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      in Soccer

      Who is Turkey vs Wales referee Artur Soares Dias and what other Euro 2020 matches is he officiating?

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      ARTUR SOARES DIAS has been selected as a referee for this summer’s Euro 2020.The Portuguese had served as a VAR official at the 2018 World Cup, so comes into the tournament having been at a big one.
      Artur Soares Dias refereed England’s match against Brazil in 2017Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd
      Who is Artur Soares Dias?
      Soares Dias has been refereeing since 2010.
      The star refereed England’s friendly match against Brazil in November 2017, which ended 0-0.
      He kept his cards close to his chest that night and only booked Jake Livermore for a late tackle on Neymar.

      The 41-year-old has been used an additional assistant referee for several Champions League games.
      He refereed a number of Europa League matches during the 2012/13 season.
      In 2017, the Portuguese official and his family received death threats before he was due to officiate the Primeira Liga match between Paco de Ferreira and FC Porto.
      Artur Soares Dias is refereeing at Euro 2020Credit: AFP
      What other matches will he be refereeing at Euro 2020?
      Dias has yet to receive his matches for the next round of fixtures.
      The tournament concludes on July 11. More

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      in Soccer

      What is the offside rule in football, and what is best way to explain it?

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      THE offside law is one of the most fundamental rules of football.But at times can be the most controversial ruling that can change the course of a club or countries fortunes with the raising or not of an assistant referees flag.
      The assistant referee will raise their flag to make the referee, players and the fans aware a player is in an offside positionCredit: Getty Images
      The interpretation of the offside rule has changed over the decades to help the attacking team, however the essential body of the ruling has never changed.
      The offside law dates back to football rules made by English public schools in the nineteenth century.
      So what is the offside law and how has it been enforced over the decades?
      Here’s SunSport’s look at the rule and how it works.
      West Broms James Morrison and Liverpool’s James Milner speak to assistant referee as goal disallowed for offsideCredit: Reuters
      So what exactly is the offside rule?
      The laws of football state that a player will be offside if the ball is played forward to them in the opposing teams half, and there no opposing player between them and the opposing goalkeeper during this sequence of play.
      Being in an offside position is not an offence in itself, the moment the player in the offside position plays the ball or attempts to play the ball, then they will be seen as “actively involved in play” and that is when the offence occurs.
      A player can also be flagged offside if the ball is played to them from their own half and the player is standing in the opposing half the moment the ball is played.
      What happens after offside is called?
      Being ruled offside on a football pitch is an offence, but there no individual player punishment for being caught out.
      A player will be flagged but the only sanction is the ball is given to your opponents to restart play in the form of a free kick in their own half of the pitch.
      A player can only be judged to be in an offside position if they are in the opponents half when the ball is played forward.
      Former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson arguing with officials after flag raised for offsideCredit: Getty Images
      So when is a player not offside on the pitch?
      A player cannot be offside if they receive the ball in their own half from a team mate or an opposing player.
      An attacking player cannot be ruled offside if an opposing player passes them the ball in the opposing teams half of the pitch.
      If a player is in the opponents half of the pitch and the ball is played backwards to them, regardless of if there are any opposing players between them and the goalkeeper, they are onside and play should continue.
      Regardless of position, there is no offside offence if a player receives the ball directly from a goal kick, corner kick or a throw-in.

      So has the offside law changed over the years?
      The law has changed to adapt to changes in the game over time to make it more entertaining, understanding for fans and to allow attacking players more opportunities to score goals.
      The game law makers IFAB (International Football Association Board) have adjusted the rule saying a player will be considered to be offside they make a clear attempt to play the ball, be close to the ball and have an impact on the opponent, or to make an obvious action to have an impact of the opponents.
      In other words if you are offside you have to stay still and allow play to continue while you move back into an onside position.
      And now with VAR in play, offside is more clear-cut than it used to be. More

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      Who are Gary Lineker’s ex-wives Danielle Bux and Michelle Cockayne?

