Jose Mourinho was in attendance to witness Anthony Joshua fight Francis Ngannou in Riyadh just hours after presenting the trophy at Egypt Cup final.

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• Mourinho is currently a free agent
• Flew to Riyadh in his free time to watch boxing
• Was also present alongside Ronaldo & Totti in the Egypt Cup final

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Mourinho received the biggest cheer of the night from fans in an otherwise flat atmosphere at the Kingdom Arena during the showdown fight between Joshua and Ngannou. After his unceremonious sacking from AS Roma, the Portuguese manager has made the most of his free time by flying out to the Middle East, where his presence garnered significant attention amongst fight fans.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Earlier in the day, Mourinho was at Al-Awwal Stadium for the Egypt Cup final, where he presented the trophy alongside football legends Ronaldo Nazario and Francesco Totti. He walked out of the tunnel with the silverware in his hand, flanked by Ronaldo & Totti, amid loud cheers from the audience. The trio shook hands with players from both Zamalek and Al Ahly before taking their place in the VIP box.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Mourinho had been linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League but the manager turned down the opportunity as he wanted to honour the contract with Roma. Even after he got sacked, Al-Shabab came knocking on his door but the coach once again knocked them back as he is reportedly keen to stay in Europe for the time being.

Teenage fast bowler joins squad on back of impressive Warwickshire displays

George Dobell27-Jun-2018Henry Brookes has continued his swift ascent by winning a call-up to the England Lions squad.Brookes, 18 years old and with just six first-class games behind him, has made quite an impression in his limited opportunities at Warwickshire.Blessed with decent pace – a recent televised game showed him bowling at 90mph – he has also demonstrated admirable skill and maturity. Both his team-mate, Jonathan Trott, and his county director of cricket, Ashley Giles, have stated with confidence that he will represent England.A former England Under-19 player, Brookes has also made two first-class half-centuries in his eight innings at that level. He was not selected for Warwickshire’s current Championship match in a bid to manage his workload. He is understood to be fully fit.His Warwickshire teammate, Olly Stone, would surely have won a call-up to the squad, too, but is currently sidelined through injury.

Chelsea may have had a stop-start campaign on the field this campaign, but this hasn't stopped one talented defender from confessing that he would like to move to Stamford Bridge, according to recent reports.

What's the latest news involving Chelsea?

The Blues have endured a rather sobering start to the Premier League campaign and sit 14th in the table with just five points from their opening six fixtures, which was compounded by a 1-0 loss to Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge last week courtesy of a strike from Ollie Watkins, as per BBC Sport.

Malo Gusto received a straight red card for a challenge on Lucas Digne in the encounter and will undergo a suspension alongside striker Nicolas Jackson, who has accumulated five yellow cards this campaign, leaving Pochettino short in the final third. Nevertheless, the Argentinian coach has confidence that he can turn things around in SW6, as he stated in his post-match press conference: "We are confident in the way we perform – the only thing we are missing is scoring and if we keep working hard we will change. I am not frustrated, just disappointed. I think we were the better team until the red card."

Confusion reigns in west London following a difficult start to this campaign for Chelsea and coach Bruno Saltor has left the club due to having his contract terminated amid a backroom staff reshuffle, as per Sky Sports.

Chelsea have made their worst start to a league season since 1978 and have failed to score in their last three league fixtures despite spending a colossal amount of money on squad improvements during Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali's tenure in SW6.

Speaking on the Talking Transfers podcast, 90min reporter Graeme Bailey has claimed that Chelsea could look to enact a swap deal involving Roma striker Tammy Abraham and loanee Romelu Lukaku as a potential solution to their goalscoring woes.

Who has said they want to join Chelsea?

As per Ekstra Bladet, Lecce defender Patrick Dorgu has signalled his intention to move to Chelsea despite interest from Liverpool, Manchester City and Barcelona in his services.

The Denmark Under-21 international, who is labelled as a unique talent in the report, stated: "Chelsea is my dream to play for. I’ve been a fan of them for over ten years, so playing for them would be a huge dream."

Dorgu has made a strong start to 2023/24 for his current employers, registering one assist in six appearances for Lecce across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt. The 18-year-old has made his presence known at the heart of Lecce's backline this term, winning around 1.2 challenges per match in Serie A, according to WhoScored.

