Saturday's briefing: Saying goodbye to Diogo Jota and England start Euros
Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey is facing a court appearance after being charged with five counts of rape.
The funeral of Liverpool striker Diogo Jota and his younger brother Andre Silva will take place in Portugal on Saturday morning.
Mourners will gather to pay their respects to the two men at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar at 10am a day after a wake was held at the nearby Capela da Ressurreicao.
Jota, 28, and his 26-year-old brother died in a car crash in Zamora, Spain, in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Their deaths prompted an outpouring of sympathy for Jota's wife Rute, who he married less than two weeks ago, their three children and the wider family from the football world and beyond.
England captain Leah Williamson revealed she finally felt free to let go of 'anxiety' on the eve of the Lionesses' European Championship opener against France in Zurich.
The Arsenal defender, who famously lifted the trophy in 2022, was forced to miss England's first run to a Women's World Cup final two summers ago in Australia after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
'I've probably held some anxiety, I suppose, up until this moment,' said Williamson, when asked if missing the World Cup and her recovery had given her a new appreciation for this opportunity.
'I wanted to experience another tournament for England, and being away from home is special. It's a bit different to England in 2022, so I'm just taking everything in. I'm very excited. Obviously so much has changed, so I'm intrigued to come back and enjoy that tournament football.'
Rhian Wilkinson is confident Wales are ready for their 'watershed moment' on a first major tournament stage at Euro 2025.
While few expect Wales, who kick off their campaign against the Netherlands in Lucerne on Saturday evening as the lowest ranked team in the competition, to progress from a daunting group which also includes England and France, Wilkinson believes the game has changed in the country forever.
Speaking at her pre-match press conference, she said: 'This is a wonderful team, great people, fantastic footballers, and we're going to be tested against some of the best in the world.
'That's what we've been wanting. To showcase Wales as a country, this team and their talent.'
Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has been charged with raping two women.
The Metropolitan Police said the Ghana international, whose contract at the Emirates Stadium expired on June 30, faces five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault following alleged offences between 2021 and 2022.
Partey's lawyer Jenny Wiltshire said he 'denies all the charges against him', adding: 'He now welcomes the opportunity to finally clear his name.'
The player, who is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on August 5, is accused of two counts of rape against one woman and three counts of rape against another. The sexual assault allegation relates to a third woman, police added.
European champions England launch their defence with a tough Group D opener against France in Zurich.
Debutants and group rivals Wales also get under way when they face the Netherlands in Lucerne looking to gain a foothold in the competition.
At the Club World Cup, Champions League winners Paris St Germain go head-to-head with Bayern Munich in Atlanta with a semi-final against either Real Madrid or Borussia Dortmund, who meet at the MetLife Stadium, at stake.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
22 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Viktor Gyokeres rejects two huge offers amid Arsenal transfer breakthrough
Arsenal are expected to sign a top striker this summer and while it seems as though Viktor Gyokeres is now their top choice, the Sweden striker also has other suitors Viktor Gyokeres is said to have rebuffed two monster contract offers from the Saudi Pro League as he waits to discover whether or not Arsenal will strike a deal for his services. The Gunners were always expected to sign a quality striker this summer after coming up short in the Premier League title race for a third successive year with Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko their top targets. But Andrea Berta has been working on deals for both players as the club weigh up which No 9 to advance talks with. While Sesko was understood to be the club's top target, reports in recent days have claimed that there has been a breakthrough in talks over Gyokeres. It's been outlined that Arsenal and Sporting Lisbon are now in 'advanced talks' over a deal for the 27-year-old, who has already agreed a five-year deal with the north London outfit. And with that in mind, Record in Portugal is now reporting that the Swede has rejected huge offers from two Saudi Arabian clubs. Al-Hilal and Al-Qadisiyah are the clubs in question; but just like a previous offer from Juventus - said to be worth £11million-a-year - Gyokeres has snubbed all proposals as he waits for Arsenal. It has already been made clear that The Emirates is Gyokeres' preferred destination over other suitors, including Manchester United, who are managed by his old Sporting Lisbon manager, Ruben Amorim. Gyokeres and Sporting's relationship has soured in recent weeks after it was denied that the striker could leave for a sum well below his release clause. Join the debate! Would Gyokeres be a good signing for Arsenal? Let us know here It's thought Sporting want at least €80million (£69m) for their No 9 and have denied reports of a gentleman's agreement that Gyokeres was free to leave for just €60m plus €10m (£50m plus £8m) in add-ons. Sporting's players are due to return for pre-season on Monday but it remains to be seen if Gyokeres will be among them as he continues to push for a dream move to the Premier League. The same publication claims Gyokeres has told the club's president, Frederico Varandas, that he 'does not want and will not' return to the club amid the ongoing dispute over his future. It's understood that Mikel Arteta wants Arsenal to have a new striker in place before the end of this month ahead of preparations for the new Premier League campaign.
