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Wembley To Be Allowed At Least 60,000 Fans For Euro 2020 Semi Finals And Finals

Wembley has hosted 22,500 fans - 25% of its capacity - for England's Group D games at Euro 2020 Euro 2020 on the BBC Dates: 11 June-11 July. Venues: Amsterdam, Baku, Bucharest, Budapest, Copenhagen, Glasgow, London, Munich, Rome, Seville, St Petersburg. Coverage: Live on BBC TV, BBC Radio 5 Live, iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app. Click here for more details The crowd capacity at Wembley will be raised to more than 60,000 for the semi-finals and final of Euro 2020, says the UK government. It means the stadium will be at 75% capacity for the games. The increase will also see the largest crowds assembled for a sporting event in the UK in more than 15 months. "It is great news that so many fans will be able to watch the final three matches of Euro 2020 at Wembley," said Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin. The UK government has postponed lifting all restrictions until 19 July but the game at Wembley, along with certain other sporting events, is being allowed extra crowd capacity under its Events Research Programme. Wembley's capacity has been reduced to 22,500 for group fixtures at Euro 2020, but that is set to be expanded to 45,000 - around 50% of full capacity - for two knockout games in the last 16 before the semi-finals on 6 and 7 July and final on 11 July. Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi had called for the final to be moved from England because of rising Covid-19 cases in the country but Uefa said it had "no plans" to do so. There was also speculation the semi-finals and final could be moved from London to Budapest if VIPs were not given an exemption to England's strict quarantine rules, and talks on that issue are continuing. "This tournament has been a beacon of hope to reassure people that we are returning to a more normal way of life and this is a further step along that road," added Ceferin. "I am grateful to the prime minister and the UK government for their hard work in finalising these arrangements with us, to make the tournament final stages a great success in Wembley." Fans attending the games at Wembley will need to follow a number of strict entry requirements, including having a negative Covid-19 test or proof of full vaccination, which means two vaccine doses, 14 days before the fixture they are attending. Why are England players self-isolating but Scotland players not? Vaccine passports: How can I prove I've had both my Covid jabs? "As we continue to make progress on our roadmap out of lockdown, keeping the public safe remains our top priority," said Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden. "We have worked extremely closely with Uefa and the Football Association to ensure rigorous and tight public health measures are in place whilst allowing more fans to see the action live. "The finals promise to be an unforgettable moment in our national recovery from the pandemic." However, the World Health Organisation (WHO) is "concerned about easing of restrictions in some of the host countries" for games at Euro 2020, according to Robb Butler, an executive director at the WHO's regional office for Europe. Other UK events exempt from strict capacity limits under the government's Events Research Programme include Wimbledon and The Open.

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Transfer Rumors: Grealish, Mbappe, Sterling, Ramos, Haaland, Glimour

