A Marathon Not A Sprint

Yer actual Keith Telly Topping's beloved (though unsellable) Newcastle United have agreed a deal with Mainz for the German side's Japanese striker Yoshinori Muto. Muto scored eight goals for the Bundesliga club last season as they avoided relegation by five points. He was in Japan's World Cup squad for Russia and made one appearance - the Group H defeat by Poland. The fee is reported to be nine-and-a-half million notes and Muto would boost the options for a Magpies team that scored thirty nine league goals last season, the second fewest of the top fourteen. If Muto signs it would bring the number of 2018 summer transfer deals completed by Newcastle to five. Switzerland defender Fabian Schar arrived from Deportivo La Coruna on Thursday, while The Magpies have also signed goalkeeper Martin Dubravka on a permanent contract following a six-month loan spell and added former Swansea midfielder Ki Sung-Yueng on a free transfer. They also signed Moscow Chelski FC midfielder Kenedy on a season-long loan deal after the Brazilian had a successful six-month spell during the last campaign.

A total of forty four-and-a-half million punters tuned in to watch the BBC's television coverage of the 2018 World Cup in Russia. There was a record 66.8 million match requests, including live and on-demand, on the BBC Sport website and on iPlayer. England's quarter-final win over Sweden saw the highest peak TV share of the tournament at eighty nine per cent, which was also the BBC's highest online-viewed live programme ever with 3.8 million. The France verses Croatia final had a peak BBC1 audience of 10.4 million. Meanwhile, the BBC Sport website brought in a record 49.2 million unique UK browsers for the tournament, an increase of 16.9 million from the 2014 competition. There were four hundred and fifty thousand unique UK browsers to the online player rater, which generated 11.9 million ratings and more than two million downloaded and three hundred thousand streamed the World Cup Daily podcast in June. Director of BBC Sport Barbara Slater said: 'We have just witnessed one of the most memorable World Cup tournaments ever which has captivated football fans across the United Kingdom. The interest in the tournament and the achievement of England winning through to the semi-finals has been proven in the record-breaking figures for TV and online. It shows the impact that top-quality sport can have when made freely available to everyone.'

British World Cup viewers were 'exposed to almost ninety minutes of betting adverts' during the tournament 'prompting claims that children are being bombarded with messages encouraging them to gamble,' according to some shit-stirring waste-of-oxygen in the Gruniad Morning Star. 'From the beginning of the tournament to England's semi-final clash with Croatia, ITV carried more than eight-and-a-half hours of advertisements, of which just under an hour-and-a-half were advertising betting,' the Gruniad whinged. That, they claimed 'is equivalent to seventeen per cent of World Cup ad breaks, or roughly one minute in every six, with the one hundred and seventy two betting spots combined lasting nearly the length of a football match.' Bookmakers and online casino companies 'enjoyed one-and-a-half times as much screen time as alcohol firms and almost four times that of fast food outlets.' A government review of gambling regulation published earlier this year 'shied away' from suggesting curbs on gambling adverts, citing insufficient evidence that adverts for betting were causing harm to children and vulnerable people sneered the Gruniad. But, Labour's deputy leader, Tom Watson - power to the people! - and the charity GambleAware (no, me neither claimed that this was 'partly due to a lack of funding for research into gambling adverts' since they were deregulated in 2007. 'One of the only downsides to this brilliant World Cup has been the bombardment of gambling advertising on TV and social media that thousands of children will have been exposed to,' said Watson. 'With an estimated twenty five thousand children under sixteen addicted to gambling, there is nowhere near enough work being done to study the effects of this advertising. Instead of confronting this issue in the most recent gambling review, the government has turned a blind eye. In doing so they've let our children down.' And, they've let themselves down but, most importantly, they've let Gareth Southgate down. Shame on them, the bastards. Watson added that Labour would impose a mandatory levy on the industry to fund increased research, education and treatment of gambling addiction and the effects of advertising. GambleAware, funded via a voluntary levy on gambling firms of 0.1 per cent of revenue, has backed a mandatory tax because it does not receive enough money to fund research and treatment for problem gamblers, estimated to number more than four hundred thousand in the UK. It has only recently commissioned 'the first major piece of research, conducted by the University of Stirling and Ipsos Mori,' into the effects of gambling adverts being deregulated more than ten years ago. The studies are not due to be complete until next year. The GambleAware chief executive, Marc Etches, said: 'In the absence of evidence, the concern is that this is an adult activity and young people are growing up with it being normalised. They get exposed to it on television around sports, advertising online and gambling activities within [computer] games. It seems to have gone too far. And for young people growing up there just seems to be a stronger and stronger affiliation between the two [gambling and sport] and I'm wary of that.' Fiona Dobbie, who is leading the University of Stirling's research into gambling advertising, claimed that the study 'would analyse the response of children' and other vulnerable groups to marketing. 'This is very much a starting point and we hope it will make a positive contribution to future legislation and policy to protect children from gambling-related harm,' she said. 'If we'd had something starting then [2007], we'd have much robust data but we're now ten years down the line.' According to ITV, 'nearly thirty million people' watched at least a part of England's semi-final clash with Croatia. This increased the cost of gambling advertising on the channel because it allowed companies to reach so many people. Alleged (though suspiciously anonymous) advertising industry 'sources' allegedly said that a thirty-second spot during the semi-final of the World Cup could cost as much as three hundred and fifty thousand smackers but that bookmakers and online casinos were 'paying a premium to secure blanket coverage.' The Gruniad Morning Star 'analysed more than thirteen hundred adverts that were shown around the first thirty games shown by ITV in the competition.' Not that anyone actually asked them to but, obviously, they didn't have any real news to report this week. Of those, one hundred and seventy two were betting adverts or one-in-eight commercials. Excluding the sponsored adverts shown at the beginning and end of each break, betting accounted for one-in-six adverts shown during the broadcaster's World Cup coverage. The Advertising Standards Authority said that it had received one hundred and fifteen whinges about World Cup gambling adverts - from people with nothing better to do with their time, it would seem - mostly about their sheer volume, compared with just twenty seven in the previous month. The regulator is also 'examining several adverts that offer improved odds for a short period,' to see if they contravene new guidance in the advertising code of practice that bars companies from making urgent calls to action, the Gruniad claims. In the UK, gambling companies are only permitted to advertise before the 9pm watershed if they do so during live sporting events. The stipulation is in stark contrast to the law in Australia, where gambling adverts attached to live sports were banned earlier this year.

The celebrations in Paris following France's victory in the World Cup turned extremely violent when dozens of vandals clashed with police and destroyed local shop fronts on the Champs Elysees. With kids getting sparked and all sorts.

