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The European player of the year Pernille Harder scored the opening goal against her former team Wolfsburg as Chelsea earned a place in the Champions League semi-finals. Further goals from the striker Sam Kerr and England’s Fran Kirby complemented a solid defensive display and secured a 3-0 win – 5-1 on aggregate – to progress past Wolfsburg at the fourth time of asking in the competition. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/31/chelsea-reach-womens-champions-league-semi-finals-after-beating-wolfsburg

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! England played very well last week against San Marino, for 45 minutes , and were efficient if not exactly effervescent against Albania at the weekend. Nothing to worry about there, although exactly how much use it is to anyone in a world where Belgium’s second string are capable of walking in eight against Belarus, celebrating their goals with little more than an insouciant shrug, is a moot point. Belgium’s haul was one of several eye-catching scorelines in the Human Rights World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday, along with Gibraltar 0-0 Netherlands after 40 minutes and Luxembourg 1-0 Portugal after 44. If we could have blown the final whistle there and then, sat back, got out the popcorn and immersed ourselves in the lovely fallout, we would have, promise you. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/31/the-fiver-human-right-world-cup-qualifiers-blowhardista-wing-punditocracy

The $2tn investments are aimed at re-igniting the country’s economic growth and helping combat climate change.

Women’s Champions League updates from the 4pm BST game Barcelona take a 3-0 lead from the first leg to Manchester City And feel free to email Niall here or tweet @niallmcveigh 3.48pm BST Gareth Taylor: “We’ve proved time and time again that when things go against us, we find a way. It’s important to stay in the game in the early stages, this team has shown we can open the floodgates later in the game.” The City manager insists the first leg was closer than the scoreline suggests, and confirms Hemp is out with an ear infection. “She’s a big loss for us today.” 3.37pm BST Some big news from earlier on: the Arsenal manager, Joe Montemurro, is stepping down at the end of the season for personal reasons. The Australian led the Gunners to the WSL title and a League Cup in his three-year tenure. Related: Arsenal Women manager Joe Montemurro to leave at end of season Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2021/mar/31/manchest...

Chelsea the biggest spenders at £35,247,822 Only Gillingham did not pay agents among top four divisions Chelsea were the biggest Premier League spenders on agents’ fees in the 12 months to the start of February 2021, data released by the Football Association shows. The club invested heavily last summer to bring in Timo Werner, Kai Havertz and Ben Chilwell among others and spent £35,247,822 on agents’ fees. Manchester City were the next-highest spenders with £30,174,615, and Manchester United spent slightly less: £29,801,555. The lowest top-flight spenders on agents’ fees were West Brom, whose outlay was £4,222,059. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/31/premier-league-clubs-spending-on-agents-fees-rises-to-272m-amid-covid-chelsea

The number of repairs has increased to 1.7 million in England and Wales in the past year, a survey says.

Australian in charge since 2017 and won WSL in 2019 Club say he wants to recharge and have more family time Joe Montemurro said he had made the “hardest professional decision” of his life in announcing that he will leave Arsenal at the end of the season after more than three years as manager. “I absolutely love this job and this club, the club I have supported all my life,” the 51-year-old said. “I’m hugely grateful to the club for their unrelenting support during my time here and in understanding and respecting my decision.” Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/31/arsenal-women-manager-joe-montemurro-to-leave-at-end-of-season

It is impossible to avoid results these days, but there was a time when fans had to think creatively to keep up to date By Steven Pye for That 1980s Sports Blog “I wonder what the latest score is in the Old Firm derby,” I thought to myself during walk No 321 of lockdown. Twenty seconds later I had my answer. Reaching for my phone, a few thumb presses gave me all the information I needed. I could have even checked in on the results from the Luxembourg National Division if I was that way inclined. I now take this kind of thing for granted but there was a time when discovering the latest score in a sporting fixture was not quite as simple as this. Never mind “look away now if you don’t want to know the score”. A few decades ago, trying to track down the results could be a long and drawn out affair. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/sport/that-1980s-sports-blog/2021/mar/31/lost-art-tracking-down-sports-football-scores-teletext

A sweet moment caught on CCTV as the Turkish defender Alpaslan Öztürk is seen jumping for joy after being called up to play for the national side. A security camera at the team’s facility in Turkey captured the moment Öztürk, who plays club football for Göztepe SK, received the phone call to tell him the good news. ‘As every Turkish footballer, I have a dream to play in the national team one day,’ he said. ‘I hope it will be, but we will continue until we do, we will work, we will carry our team to good places. As long as we continue to do these, I am sure that one day we will reach that goal’ Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/video/2021/mar/31/jumping-for-joy-turkeys-ozturk-celebrates-national-team-call-up-video

Accountancy giant staff can choose the hours they work and mix home and office following pandemic.

Permission to comment and an easier way to see a chronological feed are both in the works.

Doreen Lofthouse spread the lozenge's appeal around the world but never forgot her Lancashire roots.

Updates from the 1pm BST kick-off in Budapest ( first leg: 1-2 ) Be brave, Taylor tells Manchester City before Barcelona return And you can email Gregg here or tweet @GreggBakowski 12.49pm BST Arsenal manager Joe Montemurro is to leave the WSL club at the end of the season. The 51-year-old Australian has been in the job since November 2017 and guided the Gunners to the 2018-19 Women’s Super League title. His tenure has also included winning the Continental League Cup in 2018. Arsenal said in a statement on their official website that Montemurro, whose side are currently fourth in the WSL table, has “decided to take a professional break to recharge and dedicate more time to spending with his family”. 12.45pm BST Both teams won their league games by a two-goal margin at the weekend. Wolfsburg beat SC Sand 3-1 but they remain in second place five points behind leaders Bayern Munich, who they may face in the semi-finals if they get past Chelsea. Chelsea took care of Aston Villa ...