Predominantly utilised as a left-back, Dorgu has also provided a threat offensively for his side in 2023/24, successfully carrying out seven shot-creating actions in his time on the field, as shown on FBRef.

It is unclear if Chelsea are actually keen on Dorgu or if he has purely stated his ambition to potentially move to Chelsea at a later stage of his career; nevertheless, the Blues are well-covered at left-back, with Ben Chilwell, Ian Maatsen and Marc Cucurella to pick from.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is reportedly planning to convince one "remarkable" player to join him in the north London.

Who have Arsenal signed 2023?

Arteta's side, in their bid to challenge for the Premier League title once again, put pen to paper on deals for club-record signing Declan Rice, versatile Netherlands defender Jurrien Timber, forward Kai Havertz and goalkeeper David Raya for a total of around £200 million or more.

Going the other way, Arsenal shipped out Folarin Balogun, Granit Xhaka, Matt Turner, Auston Trusty, Pablo Mari, Kieran Tierney, Rob Holding, Nuno Tavares, Marquinhos, Nicolas Pepe, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Albert Sambi Lokonga on either loan or permanent deals.

These acquisitions have proved fruitful so far, even if Havertz has been subject to fierce criticism and Timber is out for most of the campaign with an ACL injury. Raya has gone on to usurp long-reigning number one goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale between Arteta's sticks, while Rice is slowly but surely justifying his mammoth £105 million price tag.

The Gunners are unbeaten over their first six league games, winning four of them, and next take on Bournemouth today as they seek to keep chase with the division's heavy-hitters.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

Regardless of their lavish spending over the summer, it has been reported that Arsenal have one eye on January, and one player they've been heavily, heavily linked with is Brentford star Ivan Toney. The England striker, who is currently serving a ban till mid-January for alleged gambling breaches, is subject to intense interest across the Premier League.

Chelsea and Tottenham have been named as other suitors for Toney after his brilliant 20-goal league haul last season, form which resulted in high praise from his manager Thomas Frank.

“Ivan is amazing in many, many aspects,” Frank said earlier this year.

“The way he copes with pressure and distractions is amazing. He’s been scoring goals, performing for the team and driving the team. He’s remarkable. I can only talk about the Ivan that I see every day around the place and he’s a fantastic person around the group. He’s got that unique emotional intelligence to be aware of all the players, and every staff member."

The 27-year-old is said to be a personal favourite of Arteta's, according to reporter John Cross of The Daily Mirror, who has an update on Toney's potential move to the Emirates Stadium. According to his information, Arsenal's manager is personally planning to "convince" Toney to join Arsenal by making him a priority target.

Arteta will apparently be hopeful this can sway him to their part of north London over fellow interested sides (Chelsea and Spurs named again), but Arsenal may have to sell players first. Brentford will demand a minimum of £60 million for Toney, a figure which the Gunners could be wary of given Financial Fair Play. Any proposed makeweights will be a struggle to find, according to Cross, as options like Eddie Nketiah and Emile Smith Rowe are both committed to making it at Arsenal.

Nevertheless, Arteta has a plan to tempt Toney, and it's by showing making the striker Arsenal's "outstanding choice" in the winter.

Winning the European Championship and reigning victorious over the continent is something only a select group of nations can boast.

England are yet to do it and the Germans haven’t done it in nearly 30 years, showing just how difficult it can be.

The Three Lions have come close in the past two tournaments, being beaten in the final by Italy in 2021 and Spain in 2024.

But who are the best champions in the competition’s history? Football FanCast has decided to take a trip down memory lane and rank every team to win the tournament since the inaugural edition in 1960.

17 Italy – 1968

One of the very early European Championships back in 1968 saw the Italians pick up their first of two triumphs in this tournament.

Solely for the fact that Italy only made it through to the final thanks to the flip of a coin in the semi-finals after they played out a stalemate with the Soviet Union on the field, this team has to be rock bottom.

The final tournament only consisted of four teams, with England among the qualifiers after seeing Spain off over two legs. The Three Lions were beaten by Yugoslavia before securing third place in a play-off against the Soviet Union.

Meanwhile, Italy, who still had to qualify despite having hosting rights – this was chosen once the finalists had been confirmed – came from behind to beat Bulgaria in their quarter-final play-off to make the final four.

