Italy squeeze past Belgium at Euro 2025
Arianna Caruso thumped in the only goal of the game on the stroke of half-time to give the Italians all three points in Sion and provisional first place in Group B.
"It's the result we wanted. We grew into the game because we knew we had to manage our emotions for the first game," said Italy coach Andreea Soncin.
"As the match when on we loosened up and out quality showed through."
Bayern Munich midfielder Caruso's strike was the only real highlight of a game which began with a moment's silence for Portugal men's star Jota who died in a car crash in Spain earlier on Thursday.
Matches on Thursday and Friday will feature the tribute to 28-year-old Liverpool forward Jota whose death alongside his younger brother Andre Silva stunned the football community.
Portugal's women's team will line up against Spain later on Thursday in Bern where fans of both sides will join in honouring the memory of Jota.
Aitana Bonmati is on the bench for Spain as she continues her recovery from viral meningitis which briefly looked to have threatened her tournament.
Two-time Ballon d'Or winner Bonmati returned to training with the Spain squad on Wednesday and is available to play as a substitute.--AFP
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The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Body of Liverpool footballer Jota arrives in Portugal for hometown wake
Flower tributes are left outside Liverpool's Anfield Stadium after Liverpool's Portuguese soccer player Diogo Jota died in a car crash near Zamora, Spain, in Liverpool, Britain, July 4, 2025. REUTERS/Temilade Adelaja TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY GONDOMAR, Portugal (Reuters) -The bodies of Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva arrived in northern Portugal on Friday for a wake in their hometown, as tributes continued to pour in after they died in a car accident in Spain. A convoy of hearses left for Gondomar near Porto on Thursday evening from the morgue of Puebla de Sanabria, near where the Lamborghini the brothers were travelling in had veered off the road and burst into flames after midnight early on Thursday. Police said they suspected a tyre had burst. Jota's wife Rute Cardoso, who had married the footballer just weeks earlier, was seen leaving the morgue and joining the convoy, as was Jota's longtime agent Jorge Mendes. A wake is expected to take place at a chapel in Gondomar from 4:00 p.m. (1500 GMT) and a funeral on Saturday at a church nearby at 10:00 a.m. local time, Gondomar's mayor's office said. Portugal's Prime Minister Luis Montenegro arrived in the village on Friday morning. The death of Jota at the age of 28 has jolted the world of football, with messages of homage pouring in from former teammates, clubs, national leaders and fans. Outside Liverpool's Anfield stadium fans left flowers, scarves and hand-written notes, many from children. Football clubs including Paris St Germain, who have several Portuguese internationals in their squad, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Real Madrid observed a moment of silence during training for their matches in the Club World Cup taking place in the United States. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said on Thursday that forward Pedro Neto was weighing whether to play in Friday's quarter-final against Palmeiras, as the Portuguese international mourns the tragic death of his close friend. Jota's manager at Liverpool, Arne Slot, said in a statement on Thursday that his thoughts were with his family. "My message to them is very clear – you will never walk alone," Slot said. "For us as a club, the sense of shock is absolute. Diogo was not just our player. He was a loved one to all of us. He was a teammate, a colleague, a workmate and in all of those roles he was very special," he added. Jota was making his way back to Liverpool by car after he was told he should avoid plane travel for up to 6 weeks following lung surgery to address a fractured rib, his physiotherapist Miguel Goncalves told broadcaster Now late on Thursday. Goncalves said Jota was recovering well from the pneumothorax surgery and that he had planned to take a ferry to the UK from Spain. (Reporting by Miguel Pereira, Sergio Goncalves and Catarina Demony; writing by Charlie Devereux; editing by Alexandra Hudson)
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Klopp 'heartbroken' by Diogo Jota's death
MUNICH: Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said he was "heartbroken" to learn Diogo Jota, who he signed in 2020, had died with his younger brother Andre in a car crash on Thursday. Diogo Jota, 28, died alongside Andre after their vehicle veered off a motorway in northern Spain before bursting into flames. Klopp, who is Red Bull's "head of global soccer", persuaded the Liverpool board to pay £45 million (RM260 million) for Diogo Jota after he impressed at Wolves. "This is a moment where I struggle!" Klopp posted on Instagram. "There must be a bigger purpose! But I can't see it! I'm heartbroken to hear about the passing of Diogo and his brother Andre. "Diogo was a not only a fantastic player, but also a great friend, a loving and caring husband and father! "We will miss you so much! All my prayers, thoughts and power to Rute, the kids, the family, the friends and everyone who loved them! Rest in peace – Love." Diogo Jota was labelled an "exceptional player, exceptional boy," by Klopp early on in the player's spell at Liverpool. Jota took little time to deliver some return on Liverpool's investment, becoming the first player in the club's history to score in his first four home games. He was a key part of Klopp's side that won the League Cup and FA Cup in 2021/22, narrowly missing out on the Premier League and Champions League for what would have been an unprecedented quadruple. - AFP
