Key events
A reminder of todays fixtures: we see the first of our Group F sides, so it’s Turkey v Georgia at 5pm BST – I’ll coax you through that one – then it’s Scott Murray bringing you Portugal v Czech Republic.
In that regard, though, I’ve previously absorbed internet aggravation for saying the order does matter. A team hoping to make something happen need a friendly start; a team confident it’ll make something happen want a friendly run-in.
Sky Sports News, of course, are majoring on the day’s big story: the revelation that every Premier League side will play every other Premier League side … both home and away! More news as I get it.
Would you take a broken hand for whatever the compensation might be? What would you be prepared to endure to get to an unmissable game?
Thanks Luke and afternoon all. Football is alright isn’t it?
That’s all from me. Over to Daniel Harris.
In news story form, here’s the thing about Niclas Füllkrug accidentally breaking a supporter’s hand with a wayward warm-up shot before Germany’s opening win over Scotland.
I sense hospitality tickets will be forthcoming for one lucky fan.
Bertrand is asked on Sky what went wrong in England’s Euro 2016 humiliation by Iceland.
“It’s tough to say. If you sit back and, you know … it’s hard to blame any one reason. It’s just one of them things. It didn’t really happen on the day. There’s probably lots of small elements as to why it didn’t work.”
An answer roughly as convincing as England’s display that night.
Anyway … yeah, go on then.
The former Chelsea and England full-back, Ryan Bertrand, has retired from football.
Remember Munich 2012? What a performance.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia of Napoli – a truly original footballer, a free thinker and someone capable of seeing/doing things no one else can – will be lining up for Georgia against Turkey. Tune in if only for that reason.
Georges Mikautadze, who has been banging them in for Metz in Ligue 2, is also one to watch, along with Giorgi Chakvetadze of Watford.
You’ve got a little over five hours to wait for your first helping of Euro football goodness today.
With that in mind, here is the Turkey team guide:
And whatever you do, don’t forget to read Sid Lowe on Real Madrid’s Arda Guler.
Labour will not introduce a 10% tax on Premier League transfers, Sir Keir Starmer has said after reports his party was considering the move.
Shadow culture and sport secretary Thangam Debbonaire sparked reports Labour could introduce the transfer levy on Monday when she said she would “look at everything” proposed in the recent fan-led review of football governance.
Here is David Squires on, among other things, Albania “throwing a frankfurter in Italy’s carbonara” with that very early goal in Group B on Saturday night.
“When you lose the first match, you know you must win the second,” Kevin De Bruyne said last night after Belgium’s profligate, VAR-plagued opening loss against Slovakia. Wise words.
“We’ll try to regroup now and be more effective in the second match,” added the Manchester City virtuoso.
Barney Ronay spoke to The News Agents podcast about Kylian Mbappé weighing into the current political furore in France:
Olivier Giroud, Jules Koundé, Adrien Rabiot and William Saliba react to Kylian Mbappé’s broken nose.
He’s a very important player for France and they hope he’s back soon, that is the general gist.
“I can’t tell the team much about what needed to be better,” Domenico Tedesco said after Belgium’s opening Euro 2024 defeat yesterday. “We have created many opportunities. Great opportunities. If we had scored first, that would have helped us. But we had control and didn’t let Slovakia play their game. The only thing that wasn’t perfect was our finishing.”
The captain, Kevin De Bruyne, was also upbeat after the 1-0 loss against Slovakia: “Our second half was better,” he said. “We’ve created opportunities, pushed them and didn’t give away much. We didn’t play badly, it is only that we didn’t score. Of course it is now necessary in our second game to be more efficient.”
The substitute Loïs Openda, adjudged to have handled the ball in the build-up to Belgium’s second disallowed goal, is also confident of a turnaround.
“In the second half we did push well and play well, only the goal was missing. We have to work on that for the second game,” Openda said. “It’s not going to be with the knife between the teeth against Romania yet. We know how to play well, as we did during qualifying. There is no pressure, we have the quality, mentality and trust in our group. It will be fine.” (Reuters)
A significant positive from England’s opener against Serbia was that the opposition’s dangerous front men, Dusan Vlahovic and Aleksandar Mitrovic, were kept quiet.
Marc Guéhi’s performance in central defence was one of the main reasons for that, and here David Hytner reflects on the Crystal Palace man’s growth on the international stage:
Wrighty, Gary, Keano and Woodsy having a bit of banter in the ITV studio last night.
(Geo-blocked outside UK, probably, but I’m sure you will survive.)
Has Kylian Mbappé asked Antoine Dupont if he’s finished using this scrum cap?
David Hytner
Gareth Southgate believes England have the individual star quality to drive their hopes of Euro 2024 glory.
