PREMIER LEAGUE REF RAVID COOTE SACKED OVER 'SERIOUS BREACH'

Premier League referee David Coote has been sacked, PGMOL announced on Monday, citing a "serious breach" of his contract.

Coote had been under investigation after a leaked video which showed him in an expletive-laden rant about Liverpool and their former manager Jürgen Klopp.

He is also under investigation from UEFA after a video published by The Sun allegedly showed him snorting a white powder while on duty at Euro 2024.

"Following the conclusion of a thorough investigation into David Coote's conduct, his employment with PGMOL has been terminated today with immediate effect," PGMOL said in a statement.

"David Coote's actions were found to be in serious breach of the provisions of his employment contract, with his position deemed untenable.

"Supporting David Coote continues to be important to us and we remain committed to his welfare," PGMOL said.

"David Coote has a right to appeal the decision to terminate his employment."

Sources told ESPN that Coote was not sacked for his behaviour directly relating to the Klopp incident or the video when he was on UEFA duty, but for his general conduct, which was viewed to have fallen below the expected standard.

Coote is also under investigation from the English Football Association (FA) after he was alleged to have discussed handing out a yellow card before a match.

The investigation refers to a match between Leeds United and West Bromwich Albion in October 2019. Coote booked Leeds player Ezgjan Alioski during the match. There is no suggestion there was any impropriety in issuing the card.

- Dale Johnson, General Editor, ESPN FC

DAVID COOTE: NEW VIDEO PUTS SUSPENDED REFEREE UNDER FRESH SCRUTINY

PGMOL, the refereeing body for English football, has confirmed that it is aware of a new video published by The Sun in which suspended Premier League referee David Coote is allegedly seen snorting a white powder.snorting a white powder.

Coote, 42, was stood down from duty pending the result of an investigation after a first video was posted to X on Monday which showed him making disparaging remarks about Liverpool and their former manager Jürgen Klopp.

The Sun claims the new video, which has not been verified by ESPN, was filmed by Coote and shared to a friend on WhatsApp. It was taken at a UEFA-appointed hotel on July 6 when he was on duty at Euro 2024, the day after his final appointment as support VAR for the Portugal vs. France quarterfinal.

David Coote has been stood down from duty by both PGMOL and UEFA. James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images

A PGMOL spokesperson said: "We aware of the allegations and are taking them very seriously. David Coote remains suspended pending a full investigation. David's welfare continues to be of utmost importance to us and we are committed to providing him with the ongoing necessary support he needs through this period. We are not in a position to comment further at this stage."

Coote was due to act as a VAR for UEFA Nations League fixtures over the next week, but was immediately suspended by UEFA following the action taken by PGMOL. UEFA would not confirm which games Coote was due to work on.

In a statement issued after the latest video emerged on Wednesday evening, UEFA confirmed that Coote had been made ineligible for selection but made no comment about its contents or the allegation that it happened in a UEFA-appointed hotel.

A UEFA spokesperson told ESPN: "The UEFA Referees Committee immediately suspended David Coote until further notice on 11 November -- in advance of the upcoming round of UEFA matches -- when it became aware of his inappropriate behaviour."

- Dale Johnson, General Editor, ESPN FC

REFEREE DAVID COOTE IS 'SOMETHING ELSE' 👀

 🚨| Teams with the best win percentages when officiated by David Coote (5+ matches):

▫️100% - Manchester City

▫️66.7% - Liverpool

▫️62.5% - Manchester United

▫️61.3% - Leicester

▫️60.0% - Bolton

[@WhoScored]

PREM REF CHIEF WEB ADMITS VAR ERROR BEFORE TEN HAG SACKING

Howard Webb, the chief refereeing officer of the Premier League, admitted that West Ham United were wrongly awarded a penalty through VAR which gave them a 2-1 win at home to Manchester United that resulted in the firing of manager Erik ten Hag.

