Wednesday's briefing: Coote charged and Levy reflects on Postecoglou sacking
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy described sacking Ange Postecoglou as 'emotionally difficult'.
Elsewhere, Jobe Bellingham followed in brother Jude's footsteps by making his Borussia Dortmund debut, while Trent Alexander-Arnold previewed a new era at Real Madrid.
Sacked Coote charged by Football Association
pic.twitter.com/teJCbblBKA
— FA Spokesperson (@FAspokesperson) June 17, 2025
Former Premier League referee David Coote has been charged by the Football Association over remarks he made about ex-Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp.
Coote was sacked in December by Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) after a video circulated on social media the previous month of him making derogatory comments about Klopp.
One of those remarks referenced Klopp's nationality, and the FA said that constituted an alleged 'aggravated breach' under its rules.
In the video, Coote is heard saying it had been 's***' to be fourth official at a Liverpool match in the summer of 2020, describing Klopp as a 'German c***'. He also said Klopp was 'f****** arrogant'.
Coote declined to comment when contacted via a spokesperson, while the FA has not shared a date by which he must respond.
Dismissing Postecoglou was emotionally difficult – Levy
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy insisted he had no regrets about appointing Ange Postecoglou as he described the decision to sack him as 'emotionally difficult'.
Despite guiding Spurs to a first trophy in 17 years by securing Europa League glory, Postecoglou was dismissed earlier this month and then replaced by Thomas Frank.
Losing 22 Premier League matches and finishing 17th ultimately cost the Australian his job.
'We were over the moon to win a trophy but we need to compete in all competitions,' said Levy. 'We felt that we needed a change. Emotionally it was difficult but we believe we have made the right decision for the club.'
Bellingham makes Dortmund debut
The moment you've been waiting for. 🏴 pic.twitter.com/pHnWQbeUBd
— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) June 17, 2025
Jobe Bellingham made his Borussia Dortmund debut from the bench as his new side scraped a goalless draw in their Club World Cup opener against Fluminense in New Jersey.
The England Under-21 international played the final 31 minutes at the MetLife Stadium following last week's big-money switch from Sunderland but could not inspire a breakthrough in a tight Group F encounter.
Bellingham, 19, followed in the footsteps of elder brother Jude, who spent three years with Dortmund before moving to Real Madrid in 2023.
A crowd of 29,755 were in attendance at the 82,500-capacity MetLife Stadium, where Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel make a fine double save to deny Fluminense a second-half winner.
Alexander-Arnold ready for new challenge with Real
🤩 @TrentAA 🤩📺 Watch every FIFA Club World Cup 2025 game, FOR FREE, on DAZN!#TakeItToTheWorld | #FIFACWC pic.twitter.com/Y9uhBzUfRz
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) June 17, 2025
Trent Alexander-Arnold insisted everyone is 'starting from scratch' as they try to take on board the methods of new Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso.
The former Liverpool defender is expected to make his Real debut in Wednesday's Club World Cup clash with Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal.
While Alexander-Arnold is still getting to grips with new surroundings and a different language after joining the LaLiga club last week, head coach Alonso has only been in position since the start of the month.
'It's a new coach and a new coaching staff, so in that sense we're all starting from scratch,' he told RM Play. 'We're all trying to learn and absorb all the information and put it into practice as quickly as possible.'
What's on today?
Manchester City begin their Club World Cup campaign against Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca in Philadelphia, while Alexander-Arnold could be involved when Real Madrid meet Simone Inzaghi's Al Hilal in Miami.
England Under-21s will bid to qualify for the knockout stages of the European Championship in their Group B clash with Germany.
Premier League fixtures for the 2025-26 season will be announced on Wednesday morning.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Glasgow Times
32 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Rangers learn potential Champions League qualifying opponents
The Glasgow side will compete in the second qualifying round of the tournament. The draw for this round is scheduled for today, taking place in Nyon, Switzerland, at 11am UK time. All three possible opponents finished second in their respective leagues last season. Brann, one of the potential adversaries, is the lowest-ranked side with a coefficient of 7.937. Read more: However, the Norwegians are in their season now, suggesting full match fitness. They defeated St Mirren in the Conference League qualifiers last year. Servette, another potential opponent, boasts a coefficient of 11.5. The Swiss team faced Rangers at the third qualifying round two years ago, where Rangers emerged victorious over two legs. Panathinaikos, with a coefficient of 16.0, is the highest-ranked potential opponent. A victory in the second qualifying round would guarantee Rangers league phase football in either the Champions League or the Europa League. However, a defeat would see them drop into the Europa League third qualifying round as an unseeded team. The matches are scheduled for July 22/23 and July 29/30.
