Browsing: European

Real Madrid suffered a shock 2-0 loss and finished with nine men against Celta Vigo in La Liga on Sunday after Williot Swedberg scored an audacious goal with his heel and a second in stoppage time to leave the hosts four points off leaders Barcelona.

Swedberg cleverly diverted a cross from Bryan Zaragoza past Thibaut Courtois in the 53rd minute to put Celta ahead and had an easy finish three minutes into added time, going around the goalkeeper to wrap up the points.

Realâ€s cause was not helped by the 64th minute dismissal of Fran García, who picked up two yellow cards in 60 seconds, but they laid siege to the visitors†goal for the last 20 minutes as Celta went into a defensive shell to hold onto their advantage.

The Real defender Ãlvaro Carreras was also dismissed for two cautions, his second coming in stoppage time at the end of the game as the home sideâ€s frustrations boiled over.

It was a second clean sheet in 15 league games this season for Celta, whose keeper Ionut Radu made a first-half save from Jude Bellinghamâ€s header and stopped a second-half free-kick whipped in by Kylian Mbappé. Real stay on 36 points from 16 games as Celta, who are now 10th, celebrated a first win at the Santiago Bernabéu in 19 years.

“With the team they have and their quality, itâ€s difficult to match them, but we read the game well,†said the Celta striker Borja Iglesias. “We had possession, we played in their half, we played a fantastic match.â€

Jude Bellingham receives treatment for a cut above his right eye. Photograph: Europa Press Sports/Europa Press/Getty Images

Xabi Alonsoâ€s stuttering Real team have now won only one of their last five league games as they await the midweek arrival of Manchester City in the Champions League.

Earlier on Sunday, Espanyol moved up to fifth as Roberto Fernandezâ€s first half penalty handed them a 1-0 home win over Rayo Vallecano as both sides finished with 10 men.
Elcheâ€s Rafa Mir scored twice as they ran out 3-0 home winners over struggling Girona, while hosts Valencia and Sevilla remained in the bottom half of the table after a 1-1 draw.

The Napoli striker Rasmus Højlund stole the spotlight as his two goals secured a 2-1 home victory against Juventus, lifting the champions to the top of Serie A.

Napoli have 31 points, one ahead of Inter in second. Third-placed Milan, who are three points off the pace, visit Torino on Monday. Juventus remain seventh on 23.

Napoli opened the scoring after seven minutes when David Neres burst down the right, shook off Teun Koopmeiners and squared to Højlund, who slid in to steer the ball home. The hosts dominated much of the first half and created the clearer chances, with Scott McTominay nearly scoring just before the interval when his header glanced past the near post. Napoli were given a fright as the Scot was forced to visit the touchline several times for treatment, seemingly struggling with a muscular issue, though he managed to play on.

Although the home side continued to press after the break, it was Juventus who hit back just before the hour with a counter-attack that found Kenan Yildiz inside the box and he drilled a low effort into the far corner to equalise.

Napoli’s Rasmus Højlund scores his first goal against Juventus. Photograph: Ciro Fusco/EPA

Højlund was not finished, however, and in the 78th minute he scored a second goal, heading in from point-blank range after Weston McKennie diverted a header to the Dane as he tried to clear a cross. Despite a late Juventus push, Napoli held firm to claim all three points much to the relief of the home crowd.

Roma endured a 1-0 defeat at Cagliari, with a second-half red card for Mehmet Celik leaving them vulnerable before Gianluca Gaetanoâ€s late winner. The loss leaves Roma fourth on 27 points.

Romaâ€s city neighbours, Lazio, held Bolognato a 1-1 draw despite playing the final 10 minutes with 10 men after Mario Gilaâ€s red card, while Jamie Vardy did not find the net but his Cremonese side defeated Lecce 2-0.

Borussia Dortmund scored once in each half through Julian Brandt and Nico Schlotterbeck to ease past Hoffenheim 2-0 on Sunday and tighten their hold on third place in the Bundesliga.

Dortmund, who stretched their unbeaten league run to six matches, are third on 28 points, one behind second-placed RB Leipzig, 6-0 winners against Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday. The Bundesliga leaders, Bayern Munich, are on 37 points following their 5-0 demolition of Stuttgart. Hoffenheim, who endured their first defeat after their own six-game unbeaten run, are fifth on 23.

Dortmund, who face Norwayâ€s Bodø/Glimt in the Champions League on Wednesday with the Ruhr valley club on track for a top-eight finish in the league phase, had to wait until the 43rd minute for their first good move in an even first half, with Brandt finishing with a tap-in.

As Hoffenheim pushed for an equaliser Dortmund struck again, with Schlotterbeckâ€s off-balance shot on the hour. The Dortmund forward Serhou Guirassy should have added another late on when he was sent through by Yan Couto but his shot came back off the crossbar.

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When it comes to the World Cup, there are few more authoritative voices than Martin Tyler.

The legendary commentator has worked at every tournament since the 1974 edition in West Germany and is looking ahead to next summer’s instalment in North America.

England will head across the Atlantic looking to end what will have been a 60-year wait to lift the trophy, so how does Tyler rate Thomas Tuchel’s side’s chances – and how can the Lionesses’ recent European Championship success help their cause?

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Martin Tyler on England’s World Cup chances

The Lionesses succesfully defended their European Championship title this year (Image credit: Getty Images)

“Most England fans today weren’t alive when we won it in 1966,” Tyler tells FourFourTwo. “Winning the World Cup is a great milestone but the weight of expectation nowadays seems more like a millstone.

“Now the country is fuelled by the Lionesses’ successes of back-to-back European Championships. They did it in a thrilling way because it wasn’t a smooth ride at all.

Thomas Tuchel is preparing to lead England to the 2026 World Cup (Image credit: Getty Images)

“That has thrown down a challenge for the men’s team. Sarina Wiegman has proved that a foreign coach can work for England – Thomas Tuchel should draw heart from that. However, no-one has done it in the men’s game since the late great Sir Alf Ramsey.

“It’s a hugely competitive field, first to qualify and then be the winner from 48 teams. There will be over 100 games in the finals next year. England won with 16 countries playing – now we’ve got three times that amount.”

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Tyler will be hoping to commentate next summer, which would see him return stateside following his stint calling the action at the 2025 Club World Cup – a tournament which was widely criticised.

“I really enjoyed my commentary stint in the USA,” he continues. “I believe in the concept of the Club World Cup but, in terms of the details of it, I would expect there to be changes going forward. The money was obviously a great attraction for clubs. I think it should be in the calendar, but the question is when?

“Clubs should have a global tournament like national teams. Though it wasn’t billed as a precursor to the FIFA World Cup, there will be useful lessons to come from that next year too.”

Tyler is hoping to commentate at next summer’s tournament (Image credit: Getty Images)

But when it comes to tournaments, nothing can top the World Cup, with Tyler having seen some of the game’s greatest-ever players in action.

“It’s a privilege to have seen all those generations from 1974 through to, hopefully, my next World Cup in 2026,” Tyler says. “What I love about football is that it’s a collective game and everybody is in it together. All parts have to function to be successful and you’re only ever as strong as your weakest link. I couldn’t list the Ballon d’Or winners because it’s the team and not the individuals that means the most to me.

“I saw Pele play live but didn’t commentate on him. I’ve called many matches involving Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, and Diego Maradona and Michel Platini before them. Platini was wonderful – I watched him score back-to-back hat-tricks at the European Championship in 1984, which France won. Star players scoop all the individual awards but, to me, football’s value lies in teamwork – TV is the same.”

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Harry Kane scored a hat-trick after coming on as second-half substitute to guide Bayern Munich to a 5-0 victory at Stuttgart.

The Bavarian club, who have opened up an 11-point lead at the top, were a goal up but struggling against the aggressive hosts until the introduction of Kane on the hour mark. Stuttgart were also left with 10 men for the last 10 minutes after the dismissal of Lorenz Assignon.

