John Silk

In the coming days I will write more, and hopefully more coherently, but for now this is the best I can manage. I will miss you Damian. John

Rassegnare le mie dimissioni un minuto dopo la fine della gara contro la Bosnia, era un atto impellente, che mi usciva dal profondo. Spontaneo come le lacrime e quel male al cuore che so di condividere con tutti voi. Mi è stato chiesto di temporeggiare per far fare le giuste riflessioni a tutti. Ora che il Presidente Gravina ha scelto di fare un passo indietro, mi sento libero di fare quello che sento come atto di responsabilità, perché, pur nella sincera convinzione di aver costruito tanto a livello di spirito e di gruppo con Rino Gattuso e tutti i collaboratori, nel pochissimo tempo a disposizione della Nazionale, l’obiettivo principale era riportare l’Italia al Mondiale. E non ci siamo riusciti. È giusto lasciare a chi verrà dopo la libertà di scegliere la figura che riterrà migliore per ricoprire il mio ruolo. Rappresentare la Nazionale è per me un onore ed una passione che mi divora fin da quando ero un ragazzino. Ho cercato di interpretare il mio incarico mettendoci tutte le mie energie, guardando a tutti i settori per essere anello di congiunzione, di dialogo e di sinergia tra le varie giovanili, cercando di strutturare, insieme ai vari responsabili, un progetto che partendo dai giovanissimi arrivi fino alla Nazionale U21. Il tutto per ripensare il modo nel quale si allevano i talenti della futura Nazionale maggiore. Ho chiesto ed ottenuto l’inserimento di poche, importanti figure di forte esperienza, che insieme con le competenze già presenti, stanno dando vita a questi cambiamenti necessari con visione a medio e lungo termine. Questo perché credo nella politica della meritocrazia e della specializzazione delle mansioni. Starà a chi di dovere giudicare la bontà di queste scelte. Porto nel cuore tutto, con gratitudine per il privilegio e l’insegnamento che, anche nell’epilogo doloroso, questa intensa esperienza mi lascia. Forza Azzurri sempre.

Ferguson: West Ham whipped us 4-0 in the Carling Cup. Wally Downes asked Wes Brown, as he waited to replace Jonny Evans, 'Are you going to make a difference?' That got under my skin, as did taunts from West Ham supporters. I told them, 'We're going to be back here & relegate you'

Germany’s Ursula von der Leyen seems to have slept through her clssses on the Nuremberg tribunals, which dealt with the Nazi legacy. Nuremberg defined a war of aggression – of the kind committed by the US and Israel in attacking Iran – as the “supreme international crime” because "it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole". In other words, parties like the US and Israel that commit the crime of aggression are responsible for everything that flows from their crime – and that includes Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz. It is not Iran’s actions "putting global economic stability at risk.” It is the criminal endeavours of the US and Israel. The Nuremberg judges understood that this cause and effect had to be understood correctly, otherwise the logic of the Nazis would take hold again. It is deeply disturbing that the lessons of Nuremberg are so utterly lost on von der Leyen and Starmer.

Bosnians hit the streets of Sarajevo to celebrate Damir Džumhur‘s run to the quarter-finals in Bucharest

Janice Tjen vs McCartney Kessler | WTA Charleston 2026 | LIVE TENNIS WAT... youtube.com/live/kWyKadIU5… via @YouTube

German public broadcaster @zdf say are not collaborating anymore with any individual under sanctions. German NGOs for press freedom default to criticism on Trump, turning a blind eye on the EU sanctions regime which currently starves a family in Germany.

This is possibly the best advert ever on British TV. For Carlsberg beer it features some great England players who play in a Sunday league match. Lots of banter, crunching tackles & great action, including a Bobby Charlton rocket.

🇮🇶 Poco a poco comienza a salir la gente a las calles en Baghdad para festejar el regreso de Irak a un Mundial! 8 de la mañana pero no le importa a nadie. Aparte siguieron todos de largo a la noche!

Irak als letzter Teilnehmer für die WM in Amerika qualifiziert, das wird ein ruhiges Turnier da wird der Sport im Vordergrund stehen

A whole generation grew up without seeing Iraq at a World Cup. Now, after 40 years, they finally have their moment.

2018: we boycott Putin’s World Cup🇷🇺 2022: we boycott the World Cup in the gulf slave state🇶🇦 2026: we boycott the World Cup in the MAGA christofascist regime🇺🇸 Is there a football team more concerned with human rights than us?🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹

Italy’s World Cup debacle on the front pages #italiaout

Amazing. - Merz says 80% of Syrians should leave Germany in the next three years - amid confusion and irritation, Merz says he was merely quoting a figure mentioned by al-Sharaa - al-Sharaa says he did not use the figure and that it came from Merz

لقد فعلناها!!! انتهى انتظار 40 عاماً… والعراق إلى كأس العالم 2026! 🙌🔥 🇬🇧 WE HAVE DONE IT!!! 🇮🇶 The 40-year wait is over — Iraq have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup! 🙌🔥 🇲🇽 ¡LO HEMOS LOGRADO! 🇮🇶 La espera de 40 años ha terminado — ¡Iraq está en la Copa Mundial 2026! 🙌🔥 #IRQvBOL #FIFAWorldCup

وأخيراً… حلمُ وطنٍ يتحقّق 🇮🇶✨ 𝗜𝗥𝗔𝗤 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗚𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 𝗖𝗨𝗣! ✔️🔥 #FIFAWorldCup #RoadTo2026

MAGA man looking to call ICE at the airport—on Iraqi soccer fans traveling for the World Cup. He runs into crowd and tears up the homemade banner that fans were holding—written in Arabic and Spanish. "You're in America!" he yells. "You don't come to America and do that!" Traveling to support Iraq in a World Cup 2026 qualifier playoff match vs. Bolivia in Monterrey, Mexico. The incident occurred near Gate D12 in the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

📍SARAJEVO! #FIFAWorldCup

Italy didn't win their UNL group only on goal difference! France +6 and Italy +5. That one goal means they're suddenly worse than a 3rd division team? Ridiculous to me. They have to get rid of the UNL path.

Thank you, guys! I know it’s not an easy way to end this fantastic qualifying campaign, but this is football. The experience gained will serve us well in the upcoming Nations League and European qualifiers. We march on! 💙🇽🇰

Bajraktarevic scores and wins it for Bosnia and Herzegovina. #Azzurri #VivoAzzurro #BIHITA