Germany
Luke Shaw hits back at Jose Mourinho in Rome as England roll on
At Jose Mourinho’s new home, the Stadio Olimpico, Luke Shaw, chose the perfect setting for his latest riposte to his former boss with two assists in England’s 4-0 thrashing of Ukraine to reach the Euro 2020 semi-finals. Shaw suffered at the hands of Mourinho for three seasons at Manchester United, a string of public criticism not a patch on what was said behind closed doors, the 25-year-old admitted this week. Mourinho’s arrival at Old Trafford came hot on the heels of a horrible double leg fracture Shaw suffered in September 2015. The former Southampton defender revealed in 2018 there had even been fears his right leg would have to be amputated because of blood clots that required emergency surgery. His career never got back on track during Mourinho’s tempestuous time at United, where he ...
Euro 2020: UEFA name German referee for England vs Ukraine
German referee Felix Brych will take charge of England vs Ukraine – just days after the Three Lions dumped his nation out of Euro 2020. Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane grabbed the goals as Gareth Southgate’s side defeated Germany 2-0 at Wembley on Tuesday. That was enough to fire England into the quarters where they are now preparing to take on Ukraine in Rome. And the man in the middle will be someone who would have wanted England to lose two days ago. Brych is Germany’s representative at Euro 2020 and one of the best-known referees in the world. He took charge of Portugal’s last 16 exit to Belgium, a match in which he dished out five yellow cards. He’s already refereed Ukraine at this tournament, overseeing their thrilling 3-2 defeat to Holland. That match saw Ukraine boss Andriy Shevchen...
Watch Marc Rebillet Perform Using Fruit in a Zany German Commercial
Marc Rebillet has gained the attention of many with his larger-than-life personality, undeniably catchy rhythms, and spicy lyrics. The one they call “Loop Daddy” has already climbed to the highest heights, working with artists such as Snoop Dogg and Reggie Watts and booking high-profile gigs at Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza, among other major festivals. Now, he’s hit the small screen as the star of a hilarious German television commercial. The ad comes courtesy of German supermarket Edeka, who enlisted Rebillet to star as “Super Marc” in the zany TV spot. Rebillet works his magic on the fruits and vegetables in an Edeka store that looks more like a nightclub, gyrating around with the same personality he showcases in his hysterical videos and livestreams. A di...
Euro 2020: Italy bars travelling England fans from Rome stadium
Fans travelling from the UK to Italy for England’s Euro 2020 quarterfinal clash with Ukraine on Saturday will not be allowed to enter the stadium in Rome, even if they have a ticket, due to coronavirus curbs, the Italian Embassy in London said on Thursday. England’s victory over Germany on Tuesday set up the last-eight clash at the Stadio Olimpico, but fans looking to make the journey to Italy from the UK cannot attend the match. “Anybody who has been in the UK in the previous 14 days, irrespective of their nationality or residency, will not be admitted to the stadium, even if they have a ticket,” a statement read. “Only those who can prove that they have arrived in Italy at least six days previously, have observed five days of quarantine, and have taken a post-quarantine Covid-19 test wit...
Former Tottenham star shows up biased pundit
It happened folks! England finally got the job done in a big game against Germany on Tuesday. The Three Lions just about deserved their 2-0 win, although it wouldn’t be England if there weren’t a few scary moments along the way. In our latest Euro 2020 Diary, we look at a couple of talking points around the game and assess what lies ahead. England unites People have had a tough time of things over the last year and a bit, but football is once again proving how it has the power to lift everyone. The viewing figures for England’s game highlight that point to perfection, and they are likely to increase if the team goes further. Peak TV audience on @BBCOne for the England game yesterday was 20.6m = 80.1% of audience. — Simon Stone (@sistoney67) June 30, 2021 The atmosphere at Wembley Stadium w...
Euro 2020: Knockout games bring the best out of France – Hugo Lloris
A depleted France will draw motivation from the threat of elimination as they prepare to face Switzerland in their European Championship last-16 match, captain Hugo Lloris said on Sunday. World champions France topped Group F with one win and two draws ahead of Portugal and Germany but key players in their backline have picked up injuries to give coach Didier Deschamps a selection headache on Monday. While Ousmane Dembele and Marcus Thuram are unavailable, Deschamps confirmed full backs Jules Kounde and Lucas Digne are also ruled out against the Swiss. Left back Lucas Hernandez, who injured his knee, has a chance to feature. Speaking at a news conference, goalkeeper Lloris said France – who finished runners-up in 2016 – were accustomed to do-or-die situations and thrived under pressure. “W...
