It’s been 576 days since the Italian apocalypse at the San Siro in Milan. It was on that fateful evening that Sweden held Italy to a 0-0 draw in a playoff for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, sending the Scandinavian country through 1-0 on aggregate while the Azzurri missed out on their first World Cup in 60 years.
For Cristiano Ronaldo, the path to UEFA Nations League glory was exceptionally similar to the one he trod to victory at Euro 2016. After a stunning hat trick in the semis to lift Portugal to the final — much like the towering, match-winning header he planted against Wales at the same stage in 2016 — Ronaldo was subdued at the tournament’s climax.
After finishing in fourth place at the 2018 FIFA World Cup and following that up with victories over Spain and Croatia in the inaugural UEFA Nations League, support for England is at a fever pitch.
There’s a profound sense of optimism surrounding Gareth Southgate’s side, and the nation is relishing an exciting crop of players that features Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Marcus Rashford.
Just two days after celebrating Liverpool’s Champions League triumph in riotous fashion with roughly 750,000 Liverpudlian’s lining the city’s streets, international compatriots Virgil van Dijk and Georginio Wijnaldum have shown up for international duty ahead of the Netherlands’ UEFA Nations League semifinal match against England on June 6.
After a minor injury that spiraled into 10 operations, an infection that ate away at his tendon and threatened foot amputation, a skin graft that resulted in part of his left arm tattoo moving to his right foot and ultimately, a spell of 636 days without football, Santi Cazorla made a remarkable comeback with Villarreal last season, appearing in 46 matches, scoring seven goals and providing 11 assists.
Liverpool FC returned home on Sunday to present its sixth European Cup on an open-top bus parade through the city’s streets. It’s the club’s first major title since the 2006 FA Cup (no, we don’t count the 2012 League Cup), and a massive crowd turned out to greet the players and staff as they made their way around the city before finishing near Strand Street, where the River Mersey empties into Liverpool Bay.
Apart from the match itself, last night’s most anticipated action in Madrid was I̶m̶a̶g̶i̶n̶e̶ ̶D̶r̶a̶g̶o̶n̶s̶ ̶w̶a̶i̶l̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶s̶o̶m̶e̶ ̶d̶r̶u̶m̶s̶ taking place inside the beIN Sports studio at the Wanda Metropolitano, where longtime Premier League rivals José Mourinho and Arsène Wenger sat side-by-side for pregame, halftime and post-game analysis of the 2019 UEFA Champions League Final.
It’s here: the 64th edition of the European Cup (and the 27th since it was rebranded the Champions League). It’s an all-English affair pitting Liverpool, a five-time winner, against Tottenham, making a first-ever final appearance. Here’s what you need to know about the match in Madrid, including Champions League final TV USA information, streaming options, team previews, injuries and predicted starting lineups.
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Liverpool FC
When Tottenham and Liverpool take to the pitch on June 1 for the 2019 UEFA Champions League Final, Spurs (the designated home team) will do so wearing their historic “Lilywhites” while Liverpool will be outfitted in iconic red. However, more eagle-eyed observers will notice one distinctly different kit on the pitch: that of the referees.
Slovenian ref Damir Skomina and his assistants, Jure Praprotnik and Robert Vukan, will wear the new threads after UEFA agreed to a deal with Italian sportswear company Macron to provide referee uniforms for all UEFA competitions until 2022.