Euro 2024: semis arrive with Spain v France, plus England and Netherlands news – as it happened

I’d love to see how this develops but I’m afraid I have to sign off. Thank you for reading this live blog and make sure to read the minute-by-minute for the Spain v France game.

A sense a bromance is forming between Justin Kavanagh and Peter Oh. Here’s another message from Justin:

This Scottish reincarnation of Rodri Stewart in Peter Oh’s fervent imagination presumably has been Sailing through these Euros, lamenting the Killing of Georgia, and asking us all Do You Think I’m Xavi? Hopefully Tonight’s the Night when he finally gets to “loosen off that pretty ugly French gown.”

Statement from the Dutch football federation (KNVB) before their match with England:

The Netherlands team will not arrive in Dortmund until tonight. Due to a blockage on the track the scheduled train service between Wolfsburg and Dortmund has been cancelled.
The team will now fly to Dortmund tonight at 8.20 pm. Because of that the press conference in the BVB stadium with national coach Ronald Koeman and Nathan Aké, which was planned for 7.45pm, unfortunately cannot take place. We are currently looking for other options. The semi-final of UEFA EURO 2024 between the Netherlands and England will take place tomorrow from 9 pm at the BVB Stadium in Dortmund.

We’re three and a bit hours away from Spain v France in the first semi-final. Read the Football Daily newsletter as we countdown to the snoozefe- … I mean game.

Scotland might be out of this year’s competition but fans can still live vicariously through Rodri, their adopted son. Peter Oh had this to say about the midfielder:

Further to Justin Kavanagh’s ode to Spain’s complete footballer. If he played for Scotland, what might he be called? Rodri Stewart? Some guys have all the luck.

9 Jul 202411.18 EDT

Jacob Steinberg

“The game takes you on a journey,” said Alexander-Arnold, who sent England through to face the Netherlands in Wednesday’s semi-final when he crashed his kick past Yann Sommer. “I would have liked to keep my position in the team, but the manager has made decisions and I respect his decisions. The team always comes first and you have to buy into that.”

I’d personally like to see Trent Alexander-Arnold included in the starting XI tomorrow, whether England play a back three or a back four. While his Liverpool teammate, Cody Gakpo, might cause him some problems defensively, his passing ability makes him a great asset to the England team. Read what Jacob Steinberg thinks:

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9 Jul 202411.01 EDT

Louise Taylor

If Wednesday’s Euro 2024 tie will bring Euro 96 memories, good and bad, flooding back for Southgate, Ronald Koeman will quite possibly reflect on 1988 and his outstanding performance at sweeper, the Netherlands’ current coach helping to create the platform on which Van Basten wowed the world.

Ronald Koeman and Gareth Southgate will have different memories of previous England v Netherlands clashes. The Netherlands beat England 3-1 in EURO 1988 as Koeman went on to lift the trophy as a player. England got their revenge eight years later at EURO 1996 with a 4-1 victory that saw a young Gareth Southgate excel in defence. I wonder what will happen in tomorrow’s game. You can read more about the previous fixtures here:

Speaking of Memphis Depay’s headband, it seems to split opinion for some reason. The Allen Iverson-esque headgear has an appropriate message on the back. Who cares?

It is not that he has refused to change during 25 years as a coach. He has adjusted to a new generation by not being as strict as he has been in the past, giving them more responsibility. It is doubtful whether an earlier version of Koeman the coach would have allowed Memphis Depay to wear a headband or given Joey Veerman another chance so soon after he was hauled off after 34 minutes against Austria.

Ronald Koeman, often seen as a no-nonsense manager, has also worked on changing the way he’s perceived. Read about how Koeman’s softer touch has helped him become more relatable to his players.

Gareth Southgate is often credited for the work he’s done to change the perception of the England team for the better. The players seem to want to play for Southgate and the weight of the England shirt doesn’t feel as heavy as it has done in the past.

Away from the Euros, there’s transfer news from the Premier League.

Leicester have completed the signing of Atalanta defender Caleb Okoli for about €15m (£12.7m). The 22-year-old, who has represented Italy at Under-21 level, spent last season on loan in Serie A at Frosinone.

Okoli, who has agreed a five-year contract, is Leicester’s third summer signing after the arrival of the 18-year-old midfielder Michael Golding from Chelsea for about £5m and the former Fulham forward Bobby Decordova-Reid on a free transfer.

I love this message from Justin Kavanagh:

“I loved Sid Lowe’s interview with Rodri. I watched him live against Scotland last year and came to the conclusion that when AI gets round to computing the complete footballer (with Ruud Gullit’s body, Jonathan Wilson’s tactical brain, and Messi’s vision and balance maybe?), there will still be old guys with caps in Spanish bars saying ‘yeah, but he’s no Rodri, is he?’”

