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The UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 quarter-finals have set the stage for a thrilling encounter as England are set to lock horns with a formidable Sweden side on Thursday evening in Zurich. And the Lionesses, captained by Leah Williamson, know they will be facing one of the most consistent and dangerous teams in football.

Williamson wary of 'relentless' SwedenWants to see more respect for opponentsDetermined to seal spot in semi-finalsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Sarina Wiegman’s squad bounced back from an opening loss to France by hammering the Netherlands and Wales in their remaining group stage fixtures, but the challenge ahead promises to be a whole new level. Sweden arrive at the quarter-finals in top form, having dominated Group C with three consecutive wins. Their emphatic 4-1 triumph over Germany in their final group match turned heads across Europe, further cementing their status as a tournament powerhouse.

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Since 2017, Sweden have reached the quarter-finals in every major tournament, a feat only matched by England and France. Their record includes six wins from their last seven Euro matches, the only blemish being a 4-0 loss to England in the semi-finals of Euro 2022.

WHAT WILLIAMSON SAID

Speaking ahead of the tie, Williamson was full of admiration for Thursday's opponents. She acknowledged Sweden’s consistency and discipline, suggesting that they don’t always get the praise they merit.

"Sweden's previous results at tournaments are incredible. They are relentless when it comes to tournament football," said Williamson.

"Maybe 'disrespectful' is too strong a word, but I do think they deserve a little bit more recognition. When you have a team who work for each other like Sweden, then you don't need to necessarily have a crazy standout threat because everyone plays their roles. They are hard to prepare for in that sense. The discipline for them all to complete their jobs on the pitch makes them a dangerous side."

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DID YOU KNOW?

After a slow start to their campaign, England appears to be hitting their stride just when it matters most. Following a disappointing defeat to France in their opening group game, the Lionesses turned things around in style, first by dispatching the Netherlands 4-0 and then dismantling Wales with a dominant 6-1 victory.

Leicester City have officially dismissed manager Ruud van Nistelrooy, bringing an end to his brief tenure just under two months after the club's relegation from the Premier League. The former Dutch striker, who took the reins in November 2024 following the departure of Steve Cooper, was unable to prevent the club from slipping into the EFL Championship.

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• Leicester went down under Nistelrooy
• Foxes show the door to the Dutch manager
• Dyche touted as potential replacement

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 2024–25 season proved to be a calamitous one for the Foxes, who finished 18th in the Premier League table and ended the campaign 13 points adrift of safety. After parting ways with Cooper early in the season, hopes were high that Van Nistelrooy, despite his limited managerial experience in England, could provide the necessary turnaround. However, the change failed to yield results, with Leicester managing only six wins across the entire campaign.

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• WHAT VAN NISTELROOY SAID

  The outgoing manager issued a statement expressing gratitude: "I would like to personally thank the Leicester City players, coaches, academy and all the staff I have worked with for their professionalism and dedication during my time at the Club and to thank the fans for their support, and take this opportunity to wish the Club well for the future."

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  As Leicester shift their attention to the 2025–26 campaign, the search for a new manager is now underway, with players set to reconvene for pre-season next week. Among the early names linked with the vacancy is Sean Dyche. His proven track record of building competitive squads could make him an attractive option for a club determined to bounce back at the first opportunity.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR LEICESTER?

  For now, the existing coaching staff will be tasked with leading Leicester’s pre-season training and initial preparations for life back in the second tier. The club confirmed that those plans will proceed as scheduled on June 30, with leadership duties handled internally until a new appointment is made.

Australia slipped to 170 for 8 after a long rain delay before Head cut loose to kept them afloat

Andrew McGlashan08-Jul-2023It took six hours to get there amid the rain, but the third day at Headingley produced an electrifying final session where both sides traded blows in their attempts to set up victory. England struck early through Chris Woakes, but Travis Head counterattacked with the final two wickets for company to leave a target of 251.Faced with 25 minutes to see out the day, with the sun bursting through, Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett slashed 27 off the target while Australia also burned a review for a leg-side catch against Duckett. Last season England chased 296 against New Zealand and, of course, there needs little reminding of 2019 so they certainly won’t be overwhelmed by the pursuit. From where they were at lunch on the second day, 142 for 7 and trailing by 121, England would have gladly accepted this position.After regular showers during the day, played eventually began at 4.45pm but only one over was possible initially before another brief stoppage. A further three overs were trimmed from the allocation, but what remained produced a further passage of gripping cricket in a series that has been compelling from the start.It felt as though Woakes had made decisive blows when he claimed Mitchell Marsh and Alex Carey and when Pat Cummins fell to Mark Wood, Australia were 170 for 8, a lead of 196. But Head was able to add 54 in seven overs for the last two partnerships with what could prove one of the most important innings of Test career, in which he has already produced a series of match-changing and match-defining scores, albeit usually in the first innings to set up a game.Chris Woakes made vital inroads after the delayed start•Getty Images

