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Reuters
17 minutes ago
- Reuters
Spain's Bonmati keen to add Euro crown to glittering medal haul
LAUSANNE, Switzerland July 25 (Reuters) - Aitana Bonmati is hoping to add another piece of silverware to her bulging trophy cabinet when Spain play their first Women's Euro final, taking on holders England in Basel on Sunday. The 27-year-old playmaker has won six league titles and three Champions League crowns with Barcelona and taken home the Ballon d-Or Feminin in 2023 and 2024, as well as a World Cup and Nations League title with Spain. "It would close the circle a little bit -- this, together with the Olympic Games," she told reporters at the team's base in Lausanne on Friday. "We want to add the only tournaments that we are missing. For me personally, it would be very nice in the future to have the memory of having won the great tournaments at the highest level in football." Spain's best finish to date in the Euros came in 1997 when they came third, and their only appearance in the Olympic tournament led to an agonising fourth-place finish at the Paris Games in 2024, where they lost the bronze-medal match to Germany. Sunday's final -- a repeat of the 2023 World Cup final -- promises to be a tight affair, with six of the last seven games between the two sides decided by a single goal and the seventh a scoreless draw. "The game on Sunday is unique, very one-on-one, where things are decided by the smallest margins. Anything can happen, no matter how experienced or knowledgeable you are," Bonmati explained. "They have it too, they have lived through many finals. It is going to be a very equal match in that respect." Bonmati and her teammates are very conscious of where the game will be won and lost. "When we talk about our game, we talk about a possession game, and we, in the vast majority of games, have had possession. So if we don't have it, something bad will happen, so I hope we have it more than England," she said.
The Sun
17 minutes ago
- The Sun
Marcus Rashford back with ex-fiancee Lucia Loi two years after split as childhood sweetheart joins him in Barcelona
MARCUS Rashford has rekindled his relationship with former fiancée Lucia Loi — and she was with him when he signed for FC Barcelona, The Sun can reveal. The Three Lions ace, 27, and childhood sweetheart Lucia, 26, were together during a photoshoot before he was unveiled as the Catalan giants' latest signing at the Camp Nou stadium. 7 7 7 She took his photo, then moved behind him to take another and seemingly checked his shirt before the Man United exile posed beside a traditional red British phone box. Rashford was later seen emerging from the kiosk in a post on FC Barcelona's social media, captioned: 'Hello? Barca? For sure, I'm coming.' The striker has signed a year-long deal with Barcelona, who have an option to buy him next summer for around £26million. Old Trafford boss Ruben Amorim has made it clear he will not play for United while he is in charge. Rashford has been given the No14 shirt previously worn by big names including Johan Cruyff, Thierry Henry and Ronald Koeman. The Sun understands that Rashford has asked calming influence Lucia, who works in PR, to help him settle in to life in Spain so he can focus on his football. But they were not seen together until they were unwittingly snapped preparing for his phone box stunt. A source said the pair have stayed close, despite their 2022 engagement fizzling out, and have grown close again of late. They added: 'Marcus knows that some of the best moments in his career have occurred when Lucia has been at his side. 'They got together when they were very young and have had ups and downs, but a friendship has always remained. Barcelona announce loan signing of Man Utd forward Marcus Rashford 'He knows that she is good for him and she is one of the few people in the world he knows has got his best interests at heart. She is very sensible and helps keep him grounded.' Rashford said of his move: 'I'm very excited. It's a club where dreams come true. 'It feels like I'm at home and it's a big factor in my choice to come here. It's a family club and people are comfortable here.' Rashford, who flew out yesterday with his new teammates for his new club's Far East pre-season tour, and Lucia have been friends for at least a decade. They met at Ashton on Mersey School in Manchester where both were pupils. He was sent there as a teenage United academy player. They were dating when he made his first team debut in February 2016 in a UEFA Europa League match against FC Midtjylland. 7 7 He scored twice in the 5-1 victory at Old Trafford. They split in 2021 after Covid put a strain on their relationship but reconciled the following year. In February 2022, they were seen at the world premiere of Amazon Prime documentary 'Rooney' at HOME cinema in Manchester. Three months later, he proposed to Lucia after a romantic meal at celebrity restaurant Catch LA in West Hollywood, California. He got down on one knee and handed her a £250,000 engagement ring, posting a picture on Instagram of them kissing. Behind them was a large heart made from white flowers. Beneath the picture was the date and a love heart emoji. Lucia, who graduated with first class honours in Advertising and Brand Management, was a regular in the stands at Old Trafford. But in June 2023, sources said Rashford and the former Manchester Metropolitan University student had split after he was seen with a model outside a hotel in Miami. 7 She was later identified as personal trainer Courtney Caldwell. In November 2023, Rashford and Lucia were seen having dinner at a restaurant in Manchester. He was briefly linked to model and former Love Island contestant Grace Jackson last year, but the relationship ended in December. Back in Spain, meanwhile, Rashford is expected to be on 15 per cent less than the £315,000-a-week he was paid at Man United. He spent the second half of last season at Aston Villa after Amorim made it plain he would not be part of his plans for United's future. Barcelona almost signed Rashford in January, a move the star said he wanted to go through. After the deal was finally signed on Wednesday, club president Joan Laporta said: 'We are very happy because a player of great quality is coming, at a great age. 'We have him as strong as a rock. He came in very motivated.'
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Pirlo named boss of second-tier UAE club United FC
Italy legend Andrea Pirlo has been appointed manager of Dubai-based United will be the 46-year-old's fourth club in five years since he took charge of Juventus in won the Coppa Italia and Italian Super Cup after replacing Maurizio Sarri in Turin, but was sacked by Juve at the end of the season after they finished fourth in Serie also lasted less than a year at Turkish side Fatih Karagumruk and had 14 months with Sampdoria before departing in August FC, also known as Dubai United, compete in the second tier of football in the United Arab Emirates, below the has reportedly signed a two-year contract with the club who said: "Pirlo brings with him a unique footballing vision and valuable coaching experience. "His arrival marks an exciting new chapter for United FC and reflects the club's growing ambition in the UAE football landscape."As a player, Pirlo won major trophies with AC Milan and Juventus and lifted the 2006 World Cup with Italy, before the midfielder retired in 2017 after a spell with New York City.
