Latest news with #ThomasCoex
IOL News
22-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Tottenham triumph over Man Utd to secure Europa League title and end trophy drought
THAT WINNING FEELING Tottenham Hotspur's South Korean forward Son Heung-min raises the trophy as he celebrates with teammates winning the UEFA Europa League final football match against Manchester United at San Mames stadium in Bilbao on May 21, 2025. Picture:Thomas Coex/AFP Image: Thomas Coex/AFP Brennan Johnson's scrambled goal ended a 17-year Tottenham trophy drought with a battling 1-0 win over Manchester United in the Europa League final on Wednesday. Spurs, who had not won European silverware since 1984, will play in next season's Champions League, while failing to qualify for it is a severe financial set-back for Manchester United. Despite their triumph in Bilbao, manager Ange Postecoglou's future is still on the line following a shambolic domestic campaign, with Spurs sitting a place below United in the lower reaches of the Premier League table. The Australian furiously insisted he was "not a clown" on the eve of the final and had the last laugh on a nerve-racking night at the San Mames, as he made good on his claim to always win a trophy in his second season in charge of a club. Tottenham Ends 17-Year Trophy Drought in Intense Final "This is what it's all about, this club hasn't won a trophy for 17 years, honestly, this is what it means, it means so much," Wales winger Johnson told TNT Sports. "Ever since I came here it's been (people saying) 'Tottenham are a good team, but they never get it done' -- we got it done!" Fans came from far and wide to pack Athletic Bilbao's stadium, some taking quite preposterous routes and sleeping in cars to avoid eye-watering prices, but they could not escape a final lacking in quality. It was a match between teams languishing in 16th and 17th place respectively after dismal Premier League campaigns and that was the essence of it too, played at high intensity but with low confidence, and a prize on the line so big it overawed. There were a large number of turnovers, neither side keeping the ball with any ease, moves ending in panicked defending and balls being thumped to safety, or a litany of clumsy fouls. Manchester United fans chanted Ruben Amorim's name, backing their Portuguese coach despite the club's worst Premier League season in half a century. In the early exchanges, 22-year-old United winger Amad Diallo, one of the few players high on self-belief, flashed a shot across goal and then left Destiny Udogie spinning as he dribbled past. Spurs made the breakthrough after 42 minutes and, perhaps fittingly, it came in the form of a scrappy goal. Tottenham midfielder Sarr, who had completed just a single pass to this point, curled in a cross to the near post for Johnson. The winger's attempted flick bounced off Shaw's shoulder, brushed Johnson's boot again and crossed the goal-line in slow motion with Andre Onana unable to claw it out with a desperate arm.
IOL News
21-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
All or nothing for Manchester United, Tottenham in high stakes Europa League final
Bilbao's San Mames stadium will host the UEFA Europa League final between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United. Image: Thomas Coex / AFP Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur face off in the Europa League final in Bilbao on Wednesday with both clubs eyeing a golden ticket into the Champions League after historically poor seasons. The two teams have lost a combined 39 times in the Premier League, with 20-time champions United an embarrassing 16th in the table and Spurs 17th, a single spot above the relegation zone. Yet one of them will be celebrating at the final whistle at the San Mames stadium - not just a European trophy but a financial windfall worth potentially upwards of £100 million. Ruben Amorim, in his first campaign at Old Trafford, knows that victory will not solve United's long-standing and deep-rooted problems, but he admits it would change the mood. 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 Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading "We have bigger things to deal with than that, to put this club back to the top," the 40-year-old said on the eve of the game in northern Spain. But he added: "(If we win) people will look at our team in a different way, because winning a European title is really important." The former Sporting Lisbon boss was keen to stress that Champions League revenue is not pivotal to United's future due to the size and pulling power of the club. But football finance expert Kieran Maguire believes it is, in monetary terms, "the most important match in the club's history". The huge cash windfall from various revenue streams would be a major boost for United, who are struggling to balance the books, providing vital funds for a squad rebuild. Postecoglou exit? The Portuguese manager's job appears safe whatever the result, even though United are destined for their worst league finish for half a century. But many observers believe Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou, 59, is heading for the exit door regardless of whether he ends the club's 17-year trophy drought. "I've said to the lads from day one, nothing is guaranteed in life, nothing is guaranteed in sport," said the former Australia and Celtic coach. "You've just got to try and make sure you take every opportunity before you and that's what I've done my whole career." Postecoglou, in his second season at Spurs, feels he has unfinished business in London and believes winning the Europa League could be a "turning point" for the club. "Until you actually do it, then you're fair game for people to say, 'Well, you've always kind of fluffed it on the big stage'," he said earlier this month. Tottenham, who have not won silverware since the 2008 League Cup, have won the Europa League twice, in its former guise as the UEFA Cup, but not since 1984. The game itself - the sixth all-English final in European football history - is too close to call. Spurs have beaten United three times this season - twice in