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pick one: Anderlecht Club Brugge Genk Antwerp Gent or Boavista Vitória de Guimarães Braga Moreirense Rio Ave Portimonense Farense

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Levi Colwill interview: ‘I grew up underprivileged. I want to help as many kids as possible’ https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6522164/2025/07/31/levi-colwill-interview-Chelsea-club-world-cup/ Levi Colwill was enjoying a much-earned holiday in Trinidad before cutting it short to attend a pre-season friendly between non-league Sholing FC and Chelsea Under-18s last Saturday. “I had a manic journey to get here,” he tells The Athletic. “I missed a connecting flight in Miami due to the airline. I had to find another plane to get me to Paris and then from there to London. I was travelling for over 24 hours, but I wanted to get back for this.” Those unaware of Colwill’s affinity to Sholing FC, who play in the Southern League Premier Division South (the seventh tier of English football), may be wondering why the centre-half would be prepared to do such a thing. Colwill’s summer break began less than two weeks earlier due to being part of the Chelsea side that beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 to win the Club World Cup on July 13. But Colwill is driven by a desire to help children. The Athletic was last at Sholing FC in December when an open trial was held to find recruits for the new Levi Colwill Academy (LSC Academy), which officially gets under way in September. As revealed back then, the 22-year-old has also funded the cost of a new 3G pitch for the club, and Saturday’s fixture against Chelsea was the grand opening for the new playing surface. A club record 1,888 were in attendance. At half-time, a proud Colwill walked round the pitch with some of the youngsters who will make up the first class at the LSC Academy. (Dom Bellinger/Sholing FC) “Being here was a priority for me,” Colwill says. “A lot of hard work has been put in, not just from me, but from my family. We know how much this is going to help the LSC Academy, too. I am so excited to launch it — everything around it is so positive. I couldn’t not be here. This is one of the best days of my life; the turnout has been amazing. “When I was walking round with the academy boys on the pitch at half-time, it just felt so good. You could see all the people having a good time, greeting us as we went round. It just felt all part of the plan to give something back, but it is just the start.” Colwill’s connection to Sholing FC, which is on the outskirts of Southampton, is an understandable one. He grew up nearby, and his uncles have played for the club. One of them, Daniel Mason, scored a superb free kick to help his side beat Chelsea’s youngsters 2-0 on the day, a goal which brought a huge smile to Colwill’s face. “It’s not just about Sholing FC,” Colwill insists. “I want to help as many underprivileged kids as possible. I thought to myself, ‘How am I going to do that?’. Football is all I know. I grew up as an underprivileged kid. I came to Sholing FC games and enjoyed them. It made me happy and made me want to become a footballer. “If I can help bring a load of kids to come down to an event like this, to enjoy being here, to fall in love with the game, that can change their lives. They can perhaps do something else rather than being on the streets. That’s the main reason. “I went into the dressing room after the game and thanked the players because there are so many kids out there who have not been as lucky as me. Life could have been different for me, so if I can help as many as possible, give them a new ambition to aim for, that’s what I want to do in life. “I also did something when I was on holiday in Trinidad. I organised a training session out there with some kids who were all from my grandma’s local area. My nan flew out with me. A few hundred people turned up. We bought the goals and so on out of my back pocket, just to give them something else to enjoy. Doing this drives me. I want to leave a legacy and have people be proud of me.” No one should be concerned about the off-the-pitch endeavours being a negative distraction for Colwill. For example, several people are working at the LSC Academy, which is run by his uncle Daniel with the support of first-team coach Ross White. Colwill adds: “We have a group chat on WhatsApp with me, my uncles and the staff. They are the ones doing things on a day-to-day basis. I want to know what’s going on and will say something if I need to, but I have full trust in them because they are really good people. “If one of the players goes on from the academy to have a pro career at any level, it would mean as much as things I have done myself. If I have influenced them to do that, hopefully they will do something similar when they get older and help the kids in their community, too. That’s all I want, to build a chain of giving back and helping.” Colwill is used to being asked for autographs and selfies when he attends Sholing FC matches, but this seems like another level. He is inundated with requests throughout the afternoon and does hundreds with a grin on his face. Perhaps it is not that surprising that hundreds approach him, with Chelsea supporters also in attendance. But you suspect being a world champion has boosted his profile even further. He will return, like the rest of Chelsea’s senior squad, to pre-season training next week, but the success enjoyed in America this month has already been consigned to the past. When asked how he feels to be called a world champion, he replies: “It doesn’t feel real. It’s not like I sit there and think, ‘Ah, we won this and that’. I have realised that when you win things, life doesn’t change. My goal is to win as many things as possible, so I am not going to be hung up on this. I need to move on and plan for the next. “This is a feeling shared in the dressing room. We have an elite mindset in our team, and this is what we need to do. The Premier League restarts in less than a month, and we need to start preparing for that.” Colwill recording the moment his younger brother came on as a substitute for Sholing (Simon Johnson/The Athletic) Few gave Chelsea a chance of beating Champions League holders PSG in the final. In many ways, you could understand why. The Ligue 1 side had put six goals (combined) past Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in the previous two rounds without conceding a goal. Being written off proved great motivation. Chelsea swept PSG aside with a style of football that should ensure they will be taken a lot more seriously in future. Finishing the season with 14 wins from 16 games also showed a sustained level of consistency for the first time since the Todd Boehly-Clearlake consortium took over in 2022. It also helped them secure a top-four finish in the Premier League and the Conference League trophy. Colwill believes it is a good sign that a corner has been turned, but suggests a lack of credit from outside of Stamford Bridge will also continue to drive the players on as they try to compete for a first league title since 2017. He continues: “We had ups and downs like a lot of teams last season. We still stayed around the top four and were never miles behind. With the fans, we really went all together and just pushed. When that happens, I feel something just lights up and you just win, win, win. That’s what we were doing in the Premier League, then we won the Conference League and headed into the Club World Cup with that mindset. “But it felt like no one thought we had half a chance, even in the final, and I thought that was very disrespectful. All the questions before the game were based on, ‘You’re not stopping PSG’. I am not complaining. It gave us that fire in the belly, and we proved everyone wrong. “It does feel like there are not many people who respect us out there. We have been using it and will continue to do so. It might change now that we are world champions, we don’t know. But we are going into games feeling like we have a point to prove. It gives us that extra one per cent, which can make a huge difference. “Do I think teams will target a win over Chelsea even more so that they can say they have beaten the world champions? Definitely, but that is not a bad thing. They will give us respect. But we have to always be on it; our mindset has to be that we have to win every game. “We feel like we can definitely compete for the Premier League. The players we have in our squad are among the best, and we are really excited for this season, to once again prove people wrong.” Colwill with his Club World Cup medal (Martín Fonseca/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images) The prospect of playing in the Champions League for the first time in his career is something he is particularly looking forward to. “When that anthem comes on, it is going to be a dream. I could get a bit emotional, to be honest,” he admits. “I went to watch many Champions League games at Stamford Bridge when I was younger. I have walked out with the flags waving against Barcelona. Many kids dream of playing in the Champions League, so it doesn’t feel real that I am about to. It’s going to be amazing. “When you hear that song, it just makes your hair stand up on your neck. No matter where you are, if you hear that tune, you know it’s the Champions League. It’s so special.” And with that, Colwill left to enjoy the last few days of his holiday before the hard work begins all over again. He has certainly earned it.

