Latest news with #Spains
Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
‘We're up against it' - Ireland coach's dire warning over lack of funding
Ireland Under-17 head coach Colin O'Brien has warned that Irish football risks falling way behind if Government funding for academies is not secured. O'Brien has led the Boys in Green to a first ever World Cup qualification at Under-17s level, where they will play Paraguay, Panama and Uzbekistan in the group stages. Their most recent European progression came in 2023, when a Lamine Yamal-inspired Spain eliminated Ireland at the quarter-final stage. It's not the big boys that O'Brien sees accelerating their youth development - he is aware of huge leaps being made beyond the top-tier sides. And a failure to make the Irish system fit for purpose will have devastating consequences for the game in this country at all levels, right up to the senior international team. 'I see it. I'm on the coal front. We're up against it,' he warned. 'We are competitive, but if we want to keep in those competitive layers, we have to secure funding. 'I'll always say this, it's not the Tier 1 countries I'd be comparing ourselves to, the Portugals, the Spains, they're just all on a different level completely and have been right through their history. 'I'm talking now about the Eastern Bloc countries. I'm talking about Tier 3 countries, Scandinavian countries. 'They are all developing and accelerating their resources and developments every year. ''For us to be in that mix, we really have to secure the funding. 'I think a lot of the plan is ready to push. The clubs have a lot of ideas that they want to do. 'But I think for me, then it allows getting full-time people in and working with the players at a younger age. It's going to be vital to our future.' O'Brien hopes that Ireland's success in reaching the World Cup - as one of just 11 European nations out of 54 to progress to November's tournament in Qatar - can move the funding conversation forward. 'I'm obviously very passionate about this as well because I've come through the whole system in this country,' said the former Cork City midfielder. 'I've played schoolboys, I've played Munster Senior League, I've played League of Ireland. 'I've dedicated myself to working with young players like a lot of people in this country and across different parts of the country. 'Yes, I think the Government could look at the World Cup, absolutely, but whether it's the World Cup or not, we have to secure funding. It has to be secured to progress basically. 'That funding, rightly (has to go on) infrastructure, facilities, but for me, we have to get expertise working in clubs that are full-time. 'That's going to take a long time to get, but it's going to have to start on the coaching side, on the administration side, on the performance side. 'The supports that need to go into our clubs earlier in order for us to progress and compete at international levels.' Ireland qualified for the World Cup as one of the best runners up in the qualifiers for the European Championships. UEFA's decision to reduce the tournament from 16 teams to eight meant that O'Brien's side missed out on this month's finals - but their performances in the qualifiers earned them the huge consolation prize of a spot in Qatar, where the tournament will consist of 48 teams. Putting Ireland's qualification into context, O'Brien said: 'Spain haven't qualified for this. 'At senior level, we all know about them, and another country that would be a huge powerhouse in youth football is the Netherlands, two of those countries haven't qualified for this. 'We have. We're doing something right. 'I'm doing this a while now, this is my eighth year and this will be our fifth major competition for this age group. We've been to four European finals and this will be our first World Cup. 'What can it do for the country? It can inspire, it can showcase the talent we have. 'To get out of Europe, it's an incredible achievement and one that has to be acknowledged, but now we have to move on… 'How do we make that the norm is the question that probably ties into the whole Government, the whole facilities, funding.' Preparations for the World Cup begin next week when Ireland head to Croatia for friendlies against three Under-18 sides - Norway (June 4), Turkey (June 7) and Croatia (June 9).
IOL News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Rafael Nadal's legacy forever etched into Roland Garros' red clay
Spains Rafael Nadal acknowledges the crowd at Roland-Garros during a special tribute ahead of the start of the 2025 French Open. Image: Jean Catuffe / DPPI via AFP Rafael Nadal was given a rousing reception as the 'King of Clay' stepped onto Court Philippe Chatrier for the final time on Sunday in an "unforgettable" ceremony to celebrate his career at the French Open. The 38-year-old, who retired from tennis last November, was serenaded by the Roland Garros crowd, with spectators wearing different coloured t-shirts to create the message "14 RG, Rafa". Nadal dominated the French Open after winning on debut as a teenager in 2005, lifting the trophy a record-breaking 14 times. The Spaniard finished with a remarkable 112-4 win-loss record at the clay-court Grand Slam. He last won the title in 2022 and played his final match on the Paris clay last year when he was defeated by Alexander Zverev in the first round. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ "I don't know how to start... I've been playing on this court for 20 years. I suffered, I won, I lost. I have lived many emotions here on this court," an emotional Nadal told the crowd after watching a video of his career highlights at Roland Garros. Nadal's family and friends watched from the player's box, along with many of his former coaching staff, including his uncle Toni. "It has been unforgettable, plenty of emotions for a guy like me that doesn't love these kind of things because I'm still a little bit shy for all this stuff," Nadal told reporters. "I don't like a lot to be the centre of attention for these things. It was enough when I was playing tennis. But I enjoyed it, honestly. I suffered a little bit with the emotions, but I enjoyed a lot." Old rivals pay tribute Nadal's long-time rivals Novak Djokovic, fresh from winning his 100th ATP title on Saturday, Roger Federer and Andy Murray all joined him on the main Chatrier court. The trio walked out after Nadal's speech to greet their fellow former world number one, to a deafening roar from the fans. "To have my three biggest rivals there on the court with me meant a lot," Nadal said of the other members of the 'Big Four'. "At the same time, it's a great message for the world, I think, that best rivals, the toughest rivals probably in the history of our sport are able to be good colleagues, to respect each other. "You don't need to hate the opponent to try to beat him with all your force. And that's the message that I think we showed people, we showed the new generations, and in some way that's our legacy." Nadal hung up his racquet following the 2024 Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, initially denying him an opportunity to wave goodbye to his adoring fans in Paris. His tally of 14 victories at a single Grand Slam appears unlikely to be beaten, with Margaret Court's 11 Australian Open titles second on the all-time list. Nadal was presented with a special trophy commemorating his French Open record, with a mark of his footprint carved into the clay. "I didn't know anything about the ceremony," Nadal said. "Only thing that I knew before going there was going to be video when I go on, then gonna be my speech, and then gonna be a couple of surprises. "Then when I see that, I thought it was going to be just for this year. Knowing that's going to be forever there, it's a present that I can't describe in words." The 22-time Grand Slam champion received a send-off after his final match at the Davis Cup, but French tennis federation chief Gilles Moretton said earlier this year that "the tribute was not, in my opinion, what it should have been". He said he had gone to visit Nadal at his home in December along with Roland Garros tournament director Amelie Mauresmo to discuss plans for Sunday's ceremony. AFP
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Canary Islands flooding mapped: Where has been affected as islands remain under ‘pre-alert' for rain?
