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England defeat Germany 2-0 to reach Euro 2020 quarter-finals

Gareth Southgate's Three Lions ended an ignominious record against their old rivals to make it through to the final eight.

The Manc The Manc - 29th June 2021

England recorded a memorable 2-0 victory over Germany at a delirious Wembley this evening to progress to the quarter-finals of Euro 2020.

40,000 raucous fans witnessed the historic triumph in London – as the Three Lions won only their second ever Euros knockout tie and ended a grim record of four consecutive big stage (knockout) defeats to their old rivals.

Two Manchester players combined for England’s first goal – with United’s Luke Shaw putting the ball on a plate for City’s Raheem Sterling who prodded home in the 75th minute.

Thomas Müller missed a glorious opportunity to level the scores with 10 minutes to go, but the German striker fired wide despite being clean through on goal.

Harry Kane met substitute Jack Grealish’s cross in the 86th minute to book England’s spot in the next round and send Wembley into raptures.

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Gareth Southgate’s side – who are yet to concede a goal all tournament – will now travel to Rome on Saturday 3 July for a quarter-final tie with Sweden or Ukraine.

The other last eight matches kick off from Friday (2 July). In the 5pm game Switzerland and Spain will play in St Petersburg. Belgium will face Italy in Munich in the later kick-off at 8pm.

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On Saturday, Czech Republic square off against Denmark in Baku at 5pm, with England set to play the final game of the round.

If England progress to the semi-finals for the first time since 1996, they will play either the Czech or the Danes in the final four.

Featured image: Euro 2020

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Pep Guardiola delivers important reminder about multiculturalism after Jim Ratcliffe controversy

Danny Jones Danny Jones Pep Guardiola speech about embracing culture after Jim Ratcliffe immigration comments

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has delivered an important message about the power of multiculturalism in his most recent press conference.

Guardiola’s comments come after the high-profile controversy surrounding his rival club across the city, Man United, whose co-owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, saw some of his recent remarks fall under major scrutiny.

In case you somehow missed it, the Failsworth-born British billionaire was heavily criticised after claiming he believes the UK has been “colonised by immigrants”.

Fast forward a couple of days, and while the club and the fan base are still dealing with the fallout of the story, Pep acknowledged the debate by reminding people that “embracing other cultures” makes for a “better society”.

Well put, Pep – in fact, we couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

Although he didn’t reference the 74-year-old directly after being probed on the subject by journalists, the Man City boss reiterated that his time spent living and working across the world has only broadened his mind and enriched his life.

That goes for both his professional and personal spheres, by the way, as the Catalan coach has often spoken of his love for English culture and the Manc people, specifically.

Speaking ahead of this weekend’s FA Cup game against local side Salford City, Pep described the attitudes towards immigrants around the world as a “big problem” despite most people simply leaving their country in search of “a better life”.

He also drew attention to the fact that he, like so many others in football – a sporting industry loved the world round by people from all walks of life and that the likes of Ratcliffe directly benefit from – is an immigrant working and contributing to not just the game but the British economy by being here.

Meanwhile, Manchester United have since shared a public statement on their club website and across social media, reiterating to fans and supporters the world over that they are an “inclusive club”.

You can read their full response down below.

Man United release statement after controversy around Jim Ratcliffe comments on immigration
‘We will continue to represent our people, our city and our fans with purpose and pride.’

The INEOS chairman, CEO and minority stakeholder in Manchester United Football Club, has since apologised (at least in part) for his “choice of language” following the divisive interview with Sky News.

In a world where plenty of people are quick to pessimism, negativity and turn to division almost by default, Pep’s message is one echoed by so many and is one that we should all keep in mind.

And for anyone who needs a more light-hearted bit of content on their timeline this week, here’s what else Pep said in his pre-match presser…

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Featured Images — Hayters TV (screenshot via YouTube)

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Man United release statement after controversy around Jim Ratcliffe comments on immigration

Danny Jones Danny Jones Man United issue statement in response to Jim Ratcliffe immigrants comments controversy

Manchester United Football Club have issued an official statement following the controversial comments made by co-owner Jim Ratcliffe surrounding immigration earlier this week.

This comes after Ratcliffe himself ultimately apologised for his “choice of language” in an interview with Sky News reporter Ed Conway.

His remarks, now widely publicised and having already sparked plenty of backlash and debate, have been criticised for being not only politically charged but also divisive, inflammatory and ‘inaccurate’.

Now, Man United – the global footballing brand with one of, if not the largest worldwide fan base that he has a minority stakeholding in – has shared a message online, reiterating that the organisation “prides itself on being an inclusive and welcoming club.”

The statement reads: “Our diverse group of players, staff and global community of supporters, reflect the history and heritage of Manchester; a city that anyone can call home.

“Since launching All Red All Equal in 2016, we have embedded equality, diversity and inclusion into everything we do.

“We remain deeply committed to the principles and spirit of that campaign. They are reflected in our policies but also in our culture and are reinforced by our holding of the Premier League’s Advanced Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Standard.”

Some believe more should still have been said and earlier, especially given that the press release doesn’t reference Ratcliffe directly, but they have finally broken their silence on the matter nearly 24 hours after the fact.

As for those who haven’t dug into exactly what the 74-year-old businessman and Monaco resident said in the sit-down with Sky, you can find out more here:

Jim Ratcliffe apologises for ‘choice of language’ after backlash over immigration comments

As for United, their media team goes on to write: “Over the course of this season, we have participated in events and initiatives at our men’s and women’s games marking mental health, LGBTQ+ inclusion, No Room for Racism, violence against women and girls and homophobic chanting.

“We have also celebrated our supporters’ clubs’ events, including our Disabled Supporters’ Association’s Christmas Party and our Jewish Supporters’ Club’s Chanukah event.

Concluding with one final message of commitment, they add: “In the weeks and months ahead, we will be supporting further initiatives in these areas.

This update clearly comes in response not only to the calls from supporters and people around the world to reply (the news breaking late yesterday afternoon), but in the wake of the British billionaire’s apology – though many still feel it falls short of an adequate one.

As for the several notable figures to have taken issue with Ratcliffe’s remarks, the Mayor for Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, was one of the most outspoken in his public reaction.

Despite having met and spoken with the INEOS boss on a number of ocassions as part of the Old Trafford Regeneration ‘Taskforce’, which includes plans to develop the football team’s home stadium, Burnham didn’t hold back in levelling his criticism at Ratcliffe and the wider ownership group.

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For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — The Manc Group/Sky News (screenshot via YouTube)

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