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The Irish Sun
24-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
‘We suffered together' – Katie McCabe emotionally reflects on her football journey as Arsenal win Champions League
IRELAND Skipper Katie McCabe was visibly emotional after the Gunners won the UEFE Women's Champions League. 2 Katie McCabe of Arsenal celebrates with the UEFA Women's Champions League trophy as the Gunners shocked Barcelona 2 The Ireland skipper accidentally dropped an expletive before emotionally reflecting on her Arsenal career The The And speaking after the game, the Tallaght star accidentally dropped a f-bomb before hailing the read more on football "Barcelona threw absolutely everything at us, and we f*cking - sorry!" "When I first came to the club I was a young naive kid that came over from Dublin and Fara (Williams), (Emma Mitchell) and Emma Byrne took me under their wing right from the very start. "They taught me what it meant to be a professional footballer and play for Arsenal and wear the here I am. "It's just an unbelievable feeling. I'm a Champions League winner, we all are. Most read in Football "To give that to our fans today, they've been unbelievable and with us for every kick of the game." The Dubliner has been with the club since 2015, and has now claimed six major honours. In the game itself, She entered the fray along The duo did not disappoint with Blackstenius pouncing on Mead's classy reverse pass to drill low a shot beyond keeper Cata Coll six minutes later. The striker, who bagged Arsenal's winner in the Women's League Cup, was mobbed by her team-mates with Barca's players looking stunned to go behind. The Gunners also had a goal chalked off in a tense encounter which they were jeered by a largely partisan crowd of 38,356 onlookers. Despite the jeers of Barca's fans, with just 5,000 Gunners supporters present, Slegers capped Arsenal's renaissance by guiding the team to football's top club prize.
Scottish Sun
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Arsenal 1 Barcelona 0: Blackstenius climbs off bench to win Gunners first Women's Champions League in 18 years
Arsenal legends were watching on from the stands GUNNERS GLORY Arsenal 1 Barcelona 0: Blackstenius climbs off bench to win Gunners first Women's Champions League in 18 years Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) STINA BLACKSTENIUS stunned Barcelona by firing Arsenal to Champions League glory wrecking the Catalan giants hopes of a European three-peat. The Sweden ace, who has a knack for netting tournament-winning goals, bagged one that saw the Gunners win the contest for the first time in 18 years. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 9 Stina Blackstenius scored the winning goal as Arsenal won the Women's Champions League Credit: AFP 9 Arsenal returned to European glory for the first time in almost 20 years Credit: AP 9 The Gunners were massive underdogs heading into the final Credit: PA 9 Emotional scenes at full-time showed how much it meant to the Arsenal fans Credit: AP With Arsenal under the cosh the Sweden striker was called into action by boss Renee Slegers, along with Beth Mead in the 69th minute at the home of Sporting Lisbon in Portugal. The duo did not disappoint with Blackstenius pouncing on Mead's classy reverse pass to drill low a shot beyond keeper Cata Coll six minutes later. The striker, who bagged Arsenal's winner in the Women's League Cup, was mobbed by her team-mates with Barca's players looking stunned to go behind. The Gunners also had a goal chalked off in a tense encounter which they were jeered by a largely partisan crowd of 38,356 onlookers. READ MORE IN SPORT LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN Major football tournament to be shown on Disney+ in five-year deal Despite the jeers of Barca's fans, with just 5,000 Gunners supporters present, Slegers capped Arsenal's renaissance by guiding the team to football's top club prize. Respect and belief were the buzzwords around her camp as time drew near to the team's biggest European game in 18 years. It was almost two decades ago (2007) that Arsenal claimed a Champions League trophy for the first time. Gunners legend Ian Wright, watching from the stands, had urged Slegers side to embrace the moment. 