Chelsea are ready to challenge Manchester City for the signature of Aston Villa's England midfielder Jack Grealish, 25. (Football Insider) France striker Kylian Mbappe has asked to leave Paris St-Germain. The 22-year-old's deal with the Ligue 1 club runs out next summer. (RMC Sport, via Marca) Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling, 26, would not be keen on moving to Tottenham as part of a deal that could take his England team-mate Harry Kane, 27, the other way. (ESPN) Chelsea will try to sign Villarreal and Spain forward Gerard Moreno, 29, if they cannot secure the signature of Norway striker Erling Braut Haaland, 20, from Borussia Dortmund . (Fichajes, via Mirror) Real Madrid are growing increasingly concerned that Spanish centre-back Raphael Varane, 28, has already agreed to join Manchester United. The Reds were preparing a straight swap offer, with French midfielder Paul Pogba, also 28, as the bargaining chip. (Metro) Modric magic How Luka Modric's genius for Croatia ended Scotland's dreams Spain defender Sergio Ramos, 35, is set to turn down interest from Manchester United and Manchester City and join Paris St-Germain when his Real Madrid contract expires at the end of this month. (AS) West Ham United are thought to be interested in signing the Fiorentina goalkeeper Bartlomiej Dragowski, 23, this summer, with Tottenham also enquiring about the 23-year-old Poland international. (Viola News - in Italian) Arsenal could sell 20-year-old French centre-back William Saliba as they close in on the signing of Brighton and England defender Ben White, 23. (Football London) Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa is showing strong interest in Huesca left-back Javi Galan but faces competition for the 26-year-old Spaniard in the form of interest from Atletico Madrid and Sevilla. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish) Wolves and West Ham are interested in Burnley's England defender James Tarkowski, 28, who is about to enter the final year of his contract at Turf Moor. (Telegraph - subscription required) Or West Ham have opted not to make a move for Tarkowski, who is also attracting interest from Leicester City. (Mail) Brighton say they have received no approach for head coach Graham Potter, despite being on Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy's shortlist to replace Jose Mourinho. (Argus) Burnley have agreed a fee in the region of £12m for Stoke City and Republic of Ireland defender Nathan Collins, 20. (Athletic) Liverpool defender Nathaniel Phillips is attracting interest from Brighton, Burnley, Newcastle United and Southampton. (Goal) Barcelona are looking to offload Brazilian midfielder Philippe Coutinho this summer and the likes of Everton and Arsenal are thought to be monitoring the 29-year-old's recovery from injury. (Sport - in Spanish) Newcastle want English midfielder Jacob Murphy, whose deal with the Magpies has one year left, to sign a long-term contract with them as interest in the 26-year-old increases. (Sky Sports) Norwich want to sign 20-year-old Scotland midfielder Billy Gilmour on a season-long loan from Chelsea. (Mail) A number of Championship clubs, including Barnsley and Nottingham Forest, are interested in signing 26-year-old Danish midfielder Emiliano Marcondes, whose contract with Brentford runs out later this month. (Mail) Rangers and Colombia striker Alfredo Morelos has been linked with a move away from the Scottish club and it seems that he could be available for a fee of around €12-15 million. Porto are the side leading the charge for the 25-year-old's signature. (Mais Transferencias via Sportwitness)

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Euro 2020: How Luka Modric's Genius For Croatia Ended Scotland's Dreams

