Football

Albania's Mirlind Daku has been suspended for two matches after leading fans in nationalist chants at the European Championship, which UEFA deemed as bringing soccer into disrepute.Daku took a megaphone after Albania's 2-2 draw with Croatia in Hamburg and joined in chanting slogans against Serbia and North Macedonia. The incidents and fallout from the game in Hamburg have been the most serious involving Balkan politics at a Euros with the most-ever teams from the region playing — and offering a stage for some fans to air its issues.UEFA's disciplinary judges found Daku guilty of "failing to comply with the general principles of conduct, for violating the basic rules of decent conduct, for using sports events for manifestations of a non-sporting nature and for bringing the sport of football into disrepute."UEFA also ordered the Albanian soccer federation to pay fines totaling 47,250 euros ($50,500) for incidents at the game where its fans chanted an anti-Serb slogan, reportedly "Kill the Serbs."The Serbian soccer federation had threatened to quit the tournament if UEFA did not punish the incidents.On the field, Albania plays a decisive group-stage game on Monday against Spain. If Albania advances, Daku also would sit out the round of 16 game.Daku later apologized for his actions in a social media posting, as UEFA appointed an in-house investigator to study his "alleged inappropriate behavior."The 26-year-old forward began playing for Albania last year having used his right under FIFA rules to change his eligibility from Kosovo, the ethnic-Albanian former province of Serbia that declared independence 16 years ago.UEFA had also announced charges against its member federations of both Albania and Croatia over "potential racist and/or discriminatory conduct" by fans on Wednesday.However, only Albania was fined for "transmitting provocative messages not fit for a sports event." The Croatia federation was fined just 27,500 euros ($29,400) for fans lighting and throwing fireworks at the stadium.The Albanian soccer Federation, or FSHF, called on the fans to be "accountable and avoid incidents and riots.""The FSHF invites fans and football lovers to support to the end the Albanian national team in this magical and historic path in Euro 2024 by showing citizenry and accountability through correct behavior and by respecting the rules and the opponents," said a statement.Albania has impressed at Euro 2024 in an opening 2-1 loss against Italy and then the 2-2 draw with Croatia. With three national teams at Euro 2024 from the former Yugoslavia — Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia — plus Kosovo's neighbor Albania, fans have shown that their shared history in the brutal Balkans war of the 1990s and diplomatic issues since cannot easily be forgotten.Nationalist chants raised the hostility levels at Euro 2024 where provocative banners, such as flags with maps, were expected to bring politics into the 10 stadiums in Germany.Serbia and Albania each were fined by UEFA after their opening games for fans "transmitting a provocative message." It cost them 10,000 euros ($10,700) each for a first offense.The Serbian fans' banner about Kosovo had also led to a FIFA prosecution involving players at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Serbia considers Kosovo the cradle of its statehood and Christian Orthodox religion, and is among several European countries that do not recognize its independence.In Germany last week, a television journalist from Kosovo had his credential canceled by UEFA after making the two-handed Albanian eagle gesture while broadcasting pitch-side in front of Serbia fans.The Balkan entries at Euro 2024 could have been five had Bosnia-Herzegovina come through a qualifying playoff bracket in March won by Ukraine.UEFA's president Aleksander Čeferin, a lawyer from Slovenia who grew up in the former Yugoslavia, had said while attending Serbia's decisive qualifying game in November that he would "certainly like" as many teams from the region to qualify as possible.UEFA has a decision to make this year that could be very symbolic about the sport's ability to unite, at a time when it blocks in its competition draw ceremonies any pairings of teams from Kosovo against Serbian or Bosnian opponents for security reasons.The Albanian and Serbian soccer federations have teamed up, despite opposition from many fans, in a bid to co-host the Under-21 Euros in 2027. The other candidates are Belgium and Turkey.UEFA's executive committee — which includes a vice president from Albania, Armand Duka — is scheduled to vote on the 2027 host in December.

