Sports

Croatia boss Ante Cacic has called the supporters who threw flares on to the pitch in their Euro 2016 draw with the Czech Republic "sports terrorists".

The match, which ended 2-2, was halted in the 86th minute when flares from the Croatia end rained down on the Saint-Etienne pitch.

Uefa has confirmed it will investigate the incident.

"They are not really Croatia supporters. These people are scary and I call them hooligans," said Cacic.

Croatia has already been charged by Uefa after crowd trouble in their opening Group D game against Turkey.

Uefa said disciplinary proceedings would be opened on Saturday once they had received the official reports about the trouble from the match delegate and English referee Mark Clattenburg.

Cacic also hopes the Croatian FA will take action, adding: "The 95% of Croatian supporters are ashamed in front of Europe.

"These are sports terrorists. This is maybe just a question about six to 10 individuals. I hope they can be identified and punished. I hope the Croatia FA is doing everything to prevent this, but it is impossible to avoid."

Uefa is also expected to open disciplinary proceedings against the Turkish FA after some of the country's fans set off flares at the end of their 3-0 defeat by Spain in Nice.

Before that game, three Spanish "ultras" fans were arrested for trying to bring flares into the stadium, while another three were arrested for carrying neo-Nazi banners.

Croatia 'sorry to everyone around the world'

A steward escaped serious injury when one of the flares thrown from the stands exploded

Croatia was winning 2-1 when trouble broke out, with a number of flares thrown onto the corner of the pitch, while some Croatia fans began fighting among themselves.

Journalist Andy Mitten, who was at the game, told BBC Radio 5 live: "I was in a section full of Croatia fans. The team was playing really well, everything was good, the people around me were happy but then I noticed a big line of police and soldiers building up in front of the Croatia end.

"It became clear they knew something was going to happen and it did happen. I saw fighting. It was horrible to watch."

The Croatian players appealed to their fans to calm down, and after several minutes, play was finally able to resume.

However, with Cacic's side seemingly affected by the events, the Czech Republic equalised in the 93rd minute through Tomas Necid's penalty after a handball.

"We have to say sorry to Uefa, sorry to the Czech Republic and to everyone around the world who loves football," said Croatia midfielder Ivan Rakitic.

"Most supporters support this team and are real supporters. But 10 individuals can make all these problems. It is clear that the Croatian FA and [Croatian FA president] Davor Suker are fighting against this.

"I hope Uefa can understand this."

Croatia was sanctioned by Fifa last month because of "discriminatory chants by fans" during friendlies with Israel and Hungary in March, meaning they will play their next two 2018 World Cup qualifiers behind closed doors.

Bilic fears there will be more trouble

Former Croatia boss Slaven Bilic condemned the scenes but warned there will be more crowd trouble.

The West Ham manager suggested some fans had only travelled to the tournament from Croatia to cause trouble.

"It's unbelievable what those people are doing," Bilic told ITV. "Some of them are there on a mission. It's probably not the last time they'll do it," he said.

"Back home it's not the greatest league, but it's competitive. When there's a big derby between Dinamo Zagreb and Hajduk Split people are not taking their kids because they know it'll be dangerous."

Source: bbc.com

CLEVELAND (AP) From the edge of elimination to the brink of history.

LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers have pushed the NBA Finals to their limit. Game 7 is necessary.

James scored 41 points, delivering another magnificent performance with no margin for error, Kyrie Irving added 23 and the Cavs sent the finals packing for California by beating the rattled Golden State Warriors 115-101 on Thursday night to even this unpredictable series and force a decisive finale.

Cleveland saved its season for the second time in four days and will head back to Oakland's Oracle Arena for Sunday's climactic game with a chance to become the first team to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals, and give this title-starved city its first major sports championship since Dec. 27, 1964.

"One more game left," James said. "I'll play it anywhere."

James added 11 assists, eight rebounds and again outplayed two-time MVP Stephen Curry, who fouled out and was ejected in the fourth quarter.

The Warriors never imagined being in this spot. The defending champions, who powered their way to a record 73 wins in the regular season, won the first two games by 48 combined points. But Curry and Co. have lost their touch, their poise and are in danger of seeing their historic season - and a second title - vanish.

Curry got tossed with 4:22 left after he was called for his sixth personal foul, cursed several times at an official and fired his mouthpiece into the front row, striking a fan. Curry finished with 30 points, Klay Thompson had 25 and Draymond Green, back from a one-game suspension, had 10 rebounds.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr felt the officiating was biased against Curry, who had never been tossed before.

"He gets six fouls called on him, three of them were absolutely ridiculous," Kerr said. "As the MVP of the league, we're talking about these touch fouls in the NBA Finals. I'm happy he threw his mouthpiece."

Curry walked off the floor smiling before making the long walk to the locker room.

"I didn't think I fouled either Kyrie or LeBron," said Curry, recounting fouls No. 5 and 6. "It was obviously frustrating fouling out in the fourth quarter of a clinching game and not being out there with my teammates. So it got the best of me, but I'll be all right for the next game."

On Wednesday, James called Game 7, "the two best words ever."

He'll live them once more, thanks to a spell-binding effort - the two-time champion had a hand in 27 consecutive points and 35 of 36 during a stretch in the second half - and put away the Warriors after they trimmed a 24-point deficit to seven in the final period. James scored 17 in the fourth before checking out to a thunderous ovation in the final minutes as Cleveland fans chanted, "Cavs in 7!" and "See you Sunday!"

"It's LeBron being LeBron," Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said. "He's one of the greatest of all-time. Our back was against the wall and he took it upon himself, him and Kyrie, they put us on their backs. They've got us to where we wanted to be - and that's Game 7."

James is one win from cementing his legacy by ending Cleveland's 52-year sports championship drought and winning his third title, the one the kid from Akron came home to win.

In typical Cleveland fashion, there were some heart palpitations in the fourth. The Cavs were up 70-46 in the third, and when J.R. Smith blindly dropped a lob pass to a trailing James for a dunk, Quicken Loans shook with noise and thousands of fans packing a plaza outside the building began thinking about where they might spend Father's Day.

The Warriors, though, weren't done. On the same floor where they won their title exactly one year ago, Thompson made a pair of 3-pointers as Golden State, playing without injured center Andrew Bogut, used a 25-10 run to pull within 80-71 entering the final 12 minutes.

