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      in Motorsport

      Inside Michael Schumacher’s decade-long recovery from ‘desperately cruel’ ski crash as brother shares devastating update

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      IT was a sunny Alpine morning as Michael Schumacher and his son Mick emerged, ten years ago this week, from their luxury chalet ready to take on the mountains.For a man who had been the king of speed in Formula One, the ski slopes offered the greatest racing driver of his generation another chance of an exhilarating adrenaline rush.
      It’s been 10 years since Formula One champion Michael Schumacher’s devastating skiing accidentCredit: AFP
      Michael was left in a coma for 250 days after the accidentCredit: AFP
      An accomplished skier, the retired seven-times world champion, 44, and his 14-year-old son set off on the Combe de Saulire ski run in the exclusive French  resort of Meribel.
      Footage from the German driver’s helmet camera revealed he was not travelling at excessive speed for his abilities yet, moments later, his skis struck a rock partly concealed beneath fresh snow and catapulted him 3.5 metres (11.5ft) head first on to a second boulder.
      The impact of the collision, shortly after 11am on December 29, 2013 was so intense that it split his helmet in two and left him in a coma for 250 days.
      Now his younger brother Ralf has admitted the F1 legend may never completely recover, despite receiving advanced medical treatment.
      read more on Schumacher
      He said: ““Nothing is like it used to be.”
      Ralf, who also raced and won six F1 Grands Prix, told German outlet Bild this week: “Life is unfair at times.
      “That day held a lot of bad luck. This fate has changed our family.”
      He added: “Michael wasn’t only my brother.
      Most read in Motorsport
      “When we were kids he was also my coach and mentor. He taught me every- thing about kart racing.
      “There may be an age gap of seven years but he was always by my side.”
      Yesterday Michael’s F1 pal Perry McCarthy, the man behind Top Gear’s original mystery character The Stig, said his fate was “desperately cruel”, adding: “It’s incredible that someone so special can be so badly hurt while skiing.
      “It’s so cruel that Michael happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
      Perry told sports betting website OLBG: “Nobody knows exactly what Michael would have gone on to do, but my feeling is that he’d have done something for humanity.
      “I feel he had that capacity, and I think he would have retained his love for F1, but he would have realised that there are much bigger things in life and he had the opportunity to change things.”
      Airlifted to hospital, Michael had two life-saving operations to remove blood clots from his brain.
      Doctors later said if it had not been for his headgear, he would have died instantly.
      Michael, who is married to Corinna, 54, was placed in a medically induced coma to try to reduce the swelling.
      In the decade that has followed, the F1 superstar has not been seen in public and  health updates have been irregular.
      Into this void has come un-founded rumour and conjecture.
      His family has remained largely silent about his condition and access is given only to those closest to him.
      Michael’s for- mer Ferrari colleague Luca Badoer, one of those allow-ed regular visits, revealed: “Only a few people are allowed to visit.
      “Corinna decides who is allowed to see him.
      “The family wants to maintain a sort of secrecy about this and I respect their will.
      “They do all this for the good of Michael.”
      Mick, now 24 and the spit-ting image of his dad, has described his father as his “idol” and “role model”.
      He, too, is a racing driver, who competed in F1 for Haas before losing his seat for the 2023 season to Nico Hulkenberg.
      In 2024 he will move to the World Endurance Championship, where his dad competed with Sauber-Mercedes before making his grand prix debut in 1991, to race for Alpine.
      In July fans were reduced to tears when Mick drove Michael’s Mercedes at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in West Sussex while wearing his dad’s iconic red helmet and race suit.
      Mick said at the time: “It’s going to be spectacular to run, in my dad’s 2011 car, the W02 — even if it is only a short run.”
      Cashing in on the public sympathy for Michael, in April, a German magazine ran a tasteless  AI-generated “interview” with the stricken driver.
      Die Aktuelle’s front cover showed a photo of him smiling, with a headline promising,  “Michael Schumacher, the first interview”.
      But in fact the chat was written with an artificial intelligence tool.
      The family threatened legal action and Die Aktuelle’s editor was sacked.
      Named sport’s first billionaire by Euro-business magazine, Michael revolut-ionised the pinnacle of motor racing.
      Born with seemingly superhuman co-ordination and spatial awareness, he honed his physique to handle the G-force stress on his body in races.
      When cornering and braking, a driver’s head, plus helmet, effectively weighs almost half as much as their entire body.
      So Michael designed a cockpit-shaped exercise machine that attached to his helmet, which he used for hour after hour.
      At the time of his retirement in 2012 he held records for the most F1 wins (91), pole positions (68) and podium finishes (155).
      Born to working-class parents in Hurth, West Germany, he won his first karting championship aged six.
      Making his F1 debut in 1991, he went on to land seven drivers’ titles, a record equalled by Sir Lewis Hamilton in 2020.
      Away from the track — where he was described as a “perfectionist” — Michael was, according to manager Sabine Kehm, “devoted to his family”.
      In 1995 he wed champion equestrian and animal rights activist Corinna Betsch.
      They had children Gina-Maria in 1997 and son Mick in 1999.
      Shunning the celebrity limelight, the family lived in a newly built mansion with a private beach on Lake Geneva in Switzerland.
      They also own a horse ranch in Switzerland and another in Texas.
      Michael once described his marriage as “total harmony”, adding: “We have the same vision of how we want to spend our lives.”
      In April 2014, three months after Michael was placed in a coma, manager Sabine revealed he was showing “moments of consciousness and awakening”.
      Though still being treated in intensive care at Grenoble Hospital, he was said to be “making progress”.
      Michael made his F1 debut in 1991 and went on to land seven drivers’ titlesCredit: Reuters
      Michael’s wife Corinna has been by his side through his recoveryCredit: Rex
      Michael’s son Mick is a racing driver who competed in F1 for HaasCredit: AP
      There followed another period of silence about Michael’s condition, then a fresh statement in June 2014 revealed he was no longer in a coma.
      His “long phase of rehabilitation” continued at the University Hospital of Lausanne in Switzerland.
      In September that year it emerged Michael had been transferred to his home beside Lake Geneva.
      Manager Sabine said: “Henceforth, Michael’s rehabilitation will take place at his home.
      “Considering the severe injuries that he suffered, progress has been made in the past weeks and months.”
      And she pleaded for speculation about his health to be “avoided”.
      Two months later a friend of Michael’s offered a glimpse into his condition.
      Wheelchair user and former racing driver Philippe Streiff, who had visited Michael in hospital, said: “He is getting better but everything is relative.
      “It’s very difficult.
      “He can’t speak. Like me, he is in a wheelchair, paralysed.
      “He has memory problems and speech problems.”
      Further updates were not forth-coming and the family dealt with their anguish privately, while strongly protecting his privacy.
      Then in May 2015 Sabine provided an update, revealing Michael’s con-dition was improving “considering the severeness of the injury he had”.
      That Christmas, German magazine Bunte reported that he could manage some steps with the help of therapists and could now raise an arm.
      It proved a false hope for his fans. The family sued Bunte, their lawyer telling a court Michael “cannot walk”.
      Then, in 2017, his former long-term manager Willi Weber made an extraordinary intervention, tell-ing a German newspaper: “I find it very unfortunate that Michael’s fans do not know about his health.
      “Why are they not being told the truth?”
      Two years later Jean Todt, Michael’s former boss at Ferrari and one of his closest confidantes, gave a rare update, revealing that they watched F1 races together on television.
      “Michael is in the best hands and is well looked after in his house,” Jean said.
      “He does not give up and keeps fighting.”
      Yet his precise physical and mental state remained shrouded in secrecy.
      In 2021, Corinna broke her silence to talk about her husband in a TV documentary.
      She revealed during an emotional interview: “I miss Michael every day. It’s not just me who misses him, everybody misses Michael.
      “But Michael is here — different, but here.
      “He still shows me how strong he is, every day.”
      During the Netflix documentary, called simply Schumacher, she added: “We are trying to carry on as a family, the way Michael liked it and still does.
      “We live together at home. We do therapy.
      “We do everything we can to make Michael better and to make sure he’s comfortable.”
      Like his mother, Mick has main-tained a steadfast silence over precise details of his father’s health.
      In that 2021 documentary, Corinna provided an emotional rebuff to those who had accused the family of unnecessary secrecy.
      Read more on The Sun
      Corinna revealed of her husband: “We are getting on with our lives — ‘Private is private’, as he always said.
      “Michael always protected us, now we are protecting Michael.”
      Michael’s brother Ralf has admitted the F1 legend may never completely recoverCredit: Getty
      Corinna has chosen to keep Michael’s recovery privateCredit: Rex
      German mag Die Aktuelle ran an AI generate interview with MichaelCredit: Die AktuelleTIMELINE OF SLOW HEALING