With penalty shootouts not existing until the 1970s, a coin toss gave Italy a shot at glory on home soil. A late equaliser set up a replay against Yugoslavia, and just two days later, the Italians prevailed 2-0 to claim their first European crown.

16 Portugal – 2016

Bringing it back to the modern era with a Portuguese team who weren’t expected to go all the way, in truth. Cristiano Ronaldo was of course their poster boy, but after suffering an injury during the final, he spent the remainder of the night doing Fernando Santos’ job for him on the touchline. Eder’s goal in the final was thrilling, though they never really blew anyone away.

This was best demonstrated by the fact that they only won one game within 90 minutes – their semi-final victory over Wales. Of course, this Portugal team is perhaps best known for winning the tournament despite drawing all three of their group games and scraping through as one of the best third-placed teams, having finished behind Hungary and Iceland in Group F.

A shootout victory over Poland and extra-time triumphs over Croatia and France in the final saw them write their way into footballing folklore in the most underwhelming of manners.

15 Soviet Union – 1960

The first European Championship – then known as the European Nations’ Cup – took place in France in 1960, where the Soviet Union prevailed as the inaugural winners.

Not that it is necessarily their fault, but with the tournament being much smaller and there being fewer teams in the finals (four), it is hard to put them in the same conversation as some of the more recent teams who have had to play up to seven times on their way to victory.

Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union went toe-to-toe in the final at the Parc des Princes in the French capital. It was the former who took the lead, before the Soviet Union hit back through Slava Metreveli and Viktor Ponedelnik’s winner in extra-time.

14 Denmark – 1992

Denmark’s triumph in 1992 as the ultimate dark horse has to go down as one of the greatest achievements in men’s international football.

Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel played a major role in his country’s success whilst midfielder Henrik Larsen was joint top-scorer along with three others.

This victory is made all the more remarkable when one considers that the Danes didn’t originally qualify to take part. It was only after Yugoslavia were removed from the tournament due to the breakup of the country amid the outbreak of war that Denmark – second to Yugoslavia in their qualifying group – earned their spot, and they certainly grabbed this unlikely opportunity.

The tournament also saw the end of the backpass rule, which the Danes were all too keen to exploit – leaving them lower on this list than their victory perhaps merits.

13 Italy – 2020

Italy are the first team to feature on this list more than once and their success three years ago isn’t this low down solely because it was England that they beat in the final.

That may play a minor role, but it has more to do with the fact that whilst they were a good side that scored seven unanswered goals in the group stages, they didn’t really reach the heights of a great team, having sneaked their way to victory with just one win inside 90 minutes in the knockout stages – albeit an impressive one against Belgium.

The Azzurri won’t care whether they were good or great given that they got their hands on the trophy, and on top of that, it has to be said that they had some excellent performers including the likes of Federico Chiesa, Nicolo Barella, Leonardo Spinazzola and Gianluigi Donnarumma.

12 Spain – 1964

Our journey through time takes another major leap as we arrive in 1964, the year of the competition’s second edition.

This was the first time that Spain were able to complete a whole campaign after they were booted from the previous tournament for their refusal to face the Soviet Union four years prior whilst under the rule of Francisco Franco.

Luis Suarez was the star player for the Spaniards in ’64 and so whilst again, there were limited matches in comparison to the modern game, the Euros still bore witness to some true excellence from one of the very best.

11 West Germany – 1980

When combining the exploits of West Germany and the unified nation of Germany as they are now, it is a tie between them and Spain for the most trophies.

The second of two as West Germany came in 1980 – they beat Belgium in the final in the ancient city of Rome thanks to a brace from Horst Hrubesch, who has recently managed Germany Women and the Hamburg men’s side.

Hrubesch was second in the scoring charts for his country and the overall tournament as Klaus Allofs was the only man to reach a tally of three.

This side have ended up in the middle of the pack due to the fact that they weren’t exactly blowing any teams away – they won three of their four matches by a single goal alongside a goalless draw with Greece. Nevertheless, they still seized a great opportunity and earned a coveted European Championship title after seeing off the likes of the Netherlands and then-reigning champions Czechoslovakia along the way.

10 Germany – 1996

Sticking with Die Mannschaft as they won their third title in 1996.

After beating England in the semi-finals following Gareth Southgate’s miss from the penalty spot, the Czech Republic awaited the Germans at Wembley.