Chelsea player on loan at Lorient discusses tackling Brazil great, what he learned at Ipswich and a picture with Lampard he loves “It was an unbelievable experience,” Trevoh Chalobah says as he remembers coming off the bench to help Lorient record a famous victory over Paris Saint-Germain in January. “Being on the same pitch as Ángel Di María, Neymar, Kylian Mbappé – I’d been watching this team play in the Champions League. To beat them was unbelievable.” Chalobah had entered at half-time, stepping into midfield and setting his sights on stopping the superstars in PSG’s attack. The score was 1-1, Neymar’s penalty cancelling out Laurent Abergel’s opener. It was the ultimate test of Chalobah’s defensive capabilities. “Neymar was playing as a No 10,” the 21-year-old says. “I had to mark him a lot. Even when I tackled him, it was like: ‘Wow, I tackled Neymar.’” Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/31/trevoh-chalobah-lorient-ch...

Manager says Agüero helped club to higher level Argentinian backed to end stay with a flourish Pep Guardiola has described Sergio Agüero as “irreplaceable” and credited him with helping Manchester City to “a higher level”, as the striker prepares to leave the Etihad Stadium at the end of the season. City’s all-time record goalscorer will depart when his contract expires and Guardiola has paid a glowing tribute to the 32-year-old, who has won four Premier League titles, an FA Cup, and five League Cups during his decade-long stay. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/31/guardiola-hails-irreplaceable-aguero-striker-manchester-city-exit

Deliveroo shares open well below expected price after big investors' attitude to company soured.

Mino Raiola and Jonathan Barnett, both senior members of the Football Forum, are threatening action over proposed changes “Fifa will not exist in 10 years’ time,” predicted Mino Raiola at the World Football Summit in November. Best known for representing Erling Haaland, Paul Pogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Matthijs de Ligt, the 53-year-old was responding in typically bombastic fashion to confirmation a fortnight earlier that football’s governing body was pressing ahead with a raft of controversial new regulations for agents . Perhaps the most contentious is Fifa’s intention to introduce a cap that would limit agents of the selling club to 10% of the transfer fee, and agents of the buying club to 3% of the fee. The regulations, scheduled to take effect in January 2022 having entered a third and final “consultation process” in November that is continuing, would also force agents to become licensed and undergo an exam conducted by Fifa, and make all transactions public, allowing supporter...

Plus: apt soundtracks, the ill-fated 2016 FA Cup last four and goalkeeper scoring records Mail us your questions or tweet @TheKnowledge_GU “Bayern beat Stuttgart 4-0 last weekend despite having a man sent off with the score at 0-0,” tweets Dan Almond. “What’s the biggest victory by a team reduced to 10 men? And what’s the biggest deficit 10 men have overcome to win?” We haven’t been able to top Bayern’s 4-0 win, but there are still plenty of examples worth mentioning of 10 men overcoming 11. Let’s start at Stamford Bridge in April 2006. The leaders and champions Chelsea had dropped five points in the previous three games and were in danger of being caught by Manchester United. They were in even more trouble when, after going a goal down, they had Maniche sent off. The response was awesome. With Didier Drogba at his most unplayable, Chelsea’s 10 men battered West Ham 4-1 , and went on to win the title at a canter. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.th...

The carmaker will offer a generous paid parental leave scheme to its 40,000 employees globally.

The driving app will highlight journeys with lowest emissions based on factors such as traffic.

The Chinese phone maker is entering a competitive market to build electric cars of the future.

The EU is working to improve conditions but the UK is not keeping pace, says the TUC.

How to work your way to happiness, and break that daily grind.

Managers at the investment bank have paid for sympathy hampers to be sent to over-worked employees.

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! Lee Bradbury. Gerry Creaney. Rodney Marsh. Jô. Down the years, Manchester City have never wanted for strikers that would get fans discussing their performances in a highly animated fashion down the drinker. With great feeling. At some length. Using fruity linguistic flourishes. Sergio Agüero can be filed alongside these dudes, too, albeit for slightly different reasons. Agüero has been jaw-dropping in a rather more acceptable way, with his 257 goals in 384 matches, and while he’s not quite as loveable or relatable as the equally legendary Shaun Goater, The Fiver will concede that he’s probably, on balance, a little bit better. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/30/sergio-aguero-the-muse-to-martin-tylers-signature-moment

An analysis of the remaining 90 fixtures shows that Liverpool and Newcastle fans have reasons for optimism By Ben McAleer for WhoScored With the international break almost over, we are approaching the business end of the season. Manchester City have a 14-point lead at the top of the Premier League table, so we will not be treated to a title race over the next two months. However, the battles to finish in the top four and to avoid relegation are likely to go to the wire. With that in mind, we at WhoScored have analysed the 90 remaining games of the season and tried to illustrate the difficulty of each team’s run-in. To get an idea of the task facing each team in their remaining games, we used our rating of their performances in home games and away games this season. Throughout the season, we calculate a rating for each team based on how they play in every game. Every event of importance in a game is taken into account, with a positive or negative effect on ratings weighted in relati...

