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LONDON — England booked their place at Euro 2024 on Tuesday night with the sort of victory that suggests they might soon be ready to clear the final hurdle in their path to tournament glory.
Perhaps the last challenge Gareth Southgate has to overcome in ending the Three Lions’ 58-year wait for a major trophy next summer is consistently beating the best sides in world football.
England have reached a semifinal, a final and a quarterfinal in Southgate’s three tournaments as manager, but his critics frequently point out that defeats to Croatia, Italy and France to end those runs are symptomatic of a longstanding problem in imposing themselves on the elite.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)
Southgate’s record against sides currently ranked in FIFA’s top 10 prior to Tuesday’s 3-1 triumph over Italy was as follows: 27 games, seven wins, nine draws, 11 losses equating to a win rate of just 26%.
In that context, then, this was a performance that can have England fans daring to dream of what might be possible in Germany next summer, a deserved success coming from behind against the current European champions.
Of course, any talk of revenge was fanciful given the differing stakes, but this will nevertheless contain a cathartic feel for England, beating Italy two years on from their delayed Euro 2020 penalty shootout defeat in the final, Marcus Rashford scoring at the end after he missed one of the decisive spot-kicks.
Eight of that starting lineup began the game here — only Luke Shaw, Mason Mount and Raheem Sterling were absent — but it was Jude Bellingham who stole the show with an all-action performance encapsulated by England’s second goal.
It will be a further fillip to England’s self-belief that they recovered from a shaky start, conceding to Gianluca Scamacca’s well-worked 15th-minute opener. In reply, Bellingham was brought down by Giovanni Di Lorenzo for Harry Kane to convert a 32nd-minute penalty before he produced one of those game-changing moments for which he is rapidly earning such a lofty reputation.
The 20-year-old — yes, still just 20 — won the ball before collecting Phil Foden’s pass with the sort of surge forward associated with Paul Gascoigne, watching on among the 83,194-crowd, in his prime before releasing Rashford, who cut inside and thrashed a low shot past Gianluigi Donnarumma. Kane added a third with the sort of assured centre-forward play that provided yet another reminder he has few modern-day peers, registering his 61st international goal with a wonderfully assured finish.
Southgate enjoys chipping away at England’s historic millstones. After beating Italy in Italy for the first time since 1961 back in March, England secured their first victory over the Azzurri on home soil since 1977.
These are not decisive achievements by themselves but nevertheless serve as a reminder England have not been as good as they would have liked for a long, long time, and Southgate, steeped as he is in Three Lions history, knows progress is a capricious animal. For a team that failed to even reach Euro 2008, securing qualification as comfortably as this should not be taken for granted. Nights like this are tangible proof England are evolving toward something like the finished article they need to be to triumph in Germany, collecting positive experiences that must help them execute their game plan when the pressure becomes most acute next summer.
England have looked at their most exhilarating in recent times when unleashing a new talent on the world stage — think Michael Owen in 1998 or Wayne Rooney in 2004 — and Bellingham has the capacity to make the same impact, even if the cat is well and truly out of the bag given his remarkable form for Real Madrid this season.
Southgate has reshuffled his midfield to give him the platform to affect games from something approximating a No. 10 position, a decision that looks increasingly justifiable with each passing week.
Just as Bellingham excelled against Scotland, so he did against better opposition here, quietening any prematch grumbles over the inclusion of Kalvin Phillips as part of that platform despite 167 minutes of first-team action at Manchester City this season. Phillips was fortunate not to be sent off here, picking up an early yellow card for an agricultural challenge on Davide Frattesi before escaping a second despite a late tackle on Nicolò Barella. He was substituted for his own good, and the 70 minutes he played here means he now has more time on the field for England (188 minutes) than his club since August. Jordan Henderson received a mixed reception, yet again, as his replacement.
Yet England’s attacking play benefitted from the Phillips-Declan Rice axis in central midfield. Kane ended the evening as England’s record goal scorer at Wembley — surpassing Sir Bobby Charlton with 24 goals at this iconic venue — and his influence stretching back over such a sustained period is profound: the 30-year-old has been directly involved in 33 goals in his past 30 appearances for England (27 goals and six assists), including either scoring or assisting in each of his past 10 games.
Rashford, Bellingham and Foden floating around him looked dangerous all evening following that slow start. Bukayo Saka will come back from injury while Jack Grealish and James Maddison sat unused on the bench.
Excitement will now build if Southgate has the majority of these players fit and available next summer. The ultimate question remains whether they can put it together against the very best, but wins like this engender fresh hope.
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Poland invited some of their fans who had made the trip for the team’s 2-0 Euro 2024 qualifier victory over Faroe Islands to fly home with the team after bad weather delayed flights out of the country.
