Eurovision boss shares major update as Vatican City now eligible to take part

Vatican City is now eligible to enter the competition, according to Eurovision Song Contest bosses who have spoken out about one nation taking part.

Eurovision bosses have spoken out(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Eurovision bosses have shared a major update on one country taking part. Top dogs behind the song contest are beckoning new Pope Leo XIV to grace the stage of their famed song contest. They’re eager for Vatican City to throw its hat into the ring for next year’s musical showdown. They reckon the Pontiff’s involvement would be a smash with Eurovision fans.

Martin Green, the brand director for Eurovision, spilled the beans on the podcast The Rest Is Entertainment: “You can compete in Eurovision if you are a member of the European Broadcasting Union. According to what I understand, Vatican Radio is an EBU member. They might be able to enter an act because of this technically. A line-up of dancing cardinals, to be honest… I’m all for it.

Further stirring excitement, Eurovision’s Executive Supervisor Martin Österdahl jumped in with: “Me too. I think that could do really well.” To which Martin Green chimed: “Let’s cross our fingers. It would be a moment.”, reports the Daily Star.

Eurovision bosses have confirmed that Vatican City is eligible to participate in the contest
Eurovision bosses have confirmed that Vatican City is eligible to participate in the contest(Image: Getty Images)

READ MORE: Eurovision scoreboard – rate best and worst songs LIVE during show with Mirror’s interactive tool

Vatican City’s inclusion in the Eurovision lineup will evoke Father Ted’s unforgettable entrance scene from “My Lovely Horse.” Although the Vatican may be the world’s smallest, Eurovision has never been a small-minded country.

Though San Marino has yet to clinch the win at Eurovision, Vatican City entering would surely turn heads. And if it seems odd, well, it might be less perplexing than why non-European nations like Israel and Australia are hitting up the Eurostage.

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At the 2015 60th anniversary bash, Australia was invited to the contest. Their most recent entry, Go-Jo, bowed out in the semi-finals of this year, which is probably for the better because they are not scheduled to host, even if they do so in first place.

San Marino are one of Eurovision's smallest entries
San Marino are one of Eurovision’s smallest entries (Image: AP)

Israel is eligible to take part in the competition because they are members of the European Broadcasting Union, which is the required membership. Israel has participated in the contest 49 times and won on four occasions since their debut in 1973.

An ironclad security presence surrounded Saturday night’s Grand Final in addition to Eurovision updates. In response to concerns about a potential terrorist threat, the contest’s director has increased security measures at Basel’s St. Jakobshalle arena.

Protestors attempted to storm the stage following Israel's star, Yuval Raphael
Protestors attempted to storm the stage following Israel’s star, Yuval Raphael(Image: AP)

Throughout the duration of the event, armed guards patrolled the location. Additionally, all entry points implemented strict airport-style security checks, with visitors informed that bags cannot be brought inside.

“Organizators are taking no chances,” a source said. Everyone is in safe hands thanks to them. Following Israel’s contentious participation in the competition, bosses later released a statement. They claimed that two people tried to storm the stage during Yuval Raphael’s performance and that a Eurovision Song Contest crew member had been hit with paint.

A spokesman for SRG SSR said: “At the end of the Israeli performance, a man and a woman tried to get over a barrier onto the stage. They were stopped. One of the two agitators threw paint and a crew member was hit. The crew member is fine and nobody was injured. The man and the woman were taken out of the venue and handed over to the police.”

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Bissouma thanks ‘uncle’ Postecoglou

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In a statement, Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma thanked manager Ange Postecoglou for keeping the squad together despite a disappointing season, calling him “a dad or uncle for us.”

With just one game left, Spurs are 17th in the Premier League, their lowest total since 1991-92, and they have lost 25 games in all competitions.

With Wednesday’s Europa League game between Manchester United and Mali, they have a chance to reclaim their season, according to Mali midfielder Bissouma, who claims the players and the manager have maintained a positive relationship throughout the entire campaign.

It has never, ever, ever changed. Bissouma, 28, described Postecoglou as “a good relationship.”

He’s “like our dad or uncle,” he says. He makes an effort to explain what his true desires are.

He’s Ange, he’s him, as we know him. He has a point. Every time he tries to assist us, he makes an effort. He keeps our safety a top priority.

Bissouma added that Postecoglou’s style was difficult to understand at the beginning of his 2023 tenure, but that the Australian has never held the players accountable.

Spurs’ season has been plagued by injuries, but Son Heung-min’s return helped them in the defeat by Aston Villa on Friday.

In the European final, they defeated fellow Premier League strugglers United, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Bodo/Glimt.

