David Kelly: When three Irish women ruled European football with Arsenal
Katie McCabe is aiming to win the Champions League this weekend but Ciara Grant, Emma Byrne and Yvonne Tracy were the trailblazers for Gunners glory in 2007
History is never forgotten as long as there are witnesses. Last summer, Ciara Grant was with her two children at Folly Farm Adventure Park in Wales when she inadvertently met one of them.
The cheery 'I know you' presaging a desperate prompt for Grant to wonder first why, then who, for they were miles and miles from home. Another parent from the school gates? Or was she Neighbourhood Watch back in Barry?
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The Irish Sun
6 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Babis Kostoulas, 18, is incoming Premier League star compared to Gabriel Batistuta and was eyed by Arsenal and Man Utd
GREEK wonderkid Charalampos Kostoulas is set to complete a record-breaking move to the Premier League after just one season at senior level. And absolutely no one in Greece is shocked by this development, which Advertisement 3 Olympiacos wonderkid Babis Kostoulas is joining Brighton 3 Kostoulas is moving to Brighton after a record-breaking deal 3 Brighton have signed a very promising prospect in Kostoulas SunSport understand The teenage sensation will undergo a medical before putting pen to paper on a lucrative deal that may run for four years, with the option to extend for a further one, worth £1.3m per season, plus bonuses. That makes Babis - which is short for his forename - the most expensive Greek signing of all time as he overtakes Kostas Manolas' £30m move from Roma to Napoli in 2019. The Greece Under-21 international started making noise in the country almost two years ago while rising through the ranks at Olympiacos. Advertisement Read More on Football The forward - who can cover both wings, play behind the striker and spearhead the attack himself - showed immense killer instinct, surprising speed and fantastic technique from the age of 16. Babis quickly earned comparisons to Argentina legend Gabriel Batistuta and was thus nicknamed "Babistuta" by everyone who got to witness his talent. The versatile striker lived up to the hype last season with Olympiacos' Under-19s as he led them to Uefa Youth League glory with five goals and two assists in nine matches. Kostoulas and co made history as they became the first ever Greek team to win a European trophy, shortly before Olympiacos' seniors Advertisement Most read in Football CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS The wonderkid's impressive introduction comes as no surprise as he was mentored from his father who knew everything about winning silverware and competing in the Champions League with the Greek giants. Thanassis Kostoulas joined the Piraeus outfit in 1999 and spent eight glittering years that saw him winning seven league titles and two Greek Cups. I can win the Ballon D'or says Brighton's Carlos Baleba The former centre-back amassed a total of 202 appearances, 15 of which were in the Champions League against the likes of Advertisement And Thanassis saw his son following his footsteps this season as he was quickly established as a key member of manager Jose Luis Mendilibar's first team. Babis broke his goalscoring duck in November during the derby against PAOK in the fiery and intimidating ground of Toumba Stadium. That night he became Olympiacos' youngest ever league goalscorer at the age of 17 years, five months and 11 days. A series of impressive performances in the Europa League soon followed and he played a critical role in Olympiacos' journey to the Last 16, which saw them finishing in the top eight of the league phase. Advertisement Many believe Mendilibar's side would have made it farther if their wonderkid was never injured. Attracting Premier League interest Kostoulas went on to cut a prolific figure in Greece and helped his team win the Double in their 100-year anniversary with seven goals and two assists in 35 appearances before picking up a muscle injury at the end of the season. The Prem giants faced competition from other elite outfits, such as Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus and AC Milan. Advertisement But it was the Seagulls who won the race for a player who started the season with a release clause worth a mere £423,000 on Transfermarkt. Sources suggest Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler made Kostoulas his top "personal choice" as the club continues to poach the world's brightest prospects following the likes of Yves Bissouma, Moises Caicedo and Kaoru Mitoma. This comes shortly after the Seasiders also landed Babis' 19-year-old compatriot Stefanos Tzimas from Nurnberg following a £20.8m deal. Olympiacos could have made more Olympiacos could have waited longer to sell their brightest wonderkid in eight years, but opted on going down the same route they took with their last gem. Advertisement Panos Retsos burst onto the scene in the 2016-17 campaign immediately after getting called up from the youth ranks, just like Kostoulas. Retsos impressed so much that he was handed the armband at the age of 18, making him the club's youngest ever captain. And Olympiacos decided to strike while the iron was hot to sell the centre-back to Bayer Leverkusen for a then record £14.8m. Evangelos Marinakis' club could have got an even higher price than the money they're receiving from Brighton. Advertisement Kostoulas would have played in the Champions League and probably even the World Cup with Greece, where he has yet to receive his first senior call-up, if he had stayed put. Hefty sell-on clause The Greek champions run the risk of jumping the gun but played it smart by adding a sell-on clause worth up to 12 per cent. And that could prove to be a genius move as the attacker has the qualifications to emulate other Brighton prospects that went from total anonymity to global superstardom and astronomical transfers. His football skills speak for themselves, but what many don't know about is his personality. Advertisement Kostoulas inspires tremendous confidence that he perfectly combines with humility. And it shows in his interviews with a posture and eloquence we rarely see from footballers, especially youngsters - nothing like Chelsea superstar Cole Palmer. Olympiacos never really got to enjoy Kostoulas, but even just one year proved enough for every single fan to understand his true impact - just like Yaya Toure who left a year after his arrival in 2005 and went on to make history. Brighton have hit the jackpot in terms of discovering another rare gem, but they will have to show their usual patience and support to get the most out of this kid. Advertisement Because this is a player that has been going from strength to strength without much sign of slowing down since his academy days that convinced everyone a move to an elite club was simply imminent.
