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UEFA Picks Two Video Review Referees at Center of Controversy for Euro 2024 Duty

Premier League - West Ham United v Fulham - London Stadium, London, Britain - April 14, 2024 Referee Stuart Attwell talks to his assistant as West Ham United's Lucas Paqueta looks on. (Reuters)
Premier League - West Ham United v Fulham - London Stadium, London, Britain - April 14, 2024 Referee Stuart Attwell talks to his assistant as West Ham United's Lucas Paqueta looks on. (Reuters)
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UEFA Picks Two Video Review Referees at Center of Controversy for Euro 2024 Duty

Premier League - West Ham United v Fulham - London Stadium, London, Britain - April 14, 2024 Referee Stuart Attwell talks to his assistant as West Ham United's Lucas Paqueta looks on. (Reuters)
Premier League - West Ham United v Fulham - London Stadium, London, Britain - April 14, 2024 Referee Stuart Attwell talks to his assistant as West Ham United's Lucas Paqueta looks on. (Reuters)

The match official accused of bias by English Premier League club Nottingham Forest got UEFA support on Tuesday by being selected for the European Championship as a video review expert in an overall list which included no women.

Forest’s inflammatory social media post on Sunday targeting Stuart Attwell has been widely criticized across English soccer and was even mocked by another club.

Forest said Attwell is a fan of relegation rival Luton and claimed that this was a factor in not being awarded up to three penalty kicks on video review in a 2-0 loss at Everton on Sunday.

Attwell is among 20 video assistant referee (VAR) specialists chosen by UEFA to work at the 51-game Euro 2024 in Germany that starts June 14.

“All chosen referees have performed consistently to the highest standards in UEFA’s top competitions, and also in their domestic competitions,” UEFA head of refereeing Roberto Rosetti said in a statement.

Also on the VAR list is Tomasz Kwiatkowski of Poland, who UEFA removed from a Champions League game in November one day after he advised 2022 World Cup final referee Szymon Marciniak to award Paris Saint-Germain a stoppage-time penalty for handball against Newcastle. Kylian Mbappé scored to deny Newcastle victory in a 1-1 draw.

Marciniak is among the 18 European referees picked for Euro 2024, plus Facundo Tello of Argentina who joins them as part of the close working ties between UEFA and South American soccer body CONMEBOL.

UEFA did not include any women among the referees, assistants, video review specialists and fourth officials in their Euro 2024 team that will be based in Frankfurt. At Euro 2020, Stéphanie Frappart of France was included as a fourth official. She made history at the men’s World Cup in 2022 when she handled the Germany-Costa Rica game in the group stage.

England has two referees selected, including Anthony Taylor who worked with Attwell in the Everton-Forest game on Sunday.

One of the two German referees picked, Felix Zwayer, was the subject of comments about integrity by Jude Bellingham when the England star played for Borussia Dortmund in 2021.

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Muchova Squeaks Out Win over Osaka to Reach China Open Quarter-Finals

Tennis - China Open - National Tennis Center, Beijing, China - October 6, 2026 Czech Republic's Karolina Muchova signs autographs after winning her round of 16 match against Japan's Naomi Osaka REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
Tennis - China Open - National Tennis Center, Beijing, China - October 6, 2026 Czech Republic's Karolina Muchova signs autographs after winning her round of 16 match against Japan's Naomi Osaka REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
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Muchova Squeaks Out Win over Osaka to Reach China Open Quarter-Finals

Tennis - China Open - National Tennis Center, Beijing, China - October 6, 2026 Czech Republic's Karolina Muchova signs autographs after winning her round of 16 match against Japan's Naomi Osaka REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
Tennis - China Open - National Tennis Center, Beijing, China - October 6, 2026 Czech Republic's Karolina Muchova signs autographs after winning her round of 16 match against Japan's Naomi Osaka REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

Karolina Muchova beat former world number one Naomi Osaka on her ninth match point to reach the quarter-finals of the China Open, triumphant in a tense tie-break on Tuesday in Beijing.

Muchova, the seventh seed, overcame 50 unforced errors across the two-hour-and-52-minute match to beat Osaka 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (9/7).

Osaka, the current world number 17, surrendered a three-game lead in the first set after a series of misfired shots in the seventh game.

The 28-year-old who represents Japan dropped just one game to win the second set and saved eight match points in the third but could not get past Muchova's match-winning volley.

"I think she played always great and steady," the 30-year-old Czech player told the crowd.

"I was shaking. I'm happy I made the last volley... Naomi could be standing here. It's me, and I'm really grateful for it."

She will play either fellow Czech player Nikola Bartunkova or Austria's Sinja Kraus.

Earlier, Russia's Mirra Andreeva beat Ukraine's Daria Snigur 6-2, 6-2 to book her quarter-final spot against fellow Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Alexandrova, ranked 28th, upset Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova 6-2, 6-2, ending the Czech player's bid to return to the Beijing final that she reached last year.

In the men's draw, Novak Djokovic was due to play Alex de Minaur for the title.

Djokovic, 39, enters the final with six titles in Beijing -- although his most recent came in 2015 -- and 33 wins in as many matches.

He secured his spot in the final after a grueling physical battle with Daniil Medvedev on Monday ended with the Russian disqualified for hitting a spectator with a ball.

