybody else. I’ll always reflect that in my decision making: I’ll put the club before anybody.”
Liverpool: Arne Slot has told reporters that Alisson is still sidelined but Liverpool fans are unlikely to be too concerned given how well Giorgi Marmadashvili has played in the Brazilian’s absence. Slot also said that some players who started against PSG will be rotated out of the side to face Fulham tommorrow because they cannot currently handle the intensity of playing two big games in four days. “The players I’m worried about for tomorrow will be Jeremie Frimpong and Joe Gomez,” he said.
Aston Villa: Despite the looming World Cup and this season still being very much up in the air for both sides, Bayern Munich have just announced they will be playing Aston Villa in a pre-season friendly in Hong Kong on 7 August.
For their part, Villa say they “hope to announce further fixtures in the far east in due course”. Whatever the outcome on the pitch in Hong Kong, you have to say the Bayern Munich club secretary has stolen a march on his or her Villa counterpart early doors. That’s clichéd German efficiency at its finest.
Arne Slot on Andy Robertson: “First of all, he’s had many great seasons here not only as a player but as a great person as well,” he says of the Scotsman, whose departure from Liverpool at the end of the season was announced yesterday. “I got to know him as a great person. Every team-mate of his will tell you how funny he is, how great he is and I think that’s been shown on social media as well.
“But what I remember most about him is the intensity he plays with and we’ve seen and learned something about intensity two days ago but, I can also remember Robbo making a press from the left-back position to the right wing a few years ago and I showed it to my players I was working with back then.
“He’s won everything at this club, served his club and really loves this club. It’s been a great nine years for him. This season he didn’t play as much as he was used to and as a result of that he’s leaving.”
A tip of the hat to Slot for highlighting the fact that Robertson is a terrific character and all round good guy as well as a consumate professional. He seems to be universally liked and one imagines his is a presence that would be sorely missed from any dressing-room. He’s been an outstanding servant for Liverpool over the best part of a decade, even if quite a few people were sceptical about his credentials when he was signed from Hull City. Jurgen knew!
Arne Slot: ‘I feel the support from the fans’
Liverpool: The postponement of their Ligue1 match against Lens means Paris Saint-Germain have been given the weekend off ahead of their Champions League quarter-final second leg at Anfield on Tuesday, but Liverpool have a crucial match against Fulham to play at Anfield tomorrow evening.
Arne Slot’s side go into it on the back of two chastening defeats and are fifth in the Premier League table. Should either Everton or Brentford win their Champions League qualification six-pointer at the Gtech Community Stadium tomorrow afternoon, they will go level on points with Liverpool.
“I’m repeating myself a lot but I feel a lot of support,” said Arne Slot this morning, upon being asked if he feels he has the backing of the Liverpool club hierarchy. “Not only from the owners but from Richard [Hughes] and Michael [Edwards], a lot of support from them as well. As weird as it might sound I also feel the support from the fans.
“We were going out in Paris when the players went out for the warm-up and after the 4-0 loss [against Manchester City] the fans immediately started singing ‘we love Liverpool’. I think it’s fair to say we were outplayed for 90 minutes and they were still singing and clapping for us. I’ve said many times, the club knows the period of time we’re in and in the mean time I feel complete support.”]
Column: While his “big team who win things” (well, the odd thing) are hovering above the Premier League relegation zone, his small team who never win anything have just dropped out of the League Two automatic promotion places. It’s small wonder the Guardian’s Football Weekly presenter Max Rushden is a bag of nerves …
Tottenham Hotspur: While he has already been interviewed by the club media team, Roberto De Zerbi’s maiden press conference as Spurs head coach is likely to be today’s hottest ticket in town. The Italian is scheduled to speak to the media at 1.30pm (GMT), ahead of his side’s match against Sunderland on Sunday afternoon. If West Ham beat the Premier League’s bottom side, Wolves, at the London Stadium tonight, Spurs will be in the relegation zone when their game kicks off at the Stadium of Light.