Bayern, who host Sporting in the Champions League on Tuesday, were lucky to go into the break with a one-goal lead thanks to Konrad Laimerâ€s 11th-minute strike. Stuttgart first saw Nikolas Narteyâ€s header that went in ruled narrowly offside and Chema also came agonisingly close to scoring in stoppage time.

Deniz Undav, who has scored six of Stuttgartâ€s last eight goals as he battles to reclaim his Germany spot before next yearâ€s World Cup, came even closer with a powerful shot in the 59th that Jonas Urbig in Bayernâ€s goal tipped over the bar.

The introduction of Kane tipped the balance in the visitors†favour and the England captain opened his account with a crisp, low drive in the 66th. The Stuttgart keeper Alexander Nübel then let a weak shot from the Bayern substitute Josip Stanisic slip through his hands to make it 3-0 and to make matters worse, Bayern earned an 80th-minute penalty after a handball and red card for Assignon, and Kane easily converted it.

The forward completed his hat-trick from a Michael Olise cutback in the 88th to take his league tally to 17 goals and lift the Bundesliga leaders to 37 points, 11 ahead of second-placed RB Leipzig, who reduced the gap to eight points when they beat Eintracht Frankfurt 6-0.

Kane has now scored a total of 58 goals for club and country so far in 2025, more than he has ever scored before in a calendar year as a professional, with his previous best being 56 in 2017.

Harry Kane scores from the penalty spot. Photograph: Thomas Kienzle/AFP/Getty Images

“Itâ€s something Iâ€m not used to, but I did it a couple of times this season,†Kane said of his substitute role. “The boss wanted to keep me fresh and save energy. I came on after 60 minutes with a couple of other guys and we were able to exploit the space and get the goals.

“We had a tough battle in the cup midweek and today we faced one of the best teams in the league away, but we looked stronger in the last half an hour and punished them.†Bayern battled past Union Berlin 3-2 in the German Cup last 16 on Wednesday.

Barcelonaâ€s Ferran Torres scored a first-half hat-trick as his side won 5-3 at Real Betis in La Liga on Saturday, bouncing back after conceding an early goal to cruise to victory and extend their overnight lead to four points over Real Madrid, who host Celta Vigo on Sunday.

Barcelona went behind to an Antony goal in the sixth minute, but Torres struck twice to put them in the lead by the 13th minute, and Roony Bardghji made it 3-1 just after the half-hour mark with his first La Liga goal for the club before Torres completed his hat-trick.

A Lamine Yamal penalty increased Barcaâ€s lead but Betis never gave up, with Diego Llorente reducing the deficit from a corner in the 85th minute and Cucho Hernández adding a penalty five minutes later, but it proved too little, too late as Barca held on to win.

Ferran Torres scores the second of his three goals in Barcelonaâ€s win at Real Betis. Photograph: Marcelo del Pozo/Reuters

“I think the first half was very good, and I think we were very tired towards the end of the second … I want to be positive in my assessment of this match, but weâ€re certainly going to analyse everything, and the important thing is that we won,†Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said. “I started Ferran Torres, and I knew this is his stadium. Heâ€s scored here many times, even for the national team before … heâ€s confident in himself, and thatâ€s crucial for a striker,†he added.

Athletic Bilbaoâ€s Alex Berenguer scored an 85th-minute winner as they beat Atlético Madrid 1-0 at home, dealing a serious blow to the visitors†title hopes.

There were plenty of fireworks in the game, but little in the way of goal-scoring chances as both sides struggled to get shots on target, and when they did, the two goalkeepers showed that they were in fine form.

Bilbaoâ€s Unai Simon pulled off a superb first-half save with his right foot to deny Thiago Almada, and Jan Oblak came to Atléticoâ€s rescue to prevent Nico Williams from scoring in the second half.

Atlético striker Alexander Sørloth came off the bench in the 62nd minute and almost gave his side the lead 22 minutes later, but again Simon came to his sideâ€s rescue, and this time it was to be even more decisive. He quickly restarted play and the ball made its way to Williams on the right. The winger rattled the ball across the face of the penalty area for the onrushing Berenguer to fire home the winner.

Earlier in the afternoon, third-placed Villarreal beat Getafe 2-0, while a penalty in first-half stoppage time gave Alavés a 1-0 win over Real Sociedad in their mid-table clash. Barcelona top the standings on 40 points after 16 games, with Madrid four points behind them with their game in hand. Atlético are fourth on 31 points, Betis are fifth on 24 points.

In Italy, Inter moved top of Serie A with a comfortable 4-0 win over Como at San Siro, where the home side ended the visitors†11-match undefeated league run.

Comoâ€s last loss came in August but Inter proved too strong a challenge and they are the first team to score more than one goal against Cesc Fàbregasâ€s side this season. Inter are on 30 points, two ahead of Milan, who are away to Torino on Monday, and Napoli, who host Juventus on Sunday. Como are sixth on 24 points.

Inter took the lead in the 11th minute. Luis Henrique took the ball from inside his own half into the box and his pass picked out Lautaro Martínez who hit his first-time shot beyond Jean Butez.

Lautaro Martínez scores for Inter past Comoâ€s Jean Butez. Photograph: Image Photo Agency/Getty Images

Como lost the striker Ãlvaro Morata to injury with just over half an hour gone and they failed to register an effort on target before the break. The visitors finally created some danger when Jesús Rodríguez crossed to the back post but Tasos Douvikas, who replaced Morata, somehow sent the ball over the bar from close range.

Ãlex Valle then headed over from a floated Nico Paz ball into the box, but just as Como finally came out of their shell, Inter doubled their lead in the 59th minute. Federico Dimarcoâ€s corner bypassed everyone at the front post and Marcus Thuram stuck out a foot to poke home from just in front of the keeper.

Hakan Calhanoglu put an end to any hope of a late Como comeback nine minutes from time when he collected a clearance outside the area and drilled his strike past a flat-footed Butez. Inter continued to pour forward and Carlos Augusto hammered home from a Dimarco cross with four minutes remaining to wrap up a statement win against what should have been tricky opponents.

Paris Saint-Germain returned to winning ways in Ligue 1 after losing to Monaco last week, battering 10-man Rennes 5-0 in their final home match of 2025. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia struck twice while Senny Mayulu, Ibrahim Mbaye and Gonçalo Ramos were also on the scoresheet for Luis Enriqueâ€s side.

They remain one point behind league leaders Lens, who were grateful for Wesley Saïdâ€s late strike in a 2-1 victory at Nantes. Toulouse claimed a first win in seven matches by edging out Strasbourg 1-0.

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Kenny Dalglish’s 1977 move from Celtic to Liverpool was a momentous deal, as the Reds broke the British transfer record by spending £440,000 on the Scotsman as their replacement for Hamburg-bound Kevin Keegan.

During his time with the Bhoys, Dalglish had won four Scottish titles and four Scottish Cups, as he netted 173 goals for club during his nine years at Celtic Park.

Despite this success on the home front, Celtic had not been able to repeat the success of their 1971 Lisbon Lions, with Dalglish’s side twice reaching the final four of the European Cup. When Dalglish arrived at Liverpool, he was joining the European champions, and further continental glory was very much part of the plan at Anfield.

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Dalglish on Liverpool’s 1978 European Cup win

Liverpool broke the British transfer record to land Dalglish

While Dalglish’s maiden season in English football saw the Reds draw a domestic blank, as Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest pipped them to the First Division title, it was a different story in Europe.

As defending champions, Liverpool were handed a bye in the first round of the European Cup and would go on to sweep aside Dynamo Dresden, Benfica and Borussia Monchengladbach on their way to the final at Wembley Stadium.

Kenny Dalglish at Liverpool in 1983 (Image credit: Alamy)

Belgian side Club Brugge, who had seen off Atletico Madrid and Juventus in the quarters and semis, awaited in the final, and Dalglish had done his homework.

He knew that opposition goalkeeper Birger Jensen had a habit of going to ground early to smother shots. “I knew what I had to do,” he recalls to FourFourTwo. “No point hitting it along the floor. I’d need to chip it.”

