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Joselu came off the bench to grab a late winner as Spain snatched a place in the Nations League final with a 2-1 win over Italy in Enschede. The former Newcastle forward pounced two minutes from the end of a tight encounter on Thursday after a shot from Manchester City’s Champions League final match-winner Rodri was deflected into his path. Spain had taken a third-minute lead through Yeremy Pino but Italy soon levelled with a penalty from Ciro Immobile. Italy’s Davide Frattesi then had a goal chalked off for a narrow offside and Joselu had the final say, just four minutes after coming on. The game was largely played at a slow pace but it got off to a lively start. Pino gave Spain an instant advantage after robbing Italy captain Leonardo Bonucci on the edge of the area and firing past Gianluigi Donnarumma. It was a lead that was soon erased as Italy were awarded a spot-kick seven minutes later after a shot from Nicolo Zaniolo was blocked by the arm of Robin Le Normand. Immobile made no mistake from 12 yards. Italy were unfortunate not to be in front soon after as Frattesi finished superbly from a lofted Jorginho pass but VAR intervened. Italy went close again before the break when Rafael Toloi volleyed just over and Spain had another chance when Alvaro Morata shot straight at Donnarumma. The second half lacked dynamism but both sides had opportunities. Rodri, fresh from his winner in City’s Istanbul triumph on Saturday, tried to catch Donnarumma out with an overhead kick that dropped over before Zaniolo forced a good save from Unai Simon at the other end. Rodri was involved again for what proved the winner when his shot was blocked and Joselu calmly dinked past Donnarumma. Spain will now play Croatia in Sunday’s final with Italy facing the Netherlands in the third-place play-off. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele set record-breaking pace at US Open Rickie Fowler hits 62 at US Open to equal lowest score in men’s major history Gareth Southgate facing ‘complicated’ decision on Man City stars for Malta game

Gareth Southgate confirmed Manchester City’s quintet are available to face Malta, but the England boss is wary about the emotional impact of completing the treble and subsequent revelry. Pep Guardiola’s men became the second team in English football history to complete the treble by beating Inter Milan in the Champions League final in Istanbul on Saturday. City partied long into the night in Turkey and only halted their celebrations after Monday’s rain-soaked parade back in Manchester, with worse-for-wear Jack Grealish at the heart of things. The playmaker reported for England duty at St George’s Park on Tuesday evening along with team-mates Phil Foden, Kyle Walker, John Stones and Kalvin Phillips. They travelled to Malta for Friday’s Euro 2024 qualifier, but the emotional – and for some hedonistic – build-up raises questions over their availability. “The first thing is they’re not on summer holiday,” Southgate said of the squad. “They’re all available, so everybody’s fit. We’ve obviously got a lot of considerations, particularly the boys that arrived later. “They’ve not done the majority of the week’s training and coming off the back of massive emotional high. “It’s always complicated, the decisions you have to make. This is never a straightforward week when you’re talking about international football. “But the team have trained really well, the players that have been with us all week, especially, the focus has been excellent and we’re looking forward to the game now.” On the City quintet, Southgate said: “I spoke with them when they arrived, firstly to say what an incredible achievement (it is) and huge congratulations to the whole club and to Pep. He’s done an incredible job to keep the team at the level he has for the whole season. It’s an amazing achievement. “But we’re actually heading into the unknown here because there’s no way of knowing individually how they’re all going to react and respond to what they’ve been through. “Huge emotion, celebration, need to get back into training, back in with the group, so we’re just going to have to take that bit by bit and see how they all are. “They’re all available but I’ve got to decide whether that’s a good decision. We’ve also got strength in depth in a lot of those positions as well.” Southgate’s pride at his players’ success with City was clear, but he kept his cards close to his chest when asked for his thoughts about the partying. “I’m always monitoring everything the players do wherever they are, at whatever stage of the season,” he said. “We’re used to dealing with this Champions League scenario. “It was probably even more complicated for us when Tottenham played Liverpool (in 2019) because we were then into