MARTIN KEOWN: Once again, Gareth Southgate is on the verge of greatness, taking England to within one win of our first men's trophy since 1966. Looking back on the journey to here, Southgate has given us every reason to trust him tactically after showing how skilled he is at adapting his team structure to the opponents in front of us. He swapped systems in order to see off Switzerland in the quarter-finals. He subtly countered the Netherlands' changes at half-time of the semi-final by switching from a back three to a back four, as he brought on Luke Shaw and told Bukayo Saka to move more central.
It's the biggest decision of Gareth Southgate's life... and I'm afraid he needs to drop Harry Kane, writes GRAEME SOUNESS
GRAEME SOUNESS: Gareth Southgate faces the biggest football decision of his life on Saturday: whether to drop Harry Kane. If he gets it right, it is a decision that will make Gareth a national hero and, on current evidence, I'd say you have to leave Harry out. I've been one of Harry's greatest supporters. He is a fantastic goalscorer, who has shown terrific ability at Tottenham, Bayern Munich and for England but this tournament he has looked like he is towing a caravan around the football pitch.
- PODCAST: Have England been playing with fear as Southgate suggests?
- LISTEN: Southgate only England manager to be criticised whilst winning
- PODCAST: The REAL reason England through despite playing badly
- PODCAST: 'Just ONE good performance' could change England's fortunes
- PODCAST: Are the England team buying into Southgate's style of play?
EXCLUSIVEEric Cantona reveals new talks with Man United about taking a job under Sir Jim Ratcliffe, speaks on THAT kung-fu kick... and fears United could 'lose its soul' if one plan goes ahead
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY CHRIS WHEELER: Eric Cantona is talking about goats. Not GOATs. Goats. Specifically, the pet goat that has been keeping him company recently. The one he was seen walking on a London street. The one in the photo with Cantona that appeared on a flag at Glastonbury. So what's the goat all about? 'It's a secret,' he says cryptically. 'I've got plenty of secrets. I'm full of secrets, including the secrets for myself.' More of the secret later.
PLAYER RATINGS: Which England star set the tone from the off? Who looked tired AGAIN? And which youngster could Netherlands simply not live with?
England secured a place in the first major tournament final on foreign soil in the nation's history thanks to a moment of magic from Ollie Watkins clinching the 2-1 win against the Netherlands on Wednesday evening. Here, Mail Sport's CRAIG HOPE assesses who dazzled, and who must do better, ahead of the team's historic final on Sunday evening.
Mail Sport expert MARTIN KEOWN reveals how England duo Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden can exploit Virgil van Dijk in Euro 2024 semi-final against Netherlands
MARTIN KEOWN: England's change of system from 4-2-3-1 to 3-4-2-1 in order to match up with Switzerland not only proved effective in how we controlled our opponents. It also got our most creative players higher up the pitch than they had been in previous matches. England should 100 per cent use the same system against the Netherlands. It was no coincidence that Bukayo Saka had his best game of Euro 2024 against the Swiss as he benefited from what was around him. For Saka, his partnership with Phil Foden can only have reminded him of the one he enjoys with Martin Odegaard at Arsenal. Saka was taking up high and wide positions while Foden was popping up in the inside pocket like Odegaard, and the Dutch will be fearful of the damage this duo could do together. The Netherlands will have Nathan Ake at left back, and Virgil van Dijk as the left-sided centre back. Saka can occupy Ake while Foden can present a dilemma to Van Dijk, who must decide whether to stay or go with him.
PLAYER RATINGS: Which Spain star was a threat from minute one? Who failed to deliver for France? And who has Pep Guardiola and Man City reaching for the chequebook?
AADAM PATEL AT THE ALLIANZ ARENA: Spain have made a giant leap towards claiming a record fourth European Championship trophy after defeating France 2-1 at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday night. Luis de la Fuente's side endured a breathless start to the semi-final clash after falling behind thanks to opening goal from Randal Kolo Muani within the first 10 minutes. But it took just 11 more for La Roja to find themselves on equal footing, courtesy of a superbly struck goal from 16-year-old prodigal Lamine Yamal.
Novak Djokovic's mindset shifted when he refused to be vaccinated. And Wimbledon 'booing' row is the latest sign he's given up on being loved in tennis, writes MATTHEW LAMBERT
MATTHEW LAMBERT AT WIMBLEDON: When a special guest walked out on to Centre Court to interview Andy Murray during his farewell, for one ghastly moment I thought the greatest heresy was being committed on Centre Court since Cliff Richard sang during that rain delay. Were people really booing Sue Barker? Of course, they were not. They were roaring: 'Suuuuuuue.' To my ears this was no different to what happened during Novak Djokovic's fourth-round match with Holger Rune on Monday evening, but the Serb saw it differently. Most heard 'Ruuune'; he heard 'booo'.
Late pull-out Emma Raducanu should have been fully committed to playing with Andy Murray, writes his Olympics partner DAN EVANS
DAN EVANS: It was a privilege to be invited on court for Andy Murray's farewell presentation at Wimbledon. I had just finished my doubles match when Tim Henman asked a few of us to head over to Centre Court. Sue Barker was ready to deliver a few words, just like she did at the beginning of his career, and she struck the perfect tone. In many ways, it was fitting that Andy's final Wimbledon match was with his brother on Centre Court - where he's had the nation gripped so many times. There was no chance to share a beer afterwards because Andy was expecting to play doubles with Emma Radacanu over the weekend. He was in full warm-down mode. Knowing Andy, he will remain that top professional until the bitter end. He won't risk anything by not recovering properly and he wanted to be in the best possible shape for the mixed doubles.