The Canary Islands are still reeling from major flooding and heavy rains which turned streets into rivers and swept away cars. Both popular holiday island Tenerife the Canary's third-largest island Gran Canaria were hit. Yellow warnings were put in place for much of the Canary Islands on Monday morning and Gran Canaria was put on 'significant risk' orange warning on Tuesday. The flooding comes months after a powerful storm in Spain destroyed communities, including in Valencia and Malaga. In November, torrential rains and flash flooding meant thousands of residents had to evacuate and travel was severely disrupted. More than 200 people died as a result. Spains weather agency Aemet warned that widespread rainfall across the islands would last until Wednesday. As of Wednesday 5 March, the UK's Foreign Office has not issued any travel warnings on the heavy rain and flooding in the Canary Islands. On Monday afternoon, southern, eastern and western areas of Gran Canaria were under an orange weather alert due to a storm cell. More than 30 litres per square metre fell in less than an hour on Monday afternoon in the island, according to authorities. Telde in the east of the island was hit hardest by rain, with water engulfing streets and houses, trapping residents and closing beaches. Popular beaches La Garita, Hoya del Pozo, Playa del Hombre, El Barranquillo, Melenara, Salinetas and Eyes of Heron are affected by the restriction until further notice. Gran Canaria Airport had both runways in operation and flight proceedings were running as planned after temporarily being closed on Tuesday. By Wednesday morning, flights appeared to be running relatively smoothly. Tenerife island has also been hit, with some areas now left covered in snow after another dramatic shift in the weather. Santa Cruz Carnival in the island's capital suspended its performances on Monday afternoon due to weather warnings but evening performances went ahead as planned. The TF-38 road in southern Tenerife was partially closed due to icy conditions. It has now been re-opened giving partial access to Teide National Park. The eastern town of Guimar was also affected with around 80 people in a supermarket as their cars were trapped in a flooded underground car park, Canarian Weekly reported.
The Independent
05-03-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Canary Islands flooding mapped: Where has been affected as islands remain under ‘pre-alert' for rain?
The Canary Islands are still reeling from major flooding and heavy rains which turned streets into rivers and swept away cars. Both popular holiday island Tenerife the Canary's third-largest island Gran Canaria were hit. Yellow warnings were put in place for much of the Canary Islands on Monday morning and Gran Canaria was put on 'significant risk' orange warning on Tuesday. The flooding comes months after a powerful storm in Spain destroyed communities, including in Valencia and Malaga. In November, torrential rains and flash flooding meant thousands of residents had to evacuate and travel was severely disrupted. More than 200 people died as a result. Spains weather agency Aemet warned that widespread rainfall across the islands would last until Wednesday. As of Wednesday 5 March, the UK's Foreign Office has not issued any travel warnings on the heavy rain and flooding in the Canary Islands. Gran Canaria On Monday afternoon, southern, eastern and western areas of Gran Canaria were under an orange weather alert due to a storm cell. More than 30 litres per square metre fell in less than an hour on Monday afternoon in the island, according to authorities. Telde in the east of the island was hit hardest by rain, with water engulfing streets and houses, trapping residents and closing beaches. Popular beaches La Garita, Hoya del Pozo, Playa del Hombre, El Barranquillo, Melenara, Salinetas and Eyes of Heron are affected by the restriction until further notice. Gran Canaria Airport had both runways in operation and flight proceedings were running as planned after temporarily being closed on Tuesday. By Wednesday morning, flights appeared to be running relatively smoothly. Tenerife Tenerife island has also been hit, with some areas now left covered in snow after another dramatic shift in the weather. Santa Cruz Carnival in the island's capital suspended its performances on Monday afternoon due to weather warnings but evening performances went ahead as planned. The TF-38 road in southern Tenerife was partially closed due to icy conditions. It has now been re-opened giving partial access to Teide National Park. The eastern town of Guimar was also affected with around 80 people in a supermarket as their cars were trapped in a flooded underground car park, Canarian Weekly reported.
