European champions Italy will face Spain in the last four at the Nations League Finals in June, with hosts Netherlands drawn against World Cup semi-finalists Croatia.

Italy, who were absent from a second consecutive edition of the World Cup in Qatar last year, reached the Nations League semi-finals by edging out Hungary for top spot in a group which also contained Germany and England.

Standing between Roberto Mancini's men and the final are Spain – who beat the Azzurri 2-1 at the same stage of the competition in 2021 before losing the final against France.

Spain, who saw off Portugal to win Group A2, will be led by new head coach Luis de la Fuente after Luis Enrique departed in the aftermath of their surprise World Cup exit against Morocco.

The Netherlands, who were beaten finalists at the inaugural 2019 Nations League Finals in Portugal, will face Croatia in a home semi-final at De Kuip in Rotterdam.

The Oranje are also under new management, with Ronald Koeman returning to the role in place of Louis van Gaal after their World Cup quarter-final loss to eventual champions Argentina.

While it's all change for Spain and the Netherlands, there will be a familiar look to Croatia's side in June, with talismanic midfielder Luka Modric pledging to continue his international career after helping the team win bronze in Qatar.

The semi-final fixtures will take place on June 14 and 15, with the third-place play-off and final being held on June 18.  

It may have been 2am, but Atletico Madrid fans were in no mood to sleep anyway – 15,000 of them showed up at Madrid's Plaza de Neptuno to celebrate Los Colchoneros' thrilling Copa del Rey win.

It was so much more than a win, though. It was their first Copa triumph in 21 years, and to top it off, victory came against their great enemy.

When Real Madrid and Atletico tussled at the former's Santiago Bernabeu home on May 17, 2013, Diego Simeone's side had not beaten their bitter rivals since 1999.

But success for Atletico signalled their return as a major force in Spanish football.

They will lock horns in the Copa again on Thursday in their quarter-final at the Bernabeu, and for many supporters, the build-up will evoke memories of that iconic and feisty encounter.

Overcoming history and financial muscle

Success had already returned to Atletico. They'd won the Europa League and European Super Cup twice apiece over the previous three years.

And even though Atletico eventually finished a commendable third in LaLiga that season – their highest finish since winning the title in 1996 – there was no getting away from the overwhelming sense of pessimism, which had long been the attitude most associated with the club.

No fewer than 25 derbies had passed since Atletico's last win over Los Blancos, and even that was a relatively hollow victory as they'd ultimately be relegated for the first time since 1930.

Atletico weren't trying to kid themselves into believing they possessed the same weapons as Madrid.

"We have an opponent against whom we cannot make mistakes," Simeone said. "When we talk about the chances that Real Madrid or we have in the final, they are better than us, without a doubt."

Even Atletico striker Radamel Falcao noted Madrid as the favourites because of the "budget they have, and the players they have". He had a point.

"But over one game, everything is different," Simeone added.

For Madrid, the gravity of the occasion couldn't be much more different. Expectation rather hope dominated the build-up as Los Blancos had already missed out on the league title and lost in the Champions League semi-finals.

Only the Copa del Rey could salvage some pride for the season – but not even that would have saved Jose Mourinho's job.

The win that sparked a golden era?

Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia dubbed it "Mourinho's last supper". The Copa del Rey showpiece wasn't technically his last game in charge, but it was his last final with Madrid and a match that many Atletico fans will consider to be up their with their most historic wins.

It was thrilling, gruelling, brutal, but certainly not pretty.

In typical Atletico fashion, Simeone's side did everything they could during the early exchanges to get the faces of Madrid. Cristiano Ronaldo – who put Mourinho's side ahead with a 14th-minute header – was a target for a few meaty challenges.

But then Madrid started to return the favour. Ronaldo, too. He clattered Filipe Luis. Raul Albiol let Diego Costa and then Falcao know he was there.

Those two soon combined for the equaliser, however. Falcao's brilliant pass released Costa and his lethal left-footed finish beat Diego Lopez in the Madrid net.

The cards began to fly after half-time, among them a red for Mourinho after protesting a yellow shown to – surprise, surprise – Sergio Ramos.