The Harry Kane conundrum: Should Gareth Southgate do what Sir Alf Ramsey did to Jimmy Greaves and leave England's star striker out? Asks OLIVER HOLT
OLIVER HOLT: A week ago, after England's dramatic extra-time win over Slovakia, Gareth Southgate talked about giving a presentation to his players about the 1966 World Cup, which stressed how the path to glory does not always run smooth. When Southgate made that presentation, he may not have realised quite how pertinent it would become. Because, as England prepare for their Euro 2024 semi-final against the Netherlands in Dortmund on Wednesday , he has a selection dilemma of his own.
ENGLAND PLAYER RATINGS: Which 4/10 superstar 'should have been taken off after an hour'? Who 'disappeared'? And what about the player who was 'left exposed'?
CRAIG HOPE IN DUSSELDORF: England again made life hard for themselves, but reached the semi-finals of Euro 2024 following a penalty shootout. The Three Lions again found themselves going behind through Breel Embolo's 75th minute goal. Their lead only lasted five minutes however as Bukayo Saka's brilliant strike took the game to extra-time. Here, Mail Sport's CRAIG HOPE runs the rule over the England players
Inside the life of Britain's next F1 superstar: Lando Norris on shying away from publicity - and why he's 'happy' when his friends call him an 'absolute k**b'
JONATHAN MCEVOY AT SILVERSTONE: Lando Norris's status as the boy band-style darling of Silverstone is clear all over the track's vast sodden swathes. 'Go Lando!' banners festoon the grandstands and groupies of the Netflix era hang out by the turnstiles for a glimpse of the McLaren man. With apologies to his fellow countrymen, the Somerset-born racer would be the most popular winner of Sunday's British Grand Prix. So pressure and attention walk hand in hand. Yet behind the glitzy exterior, and financial security for life at the age of 24, Norris would rather stay at home than come face to face with off-track fame. He cites an innate shyness.
ENGLAND v SWITZERLAND FORM GUIDE: Which 7/10 star does Gareth Southgate need to start? Who has orchestrated the whole show for the Swiss? And who has been a DISASTER out of position for the Three Lions?
CRAIG HOPE AND MATT BARLOW: England are going through their final preparations before meeting Switzerland in the Euro 2024 quarter-final on Saturday. Gareth Southgate's side have struggled to convince with their performances in Germany, but have ground out results to reach the last eight. Jude Bellingham's last gasp equaliser and an extra time Harry Kane header saw the Three Lions scrape past Slovakia, but England will have to improve against Switzerland if they are to reach the last four.
The art of the substitution: Just one assist off the bench, slower to change than 13 other nations… Gareth Southgate trusted his 'gut' in Gelsenkirchen but here's where England boss can up his game
KIERAN GILL: Martin O'Neill is talking substitutes, specifically the one he made in the 93rd minute of his first match in charge of Aston Villa on August 19, 2006, a 1-1 draw at Arsenal. 'It was Arsenal's first Premier League game at the Emirates Stadium,' O'Neill tells Mail Sport. 'Doug Ellis, the owner, was in the dressing room afterwards. He said, "Can I see you on Monday?" 'So I went to that meeting and he said, "Why did you put Martin Laursen on in the last few minutes on Saturday?" I said, "Arsenal had equalised and were forsaking their passing game to push balls into the penalty area. In the few minutes he was on, Martin headed three clear. Why?" He said, "Because he is on a bonus of £3,000 an appearance!"'
God only knows how sensitive soul Jude Bellingham would have coped with the raging criticism at Italia 90, writes IAN HERBERT
IAN HERBERT: It was impressive of Jude Bellingham to quote Theodore Roosevelt's beautiful 'Man in the Arena' speech to reflect on keeping England in the Euros: 'It is not the critic who counts. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood.' But a little historical perspective might not go amiss. He appears to be obsessed with criticism of England's campaign, to the point that vindication was as paramount as victory on Sunday. Bellingham wanted to discuss the 'rubbish' there had been to contend with; how 'people talk a lot', that 'you do have to take it personally.' How 'it's nice to throw it back to some people.' God only knows how Bellingham, such a sensitive soul, would have coped at the Italy World Cup of 1990. England's tournament that summer is already assuming remarkable parallels with this one: 1-0, 0-0 and 1-1 results in the group stage, the team flipping between a back four and back three, with a spectacular late winner to rescue the last-16 tie. For Bellingham, read David Platt. But the reporting of the team back then really bears no comparison to now.
England's change in fortune was difficult to comprehend writes OLIVER HOLT. Gareth Southgate's side did not deserve a reprieve but in Jude Bellingham they have star quality which cannot be extinguished
ENGLAND 2-1 SLOVAKIA - OLIVER HOLT IN GELSENKIRCHEN: When all seemed lost, when England seemed to be falling to the most ignominious of defeats and Gareth Southgate was preparing his goodbyes, when there was just one minute of added time left, Jude Bellingham launched himself into the air and swung his right foot. Bellingham has the kind of star quality that cannot be extinguished and as the ball sped from his foot into the net, it was worth remembering that he turned 21 on Saturday. We may have got used to calling him a kid but he's not a kid anymore. He's The Man. England supporters, who had stuck by their team magnificently throughout the match, had been singing The Great Escape and now they knew they may just have witnessed the greatest England escape of all.
Now is the time for the REAL England to turn up. Do so, and they can blow Slovakia away, writes GRAEME SOUNESS
GRAEME SOUNESS: Sunday isn't about 'mighty' Slovakia, a country with a 5.4million population, around half that of London, it's about 'mighty' England turning up. If the true England we know, with great attacking players, finally shows itself, then we don't need to be concerned about Slovakia, England should win with goals to spare. In my seven years at Liverpool, I can only remember us paying special attention to the opposition once. That was the 1981 European Cup semi final in Munich when Sammy Lee was asked to go man for man on Bayern Munich great Paul Breitner. On every other occasion it was: 'don't worry about the opposition, concentrate on getting your own game right'.
