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Female football supporters from Wales’ South Asian communities will watch the national team play for the first time on Friday through a new initiative designed to create a more diverse fan base. The sold-out signs are set to go up for Wales’ Euro 2024 qualifier with Armenia at the Cardiff City Stadium with Rob Page’s side hoping to take another step towards next summer’s finals in Germany. Among the 33,000-plus capacity crowd will be women benefiting from a partnership between Her Game Too Cymru, Amar Cymru – the group launched in 2020 to give the South Asian community a voice in the national team – and the Football Association of Wales. Thirty tickets were made available to women from South Asian communities to attend the game. With the offer oversubscribed, fans that missed out have been invited to a Cardiff restaurant on Monday to watch Wales’ Euro qualifier in Turkey. Roopa Vyas is a director of Her Game Too, the campaign group run by fans to raise awareness of sexism in sport, and has followed the Wales national team at home and abroad. “We want to show the Red Wall is the friendliest fan base around,” said Caerphilly-born Vyas, who has a Ugandan father and an Indian mother. “I have gone to games off my own back but I know the barriers that exist and it not easy for people from Muslim, Hindu, Bengali, Somali and other communities to do that. “Amar Cymru is a progressive group that want to get female fans to games and they came to me as they knew I went to games and could shine a light on it. I have gone to games off my own back, but I know the barriers that exist and it not easy for some people to do that Roopa Vyas, director of Her Game Too “Hopefully we can go back to the FAW after the game and show them it was successful.” Shazia Zahoor, born in Cardiff of Pakistani heritage, once played for Dinas Powys Ladies alongside current Wales captain Sophie Ingle and will be among fans experiencing her first international action on Friday. “I’ve been a football fanatic since I was 13 and wanted to play but the culture did not encourage it,” said Zahoor, who will be joined at the Wales game by her sons Ibrahim, 11, and Zakariya, five. “Even now I would feel uncomfortable talking to my father about playing football. “I’m thrilled to be going to a Wales game and taking my two boys. It will be lovely to see other Asian women there because it really is breaking down barriers.” The FAW want to create a more diverse fan base and has had mascots with South Asian heritage at home games and discussed establishing prayer rooms for fans at the Cardiff City Stadium. Members of Amar Cymru – which translates to ‘My Wales’ and resonates with the South Indian, Bangladeshi and Punjabi communities – attended a Wales match for the first time in September 2021. Jalal Goni, the organisation’s founder, says the landscape of Welsh football has changed even in that short time. “When Amar Cymru started in lockdown it was pre-dominantly made up of males, but Wales being at the World Cup changed things,” said Goni. “Females were saying how we can watch it and we had an event for the USA game at the World Cup that included arts and crafts and other things for the family as well as the football. “The World Cup opened up the stadium experience for females. We know the older generation in our communities would not support females going to a male dominated event but we are breaking that stigma down.” Goni, who will be part of a 10-strong Amar Cymru delegation in Turkey as the group attends a stand-alone Wales away fixture for the first time, added: “There is a lot riding on it. “Female fans will be dressed differently in head scarves and cultural dresses and we hope there will be no negative comments. “It is a massive step but the FAW have done a tremendous job in reshaping Welsh football, certainly since Euro 2016. “Attending Wales games has become more of a family experience and we feel we are ready for this.”