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      BBC PRESENTER and former professional footballer Gary Lineker is a two-time divorcee to ex-wives Danielle Bux and Michelle Cockayne.Lineker, now 60, married Michelle, now 55, in 1986 and the couple spent 20 years together before going their separate ways in 2006.
      Lineker and Cockayne pictured in 2001Credit: Alamy
      The former couple met when Michelle was 14 and Gary Lineker was an 18-year-old reserve for Leicester City, his home town club.
      Do they have any children?
      They have four sons together, George, 29, Harry, 27, Tobias, 25 and Angus, 23.
      Lineker is very close to his sons, even quitting his role as Champions League presenter for BT Sport to follow Leicester in Europe next season with his four boys.
      Gary Lineker (centre) with sons (from left to right) Angus, Harry, George and TobiasCredit: Splash News
      Why did Gary Lineker and Michelle Cockayne split up?
      The pair’s 20-year-marriage was over in a quick divorce in 2006, on the grounds of Gary’s “unreasonable behaviour.”
      Cockayne claimed that the Match of the Day host had caused her “stress and anxiety” and a judge accepted that his behaviour had irretrievably broken down their marriage.
      Gary Lineker and first wife Michelle Cockayne pictured in 1986
      After splitting from Michelle Cockayne Gary wedded Welsh actress and model Danielle Bux (who is nineteen years his junior) in 2009, with whom he spent seven years married to.
      Why did Gary Lineker and Danielle Bux split up?
      In the past Lineker has revealed that he split from his second wife Danielle because he did not want any more children and she did.
      However in 2019 Lineker told The Mirror that he and Danielle still stay in touch, even describing her as his “best friend.”
      She has since re-married to Nate Greenwald with whom she has a daughter Romy, born in 2017.
      Lineker and second wife Danielle pictured at Wimbledon in 2015

      Gary Lineker is fronting the BBC’s coverage of Euro 2020, and also presents the BBC’s coverage of the FA Cup, major football tournaments and BBC Sports Personality Of The Year.
      The 60-year-old is also host of Match of the Day, a programme he first presented over twenty years ago in 1999.
      As a professional Lineker scored 48 goals in 80 appearances for England between 1984 and 1992 and was also top scorer at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.
      Lineker played 194 times for Leicester between 1978 and 1985 More

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      in Motorsport

      F1 calendar 2021: Grand Prix times, schedule, tracks with French Grand Prix NEXT and Singapore GP CANCELLED

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      THE 2021 Formula 1 season is two races in with Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen set for a season-long scrap for the title.But Hamilton seems to have all the early momentum after winning the last two races in Portugal and Spain, with Monte Carlo up next.

      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
      Lewis Hamilton is aiming to become the outright most successful driver of all timeCredit: Getty
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      The Brit, 36, moved level with Michael Schumacher on seven world titles last year and will become the outright top dog if he collects the most points across this season’s races.
      In a season that has already seen shifts and changes to the calendar, the Australian Grand Prix was due to take place on the weekend of March 21, but was put back to November 21 because of coronavirus restrictions Down Under.
      Turkey had replaced Canada as the Grand Prix destination on June 13, but it was then axed by F1 chiefs on safety grounds.
      And in April the world governing body approved sprint races in the British, Brazilian and Italian Grand Prix as a replacement for qualifying.
      Here is how the F1 calendar unfolds in 2021 with our race by race schedule.
      F1 calendar 2021
      All timings below are UK time.
      🇧🇭 Bahrain Grand Prix
      🏆 Grand Prix Result: 1. Lewis Hamilton 2. Max Verstappen 3. Valtteri Bottas

      Venue: Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir
      Friday, March 26: Practice 1 (11.30am), Practice 2 (3pm)
      Saturday, March 27: Practice 3 (12pm), Qualifying (3pm)
      Sunday, March 28: Race (4pm)

      🇮🇹 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
      🏆 Grand Prix Result: 1. Max Verstappen 2. Lewis Hamilton 3. Lando Norris