Even the most ardent Scotland fan could only gasp in broken-hearted admiration. If your dreams were going to be crushed, the fatal blow may as well be a goal from the heavens. Luka Modric was - not surprisingly - the man who provided it, stepping on to the ball outside Scotland's box to score one of the best strikes of this or any other European Championship. Not bad for a 35-year-old who has faced murmurs of being "past it". Scotland knew the midfielder was the danger man. Knowing it and stopping are two different things, though. Scotland's Euro hopes ended by Croatia McGinn wants Euros 'to just be start' 'Scots learn lesson at tough school' Any lesser mortal would have been tempted - to borrow the Glasgow vernacular - to "leather it", put the laces through the ball and hope it hits the target. Not Modric, the little magician, who chose precision over power. The 35-year-old was the calmest man inside Hampden as he took a step and caressed an outrageous outside-of-the-boot strike into the top left-hand corner. Scotland goalkeeper David Marshall was helpless. The home nation, having fought back with a superb Callum McGregor equaliser shortly before half-time, were crestfallen and heading out of the tournament. Still setting records at 35 - the numbers Modric has seen it, done it, and won it at the top level. In March, he became Croatia's record cap holder, a total that now stands at 141 appearances. Notable team-mates chose the incredible achievement of helping Croatia finish as World Cup runners-up in 2018 as the opportune time to bow out of international football. The likes of Mario Mandzukic and Danijel Subasic were joined by Ivan Rakitic in calling it a day. All three are younger than Modric, who could have decided enough was enough as he seeks to eke every last drop out of his club career, where he is still pulling the midfield strings for Real Madrid. But he chose to stay on, and his iconic status has just gone stratospheric in his homeland. The captain had yet again led by example in Croatia's hour of need. Modric ran the the show in the first half as Croatia took the lead through Nikola Vlasic, only for their momentum to falter. McGregor - forgotten amid the recent Billy Gilmour Scotland hype - thundered home his first international goal on his 35th cap as the majority of the Hampden crowd erupted in joy. Then came Modric's moment of genius - but the outrageous strike was just one part of his repertoire. He weighed in with an assist too, delivering the corner for Ivan Perisic to glance home Croatia's third and put the result beyond any doubt. Whatever way you slice it, Modric was a standout. He had 115 touches - 16 more than any team-mate - and his 98 passes - almost two thirds of them in Scotland's half - were the most of any player on the pitch. His performance - man of the match by a distance in the BBC Sport player rater - comes with some neat symmetry too. He is now the oldest and youngest player to score for Croatia at the Euros. Having netted against Austria at Euro 2008 (at a sprightly (22 years and 73 days) he has set another record, this time aged 35 years and 286 days. As Scotland captain Andy Robertson succinctly put it at full-time: "Modric ran the game and scored a wonderful goal - that's why we fell short." Modric's 'sensational' finish puts Croatia in front 'A joy to watch' - the reaction Former Scotland striker Ally McCoist on ITV Modric has been the best player on the park by a mile. Just a pleasure to watch him. The finish is magnificent. Heartbreaking, but magnificent. Former Scotland captain Willie Miller on BBC Scotland It's just top quality. He's been brilliant tonight - he's been all over the pitch. That tops it off. There's nothing you can do about that, it's difficult to even get close to him as a defender. Former Scotland captain Scott Brown on ITV He's a joy to watch. He played 90 minutes and looks like he could play another 90. It's the small touches, the dummies, his vision. His manager lets him go play the way he wants, gives him that freedom, and he repays him