9 Ian Wright watched on from the stands Credit: PA 9 Arsenal chairman Josh Kroenke was seen chatting to Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin Credit: PA 9 Arsenal legend Alex Scott watched alongside partner Jess Glynn Credit: PA CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS For periods of the game they certainly did with some of Arsenal's top brass watch from the stands including co-owner Josh Kroenke and managing director Richard Garlick. The queens of Spain's top-flight have pretty much demolished most of their Champions League rivals, lifting the trophy three times in the last four years. Ever since their first triumph in 2021, with Chelsea thrashed 4-0, they have been a force to be reckoned with. From the WSL this season, Manchester City were the only side able to lay a glove on Barcelona in Europe, with their tactically smart 2-0 win in the group stage. WSL champions Chelsea tried and failed to get past them conceding eight times across their two-leg semis tie. So the odds were very much against Arsenal at the home of Sporting where a large Barcelona contingent roared the holders on. After some panicky defending in their box early on, Slegers players appeared to settle into the game restricting the holders to just ONE first half shot on target. The Gunners thought they had taken the lead after Irene Paredes poked home an own-goal but a VAR check found Frida Maanum was offside. After Claudia Pina had a 58th minute shot blocked and Barca fired some efforts narrowly over the bar. Arsenal took the lead much to the Catalan giants dismay. And they held out to capture the trophy for the first time in almost 20 years. 9 Blackstenius found the bottom corner from inside the area to score the only goal Credit: AFP 9 Arsenal put on a defensive masterclass to stop Barcelona from scoring Credit: AFP
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How 'force to be reckoned with' Bompastor built on Hayes' legacy
An unbeaten domestic season and three trophies - Sonia Bompastor has made stepping into Emma Hayes' formidable shoes look pretty easy this season. The Frenchwoman inherited a Chelsea side who, with five successive Women's Super League titles, were used to dominating domestically under former boss Hayes. Bompastor had one job when she arrived in August 2024 - to continue winning, and she has not disappointed in her debut campaign. Aside from a crushing Champions League semi-final defeat by Barcelona, it has been a near-perfect season from the Blues, who wrapped up another WSL title and finished the league campaign without defeat. With the Women's League Cup already in the bag, they completed a domestic treble with a 3-0 victory over Manchester United in Sunday's FA Cup final. "Of course, it's never easy to follow someone like Emma who has left a tremendous legacy," Chelsea striker Catarina Macario told BBC Sport. "From a personal point of view, Emma is a character, but Sonia is also a force to be reckoned with in her own way. "She's done really well in her first season, so if this is how she is in her first season, I can't wait to see what it's going to be like next year." 'The planets aligned' - who is new Chelsea boss Bompastor? 'Moments to remember' - Bompastor savours 'special' season 'I'm already thinking about next season' - Bompastor Bompastor's predecessor Hayes won 14 major trophies before joining the US women's national team. She had positioned the club at the pinnacle of English women's football with Chelsea not only employing some of the country's best talent, but also developing a reputation for being 'mentality monsters'. Her side had grown experience and leadership, while the club had built a strong staff structure around the women's team. Those elements no doubt meant the transition for Bompastor, 44, who arrived from French giants Lyon, was a lot smoother. There were still challenges. From a personal point of view, Bompastor has four children who she had to ensure experienced seamless moves to new schools and a new country, all with a language barrier. She was under pressure to replicate Hayes' success and had to make a strong impression on supporters and players who had been used to her predecessor's management. From the first media conference, Bompastor set out her ambitions to win the Champions League - which ultimately did not come to fruition this season - and to build on the strong foundations already set by Hayes. "[Hayes] gave her life to the club. The base is really good, and she left the club in such a great position," said Bompastor in August. "But I was not expecting anything else from her. She's such a great manager and person - so it is good for me to come after her. "I have a different vision and philosophy. I'm just trying to build on that legacy and find a way to manage the players and staff. "What is really important is to come to this club, respect everything that was built before and build my own vision. I hope we will be successful." Bompastor did what she said by adding new signings Sandy Baltimore, Lucy Bronze and Keira Walsh to an already-impressive squad. She made goalkeeper Hannah Hampton her regular number one, successfully integrated young midfielder Wieke Kaptein and played a role in persuading United States defender Naomi Girma to join for a world-record fee in January. As well as setting a club-record WSL points tally of 60 this season, Bompastor could guide Chelsea to their most successful trophy haul since they won the domestic treble in 2020-21. Bompastor, who won the Champions League as a player and manager with Lyon, describes herself as a "simple person" - she does not drink alcohol, does