But James, as he did while winning two titles in Miami, made sure those belonged to him and extended Cleveland's dream season.

For the Warriors, a golden year is suddenly stained.

"The playoffs haven't been easy," Curry said. "But we've given ourselves a chance with Game 7 at home."

BIG GAME JAMES

James has scored 41 points in the past two games, continuing a trend of bailing his team out in its darkest hour. He's now 9-8 in elimination games.

"He's a fantastic player, brilliant player," said Kerr, who played with Michael Jordan.

TIP-INS

Warriors: F Harrison Barnes missed all eight shots. ... Green and Thompson played in their 103rd game this season, most in the NBA. That was also the highest total in the league a year ago, with Barnes getting to 103. ... Andre Iguodala's start was his third of these playoffs. He had 5 points in 30 minutes. ... Bogut's injury will take 6-to-8 weeks to heal, essentially knocking him out of playing for Australia in the Rio Olympics.

Cavaliers: James is the first player to have consecutive 40-point games in the finals since Shaquille O'Neal in 2000. ... Cleveland joined Rochester (1951) and Boston (1966) as the only teams to trail 3-1 and force a Game 7. ... Tristan Thompson had 16 rebounds and went 6 of 6 from the floor. ... Seldom-used reserve G Dahntay Jones came off the bench in the last two minutes of the first half and scored 5 points.

Source: nba.com

Former Hearts of Oak offensive midfielder Uriah Asante has died after suffering a cardiac arrest.

The tragic incident happened onMonday afternoon after he was rushed to the hospital.

His cousin Adolf Gyimah confirmed the tragic news on Kumasi-based Ashh FM on Monday.

The University of Ghana graduate had two seasons for the Phobians where he became one of the mainstays of the team before leaving for Etoile du Sahel in Tunisia.

Watch video of Uriah Asante's two years with Hearts of Oak.

Source: myjoyonline.com

Booed every time he touched the ball, LeBron James cut through Golden State's defense and made layups look easy. Dunks and 3-pointers, so smooth, too.

And Kyrie Irving also completely had his way with the Warriors.

King James and Irving thoroughly overpowered the defending champions from every spot on the floor, and the Cavaliers are still alive to chase that elusive championship.

The unflappable, determined-as-ever James had 41 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists, Irving also scored 41 points and Cleveland capitalized on the absence of suspended star Draymond Green, staving off NBA Finals elimination with a 112-97 victory in Game 5 on Monday night.

"We had a mindset that we wanted to come here and just extend our period and have another opportunity to fight for another day," James said. "That was our main concern, and we were able to do that."

James and Irving became the first teammates to score 40 points in an NBA Finals game as the Cavaliers pulled within 3-2 and sent their best-of-seven series back to Ohio.

Afterward, sitting side by side on the podium, they offered back-and-forth shoutouts, with James noting of Irving, "It's probably one of the greatest performances I've ever seen live."

Take that, haters. James has much more to say about these playoffs before he's done - and not with his mouth, even as the criticism came from all directions following his Game 4 tussle with Green and reaction to what he considered the Golden State forward's inappropriate words. James was booed again as the Cavs left the court for their locker room, but thousands of fans had already made for the exits minutes earlier.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) gestures during the first half of Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors in Oakland.

"Now, mind you, to repeat a performance like this would definitely be tough, but whatever it takes to win," Irving said.

Cleveland handed Golden State just its fourth defeat all season at sold-out Oracle Arena, denying MVP Stephen Curry and the Warriors a chance to celebrate another championship with their golden-clad "Strength In Numbers" supporters. Now, Curry and Co. must try to win on the road, just the way the Warriors did last year and also in their only other championship season out West in 1975.

The Warriors will get Green back Thursday as they try again for that repeat title.

"I kind of like our position," coach Steve Kerr said. "... I like our position a lot better than theirs."

Banned from the arena, Green watched from a baseball suite in the Oakland Coliseum next door, joined by Golden State general manager Bob Myers.

The All-Star forward was suspended Sunday for his fourth flagrant point of the postseason. He was assessed a retroactive Flagrant-1 for his swipe at James in the fourth quarter of Friday's Game 4.

Tied 61-all at halftime Monday, the Warriors missed 14 of their first 20 shots out of intermission and shot 7 for 24 in the third as James and the Cavs grabbed command by doing all of the little things on both ends of the floor - the very intangibles Golden State desperately missed without Green's high-energy presence on both ends. James jumped in the passing lanes to create defensive havoc, flipped passes around and got open.

Klay Thompson scored 37 points with six 3-pointers and Curry added 25 points with five 3s, seven rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots. But as the game wore on, the Splash Brothers shot airballs and clanked 3-point tries off the front rim. The Warriors often failed to get a hand in the face of Cleveland's shooters.

"We weren't very good defensively," Kerr said. "We obviously knew we were without Draymond, so there's no point in harping on that. We had to play better, and we didn't."

James and Irving combined to shoot 33 for 54, while the Warriors went cold and finished 36.4 percent from the field. James also had three steals and three blocked shots.

Andre Iguodala had 15 points, 11 rebounds and six assists starting in place of Green, but Oakland must hold off in planning another victory parade for now.

"We like our chances going forward and continuing to just try to be us, the best we can, and get one more win," Curry said.

Warriors center Andrew Bogut went down early in the third grabbing his left knee and writhing in pain, and will have an MRI exam on his sprained knee Tuesday.

Irving's three-point play with 7:30 remaining put Cleveland ahead 102-92, and the Cavs kept pushing. They answered on offense and made all the key stops on defense.

"It obviously stings real bad," Thompson said. "We'll come back stronger."

MOMENT OF SILENCE

Former Orlando Magic star Grant Hill spoke on behalf of the NBA in offering support, thoughts and prayers to victims in the Orlando mass shooting before a moment of silence.

TIP-INS

Cavaliers: Kevin Love returned to the starting lineup for the first time since sustaining a concussion in Game 2 here on June 5. ... James extended his NBA-record streak to 26 straight playoff series with at least one road win. ... James played his 197th postseason game, tying him with Manu Ginobili for No. 9 on the NBA's career list. He also passed Elgin Baylor (1,724) for No. 9 on the rebounds list.

Warriors: Golden State committed 17 turnovers. ... The Warriors had won their last four against the Cavs on their home court, outscoring Cleveland by a combined 48 points in Games 1 and 2 of these finals. ... Golden State had its streak of six straight Game 5 victories in the postseason dating to last year's Western Conference semifinals snapped.

