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Jose Mourinho says he feels the same motivation to win trophies as he did when he guided Porto to an incredible Champions League triumph in 2004.

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• Mourinho off to good Fenerbahce start
• Coach insists he still wants to win trophies
• Turkish giants face Twente in Europa League

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Mourinho was propelled to fame when he guided the Portuguese club to an unlikely European success more than 20 years ago, and he built a reputation as a serial winner through his trophy-laden spells at Porto, Chelsea and Inter, before going on to win further silverware with Real Madrid and Manchester United.

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  However, spells at Tottenham, Roma and current club Fenerbahce have sparked questions about the legendary coach's ambition. Mourinho, though, says he still wants to win trophies despite admitting he faces 'difficulties' in achieving the Turkish team's objectives.

• WHAT MOURINHO SAID

  "I still have the ambitions I had 20 years ago," Mourinho said at a press conference. "The situations we are in to achieve our goals here are very difficult, the Turkish people understand what I mean. I feel the fire inside me. Nothing has changed except my appearance."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MOURINHO?

  The Portuguese manager will hope to guide Fenerbahce to Europa League success in his debut season with the club. After beating Royale Union Saint-Gilloise last week, they are out to get three points against Twente on Thursday.

Former England manager Gareth Southgate has revealed that he will not return to a coaching role for at least a year despite Manchester United links.

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• Southgate linked with Man Utd job
• Man Utd pondering Ten Hag's future
• Ex-England boss taking extended break

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Following the Three Lions' defeat to Spain in the European Championship final earlier this year, Southgate announced his resignation as England's manager. Since then, he has served as a technical observer for UEFA. The 54-year-old has been strongly connected to the Manchester United manager's position in recent weeks as pressure on Erik ten Hag has increased at Old Trafford.

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  Southgate is said to have a tight relationship with a number of United executives, including Sir Dave Brailsford and sporting director Dan Ashworth, with whom he previously worked at the FA. However, Southgate has now revealed that he will not take another job for at least another year.

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  WHAT SOUTHGATE SAID

  Speaking at the ECA general assembly, Southgate said: "I won’t coach in the next year, for sure. I’m certain of that. I need to give myself time to make good decisions. When you come out of a really big role you need to give your body time, you need to give your mind time."

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• WHAT NEXT FOR SOUTHGATE?

  The former Middlesborough manager will now continue to remain as a technical observer for UEFA and will look to recuperate before deciding upon his future.

With Philippe Clement looking to make his mark on his Rangers squad this summer in quite the overhaul, one particular player reportedly wants to head for the Ibrox exit door, with clubs making inquiries for his services.

Rangers transfer news

It's already been a busy few weeks for the Gers, who bid farewell to a number of players, from John Lundstram and Kemar Roofe all the way to Jon McLaughlin and Borna Barisic. But those departures were only making room for Clement's first incomings of the summer, with both Jefte and Oscar Cortes arriving. Cortes is particularly one to watch after he showed glimpses of what he's capable of before injury interrupted his loan spell last season.

Speaking to the club's official website, the winger said: “I am delighted to be able to stay at Rangers. It was an honour and privilege for me to join the club in January and I was enjoying my football under the manager and playing alongside my team-mates. Sadly, the injury ended my season early, but I have been working hard and I am excited to help the team and play in front of the wonderful fans again soon.”

Rangers want to sign "exciting" 5 ft 10 replacement for Ryan Jack

The Light Blues recently confirmed that a number of first-team stars will be moving on this summer.

By
Dan Emery

Jun 6, 2024

Not stopping there, Rangers are also reportedly set to sign Liam Kelly on a free deal upon the expiry of his current Motherwell deal. But that arrival is set to result in a frustrating knock-on effect. According to Wayne Veysey of Football Insider, Robby McCrorie now wants to leave Rangers and the club have received inquiries from a number of EFL clubs.