Among the supporters was Andrzej Bobowski, known as “the king of Polish fans,” who has attended the last 12 World Cup tournaments but could easily have been stranded and missed Poland’s game with Moldova on Sunday without the intervention of the Polish Football Federation (PZPN).
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)
After Poland beat the Faroe Islands they were due to fly back on Friday, but poor weather put paid to their plans.
Their charter flight eventually departed on Saturday, and with a group of supporters facing further delays and cancellations, the PZPN invited them to join the team on the flight back to Warsaw.
Bobowski is usually easy to spot at Poland’s games, wearing his king costume complete with crown, but he dressed in everyday clothes for the trip home.
With no direct flights from the Faroe Islands to Poland an already difficult journey for the fans could have turned into a nightmare if not for the PZPN charter flight.
“As always, PZPN book a private charter flight for the team for travel to away matches,” the PZPN press office told Reuters.
“We departed from Faroe Islands at 10:30 local time and we invited around 10 fans to join us on the flight.”
Poland will train at a later time on Saturday and Moldova agreed to change their own scheduled session, after the Polish team’s flight landed in Warsaw after 2pm local time.
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Man City sure aren’t sitting around waiting for Real Madrid to convince Erling Haaland to sign with a new club. Transfer Talk has the latest.
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The summer transfer window has closed throughout most of Europe, but there are still moves in the works and plenty of gossip swirling around.Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals!
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Video Assistant Referee causes controversy every week in the Premier League, but how are decisions made, and are they correct?
After each weekend, we take a look at the major incidents, to examine and explain the process both in terms of VAR protocol and the Laws of the Game.
– How VAR decisions have affected every Prem club in 2023-24 – VAR in the Premier League: Ultimate guide
In this week’s VAR Review: What went wrong in the VAR room to disallow Luis Diaz’s goal for Liverpool at Tottenham Hotspur, Curtis Jones’ red card, a missed penalty award for Brentford and the rest of the weekend’s events.
Possible offside overturn: Diaz goal
What happened: Mohamed Salah played Luis Díaz through on goal in the 34th minute, and the forward produced a superb strike across goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario to score. However, the offside flag immediately went up for offside, and the VAR, Darren England, began a check. (watch here.)
VAR decision: Goal, incorrectly communicated.
VAR review: How do you get a decision both right and disastrously wrong at the same time? It’s a question that refs chief Howard Webb and his leadership team will have to answer in the coming days and take steps to ensure an inexcusable mistake of this magnitude can never happen again. It’s the biggest error the Premier League has seen.
England and the assistant VAR, Dan Cook, were swiftly both stood down from duties in fixtures on Sunday and Monday, but that kind of action is of no comfort to Jurgen Klopp and his Liverpool players. Both are unlikely to be selected in the upcoming matchweeks.
The VAR made one very simple but inexplicable error: He lost concentration and got the on-field decision incorrect when completing the check.
When the VAR looked at the position of Diaz, it quickly became apparent that he was very clearly onside. It was checked with the use of the offside lines in the background — you see proof of this on the VAR feed when the technology operator zooms in to place them.
And this is where it starts to go wrong. England somehow now thinks he is checking a goal, rather than a disallowed goal (he cannot see the overlay shown on TV and in the stadium). If he was confirming an overturn he would lock in the offside lines, but as he now thinks the on-field decision is “goal,” there’s no prerequisite to do so when the onside is an obvious one.
England cleared the review so quickly and with such confidence he didn’t even get the opinion of the assistant VAR. Perhaps that was the issue, it was such a regulation “onside” decision that he thought he would wrap it up. And he said “check complete.”
Perhaps the decision was so straightforward that England lost focus and forgot what the on-field decision actually was, because by saying those two words, he’s telling the on-field officials their decision is correct. Rather than clearing the goal, he was mistakenly telling the referee the offside call was correct.
Semi-automated offside technology, which Premier League clubs chose not to introduce this season, would have made no difference in this situation because the error is the communication with the referee. England correctly identified that Diaz was onside.
Phil Bentham was brought in from rugby league last season as VAR coach specifically to work on communication. Lessons will need to be learned about the process of “check complete.”
What happened next came so fast, there was no time to react within protocol. Just two seconds after the VAR has said “check complete,” Spurs took the free kick, which creates a cut-off point. Nothing can be reviewed after a restart. (This doesn’t apply to penalties awarded for offences before the half-time or final whistle, as play was still active at the time of the offence.)
Seven seconds later, the VAR team realised their error. Panic set in, but they decided they couldn’t go against protocol so they let play continue. But in this situation, where a very serious mistake has been identified within seconds of the restart, football would rather the VAR went against protocol to achieve the fairest outcome for the game. The match should have been stopped.
Not only did the VAR team fail to react, but also the management team, which could have stepped in and told the VAR team to roll the game back.
There was the opportunity to fix it, and it was missed.
