Top story: ‘It is time for MPs to decide’ Good morning, it’s Warren Murray breaking the news fast (works on two levels right?). Theresa May has set a new cut-off date of 30 June for a soft Brexit – and potentially her prime ministership. She races to Brussels today leaving a contrail of domestic political rancour, having squarely blamed MPs for failing to either back her deal or decide what they want instead. Addressing the British people, May said: “You want this stage of the Brexit process to be over and done with. I agree. I am on your side. It is now time for MPs to decide.” A number of MPs and pundits said they believed May had probably gambled away any chance of receiving renewed support for her deal by angering MPs. May stressed that she could not countenance extending the article 50 process by longer than three months because it would plunge Britain into a “bitter and divisive” European election campaign. Donald Tusk, the European … [Read more...] about Thursday briefing: May’s Brexit broadside
Winners world cup football
Sergio Ramos and his 25 Real Madrid red cards: a retrospective
Sergio Ramos may have won the Champions League four times, four La Liga titles, the World Cup and two European Championships but once again the defender is in the headlines for the wrong reasons. On Sunday night, the 32-year-old was sent off after receiving two bookings in Real Madrid’s 2-1 defeat to Girona to leave the European champions nine points behind leaders Barcelona – the 25th time in his career that he has seen red. Delve into Ramos’s back catalogue here: 1) Espanyol 1-0 Real Madrid, La Liga, 18 September 2005 Two yellow cards in the 61st and 87th minutes was an appropriate beginning to Ramos’s red card journey when he was sent off at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona. It began a habit of obtaining double yellows rather than straight reds and his consequent suspension paved the way for a notable debut: step forward Jonathan Woodgate. 2) Real Madrid 2-1 Olympiakos, Champions League, 29 September 2005 Just 10 days later, Ramos received the second red of … [Read more...] about Sergio Ramos and his 25 Real Madrid red cards: a retrospective
Tottenham discover clinical edge to banish talk of ‘Spursiness’
They call it “Spursy” these days. It is a term that has come to symbolise Tottenham’s reputation for losing their nerve, choking, blowing it – call it what you want. The chances are Giorgio Chiellini has never heard of the expression but the Italian was tapping right into that theme this time last year after Juventus eliminated Spurs from the Champions League, despite drawing the first leg in Turin and going behind at Wembley. “It’s the history of Tottenham,” he said. “They always create many chances and score so much but, in the end, they miss always something to arrive at the end.” Maybe it is time to change the record. Forget all the talk about mental fragility, brittleness and snatching defeat from the jaws of victory; this was a night when Mauricio Pochettino and his players rewrote the narrative. Professional, disciplined and clinical, Spurs put on a performance to admire as they took their place in the last eight of … [Read more...] about Tottenham discover clinical edge to banish talk of ‘Spursiness’