Real Madrid have announced the signing of Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund – with the England midfielder agreeing a six-year contract at the Bernabeu. The 19-year-old moved to Germany from boyhood club Birmingham City in 2020 but has long dreamt of playing for the La Liga giants. Dortmund confirmed in a statement last week that Real have agreed to pay an initial €103m (£88.5m) to land Bellingham. Now Real have confirmed the deal is complete. “Real Madrid CF and Borussia Dortmund have agreed on the transfer of the player Jude Bellingham, who will remain linked to our club for the next six seasons,” their statement read. “Tomorrow, Thursday, June 15, at 12:00 noon at Real Madrid City, the presentation ceremony for Jude Bellingham as a new Real Madrid player will take place. “After, Jude Bellingham will appear before the media.” He scored his first England goal in their World Cup win over Iran but is absent from the squad to face Malta and North Macedonia in Euro 2024 qualifiers this week due to injury. He has long been keen on a move to the 14-time European champions and recently said that he sees the Champions League as “the biggest stage”. “The goal has always been winning,” he said last month. “When you ask me what my biggest ambitions are in the game, it’s to win everything. And I’m not afraid to say that. “Everyone should have that goal I feel like as professional footballers.” Bellingham was recently named Bundesliga Player of the Season after his starring role for Dortmund, who missed out on the title in agonising fashion on the final day of the campaign. PA Read More Bellingham gone but who’s next? Midfield merry-go-round will define summer Football rumours: Man United, Real Madrid and Chelsea fight for Kylian Mbappe Kylian Mbappe breaks silence after speculation over PSG exit Manchester City quintet set to arrive for England duty on Tuesday evening

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An Arsenal fan got an unexpected boost ahead of a job interview after receiving a message from player Vivianne Miedema. Dutch forward Miedema had a few words of encouragement for a nervous supporter after they shared their worries about the upcoming interview as it was on Zoom. A Twitter user by the name of Beth, who makes clear she’s a big fan of Arsenal Women’s FC, was looking for support – but she never would have expected one of her favourite footballers. “I got an interview for my dream job but i dont know if i can do the interview… its via zoom and the only people i can call are my girlfriend, mum and sister,” Beth wrote, without tagging anyone. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter To her amazement, Miedema replied out of the blue to Beth and had some inspiring words. “I’m pretty sure you will be just fine. Relax and just show them your qualities, good luck,” the 26-year-old. Not quite believing her luck, Beth replied: “thank you so much… oh my god I love you.” It’s not every day you get one of your favourite footballers encouraging you, and social media users were full of goodwill messages for her. “The way I checked to see if it's THE Vivianne Miedema,” one said, to which Beth replied: “pls so did i. i was so confused.” Another added: “If the GOAT has faith in you, you can smash it! Goodluck.” Meanwhile, Arsenal Women side narrowly missed out on the Women’s Super League title last season, finishing a point behind Chelsea despite losing just once all season and beating West Ham on the final day. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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Rico Lewis is a surprise omission from the England Under-21s squad for their Euro 2023 campaign this summer. Lee Carsley’s Young Lions head to Romania and Georgia hoping for a first European Championship success since 1984, but they will be without the young City star after he was not included in the 23-man squad. Lewis, just 18, played 23 times for City during their treble-winning season. Folarin Balogun is a notable absentee following his recent decision to represent the United States. Head coach Carsley had been hopeful that Balogun would decide on his future after this summer’s tournament, but the 21-year-old informed the Football Association of his choice to play for the US last month. His absence means Cameron Archer is the only out-and-out striker in the squad, with Rhian Brewster injured. Tottenham right-back Djed Spence, City forward James McAtee, who is injured, and Club Brugge goalkeeper Joe Bursik also missed out. But there is a plethora of Premier League experience in there, with the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White, Emile Smith Rowe, Oliver Skipp, Anthony Gordon, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott among the 23-man squad gunning for glory. England begin their campaign against the Czech Republic in Georgia on June 22. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

