The Audio Long Read: Extremely loud and incredibly scouse: how Jamie Carragher conquered football punditry
By Kieran Morris. Read by Felipe Pacheco
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Leader Live
2 hours ago
- Leader Live
Wednesday's briefing: Doubts for Man City while promoted sides strengthen
Meanwhile, attention will turn to the Euro 2025 as it kicks off in Switzerland, although neither England nor Wales will be in action before Saturday. Pep Guardiola claimed it was 'too early to say' if Manchester City can be back in title contention next season after he watched them crash out of the Club World Cup with a shock defeat to Al-Hilal in the last 16. City dominated in the group stages but it all fell apart with some familiar defensive failings in the 4-3 extra-time defeat that sent them home. 'I don't know,' said City manager Guardiola afterwards when asked if his team had convinced him they could challenge next term. 'It's too early to say but I saw many, many good things that I didn't see in the past, especially from where we were.' Welcome to Sunderland AFC, Habib Diarra! ❤️🇸🇳 — Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) July 1, 2025 Promoted sides Sunderland and Leeds have been busy in the transfer market as they try to construct squads capable of surviving in the Premier League. Sunderland have paid a club record fee, reportedly £30million, to bring in 21-year-old Senegal midfielder Habib Diarra – who scored against England last month – from Strasbourg. Leeds, meanwhile, have made their second signing from Wolfsburg in the space of a fortnight, with defender Sebastiaan Bornauw following Lukas Nmecha in making the switch. Bornauw is Leeds' third signing of the summer, with Jaka Bijol the other new face. Elsewhere, Arsenal have signed goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga from London rivals Chelsea, seven years after the Blues paid £71m to bring him in from Athletic Bilbao. On the eve of Euro 2025, Wales vice-captain Ceri Holland has revealed how she thought her tournament hopes had ended when she was carried off on a stretcher during their Nations League clash against Denmark in April. The Liverpool winger, 27, was in tears after suffering the injury that saw her leave the stadium in a protective boot but has recovered in time to be part of the squad that has travelled to Switzerland. 'I was very, very lucky. I probably felt the worst,' said Holland. 'With the Euros around the corner that's what was on everyone's minds. Those next 24 hours after the injury were tough, mentally they were very tough.' Holland has scored seven goals in 43 appearances from her wide berth and her Wales development at international level has been replicated on the club stage in the Women's Super League. 💭 Still thinking about that @TrentAA assist… 💭 — Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) July 1, 2025 Trent Alexander-Arnold registered his first assist for Real Madrid as he set up Gonzalo Garcia's decisive goal in their 1-0 Club World Cup win over Juventus. Garcia headed home his third goal of the tournament after 54 minutes to send Madrid into the quarter-finals. Kylian Mbappe was kept in reserve for Real, despite the France forward having recovered from illness to take his place in the matchday squad for the first time at the Club World Cup, but came off the bench in the final 15 minutes. Euro 2025 gets under way in Switzerland with the opening Group A fixtures. First up Iceland play Finland before the hosts take on Norway in the second game. National League side Morecambe appear set to enter administration on Wednesday after talks to end an impasse over a takeover deal failed to find a resolution.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Sam Kerr sports a VERY different look as she joins some of the world's biggest soccer stars in new campaign
Matildas captain Sam Kerr has turned heads with her new look after appearing alongside some of the world's best footballers in a recently launched Nike campaign. Kerr, 31, joined the likes of Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, Real Madrid 's Kylian Mbappé, Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer, Spanish forward Alexia Putellas and Brazilian icon Ronaldinho in the clip where attack-minded play is lauded. In the Scary Good advertising campaign, Kerr is labelled 'Australia's most dangerous striker.' It comes as Kerr, 31, inches towards a return to the pitch after 18 months out while she recovers from rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in her knee. Her actual return date to competitive football remains unknown, but both the Matildas and Chelsea would have been buoyed by the recent scenes at the Sam Kerr Football Centre in Western Australia. Kerr was back running and in the gym, and with the Women's Super League beginning on September 6, the Blues want her approaching peak fitness. She was not named in the team's 33-player squad to take on Slovenia and Panama in friendlies to be held on June 26 and 29, and July 5 and 8. New Matildas coach Joe Montemurro stressed patience is key with Kerr, who is also desperate to play in the Asian Cup next year on home soil. 'It's fundamentally a situation where she's now building her physical capacity, and we'll monitor that,' he said. 'The important thing is, we are working with Chelsea to make sure she's right for pre-season. 'It is an individual sort of process, but it's great to have her around the group, and her energy is fantastic.' Kerr's progress with the knee has been the subject of heavy speculation as it has taken longer than expected. In April, Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor revealed Kerr would not return before the end of the Women's Super League season in England. In early June, Montemurro revealed that the striker had been forced to undergo a second surgical 'intervention' on a fresh mystery injury that had been kept a secret from fans. It was reported that Kerr returned to Australia to undergo the procedure and she made a surprise appearance at the A-League Women's grand final in May. That visit came just after Kerr and her fiancée - fellow footballer Kristie Mewis - announced the arrival of their baby boy Jagger. The couple's relationship began around 2020, gaining public attention during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 when they shared a heartfelt moment on the field. They officially confirmed their relationship in August 2021 through an Instagram post. In September 2023 they got engaged, announcing it publicly in November of the same year. Their engagement was followed by the news in November 2024 that they were expecting their first child. They are expected to marry in December this year.