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
A true fans' player – Liverpool supporters in Singapore pay tribute to late Diogo Jota
SINGAPORE: It was a regular work afternoon for Eddy Chua on Thursday (July 3) when the Singaporean received a Telegram notification that read 'Diogo Jota died'. Stunned, he turned to Google to check if it was true and saw early reports from several outlets claiming the Liverpool footballer had passed away. Soon after, chatter picked up in a WhatsApp group comprising fellow Liverpool fans, and reports from more established sources – Liverpool Echo, Sky News and the BBC – confirmed the worst: the Portuguese forward and his brother Andre Silva, also a professional footballer, had died in a car crash in Zamora, Spain. The authorities said after the Lamborghini they were in had veered off a motorway and burst into flames shortly after midnight on July 3. Chua, 29, found it difficult to return to work after reading the news. The content lead said: 'Throughout the late afternoon, I was just stoning in front of my screen, trying to take in the fact that one of our own just left like that. 'Some of the fans posted Jota's wedding photos to the chat too which made me even more emotional. He had, gotten married and Liverpool had also been making ambitious signings this summer. 'It was supposed to be like a start of something new for Jota, in his career and family. But he is just gone like that.' Like Chua, many Singaporean Reds fans were still coming to terms with the news hours after it broke. Real estate agent Eric Kwek recalled how a month ago, he was in Liverpool among hundreds of thousands of fans, as Jota and the rest of the squad marked the club's 20th top-flight league title with an open-top bus parade through the city. Earlier this week, he had come across clips of fans singing Jota's chant, which he noted was voted one of the most popular among Liverpool supporters. The 47-year-old also expressed his sympathy for Jota's family. Jota and long-time partner Rute Cardoso, who have three children, had just tied the knot less than two weeks ago. One fond memory Kwek has of Jota is his last goal for Liverpool – the winner in a 1-0 Merseyside derby victory over rivals Everton in April. It was a crucial victory in the Reds' title charge as they returned from the international break, bouncing back from their Champions League exit against Paris Saint-Germain and a League Cup final loss to Newcastle United. Kwek said: 'To lose two games in a week this season was not common for Liverpool so it was quite tough for them to pick up again, especially since they had not secured the title. 'He gave confidence back to the team to pursue the last trophy.' Despite injury setbacks last season, Jota played a key role in the Reds' Premier League title win, making 26 league appearances and contributing six goals and four assists. In all, he recorded 65 goals and 26 assists in 182 Reds matches. Suren Daniel, who is self-employed as a hawker, remembers Jota for his work ethic and humility. The 38-year-old said: 'A true fans' player. Every time he was on the bench, or back from injury, and when he was called upon to perform, he was a player who never let us down and would always give his all without complaining.' Student Megan Foo, 22, shared the same sentiment, saying: 'What stood out most was how he never seemed to disappoint on the pitch... He had this quiet determination and came across as a genuinely humble and grounded guy. I'll always remember him as a clutch, consistent and committed player.' While many praised his abilities on the pitch, what left a lasting impression on Kwang Yu, who runs online sports platform Grandstand alongside his day job in marketing, was Jota's personality. When Liverpool visited Singapore as part of their pre-season tour in 2023, the 32-year-old recalled that Jota took the time to answer questions in the media mixed zone. He said: 'He was one of the players who stopped for a post-match interview by one of our media colleagues. It was very chill, nice chat, (he was) down-to-earth and very humble. 'One of the questions that was asked to him is which fantasy player would he pick for the new season, and cheekily he mentioned himself. 'Very, very nice guy, I would say. Not every player would stop for an interview, so kudos to him.' Benjamin Raj, 32, a senior executive at a statutory board, said the news was a sobering reminder of life's fragility. He said: 'The game has lost a true legend. It just shows you need to enjoy life whenever you can, because you just don't know what's going to happen next.' Flower tributes for Liverpool's Portuguese footballer Diogo Jota outside Anfield Stadium in Liverpool on July 3. Fellow Liverpool fan Melvin Wong, who is self-employed, recalled Jota's standout performances against Arsenal – a team he often thrived against. Jota scored on his Premier League debut for the Reds in a 3-1 win over the Gunners in September 2020, and later netted a brace in a 2-0 League Cup semi-final victory during the 2021-22 season, helping Liverpool reach the final, which they eventually won. The 49-year-old said: 'He was a clinical striker, an outstanding header of the ball. I think I can say on behalf of every Liverpool fan that we will miss him and never forget him.' - The Straits Times/ANN