Madrid dominated, hitting the post twice after also striking it in the first half, but Atletico held on to force extra time, and eight minutes into the additional 30 came the decisive blow.

Koke's right-wing cross to the near post was perfect for Miranda, whose glancing header left the net bulging and Atletico suddenly within touching distance of a famous victory.

Ronaldo's dismissal for kicking out towards Gabi's face made things a little easier once the subsequent touchline brawl settled. The Atletico captain soon followed him for a second booking, but by that point the game was into its fifth minute of stoppage time. Madrid's race was almost run.

A final throw of the dice saw Lopez go up for a last-gasp corner, but Atletico survived and the referee's whistle followed their clearance, sparking bedlam.

Fourteen yellow cards and three reds summed up the bruising nature of the game, though it was Atletico's fight and spirit that came to define it.

Belief takes root

"Mourinho, stay!" came the chants from Atletico fans at full-time.

The Madrid coach was quintessential Mourinho in the aftermath, simultaneously declaring it the worst season of his career while also noting that "for many coaches that would be a good year".

But this was not about Mourinho. No, if anything he was a mere footnote in this tale.

"If you had made the fans an offer in which you'd said: 'we won't win against them for 14 years but when we do, it will be in the Copa final at their stadium, with them scoring first, hitting the post three times and us winning in extra time,' they'd have signed up for that'," Simeone surmised with absolutely surety.

For some – not Atletico fans – this game may have been lost somewhat in the abyss of time given it's nearly 10 years since the occasion.

But that's arguably only the case because of the successes that have come since for Atletico. That Copa triumph was monumental in the moment, but breaking the duopoly of Madrid and Barca in LaLiga – 12 months later and again in 2021 – will be the legacy of Simeone once his chapter as coach ends.

Of course, it's impossible to definitively tie most successes in football to a singular event, one thing that changes the course of history.

But there was clearly a sense of the 2013 Copa victory taking Atletico to another level mentally. They'd finally overcome two great barriers: domestic success and Madrid's derby dominance.

If this glorious era with Simeone is summarised by Atletico upsetting the status quo, then it all leads back to that day.

Nearly 10 years later, Atletico certainly aren't the team they were then, but they'll go into Thursday's duel with belief that took root on the night of May 17, 2013.

Newcastle United are reportedly confident they will be able to secure Everton forward Anthony Gordon before the end of January.

Gordon, 21, has been with Everton since arriving as an 11-year-old back in 2012, and he broke into the first team this last season with 25 starts among his 35 Premier League appearances.

He appeared to be in the midst of a stellar campaign after scoring in back-to-back matches in August, but along with Everton, he has tailed off dramatically, finding the back of the net just once in his past 11 league fixtures.

Despite his recent lack of success – having only made one league start since the beginning of November – the young Englishman still has his fans, although he still carries a hefty price tag.

TOP STORY – NEWCASTLE PUSHING FOR GORDON MOVE IN THE NEXT WEEK

According to Goal, Newcastle believe they are in "pole position" to land the England Under-21 representative, with Gordon reportedly missing training on Tuesday as speculation builds.

The report states Everton will hold firm at £50million as their asking price, and with his contract tying him to the club until 2025, there is little incentive to budge from that figure for the time being.

With Frank Lampard fired as Everton boss, it remains to be seen if his replacement would like to feature Gordon prominently, but if not, he could provide the club with some much-needed spending power and manoeuvrability.

ROUND-UP

– The Guardian is reporting 21-year-old Villarreal forward Nicolas Jackson will undergo a medical at Bournemouth on Wednesday ahead of confirming a £20.3m (€23m) signing.

– After missing out on Nicolas Jackson, Southampton will now focus their attention on 22-year-old Marseille winger Bamba Dieng, per the Daily Express.

– According to The Evening Standard, Arsenal will join Chelsea in the pursuit of 21-year-old Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo at the end of the season, while The Times adds the Seagulls are valuing him at £100m.

– Aston Villa were prepared to break their club-record signing and activate the £45m (€50m) release clause in the contract of Athletic Bilbao forward Nico Williams, but the Spanish international rejected their advances. The English club will instead turn to 22-year-old Real Betis forward Luiz Henrique, who is believed to cost £20m (€22m), per the Daily Mail.

