Jean-François praises France fans in Women's Euro
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Wiegman hints Williamson fit for England semi and says Carter ‘ready to perform'
Sarina Wiegman has suggested captain Leah Williamson will be fit for England's Euro 2025 semi-final against Italy and said Jess Carter is 'ready to perform' after the defender revealed she had been the target of racist abuse. There were concerns about centre-back Williamson's fitness after she rolled her ankle in extra time of Thursday's dramatic last-eight shoot-out victory over Sweden, but the Arsenal defender – alongside every other member of the squad – trained with the team on Monday morning. Carter, in a statement shared to her accounts on several platforms on Sunday, said she would be 'taking a step back' from social media, while Football Association CEO Mark Bullingham confirmed his organisation has involved UK police. Asked if she expected to have a full complement available for the semi in Geneva, England boss Wiegman said: 'That's what it looks like, yeah.' And pressed further on what Williamson's readiness push said about her skipper, the Dutch boss replied: 'It says she really wants to play, and she did everything to recover as good as possible, and she has, so she could be training today. 'When she recovers well, she's available tomorrow.' England midfielder Georgia Stanway added: 'She's our captain. We would like her on the pitch as much as possible. She leads in communication and in performance, so to have her on the pitch is obviously what England need.' Williamson and Carter have both started every game of England's European title defence in Switzerland. On the abuse received by Carter, Wiegman said it was 'really sad that we have to be occupied by this. It's ridiculous. It's disgusting what's happening, and that goes beyond football, so we had to pay attention to that and support Jess.' Wiegman said she has had 'conversations' with Carter about her involvement in Tuesday's contest, adding: 'Although it's a hard situation, Jess is a very strong person, and she wants to move on, too, but she also felt, and so did we, that we had to address this. 'You can't just let it go. So she did, we did, and then we know that there's a match going on and we want to perform. We're ready to perform. She's ready to perform and compete, and that says a lot about her and about the team.' The Lionesses have collectively decided to stop 'taking the knee' ahead of kick-off, a symbolic anti-racism gesture that has become increasingly widespread, explaining in a statement on Monday: 'It is clear we and football need to find another way to tackle racism.' Stanway said: 'I think it's just to change it up. We felt like the knee was just a little repetitive. We felt like it comes to a point where the knee isn't doing what we want it to do. So now our decision is to stand, and hopefully that will bring up more conversation and get (people) talking about the topic.' England, fifth in the world, are eight places higher in FIFA's global rankings than Tuesday's opponents, and are unbeaten in all five of their recent meetings with Italy – all friendlies – with four wins, including last year's 5-1 victory. But though statistics may be on the defending champions' side, Wiegman said: 'I think it would be really disrespectful to Italy to think that we're the favourites. 'Complacency is just the biggest mistake you could make. We've seen how they've played. I don't think there's anything that we could think that we might be the favourite, but we have to be at our very, very best to win the game.'
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
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Barcelona continue to closely monitor 16-year-old attacking prodigy for next summer
FC Barcelona have been closely monitoring Cardoso Varela for some time. The Catalan club's interest in the Portuguese talent began during his time at FC Porto but intensified after his move to Dinamo Zagreb, following a complicated exit from Portugal while still a minor. Links to Varela continued this summer, and reports emerged claiming that Barcelona were working on a deal worth €5 million in fixed fees plus €20 million in performance-based add-ons. However, the 16-year-old wonderkid signed a contract renewal with Dinamo Zagreb until 2028 this summer, closing the doors on an exit. Barcelona continue to track Varela But, SPORT now reports that Barcelona continue to follow Varela closely ahead of the next summer transfer window. The young winger continues to make waves and was one of the standout performers in Dinamo Zagreb's latest pre-season match on Saturday against Ukrainian side FC Kryvbas. The 16-year-old came off the bench and made an impact, scoring the goal that made it 4–1. Just four minutes later, in the 82nd minute, after a well-timed run into space, he delivered a pass into the penalty area that resulted in an own goal. All of this came within only 30 minutes on the pitch. The upcoming season is expected to be one of growth and consolidation in Croatian top-flight football for Varela. However, Dinamo manager Mario Kovacevic is proceeding with caution. This approach comes in part due to a recent injury scare. Earlier in July, Varela left a training session with discomfort, but the issue turned out to be minor. Regardless, Varela's latest top-level display with Dinamo Zagreb's first team is further evidence of why Barcelona have shown strong interest. As such, the club is working on a plan for the Portuguese winger to join the team in the summer of 2026, when he will be close to turning 18. Barcelona enjoy a positive relationship with the player's agent, Andy Bara, who also represents Dani Olmo and Joan Garcia, further strengthening their chances.
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Colts rookie tagged as ‘overlooked'; can have breakout year
The running back position is one of the most disposable in the game of football. Teams have learned that they can get solid production out of the position without prioritizing investing at the position. There are, of course, exceptions. The Colts are one of those teams to sway slightly from the norm as they will pay two-time Pro Bowl back Jonathan Taylor $11.9 million to be their starter, according to Spotrac. Indy added more bodies at the position this offseason after 2024 proved their depth behind Taylor was lacking. Khalil Herbert signed a one-year deal in free agency as a veteran player who can provide a change of pace and lessen the load on Taylor. The Colts also drafted DJ Giddens out of Kansas State, who's already received buzz as a dark horse candidate to emerge as a reliable piece in Shane Steichen's offense. Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski mentioned Giddens among the rookie running backs he believes are being overlooked this offseason and could surprise in 2025. Sobleski mentioned how the Colts running back play dropped off significantly when Taylor became unavailable due to injury— an occurrence which has become more common in recent years. The 26-year-old has missed 16 games in the last three seasons. But he thinks Giddens is a perfect fit to go along with Taylor. 'A bit of Taylor can be found in DJ Giddens' game. Over the last two seasons, the Kansas State product amassed 3,150 yards from scrimmage and 21 total touchdowns. He has a gliding style with breakaway speed,' he writes. 'With the likelihood of Taylor missing at least some time for the fourth straight season…and Giddens providing explosive capabilities out of the backfield, the rookie can be a relatively big part of Indianapolis' offensive plans.' The Colts were excited about Giddens when they drafted him in the fifth round in April. Head coach Shane Steichen likes his combination of a tough play style with versatility. 'The vision, the contact balance, the way he runs—he's a 4.43 (40-yard dash) guy that can catch the ball out of the backfield, is big for our team as well. So, it's a good get.' Of course, Giddens still has to earn his snaps in training camp, beginning July 23. But, there's no denying the league could be in for a rude awakening if the Colts are able to unleash him in their run-heavy offense.
