SAO PAULO — A "considerable number" of guests specially invited to watch the Copa America final between Brazil and Argentina have been faking false COVID-19 tests to ensure their entry, organisers the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) said on Saturday.
The match between the two arch rivals is due to kick off on Saturday night at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
Comunicado CONMEBOL
LONDON - While England exulted at reaching a first major final since 1966, there was increasing outcry abroad over the penalty awarded for a foul on Raheem Sterling in extra time to give them a 2-1 win over Denmark in their Euro 2020 semifinal.
An array of media and football figures joined Danish fans in condemning the penalty as too cheap for such a big game, some saying England's haughty views on diving looked hypocritical in view of Sterling's tumble at the lightest of touches.
On June 18, FIFA finally handed down a meaningful sanction to the Mexican Football Federation (FMF), requiring Mexico to play its next two home games without fans because of continued use of a homophobic chant during matches. Now the FMF is trying to pull a fast one and make its women’s team serve the punishment.
Classy.
Italy keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was busier than he had been in four prior matches in the first half of his team’s Euro 2020 quarterfinal, but it was a Nicolò Barella goal vs Belgium that gave Italy the lead in the first half. The Barella goal was so great it cured Ciro Immobile’s leg, the striker miraculously getting up unharmed after having been seemingly shot in the leg moments earlier.
Two months and approximately 10 candidates later, Tottenham Hotspur's search for a manager is over.
Cuando Francia gana, la vida es color de rosa. Pero basta un pequeño tropiezo para tener que ir a buscar un balde de palomitas y ver el drama que se desencadena.
Pasó con el boicot de los jugadores a Raymond Domenech, en pleno Mundial de Sudáfrica 2010; con el supuesto chantaje sexual que involucró a Mathieu Valbuena y Karim Benzema, que dejó a este último seis años fuera de Les Bleus; y ahora con la masiva pelea entre la madre de Adrien Rabiot y las familias de Paul Pogba y Kylian Mbappé, tras la sorpresiva eliminación de Francia en la Euro 2020.
Había ilusión entre la gente del Querétaro. Todas las fuentes cercanas a la negociación eran optimistas y aseguraban que el campeón del mundo, Lukas Podolski, se pondría la playera de los Gallos Blancos para afrontar la Liga MX 2021-22.
Poldi, sin embargo, hizo polvo los sueños al confirmarse en redes sociales que había preferido unirse al equipo de jueces de “Das Supertalent”, un programa similar a “America Got Talent” en la televisión alemana.
While the Euros roll on through the knockout rounds, we have plenty of wild fan interactions already. From fans showing up to support their team in the wrong country to pitch invaders wielding rainbow flags, anything goes as fans are enjoying their time back. Football fans were kept from stadiums and fully supporting their teams for over a year by the Covid-19 pandemic, diminished to yelling at screens instead of faces, so we wouldn't expect anything less extravagant than what has been happening. Let's take a look at the best Euro 2020 fans so far.
England picked up an iconic 2-0 win against Germany in front of 40,000 fans at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday to advance to the quarterfinals.
The win was England’s first competitive victory in a knockout game against Germany since the 1966 World Cup Final.
This was also the result that every neutral fan dreaded. England deserves top marks for its defensive efforts in the tournament so far. The English defense has played four games and gone perfect with four clean sheets. But holy cow is it hard to stay awake watching the Three Lions play.
If it seems like there have been a lot of own goals during Euro 2020, it's because they have been occurring at a rate unlike anything seen at an international tournament before.
The first European Championship was contested in 1960, and in the 15 tournaments up to now, there have been nine own goals. Through the first 41 matches at this summer's European Championship there have been nine own goals.
Euro 1960-2016: 9 own goals
Euro 2020: 9 own goals