The 26-year-old has seen his game time limited as Jack Butland's backup and after rejecting a contract extension, Rangers have placed a reported price tag of £500k on their shot-stopper this summer.

"Brilliant" McCrorie needs Rangers exit

Given the form of Jack Butland, McCrorie or Kelly, for that matter, are unlikely to displace the former Stoke City goalkeeper any time soon as Rangers' number one. And whilst Kelly is seemingly happy to play that number two role, it is not something that McCrorie is seemingly prepared to battle for next season as he finds himself at a career crossroads.

Having made just one appearance in the entirety of last season though, McCrorie's decision is hardly a surprise, as he's gone from the praise of goalkeeping coach Colin Stewart after signing an extension at Rangers in 2022 to being unable to get a chance under Clement.

Stewart told the club's official website when the goalkeeper put pen to paper: "I’m delighted for Robby and he thoroughly deserves his new deal as he continues to show a brilliant attitude to his work, and he challenges both Allan and Jon every day in training.

“This new deal and his recent Scotland call-up show just how highly-rated he is at club and international level, and we look forward to working further with Robby in these next few years.”

Now a case of what might have been, McCrorie looks set to be on the move this summer just one year before that aforementioned contract expires.

New York City FC head coach Nick Cushing has become Arsenal women's top target to replace Jonas Eidevall after the Swede's recent resignation.

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• Arsenal in hunt for new manager
• Have made NYCFC boss top target
• Cushing guided them to MLS playoffs

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After winning just one of their first four matches of the new Women's Super League season, Eidevall stepped down from his post last week, sending the north London team into a desperate search for a new head boss early in the campaign.

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  Cushing has become the favoured candidate to take charge of the Gunners, according to The 39-year-old spent seven years as Manchester City women's manager before he accepted a role as assistant coach for NYCFC's men's team. He was then promoted to head coach in 2022.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Cushing has guided his current club to the MLS playoffs and is contracted to the club until the end of 2025, which may hinder Arsenal's pursuit. However, he is not the only candidate for the job and the Gunners have confidence in Renee Slegers' ability to lead the team as interim coach for now.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

  Arsenal finished third in the WSL last season and currently sit fifth in the table – five points behind leaders City. The London team's next match is against Manchester United, who are third, on November 3.

As the anticipation for Euro 2024 heightens, the unveiling of the new kits for the competing national teams has become a spectacle of its own. Every four years, this tournament not only showcases the pinnacle of European football talent but also sets the stage for a fashion parade that reflects the heritage, pride and evolving identity of each nation.

This year, that standard of new releases has gone off the scale, with many nations putting their name in the hat for the best kit before they've even been properly displayed in the tournament.

With that being said, we have compiled a list of all the new Euro 2024 kit releases…

Euro 2024 tournament guide: Teams, matches, dates, TV channels, odds & more

Football FanCast has put together a guide for all things Euro 2024, with venues, fixtures, tables, stadiums and more all covered here.

By
Stephan Georgiou

Jun 11, 2024

Disclaimer: Images are for illustration purposes and have been taken from official team sources where possible.

Albania home kit

Macron keeping current design with classic red and black

Albania will have a familiar look to them during their outings at Euro 2024 this summer, though unlike the majority of participating teams, they will not be playing in a brand-new strip.

The home kit is a very simple yet striking effort in Albania's red and black colours, with a black collar and trim at the end of the sleeves.

Albania away kit

Less is more as Macron switch the colours up

There's not much to say about the away kit, other than it follows the same pattern as the home shirt. The black stripes down the sides are able to stand out more on the away strip, as does the Albania emblem.

Austria home kit

Puma releases eye-catching red Austria home jersey

There is a unique pattern all over this Austria shirt, which appears to resemble tunnels and roads. However, that doesn't help us in figuring out exactly what that's meant to mean.

Regardless, it's a really smart kit with the colours from the country's flag.