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His chance came in the 64th minute, when Graeme Souness chested down a ball on the edge of a crowded Brugge box and slipped a pass through to Dalglish, who gently dinked a finish over Jensen into the far corner from a tight angle.

There was no reply from their rivals. At the age of 27, he’d finally emulated the Lisbon Lions.

“Every time you win a trophy, it’s a great achievement,” he reflects now. “But to win European trophies is even more special. Celtic had done it back in 1967, but I’d never achieved it.

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Dalglish and Liverpool also won the European Cup in 1984 (Image credit: Getty Images)

“Going to Liverpool had given me the best possible chance of doing that.”

That would be just the first of three European titles he would win at Anfield, with further European Cups arriving in 1981 and 1984, while he would also add six First Division titles, an FA Cup and four League Cups as a player.

The trophies kept coming when he moved into the dugout, initially as a player-manager, as three more league titles and another pair of FA Cups followed before he called time on his 14-year spell with the club in 1991.

Asif Kapadia’s documentary film Kenny Dalglish is now on Amazon Prime

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Ajax have strongly criticised an “utterly outrageous†firework display that caused their Eredivisie match against Groningen at the Johan Cruyff Arena to be abandoned.

The referee Bas Nijhuis took the players off the field within five minutes of the start after fireworks and flares were ignited behind one of the goals, and the stadium filled with smoke. Attempts to restart the match 45 minutes later were met with more fireworks, causing Nijhuis to formally abandon the game.

Ajax said in a statement: “Ajax considers what happened in the stadium this evening to be utterly outrageous. We offer our apologies to everyone who has been affected in any way. The safety of spectators and players has been put at risk. That is unacceptable. We emphatically distance ourselves from this misconduct. Fireworks do not belong in the stadium.â€

Real Madrid battled to a 1-1 draw at Girona in La Liga, as Kylian Mbappéâ€s second-half penalty cancelled out Azzedine Ounahiâ€s first-half opener, extending Realâ€s winless run in Spainâ€s top flight to three matches.

Real drop to second in the standings on 33 points, one behind the leaders Barcelona. Villarreal sit third with 32 points, while Atlético Madrid are fourth on 31, with only three points separating the top four teams.

Girona scored the opener just before the break when Viktor Tsygankov led a rapid counterattack down the right channel. The Ukrainian delivered a pinpoint low cross to Ounahi, who fired a thunderous strike into the top corner from just inside the box, leaving Thibaut Courtois with no chance.

Kylian Mbappé scores a penalty for Real Madrid in their draw. Photograph: Joan Monfort/AP

Madridâ€s persistence eventually paid off in the 67th minute. Vinícius Júniorâ€s mazy run from the left led to a foul inside the box, earning the visitors a penalty. Mbappé stepped up to calmly slot his effort into the bottom-left corner, narrowly beyond the reach of Paulo Gazzaniga.

There was a dramatic early game in Spain, with Real Sociedad coming back from 2-0 to level at home against Villarreal but losing to a goal five minutes into added time. Goals from Ayoze Pérez just after the half-hour and Alberto Moleiro in the 57th minute established Villarrealâ€s lead, but Carlos Soler soon pulled one back and Ander Barrenetxea equalised three minutes from time. Moleiro had the last word, however, deep into added time.

In Italy, Napoli thwarted Romaâ€s attempt to reclaim first place in the Serie A standings with a 1-0 win at the Stadio Olimpico, where David Neresâ€s goal moved the defending champions level on points with Milan at the summit.

The first half was a frantic, end-to-end affair and, just when the hosts looked to be gaining control, a quick Napoli counter led to Neres scoring the opening goal nine minutes before the break.

Roma huffed and puffed all through the second half but never really troubled the Napoli keeper and Antonio Conteâ€s side secured back-to-back wins in a title race with little margin for error.

Lautaro Martínez wraps up the points with his second goal of the game for Inter. Photograph: Enrico Mattia Del Punta/EPA

Interâ€s Lautaro Martínez scored a second-half double in his sideâ€s 2-0 win at Pisa despite a less than convincing performance.

Inter arrived in Tuscany looking to get back on track after their derby defeat by Milan last weekend was followed by a Champions League defeat at Atlético Madrid, but they were made to battle all the way by the promoted Pisa. The hosts created plenty of chances but a clinical Inter scored the opening goal in the 69th minute when the Argentinian Martínez smacked a first-time shot into the roof of the net and the forward tapped in from close range seven minutes from time.

In Norway, Viking hammered VÃ¥lerenga 5-1 at home on the final day of the Eliteserien to hold off the challenge of Bodø/Glimt and secure the Norwegian league title for the first time in 34 years, prompting a pitch invasion by the Stavanger clubâ€s delirious fans.

Having finished third last season, five points behind Bodø, Stavanger held their nerve in a thrilling run-in, winning their last seven games to end up with 71 points, one more than Bodø.

Viking celebrate their Eliteserien title success after defeating VÃ¥lerenga. Photograph: Mathilda Schuler/BILDBYRÃ…N/Shutterstock

Knowing a win on the final day would secure the title, any nerves were quickly dispelled when Edvin Austbø scored for Viking after 10 minutes, and a goal from Martin Ove Roseth and a penalty from Zlatko Tripić sent them in 3-0 up at the break.

Valerengaâ€s Elias Kristoffersen Hagen dampened the mood a little when he pulled one back for the visitors five minutes after the break, but two more goals put the crowd back in party mood and the final whistle was greeted with an explosion of joy in the stadium.

Bodø, who have been battling to hold their own in this seasonâ€s Champions League group stage, did what they could to keep the pressure on by beating Fredrikstad 5-0 at home but their adventures in Europe, which took them to the Europa League semi-finals last season, had already taken their toll as Viking edged them to the title.

“Itâ€s completely surreal, to stand in this crowd,†the defender Kristoffer Haugen, who scored Vikingâ€s fourth goal, said. “I donâ€t know what to say. Iâ€ve been dreaming about this ever since I started going to the stadium when I was two years old. This is a boyâ€s dream come true,†he added as fans wildly celebrated the clubâ€s first league trophy since 1991.

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It feels cruel in part to use Thursdayâ€s meeting of Feyenoord and Celtic to reflect upon illustrious times. The Dutch side are 29th in the 36-team Europa League table, with Celticâ€s position in 27th only more slightly more palatable to supporters because Rangers are bottom of the pile.

Those fans disrupted an annual general meeting to the point of abandonment last week, demonstrating the disharmony that has engulfed Celtic for months. A club that progressed to the Champions Leagueâ€s knockout phase last season, looking an overdue but serious European force, have starkly regressed. Celtic have the spending power to outshine clubs who routinely embarrass them in a bigger pond than St Mirren and Motherwell occupy.

The European Cup final of 1970 remains so curious in a Celtic context because it is the showpiece occasion the club would rather forget. It provided rare missteps from Jock Stein and triggered the break-up of the Lisbon Lions. Celtic have never returned to the continentâ€s marquee match and, on all available evidence, never will. Feyenoordâ€s success at San Siro suitably incentivised Ajax to win the next three European Cups.

Celtic fans from Glasgow heading to Milan for the 1970 European Cup final. Photograph: Herald and Times /Shutterstock

“The European Cup final was a disaster for Celtic,†said the clubâ€s official magazine. “Nothing could be more futile than to try to deny this. It was a disaster for the players, for the management and perhaps most of all for the supporters.â€

Those fans were expectant; not unreasonably so after watching their team lift the trophy in the searing heat of Lisbon three years earlier. Celtic were domestically dominant. As written in The Story of Celtic of the 15th European Cup final: “It was to be the crowning glory on five fabulous years, the final seal of greatness and ultimate proof to some biased scribes south of the border that the men from Parkhead were no flash in the European pan.†Multiple European Cup winners are held in higher esteem.

Received wisdom is that Stein, ordinarily so detail-obsessed, badly underestimated Feyenoord. Not enough was known about Dutch footballâ€s emerging threat in Glasgowâ€s east end. Ajax had been comfortably beaten by Milan in the 1969 final, albeit their 5-1 thrashing of Liverpool in 1966 should have turned heads. The Celtic managerâ€s confidence had been fuelled by his teamâ€s victory over Leeds in the semi-final.