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning , Jonathan Wilson and Lars Sivertsen to discuss Sergio Agüero’s decision to call time on his Manchester City career and to answer listeners’ questions Rate, review, share on Apple Podcasts , Soundcloud , Audioboom , Mixcloud , Acast and Stitcher , and join the conversation on Facebook , Twitter and email . On the podcast today: the panel discusses Sergio Agüero’s legacy at Manchester City. Plus, we take listeners’ questions on Jude Bellingham, nostalgia and the impact of empty stadiums on teams. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/audio/2021/mar/30/sergio-aguero-to-leave-man-city-and-your-questions-answered-football-weekly

Uefa claims it needs more time to ‘finalise’ discussions Disagreements remain between governing body and ECA The crucial vote on controversial reforms to the Champions League has been postponed at the last minute, after Uefa claimed it needed more time to “finalise” discussions. The governing body will no longer decide on a new format for Europe’s premier club competition at a meeting of their executive committee on Wednesday, with any decision now postponed until at least the middle of April. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/30/crucial-vote-on-major-champions-league-changes-postponed-by-uefa

Welch to take charge of Harrogate v Port Vale on Monday She has officiated eight National League games this season Rebecca Welch has become the first female referee appointed to take charge of an English Football League game after being asked to officiate the League Two match between Harrogate and Port Vale on Easter Monday. Welch has officiated eight National League games this season. The 37-year-old, from Washington in County Durham, refereed the Women’s FA Cup final in 2017 and 2020. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/30/rebecca-welch-first-female-referee-appointed-to-efl-match

Liverpool’s first meeting since 2018 Champions League final Salah says incident with Ramos is ‘in the past’ Mohamed Salah has said he feels “special motivation” for Liverpool’s first Champions League encounter with Real Madrid since their defeat in the 2018 final . Next Tuesday’s quarter-final pits Liverpool against Zinedine Zidane’s side for the first time since Kiev, where Sergio Ramos’s grab on Salah , Loris Karius’s mistakes and Gareth Bale’s stunning overhead kick shaped a highly eventful game. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/30/salah-special-motivation-real-madrid-liverpool-champions-league

The USMNT’s best players don’t turn out for the Under-23 team, but there were glaring errors in the campaign to reach the Tokyo Games anyway Here we go again. The US men have failed to even qualify for another global tournament, this time the Tokyo Olympics, after a sloppy 2-1 loss Sunday to Honduras . Even worse, this is now the third straight Olympics the US will miss, in addition to failing to qualify for the last World Cup. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/30/us-mens-soccer-team-olympic-qualifying-falure

Our cartoonist wades into the international break to see England beat San Marino and Albania, plus a rogue West Brom sign Doing some online shopping? Buy a Squires cartoon here And take a look through David’s archive treasure trove Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2021/mar/30/david-squires-on-lifelong-england-memories-and-counting-flags

Spending on Easter eggs is up by almost £50m, research suggests, as people prepare for weekend celebrations.

Denmark midfielder Thomas Delaney pulled off a spectacular scorpion kick finish during training with the national team. The Borussia Dortmund player had his first effort saved, the goalkeeper's parry sending the ball over his head. A bit of quick thinking from the midfielder saw him flip forward, striking the ball with his heel and sending it past the keeper into the top left corner. Denmark face Austria on Wednesday Watch more from the amazing world of sport series Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/video/2021/mar/30/denmarks-thomas-delaney-scores-audacious-scorpion-kick-in-training-video

Kwasi Kwarteng won't rule out public ownership and concerned about "black box" structure of owner.

Striker’s numbers are astonishing and QPR goal is legendary but he has also done more than anyone to change club’s image Sergio Agüero has scored 181 league goals for Manchester City, but one of them would have been sufficient to make him a legend. Whatever else Agüero had done in his career, his strike on the final day of the 2011-12 season, running on to receive Mario Balotelli’s only assist of the season before, with glorious inevitability, lashing his shot past Paddy Kenny, would have written his name in golden letters in the history of the club. There was, though, quite a lot else besides. But let’s begin with that injury-time strike at the end of his first season at the Etihad, a goal that consecrated a new era of English football. Praise the awareness, praise the movement, praise his earlier instruction to Balotelli, praise the shot, but most of all praise the calmness in that moment, when a season came down to a single kick, he never looked like doubting himself. And this fo...

The chain plans to open 18 new pubs and upgrade others, but only if there are no more Covid restrictions.

The new Poland manager, whose side take on England on Wednesday, has relied on Zoom calls to chart his team’s ‘universe’ Paulo Sousa accepted the Poland manager’s job towards the end of January. The Portuguese, a member of his country’s fabled golden generation as a player and whose itinerant coaching career has taken in Queens Park Rangers, Swansea and Leicester, travelled to Warsaw to meet his new bosses but not before making a significant diversion. “Our first connection, of course, was with Robert Lewandowski, the captain,” Sousa says. “Before coming to Poland, we passed into Germany to see him, to get some impressions from him – how he sees the national team and the near future, what he wants to see around him. With all the coronavirus restrictions, we could not go out of Munich airport and so it was in the hotel of the airport.” Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/30/paulo-sousa-poland-great-players-are-strikers-engl...

Western brands are facing Chinese boycotts for expressing concern over the treatment of Uyghurs.

It took almost a week to dislodge a giant container ship blocking one the world's busiest trade routes.

Customs and Border Protection says the Malaysian firm uses forced labour to make disposable gloves.

Young people could see rising levels of unemployment even as the crisis eases, warns Prince's Trust.

AstraZeneca has become a political football in a European blame game over its covid vaccine.

Drones are being used to track bees that have been trained to sense chemicals in landmines.

A new facility has opened in Singapore where business people hold meetings in glass "bubbles".

Nike is suing Lil Nas X and an art collective for using its shoes to make a controversial product.

