Latest news with #KosovareAsllani
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Denmark v Sweden: Women's Euro 2025
Update: Date: 2025-07-04T14:58:42.000Z Title: Early team news: Content: Sweden's promising young midfielder Rosa Kafaji will miss the tournament after undergoing surgery on an ankle injury she picked up in April. The 21-year-old has struggled for game time since moving to Arsenal from Hacken but has been earmarked as one for the future by her manager Reneee Slegers. Barcelona left-back Fridolina Rolfo has travelled with the Sweden squad but there are slight concerns over her fitness after she damaged ligaments in her foot last month. In the extremely likely event that Kosovare Asllani features tonight, she will make her 200th appearance for her country. Denmark have a comparatively clean bill of health and their manager Andre Jeglertz is likely to set out his stall with three at the back, while a potent looking front three should be comprised of Bayer Munich's Pernille Harder, Bayer Leverkusen's Cornelia Kramer and Real Madrid's Signe Bruun. Update: Date: 2025-07-04T14:57:25.000Z Title: Group C: Sweden v Denmark Content: With a player of the quality of Pernille Harder in their ranks, it's no surprise our Euro 25 guide to Denmark says they 'have the quality to beat anyone'. Unfortunately for the Danes, their most recent match was a month ago against tonight's opponents in the Nations League and they were battered 6-1. It is an embarrassment they will be hoping to put behind them as they attempt to avoid an unwanted recent hat-trick of consecutive defeats against Sweden. While Denmark qualified for this tournament by winning top spot in their qualification group ahead of Belgium and the Czech Republic, Sweden were forced to enter through the back door after finishing third in their group. They went on to score 20 goals without reply across playoff ties against Luxembourg and Serbia, and have since beaten Norway in a warm-up game. They go into tonight's match at the Stade de Geneve on a 12-match unbeaten streak. Kick-off in Switzerland is at 5pm (BST) but stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.
Associated Press
a day ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Euro 2025: Denmark meets Sweden again one month after being routed 6-1
GENEVA (AP) — Losing 6-1 in your last game before a major soccer tournament to the team that also will be your first opponent is not optimal. It is the challenge facing Denmark players Friday when they open their Women's European Championship campaign in Geneva against Sweden. Germany and Poland also are in Group C and play Friday in St. Gallen. 'The things that hurt the most is what teaches you,' Denmark coach Andrée Jeglertz said Thursday in translated comments. 'I am convinced we will see a completely different kind of performance.' Sweden raced to a three-goal lead on Denmark inside 11 minutes on June 3 when winning a Nations League group was at stake, in order to advance to the semifinals later this year. Star forward Stina Blackstenius opened the scoring in the first minute and went on to complete her hat trick. That's all forgotten now insisted Kosovare Asllani, who was captain that night of a Sweden team missing its key defender Magdalena Eriksson. 'It's a one-off that we beat them by 6-1,' Asllani said Thursday. 'We also feel like we've put that match behind us.' Denmark defender Stine Ballisager, who got a close-up view of Sweden's rampant attack, dismissed the risk of focusing on the heavy defeat: 'We know what we stand for.' 'What you build in two years isn't demolished in one match,' coach Jeglertz said, while acknowledging 'after the game, yes, it was tough. 'We have dealt with it in a good way,' said the Denmark coach, who is Swedish. 'It's amazing that we have the opportunity to play the same opponent again without any match in between.' Sweden coach's farewell Sweden coach Peter Gerhardsson was elusive about planning for a quick rematch with the same tactics, suggesting his past philosophy in club soccer was 'always change a winning team.' Gerhardsson will leave after the tournament. In his eight-year tenure, Sweden was twice a World Cup semifinalist, took the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics and reached the Euro 2022 semifinals. 'We've become more of a playmaking team,' Asllani said of the coach's influence. 'We have the courage to play more fun football, more intense football if you like.' But the 6-1? 'That's not going to matter at all (Friday),' she said. Asllani reaches 200 The 35-year-old midfielder's 200th game for the national team arrives in what she says will be her last tournament. 'Its going to be very special,' Asllani said of her 'enormous sense of pride' reaching the landmark. 'It's a magical number to achieve in a career.' Eriksson vs Harder The duel between Sweden defender Eriksson and Denmark star forward Pernille Harder is much-anticipated duel. The stellar veterans have been a couple for more than a decade and are teammates at Bayern Munich. 'It's quite a special situation,' Harder told tournament organizer UEFA. 'We have tried this a few times before, so we know that when the game starts, we kind of forget that we are partners. We go all in.' Host Geneva's artwork Denmark-Sweden is the first of five Euro 2025 games in Geneva, the city which hosts the European headquarters of the United Nations and commissioned a stunning piece of public art for the tournament. Only aerial shots do justice to the painted grass image of a young girl sketching a chalk outline of a soccer field. It was created by artist Saype in a lakeside park, looking up to the 18th-century villa that hosted a 2021 diplomatic summit between then-U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin. ___ AP soccer:
Fox Sports
2 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Sweden UEFA Women's Euro 2025 Preview: Players to watch and schedule
The UEFA Women's Euro 2025 kicks off on Wednesday, July 2. Sixteen nations will aim for glory at this edition of the tournament, taking place across Switzerland from July 2-27. You'll be able to watch all 31 games across FOX Sports, culminating with the final on July 27 at St. Jakob-Park in Basel, Switzerland (12 p.m. ET, FOX). Here's what you need to know about Sweden leading into the Euros: Check out every penalty kick in this matchup between the United States and Costa Rica in the Concacaf Gold Cup Quarter Finals. Sweden UEFA Women's Euro 2025 Preview Previous Euro Appearances: 11 Best Finish: Champions (1984) Group: Sweden is in Group C along with Denmark, Poland and Germany What Stands Out: FIFA's sixth-ranked team and a perennial title challenger in any tournament they enter — Sweden has won consecutive Olympic silver medals plus the bronze at each of the last two Women's World Cups. But their only major trophy ever came in the inaugural UEFA Women's Euro in 1984. Top Players To Watch: The Swedes all-world front line will once again comprise veteran forwards Kosovare Asllani, the 35-year-old captain; Arsenal star Stina Blackstenius, 29; and Fridolina Rolfö, 31. Between them, the trio has played in 414 games and scored 119 goals. Keep An Eye On: Smilla Holmberg. The 18-year-old defender had never been called into her country's senior squad before coach Peter Gerhardsson included Holmberg on his 23-player roster for Switzerland 2025. This Euro Will Be A Success If: After so many near misses, including semifinal appearances at the last two Euros, a first trip to the continental final since 2001 would mark progress. But only silverware would equal success. Sweden UEFA Women's Euro 2025 Schedule Sweden vs. Denmark – 12 p.m. ET (FS1) Sweden vs. Poland – 3 p.m. ET (FOX) Sweden vs. Germany – 3 p.m. ET (TBD) Check out our full UEFA Women's Euro 2025 preview for more. recommended Get more from UEFA Women's EURO Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Meet Michele Kang - the woman leading a football revolution
London City Lionesses owner Michele Kang [Getty Images] "Our phones, and text messages, have been ringing off the hook", says owner Michele Kang with a smile. It is 72 hours on from her London City Lionesses winning promotion to the Women's Super League. And it is easy to see why players, who 18 months ago would have baulked at the idea of joining this club, are now desperate to be a part of its Hollywood-style story. Kang only bought the Lionesses in December 2023, when they were on the brink of liquidation. But thanks to her huge financial investment and long-term vision, she has turned this once failing team into hot property. "I jump in before anyone can say this is a good thing or in most cases they think I'm crazy," she tells BBC Sport. "This was not the first time I've been called crazy. But I absolutely saw the potential and with a little focus, I have never looked back". London City secured the point they needed for the Championship title with an enthralling 2-2 draw against title rivals Birmingham at St Andrew's in front of a 9,000-strong crowd. But if you were watching the match on television, you would have been forgiven for asking who was the glamorous woman at the heart of the team's celebrations. Immaculately dressed in a cream trench coat and now trademark dark sunglasses, the 65-year-old Kang took centre stage at the trophy presentation, lifting it with her captain Kosovare Asllani as streamers and fizz popped around them. Most owners usually celebrate such achievements from the directors' box. Not Kang, though. Her approach to that moment matches her approach to how she does everything. She does it her way. "Here we are, we made it. It just tells you that with proper investment and anything is possible," said Kang. London City are just one part of what is rapidly becoming a global women's football empire for the wealthy American businesswoman, with Kang also owning eight-time Women's Champions League winners Lyon and Washington Spirit in the United States. Her goal is to prove that women's football clubs can be successful and sound business investments without the involvement of a men's side. So far, no-one has been able to prove her wrong. Kang was front and centre of London City Lionesses' celebrations [Getty Images] While winning the Championship is an outstanding achievement, the WSL will be a huge step up for her side. Kang insists they are not aiming to simply survive in the top flight, but to thrive. And that is why