Players’ union boss Maheta Molango has said tension between his members and the game’s authorities has “escalated” over the last four years, and Liverpool have turned down an approach from Bayern Munich for Luis Diaz.
Own goal gives Norway win against Switzerland
🇳🇴 Norway come from behind to get the win in Basel 💪 #WEURO2025 pic.twitter.com/B64GOcmBnM
— UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 (@WEURO2025) July 2, 2025
Julia Stierl’s second-half own goal gifted Norway a barely-deserved 2-1 win against hosts Switzerland in their opening European Women’s Championship match in Basel.
Switzerland defender Stierl turned the ball into her own net four minutes after Norway captain Ada Hegerberg’s superb header had cancelled out Nadine Riesen’s first-half opener for the Swiss in front of a 34,063 crowd at St Jakob-Park.
Hegerberg missed a second-half penalty for Norway, who were out-played by the hosts, while it is the first time a host nation at a European Women’s Championship have lost their opening match.
Katariina Kosola’s 70th-minute goal was enough to end Finland’s 16-year wait for a Euros win as they won 1-0 against Iceland, who had Hildur Antonsdottir sent off for two yellow cards.
Strike threat not gone away – PFA chief
Players’ union chief executive Maheta Molango believes the threat of players striking over workload has not gone away and says tensions between his members and competition organisers have “escalated” over the last four years.
Some of the world’s top stars are currently involved in the Club World Cup in the United States, often training and playing in high temperatures on the back of long domestic seasons and with new campaigns just around the corner.
Manchester City midfielder Rodri said last year players were “close” to striking over the demands being placed on them and when asked if a strike was still on the table, Molango said: “It comes to a stage when you expect the authorities to look after you and they don’t look after you.
“When you go to those pre-season meetings with other stakeholders, you can see the tension. I’ve been doing that now for four years and the tension has been escalating.”
Liverpool block Bayern over Diaz
Liverpool have rejected an approach from Bayern Munich for Colombia forward Luis Diaz.
The PA news agency understands the Premier League champions have no intention of selling the 28-year-old, who played a key role in Liverpool’s title success last term.
Bayern are the second club to have registered an interest this summer in Diaz, who joined Liverpool from Porto in 2022 and has two years left on his contract, with Barcelona having already been rebuffed.
Also on Wednesday, Bayer Leverkusen completed the signing of Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah in a £35million deal.
Morecambe owner sacks board
Public Statement on behalf of Bond Group Investments & Jason Whittingham.#UTS 🦐
— Morecambe FC (@MorecambeFC) July 2, 2025
Morecambe owner Jason Whittingham has sacked the club’s board of directors a day after they announced they would put the club into administration amid a protracted takeover process.
On Tuesday the club’s board had demanded that Whittingham’s Bond Group Investments complete a sale to Panjab Warriors – a deal first announced at the start of June – and then said they would call in administrators on Wednesday morning after a 6pm deadline was missed.
But Whittingham issued a statement on Wednesday, saying: “Bond Group Investments has started the process to dismiss the board of directors with immediate effect in order that we can take control over the situation giving us the required additional time to ensure that the club has the best chance to avoid administration.”
What’s on tomorrow?
World champions Spain launch their bid for glory at Euro 2025 as they take on Portugal in Bern (8pm) in their opening match. Fellow Group B rivals Belgium and Italy face each other in their first game in Sion (5pm).
