Spanish football chiefs threw their support behind women's coach Jorge Vilda on Friday, siding with him ahead of 15 players who announced they would not play for the national team again while he remains in charge.

Ana Alvarez, director of women's football at Spain's national federation, the RFEF, said Vilda's position was "unquestionable".

She confirmed the women who wrote with their concerns would not be selected, saying that was in keeping with their wishes.

Alvarez also said it would be "in bad taste" and "not reality" to suggest there was anything more than sporting reasons behind the women's opposition to Vilda remaining in charge.

The RFEF said on Thursday that the players had individually sent identical emails in which they resigned from Vilda's national team due to the impacts on their "emotional state" and "health". The precise cause of their dissatisfaction with Vilda has not been disclosed.

Vilda has an agreement to remain as coach until 2024, and his team have qualified for next year's World Cup.

There was a scathing initial response from the RFEF to the emails, which it said were "far from exemplary and outside the values ​​of football and sport, and are harmful".

Alvarez followed up in similar fashion on Friday by making it clear the players would not get their way.

"We will not tolerate this kind of pressure," she said. "In their communications they make clear what their situation is. And we listen to them, of course. We will attend to your request not to be called up."

She added, quoted by AS: "Jorge Vilda will make a list in which these 15 players will not feature, as they themselves wish, for their well-argued and respected reasons."

Veteran United States women's national team star Megan Rapinoe told the disenchanted Spanish group she would be "a 16th standing with you", adding in an Instagram post: "This many players together like this is so powerful. We should all listen."

Alvarez explained Vilda was "surprised and disappointed" by the players' emails but remained "strong", and stressed his position is secure, saying: "Today it is unquestionable. We trust him and his work."

She said the RFEF were "very surprised" that the players each cited their health and emotional state, saying that previously they had only raised complaints of "a sporting issue".

"From here we would like them to be recovered as soon as possible, even if they were available for the weekend, since there is a Liga," she said.

Frowning on speculation, Alvarez added: "What is being insinuated is that something more serious is happening beyond sports. We emphatically deny it. We find it in bad taste to imply that there may be something more."

Robin Gosens has revealed he rejected a move to Bayer Leverkusen as he is determined to establish himself at Inter.

Injury woes have meant Gosens has made only three starts since joining the Nerazzurri from Serie A rivals Atalanta in January.

Leverkusen wanted to sign the wing-back before the transfer window closed at the start of this month, but he was not interested in leaving San Siro.

Following a lengthy spell on the sidelines, the Germany international is relishing the challenge of making his mark at Inter when he returns from Nations League duty.

Gosens told Sport1: "I have put a year of suffering behind me and I am naturally happy to be here again. This call-up [to the Germany squad] I see as a reward for hard work.

"But the ticket to the World Cup in Qatar is definitely not in my hands yet. I am ready to fight back again.

"I am not yet in that state of form in which I was in Bergamo when my performances were so good. I'm close to it, but I know at the same time that there is still a lot to work on."

He added of a potential move to his homeland: "I spoke on the phone with Simon Rolfes [Leverkusen director of sport] and we had a sincere and open exchange.

"I told him that I have not finished at Inter yet and that I would like to fight.

"I feel very good now at Inter. I'm super-motivated and happy with the tasks that await me. But I'm only satisfied when I'm on the pitch, this is a goal that I have with myself.

"I play in a top world club and I am happy at Inter. My goal is to establish myself in this great club. Now I have to play three, four, five consecutive matches."

Lyon have denied issuing an ultimatum to coach Peter Bosz, with the Ligue 1 giants also rejecting reports of captain Alexandre Lacazette making tactical complaints.

After taking 13 points from their opening five games this season, Lyon have slumped to three successive defeats, losing to Lorient, Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain.

Former Ajax, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen coach Bosz is in his second season with seven-time French champions Lyon, and last term saw them finish a disappointing eighth, therefore missing out on a place in European competition.

The dip in the early stages of this season has been followed by Lyon being closely scrutinised, and the club have taken issue with various claims.

They said a report of a post-match crisis meeting after the defeat to PSG on September 18 was inaccurate, also adding: "No ultimatum has been issued against Peter Bosz."

