Key events
Why was Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton left out? “We made Adam train with us [in the last camp]. He was very, very good. At the moment there is a little injury problem, concussion protocol from the final. He is one of the names that could play a role. There is a major tournament for the Under-21s coming … I like it that they can be leaders in this group. We will monitor this very closely. They can take responsibility in the Under-21s.”
“No doubt about his talent,” Tuchel says of Trent Alexander-Arnold. “Special, unique. I would say he is a right full-back. That is his position. The way he plays right full-back is unorthodox, he has a special vibe … he was very happy to come. We are excited to have this chance. He won another major trophy. He was hugely involved in this unbelievable campaign. We are very positive about it. I am happy that he’s back.”
Tuchel on the Club World Cup: “Massive tournament. Very long. A lot of travelling. That is the calendar now. I think the players will love the challenge, embrace the challenge. The Club World Cup in February was very different. Let’s see. It’s not worth complaining. It’s the schedule. We have to find the best solutions within the schedule. We will take care of the minutes of the players if we can.”
“Did I?” Tuchel says, when told his selections have caused surprise.
First, Tuchel is asked about Ivan Toney: “Ivan deserves to be with us. I am convinced. He’s scored over 20 goals for Al Ahli … big involvement in the team, goals and assists, huge contribution.
“I told you last time I would try and visit him. I didn’t make it. I thought why not bring him over, let him travel to us?
“It’s a good chance to test new players, to meet Ivan in person … we decided to nominate three strikers … I had a call with [Dominic] Solanke who deserved to be with us – but he was in camp already, I have a clear idea of what Dom can bring. I want to get a feeling for new players in the group.”
On the Club World Cup and the players’ packed schedule: “We want to develop a camaraderie. This is only possible if we keep the group together. We will try to manage the minutes of the players regarding who will play the first match, second match, and who will go to the Club World Cup.”
On Arsenal’s Ben White: “He made very strong progress … I was delighted … but this is not the moment. He will become a father very soon. On the first date of the camp. If he comes back, he should come back with a clear mind, full focus on football.”
Here comes Thomas Tuchel.
“As a Villa fan,” emails Richard Morris, “it’s lovely to see we have more players in the squad than the champions (and one of Liverpool two representatives won’t be there in five minutes). Villa to win the league next season then.”
Paul MacInnes
An amendment to the Government’s Football Governance Bill is to ask the new regulator to set up a system that will provide support to former players who go on to suffer from neurodegenerative conditions.
In a list of amendments to the final stage of the football governance bill, a proposal by the MP for Caerphilly, Chris Evans reads: “The IFR must establish and supervise a scheme aimed at providing a high standard of care and support to any person who has developed a neurodegenerative condition linked to their career in English football.”
The amendment proposes that “all specified competition organisers jointly operate, manage and fund the scheme”. The bill is now passing through the house.
“We follow him closely, like all the players on our list. It’s the same for Ivan,” Tuchel said of Toney, in an interview published on social media by ITV.
“He played a lot, we watched him a lot, and he had massive contributions with decisive goals in important matches. He won a big title with his club, the Asian Champions League.
“I didn’t have the opportunity to see him live in Saudi Arabia so we took the possibility to fly him in to our camp, and watch him live within the group, see his personality in the group, and see his quality. He will compete with Harry [Kane] of course, our No 9, and Ollie Watkins. So it will be interesting, we have three strikers in camp.”
While we are waiting for Tommy Tuchel (he is speaking at 11am), how about some Europa League final fallout – ICYMI, as we used to say in the early days of the internet.