The VAR audio of the incident will be released, which will at least provide transparency for what happened.
Errors in process keep happening, even at the very highest level. At the World Cup last year, France had an injury-time equaliser disallowed against Tunisia when the VAR ruled Antoine Griezmann was offside after the kickoff had been taken.
And only a few weeks ago in the Bundesliga, Heidenheim had a penalty ruled out for offside following a foul by Borussia Dortmund’s Sébastien Haller. The officials allowed Haller to be substituted, and during that process the VAR realised the offside decision was incorrect. The penalty was reinstated, but Haller, who should have been sent off for pulling back the striker, was no longer on the pitch. He was only shown a yellow card on the bench instead.
That doesn’t excuse what happened in the Premier League on Saturday.
Questions will be asked about the wisdom of allowing England to travel to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, along with Michael Oliver as a team of English officials, to take charge of a league game between Sharjah and Al Ain. In terms of preparation, it’s no different than a game in the Europa League and Europa Conference League; the officials were back from the UAE on Friday lunchtime. But it’s the optics of travelling to the Middle East to take up an approved, paid job and then coming back to the Premier League and making a huge mistake.
Webb has been in charge of referees for only nine months, yet he faces the huge problem of public perception that refereeing is getting worse. The stats from the Independent Key Incidents Panel suggest standards are improving, but catastrophic mistakes like that at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium take a hammer to any progress.
Liverpool issued a statement on Sunday evening insisting the incident has “undermined sporting integrity,” and you can understand their point. But the Laws of the Game specifically state that a mistake in the VAR room is no different from a genuine error on the pitch. France appealed to FIFA to try to get their goal back, but were told they had no grounds. Usually, a game would be replayed only if there was a misapplication of the laws, rather than just an incorrect decision.
This will now be tough on England and will take some coming back from. Last season he was shadowed by The Guardian and reference was made to how the official seemed mentally exhausted after awarding a controversial late penalty to Manchester City against Fulham. This is going to be even tougher.
Possible red card: Jones challenge on Bissouma
What happened: The game was goalless in the 26th minute when Curtis Jones challenged Yves Bissouma for the ball, and committed a foul. Referee Simon Hooper produced a yellow card, but there was a VAR check for a possible red (watch here.)
VAR decision: Yellow card upgraded to red.
VAR review: Ex-pros and supporters are always split when a player receives a red card when they have played the ball first, but that doesn’t excuse the player for how he may catch an opponent. Jones will no doubt feel himself unlucky to get a red card, but the nature of the challenge always meant a VAR intervention was likely.
As explained last week in the review for Malo Gusto’s red card for Chelsea against Aston Villa, when the replays show that an opponent’s leg has effectively been bent by the tackle, that will be seen as evidence of excessive force.
Jones’ foot came off the top of the ball and led to him catching Bissouma high on the shin and forcing his leg backward. It’s similar in nature to the dismissal of Manchester United midfielder Casemiro against Southampton last season (though that was a clearer red card due to the way he went into the challenge).
Jones was unlucky, but a VAR intervention for a red card was always likely.
Some supporters complained that England showed Hooper a freeze frame of the point of contact as he walked over to the pitchside monitor, effectively pre-judging the review. Yet as the monitor is specifically there to confirm an overturn (though the referee retains the right to reject the advice of the VAR), a referee is always going to be shown the clearest evidence to support the decision. Hooper will be told as he walks over the screen exactly what he will see and the kind of replays he will be offered. The referee always has the option of requesting additional angles and replay speeds.
Possible penalty: Handball by Domínguez and Boly
What happened: Brentford had a corner in the final moments of the first half. Nicolás Domínguez jumped for the ball with Vitaly Janelt, and the ball appeared to brush the raised arm of the Forest player as it was nodded on. When the ball bounced inside the area, it was then touched by the hand of Willy Boly.
VAR decision: No penalty.
VAR review: After the decision to penalise Wolves’ João Gomes for his raised arm at Luton Town last weekend, you could understand questions over the first handball by Domínguez. His arm was high, and it was hit by the ball. He escapes because it hit him at point-blank range and the arm position was justified when jumping.
Boly had his arm by his side, so it would need to be a deliberate handball, and while there was a movement, it appeared to be natural rather than specific to push the ball away.
Possible penalty: Turner on Wissa
What happened: Yoane Wissa closed down Forest goalkeeper Matt Turner following a back-pass by Murillo. The Brentford striker got a toe to the ball and pushed it toward goal, and was then caught by Turner as the keeper tried to make the clearance. A defender cleared the ball before it crossed the line.
VAR decision: No penalty.
VAR review: This definitely should have been a penalty, and that the error was made by Michael Oliver, who was in the UAE with Darren England, only adds to the issues facing PGMOL this week.
