60 years ago England won the World Cup for the only time. This is about what happened to the 11 gold medals awarded that day. But more than that, it’s about hardship, dementia, loss, inheritance tax — and the struggle (even now) to honour England’s heroes nytimes.com/athletic/7478229…

It was against Croatia that England produced their most stylish attacking performance at this summer’s World Cup, but it was nothing on tonight. Thomas Tuchel’s side sizzled, tearing a bedraggled opponent apart time and again. The first half, in particular, was a footballing mismatch. Croatia’s best days might be behind them, but it would be hard to see any international side containing England on this form. They are a joy to behold when let off the leash like this. 📝 @PJBuckingham 🔗 nyti.ms/46YmJVa

Jérémy Jacquet: very good. Or in the words of Zinedine Zidane: “Very good … very very good … very good … very good. … I said it four times.” #lfc 🇫🇷 nytimes.com/athletic/7654699…

Zinedine Zidane has craved the France job since 2021, when he stepped down as Real Madrid head coach. On Friday night, he gets to take charge of his nation on home turf for the first time. French fans hope he will give players a sense of freedom, that he can produce the same magic from the bench that he did on the pitch. As a player, he always made everything look so easy, so effortless, blessed with such vision and a deftness of touch. As a coach, in those brief but spectacularly successful spells in charge of Madrid, it was similar. 📝 @OliverKay 🔗 nyti.ms/4j5EGIN

In Paris for Zinedine Zidane's first home game as France coach, at the scene of his greatest triumph. Huge feelgood factor around his appointment — the only job he wanted after Real Madrid. Two wins out of two. All seems so natural for him. It always has nytimes.com/athletic/7649973…

Exclusive: Inside #MCFC vs the Premier League 🔷 How Manchester City were hacked 🔷 The story behind the club's defence 🔷 Bitter battle to prevent disclosure 🔷 Breaches of almost £100m in a single season 🔷 True significance of Aguero's famous goal nytimes.com/athletic/7651933…

Karamoko Dembele was only 13 when a clip of him dancing around the Barcelona team went viral. He played in the same England youth team as Jude Bellingham and Jamal Musiala. He had the football world at his feet. Here, in his first sit-down interview, he speaks to @JordanC1107 about why it went wrong and why he is determined to deliver on his talent. 🔗 nyti.ms/4xWwcav

Cristiano Ronaldo has announced that he has decided to leave Portugal’s national team camp following a “crisis” meeting. More from @AliRampling ⬇️ bit.ly/3TdnoPp

Column on Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose England recall — long overdue — came with a warning about the challenge he faces to re-establish himself. Klopp adored him at #LFC, but Tuchel still appears a Trent-sceptic. So too, unsurprisingly, does Mourinho at Real Madrid nytimes.com/athletic/7608074…

"Of course. We can do what we want.” That's the line, in the hacked emails published by Der Spiegel in 2018, that sums up the sense of entitlement that fuelled Manchester City's cheating under this ownership. In the past, yes, you could do what you want, spend what you like. That was no longer sustainable in an era of clubs being bought by oligarchs, sovereign wealth funds and politicians with the wealth of a nation behind them. There are things I deeply dislike about FFP/PSR/SCR, but this #MCFC ownership model, among others, made financial regulation necessary. And then, as anyone who has read the material could have concluded even before the Premier League case began, they behaved like the rules shouldn't apply to them. Personally I struggle with the Lance Armstrong talk. There is a huge difference between a) a cyclist pumping himself full of performance-enhancing drugs as part of what USADA called “the most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping program that sport has ever seen”, and b) breaches of financial regulations. Yes there are parallels — financial doping, as Arsene Wenger called it — but there are considerable differences too. This desperation to portray #MCFC players, managers and staff (even supporters) as cheats? Not for me. But the damage to City's reputation is enormous. And the Premier League must now accept that a huge chunk of its recent history will be tainted and overshadowed by the findings of its regulatory commission. The question of sanctions — and then, possibly, compensation claims — will be complicated and fiercely divisive. Turbulence lies ahead for the Premier League as well as for Manchester City. So much of what has happened in the Premier League since the early 2010s is now tainted. What we don't yet know is how the damage done might shape the future nytimes.com/athletic/7631415…

Shortly after the Premier League and Manchester City released their statements relating to the independent commission’s findings, a video was sent to City staff aiming to reassure employees about the next steps. It showed CEO Ferran Soriano insisting that the club had given ‘irrefutable evidence’ to the commission which proved that sponsorship income was paid entirely by the sponsors. More from @SamLee ⬇️ bit.ly/4yqgMfQ

"Sham contracts", "artificially inflate", "misstated accounts", "concealed", "clearly intended to circumvent (...) rules", "multiple breaches of duties of cooperation and (...) good faith”. The commission's verdict against #MCFC could not be more damning nytimes.com/athletic/7643269…

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters: “The core decision establishes the facts of what happened at Manchester City during this period. It details how the club systematically broke Premier League Rules for nearly a decade. “It also vindicates the Premier League’s decision to pursue this case against Manchester City. While the process to date has been both long and difficult, the League has remained determined that the facts be established independently. “This disciplinary case, and this decision, are the most significant in Premier League history.” bit.ly/4hCOV4N

Manchester City have been found guilty of “sham payments” and artificially inflating their revenue by more than £900million in a damning verdict reached by an independent regulatory commission investigating more than 100 charges levied by the Premier League. Full story from @OliverKay ⬇️ Free to read: bit.ly/4yqGbGa

With the FIFA Presidential election six months away, and the embattled Gianni Infantino seeking to hang on for a final term, The Athletic wrote to all 211 federations to ask about their voting intentions. The results paint an uncertain picture, with Infantino facing a complicated and precarious path to reelection. @PJBuckingham on the kingmakers who will decide on FIFA’s future leader. 🔗 nyti.ms/3T9VB2j

This is all about Ireland and the country’s history, its footballers, and their space in a messed up world. From Debrecen. nytimes.com/athletic/7636549…

Being in the press box for Sergio Aguero’s iconic title-winning goal in 2012 felt like witnessing the beginning of a new era in Premier League history. Now that era appears tainted. Manchester City being found guilty of 114 of 115 charges might be a victory for the Premier League, but it is one that will come at a cost that is hard to measure 📝 @OliverKay nyti.ms/4hMmqmu

Thomas Tuchel needed a performance from his players to dispel the World Cup hangover. Against Spain they delivered. Yes, it was high-risk and yes, there were mistakes. But for periods of this game England had the World Cup-winners on the ropes. They had Wembley rocking and England fans believing again. 📝 @JackPittBrooke nyti.ms/4ABTK77