the Premier League and once in the League Cup. But three-time European champions United, chasing a first European triumph since the 2016/17 Europa League, have recent trophy-winning pedigree, picking up the League Cup and the FA Cup under former manager Erik ten Hag over the past two seasons. The only league matches either club have won since February 2 have been against sides who are heading down to the Championship, or each other. Yet they have found a way to keep winning in the Europa League. United, the only side unbeaten in continental competition this season, reached the final with a 7-1 aggregate win over Athletic Bilbao, denying the Spanish side a fairytale final in their own stadium. Tottenham waltzed past Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt 5-1 on aggregate. United boast the standout player in captain Bruno Fernandes and the trophy-winning nous of Casemiro, who won five Champions League titles with Real Madrid. Postecoglou confirmed on Tuesday that midfielder Lucas Bergvall would not be fit to face United. James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are also out. AFP
RNZ News
28-04-2025
- Climate
- RNZ News
Massive power blackout hits Spain and Portugal
Drivers wait outside their cars in a massive traffic jam in downtown Madrid as subway and trains are totally out of service due to a massive power outage in Spain. Photo: AFP / Thomas Coex Power went out across Spain and Portugal on Monday, cutting train, cell phone and internet networks, clogging roads and trapping people in elevators before electricity started to return to some areas hours later. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said after an emergency government meeting on the situation, "we have no conclusive information about the reasons for this outage". He said no hypothesis could be ruled out, warning the public "not to speculate" because of the risk of "misinformation". "People were stunned, because this had never happened in Spain," said Carlos Candori, a 19-year-old construction worker who had to exit the paralysed metro system in Madrid. "There's no (phone) coverage, I can't call my family, my parents, nothing: I can't even go to work," he told AFP. In Madrid and elsewhere, customers rushed to withdraw cash from banks, and streets filled with crowds trying in vain to get a signal on their mobiles. Long lines formed for taxis and buses. Some people were trapped in elevators or inside garages. As a precaution, play was cancelled at the Madrid Open tennis tournament for the rest of the day. With stop lights knocked out, police tried to direct traffic on roads that became densely congested. Authorities urged motorists to stay off the roads, but communication channels were limited. Spain's railway operator Adif said trains were halted across the country. Spain's nuclear power plants also automatically went offline as a safety precaution, with diesel generators maintaining them in a "safe condition", the Spanish Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) said in a statement. Sanchez said the blackout, which hit at 12.30 pm (1030 GMT), had caused "serious disruption" for millions and "economic losses in businesses, in companies, in industries". But he said grid technicians were working to resolve "the problem as soon as possible", adding that some parts of northern and southern Spain were already able to get power thanks to interconnections from France and Morocco. Sanchez urged people in Spain to limit the use of their mobile phones to avoid overburdening the network, saying "telecommunications are in a critical moment now". Passengers stand next to a stopped high-speed AVE train near Cordoba on April 28, 2025, during a massive power cut affecting the entire Iberian peninsula and the south of France. Photo: AFP / Javier Soriano The European Commission said it was in contact with Spain and Portugal over the situation, while European Council President Antonio Costa said on X: "There are no indications of any cyberattack". The head of operations for Spain's grid operator Red Electrica, Eduardo Prieto, said that repairs were being carried out, but that it would take six to 10 hours to restore power to the country, "if all goes well". Portugal's REN operator said the entire Iberian peninsula was affected -- 48 million people in Spain and 10.5 million in Portugal. The huge power cut disrupted flights to and from Madrid, Barcelona and Lisbon, European air traffic organisation Eurocontrol said, adding it was too early to say how many would be affected. Southwest France was also briefly affected, but power there was quickly restored, said France's high-voltage grid operator, RTE. Transport chaos also gripped Spain's second city, Barcelona, where locals and tourists alike flooded the streets in an attempt to find out what had happened. Student Laia Montserrat had to leave her school when the lights went out. "As the internet wasn't coming back, they told us to go home... (but) there weren't trains either," she told AFP. "Now we don't know what to do." Images posted on social media showed metro stations in Madrid plunged into darkness, with trains halted, and people in offices and hallways using the light on their phones to see. The internet activity monitoring site Netblocks told AFP the blackout caused a "loss of much of the country's digital infrastructure". It said web connections plunged to just 17 percent of normal usage. Spain's El Pais newspaper reported that hospitals used back-up generators to keep critical wards going, but some other units were left without power. Massive blackouts have affected other countries around the world in recent years. Huge outages struck Tunisia in September 2023, Sri Lanka in August 2020, and Argentina and Uruguay in June 2019. In July 2012, India experienced a vast blackout. In Europe, in November 2006, 10 million people were left without power for an hour in France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy and Spain. That was caused by a failure in Germany's grid. - AFP
Scotsman
28-04-2025
- Climate
- Scotsman
Spain power cut: Which parts of the country are affected? What flights and services are affected?