A nasty comment had a lasting impact on the one-time prospect but he has reason to believe things will be better for his son Ram Marwa is recounting the time he was racially abused. It occurred during his days as a footballer and, understandably, talking about it is difficult. He is nervous, edgy, upset, but he tells the tale and, having done so, makes a request – that the person involved and the club where it took place are kept anonymous. He is prepared to open old wounds but there is no desire to shame the perpetrator. The request is accepted and so, ultimately, it boils down to this: one day, when Marwa was a relatively young player and in a changing room minding his own business, a coach said to him: “Shouldn’t your family own a corner shop?” Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/29/i-felt-degraded-ram-marwa-on-being-racially-abused-as-a-young-footballer

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! If the Republic O’Ireland’s weekend defeat at the hands of Luxembourg was an FA Cup giant-killing, it would be classed as more of a noteworthy surprise than a particularly seismic shock. Granted, the presence of both national teams in the draw for the Grand Old Competition would initially raise eyebrows, but in terms of David slaying Goliath, Luxembourg’s victory ought to generate no more surprise than maybe a high end League Two side travelling to the home of mid-table opposition in the division above and securing a late and not entirely undeserved win. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/29/losing-to-a-nation-whose-big-claim-to-fame-is-not-having-a-claim-to-fame

The professional services giant was appealing against a judge's order to pay a whistleblower $10.8m.

Didier Deschamps’ much-changed France side move into first place thanks to a an encouraging 2-0 win against Kazakhstan Didier Deschamps made an extraordinary nine changes after the disappointing draw against Ukraine and was rewarded with an improved performance and three points in a 2-0 win against Kazakhstan. Anthony Martial and Ousmane Dembélé were involved in a slick move, started by Paul Pogba, that led to the opening goal and the Barcelona forward, who finished with a low right-footed shot, again showed that he is getting back to his best. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/29/euro-2020-power-rankings-france-and-turkey-climb

It has been a landmark week for Chelsea and Manchester United while Arsenal appear to have found themselves again Every Women’s Super League game over the weekend was shown live, with kick-offs staggered to allow each one to get its share of attention. Make no mistake, that share is growing. Last week the WSL’s new £8m-a-season, three-year broadcasting deal with Sky and the BBC was announced, another huge step forward for the league. BT Sport might have been outbid for the new contract, but it is important to acknowledge the contribution they have made by taking the rights when nobody else wanted them, investing heavily, and establishing demand for coverage of domestic women’s football to the point where those rights are now hotly contested. Five years ago you would have struggled to find any domestic games on television, and now they are regularly going to be on the BBC’s main channels. The game continues to move so fast, and only in one direction. Continue reading... from Footba...

The company offers free pick-ups from home for the next few weeks as it tries to boost its delivery business.

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning , Jonathan Fadugba and Mark Langdon to discuss the latest round of World Cup qualifiers featuring England’s comfortable win over Albania, Republic of Ireland’s defeat by Luxembourg and a point for Scotland against Israel Rate, review, share on Apple Podcasts , Soundcloud , Audioboom , Mixcloud , Acast and Stitcher , and join the conversation on Facebook , Twitter and email . Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning , Jonathan Fadugba and Mark Langdon to discuss the latest round of World Cup qualifiers featuring England’s comfortable win over Albania, Ireland’s defeat to Luxembourg and a point for Scotland v Israel. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/audio/2021/mar/29/luxembourg-stun-ireland-ronaldo-sulks-and-england-win-football-weekly

Ceramics, make-up and furniture could be hit amid a row over a new UK tax on tech firms.

Major investment banks warn of losses after hedge fund crisis sparks share dump of billons of pounds.

Bayern Munich striker picked up knee injury against Andorra ‘This decision is the only right one ahead of Euro 2020’ Robert Lewandowski will miss Poland’s World Cup qualifier against England on Wednesday due to a knee injury he sustained in the victory over Andorra on Sunday. The Bayern Munich striker limped off after scoring twice in the 3-0 win, with manager Paulo Sousa confirming afterwards that the 32-year-old had been withdrawn as a precaution. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/29/robert-lewandowski-to-miss-polands-world-cup-qualifier-against-england

Government looking into safe return of crowds after 21 June Culture secretary: ‘I’m very hopeful and optimistic’ Culture secretary Oliver Dowden has said the government is looking into whether crowds of more than 10,000 will be able to attend matches at this summer’s rescheduled European Championship. From 17 May stadiums could be permitted to host as many as 10,000 fans, while from 21 June the current plan is for restrictions to be lifted completely. Pilot events will explore how spectators can return safely in large numbers to stadiums. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/29/more-than-10000-spectators-could-attend-later-euro-2020-matches-says-dowden

Informal games are a lifeline while the Premier League is locked down, but at what risk to players? Sweaty and tired, the players tussle before the winning goal is scored on a red-dust pitch at the No 1 ground in Mufakose, a township west of Harare. The football fans start up a chant on the touchline, triggering a frenzied response from opposing supporters, who break into rapturous song. This parched pitch and others like it have become a source of livelihood for some Zimbabwean footballers, struggling to earn a living during the Covid-19 pandemic’s lockdown regulations. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/mar/29/no-play-no-pay-covid-drives-zimbabwes-pros-to-unofficial-football-matches

The food delivery business says it is pricing shares "responsibly" amid “volatile” market conditions.

BBC Money Box reporter Dan Whitworth was phoned by a fraudster and managed to record the call.

