PHOTO GALLERY: Los Angeles FC lost to Esperance, Bayern Munich beat Boca Juniors at World Cup
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al-Ahram Weekly
17 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Girelli claims Italy's 'time has come' ahead of England Euros showdown - World
Cristiana Girelli is having the best tournament of her life at the age of 35, with the Italy striker now preparing to lead the line for the Azzurre in their semi-final with England at Women's Euro 2025. Her two goals, including a last-gasp winner, sent Italy past Norway and through to the last four of a Euros for the first time since 1997, with the Lionesses up next in Geneva on Tuesday. And the veteran of 122 caps, whose three goals at the Euros have taken her international tally to 61, says Italy's performances in Switzerland show they are capable of competing with the best. Girelli told AFP on Saturday this would be her last Euros, but added she was undecided whether to hang around for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. Nonetheless, the veteran shared she is relishing in Italy's run to the semis. "Obviously they (the goals) were important because they won us the match, but I don't really like talking about my own performances, I really believe that we all put in a really good display," said Girelli, speaking to AFP at Italy's training camp near Lucerne. "Before the match we all said that the time had come to not just win but also to show what we've been capable of doing in the last two-and-a-half years, which we didn't really do in our early matches at the Euros. "I'm really pleased that beyond the result there was a proper performance against a team which, let's not forget, is really good." Italy qualified from tough Group B behind world champions Spain after coming into the tournament as potential dark horses, and Girelli is convinced that she and her teammates can give England a bloody nose. "They're the reigning champions and we have a great respect for them because they've got players who can change the game when they want to," Girelli said. "But we've got this far and we want to keep believing, we don't want to stop here, we don't want to settle for what we already have... we have to believe." 'Courage' Italy rose to prominence after years in the doldrums at the 2019 World Cup when, led by now-retired icon Sara Gama, the Azzurre reached the quarter-finals. "We have a lot of faith that we can get a result against any team," said Girelli. "He (Soncin) always tells us to play with courage and to play football because we have the quality to do so, and both the results and performances at the moment show that." Development of women's football in Italy has lagged behind traditional rivals in the men's game England, Spain, Germany and France, but Girelli is hoping their results this summer can lead to renewed interest. Women's Serie A turned professional in 2022 and no Italian team has ever gone any further than the quarter-finals in the modern Champions League. During the 2023/24 season, clubs in Italy's 10-team top division averaged over a million euros ($1.2 million) turnover, a 48 percent increase on the previous campaign, while interest has increased from television viewers with the championship broadcast on streaming service DAZN. "We're a bit behind because since the 2019 World Cup the results haven't come and as a result what we created after the World Cup wasn't built on," said Girelli. "I hope now that with these results we can really do more because what we're seeing in Switzerland is, maybe not unexpected, but something that makes me very proud. "To see full stadiums, passionate fans and this brilliant atmosphere that we can all feel makes me realise that if you can do something you can also repeat it. So, I hope that is just the beginning of something good and that it can also happen in Italy." (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.) Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Al-Ahram Weekly
2 days ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Michel Platini scares off burglar at his French villa - World
Football legend Michel Platini disturbed a burglar at his villa in the south of France on Friday, a source close to the police investigation told AFP. Platini, 70, heard a noise in the garden of the property in Cassis early in the morning and came face to face with a man in a black mask, who fled with several trophies and medals, the source said. Platini played 72 times for France and won the Ballon d'Or award for the world's top player three years in a row from 1983 to 1985. He led France to the semi-finals of the 1982 and 1986 World Cup. He was UEFA president from 2007 to 2016 and later became embroiled in a financial scandal involving then-FIFA president Sepp Blatter, but was acquitted in March this year. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.) Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Al-Ahram Weekly
2 days ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Wrexham chief wants playoff push after promotion to Championship - World
The Hollywood fairytale that is Wrexham AFC is only just beginning, the club's chief executive said Friday as the Welsh side continued its unlikely quest to crack the English Premier League. Since Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney purchased the Welsh club in 2020, Wrexham have become the first team to earn three successive promotions from England's national league to the second-tier Championship. Wrexham will on August 9 play relegated former Premier League club Southampton in their Championship opener, a prospect club chief executive Michael Williamson described as a "pinch yourself" moment. Williamson, speaking in Wellington during the club's preseason tour to Australia and New Zealand, said success was more than simply making up the numbers. "The expectation is, and Rob McElhenney will say that he doesn't know what this word is, but obviously we need to consolidate our position in the Championship," Williamson told AFP. "If we are able to find ourselves halfway through the season, in December, in that 3-4-5-6-7 position, people should be worried about us. "Because I believe if we make the playoffs with the type of mentality that we have, anything can happen in 90 minutes. "I really would give ourselves a strong shot of giving it a run." The Welsh minnows languished for years in the lower tiers of English football before being purchased by Reynolds and McElhenney, and shooting to fame through the "Welcome to Wrexham" documentary. They return to the Championship -- one step below the Premier League -- for the first time in more than 40 years. The fighting words were echoed by former Wrexham player-turned-club ambassador, Ben Tozer, who was also in New Zealand for the tour. "It's a massive challenge, don't get me wrong," Tozer said. "But the momentum of our club, four years of pure success and heading in the right direction, winning a lot more games than losing. We could surprise some people." - The right people - Fellow club ambassador, former Wrexham and Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster, said the club had set itself apart by recruiting the right people. "If you look at it in the cold light of day, the stark reality is that money is going to start playing a massive role now," Foster told AFP. "When you've got players and clubs that have just been relegated from the Premier League, they're on big wages and they're big players and they're worth big money because they are of a calibre of player. "But I'd like to think Wrexham can do it in a slightly different way where we identify the people, and the team is more important than the individuals." Foster lauded a "no dickheads" policy at the club, which meant players and staff were working towards a common goal. Chief executive Williamson said that policy started in the dressing room and was led by manager Phil Parkinson. Over the past year, Wrexham's staff numbers had grown by more than 60, to about 105. "I would say most of the 60 or so employees that have been hired, I've personally interviewed at some point," Williamson said. "For me it was important to bring in, especially on the senior leadership side, people who understood what Wrexham is and what we're actually doing here. We're not just another football club. "There are people who had incredible CVs, experience. You look at them and say, wow. You think that they would be incredible for for Wrexham. "And then you go through the interview process and realise that they're not really understanding what Wrexham is as a town, as a community, as a club. "That's something that took a lot of effort. We're trying to create a culture within the club." Wrexham will return to Wales on Sunday, after playing Wellington Phoenix in New Zealand on Saturday evening. Parkinson confirmed the club was close to signing New Zealand international left back Liberato Cacace -- a former Wellington Phoenix junior player -- from Italian club Empoli. Cacace's father, Antonio, owns an Italian restaurant in Wellington where Parkinson planned to drop in for a glass of wine before leaving the city on Sunday. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.) Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