Woakes was tremendous when play resumed for the second time, finding the glove of Marsh, after he had again looked in excellent touch, as he tried to withdraw the bat. He soon added Carey, who had earlier been part of one of the more bizarre stories of the series involving false allegations of a non-paid haircut, as he also tried to leave the ball and played into his stumps.While Wood’s return to the side has brought many of the headlines given the blistering pace, Woakes’ comeback has been equally impactful. His list of wickets in this match reads: Marnus Labuschagne, Usman Khawaja, Head, Marsh (twice) and Carey.Mitchell Starc briefly played confidently before falling to Wood’s short ball, the top-edge spiralling backward of square where there was nearly a horrendous mix-up with Jonny Bairstow seemingly bailing out of the catch, leaving it to Harry Brook who sprinted from short leg and pulled out a full-length dive.As he did in the first innings, Wood gave Cummins a brief and very effective working over and Head – who was 34 off 82 balls at the time – knew it was then time to change gear, although Todd Murphy had cover-driven his first ball from Wood to the boundary.In the next over, from Woakes, Head pulled and carved two boundaries then against Wood collected another brace which took him to fifty off 94 balls. England persisted with the short ball to Head, sometimes with nine men on the boundary, and it did not always look the most sensible approach, although when Woakes went to length he also got sent over midwicket for six.Murphy was undone by classy over from Broad when he returned from the Football Stand End, but there was time for Head to do some more damage. He pulled Wood for consecutive sixes over the leg side before falling attempting something similar off Broad which found deep midwicket.Given their recent history, a chase of 251 was well within England’s reach but, with the Ashes on the line, surely there is a twist or two to come yet.

Southern Vipers have signed Sydney Sixers and Australia A seam bowler Maitlan Brown for their remaining July fixtures.The 26-year-old Brown will be available for Vipers’ Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy clash with Thunder on Friday and will be a part of their squad for matches up to and including the one against Northern Diamonds at Arundel on July 22 with fixtures against the Blaze and Western Storm in between.Brown made her debut for Melbourne Renegades in the WBBL in 2016 before moving to Sydney Sixers for the 2021-22 season. It was in Sydney that she was coached by Vipers head coach Charlotte Edwards in the 2022-23 competition.Edwards signed Brown to Southern Brave for £18,750 (A$35,875) in the inaugural women’s Hundred draft, held in March for the upcoming season, which begins in August.Brown was part of the Australia A squad which played three 50-over games and three T20s against England A on a tour running concurrently with the beginning of the Women’s Ashes, as well as a three-day red-ball warm-up game against England ahead of last month’s Test. She made her Australia A debut in 2018 against India, where she picked up figures of 2 for 16, and she has taken 20 wickets at an average of 28.25 in 24 matches.Adam Carty, Vipers’ regional director of women’s cricket, said: “As a cricketer and a person, Maitlan has all the characteristics and attitude to be a Viper and we are delighted to bring her into the fold for what will be a pretty busy 50-over period for us.”As a highly skilled, competitive bowling allrounder, we hope we’ll provide an environment that will allow Maitlan to show her best side both on and off the pitch at a time when we’ll be without a number of our senior players.”Three Vipers players – seamer Lauren Bell, offspinner Charlie Dean and batter Maia Bouchier – are part of England’s T20 squad currently locked 1-1 with Australia in their three-match Ashes contest, with a squad yet to be named for the three ODIs which will complete the multi-format series.

Tottenham Hotspur are now expected to make a £30m bid for an “incredible” Premier League defender, with Ange Postecoglou keen to bring in competition for places at the back, according to a report.

