Jim Magilton has simple message for his Cliftonville players as he reflects on his own playing career
Jim Magilton had a simple message for his Cliftonville players after they secured European football for the second year in a row under his leadership.
Despite the challenges the Reds have faced this season they finish on a high with qualification to the UEFA Conference League qualifiers secured following their 2-0 play-off win over Coleraine on Sunday to add to the BetMcLean Cup they won earlier in the season.
Magilton wants his young charges to embrace playing on the continent again as he did despite it coming late on in his playing career.
READ MORE: Rory Hale calls for one final push from Cliftonville to reach European dream
READ MORE: KSI warned James McClean would 'do him damage' in a boxing fight
'I didn't play in Europe until I played in the Uefa Cup for Ipswich when I was around 30 and I cherished every second of it,' said the Reds boss.
'I want these lads to cherish every second of it because they so deserved it. They have been in for 10-and-a-half months and it's a long season. They got their just rewards at the end. We were really good, took our chances and it is huge credit to the team.'
After ending their long wait for Irish Cup glory last season Cliftonville have had to deal with a lot of challenges this campaign, none more so than the death of Michael Newberry.
Magilton was full of praise for his players with how they dealt with everything this season and still produced the goods on the pitch when it mattered.
'It's still probably too soon for reflection,' said Magilton. 'But you go into a season ready and then wallop, you get hit with the devastation around Michael and we had to regroup and get the players back on side and focused.
'People don't really discuss the League Cup Final. We came up against a buoyant Glentoran team but managed to win it.
'We got to a second consecutive Irish Cup Final and lose it on penalties, then we go into the Play-Offs. I make that three Finals in a season and we have won two. We are greedy, we wanted three but it is just magnificent.
"Our supporters have come out in their big numbers, and they are so passionate about this club. It is just a magnificent achievement.
'It takes courage to come back from losing a Final. You have to dig really deep to win at Glentoran and then come here where there is massive expectations on both clubs.
'Finals are about winning, and they can go either way. You can play poorly and win it. I wasn't too disheartened; I was very determined. I didn't like the negativity and we galvanised everyone.
'We said 'right, let's go again' and I knew they had it in them to do that. I'm just overwhelmed by it all. I was really emotional after the game because they deserved it."
Sign up to our free sports newsletter to get the latest headlines to your inbox
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox Sports
2 hours ago
- Fox Sports
Brumbies' Super Rugby playoff journey continues: Can they break the New Zealand hoodoo?
Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The ACT Brumbies will become the latest Australian team to take on the New Zealand playoff hoodoo in Super Rugby after beating the Wellington-based Hurricanes in Canberra. The record for Australian teams in playoff matches in New Zealand now stands at 0-20 after the Queensland Reds were beaten 32-12 by the Crusaders in Christchurch. The Brumbies will face the Chiefs in Hamilton in next weekend's semifinals after the Chiefs were beaten 20-19 by the Auckland-based Blues who scored and converted a try after the fulltime siren. The Chiefs still progressed to the next playoff round as the highest-ranked loser but have lost top seeding to the Crusaders. The match between the Brumbies and Hurricanes might have been a dead rubber if the Crusaders and Chiefs, the top-two seeds, both had won their playoff matches. Then, both teams in Canberra would have progressed to the semifinals either as the winner or highest-ranked loser. The Hurricanes title hopes have now foundered in Canberra in three of the last four years after they lost to the Brumbies in quarterfinals in 2022 and 2023. 'We didn't get the job done tonight. That Brumbies team really took it up a notch and showed why they've been so successful here,' Hurricanes captain DuPlessis Kirifi said. The Brumbies again are the last Australian team standing in the playoffs after reaching the semifinals for the third straight time. 'We're just looking at the Chiefs in Hamilton next week,' coach Stephen Larkham said. 