Foxes defender Coulibaly makes Mali debut
Leicester City defender Woyo Coulibaly made his international debut for Mali during their 1-0 friendly defeat by DR Congo on Thursday.French-born full-back Coulibaly, 26, - signed by the Foxes from Parma for a reported £3m in January - was called up for the African nation for the first time in May, having switched nationalities from France.There was also a first for Hamza Choudhury, who scored his maiden goal for Bangladesh during their 2-0 victory over Bhutan on Wednesday.The Foxes academy graduate, 27, nodded in opener in the sixth minute on just his second appearance for the Bengal Tigers.
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Telegraph
35 minutes ago
- Telegraph
England football fans chant ‘Keir Starmer is a c---'
England supporters called Prime Minister Keir Starmer a 'c---' during the World Cup qualifier against Andorra. Around 7,000 England fans travelled to Barcelona and they turned on Starmer during the clash with the team ranked 173rd in the world rankings. With the match goalless, the foul-mouthed chants about the Prime Minister were clearly heard. To the tune of KC & The Sunshine Band's 1982 song Give It Up, fans sang: 'Na-na, na-na, na-na, na-na-na-na now, Starmer is a c---, is a c---, Starmer is a c---.' Starmer was also in their sights when they sang: 'Keir Starmer, is a w----r, is a w----r.' Thomas Tuchel's team were playing at a half-empty stadium after the fixture was switched from Andorra to Espanyol's ground 125 miles away. At the time of the chanting towards the Prime Minister, England were struggling to break down their lowly-ranked opponents and supporters went through their repertoire of songs. At half-time, there were boos from the crowd after England failed to score in the first 45 minutes. While it is the first time supporters have taken aim at the Prime Minister, the Football Association was previously been warned about 'political chants' by English fans during the World Cup in Russia in 2018. Fifa looked into the chanting of 'No Surrender' by supporters and other potentially discriminatory songs. Earlier in the season, police urged England fans to 'respect local culture' when attending the Nations League match against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin. England fans also sang God Save The King, and there was controversy over the national anthem earlier this season when Lee Carsley, a former Republic of Ireland international, did not sing it during his time as England's interim manager. Tuchel says he has to 'earn the right' to sing the national anthem. 'I feel that it is not just a given. You cannot just sing it. That's why I decided that I will not sing it in my first matches,' the German said.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
James Maddison breaks his silence after Ange Postecoglou's sacking as Tottenham star follows team-mates in sending message to former boss
has become the latest Tottenham Hotspur player to pay tribute to Ange Postecoglou following the manager's sacking, posting a heartfelt message nearly 24 hours after the news was confirmed. Maddison took to social media shortly before 4pm on Saturday to thank Postecoglou for his faith and leadership during their time together at Spurs, describing the Australian as a man with 'great morals' and a winning mentality. The creative midfielder, who was signed by Postecoglou in the summer of 2023 and almost immediately named as one of the club's vice-captains, joined a growing list of team-mates who have publicly thanked the outgoing boss after he was ruthlessly dismissed by the club on Friday. In a post addressed to 'Gaffer', Maddison wrote: 'Firstly, thank you for bringing me to this wonderful club that I now call my home. Your instant belief in me to not only sign me but make me the club's vice captain & part of the leadership group from the get go is something I'll always be thankful for. 'Secondly for the Europa league campaign that started in our stadium on gameweek one and finished perfectly with that special night in Bilbao. You led us to victory and we're European champions and in this club's history books because of you and your winning mentality. 'Lastly and most importantly is how you are as a man and a person. Your unwavering self belief and strong mindset is infectious and a massive reason in why you were the man to end this club's 17 year drought for a trophy. Maddison's tribute followed messages from several Spurs stars, including club captain Son Heung-min, who shared his own post around 8am on Saturday morning. 'Gaffer. You've changed the trajectory of this club,' Son wrote on Instagram. 'You believed in yourself, and us, since day one and never wavered for a second. Even when others did. 'You knew what we were capable of all along. You did it your way. And your way brought this club the best night it's had in decades. We will have those memories for life. 'You trusted me with the captaincy. One of the highest honours of my career. It's been an incredible privilege to learn from your leadership up close, I am a better player and a better person because of you. 