Tottenham keen on a defender

Postecoglou bolstered his defensive options during the January transfer window, signing Kevin Danso amid Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven’s injury struggles, and the manager is keen to bring in additional reinforcements this summer.

Genoa’s Koni de Winter is the latest centre-back to be linked with a move to north London, with Tottenham asking for information about the 22-year-old, who is attracting widespread interest from the Premier League after an impressive campaign.

A bid is also being prepared for AFC Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen, with the north Londoners expected to make a move imminently, but there is likely to be competition for the Spaniard’s signature, amid interest from Liverpool and Arsenal.

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Spurs are preparing for a hypothetical life without their current boss.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Mar 13, 2025

It is clear signing a new centre-back is on the agenda this summer, and there are now indications Postecoglou could also be keen to strengthen his options at full-back.

According to a report from The Boy Hotspur, Tottenham are now expected to make a €35m (£30m) bid for Wolverhampton Wanderers left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri, having recently stepped up their pursuit.

Ait-Nouri is one of Spurs’ primary targets, with Postecoglou keen to bring in competition for places at left-back ahead of the 2025-26 campaign, at which point Sergio Reguilon will have departed.

However, there is a feeling Wolves could hold out for as much as €60m (£51m), so the two clubs may be some way apart in their valuation of the defender.

There may also be competition for the left-back’s signature from elsewhere, with the whole of the Premier League’s ‘big six’ placing him on their list of targets.

"Incredible" Ait-Nouri emerging as star player for Wolves

Wolves have struggled for large parts of the ongoing campaign, but they have now moved nine points clear of the bottom three, in large part due to Matheus Cunha’s form in front of goal, but Ait-Nouri has also played a crucial role.

With an average WhoScored match rating of 6.85, the Algerian is ranked as the second-best performing player in the squad, while also impressing on a number of key attacking and defensive metrics over the past year.

Statistic

Average per 90

Tackles

2.79 (90th percentile)

Successful take-ons

1.89 (97th percentile)

Non-penalty goals

0.12 (88th percentile)

Assists

0.15 (80th percentile)

While primarily a left-back, the 23-year-old is also capable of playing further forward, and he has received praise for his versatility from former manager Gary O’Neil.

“I’m enjoying working with Rayan, I think he’s an incredible talent, a great guy and he brings a real enthusiasm and life to the place. We can use him anywhere so, unfortunately, at the moment we have to because we don’t have many others.”

The report makes it clear Postecoglou is happy with Destiny Udogie’s performances, but Ait-Nouri has proven he could provide fantastic competition at left-back, so it is promising news that Spurs are pursuing a deal.

MatériaMais Notícias

É inegável que o Botafogo se lançará ao mercado em julho para reforçar a equipe com os investimentos de John Textor. No entanto, diante de várias contratações para o setor de meio de campo na primeira janela, um jovem tem dado conta do recado e se firmado entre os titulares: o volante Kayque.

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Para o setor, Textor investiu pesado e anunciou a contratação mais cara da história do Glorioso: Patrick de Paula, no valor de R$ 33 milhões. Além dele,Tchê Tchê,Lucas Piazon, Luís Oyama e Lucas Fernandes também chegaram para somar em um setor que carece de criatividade e deu dor de cabeça ao português neste início de trabalho.

+ Confira e simule a tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro

O jovem, que já estava no elenco antes da SAF, surge na contramão dos questionamentos acerca dos jogadores de meio de campo. No início do Brasileirão, o volante ficava como opção no banco, mas entrava com frequência no segundo tempo.Todavia, ele tem superado as expectativas e desde que ocupou a vaga de titular não saiu mais.

Na goleada sofrida para o Palmeiras, o Glorioso não viu a cor da bola e foi amplamente dominado no Allianz Parque. Com a atuação, o técnico Luís Castro percebeu que precisava reforçar a marcação e fortalecer o sistema defensivo para dar condições e liberdade ao atacantes e pontas.

No meio de campo não foi diferente, e a entrada de Kayque trouxe mais pegada ao sistema. O camisa 62 mostrou também talento para ser um elemento surpresa na frente e pisa na área com frequência e habilidade. Com a dupla Tchê Tchê e Luís Oyama, a equipe tinha qualidade, mas ficava frágil e mais exposta ao contra-ataques.