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9 Jul 202410.02 EDT

Paul MacInnes

Let’s quickly repeat: these are English fans, passionate for their country, but they do not feel included. “We are England till we die, we just want to be let in,” they say. “Just invite us in, we’ve got so much to give.” That hasn’t happened, though and instead they take care never to wear an England shirt to games, make sure to get tickets in the family stand and, throughout their road trip across Germany, have had to message home after each match to let their loved ones know they are safe. “Our primary consideration is safety,” they say.

9 Jul 202409.59 EDT

Paul MacInnes

I overhear five England fans having a conversation. They are all Asian, three of them older, two of them much younger and they are debating the contemporary nature of racism within the England support. One of the younger lads, wearing the blue 1990 shirt, says it doesn’t exist any more, to which the older guys pretty much laugh in response. “It’s not on the surface,” one says, “but it’s still there.” Eventually the younger ones agree and after a short while they head off to bed.

Whoever Southgate chooses for the starting line up, the travelling fans will be keen to get behind the team. Yet for some black and Asian fans, their experience at the tournament hasn’t been completely comfortable. Read the full article from Paul MacInnes here:

Despite all the criticism of Kane, he’s still scored two goals in his last four games. It’s pretty remarkable to consider how he’s managed that when he plays so deep. The stat below pretty much sums it up. I thought pressure was for tyres not strikers.

9 Jul 202409.25 EDT

Jonathan Wilson

Harry Kane has been nowhere near his best at this tournament, apparently still struggling with the back injury that affected him towards the end of the Bundesliga season. Might Ollie Watkins start in order to try, with his natural inclination to pull left, to drag De Vrij into that space behind Dumfries? Is there an argument to go with Ivan Toney given his aggression and imagination? Almost certainly it will still be Kane, who has, after all, scored twice in the past four games and had the fifth-most shots in the tournament despite his apparent detachment. And at least Southgate against Switzerland was, eventually, prepared to take him off to unleash the less predictable talents of Toney.

Should Southgate opt for a back three or back four against the Netherlands? Whatever happens, I hope Luke Shaw is included in the starting XI to help balance an England team that’s been leaning to the right like a drunkard.

9 Jul 202409.17 EDT

Jonathan Wilson

Luke Shaw was fit enough to play the final 12 minutes plus extra time of that game so it may be he can start and offer natural width on the left. Even if he does, given the greater fluency of England in the first half of the quarter-final, it seems likely the back three will be retained. That then means either Kieran Trippier as right wing-back with Bukayo Saka moved into the forward line and, probably, Phil Foden missing out; or, more likely, Saka remaining at wing-back and Trippier standing down. Trippier, though, is one of England’s more vocal organisers and, with no Harry Maguire or Jordan Henderson, that may be a quality Southgate is reluctant to lose.

As we mentally prepare ourselves for England’s semi-final against the Netherlands, there are still a few tactical questions that need to be answered. Jonathan Wilson guides us through all the big talking points here:

Thank you Sarah. I’m glad to be back after my lunch of salmon and rice. If you have any thoughts on salmon, rice or the Euros, feel free to email me.

I’m handing back to Xaymaca now who will take you through the rest of today’s Euros news.

A nice stat for England fans:

9 Jul 202408.46 EDT

Nick Ames

Uefa has given its full backing to Felix Zwayer, who will officiate England’s Euro 2024 semi-final against the Netherlands as planned despite Jude Bellingham making an unproven allegation of match-fixing against the referee, which he denies, three years ago.

The governing body has no concerns about Zwayer’s suitability to oversee the game despite Bellingham describing him as “a referee that has match-fixed before” in a high-profile run-in during 2021. Bellingham referred, after a match between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich in December 2021, to a case that led to the German official being banned for six months in 2006. The Guardian understands Uefa has complete confidence in Zwayer, who has been Fifa listed since 2012.

Read the full piece:

So who is currently in the running for the Euros Golden Boot? Topping the standings at the moment is Georgia’s Georges Mikautadze with three goals and one assist. The Netherlands’ Cody Gakpo has the same stats but the Georgian is ahead as he played fewer minutes to wrack them up. Have a read of the standings here:

Some news away from the Euros now as there has been a signing in the Premier League. Nottingham Forest have signed Carlos Miguel from Corinthians.

The deal is four-years long for the Brazilian goalkeeper. The 25-year-old said: “Just seeing the stadium and feeling the energy within it, I can’t wait to be on the pitch to help Nottingham Forest win.