Lyon's statement added that they have "total confidence" in Bosz.

The club made clear earlier in the season that the coach has objectives to meet, with the first assessment to be made at the time of the November break for the World Cup, and the second after 19 games, the halfway point in the campaign.

It had been reported by the website Foot Mercato that players including Lacazette have made it clear they do not understand Dutchman Bosz's defensive tactics. Lyon flatly deny this to be the case.

"Whether it's Alexandre Lacazette or other players, no one has complained to management about the tactics put in place by Peter Bosz," Lyon's statement added.

"The captain also exchanges regularly with his coach but has in no way come forward to challenge his choices."

Ciro Immobile joined Italy's injury list ahead of Friday's Nations League encounter with England.

The Lazio striker has suffered a muscle injury and was not included in the Azzurri's squad list for the game at San Siro.

Midfielder Sandro Tonali left the European champions' training camp on the day of the match as he has not recovered from an injury.

Coach Roberto Mancini will also be without the likes of Marco Verratti, Matteo Politano, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Davide Calabria.

Italy will remain in contention for the Nations League Finals if they come out on top in a repeat of last year's Euro 2020 final.

England, bottom of Group 3, will be relegated from League A if they are beaten in Milan.

Japan stepped up their World Cup preparations with a deserved 2-0 friendly win over the United States on Friday, as Gregg Berhalter's team produced a flat performance in Dusseldorf, Germany.

With Chelsea's Christian Pulisic left out after sustaining a minor injury in training, the USA struggled from the first whistle and fell behind to Daichi Kamada's side-footed finish.

Berhalter's team were indebted to Arsenal goalkeeper Matt Turner for keeping the game alive after the break, but he could do nothing to prevent Kaoru Mitoma picking his spot to seal Japan's victory late on.

Turner got down to his right to deny Kamada with a reflex save 13 minutes in, but was beaten by the Eintracht Frankfurt man when he tucked a neat first-time finish into the bottom-right corner after 24 minutes.

The offside flag looked set to deny Japan, but the goal was awarded following a VAR review after Walker Zimmerman was shown to have played Kamada onside as he latched onto Hidemasa Morita's pass.

Turner was forced to divert another Kamada effort away from the bottom-right corner after 65 minutes, and made a fine reflex save to tip Ritsu Doan's strike over the crossbar 10 minutes later.

Brenden Aaronson's wild effort was the closest the USA came to a response, and Mitoma made Japan's win safe by curling into the bottom-right corner from long range with two minutes remaining, as Turner's resistance finally waned.

Luis Suarez believes Uruguay have enough quality in their squad to win the World Cup.

Uruguay finished third in the CONMEBOL qualification group, having recovered from a below-par start following the appointment of Diego Alonso as head coach.

They will face South Korea, Portugal and Ghana in Group H in Qatar, where Suarez could appear at a fourth successive edition of the tournament.

Suarez, who re-joined Nacional in July but is to leave when his short-term contract expires in November, believes the emergence of new Uruguayan talents offers hope of a third World Cup title for the Celeste.

Asked about burgeoning expectations, Suarez said: "This is generated by Pajarito [Federico Valverde], Darwin [Nunez], Ronald [Araujo] and Rodri [Bentancur]. Players at the top level in Europe generate this.

"This is a prize for the work that our country does. Uruguay will always try and compete at the World Cup at their maximum. To try to go as far as possible and why not to be the champions? Because we have players for this.

"Even though we know the difficulty that each game at a World Cup represents, we always have a real belief."

Suarez is Uruguay's all-time top goalscorer with 68 goals in 132 caps, while only Diego Godin (159), Edinson Cavani and Fernando Muslera (both 133) have appeared more often for the side.

The former Liverpool and Barcelona striker starred as Uruguay reached the World Cup semi-finals in 2010, albeit famously being red-carded for a goal-saving handball against Ghana in the quarters.

He has described the prospect of playing at a fourth tournament as a source of major satisfaction.

"It makes you feel proud to have the chance to be able to play a fourth consecutive World Cup," Suarez said.

"It is a pride for our country and also my own pride that I have always fought and put in good performances in the national team."

