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The Sun
21 hours ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Football set to copy completely different sport's approach to VAR with managers to be given massive new responsibility
FOOTBALL looks set to introduce a cricket and tennis-style challenge system that will completely transform VAR. This new version of VAR allows managers to request reviews on key decisions such as goals, penalties, direct red cards, and cases of mistaken identity. 3 The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) is reportedly introducing an exciting new 'low cost' review system called Football Video Support (FVS) to Spain's third tier this season. Under FVS each team gets two reviews per game, and if a challenge is successful, they keep it for later use — if not, they lose that chance. Managers could order a review by twirling their finger in the air and giving the fourth official a review card showing the type of decision being challenged. The referee then consults a pitch-side monitor to reassess the incident, speeding up the process and reducing the costs and chaos associated with traditional VAR. Meanwhile, Spain's top women's league, Liga F, could approve the FVS system as soon as this week, potentially becoming the first major league to fully adopt it. This would mark a significant step toward modernising officiating in women's football, with the Women's Super League currently operating without VAR. If FVS proves effective, LaLiga might consider implementing it too, which could see calls for it to be brought to the Prem. 3 Fifa referees chief Pierluigi Collina revealed that the system had already made its debut during last year's Blue Stars/Fifa Youth Cup in Zurich. He told national associations during Fifa's annual congress in Bangkok that the outcome had been 'very, very positive'. Arsenal CONFIRM £63.5million Viktor Gyokeres transfer as striker takes iconic No14 made famous by Thierry Henry There have already been calls for a challenge system in the Premier League, amid the opposition to the VAR system that currently reviews every match-changing incident. One of the biggest fans of an 'appeal system' has been Gary Lineker. Speaking on the Rest is Football podcast last year, Lineker explained: "The only way out of this mess, and I think they should keep offside and goal-line technology. "But I think you either scrap the rest of it or, more realistically, you take it to an appeal system. 3 "You limit the amount of times that VAR can interfere. It can not intervene unless someone appeals. "Maybe one appeal a half, but it stops VAR coming into every possible corner that comes in." Prem chiefs tried to sort some of the problems out last season, when they rolled out semi-automated offside technology for the final seven rounds of top flight games.
New York Times
20-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
How Wales and Poland can turn this year's Euros debut into a reoccurring affair
Wales and Poland had two things in common at Euro 2025. It was their first major tournament — and a reality check. The two nations left with a combined three points (all from Poland's 3-2 win against Denmark), five goals scored, and 20 conceded. How their first crack at the competition played out is not unusual. Advertisement Six nations had made their debut across the 2017 and 2022 editions of the European Championship — five of them did not get past the group stage. Austria were the exception when they reached the semi-finals eight years ago. 'We've found out just how big that level is and how big that jump is,' Wales' record goalscorer Jess Fishlock told UK broadcaster ITV after a 6-1 defeat to England confirmed their elimination. '(We've got to) just keep moving forward and get into another major tournament and do better.' That is easier said than done. Scotland, who debuted in that 2017 tournament, and Northern Ireland, who followed suit in 2022, failed to qualify for the next Euros. Portugal also made their bow in 2017 and only got to the next finals five years later as replacements for Russia, who were suspended by UEFA following the invasion of Ukraine. So, how do teams evolve from debutants into consistent qualifiers? There is often a gulf between these first-timers' domestic football environments and those of their competitors. Nine of Spain's starting XI for their final group match against Italy play in Liga F. In contrast, none of the 23 players in the Welsh squad play at home in the Adran Premier, which is still a semi-professional competition. Only four players from Poland's domestic top flight made their Euros squad. 'There's a talent drain in Wales, where a lot of players end up getting pushed over the border (to clubs in England) to seek more professional environments,' says Sian Cousins, league development manager at the Football Association of Wales (FAW). 'My players have to be playing,' Wales head coach Rhian Wilkinson said after that loss to England. 'I had five players out of contract (at club level) here. It's mind-blowing. Esther Morgan (a defender) starts all of our games and doesn't have a club (her contract at Sheffield United having just expired). It drives me wild.' The lack of suitable domestic clubs cannot help, but Cousins, whose role is to develop the profile of Wales' domestic leagues, estimates professionalisation is a way off for Adran Premier clubs: 'There are a lot of clubs really striving to become more professional. Questions have always been asked of whether the four big clubs (Wrexham, Cardiff City, Swansea City and The New Saints) look to make that turn and become professional, full-time clubs. Advertisement 'It's definitely an opportunity. They have the kind of club structures to do that. (But) we're probably a good eight to 10 years off even considering it.' Wales is not in a position to provide the domestic football that its senior internationals need. 