The Premier League game on Oct. 27 was locked at 1-1 in the 89th minute when Matthijs de Ligt clashed with Danny Ings inside the penalty area. Referee David Coote played on, but was sent to the pitchside monitor by the VAR, Michael Oliver, to award a spot kick. Jarrod Bowen dispatched the penalty to give the Hammers victory.

Ten Hag, who had been under immense pressure with United suffering their worst-ever start to a Premier League season, was fired the following morning. Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim was appointed as his replacement and started in the role this week.

Speaking on the Match Officials Mic'd Up show, Webb admitted that the incident did not reach the high bar for a VAR intervention.

"I thought it was a misread by the VAR, a VAR that's normally really talented and reliable, but gets uber-focused in this situation on De Ligt's leg," Webb said. "His [De Ligt's] leg coming through on to Danny Ings, not making any contact with the ball. The ball's already past De Ligt as he as he makes contact with Danny Ings.

"And the VAR sees that as a clear foul. I think he was too focused on that aspect. I don't think he should have got involved. I think this is a situation where we'd leave the on-field decision as it is, probably whichever way it's called. On balance, I don't think it's a penalty kick. I would prefer no foul being given, no penalty."

Webb also backed the decision for the VAR to advise a red card to Arsenal's William Saliba against AFC Bournemouth for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity (DOGSO).

Former Man United manager Erik ten Hag argues a penalty call in his final game as coach against West Ham. Getty Images

"I think that the offence committed by William Saliba in this situation did deny Evanilson an obvious goal-scoring opportunity," Webb explained. "I think the yellow card that was issued by Rob Jones on the field was clearly and obviously wrong.

"It's a poor pass back by Leandro Trossard that puts Evanilson in and then Saliba grabs him. So suddenly from Arsenal having possession, the referees are faced with having to make a decision very quickly. Sometimes with DOGSO you have time to prepare your mind for what's going happen.

"Initially they believe that Ben White was closer than he actually was. And they also weren't convinced that Evanilson would control the ball.

"There's two things that VAR can do here to prove that the on-field decision was wrong. Firstly, you can see that Ben White is a long way away. He's not going to get to Evanlison from that position. And then secondly, they can see that David Raya is backing off and when the ball dies in front of Evanilson, even though it's some distance from goal, he's going to get on to that ball. He's going to have time to gain nice control just for the goalkeeper to beat.

"So, for me, a good intervention by the VAR, a clear and obvious error in not showing a red card on the field."

So far this season the Premier League's Key Match Incidents Panel, which assesses all matches, had identified only three VAR errors -- the other two being AFC Bournemouth's late "winner" at home to Newcastle United which was incorrectly disallowed for handball, and the missed intervention when Bruno Fernandes' red card should have been rescinded in Man United's home game against Tottenham Hotspur. At the same stage last season, 13 mistakes had been recorded.

This campaign has also seen five on-field errors which didn't reach the threshold for VAR intervention, two incorrect second yellow cards, and one missed second caution.

- Dale Johnson, General Editor, ESPN FC

PREMIER LEAGUE REF DAVID COOTE SUSPENDED OVER JÜRGEN KLOPP OUTBURST

Jürgen Klopp of Liverpool complains to fourth official David Coote during a game in May 2022. Robin Jones/Getty Images

Premier League referee David Coote has been suspended pending a full investigation after a video was circulated on social media that appeared to show him making disparaging remarks about Liverpool and their former manager Jürgen Klopp.

Two clips were posted on an account on X in which Coote is apparently sat on a sofa next to an unidentified male, who asks questions about Liverpool and Klopp.

The English Football Association (FA) has said it is "aware of the matter" and conducting its own investigation.

If the video is verified as being genuine, Coote -- who was the referee for Liverpool's 2-0 win at home to Aston Villa on Saturday -- would appear to have no future as a top-flight referee. There will be no further update from PGMOL, the refereeing body for English football, until the investigation has been completed, but Coote will be unavailable for selection as a referee or a VAR during this time.

Coote, 42, has been a Premier League referee since 2018 and took charge of the 2023 Carabao Cup final between Manchester United and Newcastle. He was a FIFA-listed official between 2020 and 2022.