      Dec 29, 2013: Michael suffers traumatic brain injury in a skiing accident in Méribel, France, and is airlifted to hospital in critical condition. Transported to CHU Grenoble hospital, where he remains for six months.
      Dec 30, 2013: Doctors place him in a medically induced coma.
      Jan 31, 2014: Michael is gradually woken. Not fully awake until June 6.
      Feb 7, 2014: Reports he has died denied.
      Mar 12, 2014: Family say he is showing “small, encouraging signs” and believe he will “pull through and will wake up”.
      April 4, 2014: Manager Sabine Kehm reveals he is showing “moments of consciousness and awakening”.
      June 16, 2014: Transferred to University Hospital of Lausanne, Switzerland, for rehab.
      September 9, 2014: Michael returns to his home next to Lake Geneva.
      His family say: “Progress has been made . . . There is still a long and difficult road ahead.”
      November 19, 2014: Former racing driver Philippe Streiff says after a visit: “He is getting better. It’s very difficult.
      “He can’t speak. He is in a wheelchair, paralysed. He has memory and speech problems.”
      September 2016: Michael’s lawyer, Felix Damm, says the F1 legend “cannot walk”.
      October 2017: Ex long-term manager Willi Weber says: “I find it very unfortunate that Michael’s fans do not know about his health.
      “Why are they not being told the truth?”
      November 2018: Wife Corinna gives the rare update: “It is good to receive so many kind wishes . . .  We all know Michael is a fighter and will not give up.”
      September 2021: In the Netflix documentary Schumacher, Corinna says: “Everybody misses Michael, but Michael is here – different, but here.
      “He still shows me how strong he is every day.” More

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      in Soccer

      Football clubs get £1,000 grant to help keep players on the pitch thanks to The Sun’s grant

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      FOOTBALL clubs across the country got an extra-special Christmas gift this year – a £1,000 grant to help keep their players on the pitch.The Sun has funded 150 clubs with the cash injection to make sure no child misses out on footie because finances are tight at home.
      Sevenoaks Powerchair Club gives teens and adults the chance to play football in adapted chairsCredit: Oliver Dixon
      Getting this grant to make sure our chairs’ batteries are powered properly is brilliant, said head coach AdamCredit: Oliver Dixon
      Our Footie For All campaign highlighted how kids were being forced to drop out of clubs because of the cost-of-living crisis.
      We then teamed up with Tesco Stronger Starts, which provides healthy food and activities for Children, to give away £150,000 to grassroots clubs across the country.
      We invited teams who work with kids under the age of 18 to apply for one of the 150 £1,000 grants.
      One very special team, who are celebrating being awarded a grant, is Sevenoaks Powerchair Club which gives teens and adults a chance to play the sport in specialist chairs.
      READ MORE ON FOOTIE FOR ALL
      Head coach Adam McEvoy, 36, said: “Our players have a high level of disability so can’t access any other form of football.
      “Getting this grant to make sure our chairs’ batteries are powered properly is brilliant. Each chair costs around £6,000 and we need them to last as long as possible, so our players don’t miss out.”
      The Kent-based team has 15 players, aged between 10 and 25, who spend their Sunday mornings enjoying their version of a kickabout.
      It also allows their parents a bit of respite from providing constant care, as they trust the coaches to look after their young ones.
      Most read in Football
      The team asks for a £15 contribution each month to help cover some of the sessions’ costs.
      “Football, in a way, is a by-product of what we do,” Adam said.
      “They love that when they come to football, they’re treated as a footballer. Nothing else matters for those few hours.
      “We see these kids grow into polite, confident young people. It gives them so much more than just a game.”
      Another club that has been awarded a grant is Coity Chiefs Girls FC in Coity, Bridgend, South Wales.
      Little Lionesses in Bridgend, WalesCredit: Adrian Sherratt
      Gornal Community Football ClubCredit: Supplied
      Under the guidance of LeeAnn Baker and her husband, the team has grown from 75 girls to 110 training every week.
      LeeAnn said: “We’re so grateful for the money because it means we can expand the pitch space we rent to make sure all the girls who want to play football can be involved.
      “Every week, we see the joy on the faces of all our players, who are having a chance to enjoy playing without getting comments from boys about how they shouldn’t play.
      “It’s such a supportive environment — when a player gets injured, the others rally round to help. It’s so important girls have a space to play and develop their talent.”
      In a bid to keep everyone involved, the club has a kit swap-shop, which keeps parents’ costs to a minimum as the girls grow.
      Each player pays £14 a month to cover some of the costs and receive top-flight training.
      Another girls’ team making sure women’s football has a bright future is Gornal Community Football club in the West Midlands. Coach Alan Moore, 62, has been running girls’ sessions for decades and is using our £1,000 grant to open up two new squads.
      He said: “The two new sessions are for girls who have completed the free FA wildcat session and want to start playing competitively.
      “It’s amazing to see their confidence grow — it’s so important girls have somewhere to play football.”
      The club started the girls’ team five years ago and it has proved incredibly popular, especially in the wake of the Lionesses’ success.
      The club, which has 18 teams of both genders, charges just £20 a month to play. If finances are tight, they allow kids to come for free.
      Alan said: “Thank you to The Sun and Tesco for helping us get two extra teams — it means 24 more girls are playing in a squad.”
      Read more on The Sun
      Christine Heffernan, Tesco group communications director, said: “It’s clear that football clubs up and down the country need the support more than ever, and that we’re reaching hundreds more children as a result of this funding.
      “The Tesco Stronger Starts and Footie For All partnership is getting children into doing what they love — playing footie more often.” More

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      in Soccer

      Ian Wright reveals emotional reason he’s leaving Match of the Day and secret tattoo dedicated to love of fellow pundits