BBC News
24 minutes ago
- BBC News
Euro 2025: Wiegman news conference before England v France
Update: Date: 16:16 BST 4 July Title: England to win? Content: France v England (Sat, 20:00 BST) I keep changing my mind about how this game might work out for England, and I am sure that will continue right up until kick-off. I feel like the Lionesses will probably need to be a little conservative if they are to start the defence of their title with a win, but I can see them keeping a clean sheet if they get things right at the back. England lost two key defensive players, goalkeeper Mary Earps and centre-back Millie Bright, in the run-up to the tournament and while our backline is still at world-class level without them, replacing them has caused some disruption to our defensive unit. So, I am sure there will still be a few issues that will need to be ironed out as this tournament progresses, but hopefully that won't cost England any goals or points here. The key for England winning this game will be them being tight at the back - maintaining possession, controlling the game and reducing the number of mistakes. If they can do that and also create some chances for our forward line then our attackers are so ruthless, they will take care of the rest. Prediction: France 0-1 England. Update: Date: 16:16 BST 4 July Title: Post Content: France v England (Sat, 20:00 BST) Right, the news conference has finished and England are continuing their final preparations before their first game at Euro 2025. Will England get off to a winning start? We'll leave you with a prediction from former England goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis. Update: Date: 16:13 BST 4 July Title: 'Her talent speaks for itself' Content: France v England (Sat, 20:00 BST) Keira Walsh on the possibility of lining up against her Chelsea team-mate Sandy Baltimore on Saturday: 'Her talent speaks for itself, you've seen some of the goals she has scored. Seeing her in training – that's when you see the best of someone when you see them every single day. "She's got an incredibly gifted left-foot. For the size of her as well, I think she's super strong and can hold the ball up really well because she is quite small. "She plays left-back most of the time for Chelsea and with the French team she plays a little bit further forward. I think Lucy [Bronze] will have played against her a lot in training [for Chelsea]. Hopefully Lucy knows how to get the better of her.' Update: Date: 16:11 BST 4 July Title: 'I held anxiety up until this moment' Content: France v England (Sat, 20:00 BST) England More from Leah Williamson on her feelings after missing the World Cup through injury: "I've probably held some anxiety up until this moment just because I wanted to be here and I wanted to be with the team and experience another tournament for England. "Being away from home - it's special when you come to another country to represent your country. So I'm just to take everything in - it's a bit different to England in 2022. "I am very excited but also so much has changed, so I am intrigued to come back and enjoy tournament football [again]." Update: Date: 16:06 BST 4 July Title: 'Greenwood a player you don't want to let down' - Williamson Content: France v England (Sat, 20:00 BST) England England captain Leah Williamson on playing alongside 'best mate' Alex Greenwood: "Alex is an exceptional ball player. She sees things that not many do. She is always at such a high performance. When you play next to someone like Alex she demands so much of herself and naturally of you too. She is one of my best mates so I have a good time playing [with her] but she is also one of those players that you don't want to let down because her level is so consistently high." On differences between Greenwood and previous centre-back partner Millie Bright: "There are loads of differences. Mostly the physicality of it. Millie is blessed in ways that people like me and Alex are probably not. She has those strengths, I think maybe we have to do our talking in a different way." Update: Date: 16:02 BST 4 July Title: Wiegman on asking Hemp to 'give her opinion' Content: France v England (Sat, 20:00 BST) England On asking Lauren Hemp to be more vocal on the pitch, Sarina Wiegman says: "She is a very introverted person but she does have an opinion and we ask her a little bit more to give her opinion. She has grown so much in football but also as a person and that's what we see too." Update: Date: 16:00 BST 4 July Title: Will James start? Content: France v England (Sat, 20:00 BST) England Wiegman is asked whether Lauren James could start against France. "We are not going to give you the line-up. She played 30 minutes last week and she can play more than that." Update: Date: 15:58 BST 4 July Title: James 'ready to get more minutes' Content: France v England (Sat, 20:00 BST) England Sarina Wiegman, speaking about Lauren James, who injured her hamstring in April: "She is in a good place. As you noticed, she came on the pitch against Jamaica last week and she is ready to get more minutes tomorrow." Update: Date: 15:57 BST 4 July Title: Post Content: France v England (Sat, 20:00 BST) What sort of tournament will Lauren James have? Update: Date: 15:55 BST 4 July Title: 'We're very well prepared' - Wiegman Content: France v England (Sat, 20:00 BST) England England head coach Sarina Wiegman: "The team looks really good, I think we are ready, we had our last session this morning and everyone came through well. I think we had some good weeks where we trained, we could do some tactics and I think we are very well prepared. "You see the bonding. We have worked really, really hard and I definitely think we are ready to go tomorrow." Update: Date: 15:53 BST 4 July Title: 'We are ready to defend our title' Content: France v