at 9am, the morning after the promotion celebrations, her team – including manager Jocelyn Prêcheur, who she lured from Paris St-Germain and sporting director Markel Zubizarreta, who was poached from the Spanish FA - were already planning for life in the top tier. "Our vision from day one, when we started out this journey a year ago, was building at least a mid-tier WSL team," Kang adds. "We've seen a lot of men's and women's teams get promoted and the next year they get relegated. "So we've been trying to build a team that when we got up, we can stay there and be very competitive. We recruited players that way and staffing that way." When asked how many players they're aiming to recruit this summer, Kang jokes those decisions are "above my pay grade". "I do sometimes participate in convincing and persuading players to join us, but ultimately who we recruit is down to the sporting director and our manager's job," she says. "I have full confidence in them." That said, no-one would be surprised to see a host of international stars arriving at the club's training base in Aylesford, Kent, before the new season starts in September. Despite being in the Championship, Kang enticed Sweden internationals Asllani and Sofia Jakobsson, Japanese World Cup champion Saki Kumagai, and ex-Barcelona midfielder Maria Perez to join London City. For Asllani, who had spells at PSG, Manchester City and Real Madrid in her career, playing under a female owner was one of the huge draws. "For the first time, I was like OK we have a woman investing, not just talking, actually giving us all the resources we need to succeed," said the 35-year-old, who won the WSL with Manchester City in 2016. "You need to invest for us to reach success and that is what Michele stands for. She's a power woman, she's not a talker, she's a doer." But it is not just on the pitch where Kang has spent her money as she sees the bigger picture of what a successful team needs. At the training ground at Cobdown Park, seven Fifa-compliant pitches are set to be ready for the players this summer. There are ambitious plans to build a performance campus, although planning permission for the proposed buildings and facilities has not yet been secured. Talking of the proposals, Kang adds: "It's going to be the state-of-the-art training centre, better than actually many of the men's Premier League training centres." The club plays its matches at Hayes Lane, which they groundshare with League Two men's side Bromley, but Kang says they are exploring building a purpose-built stadium for her side. It all hints to the fact she will not settle for being just a mid-table WSL team for long - this is a set-up worthy of a team competing in the Champions League. Kang appointed Jocelyn Prêcheur, who won the women's Coupe de France with Paris St-Germain [Getty Images] Born in Seoul, South Korea, Kang moved to the United States to study. She then made her money in healthcare and IT, with Forbes magazine placing her wealth at $1.2bn (£900m). Her love affair with women's football has been a whirlwind. Having been invited to her first ever match at Washington Spirit in 2021, Kang instantly fell in love with the sport. "It was cold April day, and I still remember vividly. I was mesmerised, like really totally converted," she says. "There's something about being just at a stadium environment with the players, just the competitive spirit going back and forth, it is just absolutely the best. And I think that's really eventually what got me." By 2022 Kang was the majority owner of the Spirit. A year later she added London City Lionesses to her portfolio before buying Lyon in 2024. "It is a lot of fun," she admits. "I don't have my own children, but all of a sudden I have three teams and players across the Atlantic Ocean. I try to actually be at the games and support my players. That's really, ultimately, the fun part." It may be fun, but her clubs are not charities, but businesses. "I saw an incredible potential of where it was versus where it could be," says Kang. "The gap I thought was tremendous and I was really surprised no-one saw that, let alone investing in realising that gap." So how do the capital's Lionesses now compete in a division and create a fanbase that already has four established London clubs in Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and West Ham? "[Washington] Spirit will be the first one to break even because they are two, three years ahead and we invested heavily in fan development and corporate partnership," reveals Kang. "The models and the best practice are being copied both at Lyon and London City, and the Spirit are also learning from what Lyon have done. So we're all learning from each other. "At London City, so far our focus has been on the product, the sporting side, but we will heavily, heavily invest in fan development and building some significant fandom and engagement. "So it will be on track and we will absolutely figure out the financial sustainability over the long term. Nothing, no sports team, no business will survive if there's no sustainability." Kang's three clubs come under the umbrella of her Kynisca Sports International venture. But it does not stop at just investing in women's