the semi-final of the Nations League about three days later. “We’ve had several difficult situations with that, but we know how to deal with it. “We’re used to dealing with it, we know our players inside out and our focus is on the team now. “I’ve said to the players, I now have to push them. They might not want to be pushed at this stage, that’s also individually we’ll find out where they are as we go through the week. “But that’s my job. I’ve got to push the players now to get the results we need and, as we said to the wider group at the start, the responsibility lies with them. “Initially this part of the week they’ve got to drive the team and get the performance we want.” Southgate’s press conference at the Ta’ Qali National Stadium was delayed due to technical difficulties upon arriving in Malta, with his 24-man squad forced to wait on the tarmac. Eberechi Eze is among the travelling side and hoping to make his debut on Friday, as is England Under-21s international Levi Colwill, who joined the group after initially being brought into train with them this week. The pair are among those that have had to pause their post-season break at the end of a mammoth season for international duty, but Kieran Trippier says the team are fully focused. “It was important obviously that the lads had a break,” the Newcastle right-back said. “Coming into the England set-up, it’s always a proud moment for all of us to get going again. “When you say it’s been a long season, but for us players there’s nothing better… (we’re) proud to represent our country. “We know what the goal is, to try and reach a Euros and we’ve had a good week training to prepare for this game. “The lads are playing really well. We know it’s going to be a challenge tomorrow, but it’s one I’m ready for.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Will Marcus Rashford make a qualifier return? – 5 talking points Andy Murray feeling ‘really positive’ over fitness as winning run continues Gareth Southgate undecided on whether to select Man City stars against Malta

England boss Gareth Southgate confirmed Manchester City’s treble winners are available to face Malta, but he is yet to decide if they will play. Jack Grealish, Phil Foden, Kyle Walker, John Stones and Kalvin Phillips only linked up with the squad on Tuesday after Manchester City completed the treble by beating Inter Milan 1-0 in the Champions League final on Saturday. Grealish’s celebrations have made the headlines, but Southgate is happy to consider the group for selection for Friday’s Euro 2024 qualifier. “We are going to have to take it bit by bit and see how they are,” he said. “They are all available for tomorrow but I’ve yet to decide if that’s a good decision. “I spoke to them when they arrived, firstly to say what an incredible achievement. We said we are heading into the unknown, there is no way of knowing individually how they are going to react and respond to what they’ve been through. “Everybody is fit. We have got a lot of considerations, particularly the boys who arrived later and are coming off the back of a massive emotional high with the game at the weekend. “It’s always complicated, the decisions you have to make. The team has trained really well, the focus has been excellent and we are looking forward to the game.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Jonny Evans has insisted he wants to keep playing for Northern Ireland for as long as he remains a professional footballer. Evans is in line to captain his country against Denmark on Friday night, earning his 101st cap at the age of 35. After an injury-ravaged season which ended in the disappointment of relegation with Leicester, Evans is out of contract at the King Power this summer but the club said they were in talks over a new deal. Given the amount of time he has missed, Evans would have been forgiven for considering international retirement after reaching his century of caps in Greece last September, but the Belfast-born defender said that had never been on his mind. “No. I’ve never felt like I would separate the two (club and country),” he said. “Probably with the injuries, there maybe was a time where I thought I was just coming to that age where I feel like my body can’t handle it any more. “But I played the three games at the end of the season and I felt good in them. I want to keep playing, and that’ll be the same at club level and international football.” Evans returned from two months out to start Leicester’s final three games of the season, but admitted he was still unsure over his fitness levels after a campaign in which he managed only 14 club appearances. “It’s hard to know where I’m at,” he said. “But I think those three games I was involved in were good for me, I was just glad to get through them.” A 2-1 win over West