Claudio Bravo, the oldest player in Copa America history, made four crucial saves to help Chile secure a scoreless draw against Peru in the tournament opener. At 41 years and 69 days, Bravo denied Gianluca Lapadula's first-time shot on a corner kick and Paolo Guerrero's rebound attempt in front of 43,030 fans at AT&T Stadium.Chile's best scoring chance came early in the match when Alexis Sánchez was left unmarked in front of the goal, but his redirection went over the crossbar. The physical battle featured 37 fouls and four yellow cards, reflecting the intensity of the rivalry between the two South American nations.Chile and Peru trail Argentina in Group A. Argentina, which began its Copa America title defense with a 2-0 victory over Canada on Thursday, faces Chile on Tuesday in a rematch of the 2016 Copa America final. Peru plays Canada on Tuesday in Kansas City, Kansas, and closes the first round against Argentina on June 29 in Miami Gardens, Florida.Fourteen U.S. stadiums are hosting the tournament, which runs through July 14 and ends at Miami Gardens, Florida. Six nations from North and Central America and the Caribbean were added to the 10 South American teams, just as in the centennial Copa America in 2016.

Spain, the three-time European champion, has advanced to the round of 16 at Euro 2024 after a dominant 1-0 victory over defending champion Italy on Thursday. A 55th-minute own goal by Riccardo Calafiori settled the Group B game at the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen.Spain's performance was a statement of intent, showcasing their resurgence and marking them as one of the favorites to win a record-extending fourth European Championship. "I think it was the best Spain performance I have taken charge of," said coach Luis de la Fuente. "I don't see a ceiling on this team. The sky is the limit."Spain totally dominated Italy, with 16-year-old winger Lamine Yamal further enhancing his reputation as one of soccer's most exciting young stars. Player of the match Nico Williams also tormented Italy's defenders and was inches away from scoring in the second half.Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma kept the score down with a string of fine saves until inadvertently pushing the ball into the legs of Calafiori, who couldn't prevent it from ricocheting into his own goal. "They deserved to win and we were never in the game," said Italy coach Luciano Spalletti. "There was too much of a gulf. We were constantly stretched, we were never able to squeeze the gaps between the various units and they were able to cause us problems."Spain's performance was reminiscent of the years when they ruled international soccer, winning back-to-back Euros and the World Cup from 2008 through 2012. Having failed to dominate possession for the first time in 136 competitive games in their opening 3-0 win over Croatia, Spain was back to its old ways in starving Italy of the ball and dictating play in a largely lopsided game.Chances came thick and fast in the first half, with Donnarumma pulling off a string of saves to keep the score goalless. For all of Spain's superiority, it took Calafiori's own goal to break the deadlock after halftime. Donnarumma pushed Alvaro Morata's glancing header into the legs of Calafiori, who could only watch as the ball ricocheted into the back of the net.Williams was then millimeters away from extending the lead with a curling shot that hit the crossbar. "We dominated across the board," said Williams. "Italy are an excellent side but we played very well and deserved to win."Williams is just one of the bright young stars in De la Fuente's team. Yamal is another and the Barcelona teenager, who has a $1 billion buyout clause, showcased his talents with slaloming runs and tricks. Barcelona midfielder Pedri looks like the modern-day answer to Spain great Andres Iniesta. "I want to underline the quality of this generation of players, particularly those in this squad. Spanish players are the best in the world," said De la Fuente.Spain has endured frustrating times since it last won the Euros in 2012, with early exits from the last three World Cups. At the last Euros, it lost on penalties to Italy in the semifinals. But there have been signs of its resurgence in recent times, having won the UEFA Nations League last year. Now it looks well-positioned to add another major title in Germany. "Essentially we haven't achieved anything yet," said De la Fuente. "Football can be very cruel. We have to be cautious, humble and show respect."

Euro 2024: Germany to Host the 17th Edition of the UEFA European ChampionshipGermany will host the 17th edition of the UEFA European Championship, also known as Euro 2024, from June 14 to July 14. The tournament will feature 24 teams, including Georgia, which will make its European championship debut.This will be the third time that the European championship will be held on German territory, and the second time in reunified Germany. West Germany hosted the tournament in 1988, and four matches of the multi-national Euro 2020 were played in Munich.The tournament will return to its usual four-year cycle after the 2020 edition was postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Italy are the defending champions, having won the 2020 tournament against England on penalties in the final.The venues for Euro 2024 are:* Olymplastadion Berlin* Fubbal Arena Munchen* Westfalenstadion* Stuttgard Arena* Arena AutSchalke* Frankfurt Arena* Volksparkstadion* Dusseldorf Arena* Cologne Stadium* Leipzig StadiumThe 24 participating teams are grouped into six groups:* Group A: Germany, Scotland, Hungary, Switzerland* Group B: Spain, Croatia, Italy, Albania* Group C: Slovenia, Denmark, Serbia, England* Group D: Poland, Netherlands, Austria, France* Group E: Belgium, Slovakia, Romania, Ukraine* Group F: Turkey, Georgia, Portugal, Czech RepublicThe full schedule (time in IST) is as follows:

FIFA Implements New Maternity and Parental Leave Policies for Players and CoachesIn a significant move to support the well-being of players and coaches, FIFA has introduced new protocols that provide a minimum of 14 weeks of paid maternity leave for players and eight weeks for coaches who adopt a child under two years old. Additionally, non-biological parents of newborns are entitled to a minimum of eight weeks of paid leave.These measures extend the maternity leave previously granted to players in 2020, now including coaches, non-biological mothers, and adoptive parents. The protocols take effect on June 1 and were approved by the FIFA Council last month."I think it's a big statement," said former U.S. coach Jill Ellis. "These are big steps and big strides to really normalize the life that we go through as women ... that's what we want to provide now at every level, the club level, the national team level — the opportunity for pro players to have the chance to be mums."Ellis led FIFA's technical study group for the Women's World Cup last year in Australia and New Zealand.The regulations also grant clubs greater flexibility to add players outside of the transfer window when players take maternity or parental leave or return from it. They also allow players to take paid time off from matches or training due to menstrual health.FIFA is encouraging member associations to create family-friendly environments for players with children. "In a FIFA Women's World Cup, (a player) can potentially be away from her family for five or six weeks ... and that can have a big toll on the player, mentally, but also on the child," said Sarai Bareman, FIFA's chief women's soccer officer. "So, encouraging the member associations to make provision or to allow for those mothers and parents to have the children with them during the camp, during the tournament, is a really important step which will support not only female players but all players in our sport.”

Columbus Crew's historic run in the CONCACAF Champions Cup continued on Wednesday as they secured a spot in the final for the first time ever. After a 2-1 victory in the first leg at home, the Crew traveled to Monterrey, Mexico, and emerged with a stunning 3-1 triumph, sealing a 5-2 aggregate victory.Monterrey, seeking their sixth Champions Cup title, started brightly and took the lead through an own goal by Columbus defender Yevhen Cheberko. However, the Crew refused to be disheartened and equalized in dramatic fashion just before halftime. Monterrey goalkeeper Esteban Andrada's poor clearance was intercepted by Aidan Morris, who slotted home to level the scores.After the break, Columbus took control of the game. Diego Rossi fired them into the lead with a clinical finish, and the Crew held firm despite Monterrey's desperate attempts to equalize. Substitute Jacen Russell-Rowe put the icing on the cake in the 89th minute, securing a memorable victory for the MLS champions.Columbus's victory marks a significant milestone for the club and the MLS as a whole. They are now just one step away from becoming the fourth MLS team to be crowned champions of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. The Crew will face Mexican club Pachuca in the final, with the winner earning a place at next year's expanded FIFA Club World Cup.

Lionel Messi's scoring prowess continues to shine in Major League Soccer (MLS), as the Argentine maestro netted a brace to lead Inter Miami to a 4-1 victory over the New England Revolution on Saturday. The win extends Miami's winning streak to three games, with Messi contributing five goals during that run.Despite New England taking an early lead through Tomas Chancalay, Miami equalized through Messi's first goal in the 32nd minute. The 36-year-old then put Miami ahead in the 68th minute with a clinical finish after a superb pass from Sergio Busquets.Messi's influence continued in the final stages, as he assisted Benjamin Cremaschi and Luis Suarez for Miami's third and fourth goals, respectively. The victory sees Miami climb to the top of the Eastern Conference standings.Inter Miami coach Gerardo Martino praised his team's performance, highlighting the importance of their recent win over Kansas City. "The Kansas City game was a key for us, because we had just been eliminated by Monterrey and the team showed their character," he said.New England coach Caleb Porter acknowledged Messi's brilliance, stating, "That's Messi. You have to look at both those moments because I thought they were able to find two goals when we felt pretty good about the way we were limiting their effectiveness in creating clear chances."Elsewhere in MLS, Christian Benteke scored twice for D.C. United in their 2-1 win over the Seattle Sounders. Real Salt Lake moved to the top of the Western Conference with a 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Union, while defending champions Columbus Crew were held to a goalless draw by Montreal.