'We've acknowledged realistically all of our better players are going to go play (for English teams) in the Women's Super League,' Cousins says. 'Our long-term goal would absolutely be to have some of our Adran League players featuring in the (national team) squad. Our medium-term goal is nurturing the youth talent coming through and allowing our Adran clubs to play a bigger role in supporting youth development.' Scotland have spent years trying to rejoin Europe's leading pack. They made their Euros and World Cup debuts in 2017 and 2019 respectively, but have missed out on qualification for the past three major tournaments. Experienced internationals such as Kim Little, Jen Beattie, and most recently Rachel Corsie have retired from the team since that 2019 World Cup. A new generation is emerging, with the likes of Hibernian forward Kathleen McGovern (23 years old) and Manchester United and Liverpool midfielders Emma Watson (19) and Kirsty Maclean (20) all breaking into the Scotland team. The 10-team Scottish Women's Premier League is not fully professional, but some of its clubs — including Rangers, Celtic, Hibernian and Glasgow City — have players on full-time contracts. The league has become more challenging, with three different champions in the past three seasons. 'There's high competition and rivalries now appearing — that in itself creates a great environment for player development, especially for young players,' says Michael McArdle, head of women's elite football for the Scottish FA. Part of McArdle's role is building a youth pathway that can better feed the national team for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil and the next Euros in 2029, the host country for which is still to be confirmed. Advertisement '(Sustained qualification) comes back to having a strong pathway and strong youth development,' McArdle tells The Athletic. 'Primarily, it's cycles of talent that can achieve qualification. We're not hoping for the next. It's our job to provide the next group of talent and keep that going. The key is having a robust, evolving youth system that's focused on creating talent for a sustainable future.' Scotland now have an under-23 side, put in place to bridge the gap between youth and senior football. Starting from October's international window, they will participate in an invitational competition with group matches against their counterparts from Sweden, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands. It is the first time the team will participate in an organised competition. Celtic defender Emma Lawton and Hibernian forward McGovern are among those to have progressed from the under-23s to make their senior debuts. 'The key challenge, in both men's and women's football, is the transitional period and that gap between youth to senior,' McArdle says. This fluidity from youth to senior level is a focus for Wales, too. 'More competitive football for youth players coming through in the girls' game is an area where we've probably never really created that best environment for them to achieve their full potential,' says Cousins. The girls' pathway in Wales is being overhauled from 2025-26. There will be 11 new girls' academies introduced across the country, increasing regular training and levels of match experience. 'We are really controlling the environments that are created so that they are elite,' Cousins says. 'We want them to be competitive. We want them to be a step up, pushing the players to achieve further.' The National Academy system will begin at under-13 level and gradually introduce higher age groups until there is a complete pathway to the Under-19 Adran Development League. Advertisement 'It was all disconnected,' Cousins says. 'Domestic, grassroots, and international were all just running their own things, whereas we've really tried to align it so there's clarity and consistency through the pathway. Giving younger players an opportunity to come through has been massive over the last couple of international windows, so that we can see the talent coming through when the likes of Jess Fishlock (38) and Sophie Ingle (33) do end up retiring.' The FAW have been playing catch-up with the women's team, having not formally recognised them until 1993. The team were even withdrawn from Euro 2005 qualification due to budget cuts. There has been huge progress since: the Welsh men's and women's senior national teams receive equal pay as of 2023, as well as sharing training facilities. The Polish Football Association's 'Time For Us' women's football strategy set the target of qualifying for Euro 2025 and the 2027 World Cup. They have declared their interest in staging those 2029 Euros, which would mean automatic qualification as hosts. Fishlock summed it up perfectly at the end of Wales' campaign last week. 'This is the beginning of a journey for us,' said the veteran of 164 caps and 48 international goals. 'We have to work together now, as a group but (also) as an association, to keep investing and keep building to make sure that this isn't just a one-off.'