The China Open told AFP on Tuesday the fan was "OK" and "not badly injured".

Sports

Zidane Begins France Reign Unbeaten and Brimming with Optimism

France's head coach Zinedine Zidane gestures as he addresses media during a press conference on the eve of the UEFA Nations League football match between France and Belgium at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, near Paris, on October 4, 2026. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)
France's head coach Zinedine Zidane gestures as he addresses media during a press conference on the eve of the UEFA Nations League football match between France and Belgium at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, near Paris, on October 4, 2026. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)
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Zidane Begins France Reign Unbeaten and Brimming with Optimism

France's head coach Zinedine Zidane gestures as he addresses media during a press conference on the eve of the UEFA Nations League football match between France and Belgium at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, near Paris, on October 4, 2026. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)
France's head coach Zinedine Zidane gestures as he addresses media during a press conference on the eve of the UEFA Nations League football match between France and Belgium at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, near Paris, on October 4, 2026. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)

Zinedine Zidane's first two weeks in charge of the French national team were eagerly awaited after 14 years under Didier Deschamps, and the new manager came through the international window unbeaten in the Nations League, with a few glimmers of promise.

The 1998 Ballon d'Or winner was the first France men's coach to win his debut game since Aime Jacquet in 1994, with a 1-0 victory in Türkiye, and the first to go undefeated in his first four matches since Raymond Domenech in 2004.

After a labored win over Türkiye, France beat Belgium twice and were held to ‌a 1-1 draw ‌by Italy on Friday in Zidane's first home game in charge, Reuters said.

"We ‌were ⁠pretty good in ⁠our matches even though we can always do better," Zidane told a press conference on Monday.

"We did this over 15 days, in a first international window. It's encouraging and I'm very optimistic for what comes next. We worked really well, and it was important to put in fifteen days of real quality," he added.

NOT MANY CHANCES

Les Bleus struggled with the same issues across their four games: plenty of control — an average of 62% possession — but too few chances ⁠and not enough cutting edge in the final third.

"Even if not ‌everything from the first half should be thrown away, ‌we lacked penetration in the final thirty meters, something that let us down in the other three ‌matches," Zidane said.

Playing without captain Kylian Mbappe for the last three matches after he ‌was injured after scoring the winner against Türkiye, France did not score in the first half during their last eight games.

But Zidane's squad have shown character, with Michael Olise snatching a late winner in Belgium and substitutes Desire Doue, Rayan Cherki and Olise turning the second clash against the Belgians ‌on its head in the final 15 minutes.

"I'm happy with the reaction from the whole team, and to finish these fifteen days ⁠on a very, ⁠very positive note. I think it's deserved given everything we've done," Zidane said.

Zidane has changed his line-up from one match to the next. He gave first international caps to six players: Guillaume Restes, Jeremy Jacquet, Andy Diouf, Lucas Da Cunha, Esteban Lepaul and Leny Yoro.

"For this international window, it was planned. We played four matches in fifteen days and the players have only just started their season. I also wanted to see everyone," Zidane said.

Liverpool defender Jacquet and Como midfielder Da Cunha were among the players who staked a claim for the future, while Ousmane Dembele struggled. The 2025 Ballon d'Or winner failed to make an impact, whether used as a striker or on the right wing.

Olise was the attacking leader of the side, with four goals and two assists in four matches.

"What he's doing is just exceptional," Zidane said.

France visit Italy before hosting Türkiye next month with a Nations League quarter-final spot on the line.

Sports

Italian Police Target 22 'Ultras' after Violence at Torino-Juventus Match

Soccer Football - Serie A - Juventus v Atalanta - Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy - September 20, 2026 Juventus fans inside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Vincenzo Livieri
Soccer Football - Serie A - Juventus v Atalanta - Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy - September 20, 2026 Juventus fans inside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Vincenzo Livieri
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Italian Police Target 22 'Ultras' after Violence at Torino-Juventus Match

Soccer Football - Serie A - Juventus v Atalanta - Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy - September 20, 2026 Juventus fans inside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Vincenzo Livieri
Soccer Football - Serie A - Juventus v Atalanta - Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy - September 20, 2026 Juventus fans inside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Vincenzo Livieri

Italian police have imposed supervision orders on 22 hardcore soccer fans as part of an investigation into clashes before the Torino-Juventus derby match in May.

The 22 are members of "ultra" groups from Juve and Torino who clashed outside the Olimpico Grande Torino stadium in Turin on May 24, the final day of last season. They are ⁠accused of throwing ⁠bottles, stones and explosive devices as well as affray, Reuters quoted police as saying in a statement on Tuesday.

Nine police officers were injured as they tried to keep the rival groups ⁠apart. A 36-year-old Juventus fan suffered a serious head injury after he was hit by a tear gas canister during the unrest.

The precautionary measures, imposed in coordination with police across a number of cities in northern Italy, impose a ban on staying in Turin and an obligation to report ⁠regularly ⁠to the local authorities.

A further 20 fans accused of involvement in the clashes have also been given stadium bans.

May's match ended in a 2-2 draw. Juventus and Turin are scheduled to meet again in Serie A at the Allianz Stadium, the home of Juventus, on January 6, a national holiday in Italy.