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Jadon Sancho is one of the worst signings Manchester United have ever made, according to former Red Devils striker Louis Saha.

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Saha tears into Sancho Flop winger closes in on Dortmund move'One of Man Utd's biggest transfer failures'WHAT HAPPENED?

Sancho is about to seal a loan move back to Borussia Dortmund, two-and-a-half-years after leaving the Bundesliga side to sign for United for £73 million ($94m). Sancho's time with the Red Devils has been a disaster for everyone involved and the player has not played or trained with the first team since lashing out at Erik ten Hag on social media after being omitted from the squad against Arsenal in September.

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“Jadon Sancho is one of Manchester United’s biggest transfer failures – you can't have that type of quality sidelined because of his mindset," Saha told “We know that he is good enough, which is why it doesn’t sit right. You can’t be putting yourself in that situation and thinking that you are bigger than the manager. Whatever happens, I don’t back Sancho – which is hard for me as a supporter of United. It’s just horrendous.”

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Sancho arrived at United hoping to spearhead a title charge under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but he started just four Premier League matches before the Norwegian was sacked, and his place in the team was disrupted by the unexpected return of Cristiano Ronaldo. United will cover the bulk of Sancho's wages and will receive just a €3m (£2.5m) loan fee for parting with the winger, but they will hope that he rediscovers his form so his value will rise at the end of the season and they will be able to sell him in the summer.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Sancho will leave United for Dortmund with just 12 goals and six assists in two-and-a-half years with the club, compared to 114 goal contributions during his first spell at BVB between 2017 and 2021. He has not been selected in an England squad since 2021.

Goal takes at a look at the bright young talents waiting in the wings at United, including some who have already made an impression on Jose Mourinho

Manchester United have a long history of producing players through their storied academy, with 3,912 consecutive first-team games stretching back to October 1937 featuring at least one former member of their youth system in the squad.

The likes of Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard and Scott McTominay have been regulars in the United senior ranks this term as that trend continues, but the prospects remain good for a longer-term presence as well thanks to the strides being made by some of their current academy stars.

Kieran McKenna's free-scoring under-18s have remained largely unaffected by the graduation of many of their better players to Ricky Sbragia's under-23 squad, and that in itself says much about the quality on display in the younger ranks.

Below,  Goal  looks at 10 of the greatest teenage talents in the Manchester United system.

GettyAidan Barlow

A goal-scoring attacking midfielder, Barlow is one of the most exciting young players on United’s books. He thrust himself into the spotlight with a hat-trick against Newcastle and two belters against Liverpool in the latter stages of a 2016-17 under-18 campaign in which he ended as top scorer and has netted nine more times this term. Few 18-year-olds exhibit such confidence with the ball at their feet.

GettyTahith Chong

After overcoming a serious knee injury, Chong has recently made the step up to the reserve ranks and has continued to sparkle. His strength, speed and rangy running style make for a wonderful vision on the ball and he also possesses fantastic footballing instinct, rarely switching off and often making opposition sides pay for lapses of concentration.

The Dutchman clearly has a fantastic future in the game, and his fearlessness makes him a great team-mate to have for those in the final third.

Read our in-depth profile here: Who is Tahith Chong? The Man Utd starlet closing in on first-team debut

GettyAngel Gomes

With two first-team substitute appearances already under his belt, the 17-year-old is well known to Manchester United fans as one of their stars of the future. His wonderful ability on the ball and priceless vision more than make up for his diminutive stature, and he has made a seamless rise to reserve team football this season.

No youngster is guaranteed to become a star at first-team level, but the England under-18 international appears destined to be a household name in the future.

Read our in-depth profile here: Who is Angel Gomes? The Man Utd wonderkid with a big future

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GettyMason Greenwood

Some players spend their entire career attempting to master the ability to control a ball the way Greenwood can with his wand of a left foot. His rise in prominence in the under-18s this season has seen him net 15 goals in 17 appearances, including seven in his last four games as he has been employed as a centre-forward rather than his previous slot as a number 10.