Source: nba.com

England once again failed to start a major tournament with victory as Vasili Berezutski's stoppage-time header gave Russia a draw they barely deserved in the Stade Velodrome.

Roy Hodgson's side were dominant and fully merited the lead given to them when Eric Dier crashed a 20-yard free-kick high past keeper Igor Akinfeev with 17 minutes left.

Hodgson then removed man of the match Wayne Rooney, who had earlier seen a shot pushed superbly on to the post by Akinfeev, and replaced him with Jack Wilshere to preserve England's advantage.

It was move that failed when Russia snatched a point - and extended England's record of never starting a European Championship with a win - two minutes into four minutes of stoppage time, Berezutski soaring above Danny Rose at the far post to send Georgi Schennikov's header looping over keeper Joe Hart.

The final whistle was the cue for more of the violence that has marred the build-up to this fixture, as Russian fans appeared to charge at English supporters behind the goal where Berezutski scored.

Follow all the post-match reaction to England's draw

Did Hodgson cost England victory?

England manager Roy Hodgson got plenty right with a positive selection and the decision to play Rooney in midfield reaped a rich reward - but his boldest move may also have been his biggest mistake.

He removed Rooney straight after Dier's goal and introduced Wilshere in an attempt to retain possession, but Rooney was the player giving England control and while it was a warm night in the south of France, the 30-year-old looked fresh and fit for the fight.

True, it was a sucker punch that cost England victory but experience is needed to close out crucial wins and ultimately they did not manage it.

England should have had enough against a very ordinary Russia to complete the job but Rooney's removal robbed them of his craft and guidance and now increases the pressure on Thursday's meeting with Wales in Lens.

In Hodgson's defence, it must be stated that in large parts this was a vibrant, energetic performance with the emphasis almost exclusively on attack.

England were hugely impressive in the first half in particular, when their supporters inside this magnificent bowl at Stade Velodrome roared their approval as Russia were pressed into submission and made to look pedestrian.

It made that cruel conclusion even more painful.

Rooney's midfield masterclass

Rooney was the subject of some mischievous probing from the Russia media before the game as they suggested his retreat into midfield was a measure of his declining powers.

England's captain insisted he did not have to defend himself to them - and the midfield masterclass he delivered here was the most eloquent answer he could give.

Rooney's display must be placed in context. It came against a very poor Russia side who allowed him time and space he may not get against Wales until they exerted a measure of control in the second half.

He was, however, the orchestrator of this England performance as he showed maturity and an impressive range of passing to set off a succession of attacks, especially in the first 45 minutes.

The Manchester United man drew applause from England's fans for defensive work and could have had a goal when Russia keeper Akinfeev produced a stunning save to turn his shot on to the upright.

He still has his detractors but this was a show of quality that demonstrated plenty of the old powers remain intact.

England must be more ruthless

As the chances racked up - and were not taken - in a fine first half, the argument that this England side lack a ruthless streak gained weight.

Russia looked off the pace and ageing in the face of England's exuberance.

And while Rooney's switch to midfield was a resounding success and Adam Lallana justified his selection, Raheem Sterling struggled desperately and will be fortunate to keep his place against Wales.

Source: bbc.com

Police in Marseille have deployed tear gas for a second evening to disperse England fans gathered ahead of the Euro 2016 football championships.

Officers in riot gear clashed with fans who threw bottles at police in the streets of the Old Port district.

BBC 5 live sports presenter George Riley said a group of England fans had appeared to be goading either the police or locals in the area.

France won the opening match in the tournament beating Romania 2-1.

The fresh clashes in Marseille began outside a pub in the same area that had been affected by trouble on Thursday and continued well into the night.

One England fan and one local man were arrested in the early hours of Friday after police had moved in with tear gas.

George Riley said the group he had seen gathering on Friday evening appeared "quite menacing", which prompted the 5 live team to leave.

Tear gas was deployed by police for a second day

BBC Newsnight producer Alex Campbell, who is also at the scene, tweeted: "Most England fans here are simply drunk and singing. But the glass bottles aimed at police are becoming more regular."

He later added: "Police just took their moment to charge England fans, who have now been pushed back. Some into a side road."

BBC Newsbeat presenter Ben Mundy said police had earlier told bars in the Old Port area to stop serving English fans beer because they were singing loudly.

This had antagonised them and made them more aggressive, he said.

Police injured

On Thursday four French policemen were injured as they moved in on England fans, the news website France Bleu reported. Many of the fans had been drunk, it said.

After the tear gas was released, the police restored calm to the area at about 02:30 local time.

There had been no damage to local property, they said.

English fans are in Marseille ahead of England's game with Russia on Saturday.

Source: bbc.com

Spain and Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea has denied a claim reported in a Spanish newspaper that he organised a sex party with prostitutes for teammates in which a woman was made to take part against her will.

"It's all false," de Gea said.

The claims are contained in court papers in a trial against a pornography baron seen by El Diario newspaper.

A witness claims the defendant forced her and another girl into sex with two Under-21 internationals in 2012.

"I am the first one to be surprised by this report. I deny it, it is false and nothing more, it is a lie and false," de Gea told a press conference at Spain's Euro 2016 training base.

"It is false what is coming out in the press and it will be in the hands of my lawyers," he added.

The claims are part of a continuing case against pornographer Ignacio Allende Fernández, known as Torbe, who is accused of being the head of a prostitution network that abused Spanish and foreign women, some of them underage.

Torbe was remanded in custody in April charged with offences including sex attacks, sexual exploitation and child pornography.

The protected witness, who claims she was forced into the prostitution ring, said she was taken to a Madrid hotel and introduced to another girl and two footballers.

Once in a room with the other girl, the witness - known in police interview papers as TP3 - said that she was told by Torbe that she had to comply with the sexual demands of the two Under-21 internationals.

When she said she did not wish to take part, she claimed to police that Torbe "grabbed her forcefully by the arm".

The witness said she had told Torbe in front of the footballers that she did not want to take part in the sexual encounter, El Diario reported.

El Diario claimed the players said they did not want any recordings of the encounter to be made in case their playing careers were affected.

The witness claimed the encounter had been arranged by de Gea, according to the police report published by El Diario.

Source: bbc.com

Maria Sharapova has been banned for two years by the International Tennis Federation for using a prohibited drug.

