Host Nations will have to qualify for Euro 2028

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According to Uefa, the competition must include England, Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland as part of its qualifying process.

The 24-team competition will take place at nine locations throughout the four host countries.

Northern Ireland was initially designated as the host country, but it has since changed its mind after Belfast’s Casement Park was dropped as a result of funding.

Due to the fact that the 2028 edition will be held across four nations and will each be in separate qualifying groups, Uefa has had to change its protocols, in contrast to previous Euros where the hosts were automatically declared winners.

Instead, 20 nations will advance, with 12 winning the group and 8 finishing in the top eight spots.

The remaining runners-up and the best-ranked non-qualified group winners of the 2026-27 Nations League will each receive play-offs to determine the final two spots.

The host nations’ number of spots will determine the composition of the play-offs.

Eight teams will compete for the final two spots in single-leg semi-finals and finals if two are used.

If one is used, 12 nations will compete for the final three spots, with single-leg semi-finals and finals, in three different ways.

Eight teams will compete in four home-and-away play-offs, with the winners going through if none of the four places are used by host nations.

In addition to Dublin’s Aviva Stadium, Hampden Park in Glasgow, and the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, there will be games at Wembley, Etihad Stadium, Anfield, Villa Park, Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium, and St James’ Park in Newcastle.

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Extra spots should Euro 2028 hosts fail to qualify

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In the event that any of those host nations fails to qualify, Uefa claims that England, Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland will need to qualify for Euro 2028. However, two spots will be reserved for the finals.

The 24-team competition will take place at nine locations throughout the four nations.

Northern Ireland was initially scheduled to leave, but since then, Belfast’s Casement Park has been discontinued as a result of funding.

Uefa has had to modify its protocols in contrast to previous Euros, where hosts were given automatic qualification.

The top-ranked of those who don’t make it will receive two spots in each of the four host nations’ separate qualifying groups.

Play-offs between the runners-up and the best-ranked non-qualified group winners of the 2026-27 Nations League will determine the remaining spots.

The host nations’ number of spots will determine the composition of those play-offs.

In 2028, there will be games at six English stadiums, including Wembley, Etihad Stadium, Anfield, Villa Park, Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium, and St James’ Park in Newcastle.

The list includes Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, Glasgow’s Hampden Park, and Dublin’s Aviva Stadium.

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‘Connected’ Saints will ‘fly into’ Euro final – Dowson

Features of Rex

Phil Dowson, the manager of Northampton Saints, predicts that his tight-knit team will face the pressure of attempting to win the European Championship for the first time in 25 years.

11 months after beating Bath to win their first domestic title in a decade, they face Bordeaux in the Champions Cup final on Saturday at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.

The star-studded side of Bordeaux is currently second in France’s Top 14, and the game pits two teams that like to play an expansive game.

“You can tell from the quality of their squad that we’re dealing with some long-term injuries. We’re likely underdogs just based on those factors alone, and I believe that’s because of how their league standing compares to our league standing, Dowson said on BBC Radio Northampton.

Although Northampton’s league form has been inconsistent this season, they showed character with a run-of-the-mill 28-24 victory over Saracens last weekend, which cost a lot because Alex Coles, James Ramm, James Ramm, Temo Mayanavanua, and Curtis Langdon all suffered injuries.

With four British & Irish Lions in their side and an all-for-one, one-for-all mentality, the director of rugby believes Saints still have some trump cards. They will be evaluated before Dowson finalizes his line-up.

According to him, “We have a very close group, a connected group, and we have some very talented players in there,” “the perception from the outside is irrelevant.”

“We work at that by talking about one another, valuing each other’s efforts, and pushing each other to improve across the board, whether it’s players playing for Bedford, Hinckley, Leicester Lions, or players making semi-final or final in Europe.

Matthieu Jalibert playing for BordeauxFeatures of Rex

Bordeaux also has a lot of top-notch players, with Damien Penaud and Louis Bielle-Biarrey leading the way at half-back and Maxime Lucu and Matthieu Jalibert leading the way at half-back.

They are incredibly entertaining to watch because Jalibert and Lucu have incredible vision and a fast moving pace, Dowson said.

Their wingers are lightning quick, I admire the (number) eight]Australian international Pete Samu], he’s a really good ball carrier, and Maxime Lamothe appears to be a character with a character all around.

You anticipate seeing that from a French side that is second at the table. They want to be brave, they want to play quickly, and they want to look for space.

A similar scoreline this time seems unlikely given the attacking style of both teams, which was won in 2000 by Northampton who defeated Munster 9-8 at Twickenham.