Still just 16, he has plenty more time to learn his trade but hopes are high for him.

Read our in-depth profile here: Who is Mason Greenwood? Introducing the 16-year-old star turn of Man Utd's academy title win

Aurelio De Laurentiis has sensationally fallen out with the man who ended the club's 33-year Scudetto drought, and is now looking for a new coach

Well, it's actually happening. Despite leading Napoli to their first Serie A title in 33 years, Luciano Spalletti is set to leave the Partenopei at the end of the season. The coach effectively confirmed his departure in an emotional press conference after Sunday's win over Inter.

"The matter has been decided, you don't change your mind every day," he told reporters. "It is a situation that has been brewing for a long time. If you are not convinced that you can give everything these people deserve, it's right to think it over. You think it over, you arrive at a conclusion and then you stick with it. This is not something that just fell from the sky out of nowhere."

The reason for his shock exit is a falling-out with club president Aurelio De Laurentiis, who is already looking for a new manager, with several familiar faces in contention to take over at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

GOAL runs through the leading candidates to succeed Spalletti as the manager of the newly-crowned champions of Italy…

Getty ImagesJulian Nagelsmann

Talk of De Laurentiis turning to Julian Nagelsmann took many by surprise, but it does make some sense. Most importantly of all, he's available after being surprisingly sacked by Bayern Munich during the March international break – and what a disastrous decision that has proven to be. Furthermore, despite his dismissal, he is still regarded as one of the most interesting and innovative young coaches in the game today.

However, this one is unlikely to happen for one very important reason: money. Nagelsmann would demand a hefty pay packet and De Laurentiis appears unwilling to pay more than €6 million (£5.2m/$6.5m) net. It's doubtful that such a salary would satisfy a coach that rates himself as highly as many neutral observers.

AdvertisementGettyThiago Motta

Thiago Motta has come a long way since arousing suspicion and scepticism with talk of a goalkeeper-less 2-7-2 formation during his time in charge of Paris Saint-Germain Under-19s. Indeed, it's probably only a matter of time before the former Italy international is given one of the top jobs in European football, maybe even at the Parc des Princes – or another former stomping ground, San Siro…

However, right now, he's being linked with Napoli on account of the excellent work he's done in his first season at Bologna. Succeeding Sinisa Mihajlovic at the helm was always going to be a difficult job, for a variety of reasons, but Motta has turned the Rossoblu into one of the best footballing sides in Serie A.

He wouldn't just be an attractive option for De Laurentiis because of his style of play, though – he'd also be a less expensive appointment. Still, it feels like this opportunity hasn't quite come at the right time for the 40-year-old, who still has to prove he is as good a manager as he was a player.

Getty ImagesGian Piero Gasperini

The mastermind behind Atalanta's remarkable journey from provincial club to Champions League contenders, Gian Piero Gasperini has been in Bergamo for seven years now and, at 65, there is every chance that he will retire there.

However, like pretty much everyone else in Italian football, De Laurentiis holds Gasperini in the highest esteem and was ready to hire him a decade ago before former boss Walter Mazzarri decided to extend his stay in Naples for another season.

So, is Gasperini likely to leave his beloved Atalanta for Napoli? No. But it's easy to understand why De Laurentiis would be interested in a coach renowned for playing fantastic football with a mix of rejects and raw talents.

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(C)Getty ImagesRoberto De Zerbi

Roberto De Zerbi is understandably viewed as the ideal man to replace Spalletti. The pair share a similar view of the game and, as the former has previously proven at Sassuolo, and presently at Brighton, he is capable of achieving incredible results on a relatively small budget. There's also the fact that De Zerbi spent four years on Napoli's books during his playing days.