Patrik Berger, formerly of Liverpool, opened the scoring in the final with a penalty of his own. Oliver Bierhoff scored his only two goals of the tournament on the biggest stage, the first levelling things up and then the second being a momentous golden-goal winner in extra-time.

Having seen off the likes of England, Italy, Croatia and the Czech Republic (twice), it is hard to begrudge them their place as one of the better championship-winning teams.

9 Czechoslovakia – 1976

Czechoslovakia weren’t the most spectacular of teams and certainly weren’t the favourites in 1976, but for one moment alone that was truly iconic, they deserve to be remembered fondly.

This moment in question is of course the chipped finish from the penalty spot that decided the final in their favour which has now come to bear a certain name.

Antonin Panenka did something so audacious and unexpected that he is now etched into the history books of the sport, with the Panenka name carrying such significance for this action from 12 yards out alone.

8 Spain – 2024

Spain won their third European Championship in 2024, winning all seven games on their way to the trophy.

Having been dumped out of the World Cup by Morocco in 2022, La Roja had something of a point to prove as they jetted off to Germany 18 months later – and they certainly did that.

They won all their group games without conceding a goal, but came alive during the knockout stages. They came from behind to smash tournament newcomers Georgia before a dramatic 119th-minute winner saw off hosts Germany in the last eight.

Their tournament truly came alight in the semi-final stage with arguably the moment of the competition, with 16-year-old Lamine Yamal scoring one of the greatest goals in European Championship history to equalise against France, before Dani Olmo’s goal set up a grand final against England.

Spain’s winning experience appeared to serve them well as they defeated the Three Lions in Berlin to secure a third European crown in five attempts, with this iteration of the team hugely impressive and looking like favourites to defend their title in 2028.

Despite being subjected to incessant and sickening abuse in Spain, the Real Madrid and Brazil winger is leading football's fight against racism

In May 2023, Gareth Southgate was asked for his reaction to the racial abuse Vinicius Jr had been subjected to during Real Madrid's Liga clash with Valencia at Mestalla. "If anyone suggests to me we don't have a problem in society with racism, well, there is another example of what we are dealing with," the England manager told reporters. "And more examples of people burying their heads in the sand, quite frankly.

"It is a disgusting situation. But I think it is so bad that it is going to force change. I am hoping there will be something positive to come out of it."

The positive is Vinicius, a 23-year-old of extraordinary talent but even more remarkable resilience, who arrives at Wembley for Saturday's international friendly against Southgate's England as the face of football's fight against racism.

Put quite simply: there is no more important player in the game today.

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  'The happiness of a black Brazilian'

  One of the most offensive aspects of the discourse surrounding racial abuse is the idea that the victims can be culpable. They sometimes bring it on themselves by having the audacity to enjoy themselves – or simply exist.

  The horribly misguided message is that there are nasty people out there and they might say nasty things if they're upset. Racial abuse is, the ignorant argue, an inevitable response to perceived provocation.

  As Pedro Bravo, the president of Spanish football agents, infamously told in September 2022, "You have to respect your opponents. When you score a goal, if you want to dance Samba, you should go to sambodromo in Brazil. You have to respect your opponents and stop playing the monkey."

  But it's never been about the dancing. Vinicius has always known exactly what upsets so many people in Spain. It's "the happiness of a black Brazilian" – and for a long time there were few more ebullient black Brazilians plying their trade in La Liga than Vinicius, the personification of .

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  'Incessant racist abuse'

  He enjoyed himself each and every time he set foot on the field – and rival fans hated him for it. Just like Bravo, they tried to make out their animosity towards Vinicius was due to his alleged disrespect and diving, but the root cause was quite clearly the colour of his skin.

  Shortly after the broadcast, Atletico Madrid fans were heard chanting "You're a monkey, Vinicius, you're a monkey" outside of the Metropolitanto before a Liga clash with Real. Before another Madrid derby in January of last year, Atletico supporters chillingly hung a black effigy clad in a Vinicius Junior shirt off a bridge in the Spanish capital.