Ham on the final day of the season was not enough to spare Leicester from the drop as Everton beat Bournemouth to survive. Evans is still dealing with the disappointment, but said coming away with Northern Ireland offered a welcome change of scenery. “International football has always been that for you,” he said. “You go back home and I always feel that when you go back home you are grounded a little bit. “There is a calmness to it and it gives you something inside. I’ve always felt that. For example, I’ve known Craig (Cathcart) since I was 10 years old and meeting up again is like getting back together. “All of the staff and Michael (O’Neill) coming back in. We have been through a lot together over the years so I always feel that and always enjoy that. It’s a nice feeling to have.” Evans also has happy memories of Copenhagen, having earned his second cap here in a 0-0 draw with Denmark in 2006. If Northern Ireland could repeat that on Friday, it would give fresh impetus to their hopes of reaching Euro 2024 after the setback of March’s 1-0 loss to Finland in Belfast. That was O’Neill’s first game back at Windsor Park since returning to the job in December. Evans said having the man who led Northern Ireland to Euro 2016 back in the dugout has given the players fresh belief. “With Michael, even when he left to go to Stoke we kept in touch,” he said. “Michael has been a constant throughout my career. We had a big long spell together in his first time in charge and I’ve always felt like we had a great relationship. “When I found out there was a chance he was getting the job we were all delighted and there was the odd text to make sure he took up that opportunity. It’s been great working with him again. “Obviously we managed to do alright the last time and with Michael’s planning and the way he approaches things, and his relationship with the players which he has always valued goes a long way.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Rickie Fowler makes fast start at US Open with early move to top leaderboard Four British women make history in reaching WTA quarter-final for first time Michael O’Neill urges Northern Ireland to embrace challenge against Denmark

Michael O’Neill has told his young Northern Ireland players to embrace the challenge of taking on Denmark in Copenhagen on Friday night. O’Neill said this Euro 2024 qualifier was not only the hardest fixture on paper but the “hardest fixture full stop” as Northern Ireland travel to take on the top seeds in Group H at the always noisy Parken Stadium. Jamal Lewis has been added to an already lengthy injury list which has robbed O’Neill of half a dozen of his most experienced players, and with Shane Ferguson also out there is a shortage of left-sided players. O’Neill will try to get as much experience as he can into his starting 11, but there will be no option but to rely on younger players too, with Conor Bradley and Shea Charles among the contenders to start. “This is a good game for us,” O’Neill said. “It’s a young squad, we’ve got seven under-21 players with us. We’ll rely heavily on our experienced players as well. It’s a game we can only gain from really. “Obviously we were disappointed with the home game against Finland (a 1-0 defeat in March), we felt we deserved more than we got, so we’ve got to try and make up points somewhere along the line. This is a hard place to play, but we’ll go with the intention of trying to find something from the game.” The 38,000-seater Parken Stadium can become an intimidating place for visiting teams, but while it might be unlike anything Northern Ireland’s younger players have experienced before, O’Neill does not want them to shy away. The thing I've enjoyed in working with the younger players is I see their attitude to the game, it's very positive, I don't think they'll have a fear Michael O'Neill “I think they should embrace it really more than anything else,” he said. “The message will be go out and enjoy playing in a stadium like this… “The thing I’ve enjoyed in working with the younger players is I see their attitude to the game, it’s very positive, I don’t think they’ll have a fear. “There’s a lot of self-belief and abilities in the likes of Shea Charles, Isaac Price, Conor Bradley, Trai Hume, they play in games where they’ve a lot of expectancy where they’re currently playing their football. “I think we have to have that mindset that we’ve got everything to gain from Friday night and not fear the atmosphere but look forward to it.” One key challenge for Northern Ireland will be limiting Manchester United midfielder Christian Eriksen’s ability to dictate play from the centre of pitch. “We understand we are dealing with a top level player here,” O’Neill said. “It’s brilliant seeing him back playing international football. “The days