– The Daily Mail is also reporting Nottingham Forest are investigating a potential loan deal for 36-year-old Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Keylor Navas after an injury to first-choice shot-stopper Dean Henderson.

Maurizio Sarri was pleased to be able to help out former club Napoli as his Lazio side's 4-0 thrashing of Milan on Tuesday gave the Serie A leaders another boost in their title charge.

Sarri was born in Naples and managed the Partenopei between 2015 and 2018, who under Luciano Spalletti now look set to end a 33-year wait for Scudetto success.

Napoli's lead at the top was 12 points heading into Milan's game with Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico, and that remained the case following a rampant display from the hosts.

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Mattia Zaccagni had Sarri's men cruising at the break, and Luis Alberto and Felipe Anderson added second-half goals as Milan's bid to close the gap to the Serie A summit to nine points fell woefully short.

While Sarri was keen to focus on his team's performance, he also said he found pleasure in assisting his old club, telling DAZN: "We mainly gave ourselves a gift. We cared a lot for the standings and to show how much we have grown.

"If Napoli are well placed in the standings, for me it's nothing but a reason for satisfaction."

The sparkling display against Milan was Lazio's second straight league win and hoisted them from sixth up into third, just a point behind the reigning champions.

Aside from their impressive attacking performance, Sarri's men picked up an 11th clean sheet in 19 Serie A games so far this campaign, equalling the club record for clean sheets at this point in a top-flight season.

Former Chelsea boss Sarri was delighted with how his team performed and suggested it may have been the best they had played under him since arriving at the club in 2021.

"In terms of technical, tactical enjoyment, today was one of the best," Sarri added. "Perhaps the best.

"This group has always given me total availability and we can do well if we remove the flaw of not picking up away points against inferior teams on paper."

The victory moved Lazio above top-four rivals Inter and Roma on goal difference, after their bid for Champions League qualification already received a big hand on Saturday with Juventus' 15-point deduction for alleged false accounting.

Sarri hopes his side can maintain their momentum and continue their assault on the top four against Fiorentina on Sunday, saying: "At the final whistle, I thought that in a few days we have a very difficult match against Fiorentina.

"We must not think about the long term, but keep the adrenaline seen tonight also in the next matches. Unfortunately, this has sometimes been our flaw.

"We do the maximum of what we can do, then at the end of the season we'll sum up. There are teams that are better equipped for me [to finish top four], but we still take it one game at a time and see what comes of it."

Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic scathingly branded Serge Gnabry "amateurish" for using a day off to attend Paris Fashion Week before turning in a disappointing performance on Tuesday.

The Bundesliga champions were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Koln, with Joshua Kimmich's 90th-minute screamer salvaging a point.

Gnabry started the match after finding himself in the media spotlight, with Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann saying his players can use their free time as they see fit, even if he hinted a degree of frustration with the winger going to Paris on Sunday.

But the Germany international was withdrawn at half-time following an underwhelming first-half display.

After the game, Salihamidzic was not shy about letting his thoughts on the matter be known.

"It's amateurish," Salihamidzic is quoted as saying by Kicker. "That's exactly what I don't like. It's exactly what Bayern Munich isn't.

"A day off is there to rest so that you can step on the gas again in the next game. We'll talk about that."

Nagelsmann was keen to clarify that Gnabry's extracurricular activities had nothing to do with him being withdrawn, however.

"Now, I'm not one for these tabloid issues. I evaluate what I see on the field, and I evaluate what I have on the bench for outstanding players," he told reporters.

"I had the feeling that we needed a breath of fresh air, also because of the changed basic structure at Koln, because it opened up a little more distance for the wide players.

"That's why we switched. It had nothing to do with everything else. I evaluate what I see and then try to make the right decision."

The result means Bayern's lead at the top of the table is four points – it was six heading into Tuesday, before second-placed RB Leipzig crushed Schalke 6-1.

Bayern resumed their season last week by drawing 1-1 with Leipzig, leaving them on two points from a possible six in 2023.