“My main objective is to become an important member of this team, a giant club in the history of football. I want a place in the museum like the others!”

But how did France do in the quarter-finals? Here’s the verdict:

It would be easier to list the things that are working for Les Bleus at this tournament rather than the ones that aren’t, but Didier Deschamps will not care. His team are through to the semi-finals after defeating Portugal on penalties after another rather disjointed display. The midfield is not working, Antoine Griezmann is out of form and Kylian Mbappé is struggling with his broken nose and other fitness issues. Deschamps said: “For different reasons, Antoine and Kylian are not at the top of what they can do but we are through. We are a group, the collective strength is still there.” Ousmane Dembélé made a positive impact from the bench and may well start against Spain.

Our very own Marcus Christenson has written about how each team faired in the quarter-finals. This is his assessment of Spain:

They had to come through one hell of a battle against Germany, losing Pedri to injury after eight minutes, but in the end the players stood there, arms aloft, having made the semis thanks to Mikel Merino’s late headed goal. Dani Olmo had said beforehand that the game felt like a final and afterwards it was difficult to comprehend that Spain were not even in the final yet. Against France, they will be without the suspended Dani Carvajal and Robin Le Normand, with Jesús Navas and Nacho Fernández likely to deputise. It could disrupt the selección’s rhythm but they should have the squad to cope with the difficulties. Olmo started on the bench against Germany but in the end was arguably Spain’s best player.

You can read the full piece here:

9 Jul 202408.10 EDT

Jonathan Liew

Hang on, roll the tape back. Play it again. Shock as Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford left out of England squad. England players using £421 smart ring to boost Euros hopes. Fury over Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer comments on podcast. Some men throw beer cups at Gareth Southgate (and miss). Jude Bellingham in hot water over “obscene gesture”. Nineteen-year-old runs England midfield in first international tournament. Bellingham fined over “obscene gesture” but escapes ban. Southgate hits back at critics. Southgate fumes over tactical “leaks” in media.

Did you spot it? Did you need another look? Like the famous viral video of the moonwalking bear, there are times when it’s easy to get lost in the noise, in the distractions, to follow the loose threads, and ignore something quite unusual happening right in your field of vision. Like Kobbie Mainoo, who in the time it took you to read this paragraph has already played three passes and slipped down the defender’s blind side to make himself available for the return.

Read the full piece:

Thank you Xaymaca, I hope you have a good lunch. I will be taking you through the next hour, while I snack on chicken satay skewers. If you have any thoughts on the skewers, lunch or the football you can email me (sarah.rendell.casual@theguardian.com) or message me on X (@rendellx).

Thank you for checking the page so far. I’m handing over to Sarah Rendell who will continue updating you on EURO 2024.

Luke Shaw also chimed in. “When he’s on the pitch he makes other players feel positive,” Shaw said. “I think we all feel very positive when he’s on the pitch, because he’s our leading goalscorer. At any time he can score a goal and make that difference. He’s a very important player, he’s our captain.”

Harry Kane has faced criticism for his performances throughout the tournament but his teammates have been quick to jump to his aid. Trent Alexander-Arnold said: “Anyone who is facing England would like to see Harry Kane not playing. You just know he is a threat. Anything in and around the box, you need to be on red alert. He can finish it from every angle. I always say he is the best finisher I’ve seen or played with. He can drop down and build play up and his hold-up play is incredible too.”

Back to the England camp now. There’s some team news courtesy of PA:

England’s full squad trained on the eve of the Euro 2024 semi-final against the Netherlands. Gareth Southgate’s side are preparing for their third semi-final appearance in four major tournaments as they seek to reach the country’s first men’s final on foreign soil.

Harry Kane was among those in action having been substituted during extra-time of Saturday’s quarter-final triumph against Switzerland after clattering into the dugout area.

9 Jul 202407.42 EDT

Ben Fisher

“It’s an incredible honour for me to be given the opportunity to lead my country and it’s the proudest moment of my career,” Bellamy said. “It was always my ultimate dream to become the Cymru head coach and I am ready for the challenge.”

Away from the Euros, Wales have appointed Craig Bellamy as their manager. Their former captain will be hoping to lead the team to the next World Cup and European Championship.

9 Jul 202407.35 EDT

Sid Lowe

I always watch games back, whole. Especially if I think there are things that can be done better. I watch them alone. You see lots of things you didn’t see on the pitch. The feeling you have watching it is different to how it felt at the time. I often find there are things I don’t even remember having happened. I like to analyse the game, not just mine, but the rest of the team. In my mind, I see moments. My feeling is that we produced a very complete performance against a team that’s similar to us, a talented, physical team. There were moments we suffered, when solidarity was key, when we had to close off. It’s important to see those moments, understand them. Knocking out the hosts, Germany, is one of the hardest things there could be. In the end, we did it.