Less than two weeks later, Stein attended Feyenoordâ€s messy 3-3 draw with Ajax, an end-of-season fixture played in low-key conditions in a spartan stadium in Amsterdam. Celtic viewed the final with boldness; a sense that was to come back to haunt them when Stein handed out unwanted champagne bottles to supporters during a multiple-hour delay at Milanâ€s Malpensa airport post-match.

Celtic goalkeeper Evan Williams goes to pick the ball up from the net after Rinus Israëlâ€s equaliser. Photograph: Alamy

Tommy Gemmellâ€s opener for Celtic just before the half-hour was supposed to fuel a procession, even if the advantage was hardly merited. Rinus Israël equalised two minutes later. A replay would have been required had the teams finished level at the end of extra-time but the Sweden striker Ove Kindvall capitalised on an uncharacteristic Billy McNeill error with three minutes remaining.

McNeill was candid. “Two-one in extra time makes it seem close but we know the real difference was about four goals,†he said. “Everywhere that mattered, we got stuffed.â€

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Wim Jansen, who would later manage Celtic to a crucial Scottish top-flight win in 1998, was an architect of Steinâ€s downfall. Stein, under pressure to overhaul what had been a celebrated team, turned towards a group of young players known as the Quality Street Gang. Kenny Dalglish, Lou Macari, Davie Hay, Danny McGrain, Paul Wilson and George Connelly may well have forged strong reputations in green and white anyway, but there is no question their progression was accelerated by events at San Siro.

Willem van Hanegem embraces Evan Williams at the end of extra time. Photograph: Trinity Mirror/Mirrorpix/Alamy

Feyenoord, captained by Jansen, lifted the Uefa Cup in 1974, seeing off Tottenham in what was then a two-leg final. Celticâ€s domestic dominance continued post-Milan, but their subsequent European sojourns peaked only in European Cup semi-final losses in 1972 and 1974. It was Martin Oâ€Neill, now back in charge on an interim basis, who guided them to the Uefa Cup final almost three decades later.

That night, of epic football drama in Seville against José Mourinho and Porto, remains a regular point of reference. The same cannot be said of 1970 and Feyenoord. Celticâ€s lost final. It was unquestionably also their missed opportunity.

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November 24, 2025 | Francesca Bullock

It was a triumph for youth and experience for the British team yesterday at the ITTF European Para Table Tennis Championships in Helsingborg, Sweden with 15-year-old Bly Twomey winning her first major title in the womenâ€s class 7 singles and Welshman Rob Davies winning his fifth European singles title in menâ€s class 1.

Grace Williams also took silver in the womenâ€s class 8 singles, taking the teamâ€s medal tally in the singles events to nine with Tom Matthews (menâ€s class 1), Chris Ryan (menâ€s class 2), Martin Perry (menâ€s class 6), Theo Bishop (menâ€s class 7), Billy Shilton (menâ€s class 8) and Fliss Pickard (womenâ€s class 6) all securing bronze medals on Saturday.

Womenâ€s class 7

Bly Twomey was competing in her first major final and faced the world champion and defending European champion Kubra Korkut, the 31-year-old from Turkey who made her international debut three years before Twomey was born. Twomey led 2-0 in their Paralympic semi-final last year before Korkut came back to win 3-2 and although Twomey had gained her revenge twice in Slovenia earlier this year Korkut had won their most recent encounter in France last month.

The first set was nip and tuck, but Twomey won it 11-9 and then took the second 11-5 to lead 2-0. This time Korkut had no answer to the brilliant play from her young opponent and Twomey raced through the third set and let out a roar of triumph as she clinched it 11-3 to take the match 3-0 and European gold.

It was a performance of astonishing maturity by the Brighton teenager, whose preparation for the tournament had been combined with sitting her mock GCSE exams.

Bly Twomey with her gold medal

“I canâ€t really explain how I feel,†said Twomey. “Itâ€s such a surreal moment – it was my first major final and to get there at such a young age is incredible and I couldnâ€t ask for more.

“Having all the support from British Para Table Tennis and Brighton Table Tennis Club is why I won – without them I wouldnâ€t be here, and I wouldnâ€t be the person I am today so having them by my side and knowing theyâ€re there for me when I need them is great.â€

Having experienced Korkutâ€s fighting qualities Twomey admitted that she kept her nerve during the match by telling herself she wasnâ€t going to win.

“I think it was really important to win the first set just to take the pressure off,†she said. “Over the course of my matches with Kubra normally Iâ€m 2-0 up and she makes a comeback, so in the third set I was telling myself, ‘youâ€re not going to win this†and then hopefully I will win and it worked.

“I think I worked out what she was doing and played the shots I should at the right moment. Andrew (head coach Andrew Rushton) was really helpful and encouraged me to just keep fighting even though I was down a bit in the first set.

“In the early matches I felt the pressure of getting to the final, so I didnâ€t play very well but in this final I was really up for it. I knew the least I could get was silver and that would be incredible so Iâ€m just really proud of getting gold and showing people that I can do that.â€

Menâ€s class 1

Rob Davies narrowly missed out on a fifth European title at the European Championships in 2023, losing a very close final to the Hungarian Endre Major, and took silver again in last yearâ€s Paralympic Games in Paris. The Welshman came into these Championships in great form having won gold in France last month but lost a very close match to final opponent Federico Falco in the group stages two days earlier.

He started well in the final, taking the first set 11-7 and then took the third 11-6 after the Paralympic bronze medallist from Italy had levelled at 1-1. The fourth set was a rollercoaster with Davies fighting back from 8-3 down to level at 8-8. Falco saved a match point at 10-9 down and then had two set points saved before Davies clinched the set 14-12 and the match 3-1 with a backhand winner.

Rob Davies celebrates his victory

“It feels pretty good to be European champion again,†he said. “Itâ€s taken a lot to get to this stage to try and perform again at the top level, when youâ€re in those finals winning those close matches and remembering how to do it again.

“I donâ€t think Iâ€ve ever lost in the group and won gold before so to lose to Falco in the group and then beat him in the final when it was most important, Iâ€m really chuffed.

“Tom (Matthews) and I had to play in the semi-final which was a bit gutting that we couldnâ€t meet in the final. Thank you to Tom for the support and pushing me week in week out.

“Having lost in the group match gave us a good game plan to work off – sometimes that works in your favour and sometimes it doesnâ€t, but I managed to keep my head and not get too nervous. Nerves were there all the way along, but you just try and focus on the next point, try not to be too shaky and try and play your best in that moment. Luckily, I could – some of the shots he played were unbelievable and he pushed me all the way and Iâ€m just pleased that I got the gold.â€

It was the Rio 2016 Paralympic championâ€s first major title since he won his fourth consecutive European gold in 2019, and he proved once again that he thrives on the big occasion.

“I do like playing on the big stage,†said Davies. “I like the build-up and having a target that you want to be at your best for. Iâ€ve got to say a huge thank you to my coach Nathan Thomas – heâ€s been massive for me for the last six years. Iâ€ve been struggling with my mental health and the different changes within our sport and Nathan has been there every step of the way with me. Heâ€s been my psychologist sometimes and really cheered me up when Iâ€ve needed it. I probably would have finished if it wasnâ€t for him.

“There are so many people I need to thank – Neil Robinson, my friends and family, my PA Lewis who has been a legend over the last few years – without them I wouldnâ€t be able to come here and compete. Itâ€s huge to be able to come back at my age and win another title – Iâ€m really chuffed that I could get to that level again. Iâ€ll keep going, keep pushing on. Itâ€s the World Championships next year so Iâ€ll look forward to that and try to push myself even more.â€

Womenâ€s class 8

Grace Williams announced herself on the international stage by taking silver in the womenâ€s class 8 singles at the European Championships in 2023 and since then has established herself in the worldâ€s top 10. She had never beaten Juliane Wolf and the 37-year-old German, Paralympic bronze medallist in Paris last year, used her greater experience to edge a tight first set 13-11. That proved crucial as it gave the world No 6 the momentum and she took the second set 11-5 and the third 11-6 to win 3-0 and take the gold.

