James Horncastle

Six of our writers answer some incredibly important questions about the Euro 2024 group stage, and look ahead to the knockout rounds...

With three-quarters of his first-choice defence possibly missing, Spalletti is leaning towards a 4-3-3 — and the No 9 spot remains a problem

Follow live coverage of England vs Slovakia and Spain vs Georgia at Euro 2024 today Alessandro Bastoni is a doubt for Italy’s Euro 2024 round-of-16 tie against Switzerland on Saturday. Bastoni, 25, played the entirety of Italy’s 1-1 draw against Croatia on Monday but now the centre-back could miss Saturday’s fixture due to illness. Head coach Luciano Spalletti also confirmed that Bastoni’s Inter Milan team-mate Federico Dimarco will miss the game in Berlin after the 26-year-old wing-back was substituted against Croatia. Spalletti said: “We’ll look at Bastoni tomorrow morning,...

The Euros tends to be defined by who you least expect. There has been little to celebrate for Ronaldo, Mbappe, Kane, Lewandowski and Modric

Critics will continue to seize on his flaws but Donnarumma should be in the conversation. He has shown that with his displays at Euro 2024

Italy were seconds away from defeat and a possible exit from the tournament. Then salvation came from an unlikely source

Luka Modric labelled football “cruel and merciless” after Croatia were all but eliminated from Euro 2024 by a 98th-minute Italy equaliser. Modric’s second-half goal appeared to have sent Croatia through to the knockout stages only for Mattia Zaccagni to level the scores in stoppage time. The 1-1 draw moved Italy into second place in Group C at Croatia’s expense to ensure they qualified for the last-16. Croatia have a minor possibility of reaching the knockout stages as a best third place side, but having taken just two points from their three group games this remains...

Italy head coach Luciano Spalletti has promised to make changes to his side ahead of their final Euro 2024 group stage fixture against Croatia after conceding he did not tweak things soon enough during the defeat to Spain last time out. Italy came from behind to beat Albania in their tournament opener and Spalletti named an unchanged team for Thursday’s match against Spain. However, he made two substitutions at the break and admitted at full time his side “were never in the game aside from in the final 20 minutes” following a 1-0 loss, with Italy registering just one shot on...

Cristiano Ronaldo did not score against Turkey, but he certainly had an eventful 90 minutes

Italian law enforcers are investigating after Roberto Baggio’s villa was broken into by armed robbers on the night of Italy’s Euro 2024 group stage game against Spain. The Ballon d’Or winner, who made 56 appearances for Italy and scored 27 goals, is reported to have been assaulted and then locked in a room with his family while the robbers carried out a home invasion on Thursday. Baggio, 57, attended a local hospital where he received treatment for a head injury. Carabinieri, one of Italy’s law enforcement agencies, in nearby Vicenza have started an investigation into the incident.

The long and perilous wait for Everton to have new owners is almost over. The Athletic explores what Friedkin's exclusivity agreement means

'The only thing that can save us is our brand of football' said Spalletti. Italy must remember that in their final group game

Meetings between Spain and Italy rarely disappoint — and this one was no exception. Here's our analysis of the big match in Group B

Manchester United’s Mason Greenwood is the subject of strong interest from Lazio among a number of clubs as speculation continues over his future. Greenwood, 22, spent the 2023-24 season on loan at Spanish club Getafe, going on to make 36 appearances across all competitions, scoring 10 goals. All options remain open for Greenwood with United’s preference a permanent sale although another loan or even a return to training with the club are not being ruled out. Lazio are one of several clubs interested with Juventus, Napoli — as reported by The Athletic in May — and others in...

At 19, the Real Madrid player came of age at Euro 2024 with a thunderous goal and a show of promise that could take Turkey a long way