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Kayque teve então a chance como titular contra o São Paulo, em meio à turbulência da invasão ao Espaço Lonier. Com maestria, ele teve personalidade para aproveitar a chance e, fora a boa atuação, marcou o gol da vitória, seu primeiro pelo Botafogo. O desempenho confirmou a sua permanência entre os onze, e o tento foi marcado após um lindo corte no adversário.

No Nilton Santos, Kayque foi o jogador com mais finalizações, dribles e cruzamentos certos diante do Tricolor Paulista, segundo dados do “Footstats”. Na virada épica sobre o Internacional, ele também teve destaque em um jogo atípico com a desastrosa atuação do árbitro Sávio Pereira Sampaio.

Quando o Alvinegro conseguiu igualar o placar mesmo com menos um desde o início do jogo, o Colorado teve que se lançar ao ataque. Kayque, então, foi um verdadeiro cão de guarda e ocupou bem a faixa de campo que protegia os três zagueiros. Nos números, ele foi o atleta do Botafogo que mais acertou passes no jogo histórico.

No lance do gol da vitória, Kayque recebeu no meio e teve força física para arrancar, mesmo aos 52 minutos, e dificultar a vida do goleiro Daniel. No rebote, Hugo colocou um sorriso no rosto de cada botafoguense e trouxe os três pontos para o Rio de Janeiro. O time saia do Z4 com os dois triunfos seguidos e voltava à lua de mel com a torcida.

O grande desempenho rendeu ao atleta elogios de John Textor, e o interesse do clube em seu futebol por mais tempo. O Botafogo costurou então a transação pelo jogador, de 21 anos, e vai exercer opção de compra de R$ 300 mil por 50% de seus direitosaté o fim de 2025.

+John Textor diz que Botafogo já tem ‘planos B e C’ para Zahavi e explica buscas do clube no mercado

No clássico do último domingo, Kayque estava suspenso e acabou ficando de fora. Porém, o volante estará de volta no jogo de ida das oitavas de finais da Copa do Brasil, contra o América-MG, na quinta, às 19h, na Arena Independência.

Mukesh Kumar’s six-wicket haul put India A in control of the first day of the second unofficial Test against Bangladesh A in Sylhet. The home side were bowled out for 252 with the Bengal seamer taking career-best figures of 6 for 40 in a bowling attack that also had Umesh Yadav and Navdeep Saini.A 139-run sixth-wicket stand between Shahadat Hossain and Jaker Ali rescued Bangladesh A from getting bowled out for a small total. Shahadat top scored with 80 with nine fours and two sixes, while Jaker made a more sedate 62 with six fours and a six. Earlier, Zakir Hasan, whose 173 had saved Bangladesh A from defeat in the first unofficial Test, scored 46 with nine boundaries.What would continue to worry the Bangladesh selectors is the form of Test regulars Mominul Haque (15) and Mahmudul Hasan Joy (12). Shadman Islam, too, fell cheaply for 4 when he became Umesh’s first wicket in the game.Mukesh’s initial burst of three wickets put Bangladesh A in a spot of bother. He removed Joy in the 15th over before captain Mohammad Mithun and Zakir also fell to his bowling as the home side slipped to 84 for 5. Mukesh later came on to dismiss Jaker, before taking the last two wickets.The two Yadavs, Umesh and Jayant, took two wickets for India A, too. At stumps, the visitors were 11 for no loss with openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Abhimanyu Easwaran unbeaten on 8 and 3 respectively.

MatériaMais Notícias

Após figurar o G-4 do Campeonato Brasileiro, o Coritiba deu esperanças ao torcedor para uma participação animadora na competição.

– VEJA A TABELA DO BRASILEIRÃO

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Os bons resultados nas primeiras rodadas trouxeram uma importante ‘gordura’ para o Coxa, mas o time de Gustavo Morínigo caiu de produção e atravessa um momento de instabilidade.

Nas últimas cinco partidas, a equipe curitibana não obteve vitórias, despencando na classificação do torneio nacional. Atualmente com 15 pontos somados, o Coritiba aparece na 15ª posição, duas acima da zona de rebaixamento.

+Yuri Alberto, James Rodríguez… Listamos 20 astros viáveis que seu time poderia tentar

CALENDÁRIO

A oportunidade para acabar com a seca de vitórias é na sexta-feira (24), quando o Coxa mede forças com o Internacional, fora de casa, pelo Brasileirão.