Manager criticises game management in win in Albania ‘We have to keep pushing this group of players’ Gareth Southgate says England must do more if they are to fulfil their potential and hit the standards required to win major honours. Goals from Harry Kane and Mason Mount either side of half-time gave Southgate’s side what was, after a slow start, a comfortable win in Albania to ensure they go into Wednesday’s meeting against Poland with a 100% record from two World Cup qualifiers. But Southgate was critical of England’s game management in the latter stages and urged his players to improve if they are to meet the lofty expectations bestowed upon them for a largely home-based Euro 2020 campaign. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/28/england-need-to-improve-to-win-honours-says-gareth-southgate

Playing in a pre-qualifying league with fellow minnows would help them to improve and also benefit more established teams By no means the first football grandee to assert that playing international cannon fodder such as San Marino ought to be beneath the England team, Gary Lineker was the most recent and high profile. During the Wembley rout on Thursday , the man who served his country with so much distinction mused aloud on social media, tweeting: “Surely we’ve reached the stage where the lowest ranked nations should play among themselves to qualify for the right to play at this level. It’s become absurd.” While one suspects a younger Lineker would have happily looked past the absurdity of such a mismatch and seen instead an opportunity to fill his Adidas Copa Mundials, the current incarnation seemed unenthused by the spectacle of England piling the hurt on a team who have never won an international match and boast a car salesman and graphic designer among their number. As with muc...

Americans lose 2-1 to Honduras in must-win to reach Olympics US last missed three straight Olympics in 1960, 1964 and 1968 American players fell to the field at the final whistle. Another missed Olympics soccer tournament for the US men. Another failed four-cycle. Juan Carlos Obregón scored in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time, goalkeeper David Ochoa committed a blunder that gifted Luis Palma a goal two minutes into the second half and Honduras beat the United States 2-1 on Sunday in an Olympic qualification game at Guadalajara, Mexico. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/28/usa-soccer-misses-olympics-honduras

Picking a side that is solid in the middle of the field is common sense rather than negativity – this is not fantasy football In games such as these it can be hard to resist the urge to bemoan Gareth Southgate’s reluctance to play a freewheeling 1-0-9 formation, with Phil Foden playing the sweeper role and Harry Kane leading a gung-ho attack of Raheem Sterling, Mason Mount, Gary Lineker, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Pelé, Maradona and Ali Daei. Just why does Southgate refuse to go for it? Why is he so determined not to entertain? Is he actually Otto Rehhagel in disguise? All of these questions were bubbling away when England, struggling to find their passing game on a horribly slow pitch, were being held by Albania, who were refusing to be good sports by rolling over and making life straightforward for the bigger side. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2021/mar/28/southgate-should-ignore-england-critics-and-stay-pragmatic ...

Harry Kane took his chance when it mattered while Declan Rice did his best to raise the tempo in a comfortable England win Nick Pope Untroubled and will cherish a sixth clean sheet in six, but a couple of iffy moments with the ball at his feet. 6 Kyle Walker Tested Etrit Berisha from range in the first half and occasionally got forward with menace. Booked after the break. 6 Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/28/albania-0-2-england-player-ratings-for-gareth-southgates-team

Shares of Bilibili opened 2.2% below their issue price before slipping further in early trade

Charities are turning to technology to help them attract more volunteers.

The costs are mounting as efforts to free the stranded Ever Given ship go into a sixth day.

Thousands of businesses across the country are feeling the pinch as insurers 'drag their heels' paying Covid claims.

Charlie Marshall believes event could be arranged quickly ‘I know Fifa is very, very keen on it as well,’ Marshall says The European Club Association chief executive, Charlie Marshall, has talked up the prospect of a women’s Club World Cup starting “fairly soon” as the clubs’ body launches its first women’s football strategy. The ECA has been working in women’s club football for some time but this is the first time the organisation has built a comprehensive plan for its involvement. The ECA’s “Be a Changemaker” strategy commits the organisation to helping accelerate professionalism, advance the economic development of the women’s game, identify new commercial opportunities, facilitate the creation of new clubs and produce “first of its kind” research studies through a high-performance taskforce to plug the research gap in women’s sport. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/29/womens-club-world-cup-european-club-associati...

Software developers are in high demand and well paid, but how do you break into the industry?

Even the upcoming visit of a hapless Faroe Islands team to Hampden Park is unlikely to provide Steve Clarke with much solace. Two points from as many fixtures to open World Cup qualification means Scotland are already in the kind of tricky position that has fatally undermined campaigns of the recent past. In Israel a sluggish first half undermined a quest for three valuable points. Clarke hoped for – and very possibly needed – so much more. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/28/israel-scotland-world-cup-qualifying-match-report

Group D: Portugal 2-0 England Mota and Trincão condemn Boothroyd’s side to another loss A toothless England Under-21 side are on the brink of another early exit at the European Championship after a limp 2-0 defeat to Portugal. Dany Mota’s strike and a Francisco Trincão penalty gave Portugal victory in the Group D match on Sunday. England had already lost 1-0 to Switzerland and another defeat in Ljubljana pushed them further towards elimination at Euro 2021. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/28/england-u21s-staring-at-euros-exit-after-feeble-loss-to-portugal

Ferran Torres levelled for Spain in front of 15,000 fans in Tbilisi Mikkel Damsgaard and Kasper Dolberg scored twice for Danes France and Spain enjoyed wins in World Cup qualifying while Denmark smashed eight past Moldova. Related: England need to improve to win honours, says Gareth Southgate Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/28/world-cup-2022-qualifying-roundup-spain-france-germany-italy-denmark

Live updates from all the night’s internationals Saturday’s games: Ronaldo anguish as Portugal are held Get in touch! Email Will or tweet him 7.45pm BST Peep! Peep! Peep! Whistles go across Europe. 7.44pm BST “There were only virtual fans at the Northern Ireland v USA friendly, but they cleverly booed the penalty call that sealed it for the US.” I am not sure we can count them, Mary Waltz. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2021/mar/28/world-cup-2022-qualifying-israel-v-scotland-romania-v-germany-and-more-live