Wissa gets to the ball first and is kicked by the goalkeeper. Perhaps it was Wissa’s immediate reaction to get up and play on, rather than appealing for the foul, which threw Oliver. Either way, it was a mistake not to intervene.
Possible offside: Zaniolo on Watkins’ second goal
What happened: Ollie Watkins doubled Aston Villa’s lead in the 21st minute when finishing into the corner. It looked initially as though goalkeeper Jason Steele had let a weak shot past him into the corner of the net, but was he impacted by Nicolò Zaniolo in an offside position in front of him? (watch here)
VAR decision: Goal stands.
VAR review: It provides a good comparison with an incident from a month ago, when Manchester City saw a goal allowed to stand when Manuel Akanji was in front of Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno. PGMOL admitted that goal should have been ruled out by the VAR, and on the face of it, this is the same. Then last week Manchester United had a goal ruled out by the VAR when Rasmus Højlund was in front of Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford on Jonny Evans’ header. So what’s the difference, and why wasn’t Villa’s goal ruled out?
The key difference between Akanji and Zaniolo are the actions of the players in front of the goalkeeper. Akanji made an obvious action to play and/or evade the ball on its way to goal, which had to affect the goalkeeper’s decision-making. However, Zaniolo makes absolutely no movement at all — and this makes any impact on the keeper far more difficult to evaluate.
The VAR has decided that he couldn’t be certain there was any impact on Steele in the Brighton goal. It’s certainly a situation that will split opinion.
The disallowed Man United goal was slightly different in interpretation, as Højlund was in direct contact with the Burnley goalkeeper so he had to be considered to be having an impact.
We can also look at Crystal Palace’s goal at Old Trafford on Saturday. Although there were two players in an offside position in front of goal, they were not impacting André Onana.
Possible foul: Luiz on March before Estupiñán own goal
What happened: Villa got a third goal in the 26th minute when Pervis Estupiñán diverted a shot from Moussa Diaby into his own net. However, Solly March was adamant he was fouled in the buildup to the goal, which was checked by the VAR (watch here.)
VAR decision: Goal stands.
VAR review: There’s no doubt that March was fouled by Douglas Luiz, who effectively fell into the Brighton player and brought him down. That means the only judgement for the VAR is on the attacking phase: Did the incident happen too far back in the move for it have a material impact?
It’s a tough call, because you could judge winning the ball to be crucial to a goal whenever it happens in the buildup. But, in the Premier League, at least, there has been a desire not to look too far back to disallow goals for a foul.
Last season, 10 goals were disallowed because a foul in the leadup to a goal. From Phil Foden’s goal against Liverpool for a foul by Erling Haaland, to Leandro Trossard’s strike for Ben White holding on to the arm of Leicester City goalkeeper Danny Ward. But in each case, the goal came very quickly after the incident.
After March is fouled there is another 50-50 challenge for the ball, so Villa didn’t achieve possession directly as a result of the foul. There are then several passes over 15 seconds before Diaby has a first shot on goal, which was saved by Steele, before his second effort went in off Estupiñán.
It’s a tricky judgement call on the attacking phase, but it’s consistent in the application we’ve seen in English football.
Possible offside: Ansu when scoring
What happened: Brighton & Hove Albion got a goal back in the 50th minute through Ansu Fati. The goal came after João Pedro had go to the goal-line and attempted a cut back, and eventually got the ball to a teammate at the second attempt. The VAR began a very lengthy check on the goal. (Watch here.)
VAR decision: Goal stands.
VAR review: It took an inordinate amount of time for what seemed like a pretty straightforward VAR check, which looked at two possible situations.
In total, the review took 2½ minutes. First, there was a question of the ball being out of play when Pedro controlled it, but it soon became clear the whole of the ball hadn’t crossed the goal-line. Second, whether a possible offside against goal scorer Ansu, which seemed to go on and on.
It doesn’t matter that Pedro’s touch sends the ball backwards, the direction the ball goes doesn’t matter — only the position of the attacking player who receives the ball. But the situation is complicated slightly as John McGinn has run off the pitch in trying to challenge Pedro — it gives the immediate impression that Ansu has to be offside. But in law, McGinn is considered to be on the goal-line, which makes goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez the second defensive player, and the one who creates the offside line.
The VAR seemed to spend a long time trying to determine the correct frame for the kick-point by Pedro, but even during this process, it seemed very evident from the naked eye that Ansu was being played onside by the heel of Martinez. The VAR needs to apply the lines to prove this, of course, but it took far too long for what was essentially a straightforward situation.
Possible penalty: Handball by Ward
What happened: Manchester United were already trailing 1-0 to Crystal Palace in the 59th minute and looking for a way back into the game. Bruno Fernandes lifted a ball into the box aimed for Marcus Rashford, and the ball hit the hand of Joel Ward before it could get to the striker. United players appealed for a penalty, but referee Chris Kavanagh said no.