And captain Kimmich felt it was necessary to question the attitude of his team-mates following this latest setback.

"The second half was a bit better," he told Sat1. "The first half…we certainly have to talk about that in terms of approach, our willingness, our attitude.

"It's relatively easy to change – it's not that it's a matter of tactics or technique or fitness, it's just the willingness. I expect that we can get that changed relatively quickly."

Bayern are next in action on Saturday when they play host to Eintracht Frankfurt.

Nick Pope was described as the world's best goalkeeper by Bruno Guimaraes after his 10th consecutive clean sheet helped Newcastle United put one foot in the EFL Cup final.

Pope recorded yet another shutout as Newcastle earned a 1-0 win in the first leg of their semi-final tie against Southampton on Tuesday, with Joelinton scoring a second-half winner before Saints had Duje Caleta-Car sent off.

While Newcastle dominated for long periods, Pope made two crucial saves to deny Che Adams when the game was goalless, the first an excellent one-on-one stop with his legs.

Pope has now kept 10 successive clean sheets across all competitions – a feat not managed by any other Premier League goalkeeper in records dating back to the start of the 2012-13 season.

Guimaraes reserved lofty praise for his team-mate after the win, telling Sky Sports: "I would like to say thanks for Nick Pope – he's been brilliant for us. 

"I think he's the best goalkeeper, right now, in the world.

"We controlled the game but missed some opportunities which we cannot miss. But we are happy, it is just the first game. I'm proud of the team today."

Newcastle also had a late VAR review to thank for their clean sheet as former Magpies striker Adam Armstrong was ruled to have bundled the ball home with his arm, leaving Pope relieved.

"A lot of work goes into it. I've let one in and VAR has helped us out," the England international said.

"We're really happy with that aspect of our game at the moment. We look really solid at the back and the boys work hard to make that happen."

Newcastle have now kept 16 clean sheets in all competitions this season – more than any other team across Europe's top five leagues, and boss Eddie Howe was delighted with Pope's display.

"I can't be critical of the team in any way," Howe said. "I thought we defended well again, I thought Nick made a couple of really good saves near the end again.

"The two saves he's made are big saves in the game. Adams' one-on-one was at a huge time in the game when Southampton were beginning to get on top.

"Nick stood up for us and made a great save, and then he made one shortly afterwards as well. He's been outstanding for us this year. Whenever he's needed, he's produced the goods for us."

Howe was also asked about Newcastle's pursuit of Everton's Anthony Gordon, amid reports suggesting the Magpies are working on a deal worth £40million for the winger.

However, Howe insisted he was purely focused on guiding Newcastle to their first EFL Cup final since 1976, responding: "I can tell you absolutely nothing. I've been focused on preparing for this game for the last two days."

Stefano Pioli wants Milan to "shut up and work" after they lost more ground in the Serie A title race with a 4-0 thumping at the hands of Lazio on Tuesday.

The Rossoneri lost for the first time in seven league matches with goals from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Mattia Zaccagni giving Maurizio Sarri's side the advantage heading into the break.

Luis Alberto then added a third with a well-taken penalty before Felipe Anderson rounded off the scoring as Milan failed to win for a fifth straight game in all competitions.

With Pioli's men remaining 12 points behind Napoli, the Milan head coach believes it is time for less talk and more action from the reigning champions.

"Right now there are many things that are not working, mental and tactical aspects," Pioli told DAZN. "I'm here to talk because I have to, we should shut up and work. I too will try to talk less and work more.

"We have to get back to Milanello [Milan's training ground] quickly to work and work well, we're not playing according to our possibilities.

"Things aren't going well for us, that's for sure. In 20 days we haven't brought home any good performances or results."

With Milan now having conceded eight goals in their past three league matches, as many as in their nine previous Serie A games, Pioli knows his team will have to find a defensive fix, and quick, if they are to somehow claw back Napoli and retain the title.

"The problem right now isn't too much with the ball," Pioli explained. "But without the ball there's no cover and we leave too many spaces.

"We just have to work. The team needs to be more compact, attentive and collaborative. Continuing to make these mistakes means creating even more difficulties in the match.