      Venue: Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola
      Friday, April 16: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, April 17: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, April 18: Race (2pm)

      🇵🇹 Portuguese Grand Prix
      🏆 Grand Prix Result: 1. Lewis Hamilton 2. Max Verstappen 3. Valtteri Bottas

      Venue: Autodromo Internacional do Algarve
      Friday, April 30: Practice 1 (11.30am), Practice 2 (3pm)
      Saturday, May 1: Practice 3 (12pm), Qualifying (3pm)
      Sunday, May 2: Race (3pm)

      🇪🇸 Spanish Grand Prix
      🏆 Grand Prix Result: 1. Lewis Hamilton 2. Max Verstappen 3. Valtteri Bottas

      Venue: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
      Friday, May 7: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, May 8: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, May 9: Race (2pm)

      🇲🇨 Monaco Grand Prix
      🏆 Grand Prix Result: 1. Max Verstappen 2. Carlos Sainz 3. Lando Norris

      Venue: Circuit de Monaco in Monte Carlo
      Thursday, May 20: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, May 22: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, May 23: Race (2pm)

      🇦🇿 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
      🏆 Grand Prix Result: 1. Sergio Perez 2. Sebastian Vettel 3. Pierre Gasly

      Venue: Baku City Circuit
      Friday, June 4: Practice 1 (9.30am), Practice 2 (1pm)
      Saturday, June 5: Practice 3 (10am), Qualifying (1pm)
      Sunday, June 6: Race (1pm)

      🇨🇦 Canadian Grand Prix – CANCELLED

      🇹🇷 Turkish Grand Prix – CANCELLED

      🇫🇷 French Grand Prix – NEXT

      Venue: Circuit Paul Ricard, Le Castellet
      Friday, June 18: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, June 19: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, June 20: Race (2pm)

      🇦🇹 Styrian Grand Prix

      Venue: Red Bull Ring, Spielberg
      Friday, June 25: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, June 26: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, June 27: Race (2pm)

      🇦🇹 Austrian Grand Prix

      Venue: Red Bull Ring, Spielberg
      Friday, July 2: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, July 3: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, July 4: Race (2pm)

      🇬🇧 British Grand Prix
      *Inaugural sprint race replaces classic qualifying.

      Venue: Silverstone Circuit, Northamptonshire
      Friday, July 16: Practice 1 (11.30am), Practice 2 (3pm)
      Saturday, July 17: Practice 3 (12pm), SPRINT RACE (3pm)*
      Sunday, July 18: Race (3pm)

      🇭🇺 Hungarian Grand Prix

      Venue: Hungaroring, Budapest
      Friday, July 30: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, July 31: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, August 1: Race (2pm)

      🇧🇪 Belgian Grand Prix

      Venue: Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
      Friday, August 27: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, August 28: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, August 29: Race (2pm)

      🇳🇱 Dutch Grand Prix

      Venue: Zandvoort
      Friday, September 3: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, September 4: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, September 5: Race (2pm)

      🇮🇹 Italian Grand Prix 2

      Venue: Autodromo Nazionale Monza
      Friday, September 10: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, September 11: Practice 3 (11am), SPRINT RACE (2PM)
      Sunday, September 12: Race (2pm)

      🇷🇺 Russian Grand Prix

      Venue: Sochi Autodrom
      Friday, September 24: Practice 1 (9.30am), Practice 2 (1pm)
      Saturday, September 25: Practice 3 (10am), Qualifying (1pm)
      Sunday, September 26: Race (1pm)

      🇸🇬 Singapore Grand Prix – CANCELLED

      🇯🇵 Japanese Grand Prix

      Venue: Suzuka International Racing Course, Ino, Sazuka City
      Friday, October 8: Practice 1 (3.30am), Practice 2 (7am)
      Saturday, October 9: Practice 3 (4am), Qualifying (7am)
      Sunday, October 10: Race (6am)