Crippled by self-doubt, haunted by demons of past failures and questions about their coach.... It's Germany's turn to flirt with self destruction at the Euros, writes IAN HERBERT
IAN HERBERT: The squad and the system are still relatively untested. Only seven months ago, this nation was losing to Turkey and Austria. That's why the draw against Switzerland has been a source of angst. The excellent Murat Yakin and Manuel Akanji, for the Swiss, managed to disrupt Germany's game without opting for a complete retreat. Central defender Jonathan Tah and striker Kai Havertz struggled and the team seemed to drift. Many observed how the stands became shrouded in silence for the last quarter of the first half in Frankfurt, as anxiety quickly set in.
Ignore the history re-writers, Ralf Rangnick was a disaster at Man United and his coaching at the Euros doesn't change that, writes IAN LADYMAN
IAN LADYMAN: There is a natural instinct in this country to belittle other sporting nations and it's unattractive. I was guilty of it on our 'Its All Kicking Off' podcast yesterday when I said that England's side of the draw in Euro 2024 resembled the bottom half of the Championship. That was a stupid thing to say. Just for clicks, as Harry Kane may observe. I was in Frankfurt last Sunday as Switzerland came within a couple of minutes of beating Germany. They would have deserved their victory. Turkey have fanatical support all across Germany and have come through a difficult group with more points than England did in theirs. As for our next opponents, well we played Slovakia in the first phase of Euro 2016 in France and drew 0-0.
ENGLAND PLAYER RATINGS: Which 4/10 big-name player was 'petulant and pedestrian'? Who is the star of the past who's lucky to still be in the team? And what about the top scorer of a bad bunch on 7/10?
CRAIG HOPE AT COLOGNE STADIUM: England ended their group stage campaign at Euro 2024 not with a bang, but with a whimper in their 0-0 draw with Slovenia on Tuesday evening. With the other Group C tie - Denmark's clash with Serbia - also ending goalless, Gareth Southgate's side will finish at the top of the pile, but the head coach will have much to reflect on as the team prepares for their Round of 16 match. Bukayo Saka found the back of the net in halfway inside the first-half, but had the effort chalked off by VAR, and none of his team-mates were able to better his efforts as the game progressed.
Has Gareth Southgate stumbled across England's best XI? Tactical analysis on the team he SHOULD pick - with THREE major changes
CRAIG HOPE IN ERFURT: He got there by stumbling down blind alleys and crawling back out again, but in emerging from the darkness of the group stage, Gareth Southgate has surely found the light to put England on the right path. Save for the opening 30 minutes against Serbia - when England flew and Jude Bellingham wore a cape - the best they have played was in the closing minutes of Tuesday's goalless draw with Slovenia. It might not have felt like that amid another putrid performance that hung heavy on a sticky summer's night in Cologne, but there was an air of relief at seeing England attack with pace, incision and energy, albeit briefly.
Gareth Southgate's England puzzle - and the missing pieces he needs to find a fix for at the Euros
CRAIG HOPE IN BLANKENHAIN: Gareth Southgate was left with more questions than answers following a dismal showing by England in last week's 1-1 draw with Denmark. Now, 24 hours out from their final group game against Slovenia in Cologne, here is how the manager should rearrange the pieces of his broken puzzle to turn England back into Euros contenders. Who should play alongside Rice?
Gareth Southgate has England's answer to Germany midfield maestro Toni Kroos staring at him - he just needs to make the bold call, writes RIATH AL-SAMARRAI
RIATH AL-SAMARRAI: He just needs that one natural midfielder who pulls all other strands together. That midfielder whose mind is always clear, even in chaos. One who has the innate sense to know who is where and, more importantly, where they will be four passes from now. One who knows that if you roll a few short balls to the right - simple balls, harmless balls, Sidepass Toni balls - you might coax the slightest gap on the left. One who has a grandmaster's eye for subtle manipulations and can wait, calmly, diligently, until just enough pieces have moved before sending the killer ball through that space. There aren't many deep-lying players in recent eras who can murder with such grace when everything else has become so very fast and crowded. Xavi could. Sergio Busquets and Luka Modric, too, and Rodri might be in their company if his trajectory keeps to its current path.
How to sort England's mess: Mail Sport's experts believe Cole Palmer has to start against Slovenia… and the one player they all agree MUST be dropped
Gareth Southgate admitted after Thursday's draw with Denmark that there is a lot of work to do, with England struggling to find and apply the right tactical formula. With that in mind, Mail Sport's experts got their heads together, worked out what to change, and suggested their starting teams for the next game against Slovenia.
England have been stumbling their way through Euro 2024, writes GRAEME SOUNESS. They are supposed to have leadership groups - well b****y lead then! And why I'm so happy to be ribbed by Alan Hansen
GRAEME SOUNESS: England's players need to take a good, hard look in the mirror and ask themselves: what more can I do? A non-functioning midfield is an issue for any team but there's more to it than that. Harry Kane says they are unsure about their pressing roles. Big players don't need a manager to sort that out. Pressing isn't rocket science. You talk to each other on the pitch and work it out.
Emboldened by his podcast where 'we do what we want' and he can call England 's***', how Gary Lineker and his BBC pundits' blurring of the lines is making them bolder than ever on TV
NATHAN SALT: Gary Lineker sat across from BBC colleague and podcast partner Micah Richards in the aftermath of England's draw with Denmark with a glass of red wine, one of water, and two pieces of paper full of notes laid out carefully in front of him. The duo sat down to record the latest instalment of their hugely successful 'The Rest Is Football' podcast, no doubt well aware that they were trending across Google and social media for their damning verdicts on the below-par 1-1 draw in Frankfurt. But instead of rowing back on his comments - Lineker specifically called out Harry Kane for 'barely moving' and not working hard enough - the Match of the Day host, and the BBC's highest-paid presenter, doubled down on a 's**t' display that was 'tactically inept'.