Kylian Mbappe has "a lot more freedom" playing for France alongside a traditional striker compared to at Paris Saint-Germain, where he is flanked by Lionel Messi and Neymar.

The 23-year-old opened the scoring in Thursday's 2-0 win over Austria as France picked up their first Nations League win of the campaign at the fifth attempt.

Mbappe, who had an early strike ruled out for offside, was played in by a perfect Olivier Giroud pass and blasted in his 28th international goal in 58 appearances.

He led the way for shots (seven), shots on target (three) and touches in the opposition box (10), while no player created more chances than the PSG forward's three.

After producing an all-action display alongside Giroud, who became France's oldest goalscorer with his second-half header, Mbappe said he is enjoying playing in the system.

"I play differently for France. I am asked other things here compared to my club," he told reporters. "I have a lot more freedom here.

"The coach knows there is a number nine in the side like Olivier who can occupy defences while I walk around and go into space.

"In Paris it's different – you don't have that. I am asked to play as a pivot, which is different."

Asked if he enjoys playing in this France side more than alongside the likes of Neymar and Messi at PSG, Mbappe smiled and said: "I take pleasure everywhere I play."

France had been at serious threat of relegation to the second tier, but they are now one point better off than bottom side Austria ahead of Sunday's trip to Denmark.

Les Bleus have been hit by further injury withdrawals ahead of that match, with Jules Kounde and Mike Maignan the latest to pull out of the squad on Friday.

Deschamps still has plenty of options to call upon in each position for the contest in Copenhagen, where Mbappe is ready to start once again.

"I hope I will play on Sunday," he said. "I am always ready to play, whether for club or country. The coach says there will be rotation, so we'll see how it goes."

Jules Kounde and Mike Maignan have withdrawn from France's squad for their trip to Denmark after sustaining injuries, leading Didier Deschamps to call up Rennes' Steve Mandanda.

Goals from Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Giroud ensured France picked up the first win of their Nations League campaign against Austria on Thursday, but their injury crisis worsened at the Stade de France.

Deschamps' team were already without Karim Benzema, Kingsley Coman, N'Golo Kante, Paul Pogba and others for their final Nations League fixtures, and Juventus midfielder Pogba is a doubt for the World Cup after undergoing knee surgery.

They were further depleted when Barcelona new boy Kounde was withdrawn after 23 minutes against Austria, and it has now been revealed Maignan was in pain before his own half-time exit.

A statement issued by the French Football Federation on Friday read: "Mike Maignan had to give up his place to Alphonse Areola at half-time in France-Austria on Thursday evening at the Stade de France, due to pain felt in the left calf.

"The Milan goalkeeper will not be able to play against Denmark on Sunday in Copenhagen. To replace him, Didier Deschamps called on Steve Mandanda. 

"Maignan will leave the group during the day, as will Jules Kounde, who is suffering from a left hamstring injury. Both players will take exams in the morning before being released to their club.

"Kounde will not be replaced in the group that will arrive in Copenhagen on Saturday."

Mandanda has won 34 senior caps since making his France debut in 2008, and was part of the squad which won the 2018 World Cup in Russia. 

France could still be relegated from the top tier of the Nations League and cannot progress to the competition's finals, with Croatia and Denmark locked in a battle for top spot in Group A1.

Big-spending French club Nice have struggled to start the new Ligue 1 season, with only eight points from eight games.

Ambitious Nice are sitting 13th in the table, leading to pressure on head coach Lucien Favre.

The Ligue 1 outfit finished fifth last term and have recently signed Aaron Ramsey, Ross Barkley, Alexis Beka Beka and Kasper Schmeichel.

TOP STORY – NICE KEEN ON PARKER WITH POCHETTINO NOT INTERESTED

Nice are interested in a surprise move for ex-Fulham and Bournemouth boss Scott Parker, claims Foot Mercato.

Favre is under pressure, with ex-Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino reportedly their first choice to replace him.

The Evening Standard claims Pochettino is not interested in the Nice role and instead will wait for a head coaching position with a top club in England, Spain or Italy. 

