England coach Sarina Wiegman said the crisis surrounding Spanish football in the wake of their World Cup win “really hurts” and shows there is still a “long way to go” in the women’s game and society.
Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales has been provisionally suspended by FIFA for an initial period of 90 days, pending an investigation into his behaviour at the World Cup final earlier this month when he kissed Spain midfielder Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the trophy and medals presentation.
Hermoso has said she did not consent to the kiss, and along with her 22 squad mates, has said she will not play for the national team until Rubiales resigns.
Wiegman saw off competition from Spain’s under-fire head coach Jorge Vilda to win UEFA’s Women’s Coach of the Year award and dedicated her prize to Spain’s players.
“We all know the issues around the Spanish team and it really hurts me as a coach, as mother of two daughters, as a wife and as a human being,” Wiegman said at the awards ceremony in Monaco.
“The game has grown so much, but there’s also still a long way to go in women’s football and in society.
“I would like to dedicate this award to the Spanish team. This team deserves to be celebrated and deserves to be listened to, and I’m going to give them again a big applause and I hope you will join (me).”
Another of Spain’s World Cup winners, Barcelona star Aitana Bonmati, has been named UEFA Women’s Player of the Year.
Guardiola: Time for Man City's Tottenham hoodoo to end
Pep Guardiola knows Manchester City have no choice but to end their Premier League hoodoo at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday, saying anything but a win will hand Arsenal the title.
Following Arsenal's 1-0 win at Manchester United on Sunday, City are one point behind the Gunners at the summit with a game in hand.
Arsenal are now in the unenviable position of needing a favour from their North London rivals, as a City win will ensure they enter this weekend's final set of fixtures with the title race in their hands.
However, City have lost on all four of their visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the Premier League without scoring, though they did manage a 1-0 FA Cup win there in January.
Only Birmingham City (seven at Old Trafford) have played more Premier League games at a specific stadium without finding the net.
Asked about the importance of ending that record, Guardiola said: "It's obvious, I would say. We have just one option, win the game. We will go from there.
"We played really well there many times but weren't able to score or win games. We are trying to do something special, so we have to do that this time.
"This is the time to do it, otherwise Arsenal will be champions."
Some Tottenham fans have expressed unease about the prospect of helping their old enemies end their 20-year wait to be crowned champions of England, but Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou has hit out at those questioning his team's motivation.
"What do you think we're going to do as a team? Like any team on this planet, aren't we just going to try and win? It's a simple, basic premise," Postecoglou said.
"Now how that makes people feel, I'm not really fussed. I don't really care."
Touching on City's hunt for an unprecedented fourth straight English top-flight title, he added: "Sometimes people think once you win it once it becomes easier, but it becomes harder.
"It's a testament not just to Pep but the whole organisation and how they want to achieve success."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Tottenham – Dejan Kulusevski
Kulsevski has been directly involved in five goals in his four Premier League games against City, more than he has versus any other opponent in the competition (three goals, two assists).
The Swede scored a last-minute equaliser as the sides played out a thrilling 3-3 draw in December's reverse fixture, but he has failed to net in any of his last 11 Premier League matches.
Manchester City – Phil Foden
Foden and Jack Grealish both scored in City's reverse fixture against Spurs. The only previous players to score home and away against Tottenham in a Premier League season for the Citizens are Sergio Aguero (2013-14 and 2014-15), Ilkay Gundogan (2017-18) and Raheem Sterling (2017-18).
Foden netted his 25th goal of the campaign across all competitions in City's 4-0 rout of Fulham on Saturday, and the Player of the Season candidate will play a key role here.
MATCH PREDICTION – MANCHESTER CITY WIN
Arsenal supporters may not feel great about having to cheer on their old rivals, but history suggests Tottenham have a chance of providing a twist in the title race – regardless of how their own fans feel about that prospect.
Indeed, City have lost more Premier League games against Tottenham under Guardiola (six), than they have against any other side.
The champions, however, are in ominous form, going unbeaten through their last 21 Premier League matches (17 wins, four draws).
Only once have they enjoyed a longer run in the competition, going 30 without losing between April 2017 and January 2018.
They have also won their last four away league games, the last three of them by an aggregate score of 10-0. Only once in their league history have they won four in a row on the road without conceding, doing so as a second-tier club between March and April 1903.
Regardless of their terrible record on this ground, it is difficult to see the champions slipping up.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Tottenham – 20.1%
Manchester City – 54.8%
Draw – 25.1%
Spurs will not 'roll out red carpet' for Man City - Postecoglou
Ange Postecoglou does not believe the Tottenham fans want their side to lose and insists his side will not "roll out the red carpet" for Manchester City.
The Premier League title race will go down to the final day after Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Manchester United on Sunday, but it is yet to be decided who will go into the last match on top of the table.
City sit one point behind the Gunners, and if they win their game in hand over Spurs on Tuesday, they will reclaim top spot.
However, an Aston Villa win over Liverpool on Monday would end Spurs’ chances of Champions League qualification, meaning they would have nothing to play for against the title holders.
Arsenal need a favour from their North London rivals if they want to win their first Premier League title since 2004, but Postecoglou says he does not believe that will affect what result the fans want.
He said: "You think the majority of our fans are not going to want us to win?
"I don't see it that way. I think the majority of our fans will create the atmosphere they always create at our games. We've got a game of football to win and that's what we'll try to do.
"City haven't won it yet and if you think they have, then it becomes an issue because we're rolling out a red carpet for them, and I'm not going to do that.
"I'm not just going to sit there and watch them win. That doesn't sit comfortably with me."
Pressed on if a proportion of fans would be against a positive result, Postecoglou added: "A proportion of our fans? What does that mean? What proportion? 50 per cent? 20 per cent? One per cent?
"That's fine, people are allowed to feel the way they do.
"But I think I've been consistent and really strong in my beliefs that it's important for this football club not to look for silver bullets to get to where we want to; it's hard work, it's resilience, it's quality, not to fall for any false dawns - and know what real success looks like: trophies.
"Anything else in between, bragging rights, whatever it is, is absolutely meaningless to me or anyone involved with me. We've got a game we want to win."
Miedema to leave Arsenal at end of season
Arsenal have announced that Women’s Super League all-time record goalscorer Vivianne Miedema will leave the club at the end of the season.
The 27-year-old signed for Arsenal in 2017 from Bayern Munich, scoring 125 goals and providing 50 assists in 172 appearances in all competitions.
She won the WSL title in 2018-19 and lifted three Conti Cups during her time with the Gunners.
Her tally of 79 goals is a league-high record, with the Netherlands international earning the Golden Boot in two consecutive seasons, also setting a league record for the most goals scored in a single season with 22.
In a video posted on Instagram, Miedema said: "After seven special years, it’s time for my Arsenal journey to come to an end.
"To have represented a club like this, with so much history and tradition, has been an absolute honour.
"So, above all else, I would like to say thank you for making this chapter of my life so memorable."
Miedema struggled with injuries during her last two seasons at Arsenal, suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in December 2022 that kept her out for 10 months before having to undergo knee surgery in March, limiting her to 13 appearances this season.
Reports suggest that Manchester City are favourites to sign the striker on a free transfer when her contract expires at the end of the season.
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