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      FOOTIE legend Ian Wright has revealed how he will spend Saturdays now he has quit Match Of The Day.And, perhaps surprisingly, it involves watching a whole load more of the beautiful game.
      Ian Wright and granddaughter, Raphaella Wright-Phillips, who is a talented young footballerCredit: Adidas Football / EUEFA Champion the Girls
      Ian with host Des Lynam and fellow pundit Trevor Brooking on his first Match of the Day appearance in 1997Credit: BBC
      Ian still going strong on MOTD with Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer in 2023Credit: TWITTER/IAN WRIGHT
      The ex-England, Arsenal and Crystal Palace star will round off 26 years as a pundit at the end of the season, confessing his decision was “fast tracked” by turning 60 last month.
      He has opened up for the first time about blowing the final whistle on his TV role, admitting just what it meant to him. And he has also revealed the secret tattoo he designed to honour his show colleagues.
      Looking to the future, Ian — whose granddaughter also has huge footballing talent — said with his trademark laugh: “I’m going to actually watch more football.
      “I’m going to watch my grand-daughter. I’m going to watch a lot more women’s games.
      READ MORE ON IAN WRIGHT
      “I’m going to watch a lot more Arsenal games, just to be there with fans. Go with my son and his missus, be amongst it, just to celebrate when we win or when we lose.
      “It’s been a bit of a realisation that I want to give quality time to them.
      “So that’s what I want. To watch games, spend time with people.”
      When Ian first appeared on Match Of The Day in 1997, during his playing days, he told then presenter Des Lynam the show was his “Graceland”.
      Most read in Football
      He became a regular in 2002, two years after retiring from football, before leaving in 2008 and returning in 2015. And that feeling of wonder never left him.
      ‘We bonded tightly’
      Chatting on his Wrighty’s House podcast hours after news of his departure was announced, Ian said: “I don’t want to go too deep into what it means to me, but the music . . . every time I hear the music it takes me back to an unbelievable place when I first remember what Match Of The Day meant to me, when I was allowed to actually be on it.
      “When I was actually good enough to be on it as a regular, it was more than I ever thought it would be.
      “When I first went on, I was winging it. I remember Des Lynam, when he welcomed me on, I said to him, ‘This is my Graceland’.
      “You know, like when people visit Elvis? Match Of The Day was my Graceland. It’s an institution.”
      Ian, a regular alongside Alan Shearer, 53, and host Gary Lineker, 63, revealed his decision to leave “had been coming for a while”.
      Sharing the news on Sunday morning, the prolific goalscorer said: “I feel very privileged to have had such an incredible run on the most iconic football show in the world. I’m stepping back having made great friends and many great memories.
      “This decision has been coming for a while. Maybe my birthday earlier this year fast-tracked it a little but, ultimately, it’s time to do a few more different things with my Saturdays.”
      As part of the job, Wrighty would spend hours each week watching Premier League games. Now he will be taking in Arsenal ladies’ fixtures at Borehamwood, Herts, and matches starring his own brood.
      His granddaughter Raphaella Wright-Phillips, whose father is former Manchester City ace Shaun Wright-Phillips, 42, is a talented young footballer who wowed fans with her skills in a recent viral video.
      And his grandson, D’Margio Wright-Phillips, 22, has played at under-17 level for England and appeared 17 times for Stoke before going on loan to Northampton.
      Dad-of-eight Ian has two younger daughters, Lola and Roxanne, with wife Nancy Hallam, who he married in 2011.
      Ian said: “I’m going to watch my granddaughter. I want to see if I can watch my grandson play as well. He needs a bit more support now. It’s kind of fallen off a little bit for him.
      “So hopefully I can watch him some more, spend a bit more time. I want to take Nance to more games as well because she really makes me laugh when she’s watching the game.
      “She has to do so much on a weekend with the two girls, so I want to be a bit more present on that.”
      Wrighty’s love affair with Match Of The Day began when he was a boy, then deepened as a player.
      But a tough regime at home saw him — and his brother Maurice — banned from watching the show by their stepfather. Ian said: “When we was younger, my stepdad would make me and my brother turn around and face the wall.
      “So we could hear the music, but we weren’t allowed to watch. My brother would hold my ears as I was crying not being able to watch it.”
      He continued: “Then all the players, you all watch it. It’s not that you analyse yourself. I remember my best goal I ever scored was against Everton at Highbury and I couldn’t wait to watch Match Of The Day.
      “Alan Hansen was doing the punditry and he said it was bad defending. I said, ‘For f***s sake Al, you’re taking that off of me?’. I said, ‘Jesus, that came out of nowhere, that goal. It was just pure fluidity’ and he said, ‘Terrible defending’.”
      Ian revealed he has a tattoo tribute to Alan Shearer and Gary Linker, with the inking of 8, 9, 10 representing the numbers of the trio’s old football shirtsCredit: https://www.instagram.com/wrightyofficial/
      Granddaughter Raphaella is the daughter former Manchester City ace Shaun Wright-Phillips
      Ian playing for Arsenal in 1993Credit: Getty
      Even now Ian gets a thrill from appearing on the live TV show, which first aired in August 1964 with Kenneth Wolstenholme as host. Ian said: “When I first got the call for Match Of The Day, it does hit hard, you are nervous.
      “Because people don’t realise it is live. You don’t get much time, you’ve got them in your ear saying, like, ‘ten seconds’, so at the start that would stress me out.
      “When you first sit there and the music kicks in, that’s why I didn’t take offence when someone said I couldn’t string words together. I was trying to find words! But it gets better and better.”
      Ian also gave an insight into the rituals between show regulars. He said: “Gary Lineker had an accident once where they were still talking and didn’t realise it had gone live. So as soon as the music kicks in, he says, ‘Is this for real?’. Every time.”
      It’s not all been goals and trophies though, with Ian quitting the BBC in 2008, claiming he was less of a pundit and more of a “court jester”. He worked away from the channel for seven years before returning in 2015.
      Continuing on the podcast, he said: “They gave me one game — Chelsea v Brentford — and after that people were writing in saying, ‘Where has he been?’ and it turned on its head.
      “You get some really nice messages. Obviously there are some f***ing idiots out there but, in the main, you do get people who send you genuine thanks for that bit of insight.
      “They say, ‘I really like how you guys do it, I love the camaraderie.”
      The relationship between Ian, Gary and Alan has ushered in a golden era for the highlights show.
      And Ian revealed he has a tattoo tribute to his two pals, adding: “I got my 8 9 10 tattoo because it’s my (old Arsenal football shirt) number, it’s Shearer’s number and it’s Gary Lineker’s number.
      “Especially after we’d done Covid, we bonded really tightly in and around that time. We spoke to each other a lot.
      “The other day Gary was vexed because there was some poll, Lineker or Shearer?
      “And I said Shearer. And he said, ‘You said that too quickly for me’. I call him G-Force, and I said, ‘G-force, you know what you mean to me, bro!’.
      “When we played against him, Alan Shearer was living rent free in my head.
      “Now he is a friend. To be able to say we are tight, the family are tight, is incredible. I have to say he’s better than me at golf — which gets on my nerves — but I’m going to miss the guys.” In 2020, Wrighty was named TV/Radio Pundit of the Year by the Football Supporters’ Association.
      Ian, in his Crystal Palace playing days, with sons Bradley, 5, and Shaun, 8Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      Best of pals, Gary, Ian and Alan share a jokeCredit: Kieran Clarke/BBC
      England strikers Alan and Ian pictured in 1992Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      In June he was made an OBE for services to football and charity and last month received the Freedom of the City of London.
      Away from football, Wrighty’s TV hosting career has spanned everything from entertainment shows, including Friends Like These and Gladiators, to stints on Celebrity Big Brother, I’m A Celebrity . . . Get Me Out Of Here! and even his own talk show.
      His ITV gameshow Moneyball has just been cancelled after two series. But it sounds like his new packed schedule as a football supporter will keep him busy.
      Read more on The Sun
      Ian added with a laugh: “I feel like I might have to retire from that after a year!”
      MY BEST MOMENT 1IAN and his son, ex- Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips, 42, became the first father-and-son punditry team on MoTD in May this year.
      Ian said: “Being on with Shaun, my little baby, my big little baby.
      “If that was my last show, I could have easily finished with that, nothing can top that.
      “It’s the Holy Grail for me.
      “When he was younger we used to watch it together and now being on together, he’s on there and he’s earned the right to be on there.
      “It’s incredible.”

