Friday's briefing: West Ham's Lucas Paqueta cleared of spot-fixing charges
Ella Toone has revealed her grandmother died on the morning of England's Euro 2025 final victory over Spain.
Paqueta cleared of spot-fixing charges
West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta is looking forward to playing football 'with a smile on his face' again after four spot-fixing charges against him which could have effectively finished his career were found not proven.
The Brazilian has been under investigation since August 2023, with the Football Association charging him in May 2024 with four alleged breaches of Rule E5.1, which relates to any attempt to improperly influence any aspect of a match.
It was alleged he deliberately attempted to receive a card in four Premier League games between November 2022 and August 2023.
He learned the outcome on Friday, and for Paqueta the decision has lifted a huge weight from his shoulders.
'Since the first day of this investigation, I have maintained my innocence against these extremely serious accusations,' he said.
'I can't say anything more at this time, but I would like to express how grateful I am to God and how eager I am to return to playing football with a smile on my face.
'To my wife who never let go of my hand, to West Ham United, to the fans who always cheered me on, and to my family, friends and the legal team who have supported me – thank you for everything.'
Isak training alone at Sociedad
Alexander Isak is training alone at former club Real Sociedad (Owen Humphreys/PA)
Newcastle striker Alexander Isak is training individually at Real Sociedad, the Basque club have confirmed.
The Sweden international, who is reported to have asked Newcastle executives to explore a move away from St James' Park, has been heavily linked with Liverpool.
His former club Sociedad confirmed on Thursday he was 'working with his trainers' at the club's Zubieta facility.
The player did not travel with the rest of the Newcastle squad earlier this month for their pre-season tour of Asia amid speculation over his future, with the club saying at the time he was absent due to a minor thigh injury.
The decision to train at his old club rather than his current one will heighten speculation that Isak sees his future away from Newcastle.
Toone reveals grandmother died ahead of final
Ella Toone has revealed her grandmother died on the morning of the Lioness's won over Spain (Peter Byrne/PA)
Ella Toone has revealed her grandmother died on the morning of England's Euro 2025 final victory over Spain.
The 25-year-old played the opening 87 minutes of Sunday's match in Basel as the Lionesses retained their title thanks to a penalty shoot-out win following a 1-1 draw.
The Manchester United midfielder lost her father Nick to prostate cancer last September, three days short of his 60th birthday. He had been diagnosed the day after watching his daughter score in the Euro 2022 final as England beat Germany 2-1 at Wembley.
'Even in the highest of highs life can hit you with the lowest of lows,' she posted on Instagram.
'My Nana Maz took her last breath on the morning of our Euro final. I have comfort in knowing she got to watch from the best seat in the house with Dad, her favourite person.'
Crisis growing at Wednesday
A message from Henrik 🇩🇰🦉
— Sheffield Wednesday (@swfc) July 31, 2025
The financial crisis at Sheffield Wednesday is causing growing concern within the English Football League over whether the club will be able to play their opening game of the Sky Bet Championship season, the PA news agency understands.
It is understood Wednesday players have refused to feature in a scheduled behind-closed-doors friendly against Burnley on Saturday after the club failed to pay their wages on time.
The Owls are currently under an EFL embargo for unpaid transfer fees and owner Dejphon Chansiri is trying to sell the cash-strapped club.
Wednesday appointed Henrik Pedersen as their new head coach on Thursday following the departure of Danny Rohl and, just hours later, Saturday's friendly was cancelled as players and coaching staff decided to boycott the match after not receiving July's monthly salary on time.
What's on today?
24 hours until we raise the curtain on 2025/26 🫡 pic.twitter.com/l2pKVy1FEr
— Luton Town FC (@LutonTown) July 31, 2025
Luton begin their League One campaign following relegation last season against AFC Wimbledon at Kenilworth Road.
Arbroath kick off the Scottish Championship season at home to Ayr United.
The FA Cup continues with seven matches in the extra preliminary round.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
12 minutes ago
- The Independent
Mimi Rhodes makes unusual hole-in-one at Women's Open
England's Mimi Rhodes found an unusual way to score low on a tough day by sinking a remarkable hole-in-one in her final round at the AIG Women's Open. High winds made for difficult conditions at Royal Porthcawl on Sunday but, with a fortuitous ricochet off her playing partner's ball, Rhodes aced the par-three fifth. Rhodes, who began six shots off the overnight lead of nine under held by Miyu Yamashita, had the benefit of following Stephanie Kyriacou off the tee. The Australian went close to a hole-in-one herself with a shot that hit the green and came to rest inches from the cup. Rhodes then played a very similar shot and, luckily for her, Kyriacou's ball was handily placed for it to deflect in off. Kyriacou was still able to hole her short putt for a deserved birdie. Meanwhile, Yamashita birdied the fourth to open up a three-shot lead as nearest challenger Kim A-lim dropped back to seven under following back-to-back bogeys. Rhodes' compatriot Charley Hull then cut the gap to two with consecutive birdies at the fifth and sixth.