Grace Williams in action in Helsingborg

“Weâ€ve played each other a few times now,†said Williams, “and we knew going into the match that whoever won that first set had the momentum to then get the next set. She was a bit better than me and did what she had to do. She just caught me out a few times but Iâ€m still proud of myself and Iâ€ll get there one day.â€

Williams, 22, from Llanfyllin but based in Sheffield, has once again shown that she has the talent to compete with the very best at a major championship.

“This is the one tournament where Iâ€ve felt the most nervous and the most anxious,†she admitted, “so the fact that I still managed to compete at this level feeling like that – I know I can take confidence from that into other tournaments going forward.

“Iâ€ve had a really good season in regard to winning medals but getting to the final at a major is a bit special. Iâ€m glad that Iâ€ve done it twice now and hopefully in two years†time I can get the gold.â€

On Saturday, Tom Matthews (menâ€s class 1), Chris Ryan (menâ€s class 2), Martin Perry (menâ€s class 6), Theo Bishop (menâ€s class 7), Billy Shilton (menâ€s class 8) and Fliss Pickard (womenâ€s class 6) all secured bronze medals.

But there was disappointment for defending menâ€s class 7 champion Will Bayley, menâ€s class 8 world No 1 Aaron McKibbin, Joshua Stacey (menâ€s class 9), Paul Karabardak (menâ€s class 6) and Megan Shackleton (womenâ€s class 4-5), who all lost their respective quarter-finals.

Menâ€s class 1

Rob Davies came through his quarter-final against Adam Urlauber from Hungary 3-0 to set up an all-GB semi-final against fellow Welshman Tom Matthews. Davies made the better start and led 2-0 before Matthews came back to take the third set but Davies secured his place in the final by taking the fourth set 11-9 for a 3-1 win.

“Rob is a big match player and heâ€s been here before,†said Matthews, “hopefully itâ€s me next time – I won 3-0 in the USA and now heâ€s won today. Iâ€m proud of him and proud of myself. Itâ€s very difficult to play a teammate in a semi-final – one of us had to win and one of us had to lose and sadly I was on the losing side today.â€

Menâ€s class 2

After beating world No 5 Peter Lovas earlier, Chris Ryan produced the performance of his short career in the quarter-final to beat world No 1 Rafal Czuper. After edging a tight first set 14-12 he came back from 5-1 down to take the second 11-9 and although the Paralympic champion from Poland won the third 11-6, Ryan secured a 3-1 win, 11-7 in the fourth.

Chris Ryan (second from right) on the podium

“It feels unbelievable,†he said. “It was a strange match I think for us both. I played him once before when I was new, but we havenâ€t played each other since Iâ€ve been a decent level. One of the first matches I watched on YouTube was Czuper beating Lamirault (world champion Fabien Lamirault) and heâ€s inspired me to play the way I do.â€

That win ensured Ryan his first major singles medal only three years after taking up table tennis having led the GB wheelchair rugby team to Paralympic gold in Tokyo. In the semi-final he faced one of the legends of Para table tennis in Jan Riapos and the two-time Paralympic champion from Slovakia, who won the first of his six European singles titles in 1999, took the first two sets. Ryan came back to win the third, but Riapos used all his experience to take the fourth set 11-6 and the match 3-1.

“It was a struggle to get into it at the start,†said Ryan. “He was playing clever and giving me difficult balls and then experience won him the match. Iâ€m a bit gutted because that wasnâ€t my best. Iâ€m not saying I would have won but it was a bit frustrating that I couldnâ€t play my best.

“I do feel proud – those big wins Iâ€ve had are massive learning curves for me. Right now, Iâ€m disappointed but on reflection this will be a massive week for me.â€

Menâ€s class 6

Martin Perry produced some brilliant play to win his quarter-final against Marios Chatzikyriakos, the former European team silver medallist from Greece 3-0, for the loss of only nine points and his reward was a semi-final against world No 2 Peter Rosenmeier.

Perry beat Rosenmeier to win gold in the ITTF World Challenger Lasko in May and it was close again, with the Scotsman levelling the match at 1-1 before the two-time former world and Paralympic champion from Denmark took the next two sets 11-8 to win 3-1.

Martin Perry (right) on the podium

“I think it was just fine margins,†said Perry. “Losing the first set 11-9 felt a bit unfortunate – a couple of nets and edges went against me but thatâ€s the game. The second set felt really comfortable, and I felt I was dominating the points and thought I was going to come out on top, but it just didnâ€t happen.

“Iâ€m absolutely over the moon to get another major medal. I feel Iâ€ve been on an upwards trajectory recently after a few disappointing results in other tournaments and to deliver here at the European Championships means the world to me but at the same time Iâ€m bitterly disappointed not to be in the final.â€

Paul Karabardak came agonisingly close to joining Perry in the semi-finals after pushing Matteo Parenzan all the way in their quarter-final. The Welshman saved a match point in the fourth set and took it 12-10 to level at 2-2 before the world, Paralympic and European champion from Italy secured a 3-2 win, 11-9 in the deciding set.

Menâ€s class 7

In only his second major championship Theo Bishop produced another great performance to beat Patrick Vaughan in his quarter-final, holding his nerve at 9-9 in the fourth to take the set 11-9 and the match 3-1. After losing a tight first set against 21-year-old Yannick Paredis from Netherlands Bishop led 10-6 in the second but lost it 12-10 and although he fought back to edge the third 12-10 the Dutchman, who is ranked five places above Bishop at world No 17 took the fourth 11-7 for a 3-1 win.

Theo Bishop secures bronze

“I think that second set was massive,†said 22-year-old Bishop. “At 10-6 up you expect to win, and I donâ€t think I did a lot wrong. I think it was a really high-level match from both of us and he got a few points in the crucial moments.

“Iâ€m obviously gutted with the result, but I showed how good I can be and he just played a bit better in certain moments. Obviously, Iâ€m sore now and it is hard to appreciate what Iâ€ve done but Iâ€m sure when I look back on it Iâ€ll feel very proud.â€

Defending champion Will Bayley never recovered from a slow start in his quarter-final against an inspired Jonas Hansson and at 2-0 down he received treatment in the third set for a problem with his left hamstring. Although Bayley fought back to take the set 11-8 the Swedish world No 8 completed a 3-1 win 11-6 in the fourth.

“I was playing well in training and feeling confident,†said Bayley, “but I just didnâ€t really get going. I think the second set was important – if Iâ€d taken the second set Iâ€d have got a bit of momentum, but he played well. I didnâ€t play my best but all credit to Hansson. Iâ€ve got to use this now to fuel me to work on things that I need to work on, and I know Iâ€ll be back stronger.â€

Menâ€s class 8

Billy Shilton made a great start to his quarter-final against 19-year-old Borna Zohil to take a 2-0 lead and although the world No 2 from Croatia reduced the deficit to 2-1 and had a point to level at 2-2 Shilton edged the fourth 13-11 to take the match 3-1 with his third match point.

He started well in his semi-final against world No 5 Clement Berthier, taking the first set but the European doubles champion from France levelled at 1-1 and then came back from 8-4 down in the third to take it 11-9 and went on to take the fourth to win 3-1.

Billy Shilton celebrates his bronze

“I felt like I had complete control of the match, to be honest,†said Shilton. “At 1-1, 8-4 we had some good tactics and if I had won that set maybe it would have been different but credit to Clement, he played really well. He changed his tactics really well – he was making things very uncomfortable for me and he deserved to win.

“This morning, I was unbelievably happy to have won my first major singles medal and now it is a bit of a weird feeling because Iâ€m really disappointed, but I think in a couple of days Iâ€ll be really happy with my performance.â€

Aaron McKibbin could not find his best form in his quarter-final and was beaten 3-0 by Thomas Bouvais, the world silver medallist and world No 6 from France.

