UEFA has announced details of a new European club competition to be launched in 2021.

The creation of the tournament, which has the working title of UEL2, was approved following a meeting in Dublin, with the governing body saying its inception will ensure at least 34 countries will be represented in the group stages of UEFA club competitions.

Running alongside the Champions League and Europa League, the competition will feature 32 teams in the group stage, with games to be played on Thursdays.

Before the last 16 an additional knockout round will be played between the second-place finishers in the group stage and the sides who finish third in their respective Europa League groups.

The winner of the competition will qualify for the subsequent season s Eur…

Spain have qualified for the Euro 2012 quarter-finals after an uninspiring 1-0 win against Croatia at the PGE Arena Gdansk on Monday.

Neither side seemed in any hurry to snatch the initiative throughout, with La Roja s famed tiki-taka football failing to break down a determined defensive barrier set up by Slaven Bilic s men.

The match seemed destined to end in a stalemate, but with two minutes remaining, substitute Jesus Navas walked the ball into the net to confirm Croatia s exit from the tournament.

The defending champions now progress to the last eight as the winners of Group C alongside runners-up Italy, where they will face one of France, England or Ukraine.

Vicente del Bosque named an unchanged line-up from the 4-0 win over Ireland, with two-goal…

England Women have rocketed to fourth place in the FIFA rankings after winning Euro 2022 – but they still trail Sweden and Germany, two of the teams they beat on the way to glory.

The list continues to be headed by World Cup winners the United States, who are due to face England in an October friendly at Wembley.

Germany climb above Sweden to take over second place after reaching the European final, but the Swedes hold a narrow lead over England.

That is despite England thrashing Sweden 4-0 in the semi-finals of the Women s Euros, before going on to beat Germany 2-1 after extra time in the final.

England were eighth in the rankings prior to winning the European title for the first time but have vaulted above France, the Netherlands, Canada and Spain.<…

As Jack Grealish begins training at the Etihad Campus and Harry Kane continues not training in Florida, it is worth remembering Pep Guardiola left a warning in plain sight that Manchester City would be prime movers and shakers in this year s transfer market.

Speaking to Rio Ferdinand on BT Sport ahead of May s Champions League final defeat to Chelsea, Guardiola pondered the ingredients needed for sustained success, having already lifted three of the past four Premier League titles on offer.

Did you have the same squad when you won your sixth Premier League as you did your first one? he asked former Manchester United defender Ferdinand.

You have to shake, you have to move. With the same guys, it is almost impossible. We change. After defeats or a win, we change.…

Going into the World Cup on their home soil in 2014, Brazil were widely considered the main favorite for the planet s biggest trophy. But having edged past Chile on penalties in the round of 14 and narrowly beaten Colombia in the quarterfinals, they were completely destroyed by eventual winners Germany one step before the final.

Goals from Thomas Muller, Miroslav Klose, Toni Kroos (2), Sami Khedira and Andre Schurrle (2), left some huge scars across the Brazil team that will likely never heal fully.

Here are a few words on the matter from Thiago Silva, Neymar and Fernandinho.

The worst night in Brazilian football history.

A World Cup hammering in their own back yard

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