Source: @oefb1904

Austria away kit

Trendy white away kit with unique detailing

The Austria away kit looks like something you could wear casually out and about. It's got a spotless white base colour, with the black sleeve detail and logos really making the kit pop out.

However, the best addition to the away kit has to be the light blue details.

Source: Puma

Belgium home kit

A classy burgundy strip for the Red Devils

Adidas has switched things up this time around for the Belgium home kit, as instead of the bright red we are all used to, it's now a 'team college burgundy' colour with some neat diamond detailing.

Source: @BelRedDevils

Belgium away kit

Adidas releases Tintin-inspired Belgium away strip

Belgium have gone all historic on us with their Euro 2024 away jersey, having opted to pay tribute to Tintin and his famous outfit with the neat light blue design, complete with brown shorts. It also has metallic silver diamond detailing and white strips to finish it off.

Source: @BelRedDevils

Croatia home kit

Nike releases smart home strip with the classic checkers

Nike has kept it simple with the new Croatia home jersey for Euro 2024. It has the iconic white and red checkers, but one big difference is the sizing of the squares, which gives it a completely new look.

Source: @HNS_CFF

Croatia away kit

Vibrant Croatia away kit inspired by heroes of 1998

The away jersey has much more of a clean look, similar in colour to the Nations League away strip that Croatia have been donning. It is navy with diagonal checkers reminiscent of the kit they wore during the 1998 World Cup, where they made the semi-finals. It also features nice red detailing.

Source: @HNS_CFF

Czech Republic home kit

A neat red home jersey with the crest covering the entire shirt

The new home shirt features the iconic lion of the Czech Republic on the front, with a blue collar and cuffs to provide a contrast in colour.

Source: @ceskarepre_eng

Czech Republic away kit

A clean-looking white jersey with eye-catching blue detailing

The white away jersey for the Czech Republic is designed to honour the jersey Pavel Nedved and his teammates wore as they reached the semi-finals of Euro 2004. It is paired with blue shorts.

Source: @Puma

Chelsea fans were quick to point out the "incompetence and entitlement" of the club after Samu Omorodion scored four first-half goals for Spain U21s.

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• Omorodion was pursued by Chelsea in the summer
• Ended up joining Porto after move fell through
• Scored four against Malta for Spain U21s

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Omorodion was widely expected to sign for Chelsea from Atletico Madrid, with Conor Gallagher going in the opposite direction. However, the promising Spanish striker chose a different path, ending up at Portuguese club FC Porto instead of making the move to Stamford Bridge.

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  Since then, Omorodion has quickly made an impact at Porto, with seven goals in his first six appearances across all competitions, including a stunning brace against Manchester United in the UEFA Europa League, while he also thanked God for diverting him away from Chelsea. The 20-year-old has now grabbed headlines for scoring four goals in the first half of Spain Under-21s' game against Malta, cementing his status as one of Europe’s most exciting young forwards.

• WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

  Omorodion's international heroics have renewed discussion among Chelsea fans about their club’s transfer decisions.

  A Blues' fan, @cfcgary_, wrote: "Samu Omorodion is a testament to Chelsea board incompetence and Chelsea fan entitlement. A good club would release a press briefing justifying their approach for this striker, but our board appeased fans by rejecting him for Joao Felix and Pedro Neto."

  Whereas @CFCKen_ wrote: "Samu Omorodion scored 4 goals in the first half for Spain's U21 Chelsea scouts are massive this guy would have cooked for us fr."

  @LifeOfNapaul seconded him and wrote: "Whosoever is incharge of Chelsea’s scouting department should be given a raise. Chelsea was in talks with Samu Omorodion, Jhon Duràn, Ivan Toney & Victor Osimhen. This tweet is about Samu Omorodion, non of us saw him as a world beater this season, but Chelsea’s scouts saw it.🫡"

  Whereas a rival fan, @NotADogmatist_ compared him to Erling Haaland and wrote: "Samu Omorodion is moving like u20 Haaland and it’s getting scary! We should literally be happy he didn’t land in any elite club. No disrespect to Porto at all, but a(Barca/Arsenal/PSG) move would have kept Europe on its toes for a long time! Good he never signed for Chelsea…!!"