      MY BEST MOMENT 2IAN saw Gary Lineker’s tears as Leicester City, the team he has supported since he was a boy, winning the Premier League for the first time in 2016.
      Gary later fulfilled a promise to present the show in his pants if the side finished on top. Ian said: “It was a really beautiful moment. Gary got his tissue out and dried his eyes. We left him.
      “Anyone that knows Gary, you’re not used to seeing emotion. So seeing that was a beautiful moment, him disarmed of every- thing other than his pure love for his team.” More

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      in Soccer

      World’s worst football team lost 31-0 & were so bad goalie QUIT in humiliation… but that WASN’T their most dramatic game

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      WHEN Thomas Rongen was offered the chance to coach the American Samoan national football team ahead of a World Cup qualifier, he jumped at the chance to move to the South Pacific paradise.But this was no ordinary coaching job in the sunshine.
      American Samoa’s in 2014 documentary Next Goal WinsCredit: Alamy
      America Samoa suffered the most crushing defeat ever in an international, losing 31-0 to AustraliaCredit: Getty
      They were dubbed the worst team in the world after losing all 30 of their official matchesCredit: Getty
      Dubbed the worst team in the world, the side had lost all 30 of their official matches during their 20-year history and in 2001 had suffered the most crushing defeat ever in an international, losing 31-0 to Australia.
      A decade on, Dutch-born Thomas — who had played alongside such legends as Johan Cruyff and George Best in the US before becoming a Major League Soccer coach — had just three weeks to knock them into shape before their qualifying matches for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
      But the seemingly impossible task would prove to be a lifeline for players and coach alike, offering redemption to the ridiculed 2001 goalie whose own son called him a loser, while putting Thomas in touch with a spirituality which allowed him to finally grieve for the loss of his teenage stepdaughter.
      The moving story, told in a 2014 documentary, Next Goal Wins, has now been turned into a Hollywood movie of the same name by director Taika Waititi, with Michael Fassbender in the role of Thomas.
      READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS
      The classic underdog-to-victory tale, to be released on Boxing Day, sees the former US Under-20 coach taking on a squad too unfit to last 90 minutes and leading them to their first international victory, a 2-1 win against Tonga, in November 2011.
      It also focuses on star player Jaiyah “Johnny” Saelua, the first transgender footballer to play as an international, with trans actor Kaimana in the role, and the seemingly fractious relationship between her and the coach.
      It was only after taking up the job in American Samoa that Thomas realised the uphill task ahead of him when he watched a few games in a tournament before meeting the team.
      The rag-tag bunch had turned out at the Pacific Games representing their tiny island territory, which lies 1,317 miles east of Fiji and has a population of just 44,620.
      Most read in Football
      Thomas, now 67, told a sports website: “Nobody could play 90 minutes. OK, I’ve got three weeks, that’s an area where we can improve.
      Uphill battle
      “I thought I could make a few tweaks, but I’m not sure you can do anything big in three weeks.”
      The team were also still mentally bruised by the humiliating Aussie defeat ten years earlier. It had come about after a last-minute demand for the players to produce American passports, which 19 out of 20 could not do.
      They were replaced by a new squad of inexperienced players with an average age of 19, two of whom, including Jaiyah, were just 15.
      Goalkeeper Nicky Salapu was the only original squad member who could produce the required passport — which he would live to regret after having to pick the ball out of the net 31 times. He retired from the game shortly afterwards.
      Thomas told us: “When he walked down the street with his son, they would say, ‘You’re the guy who gave up 31 goals’.
      “He said, ‘My son thinks I’m a loser and I’m done with this’.” The defeat haunted Nicky until Thomas persuaded him to return for the 2011 Tonga game which ended in victory.
      The coach explained: “He came back and the greatest moment was hugging him and he said, ‘I just called my son and he now thinks I’m a hero’. Those things end up being more important than some of the other stuff.”
      Thomas Rongen jumped at the chance to coach the American Samoa team ahead of a World Cup qualifierCredit: Alamy
      Thomas lead them to their first international victory, a 2-1 win against Tonga, in November 2011Credit: Handout
      The first goal came from captain Ramin Ott, who scored a rocket in the 44th minute.
      Shalom Luani doubled their lead in the 74th.
      Tonga scored with three minutes to go, but it was too late to snatch the landmark victory from the ecstatic American Samoan team.
      Portrayed in the film as a hard-drinking divorcee — which director Taika has admitted “twisted” the story — Thomas was battling demons when he arrived on the island in 2011.
      He was struggling to cope with the death of his stepdaughter Nicole, a 19-year-old college footballer, who died in a car crash in 2004.
      Although an atheist, Thomas embraced the deeply religious culture of the island, which is more than 98 per cent Christian, and found the daily prayers helped him to confront his grief for the first time.
      He said: “It’s a small island and there are a lot of tribes and around 4pm they all do their big bells, and everyone stops, even cars. People sit down and reflect and pray. This happened during a training session, and I was like, ‘What the f***?’ Then the third day I joined them in church and I just cried.
      “That was an awakening of a part in my body that I had suppressed and it allowed me to be free again and think about my daughter with a smile now.”
      Maori New Zealander Taika, who is married to British singer Rita Ora, says Next Goal Wins is inspired by the 2014 documentary but only loosely based on it.
      He told an audience at this year’s Toronto Film Festival: “I saw the documentary a few years ago and I thought it was a story I had to tell, and twist it — other- wise you might as well see the documentary.”
      Thomas Rongen and George BestCredit: gailmegaloudisrongen/instagram
      Michael Fassbender as Thomas in the new movieCredit: Entertainment Pictures / eyevine
      Thomas’s own incredible career is worthy of a documentary in itself.
      He first made his name as a player, rising through the ranks as a promising defender with Amsterdam-sche FC. Then, in his early 20s, he moved to the US to compete in the new North American Soccer League.
      He played — and roomed — with his hero Johan Cruyff, and George Best and Franz Beckenbauer, who all played out their later years in the US.
      Keeping up with George proved a challenge — particularly off the pitch. Thomas told sport website The Athletic how the Manchester United hero’s first wife Angie confronted him after a night-long booze-up on Christmas Eve 1979.
      He said: “Our routine was we’d drag him up the stairs, undress him and get him into bed and the next day we’d make sure he was OK. So we open the kitchen door and (Dutch footballer) Wim Suurbier steps in first, and Angie is standing there with a butcher knife.
      “She’s six feet away, she takes two steps forward, she has it above her head and she goes towards Bestie.”
      That drama ended without mishap, and peacemaker Thomas is similarly seen as a hero in American Samoa. But in the film he is at first portrayed as a bad guy, especially when it comes to Jaiyah’s identity.
      She is a member of the island culture’s “third gender”, or Fa’afafine, who are widely accepted in American Samoan society. Her team-mates were supportive throughout her career and she was known for her killer tackles and “taking no prisoners” on the pitch.
      But in the film Thomas initially deliberately misgenders her, calling her by her male name before she finally punches him to the ground.Jaiyah — who changed her name legally in 2017 and fully transitioned in 2019 — is behind the film but she insists the tension between her and Thomas is hugely exaggerated, calling their relationship “not bad”.
      She added: “It was a nice little twist to make Thomas — or Fassbender — into a villain in the movie.”
      Despite beating Tonga, American Samoa failed to qualify for the 2014 World Cup — they drew another qualifier 1-1 against the Cook Islands but lost another, against Samoa, 1-0.
      But under Thomas’s leadership they found a new sense of optimism and for Taika, Next Goal Wins was more about celebrating American Samoa than the team’s rise to victory.
      He told Time magazine that when audiences watch the movie: “I just want them to experience a little bit of a different culture that they probably never think about.”
      As for Thomas, he was originally to be played by Russell Crowe, a friend of the director, but he added: “He (Taika) said Russell is so heavy he can’t run up and down, so we went with Fassbender.”
      Now living in South Florida, Thomas is currently in talks to coach American Samoa for the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
      Read more on The Sun
      He said: “That might be a sequel.”