Four members of the Russian 'punk activist group' Pussy Riot have been very jailed for fifteen days for disrupting the World Cup final by running onto the pitch. They were accused of 'violating the rules for spectators at sporting events' and 'wearing police uniforms illegally.' They were also banned from attending any sports events for three years and from looking at The Butcher Of Grozny 'in a funny way.' Probably. Pussy Riot said that it was a protest 'against human rights abuses in Russia.' Stewards hauled the four off the pitch and, one imagines, gave them a right kicking round the back of the stadium. Pussy Riot has staged high-profile protests against Vladimir Putin before. Three members were jailed in 2012 for an anti-Putin punk song performed in a Moscow cathedral. The group has tweeted that the four arrested on Sunday spent the whole night at a police station 'in great discomfort.' Three women and a man ran onto the pitch, though one was tackled on the sidelines. They wore police-style uniforms: white shirts, black trousers and epaulettes. One woman managed to do a high-five salute with French star Kylian Mbappé before being led off the pitch. But the male intruder was grabbed angrily by Croatia defender Dejan Lovren. After the incident Lovren told reporters: 'I just lost my head and I grabbed the guy and I wished I could throw him away from the stadium.' The man was identified as Pyotr Verzilov, the husband of Nadezhda Tolokonnikova. She was among three Pussy Riot members jailed in 2012. The three women World Cup intruders were named as Nika Nikulshina, Olga Kurachyova and Olga Pakhtusova. A statement from Pussy Riot said that the aims of their protest included making the Russian authorities free all political prisoners, stop illegal arrests at public rallies, allow political competition in the country and stop fabricating criminal cases and jailing people on remand 'for no reason.' The statement quoted a Russian poet, Dmitry Prigov, who had contrasted the 'heavenly policeman who speaks to God on his walkie-talkie' with 'the Earthly one who fabricates criminal cases.' The Russian anti-Putin activist and blogger Alexei Navalny has tweeted a video clip showing two of the pitch invaders being interrogated. An angry voice is heard shouting at Verzilov and one of the women - looking dishevelled in their mock police uniforms. 'Sometimes I regret that it's not 1937' the person off-camera says, alluding to the communist-era terror campaign instigated by Soviet dictator and disgraceful mass murderer Joseph Stalin. The European Court of Human Rights has condemned Russia for its handling of the Pussy Riot women, amongst other high-profile cases.

A London Underground station has been temporarily named after England's football manager. Southgate Tube station was rebranded Gareth Southgate station from Monday morning for forty eight hours, after the squad finished fourth in the World Cup. It was England's best result since 1990 when they also lost in the semi-final. 'We are delighted to be able to show our appreciation to Gareth and the team by renaming the station in his honour,' Transport for London said. The Piccadilly Line station, in Enfield, displayed the manager's name on its signs until the end of Tuesday. One local resident said the temporary signage was a 'fantastic' way to say thank you to the England manager. Speaking at the station, she said: 'He gets on with the job and he achieved those amazing results and lifted the whole nation's spirits. And this is a tribute to him in the very same manner - quiet, unassuming.'

Yer actual Keith Telly Topping's beloved (though unsellable) Magpies' boss, Rafael Benitez, was approached by the Spanish Football Federation about taking temporary charge of Spain at the World Cup according to the BBC Sport website. The RFEF reportedly wanted the fifty eight-year-old after Julen Lopetegui was sacked two days before Spain's opening match.Fernando Hierro took charge on an interim basis as they went on to lose on penalties to Russia in the last-sixteen. Ex-Barcelona coach Luis Enrique has now been appointed on a two-year contract. Speaking to the Newcastle Evening Chronicle, Benitez said: 'There was maybe a chance, but still I am here and I am happy to be here. There was a chance. There were rumours about that.' Benitez has said that Newcastle may have to sell before they can buy players in the transfer window. 'Unfortunately it's what we have to do,' said Benitez, 'We have to wheel and deal, that is the way for us. We have to be realistic with our budget, and then maybe sell some players and buy some players.'

Eight-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt is in talks for a trial to play football in Australia, a club says. The Jamaican former sprinter is 'negotiating a six-week stint' with the Central Coast Mariners, a team in the country's A-League competition. Mariners chief executive Shaun Mielekamp said that the club had spent four months pursuing Bolt and a season-long deal could follow. Football agent Tony Rallis said a deal had been agreed 'in principle.' Rallis, who has been involved in the deal, told local Sky Sports Radio that negotiations continued over Bolt's pay. 'The owner of Central Coast Mariners has put his hand deep in his pocket and guaranteed seventy per cent of the salary,' Rallis said. News Corp Australia reported that 'a multi-million dollar deal' had been proposed. Bolt has previously trained with clubs in Germany, Norway and South Africa. The one and two hundred metres world record holder, who retired from athletics last year, has previously spoken about his interest in becoming a professional footballer. Bolt is a huge fan of The Scum and one of its former assistant managers, Mike Phelan, is now at the Mariners. A Football Federal Australia spokesman told the BBC that it 'would not assist in funding Bolt's trial.' Mielekamp said the club was 'optimistic' that the trial could be extended. 'If all goes well, who knows? He may be lighting up the A-League this season,' he told the local Seven Network on Tuesday. Mielekamp said that the club had received positive reports about Bolt's performance when he trained with Borussia Dortmund and Norwegian side Stromsgodset. 'The most important thing is we wait to find out and see how good a footballer he is first,' Mielekamp said. 'Time will tell at what level he is at and if it fits the A-League.'

It was the scoreline that the late Eric Morecambe used to joke about but had never come true - until now. East Fife four, Forfar five was the much-loved comedian's idea of the ultimate tongue-twister for anyone trying to read out the classified football results. On Sunday, that result finally happened for the first time in the fixture's history. Albeit, only in a roundabout way. The Scottish League Cup Group B tie between the sides went to penalties after a one-all draw. And the score in the shootout was, indeed, East Fife four, Forfar five. Had he lived to see that, it would surely have raised a chuckle from Eric, who came up with the score as a jokey greeting whenever he met his friend James Alexander Gordon, the popular announcer who read the classified results on the BBC for forty years. 'Eric never called me James,' Gordon, who died in 2014, once recalled. 'Whenever I saw him over a twenty-year period, he would say "East Fife four, Forfar five." I've got a tape of that.' Before Sunday, there had been two occasions when the scoreline had almost occurred. In January 1964, it happened with the wrong team at home - finishing Forfar five, East Fife four. And in October 2011, a meeting between the sides ended East Fife four, Forfar three. Anton Dowds claimed the opener on Sunday for East Fife, who had Chris Kane sent off before John Baird equalised. Drawn group games go to penalties under the League Cup format. With the shootout score at four-four, Forfar keeper Marc McCallum saved Daryl Meggatt's kick before Thomas Reilly converted to seal a bonus point for the visitors - and make a little piece of sporting history.

Germany's football association has 'emphatically rejected' allegations of racism from The Arse's Mesut Özil, but says that it 'could have done more' to protect him from abuse. Özil said this week that he no longer wants to play for Germany, citing 'racism and disrespect' within German football. The midfielder says that he received hate mail and threats and was blamed for Germany's disappointing World Cup. The DFB said that it 'regrets the departure of Mesut Özil from the national team.' It added in a statement: 'We emphatically reject the DFB being linked to racism. The DFB has been very involved in integration work in Germany for many years.' Özil was criticised by the DFB and in the German media after being photographed with controversial Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan at an event in London in May. He received more criticism after Germany were knocked out of the World Cup in the group stage. The DFB conceded that it had not handled the matter well, adding: 'It is regrettable that Mesut Özil felt that he had not been sufficiently protected as a target of racist slogans.' It stressed its commitment to equality, saying: 'The DFB stands for diversity, from the representatives at the top to the boundless, day-to-day dedication of people at the base.' Özil, a third-generation Turkish-German, was born in Gelsenkirchen and was a key member of his country's 2014 World Cup-winning side. A month before Germany defended their title, Özil met Erdogan, along with fellow Germany international Ilkay Gündoğan, a Sheikh Yer Man City player who is also of Turkish descent. Özil says he and Gündoğan 'talked about football' with the president. Afterwards, photographs were released by Turkey's governing AK Party in the build-up to elections in the country, which Erdogan won. Many German politicians questioned Özil and Gündoğan's loyalty to 'German democratic values.' Germany has previously criticised the Turkish leader's crackdown on political dissent following a failed coup. The players met the German FA president to explain the image, though Özil had not issued a public statement on the matter until Sunday. He said Erdogan had also met the Queen and Prime Minister Theresa May whilst in England and said he would have been 'disrespecting his ancestors' roots' had he not posed for photographs with the Turkish president. 'It wasn't about politics or elections, it was about me respecting the highest office of my family's country,' he added. Özil has ninety two caps and has been voted the national team's player of the year by fans five times since 2011. He said his recent treatment made him 'no longer want to wear the German national team shirt. I am German when we win, but I am an immigrant when we lose,' he said. German Chancellor Angela Merkel 'respects' Özil's decision as he 'has done much for the national side,' her spokesperson said on Monday. Anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out said that the 'racist treatment' Özil has faced in Germany since his country's World Cup exit was 'disgraceful.' Germany is home to about three million people of Turkish descent - a point regularly raised in political debate in the country, where immigration and the rise of far-right parties are key issues for many. In his statement, Özil questions why other dual-heritage team-mates have not been subjected to the same treatment. 'Is it because it is Turkey? Is it because I'm a Muslim? I think here lays an important issue,' he said. German newspapers have criticised Ozil's decision to quit the national team. The popular tabloid Bild said despite Özil's appeals for respect for the highest office of his family's country, he 'ignores that Erdogan stands against the values of his German and Turkish homelands.'It noted that the footballer failed to mention in his 'yammer Facebook post' that Erdogan is 'transforming the freedom-loving, religiously moderate Turkey into an Islamist dictatorship' and 'has almost extinguished free media and freedom of expression.' Frankfurter Allgemeine argued Özil's resignation has left behind 'a pile of shards,' adding his 'sweeping blow' will immerse the German FA in crisis. 'In many ways, Özil has overshot the target,' the daily said, describing Özil's attacks on the media as 'absurd and outrageous.' Die Welt commented that the commitment in wearing a German football shirt means 'more than a good game. National players are role models, especially for young people with migration background,' it said. 'Germany has to formulate its expectations clearly, and every athlete wandering between cultures has to decide whether he can or wants to do that. Those who accept the German passport and put on the national jersey must know what that means for them. The Özil case made that clear,' the paper added.