The Russian was provisionally banned in March after testing positive for meldonium at January's Australian Open.

The heart disease drug, which 29-year-old Sharapova says she has been taking since 2006 for health issues, became a banned substance on 1 January 2016.

The five-time Grand Slam winner said she "cannot accept" the "unfairly harsh" ban - and will appeal.

Sharapova will challenge the suspension, which is backdated to 26 January 2016, at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).

In a statement, she said the tribunal concluded her offence was "unintentional" and that she had not tried to use a "performance-enhancing substance".

But she claimed the ITF had asked the tribunal to impose a four-year ban, adding it "spent tremendous amounts of time and resources trying to prove I intentionally violated the anti-doping rules".

• What is meldonium?
• Watch: How to avoid failing a drugs test
• 27 Russians test positive for meldonium

The tribunal ruling said Sharapova tested positive for meldonium in an out-of competition test on 2 February, as well as in the aftermath of her Australian Open quarter-final defeat by Serena Williams on 26 January. It treated both results as a single anti-doping violation.

The London 2012 Olympic silver medallist added: "I have missed playing tennis and I have missed my amazing fans... your love and support has gotten me through these tough days.

"I intend to stand for what I believe is right and that's why I will fight to be back on the tennis court as soon as possible."

The ITF will not appeal against the tribunal's decision.

Nike, which suspended its relationship with Sharapova in January, said it would "continue to partner" the Russian, based on the tribunal's findings.

Sharapova was Forbes' highest-paid female athlete for 11 consecutive years, until Williams moved above her this year. The American made £28.9m from winnings and endorsements to Sharapova's £21.9m.

Aged 17, Sharapova became the first Russian to win Wimbledon in 2004, added the US Open in 2006 and the Australian Open in 2008, before completing a career Grand Slam with the French Open title in 2012.

She won the French Open again in 2014, but the 2018 tournament in Paris is the next major Sharapova can enter, when she will be 31.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) said in April that scientists were unsure how long meldonium stayed in the system, and suggested athletes who tested positive before 1 March could avoid bans, provided they had stopped taking it before 1 January.

However, Sharapova had already admitted she continued taking the substance past that date, saying she was unaware it had been added to the banned list as she knew it by another name - mildronate.

In reaching its verdict, the ITF recognised Sharapova had not intentionally broken anti-doping rules, as she did not know that mildronate contained a banned substance from January of this year.

But the federation said the Russian was "the sole author of her own misfortune", as she had "failed to take any steps to check whether continued use of the medicine was permissible".

Reaction

Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki described Sharapova's case as a "sad situation".

"Tennis has a really strong anti-drug policy in place and it helps the sport really keep clean," the 25-year-old told BBC Sport.

"It's always a sad situation when someone is getting banned or you have heard they have failed a drug test - not only for Maria but for tennis in general.

"The ITF is doing its best to make sure nobody tries to go that route of taking any enhancing drugs, it's unfortunate for anyone who did that unintentionally as well."

Meanwhile, Wada said it would "review the decision, including its reasoning" and decide whether to appeal.

Source: bbc.com

One of African football's best-known figures, Stephen Keshi, has died at the age of 54, the Nigeria Football Association has said.

A former captain of the Nigeria national team, Keshi was one of only two men to win the Africa Cup of Nations both as a player and a coach.

He also managed Togo and Mali, and his playing career included a spell for Belgian club side Anderlecht.

He is thought to have suffered a heart attack, local media reported.

As a player, Keshi was part of the Super Eagles team that won the Nations Cup in 1994 and narrowly missed out on a World Cup quarter-final place the same year.

He coached the national side over three spells, leading Nigeria to the 2013 Nations Cup title in South Africa and the last 16 at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

His contract was not renewed after the World Cup but he later returned on a match-by-match deal following the team's failure to reach the 2015 Nations Cup finals.

He was then sacked as caretaker coach but reinstated after intervention from then Nigeria president Goodluck Jonathan. He was sacked for a final time last July.

Source: bbc.com

Former Chelsea doctor Eva Carneiro has settled her dismissal claim against the club on confidential terms.

Dr Carneiro, who claimed constructive dismissal against Chelsea, also reached a discrimination settlement against the club's former manager Jose Mourinho.

Dr Carneiro said her priority has always been the health and safety of the players.

Chelsea said it apologised "unreservedly" to the former first team doctor for the distress caused.

On Monday it emerged Chelsea had offered Dr Carneiro £1.2m to settle her claims, which she had rejected.

In a statement, Dr Carneiro said: "I am relieved that today we have been able to conclude this tribunal case. It has been an extremely difficult and distressing time for me and my family and I now look forward to moving forward with my life.

"My priority has always been the health and safety of the players and fulfilling my duty of care as a doctor."

Addressing the London South Employment Tribunal centre in Croydon, Daniel Stilitz QC, for Chelsea and Mr Mourinho, said: "We are pleased to be able to tell the tribunal that the parties agreed a settlement on confidential terms."

Dr Carneiro claimed she was sexually discriminated against after she went on to the pitch to treat Chelsea player Eden Hazard during the opening day of the Premier League season last August.

She claimed that Mr Mourinho shouted the Portuguese phrase "filha da puta" at her, which means "daughter of a whore", as she ran on to the pitch.

Hazard had to leave the pitch, briefly leaving the team with only nine men at what Mr Mourinho claimed was a crucial stage in the game.

Chelsea went on to draw 2-2 with Swansea and Mr Mourinho publicly criticised both Dr Carneiro and first team physio Jon Fearn for being "impulsive and naive".

Dr Carneiro left the club in September after being demoted.

Analysis: BBC News correspondent Will Ross

Many will guess but we may never know how much money is winging its way into Dr Eva Carneiro's bank account. She did not accept a £1.2m settlement offer so this was no small business.

It seems bizarre that a dispute that began with a doctor running onto a football pitch to help an injured player would end 10 months later with a flurry of negotiations along the nondescript corridors of a building in Croydon.

Although she will have her critics, this was a major victory for Dr Carneiro who fought for justice in the male dominated world of Premier League football.

Chelsea Football Club would have been keen to avoid the potential embarrassment of a personal feud going even more public.

Jose Mourinho's new employers, Manchester United, would also have been keen to ensure that this did not drag on any longer.

Mr Mourinho will find watching the European Championships better preparation for rebuilding a reputation as a winner than being grilled in Croydon.