The 42
6 hours ago
- The 42
Manchester City sign €36m French star as rebuild continues
MANCHESTER CITY HAVE completed the signing of France midfielder Rayan Cherki from Lyon for an initial fee of €36 million (£30.5m). The 21-year-old moves after an impressive season with Lyon in which he scored 12 goals and provided 20 assists in 40 appearances. He also made an eye-catching debut for France last week when he came off the bench and scored in a 5-4 Nations League loss to Spain. Cherki has put pen to paper on a five-year deal which will keep him at the Etihad Stadium until 2030. We're delighted to announce the signing of Rayan Cherki ✍️🩵 — Manchester City (@ManCity) June 10, 2025 He said: 'This is a dream for me. Honestly, to be joining a club like Manchester City and have the opportunity to make the next step in my career here is something very, very special. Advertisement 'I have worked so hard for this all my life. I love this sport, and I can't wait to develop further here in Manchester with Pep (Guardiola) and his backroom staff. 'Everyone knows how good City are – they have been so successful for many years now. The responsibility to help the team continue winning is something I want to embrace. 'I would only leave Lyon for a project I really believe in and everything at City suggests I can develop my game and help the team be successful in the future. I can't wait to show City fans what I can do.' His arrival comes on the same day City completed a deal for Chelsea's third-choice goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli and follows the €37m (£31.3m) capture of left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolves on Monday. All three deals have been completed in time for the players to be registered for the group stages of the Club World Cup this month. Director of football Hugo Viana said: 'We're very happy to have Rayan at City. We want to bring top talent to the club, and he falls into that category. Pepijn Lijnders. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo 'He's a player our scouts have watched for a long time, and we have all been impressed with his skill and creativity. I am convinced our fans will be excited to see him play. 'There's no doubt that he's now in the best place possible to develop further under Pep's guidance and I really believe he can become a world-class player with our support and direction.' City's latest transfer activity continues an overhaul of the squad that began with the January signings of Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez, Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis. Further deals are also possible as the club respond to a disappointing season in which they failed to mount a strong Premier League title defence and exited the Champions League before the last 16. Dutch midfielder Tijjani Reijnders has been heavily linked with a move to City from AC Milan as Guardiola looks to bolster his midfield options following this summer's departure of Kevin De Bruyne. In further business, City have installed former Liverpool assistant manager Pepijn Lijnders as Guardiola's new number two. The Dutchman, who served under Brendan Rodgers and Jurgen Klopp at Anfield, was available after being sacked as manager at Red Bull Salzburg last December. His appointment coincides with that of James French as set-piece coach. French has been working at Liverpool for the past 13 years.
The Irish Sun
7 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Who is Senegal vs England referee Stephanie Frappart?
STEPHANIE FRAPPART is refereeing England's clash with Senegal tonight. France's Frappart was selected as a group of female match referees to 5 Frappert lining up before officiating Juventus vs Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League Who is Stephanie Frappart? The Frenchwoman also acted as a fourth official at Euro 2020, making history by doing so. And She officiated the Group G clash between Juventus and Dynamo Kiev in Turin. The 41-year-old was also in the middle for the In October 2020 Frappart refereed her first Europa League game - overseeing Frappart has reffed sixteen times this season in the French Ligue 1, showing 62 yellows at an average of 3.88 per game. She has sent off just one player in the league this season. 5 Frappert officiated the 2019 Super Cup final between Chelsea and Liverpool that the Reds won 5-4 on penalties. 5 Frappert showed three yellow cards in the UEFA Super Cup game between Chelsea and Liverpool Who is Stephanie Frappart? Born - Herblay, France Age - 37 years old Debut - 2011, French men's third tier April 2019 - First female referee in Ligue 1 December 2020 - First female referee in the Champions League June 2021 - First female referee at a men's major tournament 5 Stephanie Frappart poses with her medal after refereeing the 2019 UEFA Super Cup After officiating the 2019 Super Cup between Chelsea and Liverpool Frappart told CNN: Most read in Football "It was a pretty special feeling when you walked out in the stadium and the crowd were actually cheering for us, I've never experienced that and in such a big, big match. "In the warm-up I looked around and I was like, the other teams aren't here so they have to be cheering for us." "When you looked up at the crowd, I normally don't engage with the crowd, they were looking at us and a few were waving and giving us thumbs up and congratulations. I thought that was pretty special." 5 Euro 2020 gets underway on June 11 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome as Turkey take on Italy