football. In August 2024, Kynisca announced it was setting up a $50m (£39.2) global investment fund to help improve the health and performance of elite female athletes. It was something Kang said would be "a new era for female athletic potential" and "drive lasting change". One of the first recipients was the US rugby 7's team who were awarded $4m (£2.9m) after winning bronze at the Paris Olympics - a donation star player Ilona Maher described as "really impactful". "She saw our value, which we already knew we had, but this was someone truly seeing it and investing in it and this is setting us up for hopefully a win in LA 2028," said Maher, 28. Kang has also pledged a $30m (£23.6m) donation to US Soccer over the next five years, with the aim of transforming women and girl's football in America. "She puts her money where her mouth is," former Chelsea and current USWNT manager Emma Hayes tells BBC Sport. "Let me be clear about this, she's an astute businesswoman. She knows that women's sport is one of the areas of sport that has the opportunity to explode." While describing herself as a businesswoman, investor and philanthropist, Kang might also be the revolutionary to raise women's football to even greater heights. Head here to get involved
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Meet Michele Kang - the woman leading a football revolution
"Our phones, and text messages, have been ringing off the hook", says owner Michele Kang with a smile. It is 72 hours on from her London City Lionesses winning promotion to the Women's Super League. Advertisement And it is easy to see why players, who 18 months ago would have baulked at the idea of joining this club, are now desperate to be a part of its Hollywood-style story. Kang only bought the Lionesses in December 2023, when they were on the brink of liquidation. But thanks to her huge financial investment and long-term vision, she has turned this once failing team into hot property. "I jump in before anyone can say this is a good thing or in most cases they think I'm crazy," she tells BBC Sport. "This was not the first time I've been called crazy. But I absolutely saw the potential and with a little focus, I have never looked back". London City secured the point they needed for the Championship title with an enthralling 2-2 draw against title rivals Birmingham at St Andrew's in front of a 9,000-strong crowd. Advertisement But if you were watching the match on television, you would have been forgiven for asking who was the glamorous woman at the heart of the team's celebrations. Immaculately dressed in a cream trench coat and now trademark dark sunglasses, the 65-year-old Kang took centre stage at the trophy presentation, lifting it with her captain Kosovare Asllani as streamers and fizz popped around them. Most owners usually celebrate such achievements from the directors' box. Not Kang, though. Her approach to that moment matches her approach to how she does everything. She does it her way. "Here we are, we made it. It just tells you that with proper investment and anything is possible," said Kang. Advertisement London City are just one part of what is rapidly becoming a global women's football empire for the wealthy American businesswoman, with Kang also owning eight-time Women's Champions League winners Lyon and Washington Spirit in the United States. Her goal is to prove that women's football clubs can be successful and sound business investments without the involvement of a men's side. So far, no-one has been able to prove her wrong. Kang was front and centre of London City Lionesses' celebrations [Getty Images] While winning the Championship is an outstanding achievement, the WSL will be a huge step up for her side. Kang insists they are not aiming to simply survive in the top flight, but to thrive. Advertisement And that is why at 9am, the morning after the promotion celebrations, her team – including manager Jocelyn Prêcheur, who she lured from Paris St-Germain and sporting director Markel Zubizarreta, who was poached from the Spanish FA - were already planning for life in the top tier. "Our vision from day one, when we started out this journey a year ago, was building at least a mid-tier WSL team," Kang adds. "We've seen a lot of men's and women's teams get promoted and the next year they get relegated. "So we've been trying to build a team that when we got up, we can stay there and be very competitive. We recruited players that way and staffing that way." When asked how many players they're aiming to recruit this summer, Kang jokes those decisions are "above my pay grade". Advertisement "I do sometimes participate in convincing and persuading players to join us, but ultimately who we recruit is down to the sporting director and our manager's job," she says. "I have full confidence in them." That said, no-one would be surprised to see a host of international stars arriving at the club's training base in Aylesford, Kent, before the new season starts in September. Despite being in the Championship, Kang enticed Sweden internationals Asllani and Sofia Jakobsson, Japanese World Cup champion Saki Kumagai, and ex-Barcelona midfielder Maria Perez to join London City. For Asllani, who had spells