Leyton Orient are hoping fans with male dogs can help their bid to remove some unwanted 'foxes in the box.' Foxes have been regularly spotted on National League Orient's Brisbane Road pitch in recent weeks. Such is the problem, the club has issued an appeal to any fans who can walk their dog around the ground during mornings and late afternoons. 'It is thought a dog's presence will help prevent further pitch invasions,' Orient said in a short statement. Interested candidates should apply to the club's marketing department - and very advanced dogs can put their names forward themselves.

Mon Dieu!

France won the World Cup for the second time by overcoming Croatia's bold challenge in a thrilling final in Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium. Didier Deschamps' side repeated the success on home soil in 1998 by a margin that hardly looked possible as Croatia stood toe-to-toe with the favourites for an hour. France's victory meant Deschamps, who captained them twenty years ago, became the third man to win the competition as a player and coach. Croatia also felt their luck deserted them, but ultimately France ran out victorious to erase the memories of the loss to Portugal in the Euro 2016 final in Paris. In one of the most exciting World Cup finals of the modern era arguably the best since 1974, at least, possibly 1970 played out to a soundtrack of thunderbolt and lightning, Croatia and France delivered an enthralling spectacle that brought the joint highest goal tally in a final since 1958, a pitch invasion and a controversial intervention from the video assistant referee that had a huge influence on the outcome. France took the lead after eighteen minutes when Antoine Griezmann's free-kick deflected in off Mario Mandžukić's head - but Croatia were by the better side for the majority of the first half and deservedly equalised courtesy of Ivan Perisić's left-foot finish. Croatia were left nursing a burning sense of injustice when France restored their lead seven minutes before half-time through Griezmann's penalty, awarded by referee Nestor Pitana for handball against Perisić after a lengthy delay while VAR was consulted. In a compelling second-half, France looked to have wrapped it up with two strikes in six minutes from Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappé either side of the hour mark. Croatia, however, showed unbreakable spirit and even threatened a comeback when Mandžukić took advantage of France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris hesitating over a clearance to pull a goal back.But France closed out the win to bring redemption for Deschamps after defeat at the Euros two years ago, sparking wild celebrations and ensuring Lloris lifted the World Cup. Croatia will complain bitterly that Griezmann went down rather theatrically for the free-kick that led to Mandžukić's own goal and they may also feel that Perisić's handball was not clear-cut enough for VAR to make that decisive intervention just before half-time. What is not in doubt, however, is the sheer quality this France side possesses, a potent attack the spearhead for a strong midfield and outstanding defence. When Croatia threatened to come back once more early in the second-half, Pogba and Mbappé's strikes from the edge of the area past the static Danijel Subašić - who still looked less than fully fit after injuring a hamstring in the quarter-final against Russia - proved the defining passage of this final. France celebrated joyously at the final whistle after claiming the sport's greatest trophy once more, with Deschamps - the coach whose conservative methods have often brought criticism - tossed high into the air by his players. Croatia return home as beaten World Cup finalists but their approach to this match will have won the hearts of neutrals and earned them a prolonged standing ovation from their fans at the final whistle. Zlatko Dalić's side were the better team for the first hour despite trailing and were pushing France back when they were hit by those two swift hammer blows from Pogba and Mbappé. Croatia had done it the hard way to reach this final, winning on penalties in the second round and quarter-finals against Denmark and hosts Russia respectively before requiring extra time to beat England in the semi-final. Yet they showed no signs of tiredness as they tore into France from the first whistle, and even when the game looked out of reach they never once let their heads drop, threatening an unlikely comeback when Mandžukić cashed in on Lloris' error. It was not to be but world-class midfielder Luka Modrić has illuminated this World Cup, while the energy, commitment and threat of Perisić stood out here.Croatia's footballers and their coach will return home as national heroes - a status they fully deserve after their contribution to this spectacular World Cup and their all-out approach to this final. This was the first World Cup to utilise VAR - so it was perhaps inevitable it would play a major part in the final. The moment came just before half-time when France's players appealed instantly for a penalty when a corner struck Perisić's hand at the near post. Referee Pitana took what seemed an age to consult VAR - even having one last look to make sure after moving to turn away - before, to Croatia's horror and France's delight, pointing to the spot. Croatia will argue it was not a 'clear and obvious' mistake and the handball was not a deliberate act on Perisić's part.

England's World Cup campaign in Russia which began with such promise ended with a a whimper and a two-nil defeat by Belgium in St Petersburg in the single most utterly pointless match-up in sport, the Third Place Play-Off. Gareth Southgate's team were unable to bounce back from the despair of Wednesday's extra-time loss to Croatia - but this still represents a highly creditable tournament for England given that, at the start of it, many observers felt they would struggle to get out of their group, much less make it to the semi-finals. Thomas Meunier put Belgium ahead after four minutes when he slid in ahead of Danny Rose to divert Nacer Chadli's cross past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. England had chances to level in the second-half as Toby Alderweireld cleared off the line from Eric Dier, while Harry Maguire headed wide from a good position. Eden Hazard wrapped the game up for Belgium with eight minutes left when he got the better of Phil Jones to beat Pickford - who had just saved magnificently from Meunier - with an powerful finish. Romelu Lukaku missed two chances and was substituted without scoring, leaving Harry Kane in pole position to win the World Cup's Golden Boot with six goals. Southgate made five changes to the team beaten by Croatia - but there was still a clear determination to secure their best result at this tournament since 1966. And with Belgium counterpart Roberto Martinez adopting the same approach, it made for an occasionally entertaining - if still completely bloody pointless - play-off in this magnificent arena in St Petersburg. It would have been easy for England's heads to drop after defensive sloppiness from Rose - who allowed Meunier to slide in on his blind side - led to them falling behind so early. England, as others have before them, struggled to cope with the variety of Belgium's attack, but their attitude was, once again, commendable and they had chances to pull the game level before Hazard snuffed out their hopes. Dier's clever chip was miraculously cleared off the line by Alderweireld, before he and Harry Maguire headed wide from good positions as England pressed. John Stones produced a standout moment in the first-half when he retreated in the face of Lukaku running at him, biding his time before making a perfectly-timed tackle. He was the barrier on countless occasions and even got a handshake from his Sheikh Yer Man City team-Kevin mate De Bruyne for one late interception. Stones' ability to play out from the back and his cultured style are integral to Southgate's future plans - and he has performed in this tournament in exactly the manner his most fervent admirers hoped he would. Belgium's delight at a third-place finish - their best at a World Cup - was obvious in the manner in which Martinez and his assistant Thierry Henry celebrated with their players at full-time. It meant a lot - although it could have been even better after beating Brazil in the quarter-finals only to then lose to France in the last four. However, Martinez has an outstanding squad at his disposal and there is every chance they will now get stronger having gained stature here.

