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Reuters
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Reuters
Boston Legacy name Filipa Patao as first head coach
June 27 - Boston Legacy FC named Filipa Patao as the NWSL expansion club's first head coach. Patao, 36, coached Benfica in her native Portugal from 2020-25, compiling a 156-28-15 record in all competitions. She led Benfica to five consecutive league titles and was nominated for Ballon d'or Coach of the Year in 2024. Patao will join Boston in July once her visa is approved to begin preparations for the club's 2026 debut. "I'm very excited about going to Boston. I can't wait to get to the city, meet all the people, and start working," Patao said in a team release on Wednesday. "The American league is extremely competitive -- and that's one of the reasons I accepted this project. I like competition, difficulty, and getting the players to strive for more and better." --Field Level Media
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bigger, better, more popular: Women's Euro 2025 set to break records
Around 1,000 fans were on hand when England played one of the very first matches of the inaugural Women's European Championship in 1984. How things have changed. More than half a million tickets have already been sold for the 31 matches of this year's edition of the tournament, which kicks off next week in Switzerland. Advertisement Organizers expect to break the attendance record of 575,000 set at the previous women's euros in England in 2022 when 87,000 people packed into Wembley Stadium for the final. The popularity of women's soccer in Europe — and around the world — has accelerated in leaps and bounds in recent years. Players are becoming stronger, faster and more technically skilled, making the game more entertaining to watch. While it hasn't yet closed the gap with men's soccer in revenue, the women's game is seeing rapid growth in investment at both the international and club level. Players who started their careers over a decade ago say the pace of change has been stunning. 'If you look at a match from five years ago, it has nothing to do with the ones being played now,' said Barcelona's two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas, who made her senior debut in 2010. Advertisement The 31-year-old Spain midfielder told The Associated Press that her generation and earlier generations never thought they would be able to make a living from playing soccer when they grew up. 'For sure it's about making our sport a little more visible, so that girls can dream of being soccer players," she said. 'I think that in recent years there has been a very good evolution. In the end, we just needed people to invest in us, to help us improve, and I think that change is happening." Club connection Governing bodies have set up initiatives to drive the game forward, such as European soccer body UEFA's 'Unstoppable' strategy — aimed at making football the most-played team sport for women and girls in every European country by 2030, while increasing the number of professional leagues across the continent. Advertisement A major shift has happened at the club level, as Europe's powerhouse clubs such as Barcelona, Real Madrid and Chelsea started taking women's soccer seriously. More women's leagues across Europe have turned professional over the past decade, inspiring a new generation of female soccer players. 'In the last decade real progress happened, especially on the club side. You see real professionalization,' Norway FA president Lise Klaveness told AP. 'It is very important to have a full pyramid that girls can see that they can have this as a job.' She said the real DNA in soccer is the connection with local clubs. Advertisement 'We haven't really had that with women. Now you see it more and more,' she said. She added that many top leaders on the men's side show real ambitions to raise their women's teams. 'If you meet the Arsenal president or (Joan) Laporta at Barcelona he feels very close to his women's team. When the women's team plays, he is there,' Klaveness said. International expansion As the club game has gotten bigger — England's top women's league is expanding — so have the international competitions. At Euro 1984, there were just four teams in the inaugural tournament: England, Italy, Sweden and Denmark. Advertisement It wasn't until 1997 that it was expanded to eight teams, becoming 12 in 2009 and increased to the current format of 16 from the 2017 edition. At Euro 2009 there was an average attendance of just over 5,000 at the matches in England. In the same country in 2022, the average was 18,544. And just as attendance levels have soared, so have television viewing figures. Euro 2022 had a global cumulative live viewership of 365 million across TV, out-of-home viewing and streaming. That was more than double the number of live viewers compared to the 2017 edition (178 million) and 214% more live viewers than in 2013 (116 million). Advertisement The rise in attendances is also evident in club soccer as women start playing in stadiums with bigger capacities and clubs start to invest more in their women's teams. A couple of Barcelona's Women's Champions League matches in 2022 drew more than 90,000 fans. A major change that's happened in recent years is investors are now looking at women's soccer as something you can make money off, said Seattle Reign coach Laura Harvey, who coached Arsenal and Birmingham City in her native England before moving to the U.S. 'For those of us who've been in this a long time — I was Birmingham City's head coach in 2006 — and to think where the game's evolved in 19 years or whatever it's been, it's just wild,' she told AP. 