The disparity has been difficult to explain. Harry Kane’s numbers have been phenomenal for Tottenham this season; he is the joint top scorer in the Premier League and the outright leader in assists. In all competitions at club level, the striker has 27 goals and has set up 16 more. And yet when he began this World Cup qualifier against Albania, he had failed to find the net in six England matches and contributed only one assist. Kane is the type of competitor to take these things personally and his determination to put things right was the driving force behind a victory that sets up England nicely for Wednesday’s crunch game against Poland at Wembley. Gareth Southgate’s team were lacking tempo and incision until Kane swooped to convert an excellent cross from Luke Shaw, who played his first international since September 2018. And when Kane played in Mason Mount for the second goal just after the hour, there was no doubt about the destination of the points. Continue reading... from ...

USA picked up their eighth win in nine matches after a 2-1 victory over Northern Ireland at Windsor Park on Sunday. Gio Reyna opened the scoring with a deflected strike before Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic doubled their advantage before the hour with a disputed penalty. A superb strike from Niall McGinn gave Northern Ireland late hope but, as Wednesday’s vital World Cup qualifier against Bulgaria looms, their winless run under Ian Baraclough continued in frustrating fashion. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/28/usa-northern-ireland-friendly-usmnt-match-report

A brace from Sam Kerr earned Chelsea a comfortable 2-0 win against Aston Villa and moved them back to the top of the Women’s Super League. Kerr opened the scoring for the Blues in the 23rd minute, the Australia international getting above her defender to head a looping Fran Kirby cross from the left against the right-hand post and into the net. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/28/chelsea-aston-villa-wsl-match-report

Live updates as England look to build on San Marino romp Nick Ames: Kane fixes his focus on a pivotal summer Albania’s Broja thankful for Chelsea schooling Get in touch! Email Rob 4.32pm BST If you’re into the whole England thing , Sam Curran is trying to pull of a minor miracle in Pune. Related: India set England 330 to win third ODI and the series – live! 4.31pm BST “Afternoon Rob,” says Digvijay Yadav. “Where do you sit on the Southgate debate? Does he still have credit in the bank from 2018? Or does England’s current generation deserve a better coach?” I know it’s easy to say this when you’re not emotionally invested, but I think England fans should be careful what they wish for. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2021/mar/28/albania-v-england-world-cup-qualifying-group-i-live

The government refuses a request for £170m to support the struggling metals group.

Live updates as Chelsea look to reclaim top spot in WSL Press makes Old Trafford bow in West Ham win Get in touch! Email Will or tweet him 1.38pm BST Chelsea: Musovic, Blundell, Bright, Carter, Ji, Reiten, Kirby, Eriksson, Fleming, Kerr, Cuthbert Subs: Telford, Ingle, Leupolz, Charles, Harder, Spence, Andersson, Fox, Beever-Jones 1.28pm BST Chelsea are looking to go back to the top of the table here. They are strong favourites to win, having not lost in their last eight games, not to mention an impressive Champions League win over Wolfsburg in the week. Manchester City hit top spot after beating Reading yesterday thanks to a last-gasp Chloe Kelly winner. Emma Hayes’ side are just one point behind with today’s game in hand, so should be first come the end of play. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2021/mar/28/chelsea-v-aston-villa-womens-super-league-live

Defeat to Luxembourg leaves Republic bottom of group ‘It’s not the manager’s fault … we should look at ourselves’ James Collins is refusing to give up on his World Cup dream despite a disastrous start to the Republic of Ireland’s qualifying campaign. Ireland emerged from Wednesday night’s 3-2 defeat in Serbia in the Group A opener with some credit, but that was blasted out of the water in Dublin on Saturday evening when they were humiliatingly beaten 1-0 by Luxembourg . Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/28/collins-denies-ireland-world-cup-dream-over-embarrassing-luxembourg-defeat

Winger and Ben Cabango abused online after win over Mexico ‘Another week of instagram doing absolutely nothing’ The Wales winger Rabbi Matondo has criticised Instagram after he and teammate Ben Cabango were racially abused online following the friendly win over Mexico . Stoke loanee Matondo and Swansea defender Cabango both started Wales’ 1-0 victory at the Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday night. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/28/rabbi-matondo-criticises-instagram-after-wales-players-racially-abused

Homeowners were invited to apply for grants to insulate houses but the scheme is being suddenly ended.

Led by eco-entrepreneur Dale Vince, Forest Green Rovers have become the world’s first carbon-neutral football club. Now there are plans for a Zaha Hadid Architects all-timber stadium… A player miskicks the ball – skies it – and its clatter on the metal roof is the loudest sound in the Covid-emptied stand. There’s not much by way of a corresponding stand on the other side of the pitch, mostly just advertising boards and a momentarily malfunctioning scoreboard. Behind them a hillock, behind that a sunset. There’s an ill-timed tackle, a melee of angry players, a red card for the home team. But the visitors, Colchester United, look rudderless – it’s the first game for their interim manager – and 10-man Forest Green Rovers run out 3-0 winners. If much of this is a typical scene of lower-league football, as played out all over the country every week of the season, in some crucial details it is not. It’s partly the setting that’s different, on a hill outside Stroud in Gloucestershire, in a ...