However, while De Zerbi appears destined to return to the Maradona as coach one day, we might be waiting a while. The Brescia native appears to be quite enjoying his experience in England and has just qualified Brighton for Europe. While some of his star players may leave the Amex Stadium this season, he is likely to stay put.

What's more, when he does eventually decide to depart, it could well be for one of the top jobs in the Premier League, given De Zerbi is currently earning ridiculously high praise from the likes of Pep Guardiola.

Harry Kane's wife Kate Goodland has revealed her pride as her husband announced his support for a mental health charity.

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Kane announces support for Here4You charityWife Kate Goodland proud of husband's workEngland captain a high-profile advocate for better mental health WHAT HAPPENED?

The England captain announced that he and his Harry Kane Foundation will lend their support to Here4You, an organisation that promotes better mental health and encourages people needing support to access help. In a video posted on social media, Kane said he was partnering the charity as he wanted followers to know that "it's ok to ask for help."

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Reacting to her husband's announcement video on Instagram, Goodland posted: "Proud of Harry Kane and The Harry Kane Foundation for teaming up with @giveusashoutinsta for the Here4You campaign."

Instagram @katekanexTHE GOSSIP

It's not the first time that Kane has lent his support to mental health initiatives. In 2022 he launched his foundation on World Mental Health Day with an animation titled highlighting his own struggles as a young player to encourage children to recover from setbacks and deal with difficult challenges.

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Getty ImagesDID YOU KNOW?

Kane was released by boyhood club Arsenal as an eight-year-old and had several underwhelming loan spells before breaking into the Tottenham first team and becoming a record goalscorer for both club and country.

The Champions League sees Neymar, Mbappe and Cavani of PSG face Liverpool's Salah, Mane and Firmino – are they among the best triumvirates ever?

GettyMSN

Neymar may have broken up Barcelona's band of brothers last season when he fled to France after a shock €222 million move to Paris Saint-Germain, but the legend of the MSN partnership will live on.

With the brilliant Brazilian lining up in attack alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, the Blaugrana won the Champions League, Club World Cup and La Liga (twice), tearing defences to shreds with their incredible pace, skill and movement

AdvertisementGetty ImagesBBC

While MSN was forming at Camp Nou, Real Madrid saw their own attacking triumvirate become an institution within the Spanish capital.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who has since moved to Juventus, was the undisputed star of the show but the addition of Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema added more blistering pace, power and, of course, goals to a forward line that fired the Blancos to four Champions League triumphs in five years.

Getty ImagesBBC2

Leonardo Bonucci, Andrea Barzagli and Giorgio Chiellini formed a formidable defence in front of legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon as Juventus set about re-establishing themselves as a major European force.

Together, the BBC provided the foundation on which the Bianconeri's resurgence was founded, helping the Old Lady win six successive Scudetti before Bonucci departed for AC Milan last year only to return this summer.

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GettyAC Milan's Dutch gold

The arrival of Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit at San Siro in 1987 proved instrumental in AC Milan winning a first Serie A title in nine years, but the signing of Frank Rijkaard propelled the Rossoneri to glory on a world stage.

The Dutch trio became the stars of Arrigo Sacchi's wonderful team, helping the Italian outfit win two European Cups and two Club World Cup crowns.

Manchester United are currently under investigation after reportedly serving raw chicken at Old Trafford, which has left people feeling unwell.

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Man Utd host event at Old TraffordGuests served raw chickenClub under investigation after guests become unwellGetty WHAT HAPPENED?

According to , United are currently being investigated by Trafford Council after several people claimed they had become unwell after being served raw chicken at an event hosted at Old Trafford.

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The club declined to comment on the situation but will conduct an internal investigation regarding the matter. Both will aim to determine whether the symptoms the individuals experienced were linked to the food they were served at the stadium. The report goes on to state that United currently hold a food hygiene rating of '5 – Very Good', with this incident putting the rating at risk given the potential illnesses their food caused.

DID YOU KNOW?