Spurs initially suspended Bissouma from the team at the start of the season after footage showed him inhaling laughing gas, a situation he claimed he did not want to discuss but is “still learning from.”

Of course, I have more to come [from you]. I’m still learning, he said, “we are always here for learning.”

I didn’t play much this season, which made it difficult for me.

“You have to work hard, never give up, and be prepared when your team needs you,” I assure you. That’s what I’m attempting to accomplish constantly.

We are aware of our obligations. This cup must be won because it is so crucial to us.

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‘Betting investigation has taken toll on Paqueta’

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Manager Graham Potter claims West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta has experienced both mentally and physically as a result of the investigation into a betting-unlawful behavior.

The Football Association is looking into Paqueta’s alleged self-infliction in four games.

The 27-year-old Brazil international has been charged by the FA in May of last year and has been under investigation since August 2023.

He broke down after being booked against Tottenham two weeks ago, when Potter claimed he was “frustrated” and “given everything and in difficult circumstances” and that he had been “frustrated” by the incident.

Maria Fournier, Paqueta’s wife, later claimed in an Instagram post that they had “been living this nightmare for two years.”

Potter claimed that the game’s 2-0 win over Manchester United at the weekend was caused by a cold, so Paqueta was substituted.

“He has been affected by it,” he said. Potter said that his personal experience during the week was particularly difficult.

Because of that, I didn’t want to risk him and make things worse for him the day before and the day of the game.

Stress and pressure can manifest themselves in various ways, sometimes.

“Generally speaking, he has entered and conducted himself really well. He handled it very well.

Potter expressed his desire for the matter to be settled before the start of the following season.

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Can Hibs best Rangers to win most surprising title in Britain?

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Rangers vs. Hibernian in the SWPL finale

Where is Ibrox Stadium on Sunday, May 18th, 2012 at 12:00 BST?

It would arguably be the most unexpected title win in Britain this season if Hibernian are able to draw the necessary draw against Rangers on Sunday.

Nobody had anticipated that Grant Scott’s side would be in this position prior to the August match, when they needed only a draw to win the match for the first time since 2007 and for the first time in the professional era.

Hibs finished fifth last term, a significant 36 points behind Celtic, who finished second but lost on goal difference.

However, this year, when faced with better-funded Glasgow teams with more winning and international experience, Hibs have been the most consistent throughout the entire season and surprised everyone with their unwavering resolve.

However, Game 32 is where everything is at stake. Rangers are three points behind, the only team left to stop Hibs, and who can, with a win, claim the title on goal difference.

The final day of the third season in a row will determine the SWPL, and if the current campaign is anything like the previous two, the tension will be in full swing.

Hibs has a final step.

Siobhan Hunter, a one-club woman who has supported Hibs all her life, went over to the touchline following Hibs’ 4-2 victory over Celtic on Wednesday.

The small band of supporters at Meadowbank were filmed by the cameras pumping their fists out and yelling to turn up the volume to celebrate having a three-point lead on the last day.

Caley Gibb, Michaela McAlonie, and those two players were like the walking wounded in the final moments of that incredible victory, before being eventually hauled off the field, respectively.

Despite having a protective boot on her foot, Tegan Bowie was chosen as a replacement.

Scott has added to the squad of academy graduates from around the SWPL who have excelled at other clubs and built a strong unit. He had cup success during his first spell at Hibs from 2018 to 2019.

Kathleen McGovern, who has been honored with a maiden Scotland call-up, has the most impressive 31 goals in all competitions since her summer move from Hearts.

Eilidh Adams, an alumnus graduate, has given her a solid support throughout the campaign, with 27. The pair have scored 49 goals in the league while Hibs have scored 89.

They have conceded the second-most goals at the other end, which has helped them win the league against the other five professional teams.

Rangers, Glasgow City, Celtic, and Hearts have all yet scored 28 of a possible 45. That’s five more than Rangers have succeeded in.

Will Rangers count Ibrox advantage?

This season, Hibs have already defeated Rangers twice in the league, but the third meeting ended in a draw.

In the Sky Sports Cup final in March, Rangers defeated Hibs 5-0 to win the match.

The league meetings were held on artificial surfaces, which is the obvious difference from the day before, since almost every game is in the SWPL, played at Fir Park on a large grass pitch.

Rangers have chosen to play their final game at Ibrox in an effort to make the most of both their own fans and the expansive surface.

Rangers can now use their powerful attacking weapons more effectively and to stretch the game even further, according to Potter and Scott, respectively.

They have swatted aside the division’s weaker teams, which has been their strength this season, scoring an astonishing 139 goals in 31 games, which is by far the most in the league.

In addition to the league’s 39, Katie Wilkinson has four SWPL teams as a whole.