Andy Robertson to leave Liverpool after nine years
Liverpool: The Scottish left-back is to bring his illustrious career with the club to a close when his contract expires at the end of the season, with no shortage of big name European heavyweights believed to be interested in securing the 32-year-old’s services. Andy Hunter reports …
Crystal Palace 3-0 Fiorentina
Europa Conference League quarter-final first leg: A sensational performance blew away Fiorentina as Jean-Philippe Mateta scored on his first start since the end of January. Ed Aarons reports from Selhurst Park …
Bologna 1-3 Aston Villa
Europea League quarter-final first leg: Aston Villa were second best for large parts of the game in Bologna but a brace from Ollie Watkins put them in the box-seat. Paul MacInnes reports from Stadio Renata Dall’Ara …
FC Porto 1-1 Nottingham Forest
Europa League quarter-final first leg: A freakish own goal by the Porto defender Martim Fernandes earned Nottingham Forest a draw and fostered optimism of advancing to the Europa League semi-finals. Ben Fisher reports from Estádio do Dragão …
Friday football blog …
Following a hiatus so long some Tottenham fans may have forgotten their team is in grave danger of relegation, the Premier League is back. In the build-up to a weekend schedule that kicks off when West Ham host fellow basement-dwellers Wolves at the London Stadium tonight, we’ll bring you all the news that’s fit to print from today’s round of managerial press conferences. In the time honoured tradition, we’ll also be keeping a beady eye on any tidbits of note from the EFL, Scotland and beyond. You know the drill …
The family of Shaun Burton, say they are “devastated” by the loss.
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Key events
In the opening half an hour against Cape Verde, Mikel Oyarzabal, the centre-forward, did not get a single touch.
Kyle Green gets in touch: “Your highlighting of Lalas and his absurdity is something that has prevented me from wanting to watch the coverage on Fox. While every channel has its pros and cons I just can’t.
“I’m 45 and probably the youngest of anyone who remembers him as a player instead of an opinionated insert insult here. As for the match this could be more competitive than it looks on paper Spain need a win the pressure is on them. Saudi Arabia could hold out for a draw and see what happens in their last match. “
News from the England camp, and it seems to be good news on Declan Rice.
“I’m ready and fit, raring to go. I was feeling a little bit of neural pain in my hamstring, which I was managing from after Christmas with Arsenal for a very long time. Obviously, not a lot of people would have known that. It was all behind-the-scenes stuff but it was a smart decision.
“In the end, that last 20 minutes is probably where you pick up the most, and it’s where you play a 70-minute match. But that last 20 is where you really feel your body going for it. And I think it was a smart decision because the last few days I felt really, really good.”
Alex Reid has penned today’s weekend special Football Daily.
Portugal v Uzbekistan on Tuesday enticingly pits the incredibly nice, incredibly 41-year-old-superstar-tolerant Roberto Martínez against Fabio Cannavaro, who’s won a Ballon d’Or as a player and the Chinese Super League as a coach. While the fixture following that game really does see the dream of Thomas Tuchel – in his first international job with England – taking on Queiroz, who is in charge of his ninth national side with Ghana.
The expected formations are 4-2-3-1 for Spain, and 5-3-2 for the Saudi Arabians.
The Saudi team features two Donis changes: Ali Lajami, a defender, and Nasser Al Dawsari, a midfielder, are preferred to Mohammed Abu Al Shamat and Mohamed Kanno. You may recall Salem Al Dawsari, the Saudi captain, as the man who scored the winner against Argentina.
An entertaining read, even for those of us who have just seen the clips.