'I'm glad that I can be part of it.' Unbundling sponsorship Advertisement The continued growth in popularity of women's soccer has the knock-on effect of more sponsorship, more prize money and more to invest in grassroots soccer and clubs. In 2017, UEFA made what was perceived as a bold move: unbundling sponsorship rights for its women's competitions and selling the commercial rights separately from the men's. That was done with the express purpose of 'accelerating the growth of women's football competitions' and was considered a success. So much so that FIFA has followed suit, as have governing bodies of other sports. UEFA now counts 11 dedicated women's soccer partners among its wider portfolio, including Visa, Amazon and Adidas. Advertisement There are more than 20 sponsors for Euro 2025 and that revenue is projected to increase by 145% compared to 2022, according to UEFA. 'The impact of Women's Euro 2025 extends far beyond the competition itself,' UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said in a report last month. 'With record prize money and unprecedented interest from sponsors, the tournament will bring more investment into the women's game than ever before.' The prize pot at Euro 2025 has been set at 41 million euros ($47 million), more than double the 16 million euros ($18.3 million) received by national associations in 2022. Moreover, players will receive a guaranteed share from their national associations for the first time. Advertisement The men's Euro 2024 had a total prize fund of 331 million euros ($347 million), with each of the 24 teams receiving a minimum of 9.25 million euros and champion Spain earning 28.25 million euros. UEFA's aim is that Euro 2025 will act as a catalyst for further progress in the women's professional game in Switzerland and across Europe. However, Klaveness has a warning: that the richest leagues shouldn't financially separate themselves completely from the currently semi-pro ones. 'Now I think the next step that's really important to go further now is … not to let the head move away from the body, then we would do the same as the men's side,' she said. Advertisement ___ AP Sports Writers Tales Azzoni in Madrid, Graham Dunbar in Geneva and Anne M. Peterson in Portland, Ore, contributed to this report. ___ AP soccer: Daniella Matar, The Associated Press
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Bigger, better, more popular: Women's Euro 2025 set to break records
Around 1,000 fans were on hand when England played one of the very first matches of the inaugural Women's European Championship in 1984. How things have changed. More than half a million tickets have already been sold for the 31 matches of this year's edition of the tournament, which kicks off next week in Switzerland. Organizers expect to break the attendance record of 575,000 set at the previous women's euros in England in 2022 when 87,000 people packed into Wembley Stadium for the final. The popularity of women's soccer in Europe — and around the world — has accelerated in leaps and bounds in recent years. Players are becoming stronger, faster and more technically skilled, making the game more entertaining to watch. While it hasn't yet closed the gap with men's soccer in revenue, the women's game is seeing rapid growth in investment at both the international and club level. Players who started their careers over a decade ago say the pace of change has been stunning. 'If you look at a match from five years ago, it has nothing to do with the ones being played now,' said Barcelona's two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas, who made her senior debut in 2010. The 31-year-old Spain midfielder told The Associated Press that her generation and earlier generations never thought they would be able to make a living from playing soccer when they grew up. 'For sure it's about making our sport a little more visible, so that girls can dream of being soccer players,' she said. 'I think that in recent years there has been a very good evolution. In the end, we just needed people to invest in us, to help us improve, and I think that change is happening.' Club connection Governing bodies have set up initiatives to drive the game forward, such as European soccer body UEFA's 'Unstoppable' strategy — aimed at making football the most-played team sport for women and girls in every European country by 2030, while increasing the number of professional leagues across the continent. A major shift has happened at the club level, as Europe's powerhouse clubs such as Barcelona, Real Madrid and Chelsea started taking women's soccer seriously . More women's leagues across Europe have turned professional over the past decade, inspiring a new generation of female soccer players. 'In the last decade real progress happened, especially on the club side. You see real professionalization,' Norway FA president Lise Klaveness told AP. 'It is very important to have a full pyramid that girls can see that they can have this as a job.' She said the real DNA in soccer is the connection with local clubs. 'We haven't really had that with women. Now you see it more and more,' she said. She added that many top leaders on the men's side show real ambitions to raise their women's teams. 