of man marking players is more difficult now but as a team we have made the midfield players in particular very aware of the Danish midfield and Christian Eriksen is the major player in that midfield. He is a hugely experienced player at international level. “I think to deal with players at that level it’s more about what we do as a collective as opposed to possibly that designated player to deal with that situation.” Both sides come into the game nursing disappointments from the last round of fixtures in March. Denmark suffered a shock defeat to Kazakhstan, blowing a 2-0 lead as their unfancied hosts scored three in the last 20 minutes, while O’Neill’s first game back in charge at Windsor Park ended in that loss to Finland. O’Neill insisted he was not interested in making any sort of statement by claiming a big scalp on Friday, but his mind is on making up for what he sees as lost points. “It would give us six points and it would make up for the disappointment of Finland,” he said. “I don’t think it’s about sending out a statement. I think this group could be very tight. Results have demonstrated that. “If you can take anything off the number one seed in the group it is a massive achievement.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Republic boss Stephen Kenny hopes to exorcise ghost of Cristiano Ronaldo Ashes rivals unite in honour of Nottingham victims on opening day of series Ben Stokes urges his England players to become a part of Ashes folklore

Republic of Ireland boss Stephen Kenny will hope to finally exorcise the ghost of Cristiano Ronaldo as he targets a priceless Euro 2024 qualifier victory in Greece. Kenny will send his troops into Group B battle at the OPAP Arena on Friday evening desperate to open their account at the second time of asking after they lost 1-0 to France in Dublin in their opener. He will do so still reflecting on the famous World Cup qualifier win over Portugal which was snatched from his grasp by Ronaldo’s late double in September 2021, and game in which Ireland led through John Egan’s header with just a minute of normal time left on the clock. Asked if he was encouraged by the fact that some of his team’s better performances had come away from home, Kenny replied: “You can’t look back. “Of course we have analysed all the performances and the obvious one is the game in Portugal, of course, which we lost late. “We have learned so much about the team over the last year and you can see the team improving, but this is a stern test. We have learned so much about the team over the last year and you can see the team improving, but this is a stern test Stephen Kenny “Greece are a really good team, they are at home, and it will be a brilliant atmosphere, I’m sure, and it is one that we want the players to rise to and put in a big performance.” Kenny and his players arrived in Athens after using a nine-day training camp on Antalya, Turkey to acclimatise to the heat and humidity they expect to face at the home of AEK Athens. Greece boss Gus Poyet has billed the game as must-win for both nations with the Netherlands as well as France – minnows Gibraltar complete the group – also vying for qualification, but Kenny is taking a more pragmatic view. He said: “We are looking for that historic away win, that’s our objective, that’s what we want. “Greece have a very good home record, they have been in good form over the past year – we respect that. “Nothing will be easy, we will have to fight for everything and it’s only the second game of the group, so I don’t think anything is decided so early, but it is certainly going to be an important game for both teams.” It could be a particularly big night for Ireland’s 18-year-old striker Evan Ferguson, who would dearly love to wrap up a memorable season, during which he has burst on to the Premier League scene at Brighton, made his senior international debut and scored his first Ireland goal. Asked if the challenge to the teenager was to finish the campaign in style with a telling contribution in Athens, Kenny said: “Evan has emerged quicker than we could have anticipated. He’s done brilliantly for Brighton in the Premier League. We’re delighted to have him. “He’s trained really well this week. Such a young player, you wouldn’t want to put too much on his shoulders because we’ve got five good young forwards in the squad. “But he has got terrific ability and we’d love to see that emerge over the next week.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Ashes rivals unite in honour of Nottingham victims on opening day of series Ben Stokes urges his England players to become a part of Ashes folklore Kane thanks team-mates and Bellingham takes five – Thursday’s sporting social

The Premier League games you can expect to watch on Boxing Day during the 2023/24 season.