      🇺🇸 United States Grand Prix

      Venue: Circuit of The Americas, Austin, Texas
      Friday, October 22: Practice 1 (5.30pm), Practice 2 (9pm)
      Saturday, October 23: Practice 3 (7pm), Qualifying (10pm)
      Sunday, October 24: Race (8pm)

      🇲🇽 Mexico City Grand Prix

      Venue: Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City
      Friday, October 29: Practice 1 (5.30pm), Practice 2 (9pm)
      Saturday, October 30: Practice 3 (5pm), Qualifying (8pm)
      Sunday, October 31: Race (7pm)

      🇧🇷 Brazil Grand Prix

      Venue: Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, Interlagos
      Friday, November 5: Practice 1 (2.30pm), Practice 2 (6pm)
      Saturday, November 6: Practice 3 (3pm), SPRINT RACE (6PM)
      Sunday, November 7: Race (5pm)

      🇦🇺 Australian Grand Prix

      Venue: Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit
      Friday, November 19: Practice 1 (1.30am), Practice 2 (5am)
      Saturday, November 20: Practice 3 (3am), Qualifying (6am)
      Sunday, November 21: Race (6am)

      🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix

      Venue: Jeddah Street Circuit
      Friday, December 3: Practice 1 (12.30pm), Practice 2 (4pm)
      Saturday, December 4: Practice 3 (1pm), Qualifying (4pm)
      Sunday, December 5: Race (4pm)

      🇦🇪 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

      Venue: Yas Marina Circuit, Yas Island
      Friday, December 10: Practice 1 (9.30am), Practice 2 (1pm)
      Saturday, December 11: Practice 3 (10am), Qualifying (1pm)
      Sunday, December 12: Race (1pm) More

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      Italy vs Switzerland FREE: Live stream, TV channel, kick-off time and team news for Euro 2020 match

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      ITALY are taking on neighbours Switzerland in a crucial Euro 2020 clash.The Italians are looking to assert themselves on international football once again after a shock failure to qualify for World Cup 2018.
      Italy are looking to make up for lost time as they return to international tournament footballCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Switzerland have an excellent record in tournament group stagesCredit: Reuters
      Meanwhile Switzerland will be hoping to continue a very solid tournament record which has seen them make it out of the group stage of every competition since 2012.
      What time does Italy vs Switzerland kick off?

      Italy take on Switzerland on Wednesday, June 16.
      The match kicks off at 8pm UK time.
      That’s 9pm in both Italy and Switzerland.
      Last time the two sides met in a competitive fixture was in 1999 when they played out a 0-0 draw in European Championship qualifying in Lausanne.

      What TV channel is Italy vs Switzerland on and can I live stream it?

      Italy vs Switzerland is live on ITV1.
      To stream the game live, head to the ITV Hub.
      RAI and Sky Italia are showing the Euros in Italy while SRG SSR is the Swiss broadcaster.

      Can I watch Italy vs Switzerland for free?

      Team news
      Marco Verratti is nearing full-fitness but isn’t yet ready to start as the Azzurri chase another win.
      Alessandro Florenzi is struggling with a calf problem and may not be fit to face the Swiss.
      Jonas Omlin left the visitors squad this week through injury and has been replaced by Gregor Kobel. More

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      in Soccer

      Turkey vs Wales FREE: Live stream, TV channel, kick-off time and team news for Euro 2020 clash

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      WALES are taking on Turkey as they look to make it out of their European Championship group for the second tournament running.The Welsh were the surprise package of Euro 2016 as Gareth Bale and co made it to the semi-finals before bowing out to eventual winners Portugal.
      Turkey impressed in qualifying as they took four points off FranceCredit: EPA
      Aaron Ramsey will be hoping to help Wales to the European Championship knockout stages for the second tournament runningCredit: EPA
      Opponents Turkey have been a force to be reckoned with in recent years, beating France at home and drawing with the world champions away.
      What time does Turkey vs Wales kick off?