  On the other hand, @WanmaiCFC36 lamented: "How did Chelsea mess up after this with Samu Omorodion deal? 😮‍💨"

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  WHAT NEXT FOR OMORODION & CHELSEA?

  With his remarkable form, Omorodion is expected to feature prominently in FC Porto's upcoming Taca de Portugal third-round fixture against Sintrense on October 20. Meanwhile, Chelsea will be in action on the same day against Liverpool at Anfield in a Premier League encounter.

Chelsea and Todd Boehly could now sell an attacking player who they signed just last year, as the west Londoners look to trim Enzo Maresca's squad, bolster his transfer kitty and back their new manager with fresh faces.

Players who Chelsea could sell this summer

In a boost for co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, who are set to oversee Chelsea's recruitment drive in the next few weeks, it is now believed they do not have to sell players by June 30.

£65m striker would love to join Chelsea instead after Benjamin Sesko twist

He scored 21 goals last season.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jun 12, 2024

The consensus was that Chelsea were under pressure to agree sales by that date, or risk sanctions, as doubts surrounded their ability to adhere to PSR's limit of making a £105 million loss over a rolling three-year period.

Sky Sports recently claimed that Chelsea don't need to sell players this month to comply with PSR, and will instead need to sell for the 2024/2025 cut off next year, but there is plenty of time before that deadline.

While this comes as good news, there are still many members of Maresca's squad who could be shown the exit door. Indeed, Romelu Lukaku, Armando Broja, Conor Gallagher, Malang Sarr, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Trevoh Chalobah, Ian Maatsen, Omari Hutchinson and Conor Gallagher have all been named as players who Chelsea could sell this summer.

This comes as Fabrizio Romano says that Chelsea are set for a busy summer, and could bring in multiple key signings across many areas of the team.

"It will continue to be a busy summer at Chelsea," said Romano on Chelsea's transfer plans after bringing in Maresca to replace Pochettino.

"It won’t be completely crazy but they will try to make smart things happen, including a new goalkeeper and I expect them to try for at least one new centre-back, but it could be two. I also expect Chelsea to be busy with the striker position."

The Blues will need funding, as they look to comply with PSR for next year, certain players will need to be off the books. A potentially surprising new candidate for the exit door, though, is David Datro Fofana.

The Ivory Coast international only joined from Molde in January 2023, spending last season on loan at Burnley and scoring four goals in 15 appearances.

Fofana could now leave Chelsea this summer

According to The Athletic, Fofana could be on his way out of Chelsea this summer, and it is believed they wish to attract offers for the 21-year-old. The forward, despite impressing in parts during his time at Turf Moor, did attract some criticism from Vincent Kompany.

“He can still get better,” Kompany said of Fofana after a win over Brentford. “That’s what we want to do with him because he scored one but he could have scored two or three. For probably 45 minutes he gave us what we needed defensively, but the other 45 minutes he could have done more."

Manchester United have made a £50m+ offer to sign a Premier League player for Erik ten Hag this summer, according to a new transfer claim.

Man Utd transfer news

The Red Devils are well aware of the importance of nailing their business in the current transfer window, following a disappointing season that saw a lack of quality on show, even though Ten Hag's side won the FA Cup.

Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee appears to be a primary candidate to join United currently, with the 23-year-old most likely to move to Old Trafford rather than anywhere else, according to one fresh report. He has a £34m release clause in his current deal, and could provide important competition for Rasmus Hojlund.

Chelsea and England ace Conor Gallagher has also been mentioned as an option to come in this summer, with the midfielder potentially leaving the Blues before the beginning of next season. United arguably need to look for more quality and energy in the middle of the park, with the likes of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen linked with exits.

