Chelsea Football Club is today mourning the passing of former chairman Ken Bates.
The club sends our heartfelt condolences to Ken’s wife Suzannah, the rest of his family and his friends.
Ken’s determination to fight for Chelsea when times were tough, and drive the team on to winning trophies will never be forgotten.
Rest in peace, Ken.
Olha quem eu encontrei no Aeroporto agora em Houston.
O homem que impediu o Puskas do Vini.
O homem que impediu que Vini marcasse o gol mais bonito de todas as Copas desde Maradona contra a Inglaterra em 1986.
Goleiraço e gente fina, grande personagem.
Even after the match, we received unexpected kindness from Brazil.
Several Brazilian players, including Alisson, Neymar, and Cunha, came to console the Japanese players.
Most movingly, Carlo Ancelotti himself personally spoke with Shogo Taniguchi.
Ancelotti has won the Champions League five times as a manager. For someone of his stature to show such consideration toward players from the opposing team was deeply humbling.
We are truly grateful for the sportsmanship shown by Brazil.
🚨Thierry Henry on Japan’s dominant 4–0 victory over Tunisia at the World Cup:
🗣️ “We need to stop calling Japan a surprise package. When you consistently produce performances like this, you’re no longer a surprise—you’re a genuine contender.
“A 4–0 win at a World Cup doesn’t happen by accident. It comes from quality, organisation, belief, and a clear understanding of how you want to play.
“What impresses me most is their mentality. They play without fear. They don’t care about reputations or expectations. They trust their system, trust each other, and play with incredible intensity.
“Watch the way they press, the way they move the ball, and the way they defend as a unit. Every player understands their role, and that makes them extremely difficult to play against.
“Before the tournament, everyone was talking about the traditional favourites, but performances like this force you to include Japan in that conversation.
“The scary thing is that they never look satisfied. At 3–0, at 4–0, they keep running, keep pressing, and keep looking for the next goal. That’s the mentality of a team that believes it can achieve something special.
“You can have all the individual talent in the world, but if you come up against a team playing with this level of discipline, energy, and confidence, you will suffer.
“Right now, Japan are becoming one of the teams nobody wants to face. If they continue performing like this, they won’t just be aiming for a good tournament—they’ll be thinking about going all the way.
“And trust me, any team drawn against Japan in the next round won’t be celebrating. They’ll be asking themselves one question: how do we stop them?”
{@espn}
Virgil van Dijk on Wataru Endō after Japan’s 2-2 draw with the Netherlands national football team:
🗣️ “I have to say, that moment with Endō’s shirt left on the bench… it was emotional. Even as an opponent, you could feel the weight of it.
To hear he withdrew from the squad due to injury and then announced his retirement on the eve of the World Cup that’s heartbreaking. No player deserves that. Not after all the years of sacrifice and discipline it takes to reach this stage.
When you step out on that pitch and you know a teammate like that should have been there, it changes something in the atmosphere. You feel it in the dressing room, you feel it during the match, and you definitely feel it after the final whistle.
What Japan did tonight by keeping his jersey with them wasn’t just respect—it was love. It showed how much he means to that group, not just as a player but as a leader.
As a footballer, you understand how fragile these moments are. One injury, one twist of fate, and a dream can disappear right before your eyes. That’s the cruel side of this game people don’t always see.
So when I saw that shirt on the bench, I didn’t see a symbol of absence. I saw a reminder of what they’re fighting for.
And honestly, teams that carry that kind of emotion with them… they become very dangerous. Very united. Very hard to break down.
Tonight wasn’t just about a 2-2 draw. It was about a team playing with someone in their hearts who couldn’t be on the pitch with them.”
◢◤ベストイレブン受賞◢◤
井手口陽介選手が明治安田Jリーグ百年構想リーグ 地域リーグラウンドベストイレブン(J1 WEST)を受賞しました!🎊
Congratulations to Yosuke Ideguchi on the Best Eleven! 🎊
https://t.co/pHtwqso84l
#visselkobe#ヴィッセル神戸
◢◤ベストイレブン受賞◢◤
マテウストゥーレル選手が明治安田Jリーグ百年構想リーグ 地域リーグラウンドベストイレブン(J1 WEST)を受賞しました!🎊
Congratulations to Matheus Thuler on the Best Eleven! 🎊
https://t.co/pHtwqso84l
#visselkobe#ヴィッセル神戸