First, Jonathan Wilson considers the decision Manchester United now face on Ruben Amorim’s future and that potentially comprehensive (expensive) squad rebuild:
What are Tottenham going to do about Ange “I always win a trophy in my second season” Postecoglou? David Hytner ponders that question:
Amorim, up in Manchester, is due to get a £100m transfer war chest, reports Jamie Jackson:
But Alejandro Garnacho would be flattered to be linked with other clubs:
While the midfield schemer Bruno Fernandes insists Amorim is the man for the job:
Embarrassingly for Uefa, they ran out of medals for Tottenham players, with the likes of the injured James Maddison doing the full-kit John Terry thing on the podium. Andy Martin reports:
Max Rushden, meanwhile, watched the action unfold on the telly from 10,000 miles away …
Jacob Steinberg
You’d have thought that Harry Maguire would be the kind of defender Tuchel would want in his squad. But the Manchester United defender is again left out. He probably can’t complain after United’s dreadful season. It’s just that he’s been such a big player for England in the past. Worth pointing out that Tuchel said that Maguire was left out of the March squad because of his form. It looks like a new England defence is taking shape. No John Stones either, although that’s because he’s not been fit for ages.
Thoughts on the England squad or anything else? “>Email me.
Tuchel is due to speak at 11am. No doubt he will be asked about Adam Wharton’s omission from this squad among other things (as you can see below, Jacob reckons the Crystal Palace midfielder may be injured.)
Sid Lowe
Real Madrid have finally announced that Carlo Ancelotti will not continue at the Santiago Bernabéu after the Brazilian Football Confederation announced him (CBF) as their new coach. He will be replaced by Xabi Alonso. The former Bayer Leverkusen manager, who publicly revealed that he would not be continuing in Germany last Friday, will formally begin on 1 June in time for the Club World Cup, while Ancelotti joins Brazil on 26 June, the day after the end of the Spanish league season.
Here is David Hytner’s news piece on Tuchel’s squad:
Jacob Steinberg
The latest omission of Jack Grealish isn’t a surprise. Grealish is a bit-part player at Manchester City these days and wasn’t used in last weekend’s FA Cup final defeat by Crystal Palace. The match winner in that game, Eberechi Eze, is included. The Palace duo of Marc Guéhi and Adam Wharton miss out, presumably due to injury (although it should be said Tuchel hasn’t seemed entirely convinced by Guéhi).
Tuchel has not been able to name Marcus Rashford because of injury; West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen misses out after failing to take his opportunity last time. Newcastle’s Dan Burn gets another go.
Ancelotti’s Real Madrid departure confirmed
Real Madrid have officially confirmed Carlo Ancelotti’s departure as manager. He is off to Brazil.
There are no players from Manchester United, Manchester City of Tottenham in Tuchel’s latest England squad, unless you count Kyle Walker of City, who is on loan at AC Milan.
Thomas Tuchel’s England squad
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Burnley)
Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Dan Burn (Newcastle United), Trevoh Chalobah (Chelsea), Levi Colwill (Chelsea), Reece James (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal), Kyle Walker (AC Milan, loan from Manchester City)
Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Conor Gallagher (Atletico Madrid), Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest), Jordan Henderson (Ajax), Curtis Jones (Liverpool), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)
Forwards: Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Chelsea), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ivan Toney (Al-Ahli), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)
Chalobah and Toney included in England squad
Jacob Steinberg
Trevoh Chalobah and Ivan Toney are the standout inclusions in Thomas Tuchel’s latest England squad but there’s no place for Phil Foden after he said he needed some time away to recover from a draining period.
Toney, who has been in impressive form in Saudi Arabia, has not been part of the set-up since Euro 2024. The former Brentford striker earns a spot in place of Tottenham’s Dominic Solanke. Chalobah, who was a Tuchel favourite at Chelsea, is brought in for the first time. The Chelsea centre-back has had a good season.
Tuchel has followed through on his promise to include players who could feature at the Club World Cup (the likes of Cole Palmer, Kyle Walker, Noni Madueke, Harry Kane, Reece James and Conor Gallagher, who missed out on the March camp). Trent Alexander-Arnold, who could represent Real Madrid at the tournament, returns after injury. Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White is in too.