no biggie m8 😎

FUCK Trevor Philips of Sky zio shill on steroids complete complicit twat Bob Geldof: Israel Is LYING

and a truly WC or near WC right-footed CB, even if it is a veteran (28, 29yo, up to 32/33yo or so) italics means major injury questions Bremer Ousmane Diomande Marc Guéhi Ilya Zabarnyi (IF PSG fail, he is my number one want) Giorgio Scalvini Ronald Araujo Marquinhos (basically impossible I fear, he would be perfect if he did not try and pocket an insane salary) Antonio Silva Tomás Araújo (2nd choice if Zabarnyi is gone) Mario Gila Joel Ordóñez

absolutely they are the worst major source on the planet, pure liars and con artists and fucking Romano is now hyping their made up bollocks and lies he needs to stop that shit

I say cross that bridge when we get to it. CuCu is absolutely untouchable atm for me, unless PSG want to do a straight swap for Nuno Mendes (which they will not do), OR Citeh want to do a straight swap for Josko Gvardiol (which they will not do and will likely move him to LCB eventually anyways). those are the only 2 LBs of similar quality to CuCu out there atm (granted each is a difrent style of player to CuCu and to each other) Myles Lewis-Skelly may well get there too eventually, but again, zero chance Arse would do a swap for CuCu. Alphonso Davies at one point was there as well, but he has had a lot of injuries and has regressed a wee bit IMHO.