'But we're hoping that the Blues can knock off the Crusaders and we come back here in two weeks for a grand final.' Crusaders beat the chill Brute force and home advantage were key factors in the Crusaders' win over the Reds. The Reds had to come from 23 degrees and fine weather in Brisbane to 4 degrees and a rain-soaked pitch in Christchurch. While they anticipated the conditions and tried to replicate them in training, they couldn't fully prepare for a match played in conditions in which the Crusaders excel. 'Typical Christchurch weather: cold, wet and dark and we love it,' said Crusaders scrumhalf Noah Hotham whose brilliant second half try spelled the end of the Reds' hopes and improved the Crusaders winning record in home playoffs to 30-0. The Reds couldn't match the power of the Crusaders' scrum and conceded penalties which gave the Crusaders a footing in Reds territory. At the same time, the Reds took too long to match the Crusaders' numbers at breakdowns. Captain David Havili was a force in the collision area which the Crusaders also dominated. 'They were all over us at the breakdown and collision area and we just couldn't get into our cycle,' Reds captain Tate McDermott said. 'They're really good at disrupting your ball and slowing it down and they did a good job of that.' Hotham may have helped his All Blacks chances with a strong individual performance behind a dominant pack. Blues beat the odds As Rieko Ioane faced the television cameras after the Blues beat the New South Wales Waratahs to qualify for the Super Rugby playoffs, the Blues and All Blacks center said 'as the saying goes, shouldn't have let us get one.' It was a nod to history. In 2004 the Boston Red Sox came from 3-0 down to beat the New York Yankees and win their first World Series in 86 years. At 3-0 down Sox outfielder Kevin Millar said 'don't let us get one.' And in the 2023 NBA Eastern Conference finals, the Boston Celtics were 3-0 down against the Miami Heat. 'Don't let us get one,' Celtics player Jaylen Brown said before his team rallied to force game seven. From Ioane, it was prophetic. After 'getting one' by making the playoffs in sixth place, the Blues have now stretched their defense of the Super Rugby title into the semifinals. The Chiefs were favored to win Saturday after beating the Blues twice during the regular season. But the Blues kept their season alive with a converted try after the fulltime siren. ___ AP rugby: recommended
USA Today
4 hours ago
- USA Today
FIFA Club World Cup bracket: Schedule, groups for 2025 tournament
FIFA Club World Cup bracket: Schedule, groups for 2025 tournament Show Caption Hide Caption Timing of FIFA Club World Cup problematic for teams across the globe Seth Vertelney explains why the timing of the FIFA Club World Cup is sounding alarms for franchises across the globe. Sports Seriously The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is approaching, with the 32-team tournament featuring some of the biggest club teams in global soccer. The new format for the Club World Cup includes a major expansion, with the old version of the event featuring just seven teams in most editions. Now, though, the event will feature group-stage play akin to what most fans will recognize from the men's and women's World Cups. The path through the bracket will be tough for MLS's representatives. Lionel Messi and Inter Miami have a viable path out of their group, and LAFC (the final entrants to qualify) could do the same, but both will be up against it unless multiple European giants fall in the first round. The Seattle Sounders, meanwhile, will face newly-crowned Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain in what is arguably the hardest group in the tournament. Here is a complete bracket for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, including the schedule, groups, and a list of participating teams: FIFA Club World Cup tickets: Here are the cheapest seats for this summer's tournament Club World Cup 2025 bracket, schedule The 32 teams in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup have been placed into eight groups of four, with a round-robin group stage serving as the tournament's first round. Here are the eight groups: Group A Teams: Al Ahly (Egypt), Porto (Portugal), Palmeiras (Brazil), Inter Miami (United States) June 14: Al Ahly vs. Inter Miami Al Ahly vs. Inter Miami June 15: Palmeiras vs. Porto Palmeiras vs. Porto June 19: Palmeiras vs. Al Ahly Palmeiras vs. Al Ahly June 19: Inter Miami vs. Porto Inter Miami vs. Porto June 23: Inter Miami vs. Palmeiras Inter Miami vs. Palmeiras June 23: Porto vs. Al Ahly Group B Teams: Paris Saint-Germain (France), Atlético