The French, German and Zambian national women’s football teams have denied using drones to spy on opposition training sessions.

In an internal email, Canada head coach Bev Priestman, who has been suspended by FIFA for a year after admitting to using drone surveillance at the 2024 Paris Olympics, accused the top 10 teams of deploying the same covert methods.

“…for scouting it can be the difference between winning and losing and all top 10 teams do it,” Priestman wrote in an internal email dated March 20, 2024.

However, after the highest-ranked federations — Spain, France, Germany, USWNT, Japan, Brazil, Australia, Colombia, New Zealand, Nigeria, and Zambia — at the Paris Olympics were contacted by The Athletic, several denied this was the case and rebuked Priestman’s claims.

“We only wish to state that the French Federation is never using any spying methods on the opponents’ teams,” the French Football Federation (FFF) said. “We also add that, if the mail does exist, we strongly reject these baseless accusations.”

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Canada’s Olympic soccer spying scandal explained: What we know, who’s involved and what’s next

“Team Zambia does not use drones to spy on our opponents,” said a spokesperson for Team Zambia. “Our approach to match preparation…

As is customary after a summer of major tournaments, various international managerial jobs are now vacant.

As is customary, the rumour mill has gone into overdrive.

As is customary, there doesn’t appear to be any common theme across the names linked to major jobs.

Take the England job. According to the bookmakers’ odds, the four most likely names are Eddie Howe, Graham Potter, Lee Carsley and Mauricio Pochettino. Two are homegrown managers who have performed solidly at club level. One is the current England Under-21 manager, who has limited club-coaching experience. The other is a foreign manager — albeit one with considerable experience in English football — who has coached major clubs.

The apparent contenders for the United States men’s national team job are equally varied. There is a raft of MLS candidates — Jim Curtin, Steve Cherundolo, Wilfried Nancy. Then there is David Wagner, a former U.S. international who hasn’t coached in the country. There is Herve Renard, an international specialist currently coaching the France women’s side at the Olympics. There’s also Thierry Henry, who is doing the equivalent with the France men’s side, and…

Brighton are set to sign England international Fran Kirby on a free transfer.

The 31-year-old is poised to join the club after her contract with Women’s Super League (WSL) champions Chelsea expired.

Kirby, who is widely considered one of England’s greatest female players, won five consecutive WSL titles with Chelsea before her departure.

It was announced in May that Kirby would leave Chelsea following a nine-year stint at the west London side.

She joined Chelsea from Reading in 2015 and went on to score 63 goals in 114 WSL appearances for the club.

GO DEEPER

Fran Kirby is part of Chelsea’s fabric. Her departure marks the end of a most glorious era

She was instrumental in Chelsea’s recent domestic success, securing 15 major trophies over her nine years. Her accolades include six WSL titles and a Champions League final appearance in 2021.

Kirby missed most of the 2019-20 season due to pericarditis, a heart condition, and was absent during the final stages of the 2021-22 campaign due to fatigue.

Her appearances in the 2022-23 season were limited by a knee injury, but she featured in 21 WSL matches last season.

On the international stage, Kirby has been a standout for England, scoring 19 goals in 72 caps for the Lionesses.

She played in every match at the European Championship,…

Manchester United have confirmed England goalkeeper Mary Earps will leave the club following the expiration of her contract.

Earps, 31, is out of contract at the end of this month and is set to expected to accept an attractive offer to join Paris Saint-Germain, as previously reported by The Athletic.

She is understood to want to compete for trophies at this stage in her career with the financial side of the offer not a priority.

A club statement on Saturday morning said: “Everyone at the Manchester United would like to thank Mary for her fine service and wish her the best of luck in the next stage of her career.”

Earps’ future has been the subject of much speculation for some time with talks beginning after England’s European Championship victory in July 2022.

United then turned down a world-record bid for a goalkeeper when Arsenal tried to sign Earps before the WSL summer transfer window closed on September 14.

United finished fifth in the WSL last season, their lowest league finish since winning promotion in the 2018-19 campaign but did win the FA Cup, the women’s team’s first-ever major honour.

Earps has played 125 times for United since joining from Wolfsburg in 2019 and has 50 senior caps for England, bringing up the milestone in her last appearance against France…

On the morning after England’s previous Euro 2025 qualifying double-header, Sarina Wiegman was dealt a blow. Rachel Daly, full-back but also back-up centre-forward, announced she was retiring from international duty. Coming at the relatively early age of 32, and so suddenly after a match, it was a shock and a setback.

Daly’s versatility became a running joke and probably held back her international career. But this was a player who had finished as the Women’s Super League’s top goalscorer in 2022-23 with 22 goals in 22 games. She also scored in consecutive matches against Austria and Italy in February. And it left Wiegman without serious depth up front, a particular problem considering first-choice No 9 Alessia Russo hadn’t quite pushed on as expected after her move to Arsenal last summer.

But since Daly’s retirement, Russo has played perhaps the best football of her career. She returned to Arsenal and banged in five goals in four games, ending the campaign with her best WSL goals return so far. Russo has always appeared a confidence player: when she’s out of sorts she struggles to influence games, but when she’s performing well, she completely dominates.

In both matches against France this week, a 2-1 defeat in Newcastle and then a 2-1 victory in Saint-Etienne,…

Dear readers,

The Premier League and Champions League are over for another season but the summer of 2024 is packed full of live action and transfer fun and games — and we’ll cover it all in detail on The Athletic.