Can Rangers make the most of the pitch’s available space for their powerful forwards? Not always as straightforward as that.

Potter claims that they “let themselves down” when they last played at Ibrox on April 30 when Glasgow City lost 1-0.

When City had a chance to win the title on the final day of the season, they were also defeated 1-0 by them two years prior.

In the end, it’s about coping with pressure. When everything is at stake, who can step up and deliver?

Whoever loses the league between Rangers and Hibs will drop to third place in the Champions League qualifiers if Glasgow City defeat Hearts in their final game.

The league is the main target, and Rangers’ hopes of a first-ever Treble are in jeopardy, but Rangers could at least have the consolation of a Scottish Cup final next week.

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Another Boat Accident Claims 27 Lives In Kwara

Another tragic incident has occurred in the same area nearly seven months after a boat accident that killed over one hundred villagers in Kaiama Local Government Area, Kwara State.

27 people were killed when a boat carrying people returning from a market trip in Niger State capsized this time.

The tragedy occurred three nights ago while they were returning from Niger State, according to an eyewitness and incident survivor. The boat capsized as a result of overflowing, according to the account.

He added that a storm’s imminent storm and strong winds from an approaching storm also contributed to the incident, though he was unable to confirm the exact number of passengers on board.

The government would no longer tolerate the almost annually occurring repetition of these tragedies, according to the chairman of the Kaiama Local Government Area, Abdullah Danladi, who led a government delegation to the victims’ families.

He announced plans to form a committee to ban nighttime travel, enforce life jacket use, and establish other safety measures.

‘The biggest success is not the trophy – it is giving fans a moment’

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Oliver Glasner praised Crystal Palace’s FA Cup victory over the fans and predicted that the club’s historic win at Wembley would not come to an end until Sunday.

In a match that spanned 120 years of the club’s history, Palace won the first major trophy and moved them to the top of Europe.

More than 30 000 South London club supporters flocked to the national stadium to celebrate their tireless celebrations at full speed, and Glasner was quick to applaud them for keeping up the team.

In their first eight Premier League games of the year, Palace lost to Newcastle and Manchester City 5-2, respectively, in back-to-back Premier League games in April.

However, they come to an FA Cup final at Selhurst Park, and Glasner, who led Eintracht Frankfurt to glory in the 2021-2020 season, can begin making plans for a second Europa League campaign.

No one anticipated Crystal Palace to win the FA Cup or Frankfurt to win the Europa League, according to Glasner, who is the first Austrian manager to win the competition.

When you are patient, you can see what you can get.

The biggest success for football managers and players isn’t winning the trophy. It’s reviving a moment for our fans, who are tens of thousands of miles away. letting them enjoy themselves.

“We did it for our fans because they might have some issues at home,” he said.

Glasner responded to a question about how he felt after taking over as Palace’s first manager and winning a major trophy, saying, “I feel empty.

Tomorrow or Monday, I’ll start to realize it. The crazy thing is that we have to consider the Wolves game on Tuesday on Monday.

We already had a significant chapter in our history written before the game, and we will do that once more when we play in Europe next year.

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My dad was there for me every step of the way.

Dean Henderson of Palace’s side won, saving Omar Marmoush’s first-half penalty, despite City’s claim that the goalkeeper should have been sent off earlier because he handled outside his area when Erling Haaland had pressed against him.

After the game, Henderson paid a moving tribute to his late father.

The former Manchester United stopper, who made a number of excellent saves to frustrate City, said, “I lost my dad at the beginning of the season, but he was with me today.”

Every second of the game, he was there with me. I give him credit for that victory.

“We were incredible today,” he said. It seemed to be our day, we thought. We put together a game plan for the manager, who had it. This is truly our duty.

Henderson’s ex-teammate George Baldock, who he was close to, passed away last October, which also affected him.

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Eze left speechless after being left speechless by win.

Eberechi Eze scored the winning goal in Palace’s opening meaningful attack of the game.

The England-born forward, who grew up in a Christian household and regularly attends church, declared, “This is special, I don’t even know what to say.”

“Thank you, God.” Only God could accomplish this.

Faceing a team that has been the best in the world for years, demonstrates that spirit and drive.

Eze continued, “I couldn’t breathe!,” about the decision that gave him the lead to his winner, his fourth goal of the FA Cup this season. You have to work so hard to get anything from City because they keep the ball so well. You must make the chance count when you enter their box.

Before becoming famous, Eze had to work hard to achieve a breakthrough.

Before landing his big break at Queens Park Rangers, he faced rejection from a number of clubs, including Arsenal, Fulham, Reading, Bristol City, Sunderland, and Millwall.

He joined the England squad after leaving Palace in 2020. Eze has now won the FA Cup.

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