logo
Injury-free France captain Mbock 'impatient' for euro 2025 debut in quarterfinal

Injury-free France captain Mbock 'impatient' for euro 2025 debut in quarterfinal

Al Arabiya18-07-2025
BASEL, Switzerland (AP) – France captain Griedge Mbock is impatient to get going as she prepares to make her first appearance at the Women's European Championship. Les Bleues have been boosted by the return of Mbock for Saturday's quarterfinal against Germany after the experienced defender missed the whole of the group stage due to a calf injury. Although it's not as if they fared too badly without her. France topped one of the toughest groups in the tournament with three wins including over defending champion England.
'I feel really good actually; I'm really impatient because I was away from the pitch for quite a long time,' Mbock said on Friday. 'But today I feel good and I'm going to be back to the pitch. I took all the energy that the team gave me; that helped me to hold on for this time of absence. I'm impatient to start this competition on the pitch and simply to be able to contribute.' The winner will face world champion Spain or Switzerland in the semifinals.
The 30-year-old Mbock has 92 appearances for France – starting 81 of them – since her debut 12 years ago. But at Euro 2025 she has been restricted to a place on the substitutes bench and only then so she could cheer on the team from the sidelines.
'It's very good news,' France coach Laurent Bonadei said. 'She suffered a bit in silence for all this time far away from the pitch. However, she was present with her teammates in order to give very good advice; that is why I included her on the bench because she's captain, she's very precious in the locker room also and she'll be ready to start the game tomorrow.'
France is on an 11-match winning streak but the quarterfinals have always been somewhat of a stumbling block for Les Bleues. France has only twice made it into the semifinals of a World Cup or Euros: The 2011 World Cup where it lost to the United States and at Euro 2022 where it fell to Germany. Les Bleues have been eliminated in the quarterfinals in six of the past eight World Cups or Euros.
'I like talking about overcoming barriers and I think that since October this team has been overcoming barriers at each step,' Bonadei said. 'We had the friendly games; we had the Nations League and now our group here which was labeled the group of death and this team advanced and managed to overcome barriers. So I have a lot of confidence in this team to overcome this next barrier.'
As well as being boosted at the back by Mbock, France knows it can rely on its ruthless attack. France bagged 11 goals in its three group stage matches – scored by nine different players. Moreover, Germany will be weakened in defense. Captain Giulia Gwinn was ruled out of the tournament after injuring her knee in her team's opening win and her replacement Carlotta Wamser is suspended for the quarterfinal after being sent off in Germany's 4-1 thrashing by Sweden.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Dolphins sign former raiders and patriots cornerback Jack Jones to one-year deal
Dolphins sign former raiders and patriots cornerback Jack Jones to one-year deal

Al Arabiya

time3 hours ago

  • Al Arabiya

Dolphins sign former raiders and patriots cornerback Jack Jones to one-year deal

The Miami Dolphins added needed help to their secondary on Saturday, signing cornerback Jack Jones to a one-year deal. Jones had 69 tackles, three interceptions–one returned for a touchdown–and 15 pass breakups in 16 starts for the Raiders last season. The Raiders released him earlier this year. A fourth-round draft pick by New England in 2022, Jones played two up-and-down seasons for the Patriots before being released and claimed off waivers by Las Vegas in 2023. Jones played in 24 games and started 19 for Las Vegas, intercepting five passes and returning three for touchdowns. He also found himself out of position several times and allowed opposing receivers to make big plays. His four defensive touchdowns are the second most in the NFL since he entered the league in 2022. The Raiders released him earlier this year. Miami was in the market for a starting-caliber cornerback after trading All-Pro Jalen Ramsey to the Pittsburgh Steelers last month. The Dolphins this offseason added several cornerbacks that are expected to compete for roster spots. One veteran, Artie Burns, went on injured reserve this week after suffering a torn ACL on the first day of training camp. Also Saturday, the Dolphins waived cornerback Ryan Cooper Jr.