England are 'not a top-four team yet' but are 'proud' they reached the World Cup semi-finals, says manager Gareth Southgate. The coach believes that England have 'not reached their peak' and 'can improve' for the 2020 European Championship. 'We don't kid ourselves and we know the areas we hope to get better,' he said. 'We are very proud of what we have done. Against the best teams we have come up short, but we have had a wonderful experience. I couldn't ask for any more from the players. We were twenty minutes from a World Cup final three nights ago.' Southgate led England to their first World Cup semi-final since 1990, a feat he admitted was 'beyond what we thought was possible. I felt it was important to tell them how proud I was and to recognise how far they got,' said Southgate. 'We haven't hidden in terms of where we see our progress, but we also leave here having progressed a lot as a team. The experiences the players have had and the enjoyment is important in an England shirt. They would have learned a lot in victory and in defeat and now we look to the future.' England had the youngest squad in Russia and Southgate hopes the 'brilliant adventure' will help build 'belief and momentum. But we are also very realistic about the constant improvements we have to make,' he added. 'It has been nice to receive a lot of praise but, balanced with that, we have had a lot of reality as well.' England's next fixtures are in September, when they face Switzerland and the USA, before meeting Spain and Croatia in the UEFA Nations League in October. Southgate said: 'We have some big fixtures in the autumn so they are great opportunities for us to develop and improve, try things, look at players and constantly try to evolve.'

A peak audience of twenty six-and-a-half million punters watched England play pretty well but still go out of the World Cup on ITV, according to initial overnight figures. That made the climax of the semi-final the most-watched five minutes of British TV since the 2012 Olympic opening ceremony. Wednesday's audience peaked between 9.30pm and 9.35pm just as England tried - unsuccessfully - to find an equaliser at the end of extra time against Croatia. The overall TV match average for the semi-final was 24.3 million, though that does not take into account the thousands of people watching in pubs or on outdoor big screens at events around the country. ITV said there were also a record 4.3 million requests to watch it online on ITV Hub. About eight per cent of viewers watching TV in the UK at the time were tuned into the game. Hopefully, the rest were watching Picnic At Hanging Rock on BBC2. The ratings reflected the huge interest in England's first World Cup semi-final since 1990. The previous highest audience during this World Cup was 23.6 million for the climax of England's penalty shootout win over Colombia in the second round, also on ITV.

Mind you, dear blog reader, ITV's coverage was - as usual - woeful. At one point during the match, Glenn Hoddle told twenty odd million viewers: 'He [Harry Kane] was at a cute angle.' What, as opposed to an ugly one, Glenn? Jeez, a paving slab in Preston would be more use as an alleged 'expert' than that plank. Meanwhile, back in the studio, Lee Dixon added that Kieran Trippier 'Never fails to disappoint with his free-kicks.' Except for the one he scored with, obviously. And, then there was The Curiously Orange Roy Keane with a face as sour as eight-day-old milk as well as having, seemingly, been tangoed. Keane, let it be noted, has gone through his Mahmoud Ahmadinejad-lookalike phase and emerged with his face-like-a-slapped-arse demeanour still in tact. Which is an achievement. Of sorts. One thing in his favour, however, was that he appeared to be on the verge of sticking one-on Ian Wright at one point. Now that would've been worth watching.

A man who got a tattoo which reads 'England World Cup 2018 Winners' claims that he 'does not regret' it. One or two people even believed him. Jamie Richardson, from Leeds, had the tattoo three weeks before England played their semi-final against Croatia. 'It is better to have believed and lost than not to have believed at all,' he said, paraphrasing Alfred Lord Tennyson. Whether he continued by quoting Pete Townshend ('I expect that I'll regret you but the skin-graft man won't get you') is, at this time, unknown.

Kenyans have reportedly 'reacted furiously' to news that twenty Kenyan MPs travelled to watch the World Cup at the taxpayers' expense. They were watching four games, including the final, in a two-week trip to Russia estimated to be costing hundreds of thousands of US dollars. The MPs caught the attention of Kenyans when they posted selfies in a stadium. Sports Minister Rashid Echesa told BBC News that he had authorised only six MPs to travel, to 'help understand how to organise such big events.' Kenya have never qualified for a World Cup final and are currently ranked one hundred and twelfth out of two hundred and six nations by football's world governing body, FIFA. Albeit, they're still a few placed above Scotland. However, Kenya is one of the world's most successful athletics nations and has submitted a bid to host the 2023 World Athletics Championships. But, many Kenyans thought the trip was 'a waste of money' in a country where the average person lives on a salary of around one hundred and fifty dollars per month. Senate Clerk Jeremiah Nyegenye, who is head of the Parliamentary Service Commission that determines the responsibilities and remuneration of legislators, claimed that the trip was worthwhile. 'It is their responsibility to understand sports, how to host such international tournaments,' the Star newspaper quotes him as saying. 'This is not a holiday and it is too simplistic to look at it as a joyrider mission.' An alleged parliamentary 'source' has allegedly told the BBC that members of parliament 'usually' travel first class. When travelling on official business, Kenyan MPs are also entitled to daily allowances for expenses of around a thousand dollars. One of those who travelled, Senator Millicent Omanga, certainly seemed to be enjoying herself judging by selfies posted on her Facebook page.

Workers at a Fiat Chrysler plant in Italy are to take strike action after its main investor decided to pay one hundred and twelve million Euros to sign well-known winker Cristiano Ronaldo for Juventus. Who is a different sort of striker, obviously. Both the football club and the carmaker are controlled by the Agnelli family through their holding company. For the USB union, the decision means Fiat is 'missing out on investment.' It said that the firm 'needed to guarantee' the future of thousands of people, 'rather than enriching only one.' The union added it was 'unacceptable' that while Fiat Chrysler workers were making 'huge economic sacrifices,' millions of Euros were being spent on the purchase of a player. The four-year deal to capture Ronaldo from Real Madrid was announced on Tuesday amid concern that Juventus might have vastly overpaid for the thirty three-year-old forward. However, football finance expert Rob Wilson, of Sheffield Hallam University, said that Juventus should earn more than enough money from Ronaldo to cover the transfer fee and his wages. He added: 'The marketing leverage that Juve will be able to create will be significant. Added to that the likelihood that he will strengthen the team, it seems plausible that they will be more successful domestically and qualify routinely for the Champions League. That means more sponsors, more TV money and more prize money.' Born on the island of Madeira, where the airport is named after him, Ronaldo has had a successful career at Real Madrid, scoring four hundred and fifty goals in four hundred and thirty eight games for the club after signing for them from The Scum. As captain of the Portuguese national team in the World Cup, he scored four goals, including a hat-trick against Spain. Portugal made the last sixteen of the tournament, in stark contrast to Italy, who failed to qualify for the first time since 1958. Although Juventus and Fiat Chrysler are run as entirely separate businesses, they are both controlled by Exor, the investment holding of the Agnelli family. The USB union has called for a strike at the Melfi plant in Southern Italy, which makes cars including the Fiat Punto and the 500X. Its members will walk out at 10pm local time on Sunday and remain on strike until 6pm on the following Tuesday. However, the impact of the stoppage is likely to be limited. The factory is just one of seven Fiat Chrysler plants in Italy and the USB does not represent many workers there.