Adrien Rabiot is another rumoured target for the Red Devils, with a free transfer possible due to his contract at Juventus expiring at the end of this month. He is considered an upgrade on Scott McTominay, as he continues to be a key man for France at Euro 2024.

Man Utd make offer for "terrific" ace

According to Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo [via Goodison News], Manchester United have made an offer to sign Everton midfielder Amadou Onana this summer. The bid is believed to be worth £50.7m, with the Red Devils providing stern competition to Barcelona.

It is clear to see what attributes the Belgian would add to Ten Hag's midfield moving forward, proving capable of providing so much energy and quality in that area of the pitch.

Even though Everton struggled for much of last season, Onana still performed well more often than not, averaging 2.4 tackles per game in the Premier League. Sean Dyche has described the £100,000-per-week ace as "terrific", while Alan Shearer has said of him: "A tireless display against Arsenal. Ran himself into the ground."

At just 22 years of age, the Belgium international, currently at Euro 2024, is still a young player and could be viewed as someone who could be an excellent long-term partner for Kobbie Mainoo at the heart of United's midfield, dovetailing effectively with him for many years to come.

The chance to join United remains a huge lure for many players, considering their continued standing as arguably the biggest club in world football, and Sir Jim Ratcliffe will hope that Onana wants to bring an end to his time in an Everton shirt, trading Goodison Park for Old Trafford in the process.

Man Utd leading race to complete signing of 23 y/o who "has everything"

Sky Sports have provided a key update.

By
Henry Jackson

Jun 23, 2024

The Uruguayan impressed in the Champions League midweek, but still desperately needs to show that he can deliver on a regular basis

Liverpool manager Arne Slot asked Darwin Nunez for a goal ahead of Wednesday's Champions League clash with RB Leipzig. The Uruguayan duly obliged, scoring a first-half winner at the Red Bull Arena as the Reds made it 11 victories from 12 games under their new boss.

Was it a great goal? Not at all. Truth be told, the ball was probably already on its way into the net – perhaps via the inside of the post – when Nunez prodded home Mohamed Salah's downward header from less than a metre out.

But if the No.9's intervention was arguably unnecessary, it was unquestionably vital from his perspective. Indeed, his tap-in could prove one of the most important goals of his time at Anfield, the potential catalyst for a revival that might just rescue his Liverpool career.

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  'One of the best in the world'?

  Nunez is now in his third season at Anfield, and he's yet to prove himself worthy of Liverpool's No.9 shirt. For all his attributes (and the much-maligned Nunez has many), he still stands accused of missing far too many chances and the jury has been out so long at this stage we've entered mistrial territory.

  He's demonstrated what he's capable of on several occasions – match-winning contributions at Newcastle and Nottingham Forest last season immediately spring to mind – but we've still not seen quite enough evidence to support Luis Suarez's claim that his compatriot is "one of the best centre-forwards in the world".

  "I love how he plays," the Liverpool legend said, "and I love watching him."

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  Make-or-break season

  Nunez is certainly box-office. Just like Suarez, one is never quite sure what he's going to do next. He will do something, though, and it will be entertaining. The issue is that it might not be positive, not from his own team's perspective at least.

  Suarez was a similarly erratic character, of course, but he was a far more effective player. Indeed, the difference between the two former international team-mates is that while Suarez's temperament could always be questioned, his talent could not.

  At Liverpool, he developed into a goal-scoring machine, a multi-talented forward capable of carrying an attack all on his own. Nunez has not yet come close to following suit – which is why this feels like a make-or-break period in his career.

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  'Captain Chaos'

  Most Liverpool fans love Nunez. 'Captain Chaos' is a cult hero on the Kop. But patience is undeniably starting to wear thin. At Anfield, they always want to win major honours, and there are significant doubts over whether that is possible with Nunez as Liverpool's starting centre-forward. After all, he's only averaged a goal every three games for the Reds – the kind of ratio that the likes of Erling Haaland and Harry Kane would be embarrassed by.