As for the public? We had already been treated to the subtleties of swearing in Portuguese. It was time to move on.

Chelsea said in a statement: "The club regrets the circumstances which led to Dr Carneiro leaving the club and apologises unreservedly to her and her family for the distress caused.

"We wish to place on record that in running onto the pitch Dr Carneiro was following both the rules of the game and fulfilling her responsibility to the players as a doctor, putting their safety first.

It added: "Jose Mourinho also thanked Dr Carneiro for the excellent and dedicated support she provided as first team doctor and he wishes her a successful career."

Jose Mourinho leaves the employment tribunal after settling the claims of Dr Carneiro

In a statement to the tribunal, Mr Mourinho - who was sacked by Chelsea in December after a run of poor form - conceded that he used the term "filho da puta", meaning "son of a whore" and insisted he had been using it throughout the match.

But Mary O'Rourke QC, acting for Dr Carneiro, told the tribunal on Monday: "He [Mourinho] uses the word 'filha' because he is abusing a woman."

The FA ruled on 30 September 2015 that the words did not constitute "discriminatory language" after consulting an independent academic expert in Portuguese linguistics.

Women in Football reaction

A spokesman for Women in Football said: "Women in Football are delighted that Eva's name has been rightly cleared and her professional reputation as a doctor upheld.

"Eva has been courageous in her fight for a public apology from Chelsea and acknowledgement that on the day in question she was simply doing her job.

"We completely deplore and condemn her treatment by the club since and welcome their unreserved apology."

Mr Mourinho's presence at the tribunal on Tuesday was unexpected because it was not thought he was going to give evidence until next week.

Also in attendance were Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia, chairman Bruce Buck, head physio Jason Palmer and head of communications and PR, Steve Atkins.

The case was expected to last seven to 10 days and could have led to potentially embarrassing witness statements and documents - including texts and emails - being made public.

Dr Carneiro alleged that on 10 August last year Mr Mourinho told Mr Atkins that he did not want Dr Carneiro on the bench at the next match, adding: "She works in academy team or ladies team, not with me."

She also claimed Chelsea took no action following complaints about sexually explicit chanting at various away games - in particular at Manchester United and West Ham - and a lack of female changing facilities.

Further allegations were that she was not provided with a club suit, and regularly had to endure sexually explicit comments from her colleagues.

Jose Mourinho profiled

• Portuguese football manager born in 1963
• The self-styled "Special One" of managers
• One of only five managers to have won European Cup with two different teams
• In 2012 became fifth manager to have won league titles in at least four different countries
• Led Chelsea to first English league title in 50 years in 2005
• Won title again in 2006, but sacked by Chelsea in 2007
• Returned to Chelsea in 2013 and won another league title in 2015
• Sacked by Chelsea again last December after disastrous start to season
• Appointed manager of Manchester United in May

Source: bbc.com

US President Barack Obama will not attend a memorial to the late boxer Muhammad Ali on Friday, the White House says.

Ali died last Friday at the age of 74 in hospital in Phoenix, Arizona.

World leaders will be among thousands attending Friday's procession and memorial service in Louisville, Kentucky, where Ali was born.

The White House said Mr Obama and his wife Michelle will be at daughter Malia's high school graduation.

They will send a letter to the Ali family with White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett, who knew Ali.

Obituary: Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali - in his own words

World pays tribute to boxing legend

Bob Gunnell, a spokesman for the Ali family, said Mr Obama and Ali's widow Lonnie had spoken by telephone.

Among those attending will be the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and King Abdullah of Jordan.

British former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis and actor Will Smith, who once portrayed Ali on screen, will be among the pallbearers.

Former US President Bill Clinton and actor Billy Crystal are also set to speak.

After Ali's death, Mr Obama said he kept a pair of his gloves in his private study below the photograph of Ali beating Sonny Liston in 1964.

Ali would be remembered, he said, "not just as skilled a poet on the mic as he was a fighter in the ring, but a man who fought for what was right. A man who fought for us."

On Thursday, a traditional Muslim funeral service will be held at the 18,000-seat Freedom Hall, where Ali fought and won his first professional fight in 1960.

People queued from the middle of the night on Tuesday to get the first tickets.

"I am here to get tickets for my grandson. He is eight," Angela Smith Ward, a former Army employee, told Agence France-Presse. "I want him to know that you can be great no matter where you come from."

On Friday, from 09:00 local time (13:00 GMT), the coffin will be taken on a procession through the streets of Louisville, passing by locations historically important to Ali.

Ali's funeral will then take place at a large concert and sports arena, the KFC Yum! Center, from 14:00. The service will be open to the public.

The boxer will be buried in a private service at the city's Cave Hill Cemetery.

The funeral will be broadcast live on the internet.

Source: bbc.com

Spain's Garbine Muguruza beat world number one Serena Williams in straight sets to win her first Grand Slam title at the French Open.

Fourth seed Muguruza won 7-5 6-4 to make amends for losing last year's Wimbledon final against Williams.

The 22-year-old is Spain's first female champion at Roland Garros since Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario in 1998.

Williams, 34, had hoped to win a 22nd Grand Slam singles title and tie Steffi Graf's Open-era record.

"I'm so, so excited - to play in a Grand Slam against one of the best players, it's the perfect final," Muguruza said.

"I'm so happy. I had to be very ready and concentrated on all the points and just to fight as much as I can.

"All the matches I've played against her helped me. It's our favourite tournament in Spain and I want to thank all my Spanish supporters."

Muguruza wins power game

Williams had reached the final despite reportedly struggling with a thigh problem, but the defending champion began in terrific form, moving freely as she made the early running.

It was all Muguruza could do to hang on, a forehand and an ace seeing off early break points, and it was Williams who faltered first by dropping serve with a double fault at 2-2.

With both players hitting huge groundstrokes and vying for control of the rallies, Williams looked to have gained the upper hand with three games in a row taking her 5-4 in front.

However, Muguruza played a nerveless service game to stay in the set and then clinched it with some wonderful hitting down both tram lines.

The second set began with three breaks of serve but it was still Muguruza who was dictating, another stunning forehand into the corner moving her into a 3-1 lead.

Muguruza was prepared to concede double-faults - her tally ending up at nine - to keep Williams at bay on her second serve and it proved a successful tactic.