Sources close to Sheikh Jassim have declined to comment on a report that Manchester United are considering granting exclusivity to the Qatari in the race to buy the club. Sheikh Jassim made a fifth and final bid for the club last week and it is being reported that his offer is viewed more favourably by the club’s owners, the Glazer family, than a rival bid from Ineos founder Sir Jim Ratcliffe. However, the Sheikh’s team indicated nothing had changed from earlier in the week when a report from Qatar suggesting Sheikh Jassim had won the race to buy United was described as “pure speculation” by one source. The report on Thursday suggested that, if exclusivity was granted to Sheikh Jassim by the club, it would shut out the Ratcliffe bid for as long as the exclusivity period lasted. Sheikh Jassim’s bid has always been to buy 100 per cent of the club. It has been reported that Ratcliffe was offering to buy 60 per cent, allowing Avram and Joel Glazer to retain a combined 20 per cent, but the Ratcliffe camp has declined to comment on that point. Trading in Manchester United shares on the New York Stock Exchange was temporarily paused due to “volatility,” though shares resumed trading shortly afterwards, and were up 12 per cent on the day. A new company, Nine Two UK Holdings Limited, was also incorporated in the UK on Thursday as part of Sheikh Jassim’s preparations should his bid be successful. The PA news agency understands the paperwork was submitted months ago, with sources insisting the incorporation was simply part of getting things in order rather than an indication Sheikh Jassim’s offer had been accepted. The documents published on the Companies House website list Sheikh Jassim as an individual person with significant control of the company. He is listed as one of two directors, alongside Abdulrahman Abdulla Al Ansari. Al Ansari is also on the board of the Qatar Chamber, which describes itself as a non-profit public organisation whose mission is to represent, support and protect the interests of the business community in Qatar. Companies House says all shares in the new UK company are owned by Nine Two Holdings LLC, which was registered in Qatar in April. The listing confirms Sheikh Jassim was born in April 1982, making him 41 years old. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Aaron Ramsey is hoping to scale his next Euro 2024 qualifying challenge before climbing the three highest peaks of Scotland, England and Wales within 24 hours. Wales skipper Ramsey will lead the Dragons into battle against Armenia and Turkey and then turn his attention to the National Three Peaks Challenge and ascending Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Yr Wyddfa on Wednesday. The walking distance is 23 miles and total ascent 10,052 feet with a driving distance of 462 miles. “I am fully focused on the Welsh games, but we get back and fly up to Scotland and start there first,” said Ramsey, who is embarking on the journey with 10 others to raise funds for the @its.neveryoucharity created in memory of six-year-old Hugh Menai-Davis who died from rhabdomyosarcoma in September 2021. “The plan will be to do that and work our way down to Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa). “It’s for a cause that’s really close to my heart as a good friend of mine lost his little one. “So, I’ll be putting on my walking boots and trying to get my way up those mountains. ”Let’s just focus on these two games first, and get to the top of the table before the Three Peaks.” I’ll be putting on my walking boots and trying to get my way up those mountains Aaron Ramsey on his Three Peaks Challenge Wales host Armenia in Cardiff on Friday before meeting Turkey in Samsun on Monday. Rob Page’s side are looking to build on a promising start to the campaign in March when they took four points from two games, a 1-1 draw away to World Cup semi-finalists Croatia and a 1-0 home victory over Latvia. Ramsey said: “We got off to a fantastic start after a difficult World Cup for many reasons. “It was important for us to hit the ground running, away to Croatia. It has set us up quite nicely now and we’ve got some momentum going. “But football can change very quickly and we’ve got to treat the Armenia game with respect. “They’ve been dangerous in certain periods of their games, they scored a very good goal against Turkey for example. “But it’s all on us. We are at home, fans behind us and we have a game plan.” Wales are at full-strength with Brennan Johnson and Ben Davies back after missing the March qualifiers and Neco Williams cleared to play after breaking his jaw in April. The Nottingham Forest full-back has taken a full part in training