What Jude Bellingham MUST learn if he is to solve this chaotic England puzzle, writes IAN LADYMAN
IAN LADYMAN: England's players and indeed their manager made a point before this game of stressing how they had been blocking out the negative noise after their opening win over Serbia. None of them are blind, though, and as the whistle blew on this shambles in Frankfurt they looked up to see an England end that was emptying fast. Up on the giant cube screen that hangs above the pitch here, the table from Group B showed England at the top of it with a game to go. But you can't fool football supporters.
EXCLUSIVEWhy Denmark are motivated by an incident no England fan even remembers in tomorrow's Euros clash: PETER SCHMEICHEL interview
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Three years on from the Covid-affected pan-continental Euro 2020 , memory lingers on England 's agonising penalty shootout defeat by Italy in the final. That's the tournament's legacy on these shores. Ask a Denmark fan what they remember from the latter stages of the competition and you'll get a very different story. 'That was a hard moment,' Denmark and Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel told Mail Sport, recalling England's controversial semi-final winner.
Gritty Scotland give themselves a chance of making history with progress to knockouts still a possibility after outperforming Switzerland, writes IAN HERBERT
IAN HERBERT IN COLOGNE: A tide of royal blue support on the banks of Rhine lifted Scotland to another level on Wednesday night and kept their place in these championships alive. The team they urged on were confronted by opponents who threatened them and just briefly, looked like they might bury them, but Scotland were lifted to another level. They took the point which means a win against Hungary in Stuttgart on Sunday could take them to the knock-out stages of a tournament for the first time. You would not say it was a European sophistication from Scotland. Just direct, vertical, muscular highly effective football. And it worked. Amid the cacophony of noise, they struck a post and could walk away in the knowledge that that were the better side.
Jude Bellingham follows three generational England legends in having the country's hopes rest on him. He plays like he's unbeatable but others must step up, writes OLIVER HOLT
OLIVER HOLT IN ERFURT: In an echoing concrete cavern next to the England dressing room at the AufSchalke Arena, Declan Rice was talking to the cluster of journalists gathered in a semicircle in front of him. He was responding to a question, inevitably, about Jude Bellingham. Rice, who had had a fine game in England's uneven 1-0 win over Serbia in their Group C opener, offered a stream of complimentary observations about the player who had scored England's winner. Then he paused before summing up. 'I've got to let him flourish,' he said.
Germany were like a Porsche going from nought to 60 in a few seconds... the hosts accelerated away from Scotland to leave them in their rear-view mirror, writes OLIVER HOLT
OLIVER HOLT IN MUNICH: Four Scotsmen walked down Bayerstrasse, alongside the city's main train station, on Friday morning. Something about them stood out amid the tens of thousands of Tartan Army fans who had descended on Munich for the opening game of Euro 2024 against Germany. Each wore a Tartan flat cap and each wore a kilt but each also wore a Germany shirt. Three of them were blank. One bore the name of Florian Wirtz, the precocious Germany midfielder. It felt like a lovely gesture of camaraderie at the start of a major tournament. Marienplatz was a riot of blue and white. The U6 underground line to the Allianz Arena echoed to one song. 'We've got McGinn, Super John McGinn, I just don't think you understand, he's Unai Emery's man, he's better than Zidane, we've got super John McGinn.'
GRAEME SOUNESS: I'm praying for Alan Hansen as he fights for his life. The best of men, he is a rascal with a ruthless sense of humour
Like everyone, I was shocked to hear the news that my very good friend Alan Hansen was seriously ill this week. It's a desperate time for his wife Janet, his children Adam and Lucy and everybody who is close to him. I'm praying, I don't know who to, but I'm praying that he will be around soon to return to his usual p*** taking duties. Alan is a rare breed in life as I don't know anyone who has a bad word to say about him. The best footballing centre-back ever. He's a rascal with a ruthless sense of humour. Great company, a great story teller... and apparently a great memory.
IAN HERBERT: What will it take for Man City fans to accept Abu Dhabi's charmless reign is a terrible look for their club?
IAN HERBERT: In came the abuse - barrowloads of it - hurled last week by Manchester City fans at those who had the temerity to challenge the idea of an overwhelmingly dominant force in British football going to the courts to dismantle the Premier League's rules and secure the right to unlimited spending. 'Another pathetic article,' declared Steve Jones, a fan who 'awaits' my reply to his fulminations about Manchester City 'smashing this cartel.' (So here you go, Steve). Dave Temerson will be sending the boys around, apparently. Nothing unusual, there. The weaponisation of fans means that almost anything wealthy owners say or do is defensible these days. A friend had a brick put through one of his windows after a sequence of pieces which calmly and rigorously dissected Manchester City's complicated relationship with financial spending rules, a few years back.
Serbia's thuggish army of pro-Putin ultras have England fans in their sights: DAVID WILKES braved the bearpit of Belgrade... and received a terrifying four-word warning
DAVID WILKES: Red Star Belgrade, champions of the Serbian SuperLiga, are at home tonight, but I'm glued to the action away from the pitch - in the human bearpit known as the North Stand off to my left. Flares and firecrackers light up the night sky, giant plumes of red-tinted smoke drift across the stadium while, to the relentless sound of drumming, a crowd of young men in black mix hymns of praise to their team with chants of ugly nationalism. These are the Red Star 'ultras', a thuggish army of superfans with one of the most fearsome reputations in Europe. They call themselves the Delije, or 'strong boys', although it's not mere strength they're known for.
EXCLUSIVEMan United's SCOTT McTOMINAY speaks out on the day he cried in Jose Mourinho's office, what he REALLY thinks of Erik ten Hag, his Euros dream - and how Neymar sparked his 'maddest experience' in football
EXCLUSIVE BY LEWIS STEELE: Scott McTominay puffs out his cheeks and exhales. The Manchester United star is reflecting on a sliding-doors moment and intervention from Scotland boss Steve Clarke that changed his outlook on life and football. 'My career could be over in a heartbeat,' he says with a hint of trepidation. After achieving childhood dreams and then some by establishing himself as a regular at Old Trafford, plus making his family proud by serving the Tartan Army, McTominay was not enjoying his football. The midfielder is here to talk about many topics to Mail Sport, from his gratitude to Erik ten Hag, tears when Jose Mourinho left United and the 'maddest moment' of his career that saw him play half of a match partially blinded.