ROUND-UP

– 90min reports Manchester United will offer fresh deals to Marcus Rashford and Diogo Dalot. The pair's contracts are both due to expire in mid-2023, albeit with the option of one-year extensions, but United want to lock them down beyond that.

– Erik ten Hag will decide on Donny van de Beek's future at United in October, according to the Manchester Evening News. The Dutchman has only managed three appearances this term.

– Fabrizio Romano reports Tottenham target Kim Min-Jae has a release clause in his Napoli contract after joining the Italian club from Fenerbahce in July, but it cannot be triggered in January. Napoli are happy with the centre-back's impact and are not interested in letting him go.

– Chelsea target Anthony Gordon is in the midst of contract talks with Everton that are "progressing well", claims inews. Gordon is set for a substantial pay rise.

– Leicester City are set to offer manager Brendan Rodgers more time to turn around the side's poor start to the new season, although the reception of fans towards him at their next home game will be a factor for key decision makers, reports The Athletic.

Kylian Mbappe claimed he was acting with the support of his France team-mates after prevailing in an image rights dispute with the French Football Federation (FFF).

Paris Saint-Germain striker Mbappe had been involved in a disagreement with the FFF since March, when he refused to show up to a photo shoot organised for the French men's team.

Mbappe desired greater control of his image rights to avoid being associated with certain brands, and pledged to continue his refusal to engage in sponsorship activities after meeting up with Les Bleus for their Nations League fixtures this month.

After a meeting of FFF officials, the governing body said it would "work on the outlines of a new agreement" concerning players' image rights on Tuesday.  

Speaking after opening the scoring in a 2-0 win over Austria on Thursday, Mbappe insisted he was not alone in the dispute.

"The squad has always been behind me, maybe you didn't know it," he said. 

"From the start, it was a team initiative, it's just that I have no issue with going into the spotlight to fight for my team-mates. 

"It doesn't matter if I get criticised, it won't change the way I play or live my life. If it can allow the squad to get what it wants, that's the main thing."

France will conclude their Nations League group campaign with a trip to Denmark on Sunday, having overtaken Austria in the Group A1 standings following the win over Austria.

Jose Mourinho has made a surprise appearance in the latest music video released by British rapper Stormzy.

The former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss, currently at Roma, is seen shushing the camera in trademark fashion during the video for Stormzy's single "Mel Made Me Do It".

As the camera pans to Mourinho, Stormzy quotes one of the most iconic lines from the three-time Premier League champion's career, rapping: "I prefer not to speak like I'm Jose".

After being angered by the officials' performance during Chelsea's loss to Aston Villa in 2014, Mourinho said: "I prefer not to speak. If I speak I'm in big trouble".

Mourinho posted an image of himself alongside Stormzy on Instagram on Thursday, writing: "Was great fun doing this cameo for Stormzy's new music video out today. I had a great time."

Mourinho's fiery demeanour in news conferences may have earned him a long rap sheet during his time in football, but few would have expected this.

Eden Hazard has vowed he will return to his best form once his "delicate situation" at Real Madrid has been resolved.

The Belgium international showed flashes of quality during his 65 minutes on the field in his country's 2-1 Nations League win over Wales on Thursday.

That was the longest Hazard has played in a single match this season, having been restricted to just one start across Madrid's nine matches, each of those ending in victory.

Hazard's place in Belgium's line-up has been called into question ahead of the World Cup, and the ex-Chelsea forward acknowledged he needs to be playing more regularly.

"I was happy to start another match," he told RTL. "You saw that, I think. I'm happy when I play and it was nice to play for the supporters here [in Brussels] again.

"I know what I can do. Now I want to get in shape for the World Cup. We'll see what the coach [Roberto Martinez] decides, but I'm happiest when I play.

"When I play, I give it my all. It's a delicate situation at Real Madrid. I feel like playing more, but I can't do more.

"I've always said the old Eden Hazard will come back when he plays. I just need to get back into the rhythm."

Michy Batshuayi and Kevin De Bruyne both linked up with a goal and an assist each to give Belgium a 2-0 lead against Wales, who pulled one back through Kieffer Moore.

Martinez's side remain within three points of Group A4 leaders Netherlands ahead of travelling to Amsterdam on Sunday for their final game.