By blurring the lines between gambling and investment, the suspended company Football Index has left many in debt “I know of people who have had to tell their partner they don’t have the deposit for their house move,” says David, who is helping to coordinate a support group for customers with money trapped in the failed betting platform Football Index but wishes to be known only by his first name. “People have had to cancel weddings because of it, there are others who’ll have to tell their partner that they have a £10,000 credit card bill that they can’t pay. The things I’ve heard over the last few weeks beggar belief, and there will be thousands more out there who are still suffering in silence.” It is just over a fortnight since Football Index closed its self-styled “Football stock market”, a few hours before the Gambling Commission suspended the company’s licence. Launched in October 2015, Football Index offered its users the opportunity to buy what it described as “shares” in pro...

Easter trees and garden furniture are being sought out by shoppers keen to make the most of lockdown easing.

Unite urges workers to come forward to voice their complaints about hours, pay, targets and breaks.

Firms in England with more than 10 employees that are unable to provide on-site testing can apply.

England’s captain has tough choices to make about his future but the prospect of glory at a ‘home’ Euros is his big ambition To understand how much is on the line for Harry Kane this summer, it is worth laying everything out. He will captain England in what is in effect a home tournament and the prospect of lifting the weight imposed by five and a half decades of history is one that sets his eyes aglow. Kane believes he is at the height of his powers: he has never felt this good about his game so this would be the period, performing on those golden July evenings to a country that has rarely been more thirsty for a flush of euphoria, when a career’s loftiest ambitions bear fruit. Related: Jordan Henderson is an England doubt for Euro finals, says Gareth Southgate Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/27/harry-kane-shuts-out-noise-to-fix-focus-pivotal-summer-england-euros

Stephen Kenny said he did not want another gallant defeat. This ignominy was not what he had in mind. Gerson Rodrigues’s fierce long-range goal five minutes from time earned Luxembourg a famous win that leaves Ireland’s World Cup qualification ambitions hanging by the skimpiest of threads. Kenny’s record as manager reads: played 10, won 0. Luxembourg are the lowest-ranked opponents that Kenny has faced and were supposed to be the side against whom he oversaw his first win. Instead Ireland flopped to a new low, with defeat the consequence of a grim performance. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/27/republic-of-ireland-luxembourg-world-cup-qualifying-match-report

Serbia 2-2 Portugal Netherlands beat Latvia; Czechs hold Belgium Serbia striker Aleksandar Mitrovic became his country’s all-time top scorer on 39 goals from 63 international appearances after he netted in a 2-2 home draw with Portugal in a thrilling 2022 World Cup Group A qualifier but that was overshadowed when Cristiano Ronaldo saw a late goal controversially ruled out. The Serbians fought back from two goals down to earn a share of the spoils as Fulham striker Mitrovic pulled one back in the 46th minute and Filip Kostic levelled after a Diogo Jota double had given Portugal a 2-0 lead in the first half. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/27/netherlands-respond-to-shock-defeat-with-win-over-latvia

Kieffer Moore scores in Wales 1-0 win Wales make 11 changes from Belgium defeat Wales celebrated Chris Gunter’s historic night as a 100-cap record-breaker with a 1-0 home victory over Mexico. Kieffer Moore’s fifth goal in 13 international appearances after 11 minutes settled what at times was a spicy friendly at the Cardiff City Stadium. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/27/wales-mexico-international-friendly-match-report-football

Despite indifferent club form and plenty of alternatives, the manager remains loyal to the Manchester City forward Gareth Southgate has praised Raheem Sterling’s ability to overcome adversity and believes that England suffered when the forward missed the previous two camps. Sterling is under pressure after an indifferent spell with Manchester City and his place in England’s starting XI is under threat because of some fierce competition in attacking midfield. Southgate, whose side continue their World Cup qualifying campaign away to Albania on Sunday, is not short of possible replacements. Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Mason Mount, Bukayo Saka, Jesse Lingard and Jadon Sancho are all hoping to impress before Euro 2020. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/27/southgate-appreciates-raheem-sterlings-value-to-england

Sir Alf Ramsey’s side were in decline and England missed out on two World Cups, but Poland drawing at Wembley gave birth to an enduring myth that they were a bogey team Version one: England played really well at Wembley, had 36 shots to Poland’s two, conceded to a goal that stemmed from uncharacteristic mistakes by Norman Hunter and Peter Shilton, and were unfortunate to draw 1-1. Version two: England deservedly failed to qualify for the 1974 World Cup as they could only draw against Poland, their lack of attacking intelligence exposed by the way they spent the final minutes of the game as they chased a winner endlessly lofting the ball into the box. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2021/mar/27/whatever-the-truth-of-polands-wembley-trauma-the-lessons-of-1973-still-resound

Goals, action and reaction on Saturday’s Qatar 2022 qualifiers Euro 2020 power rankings: breaking down the final 24 teams Any comments? You can email rob.smyth@theguardian.com 6.40pm GMT GOAL! Belarus 3-2 Estonia (Savitski 81) Pavel Savitski has put Belarus ahead for the first time in the game! 6.39pm GMT Norway 0-3 Turkey It gets worse for Norway: the substitute Kristian Thorstvedt has been given a straight red card for a studs-up tackle. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2021/mar/27/world-cup-qualifying-qatar-2022-ireland-portugal-netherlands

Arsenal defender’s immersion in photography have helped his mental health after recovering from long-term injury Héctor Bellerín remembers the epiphany he experienced after speaking to a friend who, partly through working with art, had overcome mental health troubles. “That experience was very powerful for me,” the Arsenal defender says. “I really saw art very differently after that. I used to pass by and say I liked things, but then I started to analyse the meanings more.” It has been a valuable resource over the past two years. Bellerín was only just getting back into his stride after a nine-month layoff with a ruptured cruciate ligament when football’s Covid-19 shutdown hit last March, but he felt better equipped to deal with another gaping chasm in his calendar. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/27/life-viewed-through-a-lens-brings-hector-bellerin-renewed-perspective