The squad arrived in Germany on the back of the friendly defeat by Iceland at Wembley and plenty of concerns, particularly with regard to fitness – some of which endure. The players were confident that the match-winners would step up, which is precisely what happened with Jude Bellingham in the 1-0 win against Serbia on Sunday in the opening round of Group C ties. Bellingham scored the goal and dazzled in the first half before the second became more of a defensive effort.
A Germany fan missed the hosts’ Euro 2024 opener against Scotland on Friday after his hand was broken by a wayward shot from German striker Niclas Füllkrug during the warmup.
Kai Flathmann was sitting to the side of the German goal before his team’s 5-1 demolition of Scotland when he was hit on the hand by an effort from Füllkrug.
“I have no words, crazy things,” he said on social media, posting a picture in hospital with his arm bandaged and in a sling.
“Bild [newspaper] is now reporting on this unfortunate incident and the German FA have been in touch with me as well.” he said.
He told the newspaper he only managed to catch the anthems while being removed from the stands on a stretcher, missing Germany’s opening triumph in which Fülkrug also scored. (Reuters)
Max Rushden, Barry Glendenning, Philippe Auclair and Paul Watson had a chat about the latest Euro 2024 developments last night. Someone even recorded and edited it, and you can listen to the result here:
“What was your summer like?” Ipswich’s Kieran McKenna was just asked on my telly. Steady on.
“It’s a contrast that we won the match and we are a little bit disappointed about Kylian,” Olivier Giroud said last night of the France captain’s broken nose sustained in the 1-0 win against Austria. “He’s going through his medical tests and I can’t say anything about his injury. But I hope he recovers quickly.”
“He is a very important player, he is our captain,’ said Jules Koundé. “If we lose him that will make a huge difference for the team.”
“I don’t think it’s that bad, I think he can recover quickly,” said the midfielder Adrien Rabiot. “Let’s see what the doctors say. We had the same case at Juventus with [Wojciech] Szczesny and he came back very quickly. He may miss the next game against the Netherlands but he will surely be back very quickly.”
Sid Lowe
I’ve smoked a cigar, I’ve sung a song, I’ve danced with Eduardo; now I want to introduce you to a very interesting kid.” Carlo Ancelotti looked across at the thousands of celebrating Real Madrid fans spread out in front of him and at the 19-year-old standing nervously behind him, reluctantly thrust to the front by giggling teammates. “He’s very shy,” the coach told them. And then he handed the mic to Arda Guler, who said thanks, something about being a family, and hurriedly handed it back.
Here’s Mbappé’s tweet from last night asking for mask ideas.
Des idées de masques 🎭😅 ?
— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) June 17, 2024
Austria’s Danso sends good wishes to Mbappé
Austria’s Kevin Danso sent a message of sympathy to French striker Kylian Mbappe, who broke his nose in a collision with the defender on Monday night.
“I wish him a good recovery and I hope he can quickly get back on the pitch,” Danso wrote on X of the injury sustained in France’s 1-0 victory over Austria.
“To French supporters: I am sorry that Kylian Mbappé was injured from our duel,” added Danso, whose back was turned when Mbappé’s face struck his shoulder.
France’s 25-year-old talisman was putting on a brave face, even asking social media followers to suggest ideas for a mask that may enable him to play in France’s next game against the Netherlands on Friday. That sparked a flood of memes online.
Mbappé left the field for treatment to his bloodied nose, but returned minutes later and sat down on the pitch, prompting boos from Austria fans and a yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct.
France’s football federation said Mbappé was back at the team camp after hospital treatment with no need for surgery, and a mask was being prepared. (Reuters)
🇦🇹 Es war ein großer Kampf, leider mit unglücklichem Ausgang für uns. Trotzdem bin ich sehr stolz auf unsere Mannschaft, unsere Fans und auf mein EM Debüt. Danke euch allen für euren unglaublichen Support in diesem Stadion in Düsseldorf, was immer noch ein besonderer Ort für mich… pic.twitter.com/Tgau52lq1n
— Kevin Danso (@KevinDanso98) June 17, 2024
Jacob Steinberg has compared Phil Foden’s indifferent England form to the experience of John Barnes under Bobby Robson.
Barnes himself has spoken this morning about precisely this issue:
“Bobby Robson used to say to me: ‘I want you to play the way you do for Liverpool.’ And I said: ‘If England played the way Liverpool do, I would.’
“Until England play like Manchester City, nothing will change,” Barnes told Talksport. “You’ll never ever get the best out of him … If Jude Bellingham is the No 10, Foden will be a bit-part player.
“It doesn’t matter what position he plays, the football, the tactics … unless it’s going to be like Manchester City, you’ll never see the best of Phil Foden [for England].”