Not to be 'that girl' lol, but this post should be in the European club comps thread This forum is for national teams, AFAIK

We have never won the Intercontinental Cup (as named so) when it was first around 1960 to 2004 (run by UEFA and CONMEBOL), nor when it was brought back by FIFA last year. The old IC trophy plus, the (from 1980 onwards) Toyota Cup trophy, also given to the winners the new IC FIFA trophy our 2021 old format FCWC trophy:

Gary Neville hits out at Labour over taxes despite earlier support The former footballer said the £25 billion tax increase made it harder for firms to hire staff and came at the wrong time for a struggling economy https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/gary-neville-labour-national-insurance-rise-cb8dd3xsk Gary Neville has criticised Labour’s national insurance rise in a sign of discontent from one of Sir Keir Starmer’s most high-profile supporters. The former Manchester United and England footballer, who interviewed Starmer for Labour’s election broadcast last year, said the government had been wrong to make it harder for businesses to employ staff. Neville said the economy was “not settling” and added that Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, should have held off on the contentious £25 billion increase in employer national insurance. Gary Neville has business interests in property, hotels and football GEORGE POWELL/PA The former right-back was one of Labour’s most vocal supporters and before the election was a big backer of Starmer personally, having previously appeared at the party’s conference to urge people to “get behind” their leader, whom he described as a “serious politician”. He has a range of business interests in property, hotels and football and has joined other senior executives and entrepreneurs in their criticism of Reeves’ decision to raise the cost of employment. “I honestly don’t believe that companies and small businesses should be deterred from employing people. So, I think the national insurance rise was one that I feel probably could have been held back, particularly in terms of the way in which the economy was,” he told Sky News. Neville criticised Rachel Reeves’ increase in employer national insurance contributions KIRSTY O’CONNOR/TREASURY “It’s been a tough economy now for a good few years, and I did think that once there was a change of government, and once there was some stability, that we would get something settling,” he said. “But it’s not settling locally in our country, but it is not settling actually, to be fair, in many places in the world either.” Neville was more supportive of an increase in the minimum wage, which rose 6.7 per cent in April to £12.21 an hour, saying: “I don’t think we can ever criticise the government for increasing the minimum wage. I honestly believe that people should be paid more so I don’t think that’s something that you can be critical of. I do think that the national insurance rise, though, was a challenge.” Neville revealed in 2022 that he had joined Labour, saying at the time that the party “has to come towards the centre”. Neville with SIr Keir Starmer before the Spain v England Euro 2024 men’s final TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER BRADLEY ORMESHER At last year’s election, Starmer filmed a half-hour interview with Neville walking in the Lake District, which became a key element of the party’s campaign. Starmer said he would be “ready to deliver from the get-go” and acknowledged: “Tax levels now are the highest for 70 years, so we can’t just go and pull the tax lever.” Neville warned him that “the country are just desperately disappointed, just generally, in politicians”. Speaking on Wednesday, Neville said conditions were “really tough” for UK businesses that were finding their margins squeezed by rising costs. “It’s tough. It’s really, really tough because cost of products has gone up, cost of everything, utilities, rents, everything, has gone up,” Neville said. “It is challenging at this moment in time — there are certain sectors where it’s tough to operate, just purely because of rising costs and people finding it tough to be able to find the money to go and support those local businesses.”