While not on a UEFA list as a referee, he has, alongside Stuart Attwell, been a lead VAR and was appointed to Euro 2024.

It is unclear when the video was filmed, but there is reference to Coote being the fourth official on a Liverpool game earlier in the day and COVID social distancing.

When asked about Liverpool's performance in the game, Coote replies "Liverpool were s---."

The referee is then asked about Klopp, to which he responds: "C---, absolute c---."

Asked why he has this opinion, Coote adds: "Aside from having a right pop at me when I was reffed them against Burnley in lockdown, then he accused me of lying and then just had a right f---ing pop at me. And I've got no interest in speaking to somebody as f---ing arrogant. So I do my best not to speak to him. [James] Milner's all right."

Coote officiated a 1-1 draw for Liverpool at home to Burnley in July 2020.

What suggests the video was filmed during lockdown is that Coote then shows a picture of him in a mask on the touchline at a Liverpool game, and says: "You can see me there with [a] mask on. COVID, gotta be done. Social distancing, right? We're 10 metres apart."

Coote then adds in another apparent reference to Klopp: "But, oh my god. German c---. F--- me."

The individual sat alongside Coote then said: "Long story short, Jürgen Klopp's a c---, Liverpool are all f---ing bellends, and we hate Scousers."

The second, shorter video sees Coote say: "Just to be clear, that f---ing last video can't go anywhere, seriously."

The other person then responds: "He's a Premier League referee, let's not f---ing ruin his career. Let's face it, we're good blokes but we can't ruin a bloke's career, we're not that bad. Also he's a f---ing legend. So let's not ruin his career."

- Dale Johnson, General Editor, ESPN FC

THE VAR REVIEW: BOURNEMOUTH HANDBALL 'GOAL',JOELINTON RED

It was impossible to be certain that the ball hit the arm of Dango Ouattara. BBC

Video Assistant Referee causes controversy every week in the Premier League, but how are decisions made, and are they correct?

After each weekend we take a look at the major incidents, to examine and explain the process both in terms of VAR protocol and the Laws of the Game.

In this week's VAR Review: Was it correct to rule out AFC Bournemouth's late winner against Newcastle United? And should Joelinton have seen red? Plus, two contentious penalty incidents in Manchester City vs. Ipswich Town.

What happened: Bournemouth scored what they thought was a 92nd-minute winner when Dango Ouattara appeared to head home a corner from Lewis Cook. The referee, David Coote, gave the goal, but it was checked for a possible handball by the VAR, Tim Robinson.

VAR decision: Goal disallowed.

VAR review: It had all started so well. The judgement from the Premier League's Independent Key Match Incidents Panel, whatever stock you place on that, gave one of its cleanest report cards from Matchday 1. Only one vote out of 195 across 39 incidents said there had been a mistake. That, for the record, was for West Ham United's penalty against Aston Villa.

But the PGMOL has very little credit in the bank after a troubled 2023-24 season with a catalogue of high-profile incidents. It wasn't going to take much for the perception of failure to seep back in. Indeed, West Ham vice chairman Karren Brady even managed to stick the boot in via her newspaper column on Saturday despite an unblemished first weekend.

What the Premier League really needed was a strong August devoid of controversy (you'll never lose the contentious incidents). Yet in a few short minutes in this game, the worst of VAR reared its head again.

There's nothing more infuriating for fans than the video referee disallowing a dramatic, late winner -- especially when it's shown to be unjust.

There wasn't the definitive proof to say the ball hit Ouattara's arm where it's a handball offence. Maybe it did, maybe it didn't -- but without conclusive evidence, the VAR shouldn't be disallowing the goal. If there's doubt, it should stay with the on-field call -- and Bournemouth should have had a late winner.

It's worth discussing the background, too. Contrary to popular belief, handball doesn't start at the bottom of the sleeve. That wouldn't make any sense when some players wear long-sleeved shirts.