Menâ€s class 9

Joshua Stacey found himself 2-0 down to world No 8 Lev Kats and although he fought back to take the third 11-9 the world doubles champion and former European silver medallist from Ukraine took the fourth 11-5 for a 3-1 win.

Womenâ€s class 4-5

After losing the first set, Megan Shackleton came back strongly to lead 2-1 against Kyra Liepach but the class 5 player from Germany, gold medallist in the ITTF World Para Future Lahti earlier this season, levelled at 2-2 and took the deciding set 11-8.

Womenâ€s class 6

Fliss Pickard produced a typically gutsy display in her quarter-final against Gabriela Constantin, saving set points in the third set before edging it 13-11 to lead 2-1 and went on to complete a 3-1 win over the European bronze medallist from Romania 11-2 in the fourth.

She started slowly against world No 3 Katarzyna Marszal but recovered to lead 2-1 before the world and European silver medallist from Poland levelled at 2-2 and took the deciding set 11-9.

“Weâ€ve had some major battles in the past,†said Pickard. “She really went out there and took the game to me today and I wasnâ€t on full form but thatâ€s my own fault. At least I fought until the end and Iâ€m very disappointed right now but Iâ€m sure Iâ€ll be able to reflect and think about what a good match itâ€s been.

“Itâ€s another major medal so I can be proud of that and the journey Iâ€ve had this year. We go forward and continue to grow.â€

Womenâ€s class 7

Bly Twomey was impressive in beating Swedish world No 12 Smilla Sand 3-0 in her semi-final.

“It feels amazing to be in my first major final,†said Twomey. “Iâ€m 15-years-old and to get to a European final and beat someone who has beaten me before, Iâ€m just really proud of myself.â€

Womenâ€s class 8

Grace Williams reached her second successive European final with a 3-0 win against 18-year-old Olaia Martinez from Spain, silver medallist in Slovenia and Finland this season.

“I canâ€t really describe my emotions right now,†said Williams. “It feels very similar to two years ago and Iâ€m very happy with that win. I lost to her earlier in the season so to come here and beat her 3-0 I canâ€t describe how I feel right now.â€

The tournament continues with the menâ€s, womenâ€s and mixed doubles events that conclude on Tuesday.

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Bayern Munich raced from two goals down to crush visitors Freiburg 6-2 in the Bundesliga, with Michael Olise scoring twice and setting up three more goals, to maintain the champions†unbeaten run and lead the title race.

Bayern, who saw their 16-match winning run in all competitions end with a 2-2 draw at Union Berlin before the international break, found themselves two goals down after 17 minutes.

The visitors caught the Bayern defence napping on two set pieces, with Yuito Suzuki slotting in from close range after a quick passing move from a corner in the 12th minute. Five minutes later a Freiburg corner sailed to the far post where the unmarked Johan Manzambi headed past Manuel Neuer for a 2-0 lead.

Bayern, who travel to Arsenal in the Champions League on Wednesday, almost immediately launched a comeback with Lennart Karl scoring a fine finish in the 21st minuted from an Olise assist. The France international then turned scorer, levelling with a powerful shot in first-half stoppage time.

Harry Kane scores his 14 league goal of the season as Bayern fought back against Freiburg Photograph: S Mellar/FC Bayern/Getty Images

The comeback was complete in the 55th when Olise whipped a corner to the far post for Dayot Upamecano to volley in before Harry Kane added another – his 14th league goal this season – five minutes later. Another Olise solo run and assist for Nicolas Jackson earned Bayern their fifth goal in the 78th minute before Olise curled a stunning shot into the top corner.

Deniz Undav scored a hat-trick that included a last-gasp equaliser as Stuttgart earned a 3-3 draw at Borussia Dortmund. Undav fired home from just inside the box for a stoppage-time equaliser after Dortmund thought they had won it when the substitute Karim Adeyemi put them in the lead in the 89th.

Lens beat Strasbourg 1-0 to move level on points with Marseille at the top of Ligue 1, while Paul Pogba made his long-awaited return in Monacoâ€s 4-1 loss at Rennes. The former Manchester United and Juventus midfielder came on as a late substitute for Monaco to make his first appearance in over two years after his career was derailed by injuries, a doping suspension and an extortion case in which he was the victim.

The 2018 World Cup winner failed a drugs test in August 2023 after a match for Juventus and was handed a four-year ban, which was subsequently reduced to 18 months. Nonetheless, the Italian giants terminated his contract last November, bringing to an early end an unhappy second stint in Turin blighted by injuries and other problems.

Paul Pogba gestures to fans after making his return to football with Monaco at Rennes. Photograph: Lou Benoist/AFP/Getty Images

In 2024, his brother Mathias was sentenced to three years in prison, with two years suspended, for his role in a plot to extort €13m ($15.3m) from Pogba in 2022. But the chance to salvage his career came to the 32-year-old in the form of Monaco, who decided to take a gamble on him once he became available again following the conclusion of his suspension in March.

Monaco have been cautious in their approach to preparing Pogba for a return to competitive action, but coach Sebastien Pocognoli chose to bring on the midfielder in the 85th minute with his team trailing by four goals and down to 10 men. Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal and Mahdi Camara struck for Rennes before Denis Zakaria was sent off. Breel Embolo added to the lead and Ludovic Blas scored a penalty, with Monaco pulling one back through Mika Biereth after the introduction of Pogba.

In Spain, Ferran Torres struck twice as Barcelona marked their long-awaited return to Camp Nou with an emphatic 4-0 win over Athletic Bilbao. Barça climbed to the top of La Liga on 31 points, level with Real Madrid, who face Elche on Sunday.

Ferran Torres celebrates after scoring against Athletic Club at Barcelonaâ€s rebuilt Camp Nou. Photograph: Siu Wu/EPA

Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring in front of a soldout crowd in the first match at the ground in 909 days, following its closure for redevelopment in 2023, scoring from close range in the fourth minute. Torres extended the lead from a just before the break.

Three minutes into the second half, Barcelona scored the third with a strike from inside the box by Fermin Lopez and Athleticâ€s frustrations boiled over when Oihan Sancet was sent off with a straight red card following a reckless challenge on Lopez. The visitors then posed no threat, allowing Barcelona to comfortably dictate remainder of the match, with Torres adding his second in the closing stages after a counterattack set up by Lamine Yamal.

In Italy, Juventus were held to a 1-1 draw at bottom side Fiorentina, a second successive stalemate which threatens to derail the Turin sideâ€s ambitions to challenge at the top of Serie A. Luciano Spallettiâ€s side stay sixth on 20 points, with four of the five clubs ahead of them in the standings still to play this weekend.

The first half was marked more by what happened in the stands rather than on the pitch, with Juventusâ€s Serbian striker Dusan Vlahovic, a former Fiorentina player, the target of discriminatory chants from the home fans. Early in the match, the referee asked for an announcement to be made calling for a stop to the chants. When Vlahovic looked to have earned a penalty, the insults only increased. The referee pointed to the spot when Vlahovic was pulled back by defender Pablo Marí but, after a check at the VAR monitor, the forward was judged to have fouled the Fiorentina man.

Juventus found the opening goal deep into added time before the break, with Filip Kostic hitting a shot from distance which flew past David de Gea and into the bottom corner. Fiorentina levelled three minutes after the break, Moise Kean laying off the ball and Rolando Mandragora sending a curling shot from outside the area into the top corner.

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November 22, 2025 | Francesca Bullock

At the end of the second day of the ITTF European Para Table Tennis Championships in Helsingborg, Sweden 15 British players had progressed from their groups to the knockout stages of the singles.

Eleven players, including menâ€s class 7 defending champion Will Bayley have earned the chance to compete for medals tomorrow by reaching the quarter-finals and Tom Matthews (menâ€s class 1), 15-year-old Bly Twomey (womenâ€s class 7) and Grace Williams (womenâ€s class 8) are assured of at least a bronze medal having progressed to the semi-finals of their respective events.