I left the UK for Lisbon – it’s 42 degrees and I am struggling to cope Everything revolves around the heat. You can’t touch playground equipment without risking a burn, and every errand becomes an endurance test https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/left-uk-for-lisbon-42-degrees-struggling-to-cope-3793856 It’s ingrained in British culture to complain about the weather: “It’s always raining”, “the sky’s so grey”, “why’s it so cold”. It’s one of the many reasons I moved to Portugal three years ago. I really wanted a sunnier, happier lifestyle for me, my partner, and our 10-year-old son. Portugal is one of the sunniest countries in Europe, averaging between 2,500 and 3,200 hours per year. Their relaxed culture and family friendliness also drew us to the country but nothing prepared us for the sweltering heatwave that we just experienced. I thought I had grown used to Portugal‘s summer rhythm – the slow mornings, the shimmering afternoons, the pinkish-purple glow at dusk. But this recent heatwave has pushed many of us beyond what feels manageable. It has been nothing short of an inferno. Imagine leaving your house in the morning and it’s already 30°C. Inland towns like Moura reached an eye‑watering 46.6°C a few days ago. At one point it reached 42°C in Lisbon according to the pharmacy signs displayed outside. When the city climbs past 40°C, which it has several times already this summer, life doesn’t just slow down – it rearranges itself entirely. Hannah says by mid-morning the pavements radiate enough heat to fry an egg (Photo: supplied) From the moment we wake up, everything revolves around the heat. Mornings start unnaturally early at around 6am, and it’s not only because it’s uncomfortable to sleep for a long time when it’s so hot. If I want a walk, a run, or even just a few minutes in the park with my son, it has to happen before 8am. By mid-morning, the sun is already intense, and by the afternoon, the pavements radiate enough heat to fry an egg. In all honesty, there’s nowhere truly cool to go unless you want to crowd into an air-conditioned shopping centre. Luckily for us, Lisbon is a relatively tree-lined city, so it’s not too hard to find refuge under some shade while sipping on a cold, icy cider at a kiosk. Read Next squareEXPATS Why it's getting even harder for Brits to become EU citizens Read More You can’t touch playground equipment without risking a burn, and every errand becomes a mini endurance test. Just going to the supermarket means strategic timing, frozen bottles of water in your bag, and a mental countdown until you can get back home and return yourself to the semi-darkness of shuttered windows and electric fans. Living without air conditioning, as many of us do in the older neighbourhoods of Lisbon, adds a layer of intensity. Our apartment traps heat like a brick oven, so we’ve adopted a system: blinds down by 10am, fans placed at every doorway, and cold compresses on standby in the fridge. My partner and I take turns keeping our son cool, spritzing his skin with water and encouraging him to eat cold fruit snacks with high water content such as melons, grapes and apples. Having a child during this level of heat brings its own unique challenge. You become hyper-aware of hydration, of skin exposure, of shade. I slather him in spray-on SPF 50, make sure he wears a hat and super light clothing when he goes out, and restrict playing outdoors to the first and last hours of the day. He loves playing basketball in our local park so our evening routine has shifted. Hannah: ‘The heatwave has made everything heavier – work, decisions, movement’ He now starts playing basketball after 8pm when the breeze finally starts to pick up and he finishes around 11pm several times a week. On cooler days, he wouldn’t typically be out that late. On the hot days when he doesn’t want to play basketball, we’ve made a ritual out of post-sunset walks and drinks from a local restaurant round the corner. When we’re lucky, there’s a small crosswind that filters through the streets, and for a moment, it’s like the city can breathe. But sleep is much harder – especially for me. My asthma is completely exacerbated even though it’s typically under control. I found myself having to use my S.O.S. inhaler a few times during the past couple of weeks because the heat felt suffocating. Read Next squarePORTUGAL Why Brits are now moving to Portugal instead of Spain Read More The heatwave has made everything heavier – work, decisions, movement. You think twice before planning anything, and question everything, even your sense of what’s “normal”. Because this isn’t normal. I’m from London and didn’t grow up in heat, but I know it’s not supposed to feel like this. Not days in a row where the air feels uncomfortably tight, and where the stone walls that usually keep Lisbon cool seem to sweat right beside me. I’ve found myself thinking more and more about climate change in the very real sense that this is probably our new normal. It’s hard to ignore the feeling that these extreme temperatures aren’t just a one-off event. This heatwave isn’t some random occurrence; it’s a symptom. Every time I read a headline about record-breaking temperatures across Europe, or wildfires, it hits me: things are shifting. And living through it – especially with a child – adds an urgency to my concern. I’m starting to wonder what August will look like, or next year, or ten years from now. Lisbon has always been hot in the summer, but now it feels like it’s teetering on the edge of something much more serious. The conversations we used to have about “someday” and “elsewhere” are here now, on our doorsteps, in our sweltering living rooms.