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Women's Euro 2025: Guardian writers' predictions for the tournament
It feels as if Spain and a revitalised Germany have the wind in their sails to meet in Basel, even if Aitana Bonmatí's illness is a real worry for the world champions. Spain will win out on the night. England know the ropes and cannot be ruled out but their path to glory looks complicated. Nick Ames I am going England-Spain, a rerun of the 2023 World Cup final. It would mean England finish second in Group D to go in the other half of the draw. Between those two, head says Spain; heart, of course, says England. Sophie Downey Spain against Germany is the most logical final. Although England could disrupt that if they click, my instinct says Spain-Germany. Spain should get the job done and win their first Euros. They have never reached the final but have the strongest squad, in terms of technical skill, a relatively kind group draw and more days to rest and recover than their rivals in Groups C and D, so this should be Spain's year. Tom Garry I'll go for Spain to win it, and it'll be Germany, England or the Netherlands. Those are the four best teams in the tournament. Emma Hayes Spain to beat Sweden in a disappointingly mid-paced final that feels like something of an anticlimax after their all-time classic against Germany in the semis. Jonathan Liew France and Italy with the former winning. France are serial underachievers but they have been in hot form under Laurent Bonadei and, combining technical excellence with pace-suffused fluidity, are more dynamic than many rivals. They possess the weapons to win a first major tournament. Italy – much improved under Andrea Soncin's management – look classic dark horses. Louise Taylor Don't make me do this. I have a terrible feeling England will finish second in the group and face Germany in the quarter-finals. That will be a tricky test but I'd back them to get past it and go all the way to the final, where they would meet Spain and lose to the world champions. Suzanne Wrack Lea Schüller remains a formidable spearhead for Germany and, in a side who have carved recent opponents wide open, should add healthily to her tally in Switzerland. Alessia Russo could challenge her but may find England's assignments too nip-and-tuck. NA Clàudia Pina – one of the most natural strikers in the competition. This is the 23-year-old's time to shine on the back of a brilliant season for Barcelona, where she finished as the top goalscorer in the Champions League. SD Pina could blow defences away. Even if she isn't chosen to start every game, she could be even more lethal coming off the bench against tiring defences. A tally of five or six goals may be enough for the Golden Boot and I would back Pina to notch at least four during the group stage on the form she displayed towards the end of the club season. TG I'm going to say Alessia Russo. I think Alessia is in a great place and I think since Renée Slegers has taken Arsenal on, she and Kelly Smith deserve huge credit for the development of Alessia. EH Sandy Baltimore: bit left-field (pun intended), but hear me out. Played as a wing-back for much of her career but now adding goals to her game: five for France and a brace in the FA Cup final. France's stacked frontline will allow her plenty of space to operate and she could easily go on a run. JL Marie-Antoinette Katoto. The Lyon striker – she joins from PSG on Tuesday – has 38 goals in 55 appearances for France and combines precision finishing with often unplayable physicality. After rupturing an anterior cruciate ligament in the group stage of Euro 2022, then missing the 2023 World Cup, this could finally be the 26-year-old's moment in the sun. LT If you're predicting Spain to win then it's hard not to predict Pina to pick up the Golden Boot. She's been in formidable form and, although goals can come from a variety of Spain players, I think Pina will do very well. Were the Netherlands not drawn in such a tricky group I'd have fancied Vivianne Miedema. SW Iceland look strong, reliable and more than well placed to compete seriously in a winnable Group A. They have a habit of staying in games and, if they were to avoid Spain in the last eight, could travel far. It is also worth watching out for a hugely improved Italy. NA Italy are my dark horses. Andrea Soncin has overseen something of a rebuild and refresh since he took over in 2023. They have been in steady form since, taking the scalps of Spain and Germany among others. Roma's playmaker Manuela Giugliano is one to watch. SD At least one of the seven teams in Group A and B who are not Spain will reach the semi-finals. That's guaranteed, so while that won't be a 'surprise', whoever makes it from that relatively low-ranking set will be an unlikely name for a semi-finalist. There is little between the seven but I am leaning towards Italy, who have recorded some excellent results since the World Cup. TG You have to talk about the French, while Italy are a good side and Belgium have the qualities to be disruptive. EH Italy have claimed some big scalps in the past 12 months and if they escape a tough group the draw could easily open out for them. JL Wales. The NWSL title in the United States is notoriously hard to