Any business that is handed a low rating must make immediate and major changes to the hygiene of their workplace, or they could face closure until it is solved. United reportedly draw vast amounts of business through hosting events such as these, meaning a potential downgrade of their hygiene rating could put aspects of their revenue at risk.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR UNITED?

While the off-field issues continue to pile up for United, Erik ten Hag and his squad must focus on the upcoming clash against Newcastle United on Saturday evening, as they look to bounce-back following a disappointing 3-3 draw with Galatasaray in the Champions League.

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting believes there is “no doubt at all” that Steven Smith should take over from Michael Clarke as the team’s next ODI leader

Gaurav Kalra29-Mar-2015Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting believes there is “no doubt at all” that Steven Smith should take over from Michael Clarke as the team’s next ODI leader. Clarke retired from one-day cricket after leading Australia to victory in the World Cup final against New Zealand in Melbourne.In the past, George Bailey has often filled in as captain during Clarke’s absence, and even led Australia in their tournament opener against England. However, Bailey, who has captained Australia to 16 wins and 10 defeats in his 29 matches in-charge, lost his place in the playing eleven once Clarke retained full fitness.”I am a huge George Bailey fan, we have played a lot of state cricket together,” Ponting told ESPNcricinfo. “He’s also been a great leader, but this guy, Smith, is just in the prime of his career right now. He is playing beautifully, and it looks like he has sewn down the No.3 batting spot, potentially even in the Test team. With Clarke making the decision to retire from one-day cricket, you would think he’s only got a couple of years of Test cricket left in him, so Smith should be serving as one-day captain to be totally ready to take over the Test job when Michael finishes.”Clarke bid a teary goodbye to a record crowd at the MCG after top-scoring in the final with 74 off 72 balls to ensure there were no wobbles in Australia’s pursuit of a small target. Praising his successor in the job for his “terrific record” over the years, Ponting said Clarke would have dearly enjoyed being out in the middle when the winning runs were scored.”The way he batted was a terrific way for him to finish,” Ponting said. “The New Zealanders decided to attack him early so he had a lot of open field where he could score from freely. He got through the initial 15-20 balls, then expanded his game and he would have loved to be not out at the end.”Walk off the ground as the winning captain, maybe hitting the winning runs, but it wasn’t meant to be. He’s done a great job with the leadership of this team and you only have to look at his record. It’s a terrific effort by him.”Ricky Ponting – “Smith is just in the prime of his career right now. He should be serving as one-day captain to be totally ready to take over the Test job when Michael finishes”•Getty ImagesPonting, who played in three World Cup winning finals, also believes Australia have the building blocks in place to dominate one-day cricket in the years to come. He credited Clarke and coach Darren Lehmann for ensuring the balance of the squad was “spot on” going into the tournament.”It’s probably a better team than we give it credit for right now,” he said. “Probably because it’s a young team that’s developing we probably don’t know just how good a team this is. I’ve sat back and looked at this one-day team over the last couple of years and it’s a very good team.”Only a couple of months ago, Johnson was the standout fast bowler in the world and all of a sudden, we’re not even taking about him anymore, we are talking about Mitchell Starc. Every one of the allrounders could get themselves picked in one format. James Faulkner will get himself picked as a bowler, Shane Watson as a batter and Glenn Maxwell also as a batter.”There’s a few senior heads, Clarke bowing out, Haddin probably has some decisions to make around his one-day future, Mitchell Johnson would probably not be around for the next World Cup. Every successful Australian team that I have been part of has been a mix of youth and experience and this one is no different. There were some very exuberant youngsters in that side like Smith, Maxwell, Starc and Hazlewood. The balance has been spot on.”Looking back on the final, Ponting said Brendon Mcullum’s dismissal for duck in the first over, and the quick wickets of Ross Taylor, Corey Anderson and Luke Ronchi early in the batting Powerplay were the decisive phases of the game.”The first over with Starc knocking over McCullum, if you look at the way he executed those first three balls, they were three yorkers that were right on the money.”Then at the start of the Powerplay when New Zealand had just fought their way back into the game, at that time Faulkner gets back to back wickets, Starc gets Ronchi in the next over and all of a sudden all the momentum the Kiwis had was completely taken away from them.”Ponting also lavished praise on Faulkner, who became the fifth Australian and the third from Tasmania to win a Man-of-the-Match award in a World Cup final. David Boon won the honour in 1987 for top-scoring in the final against England, and Ponting himself picked up the award in 2003, for his decimation for India with a memorable hundred.”Faulkner is a very competitive person,” Ponting said. “It sums up his character in that Powerplay. He is one guy who doesn’t go running away from a Powerplay, he wants the ball in his hand, and he wants to compete. It was a terrific result for him today and you look back at the end of your career, there are only a few Man-of-the-Match performances that are memorable, and if it happens in a World Cup final that’s something you can always be proud of.”