"We have to go back to playing as we know how and do it as soon as possible. In the last two weeks the performances have not been what we expected and could have done."

Milan's search for a return to form could soon be boosted by the return of veteran striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who has missed all of this season with a knee injury but posted a video earlier on Tuesday of him kicking a ball at the club's training ground.

Pioli refused to point to Ibrahimovic's long absence for his team's shortcomings this season, adding: "It's too easy now [to blame Ibrahimovic's injury]. We don't want to have any excuses or justifications.

"I realise that it's a delicate moment for the boys. They will have my support. They will certainly want to be competitive again soon."

Paris Saint-Germain defender Presnel Kimpembe claimed he was not informed about Kylian Mbappe replacing him as the club's vice-captain.

Mbappe scored five times as PSG beat sixth-tier Pays de Cassel 7-0 in the Coupe de France on Monday, with the France star wearing the captain's armband in the absence of regular skipper Marquinhos.

After the match, PSG coach Christophe Galtier told reporters Mbappe is now their vice-captain.

Kimpembe – who has not played since November due to a heel injury – had previously been Marquinhos' deputy.

Rumours on Tuesday suggested Kimpembe had agreed to step down from the position to allow Mbappe to take up a leadership role.

However, he insists such reports are inaccurate, instead accusing PSG of failing to inform him at all.

"In the last few hours I have been able to hear and read a lot about myself," he wrote on his official social media accounts.

"I therefore wish to make things clear in order to avoid continuing to spread false information in this regard.

"I was not made aware of this decision, this is completely false... That said, I will always respect the decisions of the club."

Joelinton's close-range finish gave Newcastle United a 1-0 aggregate lead in their EFL Cup semi-final tie against Southampton.

The Brazilian's 73rd-minute goal settled Tuesday's first leg at St Mary's Stadium in Newcastle's favour though Southampton, who had Duje Caleta-Car sent off late on, had an equaliser disallowed.

Joelinton had a goal contentiously ruled out for handball in the first half and then missed a glorious chance shortly after the restart, but atoned when he converted Alexander Isak's cross.

VAR denied former Newcastle striker Adam Armstrong a leveller less than four minutes later, with Southampton's hopes further dented when Caleta-Car picked up a second booking.

Joe Willock wasted two good opportunities early on, hitting a wild effort over the crossbar following good work from Miguel Almiron before miscuing a volley from Kieran Trippier's cross.

Willock was also involved when Newcastle were denied an opener. Gavin Bazunu parried his shot out to Joelinton, who was contentiously penalised for handball as he fired home the rebound.

Joelinton missed a huge chance seven minutes after the restart, somehow blazing over an open goal from six yards out.

He made no mistake from his next chance, finishing into a gaping net after fantastic play from Isak down the right.

Armstrong thought he had denied his old club with a scruffy finish, only for a VAR review to rule he had handled the ball, and a frustrating outing for the hosts was capped when Caleta-Car received his marching orders for fouling Allan Saint-Maximin.

Newcastle spurned chances to further their advantage in stoppage time, but head into next week's second leg knowing a draw would be enough to book their place in an EFL Cup final for the first time since 1976.

Milan missed the opportunity to close the gap on Serie A leaders Napoli after they were thumped 4-0 by a rampant Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday.  

Stefano Pioli's men were condemned to a first defeat in seven league matches after goals from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Mattia Zaccagni gave the hosts a half-time advantage.

Luis Alberto added a third from the spot after the interval before Felipe Anderson rounded off the scoring as the Rossoneri failed to win for the fifth game in a row in all competitions.

The impressive result sees Maurizio Sarri's Lazio leap from sixth to third and within a point of Milan, who remain 12 points off Napoli.

Lazio were ahead just four minutes in, Luis Alberto cleverly dummying a Zaccagni pass into the path of Milinkovic-Savic to coolly stroke into the bottom corner.

Sandro Tonali stung the palms of Ivan Provedel as Milan looked for a response, but the champions would find themselves two goals down before half-time.

Adam Marusic saw a shot come back off the post after latching onto Pedro's through-ball, but Zaccagni was there to bundle home the rebound for his third goal in three league games. 