In a conversation where his co-panelist is casually reminiscing about his days playing alongside Messi or exchanging shirts with Ronaldo Nazário at the World Cup, what exactly is Lalas going to talk about – coming on as a second-half substitute for Earnie Stewart in a friendly against Scotland in 1998? Helping the Kansas City Wizards finish last in the 1999 MLS Western Conference? Did Lalas enjoy an elite playing career? No. But does he do the background reading that could compensate for his relative lack of standing in a conversation with titans like Henry and Zlatan? Also no. But is he charming or funny or charismatic or otherwise magnetic on screen? Eh, no.
For the record, I once interviewed Alexi Lalas on the challenge of playing against Romario in the 1994 World Cup. He had this to say:
“He could kill you in so many different ways. If you remember from that World Cup, he scored so many types of goals. That ranged from solo adventures to an outside-of-the-right-foot half-volley off a corner kick. Romario was both the most difficult to play against and the best that I have faced.
“Roberto Baggio was doing his thing, but in terms of consistency and living up to the hype, he [Romario] was the best. As with all stars, there was a moment when the fans sit up in their seats, and that was a feeling I got with Romario. When it got close to him and the potential for his involvement in a play was there, everybody sat up in their seat. They knew that something spectacular would be happening.”
Saturday’s match reports here.
The Saudi Arabia coach, and Blackburn legend, Georgios Donis, spoke about the challenges facing his team: “Spain is not the same team when Yamal or Williams are on the bench.
“While they still have plenty of possession, they lack the individual one-on-one penetration when these two are missing. I’m not saying it’s a problem for Spain, but when those players are missing, they play in a different way. We saw this very clearly against Cape Verde.
“We are playing against one of the best teams in the world, and it’s very important that when you play against these kinds of teams, you should enjoy the experience and respect the opponent, but not too much.
“It is very hard for any team playing against Spain to have any time in possession. So what we must do is to be more in control of our movement and compact, and when the ball goes through the lines, be able to defend dynamically.
“It’s nice to see miracles in football, and we’ve seen favourites losing against underdogs. Of course, it’s great for Saudi football to have a great memory of the result against Argentina, but we aren’t drawing anything from that.
“I think we’ll feel more pressure in that [Cape Verde] game than we will against Spain.”
The Spain coach, Luis De La Fuente had this to say in his Saturday press conference: “This generation of footballers is highly competitive and really fired up… It’s going to be a completely different story,” he said at his pre-match press conference on Saturday. There is no drama or crisis. The bottom line is simply that we need to win tomorrow.”
Four changes for Spain: Lamine Yamal, Pedro Porro, Dani Olmo and Alex Baena also come into the side with Marcos Llorente, Fabian Ruiz, Ferran Torres and Gavi dropping out.
The teams – Lamine Yamal starts
Spain: Simon, Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella, Gonzalez, Rodri, Yamal, Olmo, Baena, Oyarzabal. Subs: Raya, Joan Garcia, Pubill, Grimaldo, Eric Garcia, Llorente, Merino, Torres, Fabian, Gavi, Pino, Williams, Zubimendi, Munoz, Iglesias.
Saudi Arabia: Al Owais, Abdulhamid, Tambakti, Lajami, Al Amri, Al Harbi, Nasser Al Dawsari, Al Khaibari, Al Juwayr, Al Buraikan, Salem Al Dawsari. Subs: Al Aqidi, Al Kassar, Majrashi, Yahya, Al Shehri, Al Boushal, Kadesh, Al Johani, Al Ghannam, Al Hajji, Al Hamdan, Mandash, Kanno, Thakri, Abu Al Shamat.
Referee: Raphael Claus (Brazil)
Perhaps one of the Saudi -players can write themselves into this high-grade selection?
Perhaps it can be their goalkeeper.
Madrid screening of Spain v Saudi Arabia cancelled due to heat
The public screening of Spain’s World Cup match against Saudi Arabia in Madrid on Sunday has been cancelled because of extreme heat forecast for the Spanish capital, officials said.
The match, due to kick off at 6pm local time on Sunday, had been scheduled to be shown on a giant screen installed by the Spanish football federation (RFEF) at a fan zone in Plaza de Colón in central Madrid.