at PSG, Manchester City and Real Madrid in her career, playing under a female owner was one of the huge draws. Advertisement "For the first time, I was like OK we have a woman investing, not just talking, actually giving us all the resources we need to succeed," said the 35-year-old, who won the WSL with Manchester City in 2016. "You need to invest for us to reach success and that is what Michele stands for. She's a power woman, she's not a talker, she's a doer." But it is not just on the pitch where Kang has spent her money as she sees the bigger picture of what a successful team needs. At the training ground at Cobdown Park, seven Fifa-compliant pitches are set to be ready for the players this summer. There are ambitious plans to build a performance campus, although planning permission for the proposed buildings and facilities has not yet been secured. Advertisement Talking of the proposals, Kang adds: "It's going to be the state-of-the-art training centre, better than actually many of the men's Premier League training centres." The club plays its matches at Hayes Lane, which they groundshare with League Two men's side Bromley, but Kang says they are exploring building a purpose-built stadium for her side. It all hints to the fact she will not settle for being just a mid-table WSL team for long - this is a set-up worthy of a team competing in the Champions League. Kang appointed Jocelyn Prêcheur, who won the women's Coupe de France with Paris St-Germain [Getty Images] Born in Seoul, South Korea, Kang moved to the United States to study. She then made her money in healthcare and IT, with Forbes magazine placing her wealth at $1.2bn (£900m). Advertisement Her love affair with women's football has been a whirlwind. Having been invited to her first ever match at Washington Spirit in 2021, Kang instantly fell in love with the sport. "It was cold April day, and I still remember vividly. I was mesmerised, like really totally converted," she says. "There's something about being just at a stadium environment with the players, just the competitive spirit going back and forth, it is just absolutely the best. And I think that's really eventually what got me." By 2022 Kang was the majority owner of the Spirit. A year later she added London City Lionesses to her portfolio before buying Lyon in 2024. Advertisement "It is a lot of fun," she admits. "I don't have my own children, but all of a sudden I have three teams and players across the Atlantic Ocean. I try to actually be at the games and support my players. That's really, ultimately, the fun part." It may be fun, but her clubs are not charities, but businesses. "I saw an incredible potential of where it was versus where it could be," says Kang. "The gap I thought was tremendous and I was really surprised no-one saw that, let alone investing in realising that gap." So how do the capital's Lionesses now compete in a division and create a fanbase that already has four established London clubs in Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and West Ham? Advertisement "[Washington] Spirit will be the first one to break even because they are two, three years ahead and we invested heavily in fan development and corporate partnership," reveals Kang. "The models and the best practice are being copied both at Lyon and London City, and the Spirit are also learning from what Lyon have done. So we're all learning from each other. "At London City, so far our focus has been on the product, the sporting side, but we will heavily, heavily invest in fan development and building some significant fandom and engagement. "So it will be on track and we will absolutely figure out the financial sustainability over the long term. Nothing, no sports team, no business will survive if there's no sustainability." Advertisement Kang's three clubs come under the umbrella of her Kynisca Sports International venture. But it does not stop at just investing in women's football. In August 2024, Kynisca announced it was setting up a $50m (£39.2) global investment fund to help improve the health and performance of elite female athletes. It was something Kang said would be "a new era for female athletic potential" and "drive lasting change". One of the first recipients was the US rugby 7's team who were awarded $4m (£2.9m) after winning bronze at the Paris Olympics - a donation star player Ilona Maher described as "really impactful". Advertisement "She saw our value, which we already knew we had, but this was someone truly seeing it and investing in it and this is setting us up for hopefully a win in LA 2028," said Maher, 28. Kang has also pledged a $30m (£23.6m) donation to US Soccer over the next five years, with the aim of transforming women and girl's football in America. "She puts her money where her mouth is," former Chelsea and current USWNT manager Emma Hayes tells BBC Sport. "Let me be clear about this, she's an astute businesswoman. She knows that women's sport is one of the areas of sport that has the opportunity to explode." Advertisement While describing herself as a businesswoman, investor and philanthropist, Kang might also be the revolutionary to raise women's football to even greater heights. Head here to get involved
