Pictures: Man United trio show their true colours in classy tribute to Liverpool star Diogo Jota and brother Andre Silva
Manchester United trio of Ruben Amorim, Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot laid flowers on behalf of the club at the Anfield memorial for Liverpool star Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva.
Tragic passing of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva
Earlier this month, Jota and his brother were tragically killed in a devastating car crash in Spain.
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Since news of the accident emerged, the footballing world has been shaken to its core, sparking an outpouring of emotion that has transcended rivalries and united everyone.
During Liverpool's pre-season friendly against Preston North End on Sunday, players, staff and supporters of both teams paid tribute to Jota and his brother.
Preston skipper Ben Whitman laid a wreath in front of the Liverpool fans. The two sides then took the pitch donning black armbands before a poignant minute of silence.
Both Fernandes and Dalot were in attendance for the funerals of Jota and Silva on July 5. United granted the pair extended time away from pre-season training to help them come to terms with the loss of their compatriots.
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The two United stars, together with Jota, were part of the Portugal team that recently lifted the Nations League trophy after overcoming Spain on penalties in the final.
Amorim, Fernandes and Dalot pay tribute to Jota and his brother on behalf of United
Fernandes and Dalot were accompanied by head coach Amorim to lay a wreath on behalf of United at the Anfield memorial.
The three arrived at Anfield on Monday, dressed in all black. Alongside the wreath, they had a card that read, 'Rest in peace Diogo and Andre, with deepest condolences from everyone at Manchester United.'
In the aftermath of the tragedy, Fernandes wrote on social media, 'Friend, colleague and companion in a thousand battles.'
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'It is difficult to understand how it is possible for someone to leave so soon. May you and your brother find the peace you need to look after those you lost so soon and suddenly.'
'My condolences to your entire family.'
Dalot's message read 'Devastating… speechless… much strength to the family.'
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Yahoo
19 minutes ago
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Laia Balleste, the Spain-born player who earned a last-minute call-up… for Switzerland
Laia Balleste was at her parents' house in L'Ampolla, a town of fewer than 4,000 inhabitants in the Ebro Delta in the north-east of Spain. It was June 30 and a heatwave was sweeping across the region. It had been days since all the national teams had announced their final squads for the European Championship and her name was not on Switzerland's list. She was disappointed but had accepted it. She returned to her parents' house. To escape the heat they were sitting on the terrace — recently converted into a chill-out area — watching Wimbledon tennis matches on television. Suddenly, the phone rang. She jumped out of her chair, turned down the volume of the television and looked at her mother, who understood immediately. Her two dogs started barking while Balleste was on the phone. Her mother took them to the kitchen so they would not make any noise. As she watched Balleste talk on the phone through the kitchen window, she jumped up and down with pride while her daughter gestured to her to keep quiet. When Balleste hung up, both started jumping, shouting and crying. Her father was already in bed and they woke him up shouting while he was still trying to figure out what was going on, a little disoriented from sleep. They bought her plane tickets and her father took her to the airport at 3am. She had made it. Balleste was going to the Euros with Switzerland. While most of Balleste's contemporaries dream of being selected for Spain, the world champions, she had long had something else in mind: Switzerland. The 26-year-old plays for Espanyol as a centre-back. What few people knew was that she has dual nationality, Spanish and Swiss. She was born and raised in Catalonia, daughter of a Catalan father and a Swiss mother. Her second surname is proof of this: Sciora. 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His health never recovered and after his death, her grandmother decided to stay with her six children and move forward in their new home, L'Ampolla. 'Every summer we went to Cullera, a coastal town south of Valencia, on holiday,' Corinne Sciora, Laia's mother, tells The Athletic. 'My father loved fishing. In Switzerland, he fished in rivers and in the summer he went to Cullera to fish for sea bass. My parents wanted to find a place to live near a river so he could continue his hobby of fishing in the river and the sea.' There, Corinne started a family and, together with her husband, had two children: Alex and Laia. During the summers, they would all visit Switzerland, stopping off in France to visit family. Balleste began to show an interest in football when she was four years old. 'She had two options,' Sciora explains. 'She was a very good swimmer and we could have driven 15 minutes to go swimming and compete, or we could have stayed in the village so she could play football. 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New York Times
21 minutes ago
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The Martin Zubimendi passing paradox: Why his numbers don't match the hype
As the football data revolution continues at pace, it's easier than ever to build up an image of a player without ever really needing to see them in action. Free online statistical sources can be powerful tools, giving us an outline of someone's game, but event data alone often lacks the crucial context provided by the eye when evaluating real quality. Martin Zubimendi's subtle brilliance lies between those statistical rifts — Arsenal have signed a selfless midfield facilitator whose raw numbers never seem to jump off the page. He ranked 19th of 69 midfielders in La Liga for forward passes completed per game with Real Sociedad last season, and was down at 27th for progressive carries. His passing accuracy, at 84.4 per cent, feels distinctly middle of the road for a player who has generated such excitement for his tempo-setting ability. 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New York Times
21 minutes ago
- New York Times
Myles Sohna had a bright Aston Villa future – then he didn't. Now he's plotting a coaching career
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They sort of repaired it, but not to the extent where it was new again.' Advertisement Doctors drained the cyst while Sohna took steroid injections to numb the pain. Initially, he experienced a few symptoms and, remarkably, impressed the first team head coach, Steven Gerrard, who wanted him to stay training with his squad. 'Then we had a midweek match against Leicester City,' Sohna exhales, his tone again deepening. 'I went into a tackle and felt that pain again. I went to consult a specialist in London who offered the option of surgery to remove the cyst and tidy up the meniscus. 'When I woke up after surgery, the specialists said it was worse than they thought. The bone was exposed, so that meant I needed to let the body heal to allow a new layer of cartilage to form. Instead of maybe being out for three months, I was out for eight months — again. Sohna knew the prognosis put paid to any hope of staying at Villa. 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