Does Emma Raducanu care more about celebrity than tennis? Fresh from a break-up with her billionaire boyfriend and promoting Dior and Porsche in Scotland, Britain's golden girl faces big questions back on grass
IAN HERBERT IN NOTTINGHAM: It did not augur well that Emma Raducanu stumbled as she stepped up onto a high stool to discuss the tennis summer stretching out ahead. She regained her poise and laughed, though injury setbacks have become such a part of the story since her rapid and brief journey to the top of tennis that a plain plastic seat might have been more prudent. She's back at the Nottingham Open, where the quality of her performance on the grass in a first-round defeat by fellow Brit Harriet Dart, three years ago, earned her the Wimbledon wildcard which was a preface to the unimaginable. Three exhilarating performances at SW19 that summer and a fortnight at Flushing Meadow which seems like a distant dream now.
Football's new breed of hooligans heading for the Euros: Why cocaine-fuelled teens who want to show off on Instagram have German police on alert
IAN HERBERT: It's unfashionable to speak well of football policing. To do so, some fans will say, is to be a cheerleader for a presence which intrudes on the simple pleasures of the game. As if Home Office data showing football disorder at a nine-year high were immaterial. As if the casual, barely reported acts of brutality were of no consequence. A man in his 60s was attacked by a teenager before the first of the Norwich/Leeds play-off games. An ambulance worker was assaulted at the same fixture. It would have been good to have had some of the deniers there with me on a warm Spring day in Crewe a few weeks back, when, with fairly local neighbours Wrexham in town, Cheshire Police allowed me to be alongside them, to see what policing a 'high risk' game entails.
How I breached Wembley's £5m 'ring of steel' to get into the Champions League final WITHOUT a ticket: Mail Sport's shocking expose reveals just how easy it is - and raises serious security questions
AADAM PATEL AT WEMBLEY: It was the hottest ticket in town. The face value of an official Uefa Champions League final ticket last weekend ranged from £60 to £610 but online and on the black market, they were selling for thousands of pounds. A quick scroll through Live Football Tickets - a popular secondary ticket website - in the hours before kick-off showed a going rate of around £4,000 and these were for upper-tier seats. Some of the lower-tier seats were selling for close to £10,000. Throughout the day in central London, I met numerous fans who had paid four figure sums for a ticket. With thousands of Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid supporters in town, the threat of ticketless fans trying to get into the stadium was a genuine concern and as such, the FA announced in the days leading up to the clash that they had taken relevant extra security measures in the hope of avoiding the scenes that marred the Euro 2020 final when 2,000 ticketless fans gained entry into Wembley.
What Ben Stokes told Gareth Southgate's England stars after Three Lions cricket captain was called in to talk his squad ahead of Euro 2024
In a sunny corner of the North East with which he is extremely familiar, Gareth Southgate sat down and declared that the journey down the road to Berlin has begun. 'It was 45 days (until the final) when we joined up,' said the England coach on Sunday at Middlesbrough's training ground. 'Not sure how many it is now.' The answer to that question is 41 and reducing, and it's only right that Southgate and his players have their eyes trained on winning Euro 2024 .
Why Chelsea believe Enzo Maresca can be their new Special One: Italian plays keeper as fourth defender, sets up like Pep Guardiola and compiles files on entire club staff
KIERAN GILL: It was supposed to be a straightforward unveiling in the suite of Stamford Bridge's West Stand. Get in. Get to know the Premier League's newest manager. Get out. Then we were introduced to Jose Mourinho. That was on June 2, 2004, the day of his 'special one' declaration and the 20-year anniversary of which was on Sunday. He did not want a headline like the 'Arsene Who?' that appeared in the London Evening Standard upon Wenger's arrival at Arsenal. He wanted to explain why we should be excited, grateful even, that he chose England as his next destination for domination.
Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren's combined net worth is £66MILLION, one has a private jet and the other is married to an ex-Vogue model - a tale of the tape of the rival British boxing promoters set to stage a historic card
On Saturday night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, we will witness an event that 12 months ago would have been unthinkable. That's right, after despising one another for years, British boxing's leading two promoters Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren will pit five fighters from each of their stables against each other on a monster card in the Middle East. It promises to be a fascinating night of boxing, with Deontay Wilder, Daniel Dubois and Zhilei Zhang, and bragging rights will be on the line.
EXCLUSIVE'I had an overdue parking fine... but money goes fast when you buy £150,000 wine!': NICKLAS BENDTNER talks car crashes, wild nights, and being Denmark's answer to Beckham
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY NIK SIMON IN COPENHAGEN: Like most retired footballers, Bendtner could talk tactics all afternoon. Yet Bendtner was never your average footballer; just ask Arsene Wenger . Since taking early retirement in 2019, his hair has grown down to his shoulders and he has bulked up with a few kilos of muscle. He bench-presses 140kg on a good day. Some Arsenal fans may not even recognise the Scandinavian striker who once patrolled the six-yard box - as well as London's nightlife. Most mornings he visits the spit-and-sawdust gym just around the corner, sweat from his workout dripping down his brow as he tucks into lunch. 'I've got to work-out because my body starts falling apart if I don't do anything,' he explains, clutching at his right knee. 'Since my car crash, my body never really healed. It's was never really the same.' Almost 15 years have passed since he spun off the London Colney exit of the A1 on his way to Arsenal training, Andrea Bocelli blasting through his sound-system as his career swerved off its pathway of immense potential. 'Now I sleep on a bed as hard as this,' he says, hitting the wooden table.