Powys County Times
32 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
Liverpool to begin Premier League title defence against Bournemouth
Liverpool will kick off their Premier League title defence with a home game against Bournemouth on Friday, August 15. Arne Slot's side have the chance to secure the first points of the new season at Anfield as they launch the 2025-26 campaign. Thomas Frank's first match as Tottenham boss will come the following day at home against newly-promoted Burnley, while Sunderland's return to the top flight also begins at home on August 16 against West Ham. The third newcomers, Leeds, have been given the Monday night slot for a clash with Everton at Elland Road. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Premier League (@premierleague) Other fixtures on the opening weekend see Aston Villa face Newcastle at Villa Park in the early kick-off on the Saturday, while Manchester City travel to Wolves later the same day. Ruben Amorim's Manchester United have been handed an immediate challenging test with a home game against Arsenal on Sunday, August 17. Everton's first Premier League match at their new Hill Dickinson Stadium comes the following weekend against Brighton, while notable fixtures that weekend include Arsenal hosting Leeds, Tottenham travelling to Manchester City and Liverpool visiting Newcastle. It could be a testing start for Slot's champions, with a home game against Arsenal on the third weekend ahead of the first international break of the new term. The first Manchester derby of the campaign comes immediately after the break, on the weekend of September 13 at the Etihad Stadium, where Pep Guardiola's new-look team will hope to stamp their authority after a difficult season. A probable key couple of weeks for City concludes with a trip to Arsenal the following weekend, while the weekend of September 20 also sees the Merseyside derby take place at Anfield and a meeting between Manchester United and Chelsea. Burnley appear to have the most tricky start of the promoted sides, with Spurs, Manchester United, Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, Manchester City and Aston Villa all among their first eight fixtures, while they also face clashes with Leeds and Sunderland. The weekend of October 18 will be immediately marked in the diaries of Manchester United and Liverpool fans, with the rivals clashing at Anfield. The first meeting between Manchester City and Liverpool comes the weekend of November 8 at the Etihad Stadium, with the first north London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham taking place the other side of the international break at the Emirates. The north-east derby, meanwhile, returns to the Premier League the weekend of December 13 when Newcastle make the short trip to Sunderland's Stadium of Light. The first weekend of the new year will see matches between Leeds and Manchester United and Manchester City and Chelsea, with Arsenal facing Liverpool the following midweek. Notable fixtures in the second half of the season include the second Manchester derby at Old Trafford the weekend of January 17, while Liverpool host Manchester City the weekend of February 7. Everton fans will have to wait until the weekend of April 18 for the first Merseyside derby at their new home, with Arsenal also travelling to Manchester City in that round of fixtures. The final day of the season falls on Sunday, May 24, with matches including Manchester City against Aston Villa.
Daily Mail
37 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Why Jobe Bellingham is refusing to wear family name as he follows in brother Jude's footsteps at Borussia Dortmund
Jobe Bellingham made his Borussia Dortmund debut off the bench at the Club World Cup on Tuesday night, with the 19-year-old opting to wear his first name on his shirt. Bellingham had followed in the footsteps of his older brother Jude by joining the Bundesliga giants this summer. Jude had starred for Dortmund between 2020 to 2023, before earning a stunning £113m move to Real Madrid. With Jobe earning comparisons to Jude early in his career, having both come through Birmingham City 's academy, the teenager has stressed he is seeking to forge his own path in his career. Having made his Birmingham debut with Bellingham on the back of his shirt, Jobe opted to drop his surname after moving to Sunderland in 2023. Then Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray explained Jobe had made the decision in order not to be seen as living off his brother's name and achievements. 'I think he's trying to create his own identity,' Mowbray said. 'He doesn't want to live off the back of his brother's name, he wants to be the footballer that he is and show people what he can do.' The move required approval from the EFL and was done so the younger of the two brothers could forge his own identity in the sport. Dortmund appeared to make a nod to Jobe's decision when announcing his £32m signing earlier this month. The Bundesliga club shared a video to unveil Bellingham featuring the words 'The name is Jobe'. 'I've been here before, watching games, hearing the fans chant, feeling the power of these colours, this place stuck with me,' Bellingham said in the video. 'Now I'm here again, not to watch and not follow in anyone's footsteps. 'The same city, the same stadium, but the story that's ours to write now.' After joining Dortmund earlier this month, Bellingham was included in their squad for the Club World Cup. The England under-21 international made his debut as a 59th minute substitute against Brazilian side Fluminense. Dortmund were ultimately held to a 0-0 draw in their opening match of the tournament. The German giants will face Mamelodi Sundowns and Ulsan HD in their remaining group matches at the tournament in United States. Bellingham joined following two impressive seasons at Sunderland, who he helped earn promotion back to the Premier League last month. He played 43 matches in all competitions for the Black Cats last season and was named as the Championship Young Player of the Season.