and manager Page confirmed that there was no need for him to wear a protective mask. Williams’ Forest team-mate Johnson has been the subject of a reported £30million offer from Brentford and Page insisted it will not be a distraction for the 22-year-old forward. Page said: “He is a great lad and he has got a great support network around him. “I know his dad (David) – I used to play against him – and I know the messages his dad will be giving him. “I was impressed with the way they conducted themselves in January when his head could have been turned. “He could have had the opportunity to go to one of the so-called bigger clubs, and he didn’t. I thought he made the right decision for his future. “He’s a level-headed lad, he’s sensible. His focus will be on this game on Friday.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Pat Cummins backs David Warner against England as Australia turn down the volume Home support can be Malta’s 12th man against England – ex-player David Carabott England batter Dan Lawrence to join Surrey from Essex on three-year deal

Malta’s home support at the Ta’ Qali Stadium can be their 12th man and ruin England’s hopes of a third-straight Euro 2024 qualifying win on Friday, according to former player David Carabott. The 122-cap veteran has a contentious claim to being Malta’s only ever goalscorer against England, after his penalty struck a post before rebounding in off goalkeeper Richard Wright during a friendly in the capital Valetta, 23 years ago. FIFA officially credit the goal – which drew the tiny Mediterranean island nation level after Martin Keown had scored for Kevin Keegan’s side – to then Ipswich keeper Wright, who was making his international debut. And Carabott had a chance to write himself further into his country’s folklore with a second spot-kick in the 88th minute to earn an unlikely draw, but this time Wright saved with his feet. Emile Heskey had already scored his first England goal to earn a 2-1 win, but it was an underwhelming finish to the team’s Euro 2000 warm-up schedule as the team laboured against a nation with a population of under half a million. Carabott, who finally signed off his international career in 2005 as the county’s third-highest goalscorer with 12, says Malta have made strides in the more than two decades since England squeaked past them, and that they have spirit in the squad to frustrate Gareth Southgate’s team. “What I can guarantee is that Malta will give England a hard time,” said Carabott. “They will put them under pressure, they will frustrate them, they will try to break the game, stop England from scoring early. “The longer that passes, the more frustrating it will become for them, nor for us. That’s where we will find our motivation, courage and fighting spirit. “We have a supporters club now that make a big difference to us at home, the ground will be a good asset for us. It can be the 12th man.” Malta are ranked 172nd in the FIFA ranking -, sandwiched between Bermuda and Moldova – but like many smaller European sides, they have become more competitive since the inception of the Nations League in 2018. They went down 2-0 after a battling display against European champions Italy at the Ta’ Qali Stadium in March, days after pushing Euro 2020 qualifiers North Macedonia all the way in Skopje, eventually losing 2-1. The team have followed the blueprint of other UEFA members in looking for talented players abroad with eligibility for citizenship, in the expectation that regular game time in bigger leagues will ultimately benefit the national team. Most notably the 33-cap midfielder Teddy Teuma, born and raised in France, played a key role as Union Saint-Gilloise came within a whisker of winning the Belgian title in 2022. The 29-year old will miss the meeting with England through injury. OK, we are tiny, but when we have to prove ourselves against a great nation like England, we can rise to the occasion David Carabott “Three days ago, Malta beat Luxembourg 1-0 away,” said Carabott. “We competed with them and beat them. They’re about 70 places above us in the rankings. “We’re getting more competitive, we’re exploring a lot of other talents with Maltese citizenship that play abroad, because our national league, the level is not that high. “When you can use players who play abroad, where the structure is on another level. “We have Teuma playing in Belgium. He makes all the difference for us, you see the level he is at, how high it is compared to the others.” Despite the passing years, Carabott still recalls vividly the day he almost snatched a famous draw for his country against England. “It was fantastic to show that we are Malta. OK, we are tiny, but when we have to prove ourselves against a great nation like England, we can rise to the occasion,” he said. “The people in the street after that game (were optimistic for the future) but in football it depends on the opposition. We played England, we had nothing to lose, it was a beautiful day and we performed brilliantly. “I cannot say that in the years since we haven’t improved, or we have not made headlines at home. “Improvement is being made and our national team have been doing well, but to compete against such great national sides as England, Italy, Ukraine and Macedonia – we know it’s a very, very tough group for a country like us.