      Next Goal Wins is in cinemas from December 26. More

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      in Soccer

      The return of hooliganism is turning European football into a lethal battleground & why English fans are targets

      by

      THEY once called it the English disease, but football violence is now damaging the image of the beautiful game across Europe – and spreading to other sports.This week Turkey has stopped all footie matches indefinitely after a referee was punched to the ground on the pitch by a club president.
      Referee Halil Umut Meler is clobbered by Faruk KocaCredit: Getty
      Ref Meler holds his face as Koca looks onCredit: EPA
      Meler was in hospital after the attackCredit: Getty
      President of the Turkish team MKE Ankaragücü, at the end of Monday’s gameCredit: Getty
      And Greece banned fans from top-flight football games for two months after violence erupted between rival volleyball supporters in Athens, severely injuring a police officer.
      Meanwhile, France is considering barring away supporters after a fan was stabbed to death ten days ago.
      In January an Italian motorway was closed when rival supporters piled into each other, and a year ago crowds of Croatia’s Dinamo Zagreb fans delivered Nazi salutes in unison on the streets of Milan.
      Across the continent, authorities are struggling to control hooliganism — often aimed at travelling English fans, who receive massive police protection as continental supporters try to test their reputation for street brawling.
      Read More on Football
      Two months ago in Milan a Newcastle United fan was stabbed in the stomach by a machete-wielding yob in a balaclava.
      This season was Brighton and Hove Albion’s first taste of competitive European football.
      But last month in Athens, tear gas aimed by police at riotous fans of the defeated home team AEK ended up choking Brighton supporters.
      In May, West Ham players tried to intervene when hooded fans of Dutch side AZ Alkmaar piled into the section of the stadium where the English team’s families were sitting.
      Most read in Football
      Football’s ruling bodies fear the return of the hooliganism from decades ago, which in 1985 saw English teams banned from Europe for five years after the deaths of 39 mostly Italian fans in the riot at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels.
      In August Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin said of the violence: “This is the cancer of football and those are not football fans.
      “We have to say enough, we have to stop this.”
      Then came Monday’s graphic display of football’s ugly side.
      Faruk Koca, president of Turkish side MKE Ankaragucu, ran on to the pitch and struck referee Halil Umut Meler in the face, landing him in hospital.
      The Turkish Football Federation then indefinitely postponed all games.
      Turkey’s “ultra fans” are notorious for carrying weapons, supposedly to kill opponents.
      Fenerbahce has a fan group called Kill For You, and in 2000 Galatasaray hooligans stabbed two Leeds United fans to death.
      Empty stadiums
      There are also stringent new fan restrictions in neighbouring Greece, where on Monday the government announced that teams would have to play in empty stadiums.
      It followed two deaths in bloody clashes between supporters this year alone.
      In February a 19-year-old student was bludgeoned to death in Thessaloniki just for saying he supported a rival team, then in August a 29-year-old AEK Athens supporter was stabbed to death by a Dinamo Zagreb thug.
      And not having matches to attend might not even stop the violence, as fan rivalry spreads between sports.
      The ban on football fans came after police were attacked with flares, stones and petrol bombs outside an Athens volleyball stadium last week after a match between Olympiakos and Panathinaikos, who are also bitter football foes.
      Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said: “For years, criminals in the guise of fans have been committing serious crimes by critically injuring and killing people.”
      Brighton fans experienced those crazed elements at the end of last month in the Greek capital.
      The police tried to subdue rioting AEK Athens yobs with tear gas at the end of the game, but it drifted over to the away fans as well, and some Brighton fans had to be treated by paramedics.
      Dinamo Zagreb thugs give the Nazi salute on a march last year in MilanCredit: Twitter
      Legia Warsaw mob throw flares at police and horses last month at Aston VillaCredit: Reuters
      Life-long Seagulls fan Mike Purser, 54, told The Sun: “They tear-gassed their fans who were waiting for us to come out.
      “It blew back into the stadium. They locked us in and wouldn’t let us go down, but as soon as it happened, they took us down and gave us water.”
      The previous month in Marseille, the risk of things turning ugly meant Brighton fans had to be closely guarded.
      The French side’s ultras have attacked their own training ground and have a reputation for being the country’s most rabid fans.
      Property developer Mike continued: “Marseille was like a military performance to get to the ground. We had to be there three or four hours before kick-off.
      “Coming out was a palaver because they wouldn’t let us go down into the concourse. People were struggling because it was so hot and I saw some people passing out.”
      In September three men were arrested outside a Glasgow hostel after fans of Rangers and Spanish side Real Betis clashed following their Europa League match in the city.
      The fighting saw windows smashed and security locking the hostel with Betis fans inside in a bid to bring the violence to an end.
      Tartan Army fans have a reputation for being boisterous but well-behaved, with recent flashpoints on foreign trips emerging when police target supporters.
      Footage of a Spanish cop beating a Scotland fan emerged ahead of the side’s Euro 2024 qualifier in Seville in October.
      In February French police came in for criticism when Uefa said that Liverpool and Real Madrid fans could have died because the 2022 Champions League final in Paris was handled so badly by heavy-handed cops.
      The authorities already ban away fans from historically troublesome games, but may go further after a Nantes fan died during a fight with Nice supporters earlier this month.
      Clash in Naples as police come under attack from Eintracht Frankfurt yobs in MarchCredit: Rex
      Trouble after a hooded AZ Alkmaar gang charged Hammers fansCredit: Getty
      Trouble often breaks out away from stadiums.
      Newcastle fan Eddie McKay, 58, was slashed three times as he walked to his Milan hotel before his side played AC Milan.
      It is not uncommon for thugs to find out which bars the English fans are drinking in and to arrive spoiling for a fight.
      West Ham supporter Alfie Barker, 33, believes English fans are targeted.
      He said: “Two Belgian fans came up to me and my brother in a Brussels bar and asked, ‘Do you want a fight?’ We said no, but they didn’t go away.
      “It was just because we were speaking English. We weren’t wearing West Ham kits — I never have the team’s colours on in Europe.”
      West Ham supporters have seen a lot of trouble on the European mainland in the past couple of years.
      Eintracht Frankfurt fans were filmed charging towards Hammers supporters in a Seville bar in March 2022, Belgian side Anderlecht apologised for their fans throwing seats at West Ham supporters in October that year and at the AFAS Stadion in Alkmaar, Holland in May, the club’s fans were assaulted in their seats.
      West Ham boss David Moyes said after the Alkmaar game: “Was I worried? Yeah, my family were there and I had friends in that section.”
      Eintracht’s yobs are developing an unsavoury reputation.
      This year 50 German police officers were injured by them in Frankfurt and cars were set alight when they clashed with cops in Naples, even though they had been banned from Napoli’s stadium.
      But West Ham supporters also got into trouble for throwing objects on to the pitch in Genk, Belgium, and setting off flares in Prague.
      Hammers fan Alfie Barker said: ‘I didn’t see trouble at matches until we went into Europe’Credit: The West Ham Way Channel/Youtube
      And there are certainly signs that the “English disease” is making a comeback in Britain.
      Last season the police made the highest number of arrests at football matches in England and Wales for nearly a decade. In 2022-23 there were 2,264 football-related arrests, up 66 on the previous figure, and the worst since 2013-14.
      There have been several pitch invasions, including one in January in which Arsenal keeper Aaron Ramsdale was kicked in the back.
      There was also great shame at the Euro 2020 final two years ago when England fans tried to storm into Wembley Stadium.
      But the most violent disturbance at a game in recent years in England was arguably the one at Villa Park in Birmingham at the end of November.
      Fans from Polish side Legia Warsaw threw flares at police and attacked their horses.
      Unless clubs across the Continent can stamp out the rising tide of often organised unrest, families will be afraid to attend matches, while some fans won’t go to Europe for fear of ending up bloodied or bruised.
      Read more on The Sun
      For supporters who are not used to the hooliganism of the 1980s it has been a shock.
      West Ham fan Alfie added: “I didn’t see trouble at matches until we went into Europe.”
      A PSV Eindhoven fan waves a flare at a Dutch league gameCredit: AFP
      Panathinaikos fans with their traditional display of pyrotechnicsCredit: Getty More