Menâ€s class 1

Four-time European champion Rob Davies was impressive in beating Sylvio Keller, the former European bronze medallist from Switzerland 3-0 and was then involved in a five-set battle with Federico Falco. The Welshman led 6-3 in the deciding set but the Paris 2024 Paralympic bronze medallist from Italy came back to level at 6-6 and clinched a 3-2 win, 14-12 on his third match point.

With Falco beating Keller, Davies progressed from the group as runner-up and will play Adam Urlauber from Hungary in the quarter-finals tomorrow.

After twice coming back to level against Endre Major, Tom Matthews fought back from 5-1 down in the deciding set to take it 12-10 and beat the defending champion and world No 5 from Hungary 3-2. He secured top place in his group and a bye through to the semi-finals with a 3-0 win against Marian Kamien, the world No 21 from Slovakia.

“Itâ€s always a fight against Major and we always go to a fifth set,†said Matthews, “so it was a great match to come through and Iâ€m happy with the performance. Having been in major semi-finals before definitely gives me confidence for the next round. Winning my first major title would mean the world but Iâ€m just going to keep going match by match and letâ€s see where we get to.â€

Menâ€s class 2

Chris Ryan lost his opening match to world No 3 Fabien Lamirault, the reigning world champion and Tokyo 2020 Paralympic champion from France 3-1 but secured his place in the knockout stages with a 3-0 win against Tomasz Jakimczuk, the world and European doubles bronze medallist from Poland.

He produced a superb performance to beat world No 5 Peter Lovas, the Paralympic doubles champion from Slovakia 3-0 and will play world No 1 Rafal Czuper from Poland in tomorrowâ€s quarter-finals.

“Iâ€m extremely proud of that performance,†said Ryan. “Iâ€ve got so much respect for Lovas – heâ€s ruined many tournaments for me this year and last year and all my practice goes into trying to be able to beat these guys and to do that here is amazing. Iâ€ve got a crazy amount of respect for Czuper. Heâ€s the reason I play the way I play – heâ€s one of the first people I saw on YouTube so it will be exciting to play him again.â€

Chris Ryan

Menâ€s class 4-5

Jack Hunter-Spivey came back from 10-7 down in the third set to take it 12-10 and beat class 4 Henrik Andersson from Austria 3-0 before progressing through to the round of 16 with a 3-1 win against 21-year-old Isak Nyholm, the class 5 world No 11 from Sweden. He was unlucky to be drawn against world No 1 Valentin Baus in the round of 16 and the World and European champion from Germany was a 3-0 winner.

Menâ€s class 6

Paul Karabardak fought back from 10-6 down in the fifth set to level at 10-10 and had match point at 11-10 against Marios Chatzikyriakos before the former European team silver medallist from Greece edged the set 13-11 and the match 3-2. The Welshman showed all his character and determination to come through another five-set battle against Esteban Herrault, taking the fifth set 11-9 after the world No 10 and European doubles champion from France had levelled at 2-2.

He secured his place in the knockout stages with a 3-1 win against 21-year-old Aaro Makela from Finland and received a bye through to the quarter-finals where he will play the world, Paralympic and European champion Matteo Parenzan from Italy.

Martin Perry came back from dropping the first set to beat Leon Schuep from Switzerland 3-1 and edged the fourth set 12-10 to secure a 3-1 win against Benedikt Muller from Germany. He progressed straight through to the quarter-finals tomorrow as group winner after beating Jan Malec from Czechia 3-1 and will play Chatzikyriakos.

“Iâ€ve had three really tricky opponents,†said Perry. “Iâ€ve lost to Muller in the past and the other two opponents I didnâ€t really know what to expect so Iâ€m very happy to win every match 3-1.

“I feel that I can really thrive at the major championships and despite the new system, for me the European Championships is still the biggest tournament of this year and Iâ€m really looking forward to the quarter-final tomorrow and fighting for the medal that I know I can win.â€

Martin Perry

Menâ€s class 7

Will Bayley began the defence of his title with a 3-0 win against Henrik Brammer, the European doubles silver medallist from Denmark and secured his place in the knockout stages as group winner with a 3-0 win against 16-year-old Filip Prchlik from Czechia, gold medallist in the world Para Future Lahti earlier this year. As No 1 seed he received a bye into the quarter-finals tomorrow where he will play the Swedish world No 8 Jonas Hansson.

“Itâ€s great – to get a good start is important,†said Bayley. “Yesterday I just wanted to get the first match under way and to show how hard Iâ€ve worked in training and do the business. Itâ€s a good start but I donâ€t want to get too ahead of myself – Iâ€ve just got to focus on training hard and look forward to Saturday.â€

Theo Bishop lost 3-1 to Bjoern Schnake, the world No 6 and European bronze medallist from Germany but progressed to the round of 16 after a 3-0 win against Hadar Bahat from Israel. He produced a gutsy performance to come back from 2-1 down to level at 2-2 against Sam Gustafsson and held his nerve to take the deciding set 11-7 after the world No 13 from Sweden had worked his way back from 8-2 down to within a point of drawing level. Bishop plays Irishman Patrick Vaughan in tomorrowâ€s quarter-finals.

“I changed my tactics,†said Bishop, “changed my serve and just became a bit more positive and not as passive. Iâ€m really proud of that match, to be honest. At 8-7 in the fifth I was terrified but although Iâ€d made a couple of mistakes I also think he played well so I had to back myself that I was doing the right things and if I could keep this level I knew I could win. Weirdly, Patrick and I trained together for about a week two weeks ago, so we know each other pretty well and Iâ€m feeling good.â€

Menâ€s class 8

Aaron McKibbin was a 3-0 winner against the Asian Youth Para Games 2021 gold medallist Seyed Hosseinipour from the Refugee Paralympic Team and secured his place in the knockout stages as group winner with a 3-1 win against 17-year-old Yehonatan Levi from Israel. As No 1 seed he received a bye into the round of 16 and looked to be in control at 2-0 up against Alejandro Diaz but the European doubles bronze medallist from Spain levelled at 2-2 and saved four match points before McKibbin clinched a very tense deciding set 14-12.

“It was very tough,†said McKibbin. “Iâ€ve played him a couple of times this season and had a close match with him in Slovenia then beat him quite comfortably in France. I think I just took the confidence from the other matches against him and knew I had the ability to pull through – I just had to keep fighting and hopefully it would be enough and luckily it was.â€

Billy Shilton won 3-0 against Yordan Mitev from Bulgaria and secured his place in the knockout stages with a hard-fought 3-1 win against 26-year-old Ricard Sabio Ruiz from Spain. He led 2-0, 10-5 against Nicklas Westerberg and survived a late rally by the former class 7 European bronze medallist from Sweden to edge the third set 12-10 and secure his place in the quarter-finals with a 3-0 win.

Ryan Henry lost his first major championship match to Emil Andersson, the former world No 1 and 2011 European champion from Sweden. He had his chances in a tight first set against the very experienced Gyula Zborai before losing it 14-12 and again in the third but the former world No 2 and two-time European silver medallist from Hungary edged it 14-12 to secure a 3-0 win.

Ryan Henry

Menâ€s class 9

Joshua Stacey was a comfortable 3-0 winner against Tigran Petrosyan from Armenia and then beat Swedenâ€s three-time European bronze medallist Daniel Gustafsson 3-0 to secure top position in his group and earn a bye through to the quarter-finals where he will take on world No 8 Lev Kats from Ukraine.

“Iâ€m really pleased,†said Stacey, “especially with the last match against Gustafsson. Iâ€ve had trouble with him – not too much recently but definitely in the past heâ€s been someone Iâ€ve struggled with a bit. I think I did well to go 2-0 up quite comfortably and he found a little bit of a footing in the third set but Misa (coach Misaki Morizono) gave me a few tactics just to play into different areas and that is what made the difference.â€

Menâ€s class 10

On his major championship debut Shae Thakker was drawn in a tough group but was not disgraced despite a 3-0 loss to world No 6 Krisztian Gardos, the world and European bronze medallist from Austria. He secured his first win with a 3-0 defeat of Phillippe Hein from Luxembourg but did not progress after a 3-0 loss to the giant Patryk Chojnowski, the reigning world, Paralympic and European champion from Poland.