Daily Mirror
12 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Bruno Guimaraes puts hands around Cristian Romero's THROAT as pair clash during friendly
Tottenham took on Premier League rivals Newcastle in a pre-season friendly in Seoul on Sunday and there were a few dramatic incidents between the two teams including between Cristian Romero and Bruno Guimaraes Bruno Guimaraes and Cristian Romero clashed in Seoul with the Newcastle man putting his hands around the Tottenham star's throat. The two Premier League rivals clashed in Seoul on Sunday as part of their pre-season preparations. And it was a dramatic affair between the two sides, with the game finishing in a 1-1 draw - the goals coming via Brennan Johnson and Harvey Barnes. And there was even more drama before half-time between Brazilian midfielder Guimaraes and Argentine defender Romero. The Newcastle man had managed to evade a wild challenge from the defender just outside of the penalty area. The Brazilian was then shoved to the floor by Romero when trying to make space. Guimaraes reacted angrily to that push as he jumped up and put his hands around Romero's neck. The Brazilian was probably fortunate to escape further punishment but given the pre-season nature of the game, that might explain why. The flashpoint between the pair was not the only incident during the game. The match potentially represents Son Heung-min 's final game for the North London side. He was withdrawn just after the hour mark to great acclaim from supporters within the stadium. Meanwhile, midfielder James Maddison appeared to pick up what was a serious injury and had to be stretchered off of the pitch in the closing stages. Speaking after the game, Spurs boss Thomas Frank said: 'I think sometimes in life and football things can be both beautiful and brutal. That's what we got today. It looks like with Madders a bad injury and then on the other side unbelievable scenes for Son from his team-mates and the respect from the Newcastle players. 'First we had the walkaround and then the team-mates gathered around and he was emotional. In the changing room it was more of the same. "I just said a few things but not much because it's about Sonny and then he said a few things. It was beautiful." Spurs now have just under two weeks left to go until their first Premier League match of the season against newly-promoted Burnley. Before that, they take on Bayern Munich in their final pre-season game. Spurs also take on French giants Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup. Elsewhere, Newcastle take on Aston Villa in their Premier League opener.
The Guardian
12 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Prince Harry denies giving Prince Andrew bloody nose at family gathering
Prince Harry has denied that he gave Prince Andrew 'a bloody nose' during a fight at a family gathering in 2013. According to an excerpt from a new biography of the disgraced Duke of York, published in the Daily Mail on Saturday, the pair had a heated argument that escalated into a physical altercation. 'Punches were thrown over something Andrew said behind Harry's back', the author Andrew Lownie claimed. The alleged fight began when 'Harry told [his uncle] he was a coward not to say it to his face. Harry got the better of Andrew by all accounts, leaving him with a bloody nose before the fight was broken up.' Lownie's biography, Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, also claimed that Andrew told his nephew marrying Meghan Markle, now the Duchess of Sussex, would 'not last more than a month'. He allegedly 'accused Meghan of being an opportunist and thought she was too old for Harry, adding that his nephew was making the biggest mistake ever,' and told his nephew he had gone 'bonkers', accusing him of not doing 'any due diligence into her past' before they got engaged in 2017. Late on Saturday, a spokesperson for Harry and Meghan said: 'I can confirm Prince Harry and Prince Andrew have never had a physical fight, nor did Prince Andrew ever make the comments he is alleged to have made about the Duchess of Sussex to Prince Harry.' The duke and duchess have also sent a legal letter to the Daily Mail over the publication of what their spokesperson described as 'gross inaccuracies, damaging and defamatory remarks'. The Guardian has approached Buckingham Palace and representatives for the Duke of York for comment. Prince Andrew fell from grace after a disastrous Newsnight interview in 2019 about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, the late American financier and convicted sex offender. The duke was stripped of his royal and military titles in 2021. The book claims that Harry and his brother William had 'problematic' relationships with Andrew for years, and that Andrew was also rude about William's wife Catherine, the Princess of Wales. King Charles has allowed his younger brother to stay in the Royal Lodge, a 30-room mansion in Windsor Great Park owned by the crown estate. However, last year the king ended Andrew's allowance, estimated at £1m annually, raising questions about future arrangements. The source quoted in Lownie's biography claims that the Prince of Wales is keen to 'evict' the duke and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, who lives with Andrew though the couple divorced in 1996. According to Entitled's source: '[William] also loathes Sarah … and can't wait for the day when his father throws them both out. If Charles doesn't, I guarantee you the first thing William does when he becomes king is to get them evicted.' Harry broke ties with his family citing the 'toxicity' of royal life and alleged racism towards his wife, moving with his young family to Canada and then the US in 2020. In 2022, he published a memoir, Spare, in which he detailed strains in his relationships with his father and brother. Earlier this year, he told the BBC he had 'forgiven' his family and would 'love a reconciliation'.