Then, the IFAB confused everyone by saying the "T-shirt line" should be used. (Prepare yourselves for the definition.)

What this actually meant was the point at the bottom of the armpit around the circumference of the arm. Make sense? Not really. But in effect, the IFAB was saying the shoulder area now isn't handball, when previously it was.

It's an extremely difficult place to pinpoint. Where does the handball offence start? What if some of the ball is touching below that point? Or does it need to be all of the ball? And how is it consistently determined based on different arm positions?

Few law changes in recent years have helped referees, and this made handball more difficult to judge.

Until 2021, there wasn't a definition of handball in the laws, but the whole of the arm was in general used to determine an offence. So up to 2021, this goal would have been correctly disallowed.

The IFAB released a graphic in 2021 to show where the handball offence should begin. The IFAB

This isn't about "clear and obvious," or the new "referee's call." That only refers to truly subjective situations, like possible red cards and penalties. Handball before scoring is considered factual, ergo if the ball touches the arm, it can't be a goal regardless of the player's arm position.

But a decision that is considered factual in definition can still be subjective in application. It's possible that two officials could come to different judgements on this goal. In other leagues, the referee might be sent to the monitor to "sell" the decision: it's such a huge, match-defining moment that isn't totally clear, so the referee should make the final call even though by strict protocol it's not necessary. This has never been the case in the Premier League.

This was only the ninth game as VAR for Tim Robinson, who is a recent appointment to the Premier League list. In those previous eight matches he had one error to his name, the failure to award a penalty to Nottingham Forest against West Ham in February.

Ouattara has had goals ruled out through VAR in each of his first two matchdays.

Possible red card: Joelinton on Neto

What happened: A few minutes later, Newcastle were on the attack, and after Bournemouth goalkeeper Neto collected the ball to start a fast break, he was pulled down by Joelinton. Referee Coote cautioned the Newcastle player for unsporting behaviour. But was there a case for a red card?

VAR decision: No red card.

Joelinton pulls back goalkeeper Neto around his neck. Eddie Keogh/Getty Images

VAR review: If there's one area that the Premier League has struggled to pin down with VAR, it's serious foul play and violent conduct. Last season, of the 24 missed subjective interventions, eight related to direct red cards.

For Coote, this may purely have looked like Joelinton dragged the 'keeper back to prevent a fast break, but the height of the challenge, with the arm to Neto's neck area as he was running, crossed the line into a dangerous action, and a red card feels a justified outcome. The VAR had decided that the referee's call to show the yellow wasn't clearly wrong, yet at the same time, Robinson had felt there had been enough evidence to rule out Bournemouth's goal.

Last weekend, Arsenal wanted a red card after Yerson Mosquera appeared to grab Kai Havertz by the throat, but with that call (no VAR intervention was unanimously supported by the KMI panel) there was a valid explanation that it was accidental as the Wolverhampton Wanderers player looked to brace his fall.

That's not the case here, as Joelinton's act was deliberate to stop Neto and did so in a way that could have caused injury to his opponent. No other sport would allow a player to stay on the field after such a challenge, and football should catch up.

Fabian Schär was sent off against Southampton last week for the smallest of headbutts, yet football's laws specifically cover a player who attempts to do this (hence Newcastle losing their appeal against the player's ban). Joelinton's actions are left far more open to interpretation in the laws when perhaps they shouldn't be.

Man City 4-1 Ipswich

Possible penalty: Davis challenge on Savinho

What happened: Manchester City were on the attack in the ninth minute when Savinho went down in the box after a challenge from Leif Davis. Referee Sam Allison ignored claims for a penalty and it was checked by the VAR, David Coote (watch here).

VAR decision: Penalty, scored by Erling Haaland.

Savinho is tripped inside the area by Leif Davis. NBC

VAR review: Taken in isolation, this decision wouldn't have raised too much discussion. Davis' challenge on Savinho has clear merits for a penalty, with the Ipswich player not getting the ball and making some contact with the opponent. Was it enough for a VAR penalty? It's not the most clear-cut we'll see, but it was probably fair enough.