Xavi Hernandez application for India football coaching job was a hoax: AIFF
Xavi Hernandez application for India football coaching job was a hoax: AIFF

Al Arabiya

time5 hours ago

  • Al Arabiya

Xavi Hernandez application for India football coaching job was a hoax: AIFF

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) confirmed on Saturday that a job application attributed to former Barcelona manager and Spain midfielder Xavi Hernandez for the India head coaching role was a hoax. The AIFF's national team director told The Times of India on Thursday that Xavi's name was on the list of applicants. The report also quoted an AIFF technical committee member saying the his candidacy was deemed too expensive to pursue. 'The AIFF received an email furnishing the applications from Spanish coaches Pep Guardiola and Xavi Hernandez. The authenticity of their applications could not be confirmed, and it has since emerged that the email applications were not genuine,' the AIFF said in a statement. It had not been previously reported that the AIFF had also received an application purporting to be from Manchester City manager Guardiola. The AIFF Technical Committee said it had reviewed 170 applications for the Indian men's head coach role, narrowing the list to 10 before short-listing three candidates. The AIFF sacked former India manger Igor Stimac in June last year before appointing Spaniard Manolo Marquez, who left the job this month and returned to his role as coach of Indian Super League team FC Goa.

Shedeur Sanders unfazed by lack of first-team reps at Browns camp
Shedeur Sanders unfazed by lack of first-team reps at Browns camp

Al Arabiya

time18 hours ago

  • Al Arabiya

Shedeur Sanders unfazed by lack of first-team reps at Browns camp

If Shedeur Sanders is frustrated about not receiving any snaps with the first team during the first week of the Cleveland Browns training camp, he isn't showing it. Sanders said on Friday that it is out of his control and not his place to answer why he has worked mainly with the third and fourth teams during the first three days of practice. 'I'm not even going to think about that or have that even in my thought process of why it is,' Sanders said. 'It doesn't make me feel down, or it doesn't make me feel left out or anything, because I know who I am as a person. I know who I am as an individual, and I know what I could bring to this team.' Sanders – selected by the Browns in the fifth round after a precipitous fall in April's draft – did get some work with the second team for the first time on Friday. He had one of the best throws of the 80-minute practice on a completion down the middle to tight end Blake Whiteheart during 11-on-11 drills. Sanders showed he could bounce back after a bad day of practice. He was unable to throw a pass during a four-play red zone drill on Thursday after snap issues on two plays, a false start, and what would have been a sack. 'I know whenever I get my opportunity, I've got to maximize it,' he said. 'I just got to think about what I could do to get better, even if I'm not getting reps.' Coach Kevin Stefanski didn't say if Sanders would receive any first-team snaps. Stefanski did note, though, that he has been happy with Sanders' progress over the past couple of months. 'Yeah, I think Shedeur does a nice job of keeping the main thing the main thing. He's working hard and keeping his head down,' Stefanski said. There have been 13 sets of 11-on-11 drills during the first three days. Joe Flacco has had the most work with the first team with seven, Kenny Pickett has had five, and third-round pick Dillon Gabriel one. Flacco and Pickett are the two main combatants in the four-man competition to see who will be the starter for the Sept. 7 opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. All four are getting plenty of snaps on the two practice fields, but there is a difference in who they are working with. Sanders said the one advantage of not getting many snaps is that he has had the opportunity to learn more in-depth about everything instead of on the fly, like he did at Jackson State and Colorado, where his father, Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, instantly made him the starter. Shedeur Sanders added that the area where he has made the most improvement is being more comfortable with the playbook. 'It's always consistent growth, and it always feels like I just solved a puzzle or anything, like all the time,' he said. Quarterback coach Bill Musgrave – who was Deion Sanders' teammate during San Francisco's Super Bowl-winning season in 1994 – has been impressed with Sanders' ability to call the play in the huddle, as well as calling plays under center. He also added he has seen the same progress from Gabriel, a third-round pick. When it comes to the outside pressures Sanders might face – including heightened expectations from fans – Musgrave said that everyone has pressure, but the approach has to remain the same. 'The focus has got to be on the techniques, the five-step drop, the seven-step drop, being accurate with our throws,' Musgrave said. 'If we can focus on our trade, the external factors take a back seat, which is where they should remain.' While some may waver from the expectations, Sanders has embraced them. He has made a couple of appearances in the Cleveland area, including hosting a community event to benefit residents displaced after an apartment complex fire. He also accepted responsibility for two speeding tickets last month. However, things that are happening off the field are the last thing on Sanders' mind over the next five weeks. 'The external is cool. I'm thankful for it,' he said. 'But hey, when I get out there, I'm not thinking about external. I'm thinking about more in the organization, thinking about getting the play calls, executing my job, and doing what I've got to do.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store