Madrid city council and the federation decided to cancel the screening after national weather agency AEMET issued an orange heat warning – the second-highest level – for the Madrid region, with temperatures forecast to reach 40C.
“The decision has been taken with the aim of protecting the health of attendees, event staff and support services involved in the event,” Madrid city hall said in a statement, apologising for any inconvenience.
Officials urged supporters to watch the match indoors in air-conditioned spaces and avoid prolonged exposure to the heat.
Large parts of Spain are experiencing unusually high temperatures for June as a mass of hot air from North Africa moves across the Iberian Peninsula.
A total of 13 of Spain’s 17 regions are on orange alert for heat on Sunday, while the northern Basque Country bordering France is on red alert, the highest level.
Authorities advised residents and visitors to take precautions during the heatwave, including drinking water regularly, staying in cool environments, limiting outdoor physical activity during the hottest hours of the day and taking extra care of vulnerable people. AFP
Can Saudi Arabia repeat the magic of 2022?
Argentina arrived in Qatar on a 36-game unbeaten run. When Lionel Messi opened the scoring from the penalty spot after 10 minutes, a comfortable afternoon seemed in the offing. Saleh al-Shehri and Salem al-Dawsari had other ideas, Argentina had three goals disallowed for offside in the space of 13 minutes and the greatest comeback in Saudi Arabia football history was made. Argentina went on to lift the trophy, while defeats to Poland and Mexico meant the Saudis did not reach the knock-out stage.
Unai Simon over David Raya is a controversial choice for De la Fuentes. The Arsenal keeper could lay claim to being Europe’s best this season.
“Those at the Champions League final had a few more days, so I got there on the Wednesday night,” Raya says. “I arrived a bit before Fabián [Ruiz]. I was saying hello to some of the others in reception when he arrived. I went to say congratulations; that was almost the first thing I did. I couldn’t really talk [to him] after the final; I just didn’t have it in me. The next day we talked about the game properly. Just two mates chatting … I was happy for him that he could lift the trophy for a second time.”
A high pressure game for the European champions, as Sid Lowe reports.
“If we had scored one, the game would have changed,” Martín Zubimendi said. Immediately after the game, De la Fuente had offered a simple analysis: when the ball doesn’t want to go in it doesn’t want to go in, he insisted. Spain had racked up 27 shots, after all. Ferran Torres had hit the bar and seen another clear opportunity saved. Vozinha, the 40-year-old goalkeeper who stopped that, saved six more and was named the man of the match. “There’s nothing to reproach the team for,” Rodri said. “We generated chances but couldn’t put it away; the good thing is they created almost nothing.”
We wait to see what role Lamine Yamal will play today. His coach would surely like to be able to use him.
The worst mistake we could make would be to compare him to anyone. He is the midst of a process. He has exceptional footballing maturity and lives it all with total naturalness. He has great serenity and strength. We have to let him follow his path but those players who have something different are ready for that. They’re geniuses, like Dalí [who] can paint a picture, or Michelangelo. They’re different. What is exceptional to us, isn’t to them. In those extremes, they feel comfortable. Why? Because they are different. What we think is exceptional, they consider normal.
Preamble
Spain’s campaign did not get off to a flying start, and Luis de la Fuentes may wake up in the night to visions of Cape Verde’s Vozinha. He will have Georgia on his mind ever since Monday. Saudi Arabia are no pushovers and gave Uruguay a scare in their opening match. Memories of downing Argentina four years ago still abound, and so Spain might beware. They can ill afford to go into the final game with Uruguay at a disadvantage. All eyes on Lamine Yamal, whose fitness situation remains opaque, though Spain need their other forwards to come to the party.
Kick-off 5pm UK, 1pm ET, 2am AEST. Join me.
A topless man can be seen driving erratically in Edinburgh before abandoning his car and attacking a black man and a delivery rider.
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