      Turkey vs Wales takes place on Wednesday, June 16.
      The match kicks off at 5pm UK time.
      That’s 7pm in Turkey.
      Last time the two sides met was in a World Cup qualifier in 1997. On that day in Istanbul, Hakan Sukur netted four times in an epic 6-4 win for the Turks.

      What TV channel is Turkey vs Wales on and can I live stream it?

      Turkey vs Wales is live on BBC One.
      To stream the game live, head to the BBC iPlayer.
      TRT is the Euro 2020 broadcaster in Turkey.

      Can I watch Turkey vs Wales for free?

      Team news
      Harry Wilson could return to the starting XI for Wales, with Aaron Ramsey’s fitness called into question.
      Danny Ward should keep his place between the sticks after a superb performance last time out, while Keiffer Moore repaid Rob Page’s faith in him with a goal.
      Turkey could opt to ring the changes after they were taken apart by Italy on opening night.
      Cengiz Under, Irfan Can Kahveci and Kaan Ayhan are all pushing for starts. More

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      Finland vs Russia FREE: Live stream, TV channel, kick-off time and team news for Euro 2020 match

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      EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP newcomers Finland are playing their second major tournament fixture as they face Russia.Teemu Pukki and co stunned the likes of Greece and Bosnia in qualifying to make it to this competition and will now be looking to surprise neighbours Russia.
      Finland are playing in their first European ChampionshipCredit: Lehtikuva
      Russia will be looking to replicate their run to the 2018 World Cup quarter-finalCredit: Getty – Contributor
      The Russians meanwhile are looking to build on an impressive run to the quarter-final of the 2018 World Cup they hosted.
      What time does Finland vs Russia kick off?

      Finland vs Russia takes place on Wednesday, June 16.
      The match kicks off at 2pm in the UK.
      That’s 4pm in both Finland and Russia.
      Last time the two sides met was back in 2009 when Guus Hiddink’s Russia ran out 3-0 winners in a World Cup qualifier in Helsinki.

      What TV channel is Finland vs Russia on and can I live stream it?

      Finland vs Russia is live on BBC One.
      To stream the game live, head to the BBC iPlayer.
      Yle are showing Euro 2020 live in Finland while VGTRK, Perviy Kanal and Match TV are the Russian broadcasters.

      Can I watch Finland vs Russia for free?

      Team news
      Nikolai Alho is a doubt for the Finns as he continues to suffer from an ankle problem.
      Jukka Raitala came off during the win against Denmark and it remains to be seen if the full-back can play.
      Yuri Zhirkov is out of the remainder of the tournament after picking up a calf injury.
      Andrey Mostovoy will plan no part here either after testing positive for Covid-19. More

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      Why is Antonio Rudiger wearing a mask during Euro 2020 clash with France?

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      CHELSEA defender Toni Rudiger is starting in the Euro 2020 clash between France and Germany. But he will once again be sporting a different look, with the German defender wearing a mask.
      Antonio Rudiger is wearing a mask in the Champions League final against Manchester CityCredit: Reuters
      Antonio Rudiger has been sporting a face mask for around a monthCredit: Reuters
      Why is Antonio Rudiger wearing a mask?
      Rudiger, 28, suffered a facial injury in Chelsea’s 1-1 first leg draw with Real Madrid.
      And he was seen wearing a mask in the second leg, which the Blues won 2-0 to reach the Champions League final.
      The German colossus also donned it for the final itself, where he ran into Kevin De Bruyne in a sickening collision.

      Antonio Rudiger wearing the mask in training
      And Rudiger will once again have the mask on as Germany face France in Munich – and reckons his side will have to be ‘a little dirty’ if they want to win.
      He revealed: “[The mask is] still there for protection.
      “I’ll have to see what the Chelsea doctors say when I get back to London.
      “We have to be a little dirty, not always be nice or try to play nice football.
      “Against players like them, you have to throw down a marker.”
      Antonio Rudiger wearing a mask during the Champions League Final More