The summer transfer window is officially open ahead of the 2023-24 Premier League season and there are already plenty of news and rumours ahead of what promises to be a busy few weeks for clubs, players and agents. Having signed Alexis Mac Allister, Liverpool are keen to bring in at least two more top players, with Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram and Inter’s Nicolo Barella top of the shopping list, according to the Mirror. The same paper also reports that Paris Saint-Germain have opened preliminary talks with Tottenham’s Harry Kane. PSG are likely to be the big focus of the window with Kylian Mbappe’s future up in the air. The France forward will be a target for Manchester United, according to the Metro, should Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim buy the club. Meanwhile 90min reports Declan Rice is moving closer to Arsenal, with the Gunners preparing a bid higher than £100m for the Hammers’ captain. Follow all the latest transfer news and rumours below. Read More Football rumours: Man United, Real Madrid and Chelsea fight for Kylian Mbappe Kylian Mbappe breaks silence after speculation over PSG exit

Marvin Vettori and Jared Cannonier will go head to head this weekend, clashing in a UFC Fight Night main event. The middleweights are both pursuing a second shot at the title, with each man having come up short against Israel Adesanya during the incumbent champion’s first reign. Italian Vettori suffered a points loss to Adesanya in June 2021, three years after losing to the Nigerian-New Zealander by the same means. Then, last July, American Cannonier was similarly outpointed by Adesanya. Vettori has gone 2-1 since his second loss to Adesanya, losing to Robert Whittaker between victories over Paulo Costa and Roman Dolidze. Meanwhile, Cannonier bounced back from his title-fight defeat with a points win against Sean Strickland in December. Here’s all you need to know about this weekend’s card. What time is it? The prelims are set to begin at 12am BST on Sunday 18 June (4pm PT, 6pm CT, 7pm ET on Saturday). The main card is then due to begin at 3am BST on Sunday (7pm PT, 9pm CT, 10pm ET on Saturday). How can I watch it? The card will air live on BT Sport in the UK, with the broadcaster’s app and website also streaming the fights. In the US, ESPN+ will stream the action live, as will the UFC’s Fight Pass. Full card (subject to change) Marvin Vettori vs Jared Cannonier (middleweight) Arman Tsarukyan vs Joaquim Silva (lightweight) Armen Petrosyan vs Christian Leroy Duncan (middleweight) Pat Sabatini vs Lucas Almeida (featherweight) Manuel Torres vs Nikolas Motta (lightweight) Raoni Barcelos vs Miles Johns (bantamweight) Prelims Nicolas Dalby vs Muslim Salikhov (welterweight) Jimmy Flick vs Alessandro Costa (flyweight) Kyung Ho Kang vs Cristian Quinonez (bantamweight) Carlos Hernandez vs Denys Bondar (flyweight) Zhalgas Zhumagulov vs Felipe Bunes (flyweight) Tereza Bleda vs Gabriella Fernandes (women’s flyweight) Dan Argueta vs Ronnie Lawrence (bantamweight) Zac Pauga vs Modestas Bukauskas (light-heavyweight) Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Amanda Nunes took ‘coward’s way out’ by retiring at UFC 289, says Julianna Pena Meet Charles Oliveira, the UFC’s miracle man Miami Heat mascot hospitalised after Conor McGregor punch What time does Vettori vs Cannonier start in UK and US this weekend? How to watch Vettori vs Cannonier online and on TV this weekend Conor McGregor’s team fall to 0-3 on The Ultimate Fighter

Jodi Jones was wooed by Malta on Instagram and now he is looking for a picture perfect finish against England. The Bow-born forward is ready for Friday’s Euro 2024 qualifier against Gareth Southgate’s side and he has been ready for some time. Three cruciate ligament injuries in just over three years at Coventry put his career on hold and thwarted a move to Leeds. His injury despair also delayed international recognition with Malta, who initially made contact with Jones via social media four years ago. But, having made his debut in last year’s Nations League loss to Estonia before winning promotion to the Football League at Wembley with Notts County this season, Jones is ready to make up for lost time. “I remember getting messages on Instagram. Obviously, I didn’t know if they were genuine but then they started contacting my family regularly,” he tells the PA news agency. “It was the president (Bjorn Vassallo) who reached out to me on there, then he got my number and was calling me a lot. It's got my love for the game back. It's been a great experience, playing international football, even just little things on a shirt like a badge that says Euro qualifiers