'If you meet the Arsenal president or (Joan) Laporta at Barcelona he feels very close to his women's team. When the women's team plays, he is there,' Klaveness said. International expansion As the club game has gotten bigger — England's top women's league is expanding — so have the international competitions. At Euro 1984, there were just four teams in the inaugural tournament: England, Italy, Sweden and Denmark. It wasn't until 1997 that it was expanded to eight teams, becoming 12 in 2009 and increased to the current format of 16 from the 2017 edition. At Euro 2009 there was an average attendance of just over 5,000 at the matches in England. In the same country in 2022, the average was 18,544. And just as attendance levels have soared, so have television viewing figures. Euro 2022 had a global cumulative live viewership of 365 million across TV, out-of-home viewing and streaming. That was more than double the number of live viewers compared to the 2017 edition (178 million) and 214% more live viewers than in 2013 (116 million). The rise in attendances is also evident in club soccer as women start playing in stadiums with bigger capacities and clubs start to invest more in their women's teams. A couple of Barcelona's Women's Champions League matches in 2022 drew more than 90,000 fans. A major change that's happened in recent years is investors are now looking at women's soccer as something you can make money off, said Seattle Reign coach Laura Harvey, who coached Arsenal and Birmingham City in her native England before moving to the U.S. 'For those of us who've been in this a long time — I was Birmingham City's head coach in 2006 — and to think where the game's evolved in 19 years or whatever it's been, it's just wild,' she told AP. 'I'm glad that I can be part of it.' Unbundling sponsorship The continued growth in popularity of women's soccer has the knock-on effect of more sponsorship, more prize money and more to invest in grassroots soccer and clubs. In 2017, UEFA made what was perceived as a bold move: unbundling sponsorship rights for its women's competitions and selling the commercial rights separately from the men's. That was done with the express purpose of 'accelerating the growth of women's football competitions' and was considered a success. So much so that FIFA has followed suit, as have governing bodies of other sports. UEFA now counts 11 dedicated women's soccer partners among its wider portfolio, including Visa, Amazon and Adidas. There are more than 20 sponsors for Euro 2025 and that revenue is projected to increase by 145% compared to 2022, according to UEFA. 'The impact of Women's Euro 2025 extends far beyond the competition itself,' UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said in a report last month. 'With record prize money and unprecedented interest from sponsors, the tournament will bring more investment into the women's game than ever before.' The prize pot at Euro 2025 has been set at 41 million euros ($47 million), more than double the 16 million euros ($18.3 million) received by national associations in 2022. Moreover, players will receive a guaranteed share from their national associations for the first time. The men's Euro 2024 had a total prize fund of 331 million euros ($347 million), with each of the 24 teams receiving a minimum of 9.25 million euros and champion Spain earning 28.25 million euros. UEFA's aim is that Euro 2025 will act as a catalyst for further progress in the women's professional game in Switzerland and across Europe. However, Klaveness has a warning: that the richest leagues shouldn't financially separate themselves completely from the currently semi-pro ones. 'Now I think the next step that's really important to go further now is … not to let the head move away from the body, then we would do the same as the men's side,' she said. ___ AP Sports Writers Tales Azzoni in Madrid, Graham Dunbar in Geneva and Anne M. Peterson in Portland, Ore, contributed to this report. ___ AP soccer:
Daily Mail
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Real Madrid legend Luka Modric, 39, 'set to undergo medical' at European giants ahead of move following Club World Cup
Luka Modric has reportedly agreed a move to AC Milan and will undergo a medical at the Italian club after the Club World Cup. The 39-year-old will leave the Bernabeu after 13 years when his contract expires at the end of the month. He has a final shot at adding another piece of silverware to an already trophy-ladden spell in the Spanish capital after being included in Madrid's squad for the expanded tournament. The Croatian midfielder does not want to make the move to Milan official yet because he wants to keep full focus on Madrid and he could feature in the US under former team-mate and new boss Xabi Alonso. But he will complete a medical and the final formal steps needed for a switch after the Club World Cup, according to Fabrizio Romano. Modric was given an emotional send off by Los Blancos fans following his side's final home game of the season last month after it was announced that his contract would not be extended another year. Modric was linked with a move to Saudi Arabia or the MLS but he decided to remain in Europe, and the midfielder intends to feature for Croatia at next year's World Cup. Although he will turn 40 in September, he made 57 appearances for Carlo Ancelotti's side last year, including 35 in the league. In April, the former Ballon d'Or winner shocked fans by joining Swansea as an investor and co-owner. A shock transfer to Rangers had also been touted but he will move to Italy in the summer. During his time at Real the Croatian has made 591 appearances, scoring 43 goals and providing 95 assists. He also won six Champions Leagues, four LaLiga titles, two Copa del Reys and five Club World Cups. Milan missed out on European qualification last season after sinking to a disappointing eighth-place finish - a huge decline from being Serie A runners-up in 2023-24. Meanwhile, Madrid face Saudi side Al-Hilal in Miami on June 18 as they begin their Club World Cup campaign. They then will come up against Mexican club Pachuca and RB Salzburg. Los Blancos have won the tournament, albeit the previous downsized version, on five occasions, making them the most succesful side in the competition's history. They last won it in 2022, beating Al-Hilal 5-3 in the final.