Milan's shaky defending continued to be their downfall in the second half, with Lazio going further ahead when Pierre Kalulu brought down Pedro for a penalty, which Luis Alberto blasted straight down the middle past Ciprian Tatarusanu.

With Milan staring down the barrel of a heavy defeat, Anderson slotted home after a neat pass from Luis Alberto to further embarrass Pioli's side.

Joshua Kimmich's stunning 90th-minute equaliser spared Bayern Munich's blushes as the Bundesliga champions rescued a 1-1 draw at home to Koln on Tuesday.

Bayern had been on the verge of their first home league loss since last January before their captain took centre stage, though it was not enough to restore their six-point lead at the summit following RB Leipzig's 6-1 demolition of Schalke.

Ellyes Skhiri, who scored twice in Koln's remarkable 7-1 win over Werder Bremen on Saturday, put the Billy Goats ahead amid a purposeful opening.

Koln were under pressure for long periods thereafter, however, and they could not see the win out as Kimmich struck from distance at the end.

Barcelona head coach Xavi has hit back at "silly" criticism about Gavi's perceived overly physical playing style and told the midfielder to show even more passion.

The 18-year-old has featured in all 17 of league-leading Barcelona's LaLiga fixtures this season, starting 12 of those.

Gavi leads the way among Barca players for fouls conceded this campaign with 41 – at least 22 more than any other team-mate and the third-highest tally in the division.

He also tops the list in terms of duels contested (146) among Barca players and is behind only Sergio Busquets (1.73) for tackles per game with 1.65.

Some have suggested Gavi too often gets away with bad challenges, having been cautioned only three times, but Barca head coach Xavi does not agree with that assessment.

"That seems silly to me. There is a referee who decides, right? In the end, he is the one who decides," Xavi told reporters. "Gavi puts passion and courage into his game.

"I consider it that the whistle is blown for very few fouls on him. For me, it's the other way around. He's a player who's fouled a lot and the whistle is blown for a few of them."

Gavi's playing style has earned comparisons to Brazil international Casemiro, who won 18 trophies in nine years at Real Madrid prior to joining Manchester United last August.

But Xavi feels the young midfielder is only praised when representing Spain, rather than when putting on the Blaugrana strip.

"It seems to me that when he goes to the [Spanish] national team he is wonderful, and when he plays for Barca, he crosses the line," Xavi said.

"This is what it seems to me from the outside, yes. He's an example of grit and courage [for Spain] and, when he's at Barca, he is not liked, right?

"Well, it's normal. It is normal. And on top of that, if we win, he is liked even less. It is the way that it is.

"To Gavi, I say be calm, to put in the same passion, or even more, and also more courage and sacrifice... and that he doesn't stop. He doesn't have to slow down."

Gavi is in line to feature when Barca host Real Sociedad – who are third in LaLiga – in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday.

"It's a key match for us," Xavi added at Tuesday's pre-match press conference. "It's a quarter-final and a one-off match. We're playing in front of 80,000 of our fans.

"We are in good form and they are in a good moment also in terms of results and confidence. I expect we'll see a good game."

Jude Bellingham is wanted by Europe's top clubs because he is "an outstanding talent" who has proved he is the real deal, according to Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic.

Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, who wants Bellingham to join the Reds, spoke of how Bellingham should return home to England and develop his game.

"There's still growth in him, and he can evolve, and I think staying in England until a certain age until he hits his peak years is very important for the boy now," Gerrard said on BT Sport.

While Gerrard said he would love to take Bellingham out for dinner and sell the prospect of Liverpool to him, Terzic wants the teenager to stay where he is, and considers him further advanced than a player at any developmental stage.

"I don't think there's a player that's been more speculated about in our squad right now than Jude has been in the last few weeks and months," Terzic said.

"Because he's an outstanding talent; because he is, I think, past that talent status, even though he's only 19."

England international Bellingham scored Dortmund's opener as they beat Augsburg 4-3 on Sunday, and BVB go to Mainz on Wednesday seeking another three points to nudge them deeper into the battle for Champions League places.