  When Barcelona won La Liga on May 15, their title celebrations were marred by chants of "Die, Vinicius!" Six days later, the match referee, Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea, temporarily suspended play during Madrid's meeting with Valencia at Mestalla after Vinicius drew his attention to the racial abuse being aimed at him by a significant number of home fans. Among the insults flagged in the referee's official report were, "F*cking black, you're an idiot’, "F*cking black son of a b*tch" and "Monkey, you're a f*cking monkey".

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  'It wasn't one person shouting…'

  Vinicius was so understandably enraged that Carlo Ancelotti even considered taking him off. "It wasn't one person shouting," the Italian coach pointed out. "It was the crowd.

  "You have to stop the game. You can't continue, it's impossible. I told the referee that I was going to substitute him. I had never thought of removing a player before because fans were insulting him. I'm very upset. The only thing he wants is to play football. He is not angry, but sad."

  Vinicius was angry, though, and when the game resumed after a 10-minute delay, his unsurprising sense of indignation eventually got the better of him. During a melee in injury-time, he was dismissed for lashing out at Valencia striker Hugo Duro, who escaped punishment despite having held Vinicius in a headlock beforehand.

  "The prize that the racists won was my sending-off!" the Brazil international wrote on Instagram afterwards, before adding, "It's not football. It's La Liga."

  He then went further by claiming that "the championship that once belonged to Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Cristiano and Messi today belongs to the racists. A beautiful nation, which welcomed me and which I love, but which agreed to export the image of a racist country to the world.

  "I'm sorry for the Spaniards who don't agree, but today, in Brazil, Spain is known as a country of racists. And, unfortunately, for everything that happens each week, I have no defence. I agree. But I am strong and I will go to the end against racists. Even if it's far from here."

  That last line was the subject of intense scrutiny, as it insinuated that Vinicius might even quit Spain in order to escape the incessant racial abuse.

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  'Little bit alone'

  However, it was interpreted more as a warning by those close to the club, a sign of his dissatisfaction with his employers, whom he reportedly believed hadn't always been quick enough to throw their support behind him. The whole situation evoked memories of Mario Balotelli's attempts to deal with racism in Italy. The forward had once been asked how the incessant abuse made him feel and he replied, "A little bit alone."

  Plenty of Vinicius' team-mates have rallied around him over the past couple of years – Thibaut Courtois said they were willing to walk off the field at Mestalla last year – while Ancelotti has repeatedly slated the authorities for not doing enough to protect his player or push those abusing him. It was certainly telling that Javier Tebas got more riled up by Vinicius' wholly justified criticism of La Liga, and the Spanish authorities in general, than the shocking scenes at Mestalla.

  The Liga chief effectively blamed Vinicius for not playing his part in the fight against racism when, in reality, it feels as if this whole struggle has become his burden to bear.

With football's ever-growing popularity and commercial reach, football kits have increasingly become seen as fashion pieces as well as representations of the teams that wear them.

It's not just clubs, though; international teams will regularly release one or two new kits every year, especially when there is a tournament on the horizon, and with Euro 2024 fast approaching, expect to see a raft of shirts released in the coming months.

With that in mind, Football FanCast has created a list of the 12 best shirts ever worn at the European Championships.

12 Poland 2012

Kicking off the list is an inclusion that may surprise some: Poland's home shirt from their European Championships on home soil in 2012.

While the tournament was excellent, with Poland and Ukraine being fantastic hosts, the men in white and red didn't do much on the pitch.

They took two points from their first two games courtesy of two 1-1 draws. However, the draw against Russia on matchday two was almost seen as a win given that the visitors scored first and the fierce rivalry between the two teams. Unfortunately, a loss to the Czech Republic in their third game meant they finished rock bottom of their group, but they looked good doing it.

Poland tend to make great shirts most years, but this simple design with the rectangle across the chest, an eagle in the middle and a badge off to the side all come together to make an excellent, modern kit that wouldn't look out of place today, 11 years on.

11 West Germany 1988

Okay, we're going a little further back in time for this one.

Germany have a history of producing quality designs for international tournaments. Something about that white and black base just looks brilliant regardless of what else they do to it. That said, for our money, their 1988-1990 effort is their best to date.

The 1988 competition was staged in West Germany, and while the team made it out of their group – beating Spain and Denmark in the process – they were beaten in the semi-finals at the hands of eventual winners, the Netherlands.

The top itself is undeniably iconic. The plain white base with the German flag printed across the front in Adidas' best template is instantly recognisable, and Germany even modelled their 2018 kit on the design.