New York Times
24-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
What Luka Modric means to Real Madrid and football – explained by his team-mates and coaches
This is an updated version of a piece that was first published in November 2023, when Modric was about to make his 500th appearance for Real Madrid. When Luka Modric leaves the Bernabeu pitch for the final time on Saturday, he will be serenaded as a Real Madrid legend. On Thursday, the 39-year-old announced the league game against Real Sociedad would be his final one at Madrid's iconic stadium as he prepares to leave this summer. He appeared to confirm his participation in the revamped Club World Cup, giving the Croatia international the chance for one last hurrah with Los Blancos. Advertisement Modric's achievements during his 13 years at Madrid speak for themselves. He is the oldest player in their history, has made 590 appearances and lifted a host of trophies, including four La Liga titles, six Champions Leagues and two Copas del Rey. In November 2023, we published a piece with voices from throughout the 2018 Ballon d'Or winner's career explaining what he meant to them on the eve of his 500th appearance for Madrid — something only 14 players had achieved up to that point. Only eight players have played more for Madrid. Modric's first manager with Madrid, Jose Mourinho, was one of those who contributed to that piece. 'I am proud to be the one who fought to have Modric at Real Madrid,' Mourinho told The Athletic. 'In his first match, he won his first medal, the Spanish Super Cup against FC Barcelona in 2012. Eleven years later, 500 matches and medals, medals, medals. Congrats, Luka!' Here, we revisit what other former team-mates and coaches had to say about Modric — and what some of the current Madrid squad said after the news broke this week… Rakitic is close friends with Modric and made 84 appearances alongside him for Croatia, with the pair guiding their country to the 2018 World Cup final, where they lost 4-2 against France. The 37-year-old former Barcelona and Sevilla midfielder, who is back playing in his home country with Hajduk Split, has also played 25 times against Modric — including 15 times for Barcelona. He retired from international duty in 2020. Rakitic: 'I met him at a friendly match, Argentina-Croatia, in Basel when I was 16 or 17 years old. The relationship started to grow when he came to Spain to play. I was already at Sevilla and he signed for Real Madrid and it started to grow stronger, also with the Clasicos when I joined Barcelona. I think he's the player I have the most shirts of at home. A post shared by Ivan Rakitic (@ivanrakitic) 'That rivalry was very important for both of us and, above all, for the people in Croatia — but the relationship we have is much bigger than one match. We created an incredible midfield together, we enjoyed each other's football and we helped each other, growing hand in hand. 'It's incredible to see the boy I met more than 15 years ago has played 500 games for Real Madrid, won the Ballon d'Or, and that we were in the final of the World Cup in Russia in 2018. It's incredible that a player from our country, Croatia, can do it. And he is a lesson for all of us that age is just a number — he is still playing at a very high level, we are enjoying the football he is giving us, so let him keep doing the same and let the rest of us keep enjoying it. 'Congratulations to you, Luka, for being a unique, incredible player and an even better person. I hope there is still much more to come, that you continue to give us so much joy.' Redknapp took charge of Tottenham in October 2008, a few months after Modric had signed from Dinamo Zagreb. The Croatian flourished under Redknapp and scored 17 goals in 160 games during his time in north London, helping them qualify for the Champions League for the first time for the 2010-11 season. Advertisement Modric praised the former Spurs boss for changing his position to central midfield in his Ballon d'Or acceptance speech in 2018. Redknapp: 'When I went to Spurs he was playing on the left — coming into little pockets to get the ball. They didn't think he was strong enough to play centrally in England. I switched him after a bit and he never played anywhere else again. 'Some of the greatest midfielders we've seen have been little guys — Billy Bremner and Johnny Giles for Leeds in the 1970s were 5ft 5in (165cm) and 5ft 7in but incredible footballers. Paul Scholes played centrally: he wasn't a big lad but he had a fantastic football brain. And I saw Luka the same. 