But in conjunction with the spot kick Ipswich didn't get later in the half, it plays into the narrative (just like Bournemouth vs. Newcastle) that the bigger clubs get the decisions over the perceived smaller teams.

Possible penalty: Savinho challenge on Davis

What happened: Roles were reversed in the 42nd minute as Davis broke into the area and was bundled over by Savinho. Referee Allison waved away the appeals, and again it was looked at by Coote in the VAR hub.

VAR decision: No penalty.

Leif Davis appeared to be bundled over by Savinho, but the VAR didn't get involved. Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images

VAR review: This time the VAR decided that the referee's call of no penalty was correct. Savinho's challenge was deemed to be clumsy rather than crossing the threshold for a foul.

Davis did seem to be going down anticipating contact, and his right foot did appear to go out to initiate it. But there's an argument that's trumped by the upper body, hip-on-hip contact that caused the Ipswich player to go down.

Each of these incidents have their merits for a spot kick, yet both went in favour of the bigger club.

Fulham 2-1 Leicester

Possible offside overturn: Vardy on Faes goal

What happened: Wout Faes thought he had equalised for Leicester City in the 38th minute when he headed past Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno, but the flag went up for offside against Jamie Vardy, who was deemed to be in the goalkeeper's line of vision. It was checked by the VAR, Jarred Gillett.

VAR decision: Goal.

VAR review: Vardy was in contact with Leno as the corner was played in, but the offside judgement only starts when Faes heads the ball. That sets the position, and from that point the actions of Vardy come into play.

The angle behind the goal showed that at the point Faes made contact Leno had a clear view of the ball, and Vardy made no attempt to play it nor did he move across the keeper's path. If Vardy had been directly in front of the goalkeeper, the goal would have remained disallowed.

Referee Darren Bond had to go to the pitchside monitor to make the decision himself as this was a subjective decision that required interpretation, unlike a standard, factual offside.

Jamie Vardy wasn't in Bernd Leno's line of vision when Wout Faes headed the ball. BBC

Brighton 2-1 Man United

Possible offside: Garnacho goal

What happened: Manchester United took the lead at Brighton & Hove Albion in the 70th minute when Alejandro Garnacho side-footed into an empty net, with goalkeeper Jason Steele stranded. But as the Argentina international celebrated, the VAR, Chris Kavanagh, was checking for a possible offside.

VAR decision: Goal disallowed.

VAR review: Everyone thought this was a Garnacho goal, but replays soon showed that the ball had hit Joshua Zirkzee.

The question was, did that happen before it crossed the line? It did: The Netherlands international's knee was on the line when he touched the ball.

It seems a harsh call, because there's no defender anywhere near, and Zirkzee's position didn't make any material impact on the outcome; the ball was going to go into the net.

But as the ball touched Zirkzee before it went in, he is the goal scorer, and it's impossible to score a goal from an offside position.

A frustrating situation for Man United, but there was only one possible outcome from this factual offside decision.

The ball touched Joshua Zirkzee before the ball crossed the line, meaning it was his goal. BBC

Wolves 2-6 Chelsea

Possible red card: Mosquera challenge on Caicedo

What happened: Yerson Mosquera was booked in the 71st minute after a strong challenge on Moisés Caicedo. Was there a case for a red card?

VAR decision: No red card.

Yerson Mosquera caught Moisés Caicedo on top of the Chelsea player's boot. Chris Lee - Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images

VAR review: Mosquera ran the risk with this challenge, as he was over the ball at one point. However, contact with the Chelsea player was on top of the foot, so a booking was the correct decision. If the Wolves player had made contact with the shin, a VAR intervention from John Brooks was very likely.

Some factual parts of this article include information provided by the Premier League and PGMOL.