A less surprising starter is Manchester City’s Rodri. Learn more about the midfielder here.

A more surprising mainstay in the Spain starting XI is the Chelsea full-back Marc Cucurella. Read about how the big-haired left-back made himself indispensable to de la Fuente.

Lamine Yamal has been one of the breakout stars at this year’s tournament. He’s the youngest player ever to feature in the Championships at 16 and 338 days old on his first Euros appearance. Since then he’s been a star player for Luis de la Fuente with three assists already.

Message from Kári Tulinius:

In comparison to their risk-averse play, the French players really went all out in their politics. I can’t think of many cases like this, where footballers involve themselves in party politics and come out of it with their reputations enhanced. It’s been really life-affirming. Hopefully they’ll take some of that joy into tonight’s match, though as Jonathan Wilson has pointed out, Deschamps’ France tend to be at their best when their backs are against the walls, such as in their two classics against Argentina.

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Monfort, 56, who works as a freelance photographer for the Associated Press and others, said the photoshoot took place in the visitors’ locker room at Barcelona’s Camp Nou in the autumn of 2007, when Lamine Yamal was just a few months old.

“We made the calendar with the help of Unicef,” Monfort said. “So Unicef did a raffle in the neighbourhood of Roca Fonda in Mataró where Lamine’s family lived. They signed up for the raffle to have their picture taken at the Camp Nou with a Barça player. And they won the raffle.”

On the other hand, Spain have been the most exciting team left in the tournament. The winger duo of Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal have gone viral for their skills, dance moves and now their baby photos?

France’s top goalscorer so far is Mr Own Goal. The only goalscorer on their team is Mbappé who scored his spot kick against Poland in the group stage. Maybe we’ll see a return of the forward’s World Cup final spirit in the game tonight.

Check out the full golden boot list below.

Should politics and football mix? Not according to Rabiot who said: “I have always said that sport and politics don’t always go well together. We have a semi-final to play and I think we needed to put the politics to one side. We told people to vote, because democracy would decide. There were many who voted – it was the highest turnout. We leave the analysis to those that are good at it. I am a footballer. A good thing or a bad thing? I don’t know. Let’s see what the future holds.”

France at large may also welcome the boring the games in light of the political uncertainty that comes with their recent election result. The France midfielder Adrien Rabiot said: “We didn’t watch [the elections] together. We got back from training, had dinner at 8.15pm and then everyone went to their own rooms. We were concerned about the results of the elections and we have other things on our minds as well but it is not something we mentioned. Some players have spoken on social media but we have not talked about it collectively. A lot of people felt relief after the result.

Deschamps might actually be welcoming the boring games after his side’s thrilling World Cup final defeat to Argentina in the last World Cup. I’m sure he’d take a 1-0 victory on the road to the EURO 2024 final over an entertaining 3-3 draw and defeat on penalties.

9 Jul 202405.18 EDT

Sid Lowe

The coach joked that a Swedish journalist must be “French really, disguised as Swedish” when it was put to him that, with the quality of players at his disposal, his France team are dull. “If you’re getting bored, watch another game,” he said. “You don’t have to watch – it’s fine. It’s a special Euros. It’s very difficult for everyone, with fewer goals. It hasn’t been the same as in the past, but we share the desire to make French men and women happy through the results we have been getting, especially in a period that has been hard for our country. But if the Swedish are getting bored, it doesn’t bother me much.”

The French manager Didier Deschamps hit back at critics in a recent press conference. “If you’re getting bored, watch another game,” he said.

There are mitigating circumstances — Kylian Mbappé’s broken nose is chief among them, but more worrying is a lack of end product from Marcus Thuram and Randal Kolo Muani. Ousmane Dembélé has hardly been better, even if he did provide a bravura display off the bench in the quarter-final against Portugal on Friday. France continue to look starved of answers in attack but, at this stage of the tournament, the question should perhaps be not “what’s the problem” but rather “does it matter?”

In all fairness to France, their defending at this year’s tournament has been exemplary. Read more about France’s faltering front line here.

Hello and welcome to this EURO 2024 live blog.

Spain play France in the opening semi-final at 8pm. Before the tournament I might have viewed a clash between the European titans as an exciting game, but has there been a truly exciting game involving France thus far? Maybe the liveliness of Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams and err … Marc Cucurella will spur on Kylian Mbappé and co. Let’s hope so.

Keep refreshing this page as we build up to that game and provide you with updates from the England and Netherlands’ camps as they prepare for their semi-final tomorrow night.