VAR decision: No penalty.
VAR review: While Ward did check over his shoulder for the flight of the ball, there’s no way this could be considered deliberate after the ball flicked off his hand. Ward also had his back to the ball when it hit him, and his arm was close to his body in an expected position.
Poor defending to misread the flight, but not a handball offence.
Possible penalty: Handball by Amrabat
What happened: Palace had a handball appeal of their own in the 90th minute when the ball hit the arm of Sofyan Amrabat. Did Palace have any grounds for a spot kick?
VAR decision: No penalty.
VAR review: As with Ward, Amrabat had his arm close to his body, so there was no chance that the VAR, Peter Bankes, would advise a penalty kick.
Amrabat also had the ball hit onto him at close proximity by Jairo Riedewald.
Possible penalty overturn: Al Dakhil challenge on Gordon
What happened: Newcastle United were awarded a penalty in the 75th minute when Ameen Al Dakhil brought down Anthony Gordon. The Burnley defender appealed against the decision, and there was an automatic check made by the VAR, Jarred Gillett.
VAR decision: Penalty stands, scored by Alexander Isak.
VAR review: A very simple and quick check, despite Al Dakhil’s claims that he had got to the ball. It was clear from the angle behind the play that it was a foul, and referee Thomas Bramall had made the correct decision.
Some parts of this article include information provided by the Premier League and PGMOL.
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Chelsea are willing to listen to offers for defender Marc Cucurella ahead of a possible January transfer move, sources have told ESPN.
The £62 million ($75.5m) signing from Brighton made his second appearance of the season in Wednesday’s 1-0 Carabao Cup fourth-round win against his former club but is yet to play a single Premier League minute since Mauricio Pochettino became head coach in July.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)
Cucurella told ESPN as part of an exclusive interview in July that he wanted to stay at the club and fight for his place but a lack of regular minutes in the coming months will likely force a rethink.
Chelsea were ready to allow the 25-year-old to join Manchester United on loan this summer but the deal collapsed after Cucurella played in the club’s previous Carabao Cup tie against AFC Wimbledon.
FIFA regulations stipulate that a player cannot represent three clubs in a single season and given United wanted to insert a break clause in any deal to allow them to return Cucurella to Chelsea, talks broke down.
Reports in Spain have linked Real Madrid with a possible loan bid in January and the prospect of returning to the country of his birth is thought to appeal to Cucurella. United are unlikely to re-enter the running given they signed Sergio Reguilón on loan from Tottenham after switching their attentions from Cucurella.
Chelsea would prefer a permanent transfer to help balance the books after another summer of spending which took Chelsea’s total outlay on transfers past the £1 billion mark since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital completed their takeover of the club last May.
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Randal Kolo Muani and Goncalo Ramos scored their first goals for Paris Saint-Germain as the French champions crushed bitter rivals Marseille 4-0 in Ligue 1 on Sunday.
Kolo Muani and Ramos, with a brace, added to Achraf Hakimi’s early opener to lift PSG up to third in the standings with 11 points from six games, two behind surprise leaders Stade Brestois.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)
It was not the perfect night for the hosts at the Parc des Princes, however, as Kylian Mbappe limped off the pitch with a possible ankle injury in the first half.
“It was a perfect game. We’re getting close to having what we want, players always connected, defending and attacking together,” coach Luis Enrique told a press conference.
Marseille, who have had a rough week off the field amid a feud with their fans, are seventh on nine points.
The Provence side parted company with coach Marcelino and hit out at their fans’ representatives during the week after they allegedly threatened the club’s management and pressured them to resign.
President Pablo Longoria vowed to stay on, saying he had received “unconditional support” from the club’s owner Frank McCourt.
With interim coach Jacques Abardonado on the bench — or, more precisely, gesticulating and screaming from the touchline — Marseille were unable to respond to PSG’s ‘Tiki Taka,’ the ultra possessive strategy coach Luis Enrique has been looking to impose on a team who have long struggled to find a playing style.
Kylian Mbappe leaves the field for PSG after picking up an injury against Marseille.
PSG were rewarded after eight minutes when Hakimi fired a free kick into the top corner after Mbappe had been fouled at the edge of the box.
The France forward was replaced by Marcelo Ramos on 32 minutes with a potential ankle injury.
“We tried to strap it again but it was still hurting, so we decided not to risk anything. I don’t think it’s serious he should be back soon,” said Luis Enrique.
Bradley Barcola tormented the Marseille defence on the left flank, threatening multiple times with his silky dribbling.
The visitors, however, came close in the 23rd minute as Vitinha’s header shaved the crossbar.
But PSG were far more clinical.
In the 40th minute, Hakimi’s brutal strike crashed on to the post and was deflected by keeper Pau Lopez’s back into the path of Kolo Muani, who only had to tap in for his first goal with PSG.