not celebrate much and she enjoys spending time with family. But she is a perfectionist who loves to win. After beating Crystal Palace 4-0 in the WSL, Bompastor criticised her players for not being "ruthless" enough, while she said before the final league game of the season that she was "striving for perfection" in the hope of finishing the campaign unbeaten. She was not only keen to deliver on the pitch, but off it, and regularly watches other WSL managers' press conferences to improve her English so she can communicate better with the media. In training, she emphasises the importance of accuracy, constantly pushing her players to be confident on the ball and to take ownership of possession. "She expects us all to just give our all in everything, if we're doing passing patterns in training or just being ruthless about certain things," added Macario. "She wants us to be ruthless in every single way, even if it's just a small game between ourselves. She strives for perfection in everything. "Unfortunately, perfection cannot be achieved every time!" Macario jokes that Bompastor can be "a terrible loser" and there have been moments where her composed demeanour has cracked. In April, when Chelsea were drawing 0-0 with Manchester United and under pressure, Bompastor kicked a bottle of water into the hoardings to unleash her frustration before Bronze's winner eventually confirmed them as champions. The Champions League exit is clearly still on her mind, referencing it when asked about the success they have achieved this season. It remains the glaring omission from Chelsea's trophy cabinet and the one Bompastor was hired to try to win. Macario says the manager's mentality keeps her team-mates sharp and they can "never take their foot off the gas". "It's very fair to share frustrations. We did not play or impose ourselves the way we wanted to against Barcelona," said Macario. "Of course, she's very right to be frustrated, upset and expect more from us. And so do we. "It's just knowing we have to work even harder to meet that criteria and meet those expectations. "We can never be satisfied with just winning a specific game or the domestic league." Macario says one word to describe Chelsea is: "successful". That is something that has been built over several years in England but Bompastor's vision is to lead Chelsea to European glory. There were glimpses of how she wants to do it in the way they played this year with more possession-based football and utilising attacking wing-backs effectively. Their style is less direct than it was under Hayes and though Bompastor believes there is a lot of work to do, Macario says the team are learning to adapt. "Sonia puts a heavy emphasis on pride in keeping the ball and for us to be technical," said Macario. "She wants us to be accurate in our passing - whether that's to the right foot or with the right weight. It's something we hear constantly, every single day! "We are definitely trying to get better at it. When we do have pressure, we know we can get out of it by doing certain things. It will take some adapting to." But early signs are promising. Liverpool interim manager Amber Whiteley said Bompastor had taken Chelsea to "another level" before they faced each other in the final game of the season. And Manchester United boss Marc Skinner said the Frenchwoman had "added her own subtleties and details" to the "team of winners" she inherited from Hayes. For Bompastor, the future ambitions are clear - to do all it takes to win the Champions League. Head here to get involved Get the latest WSL news on our dedicated page
Metro
18-05-2025
- Business
- Metro
Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohahian makes mammoth Chelsea prediction
Alexis Ohanian believes Women's FA Cup winners Chelsea can become the best team in the world and a 'billion dollar franchise' after investing in the club. Chelsea beat Manchester United 3-0 at Wembley on Sunday afternoon to complete the domestic treble after already winning the Women's Super League and Women's League Cup, ending the domestic campaign undefeated. Goals from Sandy Baltimore either side of a Catarina Macario strike gave Sonia Bompastor's side a resounding victory and completed an immense season. The future looks extremely bright as well, with Ohanian investing around £20m in the club this week, which bought him a reported 10 per cent stake. The Reddit founder, and husband to tennis legend Serena Williams, watched on at Wembley as Chelsea did the business against Manchester United and he certainly has high hopes for his new investment. Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro's Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we'll send you so we can get football news tailored to you. Speaking to the BBC, Ohanian said: 'Chelsea is very unique. These are the queens of global soccer and they've got the trophy case to prove it. I feel so humbled. This is a very special club. 