"We are going to try to play a good game there and prepare ourselves for the World Cup," Hazard said.

"I'm glad we played so well after the [Wales] goal. We can learn a lot from this for the next games."

Jamaica defender Curtis Tilt admits to being excited by the prospect of facing legendary Argentinian Lionel Messi and the rest of a start-studded South American squad, ahead of the team’s clash in New York next week.

The 31-year-old was a late addition to the team that will face the Argentineans on Tuesday.  The defender has not represented the team since June of last year against Serbia but will hope to make his case under new Jamaica coach Heimir Hallgrímsson.  Tilt, who plays for English Championship team Wigan Athletic, is enjoying a whirlwind year having secured promotion from League One with the team at the start of the season.

Now he is excited at the prospect of not just returning to the country’s line-up, but also facing one of the best players in history and added to that a first-time trip to the Big Apple.

  "I'm buzzing to be fair, not only to be selected for my country but playing against the best player in the world really," Tilt told Wigan Today.

"I was called up late, so I've not had much to process it yet. I'm sure I'll get more anxious nearer the time, wondering what it's like to play against the very best,” he added.

"But New York as well...I've never actually been, I was thinking of going out during the winter break.

"It's come a little bit early, so hopefully we'll get a chance to have a look round at some of the sights."

The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) says 15 players will resign from the women's national team due to the impacts on their "emotional state" and "health" while Jorge Vilda remains as coach.

Vilda has an agreement to remain as coach until 2024 and RFEF president Luis Rubiales has yet to dismiss the boss despite calls earlier in September for his removal.

A selection of Spanish players have now emailed the RFEF, refusing to play until the decision to keep Vilda is "reversed" due to a situation that impacts their "emotional state" and "health".

Despite the apparent disgruntlement with Vilda in charge, his side have already qualified for next year's World Cup.

However, a significant number of Spain players have now refused to play while he remains as coach.

The RFEF has responded by stating that the players, who remain unnamed, will not receive another call-up until they "have recognised their error and mistake".

"The RFEF is not going to allow the players to question the continuity of the national coach and his coaching staff, since making those decisions does not fall within their powers," the statement read.

"The Federation will not admit any type of pressure from any player when adopting sports measures. These types of manoeuvres are far from exemplary and outside the values ​​of football and sport and are harmful.

"In accordance with current Spanish legislation, not attending a national team call is classified as a very serious infraction and can carry sanctions of between two and five years of disqualification."

Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal is doubtful that Memphis Depay and Steven Berghuis will be fit enough for Sunday's Nations League Group A4 decider against Belgium.

The Oranje cemented their position as group leaders on Thursday with a 2-0 win over Poland thanks to goals in each half from Cody Gakpo and Steven Bergwijn.

That result means they only need to avoid defeat to Roberto Martinez's side to progress to the Finals next June.

Berghuis replaced the injured Teun Koopmeiners inside the opening five minutes at the PGE Narodowy in Warsaw, but the forward was later withdrawn for Kenneth Taylor, while Depay limped off in the 52nd minute to be replaced by Vincent Janssen.

Van Gaal had good news on Koopmeiners' condition, but the Netherlands boss was not optimistic about Depay and Begrhuis' chances of featuring against the Red Devils.

"I understand that Teun was already feeling a bit better, and I replaced Frenkie [de Jong] as a precaution. He had some tension on the muscles, but he expects to play, and he knows his own body," Van Gaal told NOS. 

"I don't think Memphis will play on Sunday and neither will Berghuis. It's a back injury and that usually lasts longer than a few days."

Gakpo, who was linked with a move to the Premier League during the transfer window, has started the season in fine form for PSV, scoring eight goals in seven Eredivisie games.

The 23-year-old continued his momentum on the international stage as well, stroking home his third goal for his country early on.

He played in a more central role than he is accustomed to at club level, and Van Gaal believes that is where his future might lay.

"I thought that Gakpo performed his duties well both in possession and out of possession," the head coach added.

"It was a good lesson for him and a good development. He wanted to play from the left, but for me, he has everything to become a good 10.

"He scored again, that's also important. It was a world-class goal. I jumped off the bench too. I don't normally do that. It was a top goal."