'He took a bit of time to settle in, but he had a very hard life. He grew up during the war in Yugoslavia. I remember him telling me he was hiding under the stairs in a cellar with his mum. It was a scary time in his life, not knowing if they were going to survive. So he was a tough little character and a great person. 'And as for how good a footballer he was, the players used to warm up in a circle before training started and play piggy in the middle, with two in the middle and whoever gave it away going in the middle. I told Luka: 'I've been here three years and I've never seen you in the middle yet'. He never gave the ball away. 'One game I'd highlight would be one of the first I played him in central midfield, against all recommendations from people at the club. I played him against Arsenal (a 2-1 win in April 2010) and he ran the game. People were saying he got away with it because they had a midfield that wasn't big and strong. We were playing against Chelsea on the Saturday a few days later, and they said players like Michael Ballack and Frank Lampard would destroy him. I said: 'No they won't, he'll be all right' — he played against Chelsea, who went on to win the title, and we beat them, too. 'I'm so pleased with how well he's done, he's fantastic. Luka, it couldn't happen to a better person or professional.' Bilic was Croatia coach from 2006-2012 and oversaw Modric's early development with the under-21s before then. Modric enjoyed a breakthrough international tournament under the former West Ham United, Everton and Croatia defender at the 2008 European Championship, in which he helped his country to the quarter-finals, where they lost on penalties to Turkey. He has since made 186 appearances for Croatia and was vital as they finished runners-up at the 2018 World Cup and third at the 2022 World Cup. Advertisement Bilic: 'The first time I saw him was when I took over Croatia Under-21s after Euro 2004 in Portugal. Straight away, we noticed he was very silent off the pitch, but on the pitch, he was a leader. 'I remember him as a kid. He would go in the air to challenge big, tall midfield players or centre-forwards. He had that belief in himself that he could win the aerial challenges against those players. Of course he didn't win every one — but he went for it. Even if it was Peter Crouch, he would go with him! 'The outside-of-the-boot pass reminds me of Roger Federer's backhand. I saw that when he was 18 and it was regular. He made it better, he improved that pass, but he had it in his locker even then. People ask me, 'Did he change?'. Of course he changed, but like the iPhone changes every couple of years. They have reached the iPhone 15 or 16 — he has also upgraded, but he had it all in the beginning. 'He made Croatia a bigger country. We had great players before — we had Zvonimir Boban, we had Davor Suker, we had Alen Boksic, we had Robert Prosinecki — but for a Croatian guy to become a world-famous player is much more difficult than for an English guy. That's great for our country and a great example for generations, no matter what they do. 'I was privileged to be his coach. Me and my staff were there from the beginning and we really believed. We were both rookies — he was a rookie in senior football and I was a rookie as a coach — so he helped me a lot. Me and my staff also helped him a lot with our belief in him. 'Yesterday doesn't count at Real Madrid. Even Cristiano Ronaldo had to go — he could have stayed but it wasn't what he wanted. Spanish guys: Sergio Ramos, Iker Casillas, Raul. We are talking about massive legends. And for Luka to stay there for so long — it's hard to explain if you don't know him, but if you know him and his family, absolutely everything is clear.' A graduate of Real Madrid's academy, Arribas had first-hand experience of Modric during his time in the first team from 2020-2023. The 23-year-old attacking midfielder made 14 appearances for Real before leaving for Almeria in 2023, playing alongside Modric nine times as well as training with him as a youth player. Advertisement Arribas: 'The first memory I have of him was when he scored a goal in the Champions League in the round of 16 against Manchester United from outside the area at Old Trafford in 2013. When I was able to train with the first team, he was the first one whose shirt I asked for. 'I remember the first training session I went to after Covid and he came from his national team — we played a possession game and he didn't lose any ball. It seemed incredible to me how he moves on the pitch looking for space all the time and the technical quality he has. 