'The sky is the limit. You heard our president say this club is unapologetically ambitious – I want to get that tattooed on me. 'That is what we're trying to build here. Not just to be the best team, but the best team in the world and at the forefront of women's sport. 'This will be a billion dollar franchise one day and I hope my dollars, my pounds, can go towards that and especially back home in America, this is going to be America's team.' Writing on X earlier this week, Ohanian posted: 'I've bet big on women's sports before – and I'm doing it again. I'm proud to announce that I'm joining Chelsea FCW as an investor and board member. 'I'm honoured for the chance to help this iconic club become America's favourite Barclays WSL team and much, much more.' Bompastor has enjoyed a stunning first season in charge of Chelsea, admirably filling the shoes of club legend Emma Hayes who left last year. More Trending 'The players really deserve [to celebrate]. We still have one week to practice but we need to enjoy this,' said the Frenchwoman. 'To achieve a treble in England, it's difficult to find the right words to describe that. 'It means a lot. I always say I want to make sure in every club I am manager that we have good values, the right values, and I want my players to really enjoy it. 'We worked hard all through the season. It was not easy and to achieve that, it will be part of history.' MORE: What Arsenal, Chelsea and Man City need to qualify for the Champions League MORE: Chelsea consider two players 'untouchable' ahead of summer transfer window MORE: Women's FA Cup final: Treble will cap remarkable season but Chelsea want to rule Europe next
The Advertiser
17-05-2025
- Health
- The Advertiser
Magpies celebrate Brain Cancer Awareness as Stapleford marks 10 years tumour free
Maitland FC women's players will wear special Brain Cancer Awareness jerseys against Adamstown on Sunday as their star forward Sophie Stapleford marks 10 years tumour free. The annual Brain Cancer Awareness game has become a cherished part of the Magpies season as they celebrate favourite daughter and star forward Sophie Stapleford's successful battle against a brain tumour. It is 10 years since Stapleford's life was turned upside down when world renowned neurosurgeon Charlie Teo told her: "You have a large aggressive brain tumour." "These words completely changed my life. Everything suddenly came to a halt, literally I had to stop everything," Stapleford told the Maitland Mercury in 2022. Doctors were able to successfully remove her brain tumour and after further treatment Stapleford returned to footballl in 2017. "The 18th of May 2015, 10 years ago I became a survivor," Stapleford recalled this week of her recovery after surgery. "There weren't many positive outcomes being spoken, you had two weeks left in you, you won't play sport again, a heart condition, a lot of every day side effects, there were a lot of hard times, the normal things became difficult. "Resilience became a must and survival was the only option. "With all of that, if you have a village of incredibly supportive, positive people lifting you up anything is possible.I am thankful for it all, I wasn't at the time but I am now. "I am so thankful for every day that I can run on to the field, I'm blessed to be out here because there were days I couldn't be," she said. Stapleford led Maitland when they entered the competition in 2021, and after a stint with the Newcastle Jets has been a mainstay of the Maitland team, leading them to the NPLW premiership last season. She said she felt humbled by the day, but appreciated the club's effort to show her how much they cared about her. It was also an opportunity to share the words from her pop's own battle with cancer that: "If you stay positive you can get through even the worst days." "I strive to promote that because unless you've been there you really don't know," she said. Stapleford said brain cancer kills more children in Australia than any other disease. "It kills more people under 40 than any other is a 22 per cent survival rate," she said. "The financial cost of brain cancer, to both patients and society is the highest of all cancers. "Brain tumours can have lasting and life altering physical, cognitive, and psychological impacts on a patients life more than any other disease. "The stats are absolutely devastating, yet it is the least funded and the least talked about." The Magpies had their first loss of the season in the Women's League Cup last weekend going down 3-2 to Charlestown Azzurri, but remain unbeaten in the premier league competition with eight wins and a draw. They are six points clear on top of the table from Azzurri, who have a game in hand, and defeated their main rival 3-0 away in round 7 in April. The other NPLW games this weekend have been postponed. Maitland FC's NPLM game against Valentine on Saturday has been postponed. It followed the wash-out of last Wednesday's round 10 catch-up fixture against Belmont Swansea. The