'Ange Postecoglou, you are a Tottenham Hotspur legend forever. Thank you, mate.' The flood of tributes had begun soon after Tottenham confirmed Postecoglou's dismissal on Friday afternoon, just 16 days after he led the club to a 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the Europa League final — ending a 17-year wait for major silverware and securing Champions League qualification. Tottenham issued a 368-word statement thanking Postecoglou for his service but claimed the board had 'unanimously' agreed that a change of manager was the best way forward following a dismal domestic campaign that saw Spurs finish 17th in the Premier League. Among the first players to react was Pedro Porro, who posted: 'Thank you for everything, boss… Above everything, you gave us one of the greatest moments in the club's history and for that, you'll always be celebrated.' Gaffer, where to start. Firstly, thank you for bringing me to this wonderful club that I now call my home. Your instant belief in me to not only sign me but make me the clubs vice captain & part of the leadership group from the get go is something I'll always be thankful for.… — James Maddison (@Madders10) June 7, 2025 Richarlison wrote: 'Mister, massive thanks for helping me out and believing in me during one of the trickiest periods of my career and my life… We've made history!' Dominic Solanke said: 'Won't ever forget the convo we had before I signed and we achieved a dream!' Guglielmo Vicario — another member of the leadership group — added: 'You are not only a top manager, you are an incredible person to work for, a real leader, a mentor, and someone I'll always look up to.' Centre-back Micky van de Ven summed up the general feeling as he wrote: 'Many ups and downs in the last two years but you kept believing in us… forever grateful.' Postecoglou himself released a parting statement, reflecting on his two years at the club with pride. The statement read: 'When I reflect on my time as Manager of Tottenham Hotspur my overriding emotion is one of pride. 'The opportunity to lead one of England's historic football clubs and bring back the glory it deserves will live with me for a lifetime. Sharing that experience with all those who truly love this club and seeing the impact it had on them is something I will never forget. 'That night in Bilbao was the culmination of two years of hard work, dedication and unwavering belief in a dream. There were many challenges to overcome and plenty of noise that comes with trying to accomplish what many said was not possible. 'We have also laid foundations that mean this club should not have to wait 17 more years for their next success. I have enormous faith in this group of players and know there is much more potential and growth in them. 'I sincerely want to thank those who are the lifeblood of the club, the supporters. I know there were some difficult times but I always felt that they wanted me to succeed and that gave me all the motivation I needed to push on. 'It's important to acknowledge the hard working people at Spurs who gave me encouragement on a daily basis. 'And finally, I want to thank those who were with me every day for the last two years. A fantastic group of young men who are now legends of this football club and the brilliant coaches who never once doubted we could do something special.
Times
an hour ago
- Times
Meet the ex-convict rapper talent-spotting for Arsenal
One of the Premier League's top academy scouts is a convicted drug dealer and rapper whose lyrics about his old life of crime have garnered millions of views on YouTube. Joseph Bol does not covet attention on the touchline in his role as Arsenal's grassroots recruitment coordinator for east London, for which he is charged with organising a network of talent-spotters focused predominantly on under-9 to under-14 players, but parents and older siblings at youth games still occasionally recognise him as the artist 'Joe Black'. 'The kids always used to say, 'You're famous', but I don't think they understood what for,' Bol says. 'They may have thought it was for football.' It has been 15 years since Bol, 39, was released from prison for a third and final time. Ordinarily, a DBS check that showed convictions for robbery and possession of class A drugs with intent to supply — Bol spent a year in prison on remand for a third charge on which he was found not guilty — would preclude him from working with minors, let alone within the academies at Crystal Palace, Chelsea and then Arsenal. Yet, several of the players Bol discovered are now on the cusp of making their first-team breakthroughs, such as Zain Silcott-Duberry (Bournemouth) and Amani Richards (Leicester City). Trey Faromo, a 14-year-old winger, is considered one of the country's brightest talents and recently made his debut for Chelsea Under-18. It is a rare and quite remarkable story of reinvention. When Bol is not watching all manner of school, district, and league matches, he is a tutor at City Select Academy, a specialist college in Croydon for sixth formers harbouring faint but fading dreams of playing professional football. 'They may have not gone down the same road as committing crime, but it's just being someone relatable to them [saying] that their route might be a bit different, but it's definitely not over, and just being there for them,' he says. 'There are loads of people in my position who made mistakes early in their lives and think, 'That's it, I'm never going to be able to excel.' People are shocked that I work for Arsenal so it's just being an example that you can still do it, and it's not just football. 