Phone lines, airports and ATMs have been among the services hit by the blackout in Spain and Portugal Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A major power cut hit Spain and Portugal on Monday, including their capitals, knocking out subway networks, phone lines, traffic lights and ATMs. The head of Spain's electricity network had predicted it could take between six and ten hours for power to be fully restored. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Here is what The Scotsman knows about the widespread blackouts. Where are the Spain power outage affected? Spanish generator Red Electrica said the incident had affected the Iberian peninsula and was being assessed. People wait outside the Atocha train station in Madrid after its closure as a massive power outage hits Spain. Picture: Thomas Coex/AFP via Getty Images | AFP via Getty Images Spain's public broadcaster, RTVE, said a major power outage hit several regions of the country just after midday local time, leaving its newsroom, Spain's parliament in Madrid and subway stations across the country in the dark. A graph on Spain's electricity network website showing demand across the country indicated a steep drop at around 12.15pm from 27,500MW to near 15,000MW. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In Portugal, a country of some 10.6 million people, the outage hit the capital Lisbon and surrounding areas, as well as northern and southern parts of the country. Portugal's government said the incident appeared to stem from problems outside the country, an official told national news agency Lusa. E-Redes said parts of France also were affected. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad What is the cause of the power cut? Portuguese distributor E-Redes said the outage was due to 'a problem with the European electricity system', according to Portuguese newspaper Expresso. The company said it was compelled to cut power in specific areas to stabilise the network, according to Expresso. Portugal's grid operator REN said 'extreme temperature variations' had produced a 'rare atmospheric phenomenon' that caused the cuts. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad What services have been affected? Video shown on Spanish television showed people evacuating metro stations in Madrid, and empty stations with trains stopped in Barcelona. People leave the Atocha train station in Madrid after its closure as a massive power outage hits Spain. Picture: Thomas Coex/AFP via Getty Images | AFP via Getty Images Spain's traffic department asked citizens to avoid using their cars as much as possible due to the power outage, which affected traffic lights and electric road signs. A range of other transport services have been impacted, including airports, with flights grounded Whole cities have been left without electricity or the internet, as well as other vital services, including ATMs, being down. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad There have been reports of people driving to try and find open petrol stations and of teachers at schools trying to work with pupils in the dark. Portuguese police placed more officers on duty to direct traffic and cope with increased requests for help, including from people trapped in lifts. Portuguese hospitals and other emergency services switched to generators. Portugal's National Authority for Emergencies and Civil Protection said back-up power systems were operating. Several Lisbon subway cars were evacuated, reports said. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Also in Portugal, courts stopped work and ATMs and electronic payment systems were affected. Traffic lights in Lisbon stopped working. Employees stand inside a supermarket without lights in Burgos. Picture: Cesar Manso/AFP via Getty Images | AFP via Getty Images It was not possible to make calls on mobile phone networks, though some apps were working. What if I have a flight to or from Spain or Portugal? Aena, the operator for a host of Spanish airports, has issued a statement, confirming terminals under its network were "operational with back-up electrical systems". But the airport operator has suggested there may be delays when flying out of airports in Spain, given problems with crew and passengers getting to airports. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A swathe of departures from UK airports to Spain and Portugal were expected to face disruption. There were a total of 399 scheduled departures from British airports to Spanish destinations on Monday, including a host from major Scottish airports, including Edinburgh and Glasgow. Ryanair flight FR189 from Edinburgh to Madrid was among flights affected, with the service delayed by one hour and 20 minutes before departing. However, many other flights remained on schedule. Are power cuts common? Such a widespread outage is rare. The Portuguese Cabinet convened an emergency meeting at the prime minister's residence, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visited Red Electrica to follow efforts to restore power to the grid.