10 England 2021

The first England entry on the list, and like every other shirt here, it's a corker.

If we are being honest, England shirts can often be quite dull. You can't do much with an almost entirely white top, but for Euro 2020, Nike found a way to make it far more interesting.

The thick navy collar combined with the jagged stripes up the side gives some much-needed intricacy to the shirt, and we just love the badge's central placement – why can't all badges be central?

The tournament itself was a memorable one for the Three Lions as the cross-continent nature of the competition meant that they played most of their games at home, including a memorable round-of-16 win over Germany.

Alas, it was still England, and so it inevitably ended in penalty shootout heartbreak as Italy clinched the title in a tightly contested final at Wembley Stadium.

9 England 2022

Back-to-back England, but the Lionesses' shirt for the 2022 European Championship deserves to be on this list.

Where the men came agonisingly close to lifting what would've been the country's first European title, the women went one better. The final was once again held at Wembley Stadium, only this time, the opposition was Germany. It was a fantastic spectacle, with England clinching it in extra time, much to the delight of a sold-out crowd.

The shirt itself was also a stunner. It didn't have the navy detailing of the men's, instead featuring a faint diamond pattern base with an iridescent Three Lions and Nike tick.

8 Sweden 1992

Much like in the domestic game, in international football, some teams are instantly recognisable from the colour of their shirts alone, and Sweden are a great example of that.

The rich yellow and royal blue colour combo is unmistakably Swedish, and it just so happens to be one of the most aesthetically pleasing combinations as well.

With so many iconic kits to choose from for the Swedes, we have opted for their 1992 home shirt. It has everything you'd want from a Sweden top: a rich yellow base, royal blue stripes that pop from a mile away, and a chunky retro collar with a perfectly placed Adidas logo at its base.

The competition itself took place in Sweden and was a relative success for the Swedes, as they made it out of their group and to the semi-finals, where they would be beaten by Germany.

7 Italy 2021

Few international football teams look as stylish as Italy, and their effort for the 2020 European Championship is no different.

When picking the best Italian shirts, you are spoilt for choice, but we reckon this is their best effort to date. The two-tone blue base looks brilliant on the pitch, and the Renaissance-inspired print just gives it that edge over some of their plainer designs, as do the collar and gold detailing.

It was also a tournament to remember for Gli Azzurri as they went in as dark horses and ended up winning it all after breaking English hearts in the final at Wembley Stadium.

6 England 1996

Okay, this is the last England shirt, we promise – but it is a beaut.

1996 is one of those years that has become mythologised in English football. It was a tournament that made people genuinely believe the team would finally lift some silverware again, and in front of a home crowd as well.

The game against Scotland and Paul Gascoigne's goal live on and are instantly recognisable for England fans – even for those who weren't around to see it – but as it always does, the tournament ended in penalty disappointment for the Three Lions, once again at the hands of the Germans.

That said, at least the team looked good, thanks to this brilliant shirt from Umbro. The incorporation of electric blue around the number and along the chunky collar really helped the shirt to pop, and a central badge always helps make a shirt look better.

5 Denmark 1992

Scandinavia's second representative on the list, Denmark, have produced some stunning kits over the years, but we reckon their home shirt for the 1992 European Championship takes the cake.

The 1986 top might get more attention, but the design and history attached to this one give it the edge. The plain red base paired with the striped red and white sleeves really makes this top stand out amongst other red and white shirts – and we just love a retro collar.

1992 is probably the greatest year in Danish football due to the fact that they – somewhat surprisingly – won the European Championship that year. It was surprising for a couple of reasons: one, for as good as they were, they were underdogs compared to teams like Germany and the Netherlands; and two, they didn't even qualify for the tournament.

The Danes only entered the competition after Yugoslavia were disqualified following the breakup of the country and the ensuing violence.

4 USSR 1988

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or the USSR, might not exist anymore. Still, when they did, they had an excellent track record in international tournaments – and an even greater record of beautiful kits.

The 1988 European Championship was the last Euros they appeared in, as they played as the Commonwealth of International States (CIS) for the 1992 edition of the tournament following the dissolution of the state.