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      in Soccer

      Jude Bellingham mania sweeps Madrid as records tumble & fans say he’s bigger than Beckham… but mum still makes his bed

      by

      ARMS splayed like Christ the Redeemer, Jude Bellingham’s trademark goal celebration is met with hysteria by the Real Madrid faithful.Moments later, his anthem is bouncing from the rafters of sporting cathedral the Santiago Bernabeu.
      Jude Bellingham splays his arms in a ‘Belligol’ celebration after scoring against Napoli last weekCredit: Rex Features
      Dentist Nitya Nandi, pictured with fellow Real fan Mafer Oliveros, tells of how Madrid loves the English footballerCredit: Darren Fletcher – Commissioned by The Sun
      Jude was named Golden Boy by sports journalists in a gala for Europe’s best young playerCredit: Rex Features
      “Na, na, na, na na na na, na na na na, Hey Jude!” some 80,000 sing in a throaty rendition of The Beatles’ 1968 anthem.
      Clutching a scarf bearing the legend, “Hey Jude — from Birmingham to the Bernabeu”, dentist Nitya Nandi, 30, tells me: “I love Bellingham. Madrid loves Bellingham.”
      Visiting Englishmen Jack Smith, 22, and Christian McGarr, 24, made the pilgrimage from Darlington, Co Durham, to pay homage to world football’s latest superstar.
      Newcastle supporter Christian, a toolmaker, said: “We came over for Bellingham, the best English player since Gazza.”
      READ MORE ON JUDE BELLINGHAM
      Madrid, which has seen its share of footballing gods, is gripped by Bellimania.
      In just five months, the England midfielder has become the brightest star at the biggest club in the world.
      At a gala ceremony for Europe’s best young player in Turin, Italy, on Monday, Jude was named Golden Boy by sports journalists and picked up a second award for being most popular with online fans.
      As Jude collected his trophies, he grinned at a group of youngsters in the audience mimicking his trademark goal celebration.
      Most read in Football
      The 20-year-old has shredded the record books after continually finding the net with what are known here as “Belligols”.
      Home in the ‘bunker’
      On November 26, he broke a club record after scoring 14 goals in his first 15 games.
      That is one more than Los Blancos icons Alfredo Di Stefano, who played in the Fifties and Sixties, and Cristiano Ronaldo.