EXCLUSIVE'Jude called me 'legend' and gave me his shirt… but I hope he gets beat!': PAUL LAMBERT on final showdown and his journey from free agent to Champions League hero with Dortmund
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY CRAIG HOPE: If Dortmund's journey to this final is storied and heroic, it still does not compare to that of Lambert's own odyssey from unknown and unemployed to Champions League winner in just 10 months. It is remarkable that the tale has never been dramatised on screen - 'Martin Compston could play me, I think' - but at least that means Lambert can relive his adventure with us. It is one of implausible odds, beginning in the summer of 1996. So, who and what was Paul Lambert back then? 'Skint, for starters!' he says. 'I was actually tapping my mum and dad for a few quid. My dad was a roof tiler and my mum a housewife - and their son, the footballer, is asking them for money!'
Jude Bellingham is just 20 and yet a phenomenon. It's intoxicating to see how he has captured the imagination in Madrid, a city in thrall to its new superstar, writes OLIVER HOLT
OLIVER HOLT: He has already won La Liga but it is winning the Champions League that would establish him as one of Madrid's greats even at the age of 20. The Champions League is the tournament that matters here. It defines the club and the players who play for it. The slogan A Por La 15 decorates shirts all around Madrid. 'Let's win the 15th,' it means. That's right: this would be the 15th time Madrid have won the competition if they get past Dortmund. To give you an idea of their dominance, AC Milan are next in the pecking order and they have won it seven times. A few days spent in Madrid this week is enough to tell you that more people wear Bellingham's shirt than the jersey of any other player in the streets and squares and bars of the capital. His name stares out at you from the racks of every souvenir shop. He has captured the public imagination here like few others. He runs himself into the ground for the team, and the fans, like fans everywhere, love that. He is blessed with supreme technical ability. There is something intoxicating about someone so young carrying all before them and doing it with such grace and panache.
Chelsea owners have been belittled and ridiculed but Todd Boehly and Co might know what they're doing after all, writes SIMON JORDAN
SIMON JORDAN: Chelsea's decision to ditch Mauricio Pochettino and line up Enzo Maresca as his replacement has given more ammunition to those who belittle the club's new owners and consider them clueless. Once again I find myself trying to give nuance and context to the plight of owners. This may be because I was one but I find it a tad one-dimensional and myopic that there isn't more balance and informed opinion on what is required in running a football club. It's binary - you are either good or bad with nothing in between and, like most things, it is much more complicated than that.
GRAEME SOUNESS: I won the European Cup at Wembley and went to celebrate with my landlady... but she wasn't pleased to be woken up at 3am and went back to bed!
GRAEME SOUNESS: Winning a European Cup at Wembley gave me one of the most special nights of my life. I'd watched Liverpool claim the trophy the year before, in 1977, on TV in, of all places, a German working men's club in Wollongong, New South Wales, while touring Australia with Middlesbrough. Liverpool had beaten Borussia Monchengladbach so we weren't very popular with the German clientele as we cheered for an English win. Nearly a year later, I was part of that Liverpool team and found myself heading to Wembley as we looked to retain the trophy against Bruges.
Erik ten Hag has overseen a season of chaos at Manchester United. One Wembley wonder cannot hide that, writes IAN LADYMAN
IAN LADYMAN: Erik ten Hag walked out of Wembley with a wave and a smile and the look of a man who had proved a point. If this was to be his last stand then it was one with courage and defiance and real sporting spirit written right through it. Well played Ten Hag. Well played Manchester United. Over the course of 90 minutes of a super game, 7-1 at the bookies became 2-1 on the field. However you wish to look at it, this was an FA Cup Final upset to place with SOME that have passed before. Whether it should be enough to earn Ten Hag another crack at actually moving United forwards in to a sustainable and respectable future is a different matter entirely.
Kieran McKenna is a smart man. So why would he get involved in the risky business of the nutters at Man United and Chelsea?
RIATH AL-SAMARRAI: To apply a little context to what has made Kieran McKenna so popular of late, you have to travel a decent distance into the past to find the last manager who made the same magnificent jump through the divisions. That would be Nigel Adkins and it might be an idea to ask him about the thanks he got for it. He was the bright young thing once. Like McKenna, he was emotionally intelligent and tactically strong. And like McKenna at Ipswich, Adkins found an unfavourable table when he embarked upon the peculiar business of sporting miracles in September 2010 - Southampton were 22nd in League One. That just wouldn't do for a club with a good infrastructure and rated as favourites to go up under Alan Pardew a few weeks earlier. But what a ride they went on - led by Adkins, then 45, Southampton went up automatically eight months later. League One being League One, it got some attention but not a lot.
FA CUP FINAL PLAYER RATINGS: Who was a 'bag of nerves' for Man City? And which defender was Man United's man of the match?
Manchester United took a shock lead on the half hour mark through Alejandro Garnacho, who tapped into City's empty net following a defensive mix-up between Josko Gvardiol and Stefan Ortega. There was nothing fortunate about United's second goal nine minutes later, however, as Kobbie Mainoo finished off Bruno Fernandes ' superb assist to send United in at half time 2-0 in front. Mail Sport's CHRIS WHEELER and JACK GAUGHAN assess the players' performances from Saturday's showpiece at Wembley.
EXCLUSIVEInside German resort that'll be England's for Euros: WAGs will be kept at a secure distance from spy-proof camp - complete with Wembley grass and smell of St George's Park
EXCLUSIVE BY AADAM PATEL IN BLANKENHAIN, GERMANY: Matthias Grafe tells Mail Sport he will never forget the day the England manager came to his resort in this quiet town in the heart of Germany. He recalls how Gareth Southgate wasn't fussed that the football pitch was covered by a blanket of snow but instantly knew his mind was made up. Nestled in a forest on the outskirts of Blankenhain - a town with a population of less than 7,000 - this was the ideal location with the privacy he craved and the facilities he desired from three golf courses to a padel court and even a robot called Robbie, who only speaks German, to serve the players and collect their dishes.