  Jurgen Klopp gave Nunez plenty of opportunities to lock down a starting berth, but he squandered them. Consequently, he was relegated to the role of reserve by the end of each of his first two seasons on Merseyside. He started the current campaign on the bench, too.

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  'Back to uncertainty'

  It was claimed during the summer that one of the first things new manager Arne Slot did was call Nunez to assure him that he would have a prominent role to play this season, and those reports made sense. The former Feyenoord coach had worked wonders with Santiago Gimenez, a striker with a similar set of skills, at De Kuip, so the hope was that Slot might be able to emulate Uruguay boss Marcelo Bielsa by figuring out how to get the best out of Nunez.

  However, as Gus Poyet pointed out, Bielsa made it very clear that Nunez was his first-choice forward, whereas Slot put him on the bench.

  "At Liverpool, I thought the first year was difficult," the former Uruguay and Chelsea midfielder told GOAL. "The second year, he started very well and I was thinking 'This is it' – but now he is back to uncertainty. I think he needs to make a decision [on his future]."

  Just not yet, though.

Danny Rohl is looking to build a really strong Sheffield Wednesday squad ahead of the next Championship season kicking off, well aware that he doesn't want his Owls side to be plunged into another relegation dogfight.

The likes of Jamal Lowe, Ben Hamer and more have already moved to Hillsborough this summer, sensing that this coming campaign could be a positive one in South Yorkshire, with even more incomings anticipated down the line.

The Championship side could have their biggest statement signing coming up, if a deal can be arranged for a former target to join the club, as per reports.

Sheffield Wednesday target rejects new contract

It was reported all the way back in May, by football journalist Alan Nixon on social media, that Wednesday were still keen on trying to bring Orlando City striker Duncan McGuire in after failing to sign him in January.

Blackburn Rovers also spectacularly failed to land the in-demand 23-year-old in the last transfer window, owing to a last-minute break-down involving registration documents, and so the Owls will know they can still win his services this summer if McGuire fancies a switch to England once more.

The rejuventated South Yorkshire outfit will also be boosted by fresh developments that McGuire has turned down a new contract proposal with Orlando, which could open up the door for him to now move on without a hitch, but Serie A club Torino have also been noted as being an interested party previously.

What McGuire could offer Wednesday

With Josh Windass also now staying put, having agreed a new contract at Hillsborough to put to bed rumours about him exiting, Wednesday's attack could be electric next campaign with McGuire causing havoc up top alongside his new Owls teammate.

Wednesday could do with some major striker reinforcements this summer, with talks already underway for former Manchester United youngster Charlie McNeill to join Rohl's camp reportedly, whilst McGuire is also being lined up to relocate to Hillsborough.

The "lethal" attacker, as he has been described by Orlando manager Oscar Pareja in the past, would also fill gaps that have begun to form by Lee Gregory departing and Ike Ugbo returning to Troyes, with his reputation in America being that of a potent finisher under pressure.

McGuire has tallied up 23 goals from 57 games donning an Orlando strip to date, with seven goals registered from 17 appearances this calendar year playing in the MLS, scoring every 170 minutes for Pareja's men in the process.

He could become an even deadlier finisher slotting into the Wednesday set-up, with the likes of Windass, Anthony Musaba and Djeidi Gassama teeing up him for countless opportunities from the attacking midfield areas, if he does decide to join.

Although Windass wasn't consistently in the first team for all of the last campaign, he still left a lasting impression, hence the relief seen all over social media when he put pen on paper to a new deal, with six goals and two assists managed from 25 league clashes.

The Owls could well even end up being a dark horse when it comes to the race at the top end of the table, with McGuire a potential goalscoring hero for Wednesday as they aim to unsettle the division, wanting to quickly forget about their prior relegation struggles and shock teams in the Championship.

Sheffield Wednesday want to sign striker who played up front with Ronaldo

He wouldn’t cost the Owls a penny.

By
Tom Coates

Jun 27, 2024