Vitinha and Azzedine Ounahi were substituted at half-time by Ilian Ndiaye and Amine Harit, respectively, but it was PSG who made the fastest start as Ramos headed home from Ousmane Dembele’s cross on 47 minutes.
The night ended with PSG fans in the Boulogne kop celebrating with anti-gay chants, and a big part of the crowd clapping along.
The chants briefly stopped when Ramos scored the fourth goal after being set up by Kolo Muani at the end of a sharp counter-attack.
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There’s something melancholic about an English seaside town in winter. Whether it’s the shuttered shop fronts rusted by the salty air, the sickly green waves crashing against the vacant shoreline, or the wind buffeting rows of empty beach huts, there’s often a sense of stoicism, a need for hibernation and a yearning for better times.
However, for the residents of Brighton and Hove on England’s south coast, this year will be different. Those familiar doldrums will be shaken off as the city and its football club prepare for the team’s first European campaign in its 122-year history — a result of an incredible sixth-placed finish in the Premier League last season that handed them a spot in the UEFA Europa League.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)
It has been a long time coming, as Brighton fans have had to endure heartache over the years: From relegation from the top flight in 1983, the same year they lost an FA Cup final to Manchester United, to almost being relegated to the Football Conference and liquidated in 1997, to repeated failure in the Championship playoffs — they lost three times between 2012-2016, before finally achieving promotion to the Premier League in 2016-17.
Now things are different. Amid worldwide acclaim for their transfer business and tactical style under exciting head coach Roberto De Zerbi, Brighton’s rise to playing in Europe is quite a story.
The city relies on the summer “holiday season,” when its population swells as thousands of Londoners — or DFLs (“Down From London”) as the locals call them — take the roughly 50-mile trip to the seaside. On Thursday, it will welcome fans of Greece’s AEK Athens for the first group-stage game, before supporters from the Netherlands’ Ajax Amsterdam and France’s Marseille make the journey in October and December.
Brighton have always maintained a strong community ethos — CEO Paul Barber personally sent a letter of thanks to the 41 devotees who travelled to every home and away fixture in their first season in the Premier League — so as soon as the Europa League draw was made in Monaco earlier this month, supporters began organising flights and hotel rooms, determined to make the most of the opportunity to attend matches in Europe for the first time.
“It’s a tough group but I’m really happy with it,” Brighton local Kim Strudwick tells ESPN. “You want to play teams that you know and it’s going to be amazing to watch Athens and Marseille. We’ve booked flights for Amsterdam as well. It’s going to be a great experience. I want to make sure I live it and say I’ve been.”
Brighton’s existence threatened
Seeing De Zerbi and his team take on European heavyweights is a fitting reward for the fans who have stuck by the club through thick and thin — most notably when it came within 28 minutes of relegation from the Football League in 1997.
Financially crippled from years of mismanagement, the club was left homeless and even came close to liquidation, with the board selling the Goldstone Ground to pay off debts. Seemingly doomed to the drop — it was 13 points adrift at the bottom of Division Three at one stage — the club rallied and faced what was effectively a one-match playoff against Hereford United in the final game of the season to determine who would be relegated to the Conference. In the end, a 62nd-minute equaliser from forward Robbie Reinelt secured the point Brighton needed to survive and keep the debt collectors at arm’s length.
“It was just one knockback after another at that time,” Kim’s father, and fellow Brighton fan, Steve Strudwick remembers. “You thought that Brighton could go out of existence. It would have been that way. Especially if we got relegated from the Football League. We were that close to being a semi-professional club.”
Knight in shining armour; Brighton Bloom
Four months later, on Sept. 2, 1997, local businessperson and dedicated supporter, Dick Knight — the man behind the infamous “Wonderbra” advertisement — led a consortium that took full control of Brighton from previous owner Greg Stanley and chairman Bill Archer for just £100.
The club, though, was still without a permanent home and, after two years sharing a ground at Gillingham’s Priestfield Stadium, relocated to the Withdean — an athletics stadium that had once been the site of the local zoo. It was there that the supporters, who watched on from rickety temporary stands, saw the first signs of the team’s growth as the Seagulls won back-to-back promotions after the turn of the Millenium.
“Seeing us play at Gillingham for a couple of years when we were towards the bottom of the old Tier Four … We were awful then,” Steve says. “We had to go 70-odd miles or so to get there every other Saturday. It was miserable and more often than not we’d lose anyway! I remember getting soaked at the Withdean on many occasions. The stand we sat in was in the open so there was no protection. You were also a long way from the pitch because of the running track.”
