‘I’m built this way’: Bernardo Silva’s total vision shaped by Benfica rejection

* Midfielder says hard work key to his success in many positions * ‘One game is not enough. If you blink for a second, you are out’ Bernardo Silva has opened up on the defensive principles that guide him and make him such an all-round player, able to operate in multiple positions, suggesting his formative years at Benfica were decisive. Silva starred for Manchester City in their 3-0 Champions League quarter-final first-leg win over Bayern Munich at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, scoring the second goal with a header and impressing with his quick feet and sharp turns on the ball. But as Silva considers next Wednesday’s return in Bavaria, mindful that the job is only half done, plenty of cautionary tales in his mind, he can take as much heart from his work out of possession on a famous night. Continue reading...

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Wiegman’s Lionesses rekindle lost energy to fire spectacular comeback | Jonathan Liew

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US owners understand profit but do they appreciate clubs’ tradition and values?

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Half of the Premier teams are part- or fully-owned by Americans or US companies. Fans’ suspicions are understandable * Sign up to Jonathan’s weekly newsletter here It’s just over a year since Gary Neville declared US owners of English soccer clubs “a clear and present danger to the pyramid and fabric of the game”. The comment provoked a furore but the former England full-back turned high-profile pundit was unrepentant, insisting that if profit is the priority, there are vital aspects of the roles of soccer clubs that risk being lost. The issue, clearly, is not restricted to US owners. It’s unlikely that anybody who is not a fan who takes over a club is going to be acting primarily in the best interests of the community it represents. But given half the 20 Premier League clubs (and seven of the 24 Championship clubs) are part- or fully-owned by Americans or US companies, and given the prevalence of private equity companies whose sole interest is short-term profit, it’s perhaps
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‘Emotional’ Leah Williamson to make first England start in almost a year

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* Euro 2022-winning captain missed World Cup with ACL injury * Defender brings ‘flexibility in defence’, says Sarina Wiegman Sarina Wiegman has confirmed Leah Williamson will start for England against the Republic of Ireland on Tuesday night in their second Euro 2025 qualifying group game. Williamson, the Euro 2022-winning captain, said she would be emotional at the Aviva Stadium when she steps out with England for the first time in almost a year, after she was sidelined with an anterior cruciate ligament injury last April. Continue reading...
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