I just found myself admiring Kante’s lovely France away kit, in the Twitter photo below.
I’m pleased to see Lauren Cochrane ranked it the best at Euro 2024:
“This club has taken years off my life,” a Manchester City fan tells a well-known sports TV news channel, while reflecting on their imminent attempt at a record fifth Premier League title under Pep Guardiola.
A reminder that the 2024-25 Premier League fixtures are out.
N’Golo Kanté’s display in France’s victory against Austria last night was described by Barney Ronay, our man at the Düsseldorf Arena, as “thrillingly zesty”.
He was marginalised at the World Cup in Qatar, but Cristiano Ronaldo is firmly back in the Portugal fold under their head coach Roberto Martínez.
Will Ronaldo and Portugal, one of the tournament favourites, justify that status in their opener against the Czech Republic from 8pm BST tonight?
Here’s Andy Brassell:
Scotland are training now before tomorrow’s crunch encounter with Switzerland. Steve Clarke’s men are in an extremely tricky spot after that 5-1 thumping by Germany last Friday. The Swiss were impressive in their opening win against Hungary, too.
Last night, these French fans appeared to be offering their talisman out on loan, broken nose or not:
Kate Connolly
For Karani, Euro 2024 in Germany has the distinct air of a home tournament about it. “That Turkey qualified, and the national team is now here is a really nice feeling for me and many others of Turkish origin,” he says, trying to suss out via a weather app if he can trust the forecast enough before the Turkey v Georgia game on Tuesday to put out the cushions on the terrace of his café in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district.
“Of course I’m proud. I hope we get far. A Turkey-Germany final would be the best outcome, though I admit in that case I would struggle to know who to support.”
Declan Rice and Ivan Toney are due to be thrust into the media spotlight by England today.
The former England full-back Stuart Pearce, speaking to Jeff Stelling on TalkSport, says he thinks England didn’t press well enough from the front against Serbia. He also says he’d have brought Eberechi Eze on because the opposition “were there to be beaten heavily”. Sounds fair to me.
He also says Leipzig is a very nice place to visit and intends to return. I saw Depeche Mode in Leipzig back in 2017, and a very nice time was had by all.
Taking a moment or two away from MbappéNoseGate – why can’t Phil Foden replicate his Manchester City form for England?
Jacob Steinberg takes a look:
“I am touring northern Spain at the moment in my motorhome and had the misfortune to tune into Real Madrid TV,” emails Steve Horne. “Saw Dani Carvalhal’s [Champions League final] goal at least 20 times and then was treated to Kylian Mbappé doing the same warm-up sprint in a France training session at least 40 times.”
Thanks for the email and enjoy your trip, Steve, if not the Real Madrid telly channel.
Mbappé to wear mask due to broken nose
France captain Kylian Mbappé suffered a broken nose late on in his side’s 1-0 victory Euro 2024 victory over Austria, the French Football Federation confirmed after the game. Per Reuters:
The 25-year-old, one of the biggest names at the tournament, suffered the injury when he collided with the shoulder of Austrian defender Kevin Danso while challenging for a header. He was substituted near the end and left the stadium in an ambulance for X-rays.
“Kylian Mbappé suffered a broken nose during the second half of the Austria v France match this Monday in Düsseldorf,” a statement from the Federation said. “The captain of the French team was first taken care of by the medical staff and doctor Franck Le Gall, who diagnosed a broken nose. Diagnosis confirmed during radiological examinations at the Düsseldorf hospital. Kylian Mbappé has returned to the base camp of the French team. He will undergo treatment in the coming days, without undergoing surgery immediately.”
France face the Netherlands on Friday and Mbappé is now a doubt for that clash – a huge blow for France. “A mask will be made so as to allow the No 10 of the French team to consider resuming competition after a period devoted to treatment,” the FFF said.
Yesterday’s other reports. If you missed Stanciu’s screamer for Romania, seek out the highlights immediately:
Manchester City will begin their pursuit of an unprecedented fifth consecutive Premier League title away to Chelsea.
The match on Sunday 18 August will pit Pep Guardiola against his former assistant Enzo Maresca, who was appointed by Chelsea after guiding Leicester to promotion.
The FA Cup winners Manchester United will host the opening game of the campaign when Fulham visit Old Trafford on Friday 16 August.
It could be worse for Mbappé and France, of course. It could be a fractured cheekbone:
Preamble
Could Kylian Mbappé’s tournament be over? Will Cristiano Ronaldo, in the style of Kevin Phillips and Dean Windass, still be banging them in at 39? Why are there only two matches today? Are we going to have a summer? What’s for lunch? We’ll be seeking answers to all those questions and much more on today’s Euro 2024 news and buildup live blog. Email me with your thoughts. Let’s get into it.