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live W Series enters administration after three seasons England batter Dan Lawrence to join Surrey from Essex on three-year deal Leighton Clarkson set to join Aberdeen on permanent deal

Brazil and Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr. has been tasked with leading a special player-run Fifa anti-racism committee. The committee will look to advocate for more stringent punishments for any displays of racism within football, a long overdue need. Vinicius Jr, arguably the face of LaLiga, recently came under attack when he experienced chants from Valenica’s fans in May during a 1-0 away defeat at the Mestalla. The incident accounted for the ninth time the 22-year-old star had reported racial abuse this LaLiga campaign alone. Support around the world came in for the Brazilian star who blasted the Spanish league after the events that unfolded. Vini Jr. made his feelings clear about his experience so far in LaLiga stating that he believed racism like he experienced at the Mestalla had become “normal” all around the top flight. The Brazilian didn’t hold back in expressing his thoughts, stating that in Brazil, Spain is regarded as a country of racists. Javier Tebas, LaLiga’s president, didn’t take kindly to Vinicius’ criticism of Spain. The Costa Rican-born Tebas failed to reinforce support for the abused star, criticising the Brazilian’s reaction to the terrible events. Although LaLiga has had extreme numbers of incidents with racist fan behaviour over the past year, the issues extend beyond Spain. Joelinton, a fellow Brazilian and Newcastle United midfielder, recently revealed that he had his own experience with racism following Newcastle’s defeat to Arsenal. The newly created committee is an important step in the right direction and, at the very least, demonstrates that Fifa is no longer willing to passively observe their players suffer with no consequences. Gianni Infantino, Fifa’s president, spoke with the Brazilian national team in Barcelona encouraging the players that football will no longer deal with racism and stated to Reuters: “There will be no more football with racism in it. The games should be stopped immediately when it happens. Enough is enough.” Infantino stressed the importance of not just punishing fans within the scope of football but expanding the punishments beyond the stadium and pursuing legal action. The president continued: "An act of racism is a criminal act... From now on, Fifa will take legal actions with local authorities too, we will join complaints filed in local justice.” Football has no room for racism and incidents such as Vinicius’ should not have to occur to move the needle. However, the appointment of a player like Vinicius to lead the new committee, who has personally experienced racism in football at its most extreme, brings hope for creating a safer environment for players all around the world. Read More Gordon McQueen: The tough defender who starred for both Leeds and Man United Kompany eager for ‘perfect’ season start when Burnley face Man City Former Scotland defender Gordon McQueen dies aged 70

Not many players can boast successful spells at both Leeds and Manchester United, but Gordon McQueen was one of them. The former Scotland defender, who has died at the age of 70 following a battle with dementia, broke the British transfer record in 1978 after making a controversial £495,000 move across the Pennines to Manchester, but it came at a cost as he attracted the ire of the West Yorkshire club’s fans. The move was met with such a backlash from the Leeds faithful that McQueen, a tough and uncompromising centre-back, felt responsible for creating such a bitter rivalry between the two clubs and admitted the move could well have been a catalyst for decades of enmity between the sets of supporters. But it was one he could not turn down, saying famously at the time: “Ninety-nine per cent of players want to play for Manchester United and the rest are liars.” Despite the furore