Formal confirmation of yer actual Keith Telly Topping's beloved (though unsellable) Magpies third summer signing has now come from the club, following Tuesday' successful completion of medical checks on Kenedy. The twenty two year-old Brazilian travelled to Tyneside on Monday evening after agreement was reached with parent club Moscow Chelski FC on a season-long loan. Signed initially on loan last January (after a previous attempt to do so in August 2017 had failed), Kenedy played thirteen games in black and white last season and instantly gained cult status at Gallowgate amongst supporters. Acknowledging that the deal was done, Rafa Benitez told journalists on Tuesday that: 'I'm pushing him now. If he plays this season like he did last season, I will be happy but, still, he has to score more goals! Everybody knows what he did last year. He was a great player for us. I think it's good for the fans and the team. The fans will be excited to have Kenedy for another year.' Following claims and counter-claims in the media, it appears that no provision for a permanent transfer has been made in the loan agreement - although it is speculated that there's a 'preferred bidder' clause. Whether Th' Toon wanted to agree a price for a player who will have twelve months of his Moscow Chelski FC contract remaining at the end of this latest loan is unclear.

Nogomet Se Vraća Kući?

For sixty seven minutes, it all looked so good, so positive, so exciting. And then, inevitably, it all went tits-up. 'We're English,' the comedian Bill Bailey once famously noted, 'we crave disappointment.' Well, we got it tonight. Croatia will play France in the World Cup final on Sunday.

So, just in case you were wondering, England's bid to reach a first World Cup final since 1966 came to an end as they lost in semi-final extra time to Croatia in Moscow. Juventus striker Mario Mandžukić scored the winning goal in the one hundred and ninth minute, slotting in from Ivan Perišić's flick-on into the area. Perišić's volley sent the match into extra time after Kieran Trippier had given England a fifth-minute lead with a sublime free-kick. England - or, at least, the ones that can still stand after all that - will now play in the most completely bloody pointless match in sport, the third place play-off against Belgium on Saturday. That, one imagines, is unlikely to bring the country to a stand-still.

It turns that that's football is not coming home after all. England's players were inconsolable at the final whistle as the dream was snatched away and the pain was etched on their faces as well as that of manager Gareth Southgate - but they can take great pride and credit from this tournament. Croatia, in sharp contrast, were jubilant and will now face France in the final in Moscow on Sunday. Unfancied before the competition, England defied expectations by reaching the semi-finals, but were undone by an experienced Croatia side. Harry Kane's golden touch deserted him when he missed a great chance to double their lead and Jesse Lingard also wasted a good chance by shooting wide. As England allowed their opportunity to slip from their grasp, Croatia grew in confidence. England lost momentum after the break and were punished when Perišić stole in ahead of Kyle Walker for an athletic finish. Croatia, with Luka Modrić the orchestrator, took control as England faded, with Perišić hitting the post and Jordan Pickford saving magnificently from Mandžukić, before the striker made the decisive contribution with eleven minutes of extra time left. The thirty two-year-old reacted quicker than John Stones in the area to beat Pickford - and England had nothing left to give. England's disappointment at seeing their hopes come crashing down when they were so close to a place they have not inhabited for fifty two years will be made more acute by the sense of missed opportunity. They controlled the first half and, with Croatia initially looking out of sorts after going through the physical demands of extra time and penalties in their two previous games, England will know they could have settled this game in that crucial phase. At half-time this blogger noted on Facebook 'I can't believe that Croatia can possibly play as badly in the second half as they did in the first so, this going to be tough ...' And, so it proved. Instead, Croatia grew in stature and by the end it was Zlatko Dalić's side who carried the greater energy and threat while England simply ran out of steam. England's expectation had reached fever pitch and they will regret their failure to take advantage of that spell when they were in control. There was nothing that could offer solace to Southgate and England's players as they stood saluting their supporters at the end - but the reaction from the travelling fans was an indicator of what they achieved in Russia. England's fans rose as one to give them a standing ovation in a show of appreciation for their best run at a major competition since Euro '96 - and a far cry from the humiliation of failing to get out of the group stage in Brazil four years ago and the Euro 2016 elimination by Iceland. Southgate and his players have conducted themselves superbly and offered enough to take renewed optimism into the next phase of England's development. It should be stressed that Croatia's effort was magnificent given their exertions in the past two knockout rounds - but England looked like a spent force as this game went on. Kane gave it everything but the sharpness was not there, removing a crucial threat as they searched for the spark to reignite their World Cup ambitions. Dele Alli also looked short of full power after a bright start, as did Lingard and even the introduction of Marcus Rashford could not fire up England. THe had looked ready to run riot in the first half, with Sterling caused the Croatian defence all sorts of problems with his pace, but they were flat from the start of the second period, allowing Croatia to get up a head of steam that in the end proved unstoppable.

Shortly after England's victory over Sweden in the World Cup quarter final on Saturday, ITV News reported that 'thirty million people' had been watching the BBC's live coverage. One is not entirely sure where they got that particular figure from given that the overnights and the iPlayer streaming figures would not be available until the next day and the consolidated '+7' ratings for another week after that but ... it was probably fair to say that 'lots' of people were, indeed, watching these goings-on. One would hope that a decent majority of them also caught the 'ten series of Doctor Who on iPlayer' trailer at the end!

In actual fact, as expected, the ITV News 'figure' (for which read 'total guess') was out by about ten million. England's decisive World Cup quarter-final victory over Sweden was watched by nearly twenty million viewers on BBC1, according to overnight figures - although that does not take into account the many thousands who were watching on pubs and on big screens at various events around the country. An average of 15.8 million watched the whole match and a peak audience of 19.9 million viewers were watching as the match ended. It was also live-streamed online by 3.8 million people, making it the BBC's highest online-viewed live programme ever (despite reports that demand had caused iPlayer to crash towards the end of the match). The broadcast received an eighty nine per cent share of the available TV audience. The figures were lower than the 23.6 million who tuned-in for England's penalty shootout with Colombia earlier this week although, that was an evening kick-off. Match Of The Day host - and, the last man to score in a World Cup semi-final for England - yer actual Gary Lineker said: 'Humongous figures again for England. Football's coming to homes everywhere.' Oh, very good, Gary. Saw what you did there! The last quarter-final - between Russia and Croatia - was seen by an overnight average audience of 7.8 million viewers on ITV. The match -which Croatia won on penalties after Russia dramatically equalised in extra time - had a peak audience of 13.7 million during the shootout.

According to some Middle Class hippy Communist louse of no importance at the Independent, 'BBC viewers castigate Martin Keown after he tells people reading books during World Cup match to "get a life."' Which, as usual when the words 'BBC viewers' are used in any report, actually means 'a couple of dozen sneering malcontents on social media.' Ah, professional offence-takers, what would we do without them? The BBC has not commented upon the 'inevitable social media storm' although if they did, one would very much hope such a response would include the words 'oh, grow-the-fuck-up.' Of course, the BBC would never say that as they are far too polite to suggest any such thing. But, this blogger isn't.

Wor Geet Canny Alan Shearer seems to be having a great time out in Russia with the BBC team, as this clip of him doing a bit of Lionel Ritchie at dinner - and subsequently posted online by his amused colleagues - proves! Tell 'em all about it, Big Man!

After England secured their place in the World Cup semi-finals, it was safe to say that World Cup fever was sweeping the country. Some of it, perhaps, more than a touch over-enthusiastic. On Sunday morning, Andrew Marr - who is, of course, Scottish - paid his own subtle tribute to England manager Gareth Southgate by wearing a version of Southgate's now-trademark waistcoat to present The Andrew Marr Show.