1988 was a massively successful tournament for the team, though, as they beat England and the Netherlands in the group stage before beating Italy in the semi-final. Unfortunately, they couldn't do the double over the Dutch in the final, and they would have to settle for second at their last-ever Euros.

The shirt itself was a stunner. The base was red and white and used one of Adidas' best-ever templates, while the collar and detailing made it stand out from the others that used the same base design.

3 Croatia 1996

Now, this one might be a bit marmite in that some will love it – like us – and some will probably hate it, but you just cannot make a list like this and not include Croatia's iconic shirt, specifically the 1996 edition.

The checkerboard pattern is certainly garish; there's no getting away from that, but it's unique, eye-catching and instantly recognisable. The tricolour detailing around the collar and sleeves takes it up another level and comfortably makes it one of the three best kits ever worn at a European Championship.

The team themselves had a reasonably impressive tournament that year, with group-stage wins over Turkey and Denmark – who were then the reigning champions. However, they were ultimately knocked out in the quarter-finals by eventual champions Germany.

Durham have signed Cameron Bancroft as their overseas player in all formats for 2019 -a further chance for rehabilitation for the Western Australian batsman after the ball-tampering escapade involving three Australian players.Bancroft was given a nine-month ban from international, State and Big Bash cricket by Cricket Australia that will expire in late December after he was caught trying to change the condition of the ball with sandpaper during a Test against South Africa in Cape Town.David Warner and Steve Smith, the other players banned after the Cape Town malarkey, with each of them serving 12-month suspensions, have already secured overseas contracts in Canada and the Caribbean Premier League.Bancroft’s competitive cricket has been more low-key, restricted to the Northern Territory Strike League. He is also expected to play for the WA Premier League club Willetton before an expected return with the Perth Scorchers.Bancroft, who admitted to altering the condition of the ball using sandpaper, had signed for Somerset in 2018 but his contract was withdrawn.Alongside the talk of forgiveness, but what is most interesting is the cricketing decision. Bancroft, subject to calls from Cricket Australia for either the World Cup or, more likely, Ashes series, has signed up for the whole season, an increasingly rare event in the English county game.In part, it is an indication of his desire for a settled period after a highly-fraught experience, although it also represents good positioning. With the World Cup due to take place in England next summer, followed by an Ashes Test series, he will hope to force himself into contention with a burst of early-season form. That is a sizeable task. Even before the ball-tampering affair, his Test place was under scrutiny and he has played only one T20I.Cameron Bancroft playing in the NT Strike League•Getty Images

His reputation in T20 is not particularly high, but the same is true of Tom Latham, the New Zealand batsman who has stabilised Durham’s top order in the past two seasons. They have reached the quarter-finals of the Vitality Blast under Latham’s captaincy with a game built around lower totals on the more challenging pitches in the north-east.Durham head coach Jon Lewis, said: “Cameron provides us with a very talented overseas signing who can bulk up our batting line up and help us compete for silverware.”Tom Latham has done a great job for us over the past two seasons but we anticipate Tom being unavailable due to the World Cup in 2019, therefore we were delighted to be able to bring Cameron in.”Cameron is a talented top order batsman and a great talent across all formats, he has the appetite and temperament for scoring big runs.”Bancroft said: “I am grateful for the opportunity and I can’t wait to get over and make an impact with Durham”.As part of his punishment, Bancroft has been required to undertake 100 hours’ community service. He has volunteered for a Perth charity working with children who have cancer and has undertaken a course in Spanish.

The USMNT received a major boost for the future by securing the rights of Cole Campbell, who is a standout at Under 19 level for Borussia Dortmund.

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USMNT secure new dual-nationalCole Campbell switches from IcelandStandout U19 performer for DortmundWHAT HAPPENED?

The 18-year-old, whose father is American and mother Icelandic, had his switch to the USA approved by FIFA. Campbell grew up in the Atlanta United academy system, but opted to move to Iceland and made his professional debut at just 15-years-old in their top flight when the opportunity arose with FH Hafnarfjordur.

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Campbell completed a move to Dortmund ahead of the 2022-23 season, and has since been a standout with their U19 squad, scoring three goals and registering nine assists from midfield this campaign.