- Dale Johnson, General Editor, ESPN FC

EURO 2024 UPDATES: SWITZERLAND HAUNT WOEFUL ITALY AGAIN

Switzerland were in complete control throughout and deserve their place in the quarterfinals. Robert Michael/picture alliance via Getty Images

 BERLIN -- Once again, the neighbours to the north haunt Italian nights. Italy's two draws against Switzerland -- two games in which they dominated but missed penalties -- cost them an automatic place at the 2022 World Cup. And now, this: the reigning European champions fell 2-0 in the round of 16 at Euro 2024.

The difference? This time Italy were roundly and comprehensively beaten by a Swiss side that might be less technically gifted (if so, not by much) but are more athletic, more intelligent and -- dare we say it -- better coached.

That's a credit to Swiss boss Murat Yakin, though it wasn't that long ago -- October 2023, following a 3-3 draw against Belarus that saw his side needing goals in the final two minutes to avoid an embarrassing home defeat -- that some were calling for his sacking. On that occasion, Yakin didn't help himself after the match. He was asked about how his backline looked unprepared and said: "We don't need to prepare against such teams [as Belarus]."

Switzerland certainly looked prepared against Italy ... or maybe it was just because the Azzurri were THAT bad.

They punished Luciano Spalletti's decision to drop Jorginho for Nicolo Fagioli in the playmaking role by shutting down his passing lanes; they blunted Italy's press by having Ricardo Rodríguez join Remo Freuler and Granit Xhaka in the build-up; and the constant, pacy threat of Dan Ndoye and Ruben Vargas pinned the opposition full-backs deeper than they should have been.

You can, of course, chalk up both goals to defensive errors. Freuler wasn't tracked quickly enough when he cut into the box to score the opener. And the entire backline suffered a defensive brain fart inside 27 seconds of the second half when giving Vargas all the time in the world to bend it around goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma for the second. But that would be exonerating the rest of the Italy side from responsibility for the way they were second best in every other area of the pitch.

The signature moment of the game? Not the goals, but one moment, late in the first half, with Switzerland a goal up and Italy pushing for an equalizer, when Xhaka went on a rampaging forward run, pressing one opponent, then another, until he got all the way to Donnarumma. The ball went out of play and Xhaka pumped his arms as the red half of the stadium roared.

When your 31-year-old captain, playing in his 64th game of the season for club and country, does something like that -- with hunger, energy and intelligence -- it sets the tone. And it underscored just what Switzerland had in droves and Italy lacked entirely. -- Gab Marcotti

Sights and sounds around Euro 2024

VAR takes Andersen from hero to zero

DORTMUND, Germany -- Poor Joachim Andersen. The Denmark defender went from hero to zero in the 2-0 round-of-16 defeat against Germany on Saturday in the space of two minutes and all because of VAR.

Germany ultimately coasted into the quarterfinals thanks to a Kai Havertz penalty and stunning Jamal Musiala goal, but it could all have been so different had Andersen not been the victim of an incredible, heartbreaking twist of fate in the Westfalenstadion.

The Crystal Palace defender thought he had scored his first international goal when he capitalised on a goalmouth scramble to put the ball past Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer in the 48th minute. Andersen celebrated as you would expect -- he had just put his country into the lead against the Euro 2024 host nation and Denmark were ready to fight tooth and nail to hold onto their advantage -- but those celebrations were cut short by referee Michael Oliver signalling that the VAR officials (Premier League referees Stuart Attwell and David Coote) were reviewing the goal due to a possible offside.

After an agonising wait, Andersen's goal was ruled out. The semiautomated VAR footage showed Thomas Delaney to be perhaps a millimetre offside in the build-up. It was so close, and although the decision was correct, it was the kind of offside that would never have been given before VAR because the margin was so tight that it could not be spotted by the naked eye and the advantage so minimal that it wouldn't have warranted being disallowed.

Joachim Andersen had a goal ruled out and conceded a penalty, both in controversial VAR decisions, in the span of two minutes. Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images

Yet those are the rules, and Andersen had his dream moment erased from the record books. It got worse for the 28-year-old less than two minutes later.

A cross into the penalty area by Germany defender David Raum brushed the fingernails of Andersen as he turned away. The ball did not deviate and nobody inside the ground shouted for a penalty.