      The policeman’s son from Stourbridge, West Mids, is now being feted like a rock star in the Spanish capitalCredit: Supplied
      Last week, a superb header against Napoli saw Jude become the first Real Madrid player to score in his first four Champions League games.
      Little wonder the policeman’s son from Stourbridge, West Mids, with model good looks and Hollywood charisma, is being feted like a rock star in the Spanish capital.
      Last week I was given an up-close taste of Bellimania after I watched him train then spoke to the fanatical fans of the world’s richest club.
      Jude may be what Madrid fans call a Galactico (superstar player), but off the pitch he remains under the watchful eye of his mum Denise, 55, who lives with her eldest son in the city.
      Club sources say she “helps him, advises him” and also takes him to training. At times, she has also helped him dress and make his bed.
      A video showed Denise giving her lad a hand with his bow tie as he got ready for October’s Ballon d’Or gala, recognising the best players in the game.
      In his West Midlands accent, Jude said: “All of them people say, ‘Oh, he’s so mature’, and I can’t even get changed on my own. My life’s a lie!”
      Last year at the Qatar World Cup, England defender Conor Coady revealed how Jude had been ribbed after admitting Denise still made his bed.
      Jude, who left first club Birmingham City for Germany’s Borussia Dortmund in 2020, before this year’s £88million move to Spain, has said: “My mum is the queen, the boss.”
      His dad Mark, 47, a former cop and non-league footballer, acts as agent for Jude and his younger brother, Sunderland’s Jobe.
      When Jude signed for Madrid, he lived at a top hotel.
      Now he and Denise are said to have moved to the exclusive La Finca gated estate, home to top footballers, actors, TV stars and millionaire businessmen.
      Visiting La Finca, a 15-minute drive from the city centre, last week it’s easy to see why many describe it as a “bunker”.
      Built amid pine trees with homes that can be valued at £9million, it bristles with security.
      Jude has hired chef Alberto Mastromatteo to take care of him.
      Lean meats, rice, quinoa, oats, fish, natural yoghurts, low-fat fresh cheese, vegetables and fruit make up the bulk of his diet, say local reports.
      Alberto said Jude is given a day and a half’s freedom from the regime, adding: “He loves chips. At the end of the day, they’re 20-year-old boys.”
      I watched Jude — who is also learning the language — training at the club’s complex on the city’s outskirts.
      The youngster belies his years with his confident authority among a team of seasoned internationals.
      Former Real centre-back Fabio Cannavaro said of Jude: “That guy entered the locker room and banged on the table saying, ‘Here I am, I’m in charge here’. He impresses me.”
      Afterwards, I was able to ask coach Carlo Ancelotti how well the Englishman was adapting to Spanish culture.
      The former Chelsea and Everton manager told me: “Bellingham is serious, professional and mature, so he can adapt really well.
      “The most important part is that he’s a fantastic player — and fantastic players can adapt everywhere.”
      Fans from as far afield as China, the US and Australia gathered to catch a glimpse of Belli — as his team-mates call him — leaving training.
      The sight of his black £156,000 BMW SUV inching towards the throng sparks shrieks of excitement.
      Fans Lucas, Ella, Jose Maria and Pablo wait outside a stadiumCredit: Darren Fletcher – Commissioned by The Sun
      Jude explains that he meets as many fans as he can, as it’s worth giving up half an hour to make someone’s dayCredit: Darren Fletcher – Commissioned by The Sun
      Little Ella Vidales held up a home-made sign saying, “Bellingham, please sign my shirt”.
      Her prayers were answered. Jude’s mum Denise, on chauffeur duties, gently eased the hybrid to the kerb.
      Sitting in the back seat, her superstar son was soon engulfed by the throng of fans offering up shirts for signatures and wanting selfies.
      Nine-year-old Ella, from Ibiza, got both, saying: “This is my dream. Jude is the greatest.”
      Her dad Lucas, 37, added: “Bellingham carries the team on his back, but he’s so humble and close to the people.”
      Jose Maria Luque, 69, from Huelva, in southern Spain, had brought his Bellingham-crazy grandson Pablo Marcias, seven, to catch a glimpse of the star.
      “He used to be a big Ronaldo fan, but now it’s Bellingham he adores,” Jose said.
      Ten-year-old Teo Georgiev shrieked with delight after Bellingham signed his shirt.
      His mum Gigi, 38, from Barcelona, revealed: “Bellingham was the only player who stopped to sign autographs for the children.
      “He’s a real gentleman.”
      Jude signed every shirt and posed for every selfie.
      While at Dortmund, he said: “I’ll sign whatever. If however many kids want a picture, I’ll do them all.
      “It’s half an hour to make someone’s day. What is that really? What else would I be doing?”
      Under Denise’s watchful eye, it appears Jude has not been tempted by Madrid’s party scene.
      In his early days at the club, mother and son enjoyed a meal at upmarket Cantonese restaurant Bao Li — a haunt of celebrities and politicians — in central Madrid.
      Its manager Jose Luis told me: “They seemed like lovely people, very polite and respectful.”
      Match day in Madrid has turned into a Bellingham love-in.
      Outside the Bernabeu, which looms over Madrid like Rome’s Colosseum, Ana Garcia, 19, is selling must-have Bellingham scarves for 10 euros.
      “He’s the best — and very handsome,” she replies when asked why he is so popular.
      Fans gathering around the famous old stadium, most with Bellingham and his No5 on the back of their shirts, had come from every corner of the globe.
      Like the Hernandez family from Bela Cruz, Mexico. Mum-of-two Maria, 35, said: “We have flown all this way to see Bellingham.”
      Jude is just the seventh British male player to star for Real Madrid, following Laurie Cunningham, Steve McManaman, David Beckham, Michael Owen, Jonathan Woodgate and Gareth Bale.
      Estate agent Kike Faura, 32, from Malaga, insists: “Bellingham is better than Beckham and Bale. He’s the future of Real Madrid.”
      Jude’s Belligol celebration — mimicked by adoring fans — has become an internet viral meme.
      Set to an earworm soundtrack of Brazilian sports commentator Rogerio Vaughan bellowing, “Belligol, Bellingham, it’s him”, the stance has been compared to the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio, Brazil — as well as a startled anteater and a bird with its wings outstretched.
      Clubbers were pictured doing the Belligol on a packed dancefloor in a TikTok video seen 3.4million times.  
       Demonstrating the celebration, media consultant Mathias Jorstad, 19, revealed: “Everyone knows it. It’s gone all over the world.”
      The fan from Harstad, Norway, added: “I love Bellingham’s style of play, he’s good with the media and he seems very likeable.”
      Jude is a marketing department’s dream.
      The Real Madrid club shop sells an adult strip with Bellingham’s name for 195 euros — almost £170. And it was doing brisk business.
      Brand Bellingham could be as potent as the Beckham phenomenon.
      Jude has already modelled for Gucci. On Wednesday last week he turned in another dazzling performance against Napoli.
      There were balletic turns, tough tackling, incisive runs into the box — and that pinpoint headed finish.
      Read More on The Sun
      Turning to his adoring public with arms outstretched, he gave them the Belligol they demanded.
      From Birmingham to King of the Bernabeu in just three years.
      The Hernandez family holds up Jude’s number before the Napoli gameCredit: Darren Fletcher – Commissioned by The Sun
      Fan Ella holds up her handmade signCredit: Darren Fletcher – Commissioned by The Sun More

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      in Soccer

      I don’t know what I’d have done without football – The Sun’s Footie For All fund is vital for kids, says John Obi Mikel

      by

      BOUNDING about a pitch, Chelsea legend John Obi Mikel greeted the 20 kids from Wapping FC one by one with a high five or handshake at a special training session.While Mikel, 36, has retired from elite football, the former midfielder has kept his foot in youth teams with his own foundation in Nigeria.
      Chelsea legend John Obi Mikel bounding about the pitch with 20 kids from Wapping FCCredit: Paul Edwards – Commissioned by The Sun
      He believes it is vital to support clubs for kids in the cost of living crisisCredit: Paul Edwards – Commissioned by The Sun
      He said: “For many kids, growing up nowadays you play a sport or you’re on the street.
      “I chose sport just like these kids and it completely changed my life.
      “I don’t know what I would have been without football.
      “I remember being this age like it was yesterday.”
      READ MORE FOOTIE FOR ALL
      Founder Nahimul Islam, 25, started Wapping FC, in Mile End, East London, when he was just 17 to give kids a place to play football and keep out of trouble.
      Now more than 250 children are on their books, including 50 girls and 16 players with a range of disabilities.
      Parents are charged £5 a week for their children to join in training, and if they can’t afford it the club will do what it can to subsidise or waive fees.
      Nahimul said: “We operate in one of the most deprived areas of the country, and this incredible grant will help us give the boys high-class training and facilities without passing that cost on to mum and dad back home.
      Most read in Football
      “Having someone like Mikel come visit the club is inspirational to our players.
      “It shows them just what is possible.”
      Mikel met 20 kids aged between 11 and 13.
      When he was growing up in Nigeria, the former Chelsea ace played in any open area of grass with his friends and a beat-up ball, rather than being coached by professionals.
      But he reckons the joy he found in football is the same for the kids he saw training.
      Mikel, who has launched his second series of The Obi One Podcast, added: “What I tell kids at this age is don’t look at the money or fame that comes with football now.
      “Just enjoy the time you have with your friends because that’ll go by really quickly.
      “If you’re focused on the Ferrari or the fancy watches, you’re not playing football for the right reasons.
      “Money comes and goes, but this kind of joy doesn’t last for ever.”
      Mikel reckons the youths he saw training have found the same joy for footie that he has doneCredit: Paul Edwards – Commissioned by The Sun
      NET WIN
      Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer has declared herself a “proud supporter” of The Sun’s Footie For All campaign.
      She praised our initiative to inject £150,000 into the grassroots game with the help of Tesco after the cost-of-living crisis led to many kids dropping out of local sports clubs.
      Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer is a ‘proud supporter’ of Footie For AllCredit: Roland Leon – Commissioned by The Sun
      Meanwhile, we sent Towie football fan Joey Essex and former Chelsea ace John Obi Mikel to surprise teams awarded one of our Footie For All Fund grants.
      Talking to The Sun today at the FA’s national centre at St George’s Park in Burton upon Trent, Staffs, the Culture Secretary said: “It’s really important that we have football access for everyone.
      “I’m a proud supporter of The Sun’s campaign.
      “We are combining with the sporting bodies, the Department for Education and the Department of Health to achieve our aims, so Footie For All is complementary to that.”
      The minister was speaking at the announcement of a £30million plan funded by the Government and the FA to build around 30 state-of-the-art pitches across the country.
      Inspired by the Lionesses making it to the final of this year’s women’s World Cup, the new sites will have dedicated female changing rooms, shower facilities and accessible toilets, as well as priority booking for women and girls’ teams.
      Elsewhere, TV favourite Joey enjoyed a training session with Broomfield FC in Essex, which caters for children with disabilities.
      The club was awarded one of our 1,500 £1,000 grants to help with the cost of pitch hire and specialist staff to keep the sessions free for kids.
      Joey, who grew up watching Millwall with his dad, said: “Seeing how much these kids love to play and the difference it makes to their confidence is amazing. I’m so proud to support Footie For All.”
      Chelsea’s John Obi was mobbed by enthusiastic young players when he dropped in on Wapping FC in East London after they too were also awarded a grant.
      He said: “For many kids, growing up nowadays you play a sport or you’re on the street.
      “I chose sport, just like these kids, and it completely changed my life. I don’t know what I would have been without football.
      “I remember being this age like it was yesterday.
      “It’s great to still see kids running around and enjoying themselves. That’s the most important bit.”
      The Sun launched Footie For All this year after statistics revealed how the cost-of-living crisis was forcing many young children to drop out of local sports clubs.
      We invited grassroots football clubs which work with kids under 18 to apply for one of 150 grants worth £1,000 each.
      The fund was generously provided by Tesco as part of its Stronger Starts campaign, which provides healthy food and activities for children.
      Since September, in partnership with the supermarket giant, we have been funding essentials including kits, free places and the cost of pitch hire for kids’ footie clubs up and down the UK — including dozens of girls’ teams.
      England team captain Millie Bright has already backed our Footie For All campaign.
      She said: “It’s amazing what The Sun and Tesco are doing to support local teams.
      “It will help a lot of children keep playing. And who knows, maybe some of the kids they help could become lionesses.
      “As a kid, my parents had a hard time getting me away from a football pitch.
      “But it wasn’t something I knew I loved until some friends took me to a local club, Killamarsh Dynamos, then it became my focus.
      “It opened up a whole new world to me aged nine and without playing when I was little, I wouldn’t be where I am now.
      “It’s heartbreaking to hear that some kids won’t get the same opportunities because their parents can’t afford it.”
      Lionesses training at FA’s national football centre todayCredit: Roland Leon – Commissioned by The Sun
      HAMILTON IN ESSEX LEAGUE
      LITTLE Hamilton Hunt put Joey Essex through his paces — five months after he could barely walk.
      The six-year-old, who has developmental difficulties in his legs, got his confidence back thanks to volunteers at Broomfield Football Club in Chelmsford, Essex.
      Tyreece knocks a ball past Joey Essex at Broomfield FC’s training groundCredit: Louis Wood – Commissioned by The Sun
      His mum Skye said: “Coming here has been life-changing for Hamilton and me.”
      Read More on The Sun
      The Sun’s grant is being used to help cover pitch hire and training costs for staff.
      Joey also handed out a new team strip paid for by art business Quantus Gallery, owned by James Ryan.
      The Towie star lines up with Hamilton, in blue hat, and his palsCredit: Louis Wood – Commissioned by The Sun
      Joey continues to join in with Essex club’s kidsCredit: Louis Wood – Commissioned by The Sun More

