June 23 – The verbal warfare between the respective Balkan countries at Euro 2024 has taken yet another twist with Albania’s Mirlind Daku banned for two games after leading fans in nationalist chants.
June 23 – Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise looks set to snub Chelsea for a second time to join FC Bayern in the latest twist to his ongoing transfer saga.
June 24 – Russia’s Rubin Kazan FC said that Albanian national Mirlind Daku will be punished when he returns to the club after the Euros. Daku face a “disciplinary and financial” sanction.
June 24 – Reigning U-17 World Cup champions Spain will start the defence of their title this October in Group B, drawn against USA, South Korea and Colombia, runners-up last time around.
June 24 – AB InBev brand Michelob Ultra has become the official beer of Concacaf’s club competitions in a joint deal that includes the MLS and naming rights to the Campeones Cup, played between the winner of the MLS Cup and Mexico’s LigaMX.
June 24 – Azzurri centre-back Alessandro Bastoni (pictured right) has vowed that Italy will set aside their fears as they strive to avoid the embarrassment of an early exit from Euro 2024 as his team set their sights on a clash with Croatia in Leipzig on Monday night.
June 23 – Belgium manager Domenico Tedesco is not worried by his side’s profligacy in front of goal at Euro 2024, and is keeping faith in Romelu Lukaku to come good.
June 22 – Poland were put to the sword against Austria as the bottom-placed sides clashed in Group D, giving Ralf Rangnick’s side a lifeline headed into the final game versus Netherlands on Tuesday.
June 21 – Czechia are eyeing their first points of their Euro 2024 campaign against Georgia on Saturday afternoon after their last-second loss to Portugal left a bitter taste in an otherwise encouraging opening performance.
June 21 – Counting on reinforcing their defence, Belgium will need a result in their second Group E encounter against Romania after a shock 1-0 defeat to Slovakia.
June 21 – The complex and fever-pitch intensity and rivalry among the various Balkan neighbours at Euro 2024 continues to take centre stage with UEFA now opening an investigation into Serbian claims that fans of Albania and Croatia chanted ‘kill, kill, kill the Serb’ during their Group B game on Wednesday.
June 20 – Much has been made of the Copa America in the US being a test event for the 2026 World Cup, but there has not been so much comment about the importance of the event for six Concacaf nations competing as they build their teams towards 2026.
June 21 – The chants of ‘Mes-si! Mes-si! Mes-si!’ started more than an hour before kickoff and kept up throughout Argentina’s 2-0 win over Canada in the Copa America opening game in Atlanta.
June 21 – Moroccan legend Noureddine Naybet has added his support to the country’s joint World Cup 2030 bid with Spain and Portugal.