GOAL preview the continent’s stars expected to feature for their respective clubs around the world this weekend

GettyAfricans to watch in Europe

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s seven goals in 10 games in all competitions puts him in a good place before Sunday’s El Clasico at Real Madrid.

In Serie A, the top three all play on Saturday with Kalidou Koulibaly and Andre Zambo Anguissa looking to put pressure on Ismael Bennacer and Franck Kessie in the Scudetto race.

AdvertisementGetty.Thomas Partey

Arsenal’s five-game winning run was halted on Wednesday as Liverpool secured a 2-0 win at the Emirates Stadium.

Partey and his colleagues will look to avoid successive losses when they travel to Aston Villa and keep their Top Four aspirations on track.

Mikel Arteta’s team have lost on their last two visits to Villa Park and Gerard's team will back themselves to make it three wins on the trot against the Gunners on their own turf.

Getty ImagesThe FA Cup

There is plenty of African interest in the quarter-finals with several interesting ties in the last eight.

Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha, Jordan Ayew, Cheick Kouyate and Jeffrey Schlupp look to get the better of Alex Iwobi's Everton, while Mohammed Salisu and Riyad Mahrez face off when Southampton host Manchester City.

In the other two ties, giant-killing Middlesbrough chase a third straight scalp when Hakim Ziyech and Edouard Mendy come to town, while Liverpool’s African contingent hope to avoid defeat at Nottingham Forest and keep their quadruple hopes alive.

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Getty ImagesKoulibaly & Anguissa

Napoli’s 2-1 win over Cagliari last week meant they kept pace with AC Milan at the top of Serie A and they host Udinese on Saturday looking for their ninth win at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

Kalidou Koulibaly and Andre Zambo Anguissa are expected to feature for the whose home record has been rather hit and miss this term.

Luciano Spalletti’s team are winless in their last two home games, so a return to winning ways will be timely with Milan only three points ahead.

Gareth Southgate's side condemned Italy to a first home defeat in European qualifying since 1999 with a 2-1 victory in Naples

All hail Harry Kane! England’s new record goalscorer.

On a night which saw England make history in Naples, it was their captain who stole the show when he struck from the penalty spot to score his 54th international goal.

The finish pushed him past Wayne Rooney at the top of the England scoring charts and helped the Three Lions claim their first win on Italian soil since 1961.

Declan Rice was also on target, with the West Ham skipper opening the scoring early on before Kane’s spot kick doubled the visitors’ lead before half-time.

Italy responded well after the break and pulled a goal back through Mateo Retegui, but they couldn’t find an equaliser, even after Luke Shaw had been sent off 10 minutes from full-time.

The win sees England get off to the perfect start in their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign, while the Italians are left to lick their wounds after a first home European qualifying defeat in 24 years.

GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.

GettyWINNER: Harry Kane

England’s all time record goalscorer. Congratulations, Harry Kane.