England have a World Cup qualifier against Andorra and a home friendly against Senegal next month.
Andy Hunter
Twenty years on from that double save, those spaghetti legs and the miracle of Liverpool’s fifth European Cup triumph and Turkey has not lost the capacity to make a champion out of Jerzy Dudek. “I won the Turkish Open golf last week and it reminded me a bit of Istanbul,” the former Liverpool goalkeeper says. “It is my favourite place, my lucky place, and it stays with me all the time. If I go on holiday to Turkey I always go with a big smile.”
Sunday promises to have the same effect on everyone associated with Liverpool. The presentation of the Premier League trophy to Arne Slot’s champions at Anfield coincides with the 20th anniversary of the “Miracle of Istanbul”, when Liverpool overcame a 3-0 half-time deficit to defeat Milan on penalties in the Champions League final. Not that any Liverpool fan needs reminding of the details. The sights and sounds of Ataturk Stadium remain as vivid to Dudek now as they were on 25 May, 2005.
Eddie Howe, of Newcastle, has a quick chat about facing Everton at home on Sunday and trying to secure a Champions League spot: “That’s what we would ask,” he says. “To be at home in front of our fans. It’s in our hands. You have to do the difficult part, and take that opportunity.
“Everton have been in good form, they are difficult to beat, they have got threats. We have to be focused on what we need to do to win the game. Then we hope the crowd can carry us through.
“We have to focus on ourselves. We have to do our bit and not expect any favours from anyone. What will be will be … for us, we know what we have to do.”
Then a question about players’ holiday plans:
“The majority will go on their holidays pretty quick. The injured players – [such as] Lewis Hall and Joelinton – will continue to recover from injury throughout the summer.
“At the moment, we’re looking to return to training on 7 July.”
Back to prepare for the football season on 7 July? Utterly ludicrous, please make it stop. You’re probably going to tell me that’s late compared to other clubs.
An update from the Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca before Sunday’s crunch Premier League encounter at Nottingham Forest: “Reece James is OK [injury-wise]. We are trying to protect him and manage him in the training sessions.”
Has Maresca known such a close race for the Champions League, involving so many teams, on the final day?
“Probably it shows how difficult the Premier League is,” Maresca says. “The ones that have been consistent are Liverpool and that’s why they won the title … during the season the rest have been a bit up and down.
“We are happy to be there [in contention for Champions League qualification] and will try to finish in the best way.
“We are quite lucky – if we win, we do our job, we don’t need to pay attention to other results. We have the privilege that it depends on us.”
Suzanne Wrack
Arsenal will step on to the pitch at the Estádio José Alvalade on Saturday to face the most almighty challenge in their first Champions League final since 2007. Against a Barcelona side who dominate the ball like no other, opportunities will be limited and for a forward, there are few greater tests, as every fleeting chance matters.
Alessia Russo, tasked with leading the line in a stacked Arsenal attack, has the opportunity to make a statement as well as earn a place in history.
Preamble
Will football ever be the same again? Spurs have won a trophy, and will be parading their Europa League silverware through the sunny streets of Tottenham this evening.
Tomorrow, Arsenal face Barcelona in the Women’s Champions League final in Lisbon, and there is also the small matter of the Championship playoff final – Sheffield United v Sunderland – with the League one playoff following on Sunday (Charlton v Leyton Orient) and League Two on Monday (AFC Wimbledon v Walsall).
Thomas Tuchel, the England men’s coach, will also be announcing his squad for the upcoming matches against Andorra and Senegal – squad announcement at 10am UK time, and a new conference at 11am.
Also on the agenda is the pulsating climax to Serie A: Napoli v Cagliari and Como v Inter have been brought forward to this evening, with a view to accommodating a potential title playoff match on Monday (before Inter meet PSG in the Champions League final next Saturday.)
We’ll have team news, trophy parade news, other news and other stuff. Here we go!