Williams could not fashion a break point in the latter stages of the second set and did well to fend off four match points on her own serve in game nine.

Muguruza remained rock solid, however, finally converting on her own serve with a lob that caught both players by surprise, before the Spaniard fell to the clay in celebration.

No excuses from Williams

Williams suffered only her sixth defeat in 27 Grand Slam finals stretching back to 1999, but did not blame her injury issues.

Williams was trying to win her fourth French Open title - the first came back in 2002.

"It was OK," she said. "I'm not one to ever make excuses and say, like, 'Oh, my adductor was hurting,' or whatever.

"At the end of the day I didn't play the game I needed to play to win and she did. Adductor or not, she played to win.

"She won the first set by one point. I mean, that just goes to show you that you really have to play the big points well, and she played the big points really well.''

The American has now missed out in three consecutive Grand Slams, and will head to Wimbledon later this month looking to defend her title and finally land a 22nd major.

Analysis

BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller

"Grand Slam singles champions born in the 1990s are no longer unique. Muguruza emulated Petra Kvitova's achievement by winning here at the age of 22, which is very young by modern standards.

"She has the big serve, lethal power from the baseline, and showed a cool head and a strong heart to close out the match after Williams had saved those four championship points. Players are developing the belief to beat the world number one, but a semi-final and two finals from the last three Grand Slams show Williams is far from done yet."

Source: bbc.com

World number one Novak Djokovic beat Britain's Andy Murray to win his first French Open title and complete the career Grand Slam.

The Serb, 29, won 3-6 6-1 6-2 6-4 to win his 12th major title and become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all four Grand Slams at once.

Murray had hoped to secure the third leg of his own career Slam, having already won Wimbledon and the US Open.

The Scot, 29, was Britain's first male finalist in Paris since 1937.

Second seed Murray played superbly to win the first set but could not convert a break point early in the second, and Djokovic took control to win in three hours.

He becomes only the eighth man in history to have won all four of the sport's major singles prizes - and could yet match Laver's achievement of winning all four in a calendar year.

Listen to BBC Radio 5 live's commentary on the moment Djokovic won the title

'Biggest moment of my career' - Djokovic

Djokovic fell back on the clay in delight and relief after requiring two breaks of serve and four match points in a desperately tense end to the final.

With three-time champion Gustavo Kuerten watching from the stands, Djokovic then emulated the Brazilian by drawing a heart in the clay with his racquet.

"It's a very special moment, the biggest of my career," said Djokovic. "I felt today something that I never felt before at Roland Garros, I felt the love of the crowd.

"I drew the heart on the court, like Guga, which he gave me permission to do. My heart will always be with you on this court."

Murray, who has now lost five Grand Slam finals to Djokovic, had looked capable of causing an upset with an aggressive display in the opening set.

However, Djokovic turned the match around early in the second set and Murray, who had played five hours' more tennis in reaching the final, could not keep pace.

"To Novak, this is his day," said Murray. "What he's achieved the last 12 months is phenomenal; winning all the Grand Slams in one year is an amazing achievement.

"It's so rare in tennis, and for me personally, it sucks to lose the match, but I'm proud to have been part of today."

Murray cannot capitalise on early lead

Djokovic looked determined to make up for losing in three previous Paris finals when he broke the Murray serve to love with a brilliant opening game, but the nerves were soon apparent.

A beautiful lob saw Murray hit straight back in game two and, playing aggressively at every opportunity, he powered into a 4-1 lead as Djokovic misfired with his forehand.

Murray clinched the set at the third opportunity - after a generous overrule that drew boos from a crowd seemingly backing Djokovic - and some stunning defence earned the Scot a break point at the start of the second set.

Djokovic needed to turn the tide and he did so with a smash, before grabbing the lead when Murray double-faulted at break point down.

The Serb then began to dictate with his backhand, firing a winner down the line for a decisive second break as Murray's first-serve percentage slipped below the 50% mark.

Djokovic continued to press, setting up break points at 1-1 in the third set with a forehand winner and watching as Murray dropped a volley into the net with the court gaping.

The crowd chanted "Nole! Nole!" as the world number one finally regained the lead he had surrendered after the opening game of the match, and he broke again with a terrific sliding winner on his way to a two-sets-to-one lead.

With a 5-2 lead in the fourth set, and his friends and supporters preparing to celebrate in the stands, Djokovic suffered a tortuous few minutes as Murray refused to give up.

The Briton got one of the breaks back and saved two match points, before finally netting a backhand as Djokovic clinched a historic win.

Analysis

Djokovic follows Rod Laver and Don Budge as holder of all four Slams at once

Pat Cash, former Wimbledon champion: "This has been the tricky one for Djokovic but he's come out and played some great tennis. He's rock solid, he knows his game so well and he's mentally focused. From where he started off in this match to where he finished, what a contrast, and it just goes to show how great a champion he is."

Source: bbc.com

Muhammad Ali has died at the age of 74, a family spokesman has said.

The former world heavyweight boxing champion, one of the world's best-known sportsmen, died at a hospital in the US city of Phoenix, Arizona, after being admitted on Thursday.

He was suffering from a respiratory illness, a condition that was complicated by Parkinson's disease.

The funeral will take place in Ali's hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, his family said in a statement.

Ali dies: Live reaction

Obituary: Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali in his own words

Latest tributes

Nick Bryant: How Ali changed his sport and country

Born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Ali shot to fame by winning light-heavyweight gold at the 1960 Rome Olympics.

Nicknamed "The Greatest", the American beat Sonny Liston in 1964 to win his first world title and became the first boxer to capture a world heavyweight title on three separate occasions.

He eventually retired in 1981, having won 56 of his 61 fights.

Crowned "Sportsman of the Century" by Sports Illustrated and "Sports Personality of the Century" by the BBC, Ali was noted for his pre- and post-fight talk and bold fight predictions just as much as his boxing skills inside the ring.

But he was also a civil rights campaigner and poet who transcended the bounds of sport, race and nationality.

Asked how he would like to be remembered, he once said: "As a man who never sold out his people. But if that's too much, then just a good boxer. I won't even mind if you don't mention how pretty I was."

Ali turned professional immediately after the Rome Olympics and rose through the heavyweight ranks, delighting crowds with his showboating, shuffling feet and lightning reflexes.

British champion Henry Cooper came close to stopping Clay, as he was still known, when they met in a non-title bout in London in 1963.