The FA has been fined seventy thousand Swiss francs (hich is about fifty grand) after Dele Alli, Eric Dier and Raheem Sterling wore 'unauthorised' socks at the World Cup. Not, this blogger is not making this up. The players wore branded ankle support socks over official Nike socks, ignoring a FIFA warning to stop. FIFA said the FA's fine was for 'breaching media and marketing regulations and the FIFA equipment regulations.' FIFA said that 'several' England players 'continued to display unauthorised commercial branding on playing equipment items before and during the quarter-final match between Sweden and England.' The Swedish FA has also been punished with the same fine for a similar 'sock offence' earlier in the tournament. That makes it the joint second highest fine at the World Cup behind Argentina's one hundred and five thousand Swiss franc punishment after their fans threw objects and chanted homophobic abuse. Which is, obviously, nowhere near as serious as 'wearing the wrong sort of socks,' clearly.

Le football revient à la maison, oui? France were the first team to reach the World Cup final after edging past neighbours Belgium in the semi-final in St Petersburg on Tuesday. Defender Samuel Umtiti scored the winning goal for the 1998 champions in the second-half with a towering header from Antoine Griezmann's corner. Didier Deschamps' side were on the back foot for large periods of the game but emerged victorious to reach their third World Cup final, having been beaten by Italy on penalties in 2006. Belgium came through the quarter-finals by impressively beating Brazil, but they were unable to find the equaliser, as Axel Witsel's powerful, long-range drive was pushed away by Hugo Lloris, who also brilliantly kept out Toby Alderweireld's turn and shot. At the final whistle, the France substitutes ran on the pitch to celebrate with the players, while manager Didier Deschamps was mobbed by his staff before dancing around in a circle. Twenty years ago, France won the World Cup for the first and only time in their history at home in Paris with a three-nil win over Brazil. That team was captained by Deschamps, who is now aiming to emulate Brazilian Mario Zagallo and Germany's Franz Beckenbauer by winning the competition as both a player and manager. Deschamps was a holding midfielder and his France side have come to characterise his playing style of functionality-over-flair by adopting a conservative game. Belgium had sixty four per cent possession in the match and with France keeping their shape, opting to play on the counter-attack with speed, forward Kylian Mbappé was a constant threat with his darting runs and trickery with the ball. The teenager, who announced himself on the global stage by scoring twice against Argentina in the second round, played a sublime flick to Olivier Giroud in on goal, but the Moscow Chelski FC man saw his shot blocked from close range. Just imagine what a great side France would be if only the had a centre forward. Of course, it's worth remembering that the 1998 French team was the first to win a World Cup without a recognised centre forward ... instead, they had Miss Stéphanie Guivarc'h doing for that team what he would subsequently do for this blogger's beloved (though even then unsellable) Magpies and for Glasgow Rangers. Not a lot. Which brings us nicely back to Monsieur Giroud. Although Giroud has now had thirteen shots in the tournament without finding the target, but he is likely to keep his place in the starting eleven for the final. Deschamps has been questioned for continuing to deploy Giroud up front in his side and has been asked why a place cannot be found for other attacking talents such as Ousmane Dembélé or Thomas Lemar. But he has answered the critics with a run to a second consecutive major tournament final after Euro 2016, when they were beaten in extra-time by Portugal. There was optimism that Belgium's 'golden generation' of players containing Eden Hazard, Kevin de Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku could finally deliver silverware for their country. But the win in the previous round against Brazil proved to be their peak, coming up short in a major tournament once again. The Red Devils lost in the quarter-final of both the previous World Cup and the European Championship and their second World Cup semi-final appearance ended in defeat, just as in 1986 against a Diego Maradona-inspired Argentina. The team's twenty four-match unbeaten run stretching back to September 2016 also came to an end, as coach Roberto Martinez suffered a first loss in a competitive game. Ten of the eleven starters were Premier League-based and one of those - The Scum's Lukaku, who was excellent against Brazil - was left stifled by France's excellent centre-back pairing of Umtiti and Raphaël Varane. Lukaku had just over twenty touches on the ball in the whole match - the least of any player who started the game. Sheikh Yer Man City's De Bruyne was unable to dictate the game and although Hazard started brightly, fizzing a low shot narrowly wide and another deflecting over, he too drifted out of the game during the second-half.

From the BBC Sport website's coverage of the first semi-final: 'Belgium's only consolation is that they still have one game left to play in the tournament - Saturday's third/fourth place play-off against the loser from the England versus Croatia encounter.' And, dear blog reader, if you look up 'really, really really fekkin' small consolations' on Google, you'll find that one extremely close to the top of the list.

Meanwhile, here's the best tweet of the World Cup so far!

Broadcasters have been ordered to stop their cameras zooming in on 'hot women' in the crowd at football matches, FIFA's diversity boss says. Federico Addiechi said that football's world governing body needed to 'help tackle sexism' at the World Cup. 'We've done it with individual broadcasters. We've done it with our host broadcast services,' he said. Anti-discrimination group Fare Network claims that sexism has been 'the biggest problem' at Russia 2018. It has been monitoring games and says it has 'documented more than thirty cases.' Asked if the 'crackdown on cutaways' of female fans would become official FIFA policy, Addiechi said: 'This is one of the activities we definitely will have in future - it's a normal evolution.' He said it was 'not yet a proactive campaign' but said FIFA would 'take action against things that are wrong.' Before the tournament there were concerns that homophobia and racism would be the major areas of concern but Fare Network executive director Piara Powar said that sexism was the main focus of discrimination logged by his team - mainly of Russian women being 'accosted in the streets' by male fans. However, Powar believes that the real number of incidents is likely to be 'ten times this.' Powar added there had been 'several cases' of female reporters being grabbed or kissed whilst broadcasting. When asked how FIFA could combat this, Addiechi said it has 'been working' with the local organisers and Russian police to identify these fans, some of whom have lost their FAN-IDs (a document all spectators must have to obtain access to stadiums at the World Cup) and been forced to leave the country. During Russia 2018 photographic agency Getty Images published a photo gallery of 'the hottest fans at the World Cup' featuring exclusively young women. The gallery was later removed by Getty, who said that it was 'a regrettable error in judgement' and that 'an internal investigation would be made.'

King Harry The Second

England are in the World Cup semi-finals for the first time since 1990. This blogger will just repeat that, dear blog reader, since he's also having difficulty believing it. England are in the World Cup semi-finals for the first time since 1990 - thanks to Harry Maguire and Dele Alli headers against Sweden. So, if one Harry doesn't get you, another one seemingly will. The majority of the country who expressed an interest, promptly went completely bloody mental! Gareth Southgate's side now face Croatia on Wednesday in Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium for a place in next Sunday's final. Or, failing that, a place in Saturday's third/fourth place play-off. So, just to correct the frequently-asserted idea that 'England's coming home,' not yet they're not. They're going to be in Moscow for at least another week. Maguire - who, like Jordan Henderson and Kieran Trippier, was magnificent throughout - rose highest to thump home Ashley Young's first-half cross, the eighth of England's ten goals at this World Cup to come from a set-piece. Alli was unmarked to turn home Jesse Lingard's cross against a limited, but hard-working Sweden in Samara. England's keeper Jordan Pickford pulled off three fantastic saves in the second-half to keep Sweden out - first turning away a Marcus Berg header, then producing a low stop from Viktor Claesson and finally tipping Berg's shot over the bar. The Three Lions reached the last four for only the third time. They beat Portugal at Wembley in 1966 and then, of course, went on to win their home tournament but lost to West Germany on penalties in 1990 - before seventeen of the current twenty three man squad were even born. Ah, Gazza's tears. Indelible image, isn't it?