Womenâ€s class 4-5

Megan Shackleton recovered from dropping the first set 11-3 to beat 20-year-old Merve Ozsu from Turkey 3-1 and was then impressive in beating Caroline Tabib, the class 5 world No 3 and former world and European medallist from Israel 3-0. She made it three from three with a 3-0 win against Marina Minic from Serbia to progress through to the quarter-finals as group winner.

“Iâ€ve started with good intensity,†said Shackleton. “My first match I was a little slow and I wanted to build on that and set the tone for the next few days but Iâ€m really proud of the last two performances and it will give me some good confidence going forwards. For me to beat Caroline 3-0 shows me that Iâ€m putting the pressure on at the right moments and hopefully I can carry on doing the same for the next few matches.â€

Megan Shackleton

Womenâ€s class 6

Fliss Pickard edged a tight first set 12-10 against Emelie Endre and although the world No 15 from Sweden levelled at 1-1 Pickard went on to win 3-1. She fought back from 2-1 down to level at 2-2 against world No 7 Stephanie Grebe but the World, Paralympic and European doubles silver medallist from Germany took the deciding set 11-6. Pickard progressed to the quarter-finals as group runner-up and will play Gabriela Constantin from Romania.

Fliss Pickard

Womenâ€s class 7

Bly Twomey was a 3-1 winner against 20-year-old Jenny Slettum from Norway and secured top place in her group and a bye through to the semi-finals with a 3-0 win against Valentina Marcheva, the former two-time European bronze medallist from Bulgaria.

“Iâ€m really happy with the way Iâ€m playing,†said Twomey, “and I think all I can do is improve. Iâ€ve played against two really awkward players so far and Iâ€m really looking forward to the semi-final. It does take a bit of the pressure off me knowing Iâ€ve got at least a bronze medal which is what I got two years ago so that means a lot.â€

Womenâ€s class 8

Grace Williams produced a great performance to beat the reigning world champion and 10-time European champion Thu Kamkasomphou from France 3-1 and took the No 1 seedâ€s position in the draw and a bye into the semi-finals after a 3-1 win against German teenager Maike Bannuscher.

“Itâ€s always tough going up against the top players,†said Williams, who took European silver in 2023. “Two years ago I beat Thu in the fifth set in the semi-final so to play her first match especially having had a day off yesterday it was hard to get my energy going and it was a nice feeling to win. It gives me a lot of confidence, especially now Iâ€ve got a medal under my belt – I feel a bit calmer and more confident.

“The group matches have probably opened up the competition a bit more so Iâ€m looking forward to tomorrow, and Iâ€ll just take one match at a time.â€

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Jeff Luhnow left baseball under something of a cloud after his involvement in the 2019 Houston Astros sign stealing scandal. But now the former management consultant, who won three World Series as general manager of the Astros and St Louis Cardinals using a data-driven approach that was dubbed “Extreme Moneyballâ€, is applying his philosophy to a different sport.

The owner of a network of football clubs that includes Leganés in Spain and the Ligue 1 side Le Havre, Luhnow has big plans to revolutionise the development of players in Africa and provide them with a clearer pathway into Europeâ€s top leagues. “It was pretty clear from the beginning that Africa was going to be the best place for us to find talent that we can integrate into our European clubs,†he says. “Itâ€s not too dissimilar to what I experienced in baseball where a disproportionately large portion of talent comes from places like the Dominican Republic and Venezuela. Africa has 54 countries and a wide diversity of opportunities.

“Thereâ€s a lot of infrastructure challenges because, generally speaking, young athletes in Africa donâ€t have the benefits that the young athletes in Europe or North America have,†Luhnow adds. “So youâ€re starting from a very different point. But what we have proven to ourselves and are starting to prove externally is that there is enormous talent. And if you do it the right way, the benefits to your teams, and to your entire business, can be incredible.â€

It is hoped that the sale of Yan Diomande – an 18-year-old from Ivory Coast who joined Leganés last year and made only 10 appearances for their first team before being sold to RB Leipzig for €20m (£17.4m) in the summer – could prove to be the first of many after the launching of recruitment and development programmes in several African countries, including Ghana and Zambia, during the past five years. Diomande was linked with some of Europeâ€s top sides including Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid after scoring three goals and providing three assists in his past three matches.

“Weâ€ve got more players like that in our pipeline,†says Luhnow, “and we expect to not only have once in a while those types of successful outcomes; we expect to make it an annual event. To have players in our first team from our Africa recruitment project that are helping the team win games.â€

Yan Diomande made 10 appearances for Leganés before being sold to RB Leipzig for €20m (£17.4m). Photograph: Dpa Picture Alliance/Alamy

Luhnow was suspended by the Astros when the sign stealing scandal erupted, before he was subsequently fired. He later filed a $22m lawsuit as part of which he claimed he had been made a scapegoat for others. Six years on he has no regrets about the sharp diversion in career path. “It was about trying to read the signs between the catcher and the pitcher and communicate those to the batter, which has been done over the history of baseball,†says Luhnow. “The way our club did it during that particular season was against the rules, and since I was the general manager, I was held responsible for it.

“Sometimes you look back at things that happened that, at the time, you perceive as negative and they end up being a blessing in disguise. Iâ€d been in baseball for 16 years. I had won 20 championship rings. I had modernised two clubs and was getting the itch to do something else, and I had already started looking at football.â€

Luhnow, who grew up in Mexico before moving to California as a teenager, was persuaded to take the plunge into a new sport after talking to Billy Beane, the former general manager of the Oakland Athletics whose sabermetrics strategy revolutionised baseball and who is now a minority owner at Barnsley and advises the Dutch side AZ. After a failed attempt to invest in Sunderland when they were still in League One, Luhnow admits he “got the bug†and decided to look elsewhere. Having established his company Blue Crow Sports Group, which boasts the former baseball star Alex Rodriguez and several other former athletes as investors, he led the purchase of Cancún in Mexicoâ€s top flight in June 2022 and completed the takeover of Leganés a few weeks later. Blue Crow bought Le Havre in the summer and have big plans for one of Franceâ€s oldest clubs, whose academy has produced Paul Pogba, Riyad Mahrez and Dimitri Payet.

“We want to make Le Havre every English personâ€s second favourite team or favourite team in France, because we were founded by Oxford and Cambridge students,†says Luhnow. “I think thatâ€s where weâ€re going to put our focus. Weâ€re the closest major city to England and we should be every British personâ€s favourite team in France. Thatâ€s our goal.â€

Jeff Luhnow says he was already ‘getting the itch†to leave baseball after the Astros†scandal broke. Photograph: Rob Tringali/MLB Photos/Getty Images

Luhnow is also banking on the initiative that aims to develop the best talent from Africa to propel Blue Crow clubs to new heights. The Dubai-based investment firm 885 Capital bought a majority share in Blue Crow this year and is playing an important role in setting up the network of feeder clubs. “Our plan is to run an elite programme on the ground in Africa,†says the 885 Capital chief executive, Sudeep Ramnani. “The focus is on giving them [African talent] exposure to playing in European football and starting from the age of 14 rather than from the age of 16.

“We donâ€t just want to focus on talent, but also personality development – often you get some great talent that fails because maybe they just havenâ€t had that exposure to the developed world early enough, and they havenâ€t had that kind of training from an educational standpoint.â€

Luhnow is aware of scepticism from Leganés supporters about being part of a multi-club network, especially in light of their relegation from La Liga last season, but he remains confident of achieving success on their part. “My most satisfying moments in sports have been the World Series parades in St Louis and Houston, especially Houston, where they won the first championship ever in history,†he says. “The first championship ever in Cancún, we won and took the trophy through town and just seeing people so excited. And then here at Leganés, when we got promoted to the first division a couple of years ago, itâ€s a town of 200,000. We went to the main square; there were 75,000 people there. People were crying.

“You canâ€t get that in business and technology. You can only get that in sports, and thatâ€s what drives me. So I really appreciated my time in baseball. I love it. I still am involved, talking to people. I track it. But football is where I need to be right now.â€

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