What the mood of Chelsea's in-the-dark dressing room is REALLY like: WhatsApp chats have a 'what have they done vibe' amid 'devastation and disgust' at Mauricio Pochettino's exit
KIERAN GILL: Before we get to the incredulity shared by the Chelsea squad, it is worth mentioning the risible statistic that was attracting attention among their representatives on Wednesday. Forwarded by one to Mail Sport, it was a screenshot being shared of a tweet going viral by the journalist Will Jeanes which read: 'The next Chelsea manager will be the club's 24th (including caretakers) from 2000 onwards - which is more than the number of Popes there have been since 1722.' Mauricio Pochettino's successor will be the current owners' sixth head coach - fourth permanent - since taking over from Roman Abramovich in May 2022, the two-year anniversary of which is a week today. 'Jesus,' added the agent who sent on that statistic, pun intended presumably. 'You can only laugh.'
That inane crooner Rod Stewart is talking nonsense saying the Premier League is boring, says SIMON JORDAN. I'll tell you what is dull... Scotland!
SIMON JORDAN: Ok, we've got one side playing such an elite brand of football that it's raising the bar for everybody else but there is so much more to the Premier League than who comes out on top. Arsenal were millimetres away from City and proved it by taking four points off their title rivals. It came down to tiny margins. They will undoubtedly look back with regret on that period over Christmas that saw them lose back to back games against Fulham and West Ham.
The Premier League NEEDS Mikel Arteta to be its saviour... he is the only one capable of taking down the Man City machine, writes IAN HERBERT
IAN HERBERT: Even as Mikel Arteta was interviewed on the Emirates pitch, moments after the season's end on Sunday, there was evidence of the ego which makes him the winner of very few popularity contests. He became the director and curator of that moment, taking over the microphone to relate to supporters that his way had been the right way all along, even if it had taken them time to appreciate that. 'You started to believe,' he told them. 'You started to understand what we had to do.' Arteta has driven through unpopular changes at Arsenal - the marginalising of Aaron Ramsdale; the sacking of Steve Bould, shown the door after 33 years' service; the ushering of older players to that same exit without compunction. This is Arteta - extremely confident in his own ability and austere to the point of unpleasantness at times. Behind the sparkling eyes, the crew neck and the perfect hair, there's an arrogance, and unlike Pep Guardiola, he doesn't seem to care who sees it.
PLAYER RATINGS: Phil Foden shows why he is the player of the season once again while Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva gear up for FA Cup final with impressive displays
JACK GAUGHAN AT THE ETIHAD: After a dramatic final day of the Premier League season, Manchester City secured their fourth title in a row after victory over West Ham. The hosts set the tone from the first minute as Phil Foden unleashed an unstoppable strike that flew into the top corner of the Alphonso Areola's net. The England starlet doubled his tally in 18th minute after applying the finishing touches on a sweeping move before Mohammed Kudus scored an acrobatic strike.
Jurgen Klopp's last working day in Liverpool ends with a victory but it still feels like nobody really wants to let go, writes IAN LADYMAN
IAN LADYMAN AT ANFIELD: He sat on the bench beneath the shadow of the Main Stand and chewed his bottom lip as the music played. Beneath the black cap, his eyes were full. Not quite a tear, but close enough. Jurgen Klopp's last day at work at Liverpool had begun. Across on the other side - where the folk had held programmes to their brows to shield themselves from the sun - supporters held aloft squares of white card to form one simple word. Jurgen. It was one of the few things about this day that was under-stated. Once the strains of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' had faded, a football match was supposed to break out. But it never really did.
Newcastle complete their job with 4-2 win against Brentford but their biggest game of the season is next weekend, writes CRAIG HOPE... (and they're not even involved!)
CRAIG HOPE AT THE GTECH COMMUNITY STADIUM: The biggest game of Newcastle's season will be played at Wembley next weekend. At the same time, Eddie Howe and his players will be flying home from a tour of Australia. What happens in the FA Cup final will determine whether they'll be adding to their air miles come August. Tyneside will be Sky Blue on Saturday in support of Manchester City. Should they lose to Manchester United, the cup winners will take Newcastle's place in Europe. A City victory and the Conference League awaits for the Magpies. That was not what they hoped for nor expected at the outset of this campaign. Back in August they were a Champions League club and sat top of the Premier league after a 5-1 demolition of Aston Villa on the opening day.
GRAEME SOUNESS: Jurgen Klopp has been a shrewd leader in dark times - but here's why he can't be considered Liverpool's greatest
GRAEME SOUNESS: Jurgen is a passionate, emotional man. The city is full of passion and emotion. The two have been a most wonderful fit, these past nine years. And though it took Jurgen two or three years to get going, the spectacle has been wonderful, too. Edge-of-your-seat football. I speak to a lot of football people and with due respect to Manchester City , most prefer watching Liverpool play to City, with their slower, more precise build-up.
Never mind the trophies, Jurgen Klopp created the best Liverpool team ever - here's why his side was better than anything built by Bob Paisley or Bill Shankly, writes IAN LADYMAN
IAN LADYMAN: I feared all along that Jurgen Klopp may leave England with only one Premier League title to his name. Manchester City's era of crushing dominance has seen to that. The value of football is measured not only by trophies though. If it was then 90 per cent of our Premier League clubs may as well stop playing. So Klopp's single title success from nine years on Merseyside doesn't stop me from thinking that the German built and developed perhaps the greatest team ever to represent Liverpool.
Man United gave a performance that will make Erik ten Hag wonder what might have been... where has this spirit been? Writes CHRIS WHEELER after 3-2 win over Newcastle
CHRIS WHEELER AT OLD TRAFFORD: If this does indeed prove to be Erik ten Hag's farewell to Old Trafford, at least he goes out with a win. Manchester United gave their manager the kind of performance that has so often been lacking in this most wretched of seasons. The kind that will make Ten Hag wonder what might have been. Where has this spirit been for the past 10 months? This backbone? Who knows, Ten Hag may yet get another shot. But if his team had played like this on a more regular basis, the Dutchman wouldn't be in this mess in the first place. Bruno Fernandes has rarely let Ten Hag down and on Wednesday night he played like he had a point to prove in a week when his own future at United has come under scrutiny.