surrounding the deal, the Scot went on to enjoy a seven-year career in Manchester before retirement and, after flirting briefly with management, he enjoyed a successful television career as a pundit on Sky Sports. He disappeared from screens after being diagnosed with cancer of the larynx in 2011, but his legacy at the broadcaster lives on in the shape of daughter Hayley McQueen, a regular presenter on the channel. While McQueen’s time in West Yorkshire may be overshadowed by the move to Old Trafford, he will go down as one of the great Scottish contingent that featured so heavily for Don Revie’s dominant Leeds side of the 1970s. Born in the North Ayrshire town of Kilbirnie on June 26, 1952 to mother Millie and former Hibernian and Accrington goalkeeper Tom McQueen, it was no surprise that McQueen embarked on a career in professional football, and it all started out at St Mirren. Ninety-nine per cent of players want to play for Manchester United and the rest are liars Gordon McQueen It did not take long for the big clubs to come calling, though, and after rejecting the likes of Liverpool’s Bill Shankly and Jock Stein at Celtic, McQueen plumped for a move to Elland Road where he would join up with future international team-mates Billy Bremner, Eddie Gray and Joe Jordan, whom he also played alongside at Old Trafford. Having moved south in 1972 at the age of 20, McQueen missed the FA Cup final defeat to Sunderland in his first season, but it was not long before he had established himself in the side as they went on to win the First Division title in 1973-74 before having a tilt at the European Cup the following season. Leeds made it all the way to the final, but McQueen was suspended for the 2-0 defeat to Bayern Munich after he was sent off in the semi-final against Barcelona. “We played Barcelona in the semi-final and we were 2-1 up going into the second leg in Spain,” he recalled in an interview with the BBC in 2016. “A few of their players said they were going to do me, and Jimmy Armfield, our manager, told me to count to 10 if anything happened. “The boy (Manuel) Clares spat in my face, I counted to 10 and then knocked him out. I was sent off. Missed the final.” After six years at Leeds, the offer came in from Old Trafford to make McQueen the most expensive ever signing by a British club, a year after Hamburg splashed out £500,000 to sign Kevin Keegan from Liverpool. He helped his new club reach the 1978-79 FA Cup final in his first full season and played his part in one of the most dramatic matches the competition has witnessed, his 86th-minute goal sparking a late United comeback from 2-0 down to 2-2 against Arsenal, only for Alan Sunderland’s 89th-minute goal to win it for the Gunners. He did claim an FA Cup winners’ medal in 1982-83 following a replay win over Brighton, but suffered defeat in the League Cup final that same year against Liverpool. On the international front, McQueen made his debut for Scotland in 1974, with his most memorable moment in dark blue coming against England at Wembley in 1977. He powered a header past Ray Clemence – one of five international goals he scored – to set Scotland on their way to a famous 2-1 win in front of almost 100,000 fans, 70,000 of them travelling Scots. The wild celebrations that followed have gone down in football folklore, with hoards of jubilant Scotland fans invading the pitch. Supporters clambered on to the goal frames, even breaking a crossbar, while bits of the Wembley turf were ripped up and claimed as souvenirs. McQueen was included in Scotland’s squad for the 1978 World Cup, but could not play in the tournament due to injury. He won the last of his 30 caps in 1981. Following seven years at Old Trafford, he left the club in 1985 after losing his place to Paul McGrath and, after a brief spell in Hong Kong, he retired and took the managerial reins at Airdrie before moving on to backroom roles at St Mirren and Middlesbrough, where he settled down with his family. McQueen was a smoker and drinker throughout his career in an era when it was rife among footballers. After his cancer diagnosis in 2011, he had a further health scare in 2015 when he suffered a stroke in the same month his father died. It affected his movement, despite sessions of physiotherapy, and meant he had to scale back the scouting work he did for Boro. In February 2021 it was announced he had been diagnosed with vascular dementia, with his family saying that he wondered whether the amount of heading of the ball he did throughout his career was a factor in him getting the disease. McQueen is survived by wife Yvonne, daughters Hayley and Anna, son Edward and grandchildren Rudi, Etta and Ayla.