Costa sees Spain past Iran

Gibraltar on Tuesday expressed fury over the "offensive" and "discriminatory" chants by several Spain players during the mass celebrations in Madrid after their Euro 2024 victory over England.

More than half a million people gathered in central Madrid late Monday to welcome the national team home a day after they beat England 2-1 in Berlin to secure Spain a record fourth European Championship crown.

During the celebrations, which saw the city turned into a sea of red and yellow, several players grabbed the microphone to sing, with captain Alvaro Morata belting out "Gibraltar es espanol" -- "Gibraltar is Spanish" -- in a chant also picked up by Rodri, who plays for English club Manchester City.

The chants were not lost on Gibraltar, a tiny British territory at the southern tip of Spain, whose government expressed anger at such "discriminatory political statements that are hugely offensive to Gibraltarians".

Using the celebrations "for advancing the idea of usurping the territory of Gibraltar is contrary to the principle that sport should not be used to advance any politically controversial ideology," it said in a statement.

And Chief Minister Fabian Picardo took to X to express a more full-throated opinion, describing the chants as "worse than disgusting".

"It sullies the sport of football and the win on the pitch.. This cannot stand unchallenged. The Rock is OURS," he said, using Gibraltar's nickname for its famous cliff-faced mountain.

The Gibraltar Football Association also slammed the chanting as "extremely provocative and insulting" and said it would file an official complaint with the European footballing body UEFA.

"Football has no place for behaviour of his nature," it said in a statement.

Gibraltar has long been a source of tension between Madrid and London.

Although Spain ceded Gibraltar to Britain in 1713, Madrid has long wanted it back in a long-running bone of contention that has for decades involved pressure on the frontier.

Tensions peaked in 1969 when the regime of dictator Francisco Franco closed the border, which did not fully reopen until 1985.

Ahead of Sunday's final, social media had been buzzing with talk about the clash between Spain and England with many Spain fans posting the line: "The winner takes Gibraltar".

Can Croatia cross one final hurdle come Sunday night and become the ninth nation to win the World Cup? Standing in their way are France, whose sole ambition will be to claim that coveted piece of glory for the second time at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium.

As an independent nation, Croatia might not have a rich history as far as their participation in the biggest show on Earth is concerned but since their World Cup debut in 1998, eight years after being liberated from Yugoslavia, it has been a spectacular journey for them.

Coincidentally, it was also the year that France became the seventh nation to win the World Cup, which was on their home soil, by defeating Brazil 3-0 in the final.

More interestingly, it was France who shattered Croatia's dreams by defeating their first 'golden generation' in the semifinal of that tournament 2-1, thanks to two quick blows from Les Bleus defender Lilian Thuram after Croatia's Davor Suker had scored in the 46th minute.

Even in that defeat, Croatia became only the second team after Portugal to have the best finish as debutants. They were placed third following a 2-1 win over Holland in the position deciding game, where Suker scored his sixth goal to win the Golden Boot.

If that was a big statement by an up and coming footballing nation, then the exploits of their next generation, now marshalled by Luka Modric, is no less spectacular as they have reached the finals despite a below-par qualifying campaign.

Croatia launched their campaign in Russia with a 2-0 win against Nigeria before pulling off a magnificent 3-0 win against two-time winners Argentina. They beat Iceland in the last group league game to move into the round of 16 with the maximum number of points.

And in the last three knockout games, where they had to battle it out beyond regulation time, Croatia showed tenacity and the will to fight till the end.

Croatia's round of 16 game against Denmark was a classic example of their never-say-die attitude. After conceding an early goal, they equalised and took the game to extra time, where Modric missed a penalty. However, the Real Madrid midfielder showed courage and stepped up in the shootout to convert his spot kick.

In the quarterfinal against hosts Russia, which they won in the shootout after a 2-2 draw, they faced a similar scenario. This was also the case in the semifinal against England before Mario Mandzukic hit the winner in the 109th minute.

The Juventus forward might not be as prolific as Suker was on the big stage but he has the knack of scoring goals from out of nowhere. Croatia actually have individual winners in Modric, Ivan Rakitic, Ante Rebic and Ivan Perisic, the Inter Milan forward who has been in fine form.

Croatia's last three games might have started slowly but gradually picked up with the progression of the game, which is a hallmark of a good team.

They also showed how athletically fit they are as they had to play for 120 minutes in all three previous games.

Against England at Saint Petersburg, many thought it would be impossible for them to survive if the game went beyond regulation time. Surprisingly though, it was England who slowed down as the game progressed. In addition, when the Turkish referee blew the final whistle, Croatia were heading for another crack at the goal.

France midfielder Paul Pogba previously said that he wants to earn his own star on the shirt on Sunday. However, the world will not be surprised to a see the birth of a new star.

France have shut out all the euphoria back home over their run to the World Cup final in order to play a perfect match against Croatia on Sunday, France captain Hugo Lloris said.