Madrid (Spain), Botafogo (Brazil), Seattle Sounders (United States) June 15: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Atlético Madrid Paris Saint-Germain vs. Atlético Madrid June 15: Botafogo vs. Seattle Sounders Botafogo vs. Seattle Sounders June 19: Seattle Sounders vs. Atlético Madrid Seattle Sounders vs. Atlético Madrid June 19: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Botafogo Paris Saint-Germain vs. Botafogo June 23: Seattle Sounders vs. Paris Saint-Germain Seattle Sounders vs. Paris Saint-Germain June 23: Atlético Madrid vs. Botafogo Group C Teams: Bayern Munich (Germany), Auckland City (New Zealand), Boca Juniors (Argentina), Benfica (Portugal) June 15: Bayern Munich vs. Auckland City Bayern Munich vs. Auckland City June 16: Boca Juniors vs. Benfica Boca Juniors vs. Benfica June 20: Benfica vs. Auckland City Benfica vs. Auckland City June 20: Bayern Munich vs. Boca Juniors Bayern Munich vs. Boca Juniors June 24: Auckland City vs. Boca Juniors Auckland City vs. Boca Juniors June 24: Benfica vs. Bayern Munich Group D Teams: Flamengo (Brazil), Espérance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia), Chelsea (England), LAFC (United States) June 16: Chelsea vs. LAFC Chelsea vs. LAFC June 16: Flamengo vs. Espérance Sportive de Tunis Flamengo vs. Espérance Sportive de Tunis June 20: Flamengo vs. Chelsea Flamengo vs. Chelsea June 20: LAFC vs. Espérance Sportive de Tunis LAFC vs. Espérance Sportive de Tunis June 24: LAFC vs. Flamengo LAFC vs. Flamengo June 24: Espérance Sportive de Tunis vs. Chelsea Group E Teams: River Plate (Argentina), Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan), Monterrey (Mexico), Inter Milan (Italy) June 17: River Plate vs. Urawa Red Diamonds River Plate vs. Urawa Red Diamonds June 17: Monterrey vs. Inter Milan Monterrey vs. Inter Milan June 21: Inter Milan vs. Urawa Red Diamonds Inter Milan vs. Urawa Red Diamonds June 21: River Plate vs. Monterrey River Plate vs. Monterrey June 25: Inter Milan vs. River Plate Inter Milan vs. River Plate June 25: Urawa Red Diamonds vs. Monterrey Group F Teams: Fluminense (Brazil), Borussia Dortmund (Germany), Ulsan HD (Korea Republic), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) June 17: Fluminense vs. Borussia Dortmund Fluminense vs. Borussia Dortmund June 17: Ulsan HD vs. Mamelodi Sundowns Ulsan HD vs. Mamelodi Sundowns June 21: Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Borussia Dortmund Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Borussia Dortmund June 21: Fluminense vs. Ulsan HD Fluminense vs. Ulsan HD June 25: Borussia Dortmund vs. Ulsan HD Borussia Dortmund vs. Ulsan HD June 25: Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Fluminense Group G Teams: Manchester City (England), Wydad AC (Morocco), Al Ain (United Arab Emirates), Juventus (Italy) June 18: Manchester City vs. Wydad AC Manchester City vs. Wydad AC June 18: Al Ain vs. Juventus Al Ain vs. Juventus June 22: Juventus vs. Wydad AC Juventus vs. Wydad AC June 22: Manchester City vs. Al Ain Manchester City vs. Al Ain June 26: Juventus vs. Manchester City Juventus vs. Manchester City June 26: Wydad AC vs. Al Ain Group H Teams: Real Madrid (Spain), Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia), Pachuca (Mexico), Red Bull Salzburg (Austria) June 18: Real Madrid vs. Al-Hilal Real Madrid vs. Al-Hilal June 18: Pachuca vs. Red Bull Salzburg Pachuca vs. Red Bull Salzburg June 22: Real Madrid vs. Pachuca Real Madrid vs. Pachuca June 22: Red Bull Salzburg vs. Al-Hilal Red Bull Salzburg vs. Al-Hilal June 26: Al-Hilal vs. Pachuca Al-Hilal vs. Pachuca June 26: Red Bull Salzburg vs. Real Madrid Round of 16 June 28: Group A winner vs. Group B runner-up (Match 49) Group A winner vs. Group B runner-up (Match 49) June 28: Group C winner vs. Group D runner-up (Match 50) Group C winner vs. Group D runner-up (Match 50) June 29: Group B winner vs. Group A runner-up (Match 51) Group B winner vs. Group A runner-up (Match 51) June 29: Group D winner vs. Group C runner-up (Match 52) Group D winner vs. Group C runner-up (Match 52) June 30: Group E winner vs. Group F runner-up (Match 53) Group E winner vs. Group F runner-up (Match 53) June 30: Group G winner vs. Group H runner-up (Match 54) Group G winner vs. Group H runner-up (Match 54) July 1: Group F winner vs. Group E runner-up (Match 55) Group F winner vs. Group E runner-up (Match 55) July 1: Group H winner vs. Group G runner-up (Match 56) Quarterfinals July 4: Match 49 winner vs. Match 50 winner (Match 57) Match 49 winner vs. Match 50 winner (Match 57) July 4: Match 53 winner vs. Match 54 winner (Match 58) Match 53 