EXCLUSIVE Jeremy Corbyn Interview: Why We Launched Your Party

Tyrese Maxey’s New Balance “Hero Pack” Releases July 31st https://sneakerbardetroit.com/tyrese-maxey-new-balance-hesi-low-v2-1906r/ After a huge season, Tyrese Maxey is finally getting his own New Balance collection. He was named Most Improved Player and made his first All-Star Game appearance. New Balance is celebrating with two sneaker releases just for him. The first shoe is the New Balance Hesi Low V2. It comes dressed in an icy white mesh upper with soft blue tones. Teal and purple TPU accents decorate the heel. A smaller silver “N” logo replaces the usual oversized branding. This sneaker focuses on performance but still looks good off the court. The second shoe is the New Balance 1906R. It’s more of a lifestyle option. This pair features a clean white canvas base with tan and leather overlays. Blue and violet shades appear on the midsole and inner lining. These details help tie both sneakers together visually. Both models release July 31, 2025, with the Hesi Low v2 priced at $120 and the 1906R at $160. You can grab them at Foot Locker and likely at NewBalance.com the same day. This drop marks a big moment in Tyrese Maxey’s career. While he doesn’t have a signature shoe yet, New Balance is clearly treating him like one of their top athletes. Fans can now rock performance and lifestyle kicks backed by one of the NBA’s rising stars. Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from our Sneaker Release Dates page. Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram. UPDATE 7/24/25: Tyrese Maxey is bringing his love of superheroes and hoops to a special “Hero Pack” for New Balance that launches on July 31st. The two-piece pack will come in the 1906R for lifestyle and Hesi Low v2 for on-court play, with each sneaker sporting custom insoles that have the guard’s signature inside a comic book style word bubble. The intricate detail, Maxey explains, was his way of paying homage to his love for comic book art. In a press release, Maxey said the project served as an embodiment of his high flying and aggressive playing style, as well as his inspirations off the court. New Balance granted him the creative freedom to use his own story to design the pack, “to tell people to find the hero in themselves.” The “Hero Pack” will launch on NewBalance.com, as well as select Foot Locker locations in Philadelphia and Dallas.

@DDA was being sarcastic

IF he could just stay healthy, I would not trade him for any of the 10 on my list he is that good when he is fit but he is so fucking glassed-out it is maddening 😕

why? he is a DMF (and a good one btw) BUT unless we are selling glassman Lavia, this makes no sense the ten best DMFs who are remotely available (assuming Tchou stays at Real Madrid) in order of valuation Aleksandar Pavlovic (hardest pull on the list) Adam Wharton Morten Hjulmand Carlos Baleba Alan Varela Ardon Jashari Douglas Luiz Quinten Timber Marc Casadó Rúben Neves (insane passer, and yes he is 28yo, but he can go on like Cesc did, I think he would be a fucking weapon here)

He played a full 90 minute game in the FCWC, plus 70 more in another game there.

The twitter clout chaser Vince has the price wrong

Brilliant if it happens.

We absolutely a ner WC right footed CB and a WC GKer, even after Simons signs (if we actually get him). Right footed CBs I rate who are even remotely available Italics means major injury concerns Bremer Ousmane Diomande Marc Guéhi Ilya Zabarnyi (IF PSG fail, he is my number one want) Giorgio Scalvini Ronald Araujo Marquinhos (basically impossible) Antonio Silva Tomás Araújo (2nd choice if Zabarnyi is gone) Mario Gila Joel Ordóñez Pietro Comuzzo Josip Sutalo Mohamed Simakan Ryan Flamingo

Yes. Scalvini worries me. Just like pre-injury Wes Fofana, I was a huge fan. But the instant Fofana had the horrowshow leg break with Leicester I perma crossed him off my target lists. Was horrified we bought him and worse yet, bought him for insane dosh. I sorta get the same vibes with Scalvini and his TWO in one season major injuries. I still think Scalvini can recover fully (Fofana is perma fucked, even if he can play he is a shadow of the pre injury Fofana), BUT I want to see a full all healthy season or two from Scalvini first.

I do not like that shit sale price. Only £21.5m. WTF

I support Khan and Labour. Trump is the actual cunt of cunts.

Neto is better as a RWer Gittens and Tyrique are better at LWer