England not only reached the World Cup semi-finals for the first time since Italia 90, they did the job under the pressure of the occasion and the requirement to back up their victory over Colombia on penalties in the previous round - with all of the mental toll that will have taken. It was not a perfect performance by any means. They started somewhat sluggishly and gave goalkeeper Pickford rather too much work to do for Southgate's liking in the second-half. On this day, with expectation rising and the unmistakable feeling around the Samara Stadium that the competition really is reaching the business end, England delivered when they had to when they had to. Southgate will, of course, want those flaws addressed - but when the World Cup reaches the knockout stage it is the results that count and England have now won two knockout games in five days after failing to taste victory in one for over twelve years. They have fallen short on so many occasions in the past that an England team who actually rises to the occasion are worthy of the highest praise. England, for all the talk, knew they had history to contend with and it is to the credit of the calm and measured Southgate that he has not only led the team with such confidence and composure, but he has now guided one of the most inexperienced squads in Russia to the last four. Southgate and England deserve huge credit - and now those expectation levels will, inevitably, rise even more. Maguire and Pickford both had occasional moments of uncertainty early in the competition as they took a little time to adjust to the unique pressures of a World Cup. Since the knockout phase began, Everton's twenty four-year-old keeper and Leicester City's giant defender have been simply immense. Maguire may be built in the old-fashioned brick-shithouse mould, but he is also a player with the sort of ambition and power Southgate loves in the three-man defensive system he settled on. It was Maguire who gave England the control they needed in Samara when he met Young's corner and powered a header past Robin Olsen on the half-hour. It summed up the centre-back's recent performances. As for Pickford, he just carried on from where he left off after that magnificent penalty save from Carlos Bacca in the shootout win over Colombia. England needed to beware any sort of Sweden revival at the start of the second-half and it was Pickford who ensured they were not given a lifeline with a supreme one-handed saves from Berg's header and Claesson's shot. Pickford has been desperate to keep a clean sheet at this World Cup and he fully deserved to keep Sweden out with a faultless display. Alli has struggled for fitness and form in Russia but there has never been any doubt he possesses a touch of class and a goalscorer's instinct. There was speculation Southgate might even make the conservative move of replacing Alli, who missed the games against Panama and Belgium after suffering a thigh injury against Tunisia, with his Stottingtot Hotshots team-mate Eric Dier - but the manager was full of praise for the player pre-match and kept faith in him. Southgate underlined Alli's selfless work without the ball and team ethic against Colombia and said it was now up to his England team-mates to deliver service that would allow him to do damage with trademark late runs into the penalty area. In reality, Alli still struggled to make an impact for long spells on Saturday, but the moment Southgate had been waiting for arrived just before the hour when he was on the end of Lingard's clever lofted cross to head past Olsen.

Great moments of the World Cup. Number seven - David Baddiel and Frank Skinner open their latest royalty statement!

The climax of England's World Cup penalty shootout win over Colombia was watched by over twenty three million punters on ITV, according to overnight figures. More people tuned-in to a single programme between 21:50-21:55 on Tuesday than at any other time since the 2012 Olympic closing ceremony. A record 3.3 million people watched online via the ITV Hub, ITV said. Tuesday's match ended the so-called 'curse of ITV' - which had seen England lose every World Cup match broadcast solely on the network with one exception over the last twenty years. On the BBC, the team emerged victorious in nine out of thirteen matches during the same time period. Harry Kane gave England the lead with a penalty in the fifty seventh minute before Colombia scored a dramatic equaliser during injury time to send the match to extra time and then penalties. Eric Dier scored the decisive spot-kick to give England victory four-three on penalties. An average of twenty million overnight viewers watched the last sixteen match in its entirety. ITV said that it was the highest peak audience for a live sport event since England played Portugal in the 2004 European Championships. According to the broadcaster's figures, the most-watched single minute of Tuesday's game was 21:52, when 24.4 million people were tuned-in. At this point roughly four in five people watching TV in the UK (eighty one) were tuned to ITV. The knock-out match proved an even bigger draw than England's group games - more than eighteen million watched the matches against Tunisia and Belgium at their peaks, while fourteen million saw the win over Panama. The Colombia game also saw a record number of streams of a live event with 3.3m simulcast requests on the ITV Hub. The biggest-ever average audience for an England World Cup game of recent years is 26.2 million, which was recorded for England's semi-final against West Germany in 1990.

FIFA says it 'strongly rebukes' comments made by its ambassador the convicted drug-cheat Diego Maradona in criticising American referee Mark Geiger's handling of England's win against Colombia. After Gareth Southgate's side had booked their place in the quarter-finals with a penalty shootout, batshit crazy Maradona claimed that Colombia had been 'the victims of a monumental theft.' Maradona also suggested Geiger should have penalised Harry Kane in the build-up to England's second-half penalty and criticised Pierluigi Collina, the widely respected head of FIFA's referee committee, for allowing Geiger to officiate the match. FIFA that says Maradona's 'insinuations' were 'entirely inappropriate and completely unfounded. FIFA strongly rebukes the criticism of the performance of the match officials which it considers to have been positive in a tough and highly emotional match. FIFA is extremely sorry to read such declarations from a player who has written the history of our game,' the world football body said in a statement. Maradona, who mostly attended World Cup games in Russia as a VIP guest of FIFA, was photographed before the game wearing a Colombia shirt. 'I'm just sorry for the whole Colombian people,' Maradona said. 'I cheered Colombia's goal as if I had headed it myself.' Or, indeed, punched it in himself. Maradona subsequently snivellingly apologised for his crass and ignorant comments. One or two people even believed him.

The two Colombian footballers who missed penalties to hand England victory have reportedly received death threats. Mateus Uribe and Carlos Bacca were targeted with online abuse within minutes of the conclusion of the penalty shootout in Moscow. Uribe's penalty rebounded off the crossbar while Jordan Pickford saved to deny Bacca from the spot. The threats emerged just one day after the twenty fourth anniversary of the murder of former Colombian international Andres Escobar. He was shot dead after scoring an own goal at the 1994 World Cup in the United States. Bacca was warned against returning home after the tournament while one sinister poster on Twitter told Uribe he had 'played his final game for the team.' Police were already investigating death threats sent to defensive midfielder Carlos Sanchez after his red card in Colombia’s opening game with Japan. Escobar's brother, Sachi, spoke earlier this week to express his worry about the potential of another murder after learning of the news about Sanchez. He said: 'As a brother who has gone through this, I know what must be going through their heads and I wouldn't want anyone to go through that. Carlos must be feeling both sad for the mistake he made and very afraid and his family too. My brother never received any threats, they just shot him dead in the most cowardly way. The fact that people are still allowed to say these things on social network sites, even threaten him with death shows me that nothing good came out of Andres' death, nothing was learned. I want to send an important message to those people who think things can be resolved with violence and with weapons, that they can take someone's life just because they make a mistake, in this case the life of a football player. Football should be a vehicle of peace and social transformation and at the end of the day, it is just a game. But I truly hope that, if Colombia failed to meet these expectations, then the tragedy that happened to my brother doesn't repeat itself. God forbid that it happens again. These people are just lowlifes who are not real Colombian football fans, who should be arrested and thrown into jail.'