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Euro 2020: Portugal's Second Golden Generation Faces Pivotal Moment Against France

Portugal beat France 1-0 in the Euro 2016 final - but can they repeat the trick to stay in Euro 2020? Euro 2020 on the BBC Dates : 11 June-11 July. Venues: Amsterdam, Baku, Bucharest, Budapest, Copenhagen, Glasgow, London, Munich, Rome, Seville, St Petersburg. Coverage: Live on BBC TV, BBC Radio 5 Live, iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app. Click here for more details Barely a word was heard on Portugal's flight from Munich to Budapest after the reigning European champions were torn apart 4-2 by Germany on Saturday. "There was frustration and sadness. I don't even know if anyone spoke on our way back," said head coach Fernando Santos. It was not just the humiliating defeat, but the reality check for a team whose level of confidence going into a major tournament had never been so high. For the first time, the Selecao were viewed as strong contenders rather than dark horses. The hype had escalated to such a point that the whole debate in the country revolved around whether this was the best Portuguese side of all time. In terms of results, following the Euro 2016 and 2019 Nations League trophies, there doesn't seem to be much doubt about that - not even the usually pragmatic Santos disagrees. It will all have been useless, though, if Cristiano Ronaldo and co fail to secure a point against France on Wednesday in a match that has more at stake than booking a place in the knockout stages. Cristiano Ronaldo: Impossible to Ignore streaming now on BBC iPlayer Cristiano Ronaldo: Impossible to Ignore - watch trailer Germany hit form in win over Portugal They will need to overcome a psychological hurdle that has troubled them in the past but that they assumed they had moved beyond. The thrashing by Germany revived it - an inferiority complex that left them trembling before games against big teams and held them back from fulfilling their potential in the past. Stopping Kylian Mbappe, Paul Pogba and Antoine Griezmann is the only way to make sure it doesn't become a thing again. They couldn't be better equipped for the challenge - the current crop of players has been described as the new golden generation. Ruben Dias, Diogo Jota, Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva are star names in a squad almost entirely made up of talent who ply their trades abroad. It was not always like this, though. Until the 1990s, apart from Atletico Madrid's Paulo Futre and Juventus' Rui Barros, the vast majority of the footballers came from the domestic league, especially from Benfica and Porto. The club rivalry didn't make things easy in the dressing room and on the team bus Benfica's players used to sit at the front, with Porto's at the back. They didn't even share the same table for meals. "The truth is that although they played as one team during games, realising at some point that they were all wearing the same shirt, the atmosphere we had around the team was not of commitment or friendship," recalls Toni, a former national team assistant manager who works as a football pundit. "Those were complicated times." There was also another issue: back then, Portuguese footballers were particularly famous for having a losing mentality. It's something they had to fight hard to leave behind, but that is still brought up every once in a while, like this week. "We headed to international tournaments around Europe as if we had already lost," says former international Toze. "That was the typical Portuguese player mentality. You heard things like, 'Oh, we are going to play Italy… Let's make sure we don't lose by a big score.' This was how we used to think. 'He walks on water' - record breaker Ronaldo helps Portugal 'break Hungary hearts' "The man who changed this was Carlos Queiroz [who coached Portugal Under-17s and subsequently the Under-20s from 1988 to 1991]. The first thing he said when we met for the first time in training was that we would be world champions. Everybody laughed at him." Sir Alex Ferguson's former Manchester United assistant actually meant it. In 1989, Portugal won the Under-20 World Cup in Saudi Arabia, and it was Toze who lifted the trophy with Queiroz by his side. From that day on, Riyadh became a part of the Portuguese football vocabulary and has never been forgotten. It was the birth of the country's first golden generation. They successfully defended the title in 1991, this time in front of 127,000 fans at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon. Things would never be the same again. The following years would see Portuguese footballers leaving for the first time in a consistent way to Europe's top five leagues - Luis Figo, Fernando Couto and Vitor Baia earned transfers to Barcelona, Rui Costa moved to Fiorentina and Paulo Sousa joined Juventus. It naturally had an impact on the Selecao, who benefited from having some of its leading figures competing in a much more challenging environment. "Queiroz's work was sort of an oasis that led us to a turning point in our history. This generation would convert Portugal into a regular presence in the World Cup and Euros finals," says Toni. "But how did we get here? First of all, the clubs' facilities were massively improved; the coaches, too - we have a very good system for developing them; then, the Bosman ruling, which allowed more players to go abroad - the national team is not formed only by players from Benfica, Porto and Sporting any more; and finally, the work we do in youth football, with bright minds that have allowed us to reach the current position. "You have to bear in mind that this is a country that played the 1966 World Cup and then failed to make it back until 1986. This is no longer our reality." All of these factors explain how Portugal has managed to come up with another golden generation so soon after the first one, who themselves reached the quarter-finals of Euro 96, the Euro 2000 semi-finals and the Euro 2004 final. Obviously, having a five-time Ballon d'Or winner in Ronaldo, whose ambition to succeed is unparalleled in the sport, certainly helps as well. He's the only player still around to have played in both eras and is featuring at a record fifth Euros in 17 years. In the opening game against Hungary, his two strikes took him clear of Michel Platini as the record scorer in European Championship history with 11 goals. Eight Premier League players were selected in Portugal's Euro 2020 squad but Joao Cancelo had to withdraw after testing positive for Covid "I have no doubt Ronaldo is a key part of this process," says former international Fernando Meira. "He has a quality and determination that can only inspire other players to follow his example. One cannot ignore that. "When you have the best next to you and compete with the best, it drives you to another level. You will not settle for anything less than the title." Before the tournament, manager Santos chuckled: "The goal is to be champions. I'm taking a suitcase for one month, and tobacco, too." But will the 66-year-old still be in jovial mood on Wednesday? Lose to France and the old psychological scars are likely to return

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Czech Republic 0-1 England: 'England Tops Group But Must Find Another Gear