Bellingham is suspended for the Mainz game, with the teenager's absence a major blow.

This is his third season of being a regular in the Dortmund midfield, with his growing maturity and impact on the field all too obvious to Terzic. Bellingham has nine goals already this season, a personal best for a campaign.

"He is an extremely important player for us, who has now scored the first goal in a game for us again, who was extremely important in both attack and defence on Sunday," Terzic said.

"And of course we will miss him tomorrow. But that's the job of a good squad.

"We will now think carefully about how we can compensate this absence for tomorrow. We are sure that Jude will play a leading role again in the game in Leverkusen on Sunday. And tomorrow we will do the job without him."

Terzic said Dortmund are looking "from day to day" at how Sebastien Haller comes on, as the former Ajax man continues his comeback after treatment for testicular cancer.

The French striker came off the bench on Sunday, and Terzic said: "We are just noticing that he is getting better and better from day to day. He feels better and better, he has found his rhythm again, and we just hope that we can increase the workload bit by bit.

"To what extent that will be enough for the starting line-up, whether that will be the case tomorrow or on Sunday or next week, we will see, but we are sure that he will play an important role again tomorrow."

Barcelona have promised to "take every possible action" to overturn the decision to turf their women's team out of the Copa de la Reina.

The Catalans have won the Spanish league and cup double for the last three seasons, but it emerged they fielded an ineligible player when beating Osasuna 9-0 at the last-16 stage of this season's cup competition.

Osasuna were overpowered on January 10 but have been declared winners of the tie on a technicality, with Barcelona striker Geyse having played and scored when she should have been serving a suspension.

Brazilian Geyse was sent off in her previous match in the competition, playing for Madrid CFF against eventual finalists Sporting Huelva in last season's quarter-finals.

Barcelona believe there are grounds for the ruling to be successfully challenged, with ESPN reporting the club are adamant Geyse was not listed on pre-match lists of disciplinary disqualifications issued by cup organisers the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).

In a statement issued after Tuesday's expulsion, the Camp Nou giants said: "FC Barcelona announces that the club is to continue to fight for the women's team's rights after they were sanctioned by the competition committee for fielding an ineligible line-up, with an appeal to be presented in due course.

"Should the sanction not be revoked on appeal, FC Barcelona will take every possible action, as it is considered that the line-up ended up being deemed ineligible due to technicalities in this case."

Barcelona, who beat Real Sociedad 3-0 in the Supercopa on Sunday, appear well on course to claim the Spanish league title for a fourth season in a row after winning 14 consecutive games in the competition since the start of the season.

Barcelona have also been fined €1,001 by the RFEF over the ineligibility episode, while Sevilla have been thrown out of this season's cup, too, after Nagore Calderon played in a 1-0 win against Villarreal, when she too had a suspension hanging over her from last season.

Sevilla said they presented arguments against such a punishment but will not appeal any further.

Fernando Santos has been appointed Poland head coach until 2026 following the end of his tenure with Portugal.

Santos, 68, was in charge of the Selecao for over eight years and guided them to success at Euro 2016 and the inaugural Nations League in 2019.

Despite those trophies, Portugal fans had become frustrated with the style of football Santos' team played in recent years, with there being a perception of him underachieving given the wealth of talent at his disposal.

Santos' Portugal contract was not due to expire until after Euro 2024, but he was removed from his role after the World Cup quarter-final defeat to Morocco last month.

Roberto Martinez has since replaced him.

Santos has not wasted much time in taking a new job either, however, with Poland his third international position in succession after also coaching Greece for four years prior to taking over Portugal.

He will be only Poland's third non-native head coach after Portuguese compatriot Paulo Sousa, who had a brief spell in charge in 2021, and Leo Beenhakker.

Polish Football Association (PZPN) president Cezary Kulesza had essentially confirmed the hiring on Monday when he posted a photo of himself with Santos, the caption announcing a press conference for the following day.

Santos' first goal will be to secure Poland's qualification for a fourth successive appearance at the European Championship, with the 2024 edition to take place in neighbouring Germany.

He will then be tasked with leading Poland to the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States, after which his contract is due to end.