Cooper floored the American with a left hook, but Clay picked himself up off the canvas and won the fight in the next round when a severe cut around Cooper's left eye forced the Englishman to retire.

Ali's boxing career

• Won Olympic light-heavyweight gold in 1960
• Turned professional that year and was world heavyweight champion from 1964 to 1967, 1974 to 1978 and 1978 to 1979
• Had 61 professional bouts, winning 56 (37 knockouts, 19 decisions), and losing five (4 decisions, 1 retirement)

In February the following year, Clay stunned the boxing world by winning his first world heavyweight title at the age of 22.

He predicted he would beat Liston, who had never lost, but few believed he could do it.

Yet, after six stunning rounds, Liston quit on his stool, unable to cope with his brash, young opponent.

At the time of his first fight with Liston, Clay was already involved with the Nation of Islam, a religious movement whose stated goals were to improve the spiritual, mental, social, and economic condition of African Americans in the United States.

But in contrast to the inclusive approach favoured by civil rights leaders like Dr Martin Luther King, the Nation of Islam called for separate black development and was treated by suspicion by the American public.

Ali eventually converted to Islam, ditching what he perceived was his "slave name" and becoming Cassius X and then Muhammad Ali.

How world remembers Ali

In 1967, Ali took the momentous decision of opposing the US war in Vietnam, a move that was widely criticised by his fellow Americans.

He refused to be drafted into the US military and was subsequently stripped of his world title and boxing licence. He would not fight again for nearly four years.

After his conviction for refusing the draft was overturned in 1971, Ali returned to the ring and fought in three of the most iconic contests in boxing history, helping restore his reputation with the public.

He was handed his first professional defeat by Joe Frazier in the "Fight of the Century" in New York on 8 March 1971, only to regain his title with an eighth-round knockout of George Foreman in the "Rumble in the Jungle" in Kinshasa, Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo) on 30 October 1974.

Muhammad Ali was crowned Sportsman of the Century in 1999

Ali fought Frazier for a third and final time in the Philippines on 1 October 1975, coming out on top in the "Thrilla in Manila" when Frazier failed to emerge for the 15th and final round.

Six defences of his title followed before Ali lost on points to Leon Spinks in February 1978, although he regained the world title by the end of the year, avenging his defeat at the hands of the 1976 Olympic light-heavyweight champion.

Ali's career ended with one-sided defeats by Larry Holmes in 1980 and Trevor Berbick in 1981, many thinking he should have retired long before.

He fought a total of 61 times as a professional, losing five times and winning 37 bouts by knockout.

Soon after retiring, rumours began to circulate about the state of Ali's health. His speech had become slurred, he shuffled and he was often drowsy.

Parkinson's Syndrome was eventually diagnosed but Ali continued to make public appearances, receiving warm welcomes wherever he travelled.

He lit the Olympic cauldron at the 1996 Games in Atlanta and carried the Olympic flag at the opening ceremony for the 2012 Games in London.

How Ali wanted people to remember him

"I would like to be remembered as a man who won the heavyweight title three times, who was humorous and who treated everyone right. As a man who never looked down on those who looked up to him...who stood up for his beliefs...who tried to unite all humankind through faith and love.

"And if all that's too much, then I guess I'd settle for being remembered only as a great boxer who became a leader and a champion of his people. And I wouldn't even mind if folks forgot how pretty I was."

Source: bbc.com

Arsenal are in talks with Leicester City in an attempt to try to sign striker Jamie Vardy.

The Gunners' bid for the 29-year-old England international is reported to be in the region of £20m and has triggered the release clause in his contract.

Vardy scored 24 goals in the Premier League for Leicester as the Foxes won the 2015-16 title.

The forward, who is currently preparing for Euro 2016, joined City for £1m from Fleetwood in 2012.

Vardy rose through non-league football after being released by Sheffield Wednesday at 16 for being too small, and was named the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year for 2015-16.

Since making his England debut in 2015, he has scored three times in eight internationals.

Arsenal, who finished second in the league, 10 points behind Leicester, have already signed Switzerland midfielder Granit Xhaka from Borussia Monchengladbach.

Vardy to Arsenal: The case for and against

Former QPR winger Trevor Sinclair on BBC Radio 5 live: "I am a big believer in karma. He has won the Premier League, he is happy and has a great group of brothers around him. He is settled, so why move?

"When you are a striker you can be in top form but then go to a club, not hit the ground running and then it can gobble you up. I would stay where he is."

Ex-Everton winger Kevin Kilbane on BBC Radio 5 live: "When the big clubs come calling, they might not come again. I think you go.

"You want to test yourself against the best and with better players. Technically, Arsenal are a better side than Leicester."

Source: bbc.com

The International Olympic Committee has unveiled its first team of refugees to compete at Rio 2016 under the Olympic banner.

The Team of Refugee Olympic Athletes has 10 members - five from South Sudan, two from Syria, two from DR Congo and one from Ethiopia.

The six men and four women will compete in swimming, judo and athletics.

"These refugee athletes have no home, no team, no flag, no national anthem," said IOC president Thomas Bach.

"The invention of this refugee team is to give them a home in the Olympic village together with all the athletes around the world."

The team includes swimmer Yusra Mardini from Syria, who trains in Germany, South Sudanese middle-distance runner Rose Nathike Lokonyen, who is living in a refugee camp in Kenya, and DR Congo judoka Yolande Bukasa Mabika, who trains in Brazil.

They will enter the opening ceremony as the penultimate team, before hosts Brazil.

Bach added: "It can send a symbol of hope for all refugees in the world and can send a signal to the international community that refugees are our fellow human beings and are an enrichment to society."

The Olympics run from 5-21 August.

Source: bbc.com

Muhammad Ali is still in hospital two days after being admitted with a respiratory issue.

There has been no official update on Ali's condition and concern has grown throughout Friday.

An enormous number of goodwill messages for the 74-year-old, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 1984, have been posted on social media.

The former heavyweight world champion was admitted to hospital in December 2014 with a urinary tract infection.

Great Britain's newest world champion Tony Bellew has been among those expressing hope for his recovery.

One of the most high-profile global sporting stars, Ali's name transcends sport like few others.

He became the first three-time world heavyweight champion in 1978, having first won the title in 1964 and again in 1974.

Source: bbc.com

Former high-ranking Fifa officials Sepp Blatter, Jerome Valcke and Markus Kattner awarded themselves pay rises and bonuses worth $80m (£55m) over five years, say Fifa lawyers.