Once again, though, VAR intervened. "Snicko," the new tool at the VAR's disposal that can record the slightest of touches, flagged up a possible infringement, forcing referee Oliver to watch it back.

If Oliver had been bold enough, he would have shaken his head and ruled out a penalty. Andersen's arm was not in an unnatural position, but he was penalised nonetheless and the spot kick was awarded.

Havertz scored the penalty to put Germany ahead and they never looked back, but you can bet that Andersen will spend the rest of his career looking back and cursing VAR. -- Mark Ogden

Austria birthday cake

Austria coach Ralf Rangnick was given a "pie and a beautiful song" by his squad to celebrate his 66th birthday on Saturday.

The former Manchester United interim manager has restored his reputation as one of the game's foremost tactical thinkers by guiding Austria into the Euro 2024 knockout stages, topping a group that included France and Netherlands.

And Rangnick has also been credited with forging a tight bond within his squad, turning the Austrians into a formidable outfit at the tournament. The German's popularity among his players was shown by winger Andreas Weimann promising to mark his birthday with a song.

As for the pie, Austria is famous for its pastries and cakes, so deciding whether to go for a strudel or a Sachertorte may have led to the first major disagreement among the players since arriving in Germany. -- Mark Ogden

More than 40,000 march to Germany-Denmark

More than 40,000 Germany supporters performed a 3 kilometre fan march to Borussia Dortmund's Westfalenstadion ahead of Saturday's round-of-16 clash against Denmark.

The march, led by the Germany Fan Club Bus, began in the city centre at 2 p.m. local time before arriving at the stadium three hours later, having swollen to its eventual size of around 40,000 supporters.

Fan marching to games is a tradition in German football, known as the FanMarsch, and although the march in Dortmund was a pre-planned event, supporters were encouraged to join in spontaneously with organisers handing out flags and drinks along the route. -- Mark Ogden

Germany's mosquito problem

On top of everything that his Germany team is going through as host of Euro 2024, coach Julian Nagelsmann could have really done without bug bites. But Germany's training base in Herzogenaurach, near Nuremberg in the south of the country, has become infested by mosquitoes to the point that the players don't want to leave their bedrooms.

The mosquitos arrived suddenly a few days ago -- the camp is situated by a forest with a pond, while the humid weather hasn't helped either -- and don't want to leave.

Some players have been bitten quite badly by the swimming pool where a big screen has been installed for them to watch the matches. The hotel has sprayed a cocoa-based repellent to try and help, but it has created a disgusting smell and doesn't seem to have worked either.

"We are facing an unusual epidemic," said Nagelsmann in his news conference Friday, ahead of the match against Denmark. "We need more wind so the mosquitoes go, otherwise we can't stay outdoors." -- Julien Laurens

Stat of the day

Remo Freuler's opening goal for Switzerland came after a 31-pass sequence, the longest that ended in a goal at the European Championship since 1980.

Meanwhile, Ruben Vargas' second goal (45:27) for Switzerland is the second-fastest goal scored to start the second half of a European Championship match after Romania's Marcel Coras vs. Germany (45:21) in 1984 -- ESPN Stats & Information

Match previews for Sunday

England vs. Slovakia (Gelsenkirchen; 6 p.m. local / midday ET)

Odds (via ESPN BET): England -230, Draw +333, Slovakia +700

England will want to take advantage of the so-called easier side of the bracket -- France, Germany, Portugal and Spain all watch on from the other half -- and their task begins in Gelsenkirchen against Slovakia. Gareth Southgate's side will have positive recent memories of the Arena AufSchalke given that is where England won their only game so far at this tournament: a 1-0 victory over Serbia on matchday one. They might have ended up topping Group C, but England's underwhelming level of performance in all three matches has attracted criticism for failing to match both pre-tournament expectations and the sheer quality of their individual attacking players. In that context, a game against the second-lowest-ranked team left in the competition only applies further pressure on this talented group to deliver.