Russia's remarkable World Cup run ended in a heart-breaking quarter-final defeat on penalties as Croatia bounced back from a late extra-time equaliser to set up a last-four meeting with England. Mario Fernandes, who had brought his side level through a header in the one hundred and fifteenth-minute, missed what proved to be the decisive spot-kick, with Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitić making no mistake as he ended the hosts' remarkable run at this tournament. Despite defeat, the home fans broke into heartfelt applause as they cheered their beaten side long and loud after the final whistle in recognition of their achievements against the odds. Brazil-born defender Fernandes' miss - blazed low and wide of the post - was the second of two failed Russian spot-kicks. Fyodor Smolov missed the first with a weak effort that was easily stopped by Danijel Subašić, while opposite number Igor Akinfeev also stopped one - a fabulous low save from Mateo Kovačić. But in the end that was irrelevant. As was the stunning goal that gave Russia the lead in this, their first quarter-final appearance since 1970 and the days of the USSR. That came through a Denis Cheryshev first-half curler from outside the box, his fourth goal of the tournament. But, only eight minutes later an Andrej Kramarić header amid slack marking brought Croatia level, and after the break Ivan Perišić saw a low shot crash against the post and out across the face of goal as Zlatko Dalić's side began to control the game. Yet they only led for the first time when Domagoj Vida's header found its way into the net through a crowd of players in the first half of extra time. And, after Fernandes' late equaliser from Alan Dzagoev's free-kick - the midfielder was making his first appearance as a substitute since suffering injury in Russia's opening game - one felt the momentum would be with Russia. But victory was Croatia's and it means they emulate their great side of 1998, who were beaten in the semi-finals by eventual winners France. As the national anthem soared around the ground before kick-off, Russia fans unfurled two banners that read: 'If not you, who? If not now, when?' But Russia can be hugely proud of what they have achieved and not only in this performance where the players clearly showed they understood only too well that a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was at stake. They almost pulled off another sensational triumph - and it was recognised in the reaction of the home support, who applauded their team off the pitch for a final time in emotional scenes. For Croatia, this is a generation that is quite probably playing its last World Cup together. Real Madrid's Luka Modrić is thirty two, Barcelona's Rakitić, thirty, Juventus forward Mario Mandžukić is thirty two and Inter Milan forward Perisić twenty nine. Despite those stellar names this was not a dominant performance - up against a battling Russia team Dalić's side failed to make their supposed superior quality count. But, just as they did against Denmark in the previous round, they found their way through on penalties again, after extra time again.

France are into the semi-finals of the World Cup for the first time since 2006 after seeing off Uruguay with the help of a terrible error by goalkeeper Fernando Muslera. In terms of excitement, the quarter-final tie did not come close to Les Bleus' win over Argentina in the previous round but will still be remembered for the contrasting fates of the two goalkeepers, with Hugo Lloris producing a contender for save of the tournament while his opposite number made a mistake that was even more memorable. Raphael Varane headed France into a first-half lead from a free-kick that came straight off the training field, with Antoine Griezmann checking his run before delivering the perfect cross for the Real Madrid defender to glance home. Uruguay, with injured striker Edinson Cavani failing to even make the bench, almost struck back immediately from a free-kick of their own, but Lloris produced a brilliant diving stop to deny Martin Caceres, before Diego Godin blasted the rebound over when it looked harder to miss than score. The second-half started with France continuing to control possession, but they were gifted the goal that made certain of their victory. There seemed little danger when Griezmann let fly from the edge of the area but Muslera misjudged the flight of the ball, flapped at the shot, and saw it loop slowly over the line. Uruguay, roared on by their huge travelling support, threw bodies forward in the closing stages but could not seriously trouble Lloris again.

Belgium produced a brilliant performance to knock five-time winners Brazil out of the World Cup and reach the semi-finals for the first time since 1986. Roberto Martinez's side turned on the style in Kazan to clock up their fifth straight win of the tournament and ensure the semi-finals will be contested by four European sides for the first time. Brazil had conceded just one goal in their past four games in Russia but were behind early when Nacer Chadli's corner struck Fernandinho's arm and flew into the net, the tenth own goal of this World Cup. Fernandinho's Sheikh Yer Man City team-mate Kevin de Bruyne doubled Belgium's lead with a sublime arrowed finish from twenty yards after Romelu Lukaku's powerful run.

In an entertaining and open game, Brazil hit the post when the match was goalless - Thiago Silva missing in front of a gaping net after Neymar's corner - before substitute Renato Augusto gave Brazil hope with a headed goal after Philippe Coutinho's delicious pass. However, the South Americans became the latest heavyweight to depart the competition after holders Germany and other previous winners Argentina, Spain and Uruguay. Belgium - for whom Lukaku, De Bruyne, Marouane Fellaini and Eden Hazard in particular were hugely impressive - will now face France in pne semi-final in St Petersburg next Tuesday. There is a steely determination about this Belgium side that they did not have four years ago when they narrowly lost a quarter-final to Argentina. Eight of the starting eleven against Brazil also played in that game in Brasilia in 2014 but this time there was no hard luck story for The Red Devils as they ruthlessly dispatched the most successful country in World Cup history. Energy and belief is coursing through a Belgium team packed with Premier League winners, and many are starting to seriously ask whether this squad full of thirtysomethings is finally about to deliver. If there was a touch of fortune about the first goal - as the ball rolled off Fernandinho's arm and into the net - the second was beautifully crafted. Lukaku has scored four times at this tournament but his run which lead to De Bruyne making it two-nil was a sight to behold, the striker receiving the ball inside his own half before turning and embarking on a superb run. On a glorious night in Belgium football history, there was one negative as defender Thomas Meunier picked up another booking and will be suspended against France. Thousands of Brazil fans had packed the Kazan Arena hoping to see their team take a huge step towards a first World Cup triumph since 2002. At the end, many were in tears. Brazil had arrived at the tournament full of optimism after Neymar was declared fit after recovering from a broken foot. They depart Russia unfulfilled and with Neymar's crass and amateur theatrics one of the talking points of the tournament. When Neymar went down inside the Belgium penalty area in the second-half like he'd been his by a steamroller, he was told - in no uncertain terms - by referee Milorad Mazic to get back on his feet. Brazil, who had twenty seven shots on goal, might have enjoyed a different outcome but for an astonishing display by Thibaut Courtois. The Belgium goalkeeper produced a string of excellent saves particularly towards the end as the South Americans pressed for an equaliser. His finger-tip stop to keep out Neymar in the third minute of stoppage time was magnificent and added to Brazil's frustration after they had been denied a penalty following Vincent Kompany's challenge on Gabriel Jesus. Brazil are a much changed team since their embarrassing semi-final defeat to Germany four years ago. Nevertheless, this was another painful exit for the boys in yellow.

Barcelona have denied that former president Sandro Rosell illegally bought a liver for ex-France defender Eric Abidal. Abidal, who is now the club's technical secretary, had a transplant in 2012 after a tumour was found in his liver. Reports in Spain claim that Rosell, who was arrested for money-laundering in 2017, purchased the organ. Barcelona say they 'roundly deny any irregularity in the matter.' The claim has also been denied by Abidal and by the Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, where the player had the operation. In a statement, Abidal spoke of his 'annoyance and sadness' regarding the claims. 'My cousin Gerard donated his liver to save my life and for this I am truly grateful to him,' he said on Twitter. 'Existing procedures and protocols were followed at all times and all the medical documentation that proves so is available.' Barcelona added: 'The club are saddened by the lack of rigor [sic] in the spreading of such information about such a sensitive issue.' A spokesperson for the Catalan Justice Department told the BBC Sport website that a case against Rosell for the 'alleged illegal purchase of an organ' was 'closed without charge' earlier this year. Spain's national transplant organisation said that an investigation it launched together with the hospital and the Catalan Transplant Organisation showed the donation and transplant 'was in accordance with current legislation and common clinical protocols.' Abidal, who spent six seasons at the Nou Camp, made his comeback for Barcelona in April 2013 before joining Monaco three months later. Last week a Spanish court ruled that Rosell, who is currently in custody, will stand trial on charges of money laundering involving the sale of television rights for Brazil matches.