Brighton’s nomadism was brought to an end in 2009 with the takeover by local entrepreneur and sports betting magnate, Tony Bloom. Fresh investment was badly needed to push through plans for a new stadium in Falmer, on the edge of the South Downs National Park, and he has put in over £400 million of his own money. Those “Bloom or bust” years even spawned the charity single ‘We Want Falmer’ that raised awareness of the fans’ wish for a new home — it reached No. 17 in the UK singles charts. But with his takeover completed in 2009 and £93m finally secured for their first permanent home in 14 years — the American Express Community Stadium — Brighton’s new owner and chairman set about creating the modern-day incarnation of the football club.
“He [Bloom] is just a hero, he’s the man,” season-ticket holder Steven Meachin says. “I would say behind Dick Knight he’s the most important person in Brighton’s history, or at least the last 50 years or so. If we didn’t have Tony Bloom then we wouldn’t be going to Marseille next month, that’s for sure.”
Rise to the Premier League
In many ways, Bloom is the embodiment of the city of his birth, continually finding appeal in the niche and the under-appreciated. It’s an ethos he has ingrained into the club.
Brighton found success under Uruguay legend Gus Poyet to gain promotion to the Championship in 2010-11 and, after a few years of playoff heartache, eventually sealed their place back in the top flight for the first time in 34 years under Chris Hughton in 2016-17. Since then, the club’s player recruitment department, and their ability to see potential in traditionally overlooked and undervalued regions of the world, has set them apart from their competitors.
“They seem to be spotting gems in random leagues all over the place,” Brighton fan Ryan Newington says. “The way I sort of imagine it to be is like Football Manager [the video game], with some very intelligent data scientists going through various South American second divisions and seeing what they look like.”
It’s a process that has produced Premier League stars such as Mali’s Yves Bissouma [£30m, to Tottenham], Argentina’s Alexis Mac Allister [£35m, to Liverpool], Ecuador’s Moisés Caicedo [£100m, to Chelsea] and, most recently, the Republic of Ireland’s 18-year-old striker Evan Ferguson. But the accepted hierarchy of modern football means that for clubs like Brighton, it’s not just finding the right players; it’s about replacing them when the richer teams inevitably take them away. It’s something they seem to do better than any other club, but do the fans still get nervous whenever one of their heroes is moved on for a huge profit?
“I trust the board and I think lots of other Brighton fans feel that way,” Newington continues. “Yes, we’ll recruit players and yes, we’ll move them on for a profit and that is part of the system, but I feel like the money is reinvested well. Over the past two or three seasons it feels like the recruitment has got even better. You can’t be anything but happy with it.
“I have immense trust in the club’s leaders, Tony Bloom and Paul Barber. I suppose it’s because they’ve just made right decision after right decision after right decision for 10 years. Tony Bloom is a lifelong Brighton fan, he’s invested a lot of his own money. It’s all purely out of love.”
As a former professional gambler, Brighton’s owner is understandably secretive about how he consistency beats the odds, and the inner workings of his sports betting and analytics company, Starlizard, are shrouded in mystery.
Bloom’s secrecy extends to his football team. If you drive down the busy Old Shoreham Road into Worthing you’d be forgiven for overlooking the fact that Brighton’s training ground is nestled just out of view, hidden in the residential area to your left. There are remarkably few signs that mark its presence.
The results, however, are clear to see – the club have scored more goals than anyone else in the Premier League so far this season (15) after registering a £74m net profit from the summer transfer window and have even signed Lionel Messi’s one-time heir at Barcelona, Ansu Fati, on a season-long loan.
“When you compare where we are now to those days [at Gillingham and the Withdean] I do think it gives you genuine pride,” Newington adds. “With where we are now and the success of qualifying for the Europa League you’re like: ‘oh my God, we’re actually good!'”
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Will Ansu Fati find success at Brighton?
Alejandro Moreno breaks down what he expects from Ansu Fati while he is on loan at Brighton.
De Zerbi leads European charge
Supporters, though, are keen to stress that they’re not getting too ahead of themselves as the club makes its first foray into Europe this week.
“I think from the fans’ point of view there’ll be no pressure at all,” Meachin says. “I think everyone expects us to get through the group, but worst-case scenario, finish third, and get in the [Europa] Conference League. Brighton fans don’t expect a lot. Most fans are kind of just kind of happy with going on the ride at the moment.”
The lack of ruthlessness that saw Brighton suffer so badly when faced with the intensity of Championship playoff games was a feature that De Zerbi quickly rectified after taking over from Graham Potter [who joined Chelsea] in September last year.
Potter was derided for the way in which his team consistently underperformed against their Expected Goals (xG) — in three games towards the end of February 2021, the team had a total xG of 7.79 but scored only once. Under De Zerbi this season, Brighton have scored 15 goals from an xG of 12.16. But the Italian hasn’t just improved his team in front of goal, many Brighton fans feel as though his influence on the club has been underappreciated from the outside.