He could follow in the footsteps of two current American standouts in Gio Reyna and Christian Pulisic, who both broke out with the Black and Yellow as teenagers before making their USMNT debuts. The recruitment of Campbell, though, is also a continuing trend underneath Gregg Berhalter as manager of the USA. The 50-year-old has excelled in recruitment, with the likes of Folarin Balogun, Sergino Dest, Yunus Musah, Ricardo Pepi, Alejandro Zendejas, Brandon Vazquez and Aidan Morris among others.

DID YOU KNOW?

Campbell's mother is former Iceland international Rakel Karvelsson, who played D-1 soccer at the University of North Carolina.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR CAMPBELL AND THE USMNT?

The 18-year-old will continue his development at the U19 level, before hopefully, being called up to the first-team in 2024-25. As for the USMNT, Berhalter and co. take on Jamaica in the CONCACAF Nations League on March 21 in a semifinal clash.

Can Lauderhill’s strong expatriate numbers inspire a turnaround for the visiting team?

The Preview by Mohammad Isam04-Aug-2018Big PictureWest Indies will go into the second T20I in Fort Lauderdale armed with the confidence that their big hitters and aggressive bowlers are firing in tandem, presenting a challenge even greater for a Bangladesh side that hasn’t been able to sustain its success for any measurable period through this tour.As always, much of Bangladesh’s hopes would fall on their four senior batsmen, but there’s a lot more that the likes of Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar and Ariful Haque can bring to the table. Soumya, despite being thrown multiple lifelines, has failed to find a way out his wretched form, while Liton needs to capitalise on impressive starts and push on to producing something more substantial. Ariful is still young at the international level, but expectations from newcomers have never been higher in the Bangladesh set-up.The bowling load will be shared between Rubel Hossain and Mustafizur Rahman, who both are usually required to bowl at critical phases in T20s, with Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Shakib Al Hasan providing support. Nazmul Islam, who debuted earlier this year, needs to adapt quickly if he is to survive in this spin attack.West Indies, the world champions, have very little to worry about. Ashley Nurse, Keemo Paul and Kesrick Williams complemented each other, taking eight wickets together, before Andre Russell, returning from injury, Marlon Samuels and Rovman Powell upended the chase in a six-heavy onslaught in the last game. If those signs weren’t worrying enough for Bangladesh, they are compounded by West Indies’ superlative record at this venue: they are yet to lose a match in Lauderhill, have three of the four highest totals at this ground, and have bowled out the opposition twice in three completed games. Ominous?Perhaps the one factor that could come to Bangladesh’s aid is the crowd in Lauderhill; the local population has a strong subcontinental presence. The expatriates have already turned up in droves in South Florida for the double-header, meaning that Bangladesh’s first international match in the USA will likely have the feeling of a home game.Form guideWest Indies: WWLLL (last five completed games, most recent first)
Bangladesh: LLLLLIn the spotlightAshley Nurse took two wickets in the first over of the previous match, and yet never returned to bowl. That was partly down to his lack of wickets in the ODI series that preceded this, and Nurse would be keen to get the numbers back on his side, once again demonstrating the control he can bring while also breaking through.Liton Das has scored at a rate over 128 in nine T20Is this year, but that strike rate is hardly enough to cover up an average of 18. He doesn’t have a single half-century despite batting in the top three. It’s time for the promise to translate into performance.Team newsBarring last-minute injuries, West Indies are unlikely to make changes to their XI.West Indies (probable): 1 Evin Lewis, 2 Andre Fletcher, 3 Andre Russell, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 6 Rovman Powell, 7 Carlos Brathwaite (capt), 8 Keemo Paul, 9 Ashley Nurse, 10 Samuel Badree, 11 Kesrick WilliamsSoumya Sarkar has been in miserable form in domestic cricket, and his inclusion in the squad was only as a result of the management’s plea. He would undoubtedly be under the scanner, with Mosaddek Hossain being the prime candidate to replace him.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Liton Das, 2 Tamim Iqbal, 3 Soumya Sarkar, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Ariful Haque, 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Mustafizur Rahman, 10 Nazmul Islam, 11 Rubel HossainPitch and conditionsThe last completed game in Lauderhill produced a run-glut, with West Indies and India totaling 489 runs and both innings producing a century.The weather has been quite warm, but it is likely to remain clear for both matches.Stats and trivia Bangladesh have now lost five or more T20Is in a row for the sixth time Tamim Iqbal is 65 runs away from aggregating 1,000 runs across international formats this year