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      in Soccer

      What if VAR was just a ploy to bring breaks into football to make money from advertising?

      by

      SOON after VAR was introduced, those in favour of it and those against it divided into two distinct groups.If a decision went the way of your team, you liked VAR. If a decision went against your team, you were against VAR.
      VAR could be extended to checking corners, free kicks and yellow cards under new plansCredit: Getty
      What about if they’re in it to change the game in order to squeeze more TV advertising revenue out of it?Credit: AFP
      The advantage of this was that we all had a try at being in each group.
      We’re shallow like that, us football fans. We even laughed at our own shallowness, chanting: “**** VAR, **** VAR, **** VAR” over and over again when it had disallowed our team’s goal.
      But then, perhaps only minutes later after it had disallowed the other team’s goal, we’d chant: “Love VAR, love VAR, love VAR.” It was all very funny.
      But now the laughing has stopped. VAR could be extended to checking corners, free kicks and yellow cards under plans by football law-making body IFAB.
      READ MORE FROM ADRIAN CHILES
      You don’t even get opposing fans goading each other when decisions go against the other lot.
      Because we all know it will be our turn in a minute. It has dawned on us all that it’s ruining the game and we’re all going to be on the losing side.
      As a West Brom fan, I ought to be enjoying watching Wolves on the receiving end of one terrible decision after another.
      There were three more howlers for them on Monday night at Fulham.
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      And I just feel plain sorry for them, even angry on their behalf. Yes, a West Brom fan annoyed on behalf of Wolverhampton Wanderers.
      This is what it’s come to. Each well-meant tweak to VAR’s operation only seems to make matters worse.
      In the interest of eliminating errors, every micro- second of footage is pored over in ever more forensic detail. And what do we seem to get? Yes, yet more howlers.
      Before VAR, we only had the man in the middle to blame.
      And hard though it sometimes was, we generally found it in our hearts to forgive them their mistakes because they were, after all, human.
      By the same logic, we can’t forgive VAR because it feels like it’s not human. It’s to do with bewilderingly clever technology and was set up specifically to counteract the fallibility of humans.
      Except, of course, even this logic was flawed as it’s become abundantly clear the technology is only as infallible as the humans in charge of it.
      We’re told the development of Artificial Intelligence might result in humans being taken out of the picture completely. In terms of VAR, that could get really interesting.
      Perhaps it’s only the human involvement saving VAR from destruction at the hands of the football mob.
      Imagine if, instead of humans looking at screens at Stockley Park, there was only a super-clever AI mega-machine.
      If this super-computer then started making mistakes, I honestly think football fans could end up marching to Stockley Park and tearing the thing limb from limb, or from chip to chip, or whatever the machine equivalent is of human physiology. And AI will end there and then.
      The question is whether VAR can survive long enough for things to get that far.
      Perhaps it’s time to write the whole thing off as a noble idea that, despite everyone’s best efforts, simply couldn’t be made to work.
      Terrible mistakes
      Or perhaps they should stop it for a year in the hope that we’ll go back to despairing of terrible mistakes and demanding video technology all over again.
      To try to make sense of the current VAR chaos, I tried a mental exercise.
      I considered who it could possibly suit to have longer and longer VAR checks ruining the flow of the game.
      And I have an answer. An answer which, I must admit, amounts to nothing more than a conspiracy theory.
      I therefore ask you to disregard every word of the following paragraph.
      Here’s my conspiracy theory: While we’re all busy worrying about the influence on our game of troubling regimes in oil-rich countries, we’re forgetting to be concerned about the effect on football of the growing amount of American investment.
      Around half of the Premier League’s clubs have American money in them.
      If they’re in it for the love of the game, that’s nice.

      If they’re in it to make money out of the game, that’s not quite so nice.
      And what about if they’re in it to change the game in order to squeeze more TV advertising revenue out of it?
      I’m sure they’d be chuffed to bits if we switched to playing four quarters instead of two halves.
      And here’s the conspiracy bit — what about if these VAR checks got long enough to accommodate a commercial break?
      You can just imagine it: Will the goal stand, or will it be disallowed? Join us after the break to find out.
      Or no penalty given! But will the ref change his mind? He’s on his way to the monitor! Sit through this message from our sponsor and we’ll tell you what the referee decides.
      As I say. Disregard the previous paragraph. It couldn’t happen, obviously. More