France 24
09-07-2025
- Sport
- France 24
Putellas going with flow in dominant Spain's Euro 2025 charge
Midfielder Putellas has been the player of the tournament so far after scoring three goals and setting up two more in La Roja's remarkable two wins so far in Switzerland. The 31-year-old will line up against Italy in Bern on Friday knowing that a draw will be enough to top Group B but keen to continue with the relentless performances which have marked Spain out as being a class above the rest. Putellas' displays have been a particular highlight and signalled the end of an injury nightmare which began when she tore her anterior cruciate ligament a day before the start of the last Euros in England three years ago. Now she is back to her best after a successful club season with Barca in which she was named in the team of the season in Liga F, and is loving every minute of her time in Switzerland. "I'm enjoying it. I've worked hard to get here, to reach this level," says Putellas in an interview with AFP. "Everyone has had to fight their battles. I'm very happy to be able to enjoy it and that things are going well. "It (the ACL injury) was a tough time, like any injury that any athlete has if it's serious. They leave you with those lessons and you savour every moment. "Maybe when you enter a cycle of competing, competing, competing, you don't stop to appreciate everything. But I'm enjoying every day here at the Euros." Flowing Flow has become the watchword for Spain at the Euros, the distillation of a style of play which has marked them out as the best team in the tournament. Stacked with stars, Spain have racked up 11 goals in two matches and played the sort of passing football which no other team in Switzerland seems capable of playing. Five goals without reply against Portugal were followed by a 6-2 thrashing of Belgium, with both matches characterised by Spain's willingness to take risks on the ball. "The flow concept is bit of a mix between the responsibility you have to follow the game plan and at the same time letting yourself go, enjoying yourself and letting things happen naturally," says Putellas. "That's what I think the first two games have been like, but it's not been easy to get to this point. There's a lot of work behind it -- maybe we'll achieve it in each game, maybe we won't. "The important thing is to win, to compete, and knowing that if we achieve that state of mind, everything else will flow and come more naturally." Missing friends Missing from Putellas' side is close friend, and Spain's all-time top scorer with 57 goals, Jenni Hermoso, who has been axed by coach Montse Tome. That decision raised eyebrows as a key player in the 2023 World Cup triumph and above all the furore that surrounded her being forcibly kissed after that year's final by former Spanish football federation chief Luis Rubiales. Tome has insisted her absence has nothing to do with the incident, after which Rubiales was removed from his post and then, in February, fined 10,800 euros ($11,670) for sexual assault. Hermoso, 35, played in all six qualifiers for the Euros, netting three times, but hasn't featured in the last four Spain squads. "We've spent many years here together and she's been a great friend... we've obviously spent a lot of time together," says Putellas. "When I first started with the national team they were already here, and it's the first major tournament we haven't played together.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lionesses goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck signs for Aston Villa on free transfer after seeing Barcelona contract terminated one year early
Roebuck returns to WSL Joined Villa on a two-year deal Mutually terminated Barcelona contract WHAT HAPPENED? The former Manchester City youth player, who made her professional debut for the Cityzens in 2016, spent eight seasons at the club. In April 2024, Roebuck signed a pre-contract with Liga F giants Barcelona and formally completed the move at the end of the 2023-24 campaign. However, the Lionesses custodian was limited to only two appearances at the Catalan club as she was still recovering from a stroke that she suffered in 2023. THE BIGGER PICTURE THE BIGGER PICTURE The England star has now mutually terminated her Barcelona deal one year early and joined WSL side Aston Villa on a two-year contract. Roebuck's last appearance in club football came for Barca against Levante in a league clash on February 1. Advertisement WHAT HAS BEEN SAID Following the goalkeeper's transfer, Aston Villa's director of women's football, Marisa Ewers, said: "We are delighted that Ellie will be joining our club. She is an exciting addition to the team and is a player with a lot of experience who can help drive our performance levels." WHAT NEXT FOR ASTON VILLA? WHAT NEXT FOR ASTON VILLA? The Villans, who finished sixth in the 2024-25 WSL campaign, will find out their full full fixture schedule for the upcoming season on July 25.
BBC News
08-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Villa sign England keeper Roebuck after Barca exit
Aston Villa have signed England goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck from Barcelona on a two-year 25-year-old spent last season with the Liga F champions but reached a mutual decision to terminate her appeared just twice for Barca, making her debut in December last year before a further appearance in moving to Spain, Roebuck made 136 appearances for Manchester City and won seven major titles - the Women's Super League as well as the FA Cup and League Cup on three occasions."We are delighted that Ellie will be joining our club," said Aston Villa's director of women's football Marisa Ewers."She is an exciting addition to the team and is a player with a lot of experience who can help drive our performance levels."Roebuck has 11 England caps but is not part of the squad at Euro 2025 in Switzerland. Head here to get involved
