Sports
Gareth Southgate sets England bar high with latest demand during team meeting | Football | Sport
Gareth Southgate has told his England squad to set their sights no lower than Euros glory next summer. The Three Lions boss set the bar high in the first squad meeting when met up at St George’s Park this week, insisting more glorious failure was not an option.
And he has demanded they show they mean business against Ukraine in Poland on Saturday and again in the super-charged friendly against Scotland in Glasgow three days later.
England have hit the bar at two World Cups and the last Euros losing to Italy in the final on penalties. But Southgate demanded the change of mindset from his players this week according to defender Lewis Dunk, who is returning to the squad after a five-year break.
“We had a meeting the other day and he’s talking about winning the Euros and the whole squad is thinking about winning the Euros,” said Dunk. “That’s the big change in mentality. It’s not ‘How far can we get in a tournament.’ It’s winning a tournament. So that is probably the biggest change I’ve seen coming back.
“Being around these top players. I can see why he is saying that and why England can win. We’ve got a real good squad together and a real good chance. You can see over the past tournaments, the progress there has been.”
Dunk added: “I’ve been watching from home and seeing the progress, it’s been incredible. It’s progress that has kept going and now I think it’s got to hopefully be time when one of these days we do win one.”
Earlier this year Paul Merson explained why he felt England would win a major tournament under the stewardship of Southgate.
He told Sky Sports: “I don’t get why people keep saying this could be it for Gareth Southgate. I never expected us to win a tournament in my lifetime. Now, I expect us to win every tournament we go to, so Southgate is doing something right.
“You really do have to be careful what you wish for. These players like Gareth and you can see they do. There’s a great team spirit in the camp and the players enjoy being there.
“Be careful, that’s all I’d say. If you start listening to people and get rid of Gareth with a new manager coming in like a Fabio Capello. I didn’t hear too many people waxing lyrical about Capello when he was England manager and taking away tomato sauce from the players.
“You can see the harmony between the players and the manager in the England camp. I don’t get it when people say this could be Southgate’s last tournament.
“We are turning up to the Euros and we have every chance of winning the tournament. We had every chance of winning the World Cup, every chance of winning the last Euros and every chance of winning the World Cup before that.”
Sports
FIFA chiefs stage Gianni Infantino protest with mass walk-out after Saudi Arabia furore | Football | Sport
Senior FIFA figures staged a walk-out in protest over Gianni Infantino’s late arrival at their latest congress in Asuncion, Paraguay. The controversial FIFA president had been forced to apologise after delaying the high-profile meeting several times due to joining Donald Trump’s tour of Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Infantino made a late decision to join U.S. President Trump’s delegation in the Middle East. The meeting of the FIFA Council had already been delayed to Thursday and changed to a virtual event, having initially been scheduled to take place in person on Tuesday. Infantino had been present for meetings between President Trump and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and the Qatari Emir Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani.
While Infantino was touring with the 78-year-old, representatives from worldwide football associations were holding meetings in his absence in Asuncion. Frustration with his decision to travel to Saudi Arabia and Qatar is said to have boiled over.
In a further delay, Thursday’s meeting was moved back to 12:30pm after Infantino’s flight was held up. Reports this evening suggested that European delegates would walk out during the break after Infantino’s speech to show their displeasure over the situation. However, several members of the FIFA Council ended up leaving as part of the protest.
Among those reported by The Times to have walked out are FA chairwoman Debbie Hewitt and UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin. Several senior members of the congress made their displeasure known as Infantino spoke.
After finally arriving at the FIFA congress, Infantino said: “As president of FIFA, my responsibility is to make decisions in the interests of the organisation. I decided to be the last two days in the Middle East knowing the 2034 World Cup will be in Saudi Arabia and the World Cup in 2022 was in Qatar.
“The ‘25 Club World Cup and ‘26 World Cup will be in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. Some important discussions took place in regard to the World Cup, and I felt that I needed to be there to represent football and all of you.
“We had an issue with our flight, which made this delay happen. Apologies. Sorry, and I am looking forward to spending time with you here.”
Infantino has been FIFA president since 2016 but his management of the global football governing body has split opinion in recent years. He has previously defended his close alliance with President Trump as “critical” due to the USA’s joint-hosting of the 2026 World Cup.
Sports
Golf LIVE: Rory McIlroy buries rivals at PGA Championship as fourth big player withdraws | Golf | Sport
No doubting the star attraction today with Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele off together on the 10th at 1.22pm.
Selected groups:
12pm: Luke Donald (Eng), Padraig Harrington (Ire), Martin Kaymer (Ger).
6:03pm: Tyrrell Hatton (Eng), Adam Scott (Aus), Will Zalatoris (US).
6:14pm: Dustin Johnson (US), Collin Morikawa (US), Justin Thomas (US).
6.25pm: Ludvig Aaberg (Swe), Patrick Reed (US), Jordan Spieth (US).
6:47pm: Bryson DeChambeau (US), Viktor Hovland (Nor), Gary Woodland (US).
7:09pm: Brian Harman (US), Justin Rose (Eng), Cameron Smith (Aus)
Starting at Hole 10:
12:38pm: Rickie Fowler (US), Brooks Koepka (US), Shane Lowry (Ire).
12:49pm: Jason Day (Aus), Tommy Fleetwood (Eng), Phil Mickelson (US).
1pm: Patrick Cantlay (US), Matthew Fitzpatrick (Eng), Jon Rahm (Spa).
1:22pm: Rory McIlroy (NI), Xander Schauffele (US), Scottie Scheffler (US)
Coco Gauff has apologised to her doubles partner at the Italian Open for her standard of play during their matches.
Gauff and Alexandra Eala lost in the quarter-finals to home duo Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani, but had won two matches to make it that far.
The American felt that she was to blame for their disappointment, pointing out that Eala saved them from an earlier exit.
“And in our match yesterday, she definitely got MVP for that,” Gauff said. “I was just kind of there. So, I told her sometimes I forget how to play because sometimes it’s been a while. It’s just one of those things.
“You know how they say, you don’t forget how to ride a bike, doubles you definitely forget how to play.
“I told her I’m like a deer on ice at the net, that’s what I feel like. Many times I’ve apologised to her, but she’s quick, she’s fast, so she’s there to cover me.”
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