winner vs. Match 54 winner (Match 58) July 5: Match 51 winner vs. Match 52 winner (Match 59) Match 51 winner vs. Match 52 winner (Match 59) July 5: Match 55 winner vs. Match 56 winner (Match 60) Semifinals July 8: Match 57 winner vs. Match 58 winner (Match 61) Match 57 winner vs. Match 58 winner (Match 61) July 9: Match 59 winner vs. Match 60 winner (Match 62) Final July 13: Match 61 winner vs. Match 62 winner Club World Cup 'Ca$h Grab': Sounders players protest prize money ahead of FIFA tournament How does Club World Cup bracket work? The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will work through a bracket familiar to any fan of international soccer. Much like the World Cup for national teams, the Club World Cup will start with a group stage, with the 32 participants divided into eight groups of four. Those groups will operate on a round-robin basis, with a given team playing the other members of the group once, and the top two teams in each group will advance to the knockout round. That will leave 16 teams standing, and from there it's pretty simple: winners advance, losers go home. The knockout stages will progress from a round of 16 to the quarterfinals, semifinals, and the tournament final on July 13 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. When does the FIFA Club World Cup start? The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will run from June 14 to July 13 at locations spread throughout the United States. Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are set play in the opening match, which will see the MLS contenders take on Egyptian club Al-Ahly at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, at 8 p.m. ET. The tournament final is scheduled to be held on July 13 at 3 p.m. ET at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Here is a schedule of each stage of the tournament: Group stage: June 14-26 June 14-26 Round of 16: June 28-July 1 June 28-July 1 Quarterfinals: July 4-5 July 4-5 Semifinals: July 8-9 July 8-9 Final: July 13 Club World Cup 2025: How to watch, TV, streaming Every one of the 63 games at the Club World Cup will stream for free on DAZN, while select matches will be carried on TNT in English. Univision, TUDN, and ViX will all carry games in the U.S. in Spanish. Watch the entire Club World Cup FREE on DAZN
San Francisco Chronicle
8 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Kane saves England from embarrassment against Andorra in World Cup qualifying
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — England needed a second-half goal from Harry Kane to secure a 1-0 win over lowly Andorra and maintain a perfect record under Thomas Tuchel after three World Cup qualifiers on Saturday. England was held scoreless by a team ranked 173rd in the world until Kane redirected a pass from Noni Madueke into the top of the net in the 50th minute after the Bayern Munich striker's initial effort was saved by goalkeeper Iker Álvarez. 'We need to be better for sure,' Kane said. 'It's not one that many will remember, and we had good spells, but we take the three points and move on.' It was goal No. 72 in his 106th appearance for the Three Lions. Tuchel's side remained top of Europe's Group K with nine points after wins against Albania and Latvia. They have yet to concede a goal under the German coach. Andorra remained winless but managed to frustrate England's stars for most of the game with its five-man defensive line. Ezri Konsa had to block a late shot by Andorra's Guillaume Lopez to prevent the chance of an equalizer. 'We kept giving it away and that gave them a bit of confidence and energy,' Kane said. "At 1-0 with five to 10 minutes to go you have to be careful.' England dominated possession and Eberechi Eze went close to a second goal when he forced Álvarez to tip his header of the bar as the visitors couldn't extend the lead. England had won its previous six meetings with Andorra by a combined score of 25-0. The game was played at Espanyol's stadium in Barcelona, nearly three hours south of the Pyrenees principality — which has a population of around 80,000 — due to concerns that work on Andorra's home stadium wouldn't be finished in time. Only the group winners qualify directly for next year's tournament in North America. The second-placed teams go into a playoffs. Europe will have 16 teams in the expanded 48-team field for the World Cup. The group stage of European qualifying runs through November. Veteran Dzeko scores for Bosnia A goal from 39-year-old Edin Dzeko gave Bosnia and Herzegovina a 1-0 win over San Marino. Lithuania was held 0-0 at Malta in Group G. ___