win but the Wales coach, Rhian Wilkinson, pulled that feat off at Portland Thorns in 2022. Wilkinson has turned a highly motivated Wales into extremely awkward opponents and, with Jess Fishlock and Sophie Ingle in a high-calibre midfield, they look capable of reaching the quarter-finals of their first major tournament. LT Sign up to Moving the Goalposts No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women's football after newsletter promotion Is this Norway's time to not be disappointing? The draw has certainly helped them and if they top the group that should give them momentum going into the knockouts. I don't expect them to go far, but with Ada Hegerberg, Guro Reiten, Caroline Graham Hansen, Frida Maanum, etc the quality is there. SW Nobody with any handle on the England setup is blind to the prodigious talent of Aggie Beever-Jones. Now Europe should discover the Chelsea striker's gifts first-hand. She has made a flying start at international level and should prove an explosive option from the bench. NA Beever-Jones will bring the impact from the bench. The 21-year-old is playing in her first major tournament and has just enjoyed the season of her young career. If the Lionesses need a goal, they know they have someone in the ranks with an instinctive eye for one. SD For the viewer who may not be a women's football diehard, this should be the tournament when Cláudia Pina breaks into the mainstream and receives wider recognition. Meanwhile, England's Michelle Agyemang can go into this tournament with no fear and if she gets a chance off the bench she can show she is a future superstar. TG Pina is someone who has got huge, huge potential. For England, we could talk about Grace Clinton for example, but I'm always going to say Beever-Jones, because if England need a different type of goalscorer in another moment in a game, I think she's capable of delivering on that front. For Germany, watch out for Jule Brand; she is so exciting to watch. EH Vicky López. Still only 18 but long regarded as one of Europe's most promising talents, López went to last summer's Olympics for Spain but didn't play. Has featured more often for Barcelona this season and this could be the tournament that puts her name in lights. JL Manuela Giugliano. The Roma playmaker says she models her game on that of Andrea Pirlo but, at 27, is still to see her lofty domestic standing transposed on to the international stage. That could be about to change for a dead-ball wizard blessed with superior vision, a stellar passing range and a knack of making impeccable defensive interceptions. LT Lauren James has had an injury-hit season for Chelsea but when fit she has looked sublime. The forward seems to have matured her all-round game, her defensive work rate as impressive as her attacking, and this could be the tournament where she really stamps her name on the international stage. In training she has looked phenomenal and her assist against Jamaica on Sunday, after coming on for her first minutes in three months, showed her importance to England from a creativity point of view. SW Further evidence that standards at the game's elite level continue to reach new heights – in a country that should be perfectly set up to host a smooth, joyful summer tournament. NA I think the next month will be the best illustration of how far European football has continued to develop over the past three years. Any of five or six teams could win it and no side are infallible. In terms of the tournament, I am looking forward to seeing everything that Switzerland has to offer. This is a huge moment in their women's football journey and I am sure they will seize it. SD The three group matches between England, France and the Netherlands – all three of whom are capable of going all the way – should make for blockbuster viewing. The pressure riding on those early fixtures will be immense; they are akin to semi-finals, in terms of standard, but they are going to be entertaining us inside the first 11 days. I'm also looking forward to the mountainous scenery from the window seat of a Swiss train. It is a beautiful country. TG Nowadays players have got more access to the support they need to be the best versions of themselves, so the quality is going to be so much higher. There may be a bit of a shifting of the order, too; this may be a tournament where we talk about a Belgium or an Italy and not a Sweden and a Norway. That's not to say that will happen, but there could be a shift. EH The Dutch fans. Obviously. JL You mean apart from the Swiss chocolate museum in Lucerne? Watching Wales and their 38-year-old, but still world-class, midfielder Jess Fishlock at their first major tournament. The final Group B game between Italy and Spain in Berne looks intriguing, too. Off the pitch, seeing Lake Lucerne, the Alps and the Abbey Library in St Gallen, said to be one of the world's oldest and most beautiful. LT A cheese fondue. Does that need elaboration? It's all I've been thinking about for months. On the pitch, Spain are obviously the favourites but the fact any one of several teams (Spain, England, Germany, France, Sweden, the Netherlands …) could win this tournament makes it hugely exciting. Set against the backdrop of stunning Switzerland, it will be memorable. SW