Jodi Jones “I played against Luke (Gambin, Sutton’s Malta international) and he messaged me on Instagram saying they were asking about me out there. “Then they reached out to me not too long after that with a proper phone call and contacted the club, that’s when I thought, ‘oh, yeah, obviously this is genuine’. “I was injured at the time so I wasn’t really interested, not because I didn’t want to do it, I was interested but I just wanted to focus on getting back fit. As soon as I was and I thought I was back to my best I thought, ‘now’s the perfect time’.” A seventh appearance came in Friday’s 1-0 win in Luxembourg, a victory which may not resonate worldwide but against a team 80 places above them in the FIFA rankings it suggests quick progress in Michele Marcolini’s three games in charge. “It’s got my love for the game back. It’s been a great experience, playing international football, even just little things on a shirt like a badge that says Euro qualifiers,” says Jones. “As a kid when you get a football kit you want it to have everything on. I remember Arsenal kits when I was younger, I wanted the Champions League badge on it, I wanted the Premier League badge. I’m still like a kid when I see things like that. “It’s got my name back out there as well, which I really needed because if you mentioned my name, people say, ‘well, he’s done his ACL three times’. “Now, if you say my name they’ll say, ‘he did his ACL three times, but he’s still playing, he’s just been promoted with Notts County, he’s an international and is playing against England’. So the positives have overtaken now. “I just enjoy the little things, like just being able to play. I know how quickly things can change, especially with what I’ve been through.” The support of his family – and godparents Terry and Geraldine – has been crucial in helping Jones return from despair but it took dad Jay to remind him of how far he has come. “My godparents, they’ve sacrificed a lot for me. From the age of six they’ve taken me to football because my parents were very young when they had me,” said the 25-year-old, who made just two appearances for Coventry between November 2018 and August 2021 because of injury. “Without them I definitely wouldn’t be a footballer. I can’t thank them enough. For my parents and my partner I’d say it’s more they’re just relieved to see me back playing. “My dad said to me the other day, ‘for all you’ve been through you’ve still played at Wembley twice, you’re going to be playing against England, you’ve been promoted two or three times’. “He said for someone to have missed so much you’ve also achieved so much. “Being from England and watching England when I was a kid, playing against them would mean just a little bit more. It’ll just be a massive thing. “I’m just really excited my family can come and watch me play. I want to be able to be a role model to them, just show them to follow your dreams and they can come true.” Jones has Maltese connections on both sides of his family but more on his father’s side with Jay and mum, Frances, flying out. His partner Zoe, children and godparents will be at the Ta’ Qali Stadium for the Group C game. He also remains close with James Maddison, remaining in a WhatsApp group with former Coventry team-mates with the ribbing about trying to keep up with the Leicester star ongoing. Friday will cap his comeback season after Notts County’s dramatic National League play-off promotion. Last month, Jones’ first goal since October 2018 sent the Magpies to Wembley after his last-minute extra-time winner capped a thrilling 3-2 semi-final victory over Boreham Wood before a penalty shoot-out win over Chesterfield in the final. Jones, who made his senior debut at 16 for Dagenham in 2014, scored in the shoot-out and knows how special one more goal on Friday would be. “I’ve pictured it loads of times, whether it’ll happen is another thing,” says Jones, who joined the Magpies permanently this month after leaving Oxford. “I believe in my ability and I know if I get one chance I will take it.”

Troy Hawke of 'The Greeter's Guild' has finally reconciled with a very drunk Jack Grealish. If the footballer can remember it, that is. Hawke appeared at Manchester City's open-top bus parade to celebrate their treble, where he welcomed the team as they prepared to wave to fans below. "Don't you start!", Grealish shouted, clutching a beer, looking a little ropey. The pair first interacted during a different video posted by the club, in which Hawke (real name Milo McCabe) confuses Grealish by complimenting his 'symmetrical' face. Hawke quickly saved the interaction, responding: "I know it didn't go well last time, can we try again? You have the face of an angel and the calves of a baby rhinoceros." That'll do it. Click here to sign up for our newsletters