'The advice he gave me was that I should be myself, that I had to keep on growing, that I had to keep on working and improving day by day so that, when the opportunity arrived, I would be prepared. 'A message for him? Thank you for all the matches and great moments you have gifted us, both to Madridistas and to every fan who likes football. And above all, thank you for your closeness, advice and values that you transmitted to me.' The playing career of Montenegrin former Yugoslavia striker Mijatovic did not coincide with Modric — he retired in 2003, the year of Modric's senior debut – but the two have developed a close personal and professional relationship and Mijatovic, as an ex-Madrid striker (1996-1999) and sporting director (2006-2009), has often been able to offer him advice. Mijatovic: 'Luka is a very atypical player. He never lives in the past, he always looks for motivation to continue to achieve. You talk to him now and even with everything he has won, he is still crazy about winning. You say to him: 'What difference does it make to have one trophy more or one less?'. But no. It's unbelievable. His ambition, it's different. He is never happy — he wants more and more. 'By all the parameters of football, both nowadays and especially the game of the past, Luka should have retired a couple of years ago. But then you see him play and you have to say this guy is not 38, he is 28. He runs like he runs, he trains like he trains, he sacrifices, he lives for football. 'There will surely be a time when he will choose to stop playing, but as his real friend, my opinion is that he has two more years at least of competitive football to come. Luka can still give us a lot of joy. 'He knows he is a certain age, maybe he is not able to play 60 games, but he also knows that, especially in an important match, 10 minutes is more than enough for him to make a difference. And making the difference is what he has always done.' As soon as the announcement was made by Modric, his Madrid team-mates began posting their own personal messages about him on social media. Jude Bellingham: 'The only thing outweighing my sadness right now is the gratitude I feel for having had the honour of being your team-mate. 'So many great memories on and off the pitch that I will treasure forever. Your magic was never a surprise and there's nothing I can say that hasn't already been said about your incredible achievements but your humility, openness and the time you took for every single person in any circumstance has blown me away, you're a constant reminder of everything that is beautiful about football. Advertisement 'Brate, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for every pass (whether it was with the inside or outside), every dribble, every nutmeg and every shot but more meaningful to me every chat, every hug, every dinner and every piece of wisdom and advice that you gave. 'Good luck with whatever comes next for you and your family. Te quiero muchisimo! Te voy a extranar! (I love you so much and I'm going to miss you). 'Madridistas, let's break the roof off the Bernabeu with the tributes on Saturday for our captain!' Vinicius Junior: 'How hard it is to say goodbye, Luka. I have spent the last years sharing a changing room with a legend. 'Your history in Madrid is incomparable: 13 seasons, 28 titles, and all written with elegance, talent and a humility that taught me more than a thousand words could. 'Thank you for every bit of advice, for your way of playing and also for your way of being. You were an artist. The way you treated me was a gift. 'I learnt by watching your passes with the outside of your boot (a la Luka Modric) but above all I learnt from your generosity every day. I'm going to miss you. 'Thanks for everything, maestro. 'I love you.' Kylian Mbappe: 'I was lucky enough to be able to play and share the locker room with you this season. I saw closer what greatness really means. Before being one of the best players of all time, you are a wonderful person. 'You wrote the history of the best club in the world for more than a decade and won everything. But you won something that have no price: the respect and the admiration of the world. 'Thank you for everything, legend.' Federico Valverde: 'From you, I learned perseverance. To wait for the moment, humility and how great a person can become by talking on the field. 'Grateful to have played seven years at your side. 'Grateful to have been a contemporary to your goals, to your outside-of-the-boot passes, which we will miss. 'Grateful to have been a part of a small part of your history. 'But thank you for being a big part of mine.' Additional reporting: Guillermo Rai, Adam Leventhal, Charlie Eccleshare