The goalkeeper said the team were not being swept up by the wave of celebrations back home and were keeping their focus firmly on their shot of earning a second World Cup title after 1998 when they take on the Croatians in Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium.

"To be honest we are in our little bubble and we don't know what is happening in France," Lloris told reporters on Saturday.

"We are far from thinking that we have reached our goal. We will face a high-quality opponent and they deserve as much credit as we do.

"They have displayed their physical and mental strengths and tomorrow we will need a great French team to win."

France have never needed to go beyond 90 minutes in their run to the final after beating Argentina in the round of 16, Uruguay in the last eight and Belgium in the semi-finals.

But Croatia had to battle from a goal down in all three of their knockout matches to beat Denmark, Russia and England.

They played extra time in all of them and needed penalties against the Danes and hosts Russia.

"Croatia have shown their mental strength which is quite incredible. They have managed to qualify after extra time three times in a row. There is something special in this team," Lloris warned.

"They also have an incredible collective strength. We have a lot of respect for them. We need to perform at a high level and deliver a perfect match to win," said the keeper.

France are in their third World Cup final after winning in 1998 and losing to Italy in 2006. They also reached the Euro final on home soil two years ago only to lose to Portugal.

Lloris said that defeat was not on their minds any longer, with many current players not part of the 2016 team.

"I think that our team is quite calm. I do not really know if we realise how far we have come but it is better that way," Lloris said. "We have this inner strength from the beginning of the tournament with which we can overcome any challenge."

"Tomorrow will be the most important match of our career. It will be a special match because it is a World Cup final and we have to stay in our bubble to focus on the ultimate goal."

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho says the only reason he would ever resign from his job at Stamford Bridge would be if he lost the trust of his players.

The Portuguese has come under pressure after a poor start to the season with Saturday’s loss to Southampton the Blues’ sixth defeat of the campaign.

Mourinho insisted after the game that he remains the right man for the job, despite his team languishing in 16th place, and has once again reiterated his desire to stay at the club.

"People can say what they want. I think you should go straight to the players," he told reporters.

"Get a table at Cobham next week - John Terry doesn't go to the national team, Diego Costa doesn't go, Ramires doesn't go. Ask them.

"If they tell you they don't trust me, that is the only thing that can make me resign. The only thing. But not fake sources. The players at the table."

Mourinho also insisted he was pleased with the way he was handling his current predicament and says his players will turn their current form around in time.

"In this moment it's not so easy and my feelings -- I'm so unhappy with the sport feeling of defeat but I am so happy with myself with the way I am facing this,” he added.

"Only Mother Nature can do it. They need to feel luck, they need to arrive at half-time winning 2-0, 3-0.

"They need to fly without pressure, they need to play and feel that everything is going in their favour. Not to feel this pressure, this panic, this negativity. Decisions against, unlucky, mistakes.

"They need it. Time will bring it. I don't know next match, in two matches, in three. For sure they will get that confidence back, for sure.''

If you go to the north-east of Brazil where the the tough, poverty-stricken state of Sergipe lies, you still have not gone far enough to enter Diego Costa country.

A two-hour bus ride west, into the interior, takes you to Lagarto. Once there, the name of the Chelsea and Brazil striker is known to everyone. It's where Costa will return this summer, as always, after a season of dominance in the Premier League. It's where his family live.

Lagarto's farms are mainly responsible for growing cassava and tobacco. It was on these farms Costa's father, Jose de Jesus, better known as Zeinha, made what little he could.

When it came to his boys, Zeinha had a different path in mind. Diego Costa is named after Diego Maradona. His older brother Jair is named after Jairzinho, the legendary Brazil winger who was part of the 1970 World Cup team. Therein lies the ambition of their father. "I was always betting one of my sons would make it," he says. "Jair used to play better than Diego but he didn't follow through. But I used to get down and pray to God to give me a son that was a footballer."

Tellingly, Costa's parents never left the tougher part of town, but instead bought the house next door, knocked it through and made more room.

Costa takes his responsibility to his old home seriously. They say Largarto Football Club received around $350,000 from Costa's transfer from Atletico to Chelsea.

As for the soccer school, Costa is in negotiations with the council to buy the land and build his own complex.

During the World Cup, beside the pitch where Costa once hoofed the ball away, there was a cinema screen erected, with hot dogs and popcorn for kids. The area was once briefly a Spanish colony and that brings us to the issue of why Costa chose Spain over his native Brazil.

"That's because Felipao [Brazil national team manager Luiz Felipe Scolari] just gave him 10 minutes, so of course he was pissed off," said Zeinha, who heard the chants of "traitor" firsthand in Salvador, Brazil, as Spain took on the Netherlands during the 2014 World Cup.

“Those few minutes, that wasn't enough to show his ability, so I don't blame him. You appreciate who appreciates you, and Spain gave him everything. The Brazil media here don't appreciate him; they never gave him any value."