Euros

You can hardly find a North Macedonia Euro 2020 preview anywhere online. That’s how little faith the world has in our Macedonian minnows. The18 pledges to become the go-to source for all things North Macedonia in the upcoming months ahead of the country’s first major tournament.

North Macedonia will be one of the biggest underdogs in Euro history and is exponentially more of a dark horse than Iceland was in 2016.

France is going to be endless entertainment at this summer’s Euros. On top of its ludicrous list of stars, head coach Didier Deschamps has added a bountiful amount of spice with addition of Karim Benzema to the roster.

Poland coach Paulo Sousa on Monday named his squad for next month's European Championship that begins on June 11 with winger Kamil Grosicki the biggest name to miss out on the 26-man squad.

Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski is set to lead the team while 17-year-old midfielder Kacper Kozłowski made the cut after making his debut in March. The Portuguese coach also named four reserves.

ZAGREB - Striker Bruno Petković is expected to fill Mario Mandžukić's big boots at Euro 2020 as Croatia aim to reach the last 16 at the June 11-July 11 tournament, coach Zlatko Dalić said as he named his 26-man squad on Monday.

Mandžukić, who scored an extra time winner in a 2-1 victory over England in their 2018 World Cup semifinal, is one of several stalwarts who hung up their international boots after Croatia were beaten by France 4-2 in the final.

BRUSSELS - Belgium’s Axel Witsel was included in the squad for next month’s European Championship with coach Roberto Martínez gambling the influential midfielder will be fit in time for the tournament.

Witsel, 32, had surgery on an Achilles tendon injury suffered with Borussia Dortmund in January and has not played since but has been a key part of Belgium's lineup, winning the last of his 110 caps against England last November.

“Witsel is recovering well and working really hard to be completely fit and is ahead of his recovery schedule," Martínez told reporters on Monday.

The status of the Champions League final on May 29 between Manchester City and Chelsea in Istanbul was thrown into doubt on Friday after the UK government placed Turkey on the red list for travel.

British transport minister Grant Shapps said that travel to red list countries was not allowed except for in "the most extreme circumstances" and anyone returning from a red list country has to enter and pay for compulsory hotel quarantine.

"It does mean that fans should not travel to Turkey," said Shapps, who raised the possibility of the match being moved to England.

LONDON — Former Manchester United soccer star Ryan Giggs has been charged with assault against two women, police and prosecutors said in statements on Friday.

Giggs, 47, has been charged with causing actual bodily harm to a woman in her 30s and common assault of a woman in her 20s, as well as one count of coercive and controlling behaviour between 2017 and 2020.

Seville has replaced Bilbao as a host city for Euro 2020 with St. Petersburg in Russia, already a host venue, taking the three group stage games from Dublin, UEFA said on Friday.

Wembley Stadium in London has gained the Irish capital's last-16 match, taking its total number of fixtures to eight, which include the semifinals and final.