EXCLUSIVEGary Neville's comment was outrageous… this is NOT over yet: Explosive interview with Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis
EXCLUSIVE BY SAMI MOKBEL: Say what you will about Evangelos Marinakis, but don't doubt that he cares. If anything, he cares too much. It's why he and Nottingham Forest found themselves at the centre of a relentless storm. 'Who created this storm?,' queries the Greek businessman. 'Regrets? None at all. But for others to make all these comments and all this bullsh*t...' Marinakis believes he knows exactly who's to blame for what he views as a faux furore surrounding Forest's infamous social media post that caught fire last month.
He wouldn't be the popular choice but Gareth Southgate would be the RIGHT choice for Manchester United, writes OLIVER HOLT
OLIVER HOLT: There are obstacles to the appointment of Gareth Southgate as the next manager of Manchester United. Southgate could not say 'yes' to United before England are knocked out. There would be too many potential conflicts of interest. Julen Lopetegui thought he could accept the Real Madrid job and still lead Spain into the 2018 World Cup. He was disabused of that notion very quickly. Nor, aside from the issue of his Englishness, would Southgate be the popular choice at United. We live in the football era of the cult of personality and, even though Southgate has plenty of personality, it is not the kind that those who shout the loudest warm to.
PLAYER RATINGS: Liverpool youngster impresses in front of Gareth Southgate, while Luis Diaz lacked end product in thrilling 3-3 draw at Aston Villa
LEWIS STEELE AT VILLA PARK: Aston Villa missed the chance to secure their place in next season's Champions League as drew 3-3 with Liverpool at Villa Park. The game got off to the worst possible start for the hosts as Emiliano Martinez put the ball into his own net but they hit back quickly through Youri Tielemans. Cody Gakpo restored Liverpool's lead before Jarell Quansah doubled it with a brilliant header after the break.
PLAYER RATINGS: Leandro Trossard keeps the title race alive for Arsenal - but which THREE United players scored just 5/10 on another miserable day?
Manchester United's miserable season continued as Arsenal walked out of Old Trafford with a vital 1-0 win to keep their title bid alive. Erik ten Hag's side were undone in the first half when a Casemiro error allowed Kai Havertz to stay onside, before he cut it back to a razor sharp Leandro Trossard. Mail Sport's Nathan Salt rates the two sides after a blockbuster clash at Old Trafford.
REVEALED: The little known Man United and Arsenal young stars that could transform their clubs
As two of English football's biggest clubs, it remains one of the hardest tasks for academy players to cut through and make the grade. The standards are incredibly high and that is why those that coaches are excited about behind the scenes really make you stand up and take notice. As the two first teams do battle at Old Trafford today in a game of huge significance, particularly for Arsenal amid their title battle with Man City, there will be teenagers watching from the stands that know they will soon be taking part, and in some cases, dominating this fixture in years to come.
Man United keep pressing the self-destruct button and the inconsistency of Erik ten Hag's team is driving everybody nuts... here's why I would rather go and watch Salford
As Manchester United's first captain to lift the Premier League trophy, it's hardly surprising Steve Bruce watched the 4-0 humiliation at Crystal Palace through his fingers. 'Unacceptable' and 'all-time low' were his immediate responses. With Arsenal up next today, Sir Alex Ferguson's Double-winning skipper is still feeling a little anxious. 'If they repeat Monday's performance, God knows what will happen,' he reflects. Bruce can still be as forthright as he was being Fergie's eyes and ears in a fearsome United dressing room during the 1990s. But at the age of 63 with a wealth of experience gained at 15 clubs as player and manager, he hopes his views are thoughtful rather than knee-jerk.
Tottenham's slide stops with a 2-1 comeback win over Burnley to relegate the Clarets, who were ultimately punished for failing to settle on a style, writes MATT BARLOW
MATT BARLOW AT THE TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM: Micky van de Ven stopped the Tottenham rot and condemned Burnley to relegation from the Premier League. Vincent Kompany's team took the lead through Jacob Bruun Larsen but Pedro Porro soon equalised and Van de Ven struck late on. It was relief for Ange Postecoglou, whose team had lost their previous four but agony for the visitors who travelled to London in the knowledge they had to win to extend their hopes of avoiding the drop.
Pos | Pos | Team | P | PTS | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | AFC Bournemouth | Bournemouth | 0 | 0 | |
2 | Arsenal | Arsenal | 0 | 0 | |
3 | Aston Villa | Aston Villa | 0 | 0 | |
4 | Brentford | Brentford | 0 | 0 | |
5 | Brighton & Hove Albion | Brighton | 0 | 0 | |
6 | Chelsea | Chelsea | 0 | 0 | |
7 | Crystal Palace | Crystal Palace | 0 | 0 | |
8 | Everton | Everton | 0 | 0 | |
9 | Fulham | Fulham | 0 | 0 | |
10 | Ipswich Town | Ipswich | 0 | 0 | |
11 | Leicester City | Leicester | 0 | 0 | |
12 | Liverpool | Liverpool | 0 | 0 | |
13 | Manchester City | Man City | 0 | 0 | |
14 | Manchester United | Man Utd | 0 | 0 | |
15 | Newcastle United | Newcastle | 0 | 0 | |
16 | Nottingham Forest | Nottm Forest | 0 | 0 | |
17 | Southampton | Southampton | 0 | 0 | |
18 | Tottenham Hotspur | Tottenham | 0 | 0 | |
19 | West Ham United | West Ham | 0 | 0 | |
20 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Wolves | 0 | 0 |