England defender Kyle Walker has warned Italy he and his teammates are after some "payback" when the Azzurri visit Wembley on Tuesday night in Euro 2024 qualifying.
The sold-out clash is the first time the two teams will have met at Wembley since the Italians beat the Three Lions on penalties in the Euro 2020 final.
The teams have faced off in Wolverhampton, Milan and Naples since that heartbreaking night for the English but Walker says this reunion in London is that bit more poignant.
“Listen, we fell short on that night,” the Manchester City and England right-back said. “This is the first time they’re coming back to Wembley, so hopefully we can go out there and put a good performance on and maybe get a little bit of payback.
“I think you learn from occasions where you’ve been in finals and lose finals and setbacks, and you go on and achieve something great.
“We get a draw and we go through, so it’s about managing the game. Obviously, first and foremost, it’s about going out and putting a performance on and winning."
Walker was speaking alongside manager Gareth Southgate at a pre-match press conference on Monday night and both emphasised the importance of securing the point needed for qualification for what would be the fourth major tournament under the 53-year-old coach's command.
“Ultimately, the first objective is always to qualify for the tournaments,” Southgate said. “Our performances earlier in the group have put us in a really strong position.
“The first thing we want to do is to play well and win the game, but we know if it’s the 87th minute and we’re level then we don’t need to lob the goalkeeper into the box at the end of the game.”
Southgate says his players have learnt lessons from that cruel climax to their Euro 2020 campaign.
“Experience,” the 57-cap former defender said of the difference in his side. “Experience of winning big matches, consistent performances. We’ve been ranked in the top five in the world now since 2018, so I don’t think there’s been any other period over the last 30-40 years where that’s been the case.
“These boys are consistently producing big nights, memorable nights, good performances, exciting performances in general and we want to keep doing that.”
Southgate has a full 25-man squad to select from. Decisions over players struggling for club game-time like Harry Maguire and Kalvin Phillips have been debated, as has a role for John Stones, who hasn't featured much for Manchester City because of a hip problem.
“John, we’re working closely with his club in terms of his recovery,” Southgate added. “He’s been out a long time, so we’ve got to keep assessing him.
“Marc [Guehi] is doing really, really well. He’s played with great maturity in the two games last month.
“He’s a very calm player, positionally excellent. At times he might not catch the eye in the way that some other players do because he’s in the right place, so he’s not having to tear around and cover for something that he’s got wrong.
“He’s composed with the ball, very good mentality, so we think he’s developing really well.”
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
RESULT
Esperance de Tunis 1 Guadalajara 1
(Esperance won 6-5 on penalties)
Esperance: Belaili 38’
Guadalajara: Sandoval 5’
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Your rights as an employee
The government has taken an increasingly tough line against companies that fail to pay employees on time. Three years ago, the Cabinet passed a decree allowing the government to halt the granting of work permits to companies with wage backlogs.
The new measures passed by the Cabinet in 2016 were an update to the Wage Protection System, which is in place to track whether a company pays its employees on time or not.
If wages are 10 days late, the new measures kick in and the company is alerted it is in breach of labour rules. If wages remain unpaid for a total of 16 days, the authorities can cancel work permits, effectively shutting off operations. Fines of up to Dh5,000 per unpaid employee follow after 60 days.
Despite those measures, late payments remain an issue, particularly in the construction sector. Smaller contractors, such as electrical, plumbing and fit-out businesses, often blame the bigger companies that hire them for wages being late.
The authorities have urged employees to report their companies at the labour ministry or Tawafuq service centres — there are 15 in Abu Dhabi.
Asia Cup Qualifier
Final
UAE v Hong Kong
TV:
Live on OSN Cricket HD. Coverage starts at 5.30am
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Madjani Stakes Group 2 (PA) Dh97,500 (Dirt) 1,900m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,400m
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 2,200m
8.50pm: Dubai Creek Mile Listed (TB) Dh132,500 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (D) 1,900m
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 1,400m
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
%3Cp%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%201.9km%20King%20Salman%20Boulevard%2C%20a%20Parisian%20Champs-Elysees-inspired%20avenue%2C%20is%20scheduled%20for%20completion%20in%202028%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20Royal%20Diriyah%20Opera%20House%20is%20expected%20to%20be%20completed%20in%20four%20years%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%20first%20of%2042%20hotels%2C%20the%20Bab%20Samhan%20hotel%2C%20will%20open%20in%20the%20first%20quarter%20of%202024%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20On%20completion%20in%202030%2C%20the%20Diriyah%20project%20is%20forecast%20to%20accommodate%20more%20than%20100%2C000%20people%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20%2463.2%20billion%20Diriyah%20project%20will%20contribute%20%247.2%20billion%20to%20the%20kingdom%E2%80%99s%20GDP%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20It%20will%20create%20more%20than%20178%2C000%20jobs%20and%20aims%20to%20attract%20more%20than%2050%20million%20visits%20a%20year%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20About%202%2C000%20people%20work%20for%20the%20Diriyah%20Company%2C%20with%20more%20than%2086%20per%20cent%20being%20Saudi%20citizens%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Gully Boy
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Producer: Excel Entertainment & Tiger Baby
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi
Rating: 4/5 stars