This time, they have traveled to South Africa, where they competed in the group stage, and Dublin, where they lost 37-34 to Leinster in a tight semi-final, which Dowson praised as “exceptional.”

He said, “I don’t know, but I’m hoping they win on Saturday.” Nobody knows what will happen, which is the whole purpose of sport and the reason we adore it.

All I can tell you is that when it comes to going well, we will celebrate, and when things go wrong, we will pick each other up. We are going to go flying into it with a lot of energy and a lot of heart.

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Has F1’s iconic Monaco Grand Prix become boring?

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Not a simple yes or no, it is.

With rows of yachts dotted along the harbor and a dazzling guest list, Monaco has always been a track legend since its first race in 1929, making it known for its grandeur.

Along with the Indianapolis 500 and Le Mans, it is regarded as one of motorsport’s triple crown events, which is an unofficial accomplishment. A rich history, three distinct but equally challenging races.

However, there have been discussions in recent years about whether a track in a competition drivers still wants to win.

“This is really boring,” the author said. After finishing sixth in the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix, Max Verstappen, a four-time Formula 1 champion, said, “I should have brought my pillow.”

Drivers encounter a unique challenge due to the principality’s narrow roads, twisty roads, and mile-long tunnels.

This makes overtaking challenging because modern cars are now much bigger.

The weekend’s qualifying on Saturday is regarded as the most exciting part of the weekend because the race classification is regarded as a foregone conclusion because the track averages only 10 overtakes per race, the lowest total for any track in the previous ten years.

With only four overtakes in the 78-lap race, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc secured pole position and the victory over the weekend, but the top 10 remained unchanged from start to finish in 2024.

22 overtook the previous year’s edition due to rain, compared to 13 on wet tarmac in 2022.

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“Be patient,” you say. Races can also be thrilling.

The Monaco Grand Prix is a lot of things: it’s historic, spectacular, gaudy, and perhaps a little disgusting because of its vitreous abundance of wealth.

But boring?

Yes, because overtaking is so challenging, the race can be processional. Due to the size and width of the cars, it’s become fashionable in recent years. But it has always been that way, at least for the past 40 or so years.

It’s a lifetime’s worth of sports to watch a driver slog through the streets of Monaco, push the limits, and break the barriers.

What have the drivers said?

Fernando Alonso, a two-time world champion, called Monaco “one of the best and most unique moments of the season.”

He continued, “Maybe Sunday is the bad day.” You have no choice, I tell you. You just need to bring the car home and other necessary things, which could also be a little boring.

It’s not a great Sunday, so I wouldn’t consider it the biggest race of the year, according to Brit Lando Norris.

He also acknowledged that it was “one you want to win.”

Norris continued, “This has happened since Monaco first began.” People in the world today are more resolute and frustrated that there hasn’t been an overtake. “Monaco is still special, it still has a special meaning for each and every team member,” he continued.

Potential for a change in the calendar?

Officials did consider canceling the Monaco Grand Prix after the race’s most recent contract was set to expire in 2025, but they eventually reached a new six-year deal in 2024.

Officials sought solutions after the race was criticized for not matching the excitement and speed of the other 23 circuits.

With the intention of enhancing the sporting spectacle in mind, it was mandated that drivers make at least two pit stops during the race in February 2025.

Another problem was that the only race in which a regional television company aired the footage was Monaco.

There were notable differences in how the other 23 races were produced on Formula One Management TV, compared to how the race was covered. This changed in the year before Monaco announced its extension in 2023.

From 2026, the Monaco Grand Prix will start the first full weekend in June instead of its traditional May weekend.

The Monaco Grand Prix is still a race that all drivers aspire to win, according to F1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali, who called Monte Carlo “one of the most unique and well-known parts of Formula 1.”

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West Ham and Forest charged by FA over melee

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In the final moments of their Premier League meeting on Sunday, West Ham and Nottingham Forest were both accused of failing to exert control over their players.

In a melee that saw both players involved, both teams winning 2-1 at London Stadium to keep their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League of the following year.

West Ham’s Edson Alvarez and Carlos Soler were booked, and Murillo and Morato, Forest’s defensive backs, received yellow cards for their roles.

Due to a lengthy period of intermission, including a lengthy delay in determining whether Nikola Milenkovic’s winner was onside, the game lasted 112 minutes and 55 seconds.

The FA announced that Nottingham Forest and West Ham United have been charged with the massive altercation that occurred on May 18 at their Premier League game.

“It’s claimed that both clubs allegedly failed to make sure their players didn’t act inappropriately or provocatively around the 103rd minute.

By Friday, May 23, Nottingham Forest and West Ham United must respond.

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