It was always a question of when, not if, Kane would go to surpass Wayne Rooney’s record of 53 England goals. And the Tottenham striker certainly picked a legendary setting to write his name into the history books.

Given what happened to him at the World Cup, it was fitting that Kane broke the record from the penalty spot, putting to bed the ghosts of the quarter-final in Qatar.

That miss against France must have been playing on his mind when he stepped up to take the spot kick just before half-time, but he showed nerves of steel to send Gianluigi Donnarumma the wrong way from 12 yards.

You could see exactly what the moment meant to Kane as he wheeled away in celebration. 54 goals in 81 games for his country. A fantastic achievement.

AdvertisementLOSER: Roberto Mancini

Having failed to guide his country to the World Cup, Italy’s manager would have been desperate to get the European qualifying campaign off to a positive start.

But instead he had to watch his side be outplayed by England in Naples.

There was at least a bit of a fightback in the second half, but that will not stop Mancini’s job from coming under more scrutiny.

This was Italy’s first home defeat in a European qualifying match since 1999 and it ended a 40-game unbeaten run in European qualifying which stretched back to a 3-1 loss in France in 2006.

That will only add further pressure to Mancini, who many in Italy believe is already lucky to still be in a job.

Getty ImagesWINNER: Declan Rice

You can see why so many clubs are battling to be at the front of the queue in the race to sign Declan Rice this summer.

The West Ham captain was exceptional at the World Cup and he picked up where he left off in Qatar with another dominant performance in midfield against Italy.

It was Rice who got England up and running when he opened the scoring early on, reacting quickest to turn home the loose ball after Harry Kane’s shot had deflected into his path.

And then he ran the show in the middle of the park, especially in the first half when Italy just couldn’t cope with his ability to bring the ball out from deep and start off England attacks.

Rice didn’t have things all his own way after the interval as the hosts started to press forward, but he stayed strong and provided the back four with some much needed protection in the closing stages.

West Ham say the only way Rice will leave this summer is for a British record transfer fee and on this performance you can see why. He looks every inch a £100 million man.

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Getty ImagesLOSER: Jack Grealish

Grealish has been in impressive form for his club of late, but he struggled to make much of an impression in Naples.

He wasted one glorious chance late on in the first half which would have rounded off a wonderful England move and sent them into the break 3-0 in front.

Why he decided to try and turn in Kane’s cross with the outside of his foot only he will know, but it was a miss that could have proven costly given the way the second half turned out.

This was a big opportunity for Grealish to impress in Naples, with Gareth Southgate picking him over his club mate Phil Foden, but it was one he didn’t really grasp.

Cristiano Ronaldo has reacted to Portugal’s “historic” Euro 2024 qualification campaign that delivered nothing but '100% victory'.

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Tickets booked to another major tournamentEnjoyed faultless run through 10 gamesStar-studded squad can challenge in GermanyWHAT HAPPENED?

The European champions from 2016 are heading to another major tournament in style, with a faultless run enjoyed through their qualifying campaign. Roberto Martinez inherited the managerial reins with Portugal on the back of a disappointing display at the 2022 World Cup, and the Spaniard has made an immediate impact.

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His cause is aided considerably by the fact that he has the likes of Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Joao Felix, Bernardo Silva and Rafael Leao to call upon. They have helped to deliver a memorable run towards Euro 2024 that has seen 30 points picked up from 10 games.

DID YOU KNOW?

Ronaldo is delighted to have played his part in those history-making efforts by Portugal, with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner posting on Instagram after seeing a perfect record maintained in a 2-0 victory over Iceland: “Historic clearance, 100% victorious! Congratulations Portugal.”

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WHAT NEXT?

Portugal proved too strong for Group J rivals Slovakia, Luxembourg, Iceland, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Lichtenstein. They scored 36 goals through 10 matches, conceding only two, and will fancy their chances of competing for the ultimate prize when the European Championship returns to Germany next summer.