England manager Mark Sampson backed Manchester City to become the first English team to win the Champions League since Arsenal in 2007, as they prepare for tomorrow’s quarter-final.
Sampson is currently preparing for the European Championships in the Netherlands this summer, where he hopes to win the tournament, but believes England will have champions before then.
Nick Cushing’s side play Danish side Fortuna Hjorring in the first leg and Sampson feels that domestic teams have to start reaching the latter stages of major European tournaments.
Joao Pedro’s emotional goals against Fluminense captured the magic of an international club competition. But even as fans bring colour and passion, the Club World Cup’s deeper issues loom large, writes JAMES NALTON