Weston Bears home game against Charlestown Azzurri on Saturday has also been postponed. Maitland FC women's players will wear special Brain Cancer Awareness jerseys against Adamstown on Sunday as their star forward Sophie Stapleford marks 10 years tumour free. The annual Brain Cancer Awareness game has become a cherished part of the Magpies season as they celebrate favourite daughter and star forward Sophie Stapleford's successful battle against a brain tumour. It is 10 years since Stapleford's life was turned upside down when world renowned neurosurgeon Charlie Teo told her: "You have a large aggressive brain tumour." "These words completely changed my life. Everything suddenly came to a halt, literally I had to stop everything," Stapleford told the Maitland Mercury in 2022. Doctors were able to successfully remove her brain tumour and after further treatment Stapleford returned to footballl in 2017. "The 18th of May 2015, 10 years ago I became a survivor," Stapleford recalled this week of her recovery after surgery. "There weren't many positive outcomes being spoken, you had two weeks left in you, you won't play sport again, a heart condition, a lot of every day side effects, there were a lot of hard times, the normal things became difficult. "Resilience became a must and survival was the only option. "With all of that, if you have a village of incredibly supportive, positive people lifting you up anything is possible.I am thankful for it all, I wasn't at the time but I am now. "I am so thankful for every day that I can run on to the field, I'm blessed to be out here because there were days I couldn't be," she said. Stapleford led Maitland when they entered the competition in 2021, and after a stint with the Newcastle Jets has been a mainstay of the Maitland team, leading them to the NPLW premiership last season. She said she felt humbled by the day, but appreciated the club's effort to show her how much they cared about her. It was also an opportunity to share the words from her pop's own battle with cancer that: "If you stay positive you can get through even the worst days." "I strive to promote that because unless you've been there you really don't know," she said. Stapleford said brain cancer kills more children in Australia than any other disease. "It kills more people under 40 than any other is a 22 per cent survival rate," she said. "The financial cost of brain cancer, to both patients and society is the highest of all cancers. "Brain tumours can have lasting and life altering physical, cognitive, and psychological impacts on a patients life more than any other disease. "The stats are absolutely devastating, yet it is the least funded and the least talked about." The Magpies had their first loss of the season in the Women's League Cup last weekend going down 3-2 to Charlestown Azzurri, but remain unbeaten in the premier league competition with eight wins and a draw. They are six points clear on top of the table from Azzurri, who have a game in hand, and defeated their main rival 3-0 away in round 7 in April. The other NPLW games this weekend have been postponed. Maitland FC's NPLM game against Valentine on Saturday has been postponed. It followed the wash-out of last Wednesday's round 10 catch-up fixture against Belmont Swansea. The Weston Bears home game against Charlestown Azzurri on Saturday has also been postponed. Maitland FC women's players will wear special Brain Cancer Awareness jerseys against Adamstown on Sunday as their star forward Sophie Stapleford marks 10 years tumour free. The annual Brain Cancer Awareness game has become a cherished part of the Magpies season as they celebrate favourite daughter and star forward Sophie Stapleford's successful battle against a brain tumour. It is 10 years since Stapleford's life was turned upside down when world renowned neurosurgeon Charlie Teo told her: "You have a large aggressive brain tumour." "These words completely changed my life. Everything suddenly came to a halt, literally I had to stop everything," Stapleford told the Maitland Mercury in 2022. Doctors were able to successfully remove her brain tumour and after further treatment Stapleford returned to footballl in 2017. "The 18th of May 2015, 10 years ago I became a survivor," Stapleford recalled this week of her recovery after surgery. "There weren't many positive outcomes being spoken, you had two weeks left in you, you won't play sport again, a heart condition, a lot of every day side effects, there were a lot of hard times, the normal things became difficult. "Resilience became a must and survival was the only option. "With all of that, if you have a village of incredibly supportive, positive people lifting you up anything is possible.I am thankful for it all, I wasn't at the time but I am now. "I am so thankful for every day that I can run on to the field, I'm blessed to be out here because there were days I couldn't be," she said. Stapleford led Maitland when they entered the