Southgate knows that with his contract up at the end of the year, each knockout game could be his last in the job, and talks are set to take place over his future later this summer. The decision up until now has almost entirely been his alone to make, but fail to beat Slovakia and the judgements will be harsher than anything the 53-year-old has experienced so far. Kobbie Mainoo could come into the midfield, while Anthony Gordon and Cole Palmer are pushing for inclusion after lively cameos.

Slovenia have never reached a major tournament quarterfinal since the country became independent in 1993. -- James Olley

Spain vs. Georgia (Cologne; 9 p.m. local / 3 p.m. ET)

Odds: Spain -500, Draw +550, Georgia +1000

Based on FIFA's rankings, there is no bigger mismatch in the round of 16 than Spain vs. Georgia. The eighth-best team in the world takes on the 74th, and everything points toward a Spain win.

Luis de la Fuente's side breezed through its group, beating Italy, Croatia and Albania without conceding a goal. Spain also know Georgia well, having beaten them 7-1 in qualifying for Euro 2024 in September. With Rodri dictating things in midfield and Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams adding a new dimension on the wings, Spain have emerged as one of the favourites to lift the trophy.

But, as Georgia coach Willy Sagnol says, "This is another game and so many things can happen." Georgia's energetic style had earned them the neutrals' support even before they beat Portugal to make it into the knockout stages in their first appearance at a major tournament. And there is talent in the squad, too. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is the danger man, Georges Mikautadze is the tournament's top scorer with three goals, and young goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili has excelled.

"We have nothing to lose -- for me, we have already won Euro 2024," Sagnol said. -- Sam Marsden.

Betting tip (odds via ESPN BET)

There are some great stories about this Spain side and one of the best is 16-year-old winger Lamine Yamal doing his homework in between matches. Yamal lit up LaLiga for Barcelona last season and doesn't look the least bit intimidated on an even bigger stage. Yamal to score any time vs. Georgia comes in at +180. -- Dan Thomas

One big read

Fans have embraced the look of Spain left-back Marc Cucurella. Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images

Whether at Spain's Euro 2024 training camp in Der Öschberghof in the Black Forest or on a tram to one of their games in Germany, one player has emerged as the central figure: Marc Cucurella.

For the 1-0 group-stage win against Italy in Gelsenkirchen, Spain supporter Juanma Romero and four friends all sported wigs in admiration of the Chelsea left-back's trademark long hair. "The Cucurella Boys," Romero wrote on X with an image of them posing inside the Arena AufSchalke.

By the time Spain played their third and final group game against Albania, the wigs had multiplied. They were no longer just in black, either, but also in Spain red and yellow. A group of Germany fans had even adopted Cucurella's hair for the game and, at any given opportunity, led Spanish supporters in chants of "Cucu-rella" on the tram on the way to the Arena Düsseldorf.

The wigs and chants have come accompanied with memes and songs. One meme is simple: legendary Brazil left-back Roberto Carlos with Cucurella's hair superimposed on his head. "We're alike in everything except the hair," Cucurella joked this week in an interview with Spanish media.

And finally ...

Benjamin Sesko is 6-foot-5 but still pretty quick. Getty

UEFA has compiled its statistics for Euro 2024's group stage and found that Slovenia striker Benjamin Sesko is the fastest player at the tournament so far.

Sesko, 21, is yet to score at Euro 2024 but managed to reach a sprint speed of 35.9 km/hr to top the list, ahead of Valentin Mihaila of Romania (35.8 km/hr) and Switzerland's Dan Ndoye (35.7 km/hr). The striker was linked with a summer move to both Arsenal and Manchester United before deciding to extend his stay at RB Leipzig and signing a new long-term contract.

Other notable names on the list of Euro speedsters are Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund (fourth), Milan winger Rafael Leão (fifth) and Real Madrid summer signing Kylian Mbappé (ninth), while Nuno Mendes (Portugal), Jeremie Frimpong (Netherlands) and Kieran Tierney (Scotland) also feature inside the top 10. -- Rob Dawson

- ESPN