From Europe’s major clubs travelling across the world (and to the United States in particular) to all the moves (and nearly moves) of the summer transfer window, plus two major international tournaments, Emma Hayes starting her reign as USWNT head coach and the Olympics, our team of reporters will bring you in-depth coverage of the things you care about.

We’ll be on the ground in Germany for Euro 2024; across the U.S. for Copa America, MLS, NWSL and Premier League pre-season; in Paris, France for the summer Olympic Games’ football action, and everywhere in between — ensuring you don’t miss a thing when it comes to the beautiful game.

The club content you know and love won’t stop either. Our trusted team of reporters will hit the phones to bring you the latest moves in the transfer window as we embark on an ambitious project to cover the summer ins and outs like never before.

And it doesn’t stop there.

You might already follow our NFL, NBA or NHL coverage, but did you know we also cover a range of other sports, including golf, Formula 1 and tennis? Mark out…

Fran Kirby will leave Chelsea when her contract expires at the end of the season — bringing her nine-year spell at the club to an end.

The 30-year-old attacking midfielder joined Chelsea from Reading in 2015 and has gone on to score 105 goals in 205 appearances for the club.

The England international has played a key role in Chelsea’s recent domestic successes, winning 15 major trophies during her nine years in west London — including six Women’s Super League (WSL) titles, while reaching the Champions League final in 2021.

“I think obviously the club has grown since I first joined, in terms of fans and engagements,” Kirby said upon the announcement.

“To have been there from the beginning at Staines, playing in front of an amazing crowd there and now to Stamford Bridge. We’re selling out the Bridge. It’s been an incredible journey with all of you.

Thank you, Chelsea pic.twitter.com/HoFDcbYXxa

— Fran Kirby (@frankirby) May 4, 2024

“Thank you for embracing me from day one. Helping me overcome some really difficult times and also sharing some amazing times with me. I will never forget how it felt to play in front of all of you.

“I hope I have left the club and the shirt in a place where you all can be proud of me.”

General manager Paul Green said: “Fran…

There will inevitably, and rightly, be an enormous level of affection for Rachel Daly after the shock news of her retirement from international football, which came merely 12 hours after appearing for England as a substitute against the Republic of Ireland on Tuesday.

But beyond the recognition for this unique footballer — full-back, wing-back, wide midfielder, winger and Women’s Super League Golden Boot winner when actually used in her best position as a striker — there are a couple of pertinent questions. Why has Daly made this decision? And what does it say about Sarina Wiegman’s England? Daly’s retirement message gave little away. But it seems clear this is a footballer who felt overlooked.

Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened pic.twitter.com/Rawl2Ohrkl

— Rachel Daly (@RachelDaly3) April 10, 2024

In the aftermath of Euro 2022 it seemed clear Alessia Russo would become England’s first-choice centre-forward. Ellen White’s retirement meant there was a vacancy up front. Russo had been introduced as a substitute in all six games at the Euros, scoring four times — including the famous backheel against Sweden in a 4-0 semi-final victory. At 23, Russo was set to explode into a consistent world-class…

It was another milestone moment for Lucy Bronze.

Her 121st England appearance last night, in the 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland, drew her level with Steph Houghton as her country’s seventh most-capped female player. Yet questions remain as to whether the 32-year-old is more of a hindrance than a help to the Lionesses in the long term.

The trip to Dublin’s Aviva Stadium ultimately proved routine for Sarina Wiegman’s side. This was a game which had to yield three points, given England’s Euros qualifying group — which also features France and Sweden — is not going to be easy. Only the top two sides are guaranteed a spot in Switzerland next summer, even if the third- and fourth-placed nations will still get play-off opportunities.

But having gone two goals up early on, courtesy of Lauren James’ 12th-minute and Alex Greenwood’s 18th-minute penalty, England’s superior quality shone through, even if Ireland pushed them towards the end of the match. 

Wiegman made five changes to the starting XI from Friday’s 1-1 draw against Sweden but it was notable who kept their place. The front three of Lauren Hemp, Alessia Russo, and James remained, as did Keira Walsh at the base of midfield and Greenwood.

And there, at right-back, was Bronze. The Barcelona defender’s…

Manchester City captain Steph Houghton has announced she will retire from playing at the end of this season.

Houghton, 35, began her career in 2002 with Sunderland, going on to play for Leeds United and then Arsenal before joining City in 2014.

The defender captained England from 2015 until her international retirement in 2021, making 121 appearances for her country.

“Taking the decision to retire, is such a difficult thing to do,” Houghton said in a statement. “Whilst age comes to every player, it makes it no easier having to say the words out loud. Football has been my life; my passion and I have loved the career I have had.

“I would like to thank every teammate I have ever played with; I have continued to learn every day and appreciate the support each has given me and the friendships I have made along the way.

“I will always be humbled to have made so many domestic appearances, to have captained my country and to have represented England and Team GB in so many international tournaments. I will always be very proud of everything that I have achieved in the game.”

The best of @stephhoughton2 throughout the years!

— Manchester City (@ManCity) March 27, 2024

Houghton won two Women’s Super League titles, two FA Cups and two League Cups with Arsenal, adding one WSL…