'The first age group I started coaching [in 2012], they're like 25 now. Sometimes growing up on estates you think football is the only way out, but one of them is a firefighter now. He always says to me that I was very influential in making him feel like, 'Don't waste your time, find your purpose as soon as possible', and that gives me just as much satisfaction as seeing a player make it at a professional level. So that's my mission: to use football as a tool for kids to have a better start because a lot of these skills are transferable.' Bol grew up on the Highbury Estate in north London and his mother worked as a civil servant in Brent Town Hall. He had been a talented footballer himself but he was seduced by the perceived glamour of crime in his early teens. 'I wanted things my mum didn't deem necessary, like designer clothes, trainers, and that led me down a slippery slope. I stopped playing football and I started selling and smoking weed, and then it went on to be more class A drugs. I was just in a bubble thinking this is going to be my career path,' says Bol, who was sentenced to three years in prison for robbery aged 15 and sat his maths and English GCSEs in a young offenders' institute. When he was released after 18 months, 'it didn't really sink in that I'd actually served that much time,' he says. 'I came out and got adulation from my peers, it boosts your ego, and I just started rapping about what I was going through. It was more about selling drugs. We didn't really have postcode wars at the time.' A member of the so-called Highbury Boys, Bol was stabbed in the arm and leg while sitting in the front seat of his car by four boys from a rival gang when he was 18. Undeterred, he was arrested again in 2004 after being caught selling drugs as part of a county lines network. The bubble finally burst when he turned 21 and was transferred to an adult prison. After being caught with a mobile phone, an officer vowed to get Bol a job in the gym if he behaved well and encouraged him to complete FA Level One and Community Sports Leader coaching courses. 'That helped me figure out that I needed to break the cycle and change my outlook. When I came out, I started volunteering at a local football club run by my friend. It was called A Class FC. Imagine,' Bol says, laughing. 'But I caught the bug and I've been doing it ever since.' Bol continued to rap about his old life and earned a 'liveable wage' as his popularity grew, pressing his own CDs and taking them to independent record shops in the days before streaming. He was even once a support act to Rick Ross when the American hip-hop mogul played in London, but football remained his foremost passion. In 2012, he set up his own grassroots club called AC United and it quickly grew from having one team to eight. Their performances in local cups attracted the attention of scouts such as Joe Shields, now a senior director within Chelsea's academy, who got Bol a job as an academy scout and development coach at Crystal Palace. Bol's big breakthrough came when the standout player at AC United, Clinton Mola, was invited for a trial at Chelsea. He accompanied Mola to the training ground and was mobbed by several of the under-14 players, including the likes of Reece James, much to the confusion of the academy staff. Seemingly realising the sway his fame could have, Chelsea ultimately decided to sign them both — Mola, 24, who now plays for Bristol Rovers, went on to represent England from under-16 to under-21 level. 'I'm still amazed that it happened. It wasn't by design. It was just because of the quality of players we had in our team,' Bol says. 'The original question was, 'Do I know anyone who would be interested in scouting for Chelsea in north London?' I said, 'Yeah, me.' ' Bol feared his criminal history would caused Chelsea to baulk. 'Rightfully so, because there were obviously reservations after what showed up [on the DBS check],' he says. 'I did a risk assessment and they asked me how I ended up in these situations and what I'd done to change my behaviour to ensure I wouldn't fall back into those old patterns. Long story short, I think the years I put in coaching unpaid went a long way to overpower the past. They could see I was making a big effort to make a change. I got the role and I was there for just over five years.' ALAN STANFORD/PPAUK/SHUTTERSTOCK There is not necessarily a secret art to scouting. 'It wasn't a conventional job with set hours, it was just having my ear to the ground, my eyes on the grass, and trying to find the best player in north London,' he says. Using the network of contacts he had built up as a coach, Bol would receive tip-offs about talented youngsters and attend countless matches every week to draw his own conclusions. Since joining Arsenal in 2020, his role is slightly more administrative, ensuring that a group of scouts are always covering all parts of east London and then similarly putting names forward for possible trials. 'There are a bunch of people involved in the decision-making and then Per Mertesacker [Arsenal's academy manager] may have the final sign off,' he says. Bol's end goal is to become the head of academy recruitment at a Premier League club so his voice is the crucial element in that decision-making process. 'There are still lingering doubts in my head that because of my past maybe there is a ceiling [on what role he can have], but so far there hasn't been. If there is, I created it myself, but I feel proud of where I'm going,' he says. 'It's good to reflect every once in a while to remember how far I've come.'