Football's governing body revealed the contracts of ex-president Blatter, fired ex-secretary general Valcke and sacked former finance director Kattner one day after a Swiss police raid.

Fifa's lawyers said there was evidence that the trio made "a coordinated effort" to "enrich themselves" between 2011 and 2015.

Documents and electronic data were seized from Kattner's old office during Thursday's operation, which relates to investigations into Blatter and Valcke, according to sources close to Fifa's internal investigation.

Suspected of criminal mismanagement of Fifa money, Blatter and Valcke were banned for six and 12 years respectively by the governing body's ethics committee in February. Both deny wrongdoing.

A statement for the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG), which carried out the investigations, read: "Documents and electronic data were seized and will now be examined to determine their relevance to the ongoing proceedings."

Fifa said the evidence uncovered by its own internal investigation would be shared with the Swiss Attorney General's office and the US Department of Justice.

Richard Cullen, Blatter's lawyer, said: "We look forward to showing Fifa that Mr Blatter's compensation payments were proper, fair and in line with the heads of major professional sports leagues around the world."

Meanwhile, Blatter's long-time public relations advisor Klaus Stoehlker told BBC Sport he would be ending their professional relationship, adding: "The Fifa volcano is exploding now."

Fifa has been in turmoil since May 2015, when a US investigation exposed widespread corruption at the top of the organisation.

Analysis

Richard Conway, BBC sports news correspondent

"Fifa has "victim status" right now from the US Department of Justice and the Swiss authorities. It acknowledges that the institution itself is not at fault for the corrupt acts of its senior members in recent times.

"But that could easily change and it's why Fifa's own legal team have been digging through millions of documents to uncover any previously unknown historic wrongdoing.

"Over the past few days they say they uncovered information which revealed the secret deals that allowed Blatter, Valcke and Kattner to gorge on huge multi-million dollar bonuses.

"Some of the provisions in the contracts could breach Swiss law.

"Now they've gone public with the information in an attempt to demonstrate to the legal authorities and fans they are serious about long term reform and regaining trust."

Source: bbc.com

Former world champion Carl Frampton and a number of other high-profile fighters have hit out at the decision to allow professionals to box at the Olympics.

International boxing federations voted in the rule change just weeks before the Rio Games start on 5 August.

Northern Irishman Frampton says amateur and pro boxing are "two different sports", claiming: "It's like a badminton player playing tennis."

Ricky Hatton and Stephen Smith have also criticised the move.

"Goodbye amateur boxing now as far as I'm concerned," tweeted former welterweight and light-welterweight world champion Hatton. "Can't say I'm a fan of this."

Former Commonwealth Games gold medallist Smith, who has had 28 fights as a pro, said he was "gutted" to learn the news.

"Absolutely ruins amateur boxing that in my opinion," he tweeted. "Wrong."

However, Olympic medallist Michael Conlan say he is happy to fight against professionals as he seeks to add gold to the bronze he won in London.

"It wouldn't bother me, I'll beat all of them," said the Northern Ireland bantamweight.

The vote to allow pro boxers to fight at the Olympics took place at a meeting of the International Boxing Association (AIBA) in Switzerland.

The decision means any professional can enter a qualifying event in Venezuela next month in an attempt to win selection, with 26 entry places up for grabs.

AIBA president CK Wu said it was "difficult to anticipate" how many pros would attempt to qualify for Rio.

Former world heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko has indicated he would like to box at the Olympics.

But the 40-year-old Ukrainian, who won super-heavyweight gold at the Atlanta Games in 1996, is unlikely to take part in qualifying.

He takes on Britain's Tyson Fury in a title rematch in Manchester on 9 July.

Source: bbc.com

England manager Roy Hodgson opted for "reputation rather than form" by dropping Danny Drinkwater from his Euro 2016 squad, says former striker Alan Shearer.

Leicester midfielder Drinkwater was left out of the final 23-man squad.

Shearer said that by selecting Jack Wilshere and Jordan Henderson, Hodgson was taking a "gamble" on their fitness.

"Drinkwater should have been in. He's been one of the standout players this season," Shearer told BBC Radio 5 live.

"He'll be very disappointed, and rightly so because he's been absolutely magnificent."

Drinkwater, who has won three caps, was voted man of the match on his debut in the 2-1 defeat by the Netherlands in March.

Arsenal midfielder Wilshere played only 141 minutes in the Premier League this season following a broken leg, while Liverpool Jordan Henderson missed the final six weeks of the campaign with a knee injury.

Match of the Day pundit Shearer, who scored 30 goals in 63 games for England between 1992 and 2000, said: "Once again England have gone for reputation rather than form.

"I hope the manager doesn't regret it."

• Football Daily podcast: 'No surprise at Drinkwater omission'

BBC Sport team selector users agree with Shearer

The verdict of BBC Sport's England Euro 2016 team selector - after it passed 1m users - matches Shearer's.

Although BBC Sport users are asked to pick an England XI, rather than a 23-man squad, one third of people (358,000) chose Drinkwater.

In the total selections for midfield options, Drinkwater came fifth behind Spurs' duo Dele Alli (900,000) and Eric Dier (673,000), Manchester United and England captain Wayne Rooney (580,000) and Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling (378,000).

A Premier League champion with Leicester City this season, Drinkwater was a more popular midfield choice than Everton's Ross Barkley (322,000), Liverpool trio James Milner (286,000), Adam Lallana (282,000) and Jordan Henderson (230,000), and Arsenal's Jack Wilshere (253,000).

On Hodgson's other two omissions, BBC Sport users largely agree, with City's Fabian Delph (34,000) and Newcastle winger Andros Townsend (175,000) the bottom two midfield picks.

But few users chose teenage striker Marcus Rashford (116,000) to start for England in France, despite scoring on his international debut against Australia on Friday - perhaps seeing the Manchester United striker as an option from the bench.

On Rashford, Shearer said the 18-year-old was "ready" after an "incredible rise" this season and that he "deserves to go because of his performances in the last three months".

"I'd be very surprised if he started," added Shearer. "If needs be he can come and make an impact if England are chasing the game. Once he gets on, he may force the manager's hand."

According to data from the 1m uses so far, a BBC Sport team selector XI for England's first game against Russia in Marseille on 11 June, would be:

Source: bbc.com