“De Zerbi has changed more than what people give him credit for,” Meachin claims. “He is a different level but I can’t see him staying around for more than another year or two [because a bigger team will hire him]. I mean Potter did well, but I think De Zerbi is just a clear step up.”
“A lot of people don’t realise what it was like up until the March of the season before he [Potter] went. There were still a lot of question marks with the fanbase. We lost at home to Wolves in December of 2021 and a lot of people were saying ‘he’s got to go, we’re not progressing.’ It wasn’t until that March when we won at Tottenham that it started to properly come together.”
Even Bloom has admitted to being surprised by De Zerbi’s influence.
“I didn’t quite realise the impact he would have when he came in,” Bloom told BBC Radio Sussex Sport. “He has been hugely influential for so many players. He is so good at improving them. The quality of the play and the risk taking at the right times to create opportunities for the players to create chances and his tactical abilities are superb.”
Brighton have come such a long way in a short space of time. When they kick off against AEK Athens on Thursday night, you can guarantee that everyone associated with the club will take a moment to contemplate just how much they’ve achieved. Twenty-six years after Reinelt’s goal kept Brighton alive, they’re heading off to Europe in search of the good life.
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Rob Dawson, CorrespondentSep 15, 2023, 10:30 PM
Erik ten Hag has admitted there is doubt about whether Jadon Sancho has a future at Manchester United.
The 23-year-old is training alone following his public row with Ten Hag in the aftermath of the 3-1 defeat to Arsenal before the international break.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)
Sources have told ESPN that Sancho has not apologised for his role in the spat and, speaking at a news conference on Friday, the United manager refused to say whether the England international remains part of his long-term plans at Old Trafford.
“I don’t know,” said Ten Hag, when asked whether Sancho will play for United again.
“I prepare my team the best I can, I put all my effort into the players who are available. He is not available, so in this moment, he is not important, because he can’t contribute.”
Sancho has been banished from first-team training after publicly challenging Ten Hag’s reasons for dropping him for the game at Arsenal.
Ten Hag said it was because of poor training performances, before Sancho issued a post on social media to say the comments were “completely untrue” and that he had been “made a scapegoat for a long time.”
Sancho is unavailable for Brighton’s visit to Old Trafford on Saturday but Ten Hag insists the rest of his players are focused.
“With fans it’s the talk, with you [the media] it’s the talk, but with the players it is not the talk,” he added.
“They want to perform. For players who didn’t have so much opportunities, they get their opportunity, so this is their chance to come into the team.
“So, as I said, we had a really good spirit, everyone is focusing on this game, and the coming games.”
Sancho is currently training alone with club staff and there is no timeframe for his return to the squad.
Ten Hag is also without Antony, who has been given a leave of absence amid allegations of abusive behaviour towards multiple women. Raphaël Varane, Mason Mount, Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia and new signing Sofyan Amrabat are all out injured leaving United short of options, but Ten Hag insists he had no choice but to take a tough stance on Sancho.
“It’s in favour of the team,” he said.
“That is what my decision is based on. That is not about me, and to be strict. No. This is in favour of the team.”
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Gareth Southgate has labelled criticism of Harry Maguire as a “a joke” and claimed the “ridiculous treatment” of the Manchester United defender is “beyond anything I’ve ever seen.”
Maguire came on for the second half of Tuesday’s 3-1 friendly win over Scotland at Hampden Park and was jeered throughout by the home supporters.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)
England were leading 2-0 through strikes from Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham before Maguire scored a 67th-minute own goal to prompt further ironic cheers.
Harry Kane settled the contest with his 59th international goal nine minutes from time as England supporters continued to chant Maguire’s name in response to sustained abuse.
Maguire was also cheered by Arsenal fans when appearing as a substitute for Manchester United at Emirates Stadium earlier this month and Southgate believes the negativity is the product of unfair coverage.
“From a Scotland fan’s point of view, I get it and I have absolutely no complaints with what they did,” began Southgate. “It is a consequence of ridiculous treatment of him for a long period of time, frankly. I think our fans recognised ‘OK, there might be a bit of heat from our own supporters but we’re not going to have it from others getting into him.’
“But it’s a joke. I’ve never known a player treated like he is, not by the Scottish fans but by our own commentators, pundits whatever it is. They’ve created something beyond anything I’ve ever seen. He’s been an absolute stalwart in the second most successful England team in decades.
“He’s been an absolutely key part of that. I’ve talked about the importance of our senior players, he’s been crucial amongst that. Every time he goes on the field, the resilience he shows, the balls he shows is absolutely incredible. He’s a top player, we are all with him and our fans were brilliant with him tonight.”
Asked how Maguire was, Southgate continued: “He’s good, he’s great. We’ve had a good win. He’s been a big part of that. He’s gone and spoken with the media because that’s the sort of lad he is. He’s fronted up as he always does. Enormous credit to his character.”