Dick van Burik: Kevin-Prince Boateng could have reached Lionel Messi’s level
Retired former Dutch professional footballer Dick van Burik believes Kevin-Prince Boateng had the potential to reach Lionel Messi’s level. The former centre-back captained Hertha Berlin and played with the Ghanaian in the same team between 2005 and 2007. The West African, recently, made a return to the team where he started his career and signed a one-year contract. The now 47-year-old Dutch concedes the qualities of the attacker in the German team were world-class and much was expected from him. “Even when Kevin came from the youth to the first team, his potential was immediately world-class,” Van Burik said as quoted by Ghanaweb. “He can do things that you go to the stadium for. Even then he had the… attitude and simply showed what he can do. “He has become a great player but I actually ...
Romelu Lukaku backed to succeed Robert Lewandowski at Bayern Munich
Former Belgium striker Emile Mpenza has tipped Romelu Lukaku to succeed Robert Lewandowski at Bayern Munich. The 28-year-old has excelled at Inter, scoring 64 goals in just 95 matches since joining the Serie A side from Manchester United in 2019. The forward has a similar record for the national team, having struck 63 times in 96 caps for the Rode Duivels, including three at Euro 2020. Mpenza has been amazed by the ex-Chelsea and Anderlecht player’s development and believes Bayern would be smart to look at him if they need to replace Poland sensation Lewandowski following his 48-goal campaign in Germany. “Romelu’s strength in a duel and his speed are outstanding. That makes it so difficult for the defenders against him,” Mpenza told Sport Bild. “If they go into a duel with him, he uses his...
Former Chelsea player urges manager to take the safe option and ignore Villa star’s claims
Former England and Chelsea star Joe Cole has urged Gareth Southgate to include Mason Mount in his starting line-up against Germany instead of Jack Grealish. During an interview with talkSPORT, Cole reiterated his admiration for the Aston Villa playmaker but implored Southgate to bring Mount back into the starting XI. “As much as I love Jack, I would go with Mase ahead of him for this game,” he said. “Jack won’t like this, but having Jack off the bench, if it is level after 60 minutes, imagine Wembley seeing Jack step up if we need something. “You need someone on the bench who can change something. “Mason is a little bit more disciplined in the central position, which allows you to change the system a little bit. “It is like choosing [a favourite] between your kids. Choosing between Mason M...
Canada, Germany, EU, others funding farming in northeast Nigeria
The People and Government of Canada, the European Union Trust Fund for Africa, the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Kingdom of Norway and the Kingdom of Sweden are funding the 2021 rainy season farming in troubled North-east of Nigeria. The funding, which is implemented through the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), is providing farming inputs to 65,800 farmers in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States adversely affected by over a decade Boko Haram insurgency. A statement on Friday by FAO recognized that the rainy season farm cultivation is critical to food production in Nigeria, as it ensures food availability and income generation, especially for smallholder and low-income households. The statement read: “...
Rainbow stadium controversy proves that politics will never be separate from sport
Peter Szijjarto, Hungary’s foreign minister, is livid. Germany will be playing Hungary in Munich for the final game of Group F of the EURO 2020 championships. However, the mayor of Munich wants to light up the stadium in rainbow colours to protest a controversial new law in Hungary that bans the dissemination of content in schools that promotes homosexuality and gender change. “I consider it very harmful and dangerous when anyone tries to mix politics and sports,” Szijjarto told reporters. While UEFA rejected the request and maintains the view that football cannot be used as a political tool, the reality is that there’s a long history of politicians harnessing the power of football as a political weapon. Benito Mussolini, Italy’s fascist ruler from 1922 till 1943, understood the political ...
Canada leads call on China to allow Xinjiang access – statement
More than 40 countries urged China on Tuesday to allow the U.N. human rights chief immediate access to Xinjiang region to look into reports that more than a million people have been unlawfully detained there, some subjected to torture or forced labour. The joint statement on China was read out by Canadian Ambassador Leslie Norton on behalf of countries including Australia, Britain, France, Germany, Japan and the United States to the U.N. Human Rights Council. Beijing denies all allegations of abuse of Uyghurs and describes the camps as vocational training facilities to combat religious extremism. “Credible reports indicate that over a million people have been arbitrarily detained in Xinjiang and that there is widespread surveillance disproportionately targeting Uyghurs and members of other...