competition in 2021, and after a stint with the Newcastle Jets has been a mainstay of the Maitland team, leading them to the NPLW premiership last season. She said she felt humbled by the day, but appreciated the club's effort to show her how much they cared about her. It was also an opportunity to share the words from her pop's own battle with cancer that: "If you stay positive you can get through even the worst days." "I strive to promote that because unless you've been there you really don't know," she said. Stapleford said brain cancer kills more children in Australia than any other disease. "It kills more people under 40 than any other is a 22 per cent survival rate," she said. "The financial cost of brain cancer, to both patients and society is the highest of all cancers. "Brain tumours can have lasting and life altering physical, cognitive, and psychological impacts on a patients life more than any other disease. "The stats are absolutely devastating, yet it is the least funded and the least talked about." The Magpies had their first loss of the season in the Women's League Cup last weekend going down 3-2 to Charlestown Azzurri, but remain unbeaten in the premier league competition with eight wins and a draw. They are six points clear on top of the table from Azzurri, who have a game in hand, and defeated their main rival 3-0 away in round 7 in April. The other NPLW games this weekend have been postponed. Maitland FC's NPLM game against Valentine on Saturday has been postponed. It followed the wash-out of last Wednesday's round 10 catch-up fixture against Belmont Swansea. The Weston Bears home game against Charlestown Azzurri on Saturday has also been postponed. Maitland FC women's players will wear special Brain Cancer Awareness jerseys against Adamstown on Sunday as their star forward Sophie Stapleford marks 10 years tumour free. The annual Brain Cancer Awareness game has become a cherished part of the Magpies season as they celebrate favourite daughter and star forward Sophie Stapleford's successful battle against a brain tumour. It is 10 years since Stapleford's life was turned upside down when world renowned neurosurgeon Charlie Teo told her: "You have a large aggressive brain tumour." "These words completely changed my life. Everything suddenly came to a halt, literally I had to stop everything," Stapleford told the Maitland Mercury in 2022. Doctors were able to successfully remove her brain tumour and after further treatment Stapleford returned to footballl in 2017. "The 18th of May 2015, 10 years ago I became a survivor," Stapleford recalled this week of her recovery after surgery. "There weren't many positive outcomes being spoken, you had two weeks left in you, you won't play sport again, a heart condition, a lot of every day side effects, there were a lot of hard times, the normal things became difficult. "Resilience became a must and survival was the only option. "With all of that, if you have a village of incredibly supportive, positive people lifting you up anything is possible.I am thankful for it all, I wasn't at the time but I am now. "I am so thankful for every day that I can run on to the field, I'm blessed to be out here because there were days I couldn't be," she said. Stapleford led Maitland when they entered the competition in 2021, and after a stint with the Newcastle Jets has been a mainstay of the Maitland team, leading them to the NPLW premiership last season. She said she felt humbled by the day, but appreciated the club's effort to show her how much they cared about her. It was also an opportunity to share the words from her pop's own battle with cancer that: "If you stay positive you can get through even the worst days." "I strive to promote that because unless you've been there you really don't know," she said. Stapleford said brain cancer kills more children in Australia than any other disease. "It kills more people under 40 than any other is a 22 per cent survival rate," she said. "The financial cost of brain cancer, to both patients and society is the highest of all cancers. "Brain tumours can have lasting and life altering physical, cognitive, and psychological impacts on a patients life more than any other disease. "The stats are absolutely devastating, yet it is the least funded and the least talked about." The Magpies had their first loss of the season in the Women's League Cup last weekend going down 3-2 to Charlestown Azzurri, but remain unbeaten in the premier league competition with eight wins and a draw. They are six points clear on top of the table from Azzurri, who have a game in hand, and defeated their main rival 3-0 away in round 7 in April. The other NPLW games this weekend have been postponed. Maitland FC's NPLM game against Valentine on Saturday has been postponed. It followed the wash-out of last Wednesday's round 10 catch-up fixture against Belmont Swansea. The Weston Bears home game against Charlestown Azzurri on Saturday has also been postponed.