England (Sat, 20:00 BST) Sarina Wiegman says the Lionesses are "ready" for Euro 2025 and are excited to get their group campaign under way. Update: Date: 15:52 BST 4 July Title: Watch live: England news conference Content: France v England (Sat, 20:00 BST) England Sarina Wiegman and Leah Williamson have arrived. Remember, you can watch what they have to say at the top of the page. Update: Date: 15:49 BST 4 July Title: Post Content: France v England (Sat, 20:00 BST) Emma SandersBBC Sport women's football news reporter with the England team Uefa have confirmed that Euro 2025 matches played tomorrow - including England v France - and on Sunday will also hold a moment of silence in memory of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva. Update: Date: 15:46 BST 4 July Title: Post Content: France v England (Sat, 20:00 BST) BBC Radio 5 Live A reminder that you can listen to Saturday's match on BBC Radio 5 Live. Former England midfielder Izzy Christiansen will be alongside Vicki Sparks at Stadion Letzigrund in Zurich. Build-up starts at 19:00 BST and don't forget there is a Women's Euros 606 at 22:30 when Natalie Pike and former England forward Toni Duggan will be taking your calls. Update: Date: 15:43 BST 4 July Title: Post Content: France v England (Sat, 20:00 BST) As we wait for Sarina Wiegman and Leah Williamson to appear, here's some content to get you in the mood for tomorrow's game: This video can not be played 'I'm really happy where we are right now' This video can not be played 'I was worried I wasn't going to make it' - Hemp This video can not be played 'I went in shaking!' - Jill Scott on Reality TV-style England Euro squad selection Update: Date: 15:39 BST 4 July Title: Drinks breaks during England game? Content: France v England (Sat, 20:00 BST) It looks like another hot day in Switzerland and several England players have been pictured cooling down with drinks at training this week. According to the weather forecast, temperatures could reach as high as 30C (86F) in Zurich on Saturday although they are likely to fall to 26C (78F) by kick-off. That's still pretty hot and there could be stoppages in play for drinks breaks. Read more: Sweltering Switzerland - how hot is Euro 2025 going to be? Update: Date: 15:36 BST 4 July Title: Oh no, Russo! Content: France v England (Sat, 20:00 BST) We all know about Alessia Russo. But what about Russo the eight-year-old African pygmy goat, who loves predicting football results? Russo, from All Things Wild in Worcestershire, was presented with two feeding stations - one adorned with an England flag, the other, which she ate from, bearing France's colours. "Russo really is 'the GOAT' when it comes to making it would not surprise me in the slightest if her predictions turned out to be correct," said Matt Parker, manager of the Honeybourne zoo. "But we're all rooting for the Lionesses to retain their European title - even if Russo isn't convinced about the opening game." Read more here. Update: Date: 15:34 BST 4 July Title: Watch: Wiegman & Williamson news conference Content: France v England (Sat, 20:00 BST) England Remember, this will be a final chance to hear from Sarina Wiegman before England's opening game of Euro 2025 against France on Saturday. The Lionesses head coach will be joined in today's news conference by captain Leah Williamson. We will bring you their quotes, but you can also follow them by clicking on the 'Watch Live' play icon at the top of this page. The news conference is due to begin around 15:45 BST. Update: Date: 15:31 BST 4 July Title: Inspiring a nation Content: France v England (Sat, 20:00 BST) England Remember the joyous scenes in 2022 when the Lionesses won the Euros in front of their own fans? The impact of winning a home Euros three years ago was huge, with FA figures showing that 129,000 more girls have become involved in school football in the host cities alone. There will be millions watching England on TV this summer hoping one day to follow in the footsteps of Leah Williamson, Lucy Bronze and Lauren James. Update: Date: 15:28 BST 4 July Title: Get Involved: Will England defend title? Content: #bbcfootball, WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (UK only, standard message rates apply) The_gym_instructor: England aren't playing too well. I predict we will lose against France, draw with the Dutch and beat Wales, but finish third on goal difference. Sarina will quit and England will stagnate. The rest of Europe have caught up. Spain or Germany to win it.
Reuters
26 minutes ago
- Reuters
Burnley sign England defender Walker on a two-year deal
July 5 (Reuters) - England right-back Kyle Walker has joined Burnley on a two-year deal after his contract with Manchester City expired in the summer, the newly promoted Premier League club said on Saturday. Former Tottenham Hotspur player Walker joined City in 2017 and has made over 200 league appearances for them. But manager Pep Guardiola revealed in January that Walker had asked to leave the club at the end of the season. Walker, who won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, the Champions League and the Club World Cup with City, joined AC Milan on loan in January, where he made 11 Serie A appearances. The 35-year-old, who has earned 96 England caps, said he joined Burnley after speaking to their manager Scott Parker, who was his teammate at Spurs. Parker guided Burnley back to the English top-flight with a second-place finish in the Championship. "When I spoke to Scott and heard about his plans for next season, it was an opportunity I jumped at. He's done an amazing job," Walker said in a statement. "I can't wait to come in and add my experience and quality to what looks (like) an exciting squad." Burnley begin their Premier League campaign with a visit to Spurs on August 16.