Tottenham’s winless streak stretched to seven Women’s Super League matches after a 3-0 home defeat to Arsenal. Caitlin Foord, Vivianne Miedema and Katie McCabe were on target for the Gunners in the north London derby. The visitors could have been ahead early on after Jordan Nobbs’s two long-range efforts forced Rebecca Spencer into making good saves. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/27/tottenham-arsenal-wsl-match-report

WSL updates from the 3.30pm GMT kick-off in north London United enjoy happy Old Trafford bow against West Ham Any comments? You can email rob.smyth@theguardian.com 2.35pm GMT Today's team to face Arsenal... #THWFC : Spencer, Zadorsky ©, Green, Davison, Dean, Worm, Graham, Kennedy, McManus, Ayane, E.Morgan. ! #NorthLondonDerby ⚪ #COYS pic.twitter.com/xHcFH9QBGC NORTH LONDON DERBY TEAM NEWS @lottewubbenmoy starts @JordanNobbs8 returns @VivianneMiedema in attack #WeAreTheArsenal pic.twitter.com/QjxZoDDwGQ 2.27pm GMT Manchester United beat West Ham 2-0 in their historic match at Old Trafford earlier today. That means they are six points clear of Arsenal having played two games more - but Arsenal have a vastly superior goal difference, which could be decisive. It’s quite conceivable that both teams will win all their remaining games and each finish on 50 points. Related: Manchester United enjoy happy Old Trafford WSL bow against West Ham Continue reading... fr...

England forward Lauren James and US World Cup-winner Christen Press both scored in a 2-0 defeat of West Ham as Manchester United’s women’s team made its historic Old Trafford bow. There may have been no fans, the Barmy Army banners may have been dwarfed in the huge ground and coverage limited to the FA Player and radio, but it is hard to overstate how monumental the presence of Casey Stoney’s team at the stadium is. This was one of the most-followed clubs in the world saying that women’s football matters. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/27/manchester-united-west-ham-wsl-match-report

The Stamford Bridge graduate is flowering with Vitesse and is eager to face his Chelsea teammates playing for England “I don’t normally get nervous before games,” Armando Broja says. But this was different. Chelsea were beating Everton 4-0 at a packed Stamford Bridge and Broja, a raw academy player, was about to make his professional debut. There were four minutes left when Frank Lampard told the young forward to get ready to replace Olivier Giroud. Twelve months on, Broja admits that he was shocked. It was 8 March 2020, a week before Covid-19 plunged English football into hibernation. Broja had trained with the first team since the end of January and made the bench for Chelsea’s victory over Liverpool in the FA Cup, but the teenager did not expect to come on against Everton. “When I was taking off my jumper and bottoms I was shaking a bit,” the Albania international says. “But as soon as I went on the pitch the nerves went away.” Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian ...

From Romário’s and Ronaldo’s toe-enders to small-court specialists such as Falcão, half a dozen instinctive gems It comes from futsal . No space? No time? No backlift? No worries. Boom. The toe-poke finish. Or toe-punt . Or toe-ender. Whatever the name – and there are plenty – its effect is felt before it is seen. As Stuart Dallas showed for Leeds recently , it’s a skill witnessed in “big” football all too rarely. So sit back and marvel at the beauty of this joyfully utilitarian act of predatory pragmatism. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2021/mar/27/the-joy-of-six-toe-pokes-in-football-and-futsal

‘Pitch Power’ app will help ground staff maintain surfaces FA aims for ‘visionary, strategic view over next four years’ The Football Association is to look at new formats for football matches and will encourage ground staff to maintain their pitches via an app in a push to do more with less and save the grassroots game. As participation sports returns next week, a new four-season strategy – Survive, Revive and Thrive – will lay out the FA’s vision for the game post-Covid. Included in £180m of funding is money for pitches, alongside commitments to help clubs with fees and funding for football in deprived communities. But with the game and its governing body suffering financial challenges because of the pandemic, the money will have to work hard. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/27/fa-grassroots-funding-pitch-power-app-covid-recovery

A freight forwarding firm says it has 20 containers stranded on the Ever Given container ship.

A senior law enforcement officer says the UK needs "a step change" in its response to fraud.

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! This week’s Human Rights World Cup qualifying has reminded us that night after night after night of wall-to-wall Barclays is not so bad. Guzzling Gazprom actually does represent la crème de la crème of football. Steve Bruce, Graham Potter, Andrea Agnelli, Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa: come back to the five and dime soon, lads. The Fiver never knows what it’s got until it loses it. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/26/the-fiver-republic-o-ireland-luxembourg

‘I have so many around the world that I play for them’ Tottenham manager says he has learned to deal with critics José Mourinho says he has learned to deal with people questioning the methods of “one of the most important managers in the game”. Mourinho has won trophies at a number of top clubs across Europe, including two Champions League and three Premier League titles. But in recent years he has attracted criticism for his style of play and being outdated in the modern game. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/26/jose-mourinho-critics-mourinistas-one-of-most-important-managers

The valuation marks a sharp decline for the once-hyped office sharing start-up.

Liverpool council approved plan in February Club building 52,888-seat stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock Everton’s planning application for their new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock has received government approval. Robert Jenrick, the secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, had been reviewing the club’s plans since last month and has given the green light. Liverpool City Council unanimously approved the plans on 23 February. Continue reading... from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/mar/26/everton-get-government-go-ahead-for-new-stadium