England's first Euro 2020 mission was accomplished as they beat the Czech Republic to top Group D and start unbeaten in three games without conceding a goal. It means they stay at Wembley for their last-16 meeting, which could be against World Cup holders France, old adversaries Germany or current European champions Portugal. As far as England are concerned, football is staying at home for now - whether it comes home permanently is another matter. If it is to do so, manager Gareth Southgate must find another gear from his players rather than the occasionally stodgy fare produced in this group stage. First things first. England would have settled for this outcome before their opener against Croatia in baking Wembley heat. Euro 2020 - Czech Republic 0-1 England: 'Outstanding' Bukayo Saka can't be dropped - Micah Richards They might have preferred the three games - beating their conquerors from the 2018 World Cup semi-final, drawing with Scotland or getting this win against the Czechs - to be more pleasing on the eye rather than characterised by long periods of attrition. For now, though, this will do - but the realists in the England camp will know their next opponents will be a significant upgrade on anything they have faced so far and Southgate's players must respond accordingly. England may not have produced a statement performance in the manner of Germany, Italy and Belgium, or hinted at greater menace to come like France, but they are exactly where they want to be and Southgate will be satisfied with that. It has been nowhere near perfect, but it is hardly a cause for doom and gloom either. England aspire to 'champagne football', says Southgate Relive England's win over the Czech Republic Czech Republic 0-1 England: Saka is your highest-rated player England have kept 15 clean sheets in their past 19 matches in all competitions, conceding only five goals Let's start with the positives - and despite the reservations about England's mixed efforts in the group phase there are positives to go at. Three clean sheets is impressive, and Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford continued his excellent form of recent months with a crucial diving save from Tomas Holas in the first half here. The sight of Manchester United captain Harry Maguire coming through 90 minutes unscathed after being out since early May with ankle ligament damage will have been a relief to Southgate. When the going gets tough - as it will against any of England's probable last-16 opponents - England will require experience and leadership. Maguire provides both as well as the extra dimension of distribution and command that almost created a first goal of Euro 2020 for captain Harry Kane. Southgate has been accused of conservatism in these opening games, as he has used more defensively minded pivots in Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips. Here, robbed of Chelsea's Mason Mount as he self-isolates after coming into close contact with Scotland's Billy Gilmour, who tested positive for Covid-19 after the second group game, Southgate gave a long-awaited start to Jack Grealish and also brought in Arsenal teenager Bukayo Saka. They were creators-in-chief when the going was good in a lively first 45 minutes.

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Czech Republic 0-1 England: 'England Top Group But Must Find Another Gear

England's first Euro 2020 mission was accomplished as they beat the Czech Republic to top Group D and start unbeaten in three games without conceding a goal. It means they stay at Wembley for their last-16 meeting, which could be against World Cup holders France, old adversaries Germany or current European champions Portugal. As far as England are concerned, football is staying at home for now - whether it comes home permanently is another matter. If it is to do so, manager Gareth Southgate must find another gear from his players rather than the occasionally stodgy fare produced in this group stage. First things first. England would have settled for this outcome before their opener against Croatia in baking Wembley heat. Euro 2020 - Czech Republic 0-1 England: 'Outstanding' Bukayo Saka can't be dropped - Micah Richards They might have preferred the three games - beating their conquerors from the 2018 World Cup semi-final, drawing with Scotland or getting this win against the Czechs - to be more pleasing on the eye rather than characterised by long periods of attrition. For now, though, this will do - but the realists in the England camp will know their next opponents will be a significant upgrade on anything they have faced so far and Southgate's players must respond accordingly. England may not have produced a statement performance in the manner of Germany, Italy and Belgium, or hinted at greater menace to come like France, but they are exactly where they want to be and Southgate will be satisfied with that. It has been nowhere near perfect, but it is hardly a cause for doom and gloom either. England aspire to 'champagne football', says Southgate Relive England's win over the Czech Republic Czech Republic 0-1 England: Saka is your highest-rated player England have kept 15 clean sheets in their past 19 matches in all competitions, conceding only five goals Let's start with the positives - and despite the reservations about England's mixed efforts in the group phase there are positives to go at. Three clean sheets is impressive, and Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford continued his excellent form of recent months with a crucial diving save from Tomas Holas in the first half here. The sight of Manchester United captain Harry Maguire coming through 90 minutes unscathed after being out since early May with ankle ligament damage will have been a relief to Southgate. When the going gets tough - as it will against any of England's probable last-16 opponents - England will require experience and leadership. Maguire provides both as well as the extra dimension of distribution and command that almost created a first goal of Euro 2020 for captain Harry Kane. Southgate has been accused of conservatism in these opening games, as he has used more defensively minded pivots in Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips. Here, robbed of Chelsea's Mason Mount as he self-isolates after coming into close contact with Scotland's Billy Gilmour, who tested positive for Covid-19 after the second group game, Southgate gave a long-awaited start to Jack Grealish and also brought in Arsenal teenager Bukayo Saka. They were creators-in-chief when the going was good in a lively first 45 minutes.