Two days before he was hanged for murder, 25-year-old Norman Thorne (pictured left) wrote a letter to his father, pleading his innocence for the last time and insisting that he did not die a bitter man.

A potential switch to Germany and the Bundesliga appears could be a possibility with the 56-year-old looking to master the language having been out of work since December.

The German is now set to join up with the Premier League champions for their pre-season tour of Asia and will be a part of their squad for the coming season. Sane was Bayern Munich's prime target.

KIT HOLDEN: In the end, Marc-Andre ter Stegen let his actions speak louder than words. On Tuesday evening, the Barcelona keeper was indefatigable.

Neuer and German goalkeeping rival Marc-Andre ter Stegen have been involved in a petty war of words recently over the No 1 spot, with the latter becoming frustrated with a lack of game time

The German forward scored a remarkable four goals in the second half as Bayern Munich humiliated Tottenham 7-2 despite going 1-0 down after just 12 minutes in north London.

The Germans are without nearly a dozen players, including injured Toni Kroos, Leroy Sane, Antonio Rudiger, Timo Werner Leon Goretzka and Matthias Ginter among others.

Focus in the German camp as he been firmly fixed on who deserves to start in goal for the national team, with Bayern president Uli Hoeness threatening a boycott if his player is usurped.

If you were looking for a bit more proof as to how prepared Joachim Low is in ripping up old blueprints and working towards a different plan then this performance came close to providing it.

The 20-year-old had enjoyed a spectacular breakout season last term for the German side after netting 17 league goals, and reports in Spain soon touted him with a potential move away.

Turkey sent troops into Kurdish-held regions of Syria and Sahin's support for the operation caused uproar among some of second division club's supporters.

The 31-year-old insists he has no regrets over the snap, which saw him become the target of racist abuse in the wake of Germany's shock World Cup exit in 2018.

Dresden fans are known for their passionate and immense support, and they brought huge banners, flags and flares to the match, but did not see their team progress after a penalty-shoot-out defeat.

Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness admitted he 'cried like a baby' during his time in jail for tax evasion in 2014. The 67-year-old is set to step down as president on November 15.

Experienced German centre-back Antonio Rudiger has played just 45 minutes all season for Chelsea after undergoing surgery on his knee back in April.

Flick was handed the reins after the sacking of Niko Kovac, who left the club following a heavy 5-1 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday. Now the club turn their attention to Dortmund.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY CRAIG HOPE IN SAALFELDEN, AUSTRIA: Ziege is up on his feet, recreating Gascoigne's agonising stretch, where had he connected it would have sent Germany home.

KIT HOLDEN IN GERMANY: Having begun the year in full-blown crisis mode, Joachim Low's side have stumbled through a minefield. But there is a new problem: their fans are not happy.

RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner is on Lewandowski's tail in both the race to be atop the German top-flight scoring charts and in following suit by becoming a striker at the peak of his powers.

Alexander Nubel could spark a battle among some of Europe's top clubs for his signature after quickly establishing himself as one of the Bundesliga's top goalkeepers.

Manuel Neuer's long-term future at the Allianz Arena has been thrown into doubt with rising star Alexander Nubel having already agreed a deal to join the club on a five-year deal come this summer.

EXCLUSIVE BY DANIEL MATTHEWS: Boxing chiefs are scrambling to devise safe ways to end the shutdown crippling the sport, with virtual press conferences and remote judging part of the plans.

Mike Tyson insisted that he never thinks about the moment he bit Evander Holyfield's ear in the boxing ring and claimed he has made more money from the aftermath that he was fined for the incident.

Football is inching closer to a return amid the Covid-19 pandemic but there remains an array of medical and health issues that need to be worked through before a ball can be kicked.

The 26-year-old French centre back has struggled with knee and foot problems in the last few seasons and Barca said there was no time frame for his return to training.

Striker Isaac Kiese-Thelin spooned a late shot over the bar with the goal at his mercy as his Sweden side were held to a goalless draw by Denmark in their pre-World Cup friendly at the Friends Arena.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is still not satisfied with his omission from the Swedish national team for Russia and believes the national media cost him a spot in the 23-man squad for the World Cup.

Sweden drew another blank as fellow World Cup contenders Peru held them to a frustrating scoreless draw in their final warm-up game on a sun-drenched evening in Gothenburg.

JOE CALLAGHAN AT THE NIZHNY NOVGOROD STADIUM: Andreas Granqvist fired Sweden to victory over South Korea from the penalty spot as VAR once again proved decisive.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has proved he is still in the shape of his life, despite recently being snubbed by Sweden for the 2018 Russia World Cup. The iconic forward is ESPN's latest body cover star.

CHRIS HATHERALL IN SOCHI: Zlatan Ibrahimovic may not be here with them but Sweden, with a team whose image is the antithesis of their former hero, came so close to becoming legends.

Germany went 1-0 behind against Sweden but Marco Reus levelled before Toni Kroos stepped up and smashed a last-gasp free-kick into the top corner at the Fisht Olympic Stadium on Saturday evening.

Toni Kroos has praised his Germany team-mates for their second-half performance against Sweden on Saturday which saw them come from a goal down to win in the last minute. 

FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against two German team officials who stormed towards the Sweden bench gesticulating and clapping after a last-gasp victory on Saturday.

Thunder rumbled as the players boarded the team buses but it would take more than another mighty storm crashing ashore from the Black Sea to clear the air.

With England through to the quarter-finals, here is all you need to know about the history of England vs Sweden matches including the results, head-to-head stats and the 2002 World Cup meeting.

Albin Ekdal has had x-rays on a foot problem while fellow Sweden midfielder Jimmy Durmaz also missed his country's training session on Wednesday because of a minor issue with his hip.

The Russian National Tourist Office reiterated on social media on Thursday morning that the embassy was now making an exception to their usual process and issuing visas within one working day.

SAMI MOKBEL IN SAMARA: Southgate, who has considered giving his midfield a defensive feel against Swedenn by starting with Dier in place of Alli, has nurtured a feeling of togetherness.

Steven Gerrard is confident England can beat Sweden in their World Cup quarter-final because they no longer have a maverick such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The last time a Scandinavian nation beat England in the World cup the reaction from Norwegian commentator Bjørge Lillelien was pretty un-Scandinavian to say the least.

Gareth Southgate's England side take on Sweden in Samara on Saturday afternoon with a place in the semi-finals at stake and the excitement levels are at boiling point.

It was an eventful game on the pitch but there were a number of events taking place off it as well. From a spare Gareth Southgate in the stands to how fans tried to keep up to date at wedding ceremonies.

England have booked their place in the semi-finals at the World Cup and it was all down to hard work on and off the pitch throughout the tournament, says BBC pundit Alan Shearer. 

Jordan Pickford revealed on Saturday night that he injured his hand by accidentally hammering it against his knee in a moment of frustration during his man-of-the-match display

Sweden started the match brightly as they threatened the Austrian goal but in the end were the cause of their own downfall after a horror own goal put them at a disadvantage early on. 

The 33-year-old former Wigan Athletic centre-back has been key to Sweden 's impressive defensive record and captained his country at the World Cup forming a partnership with United's Victor Lindelof.

You know a match is perhaps not the most interesting when the key moment is a second half substitute. This was the case in Sweden, as the sub almost poked his own eye out while coming on.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has played for European giants across the biggest leagues, including Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United.

Sergio Ramos equalled Iker Casillas' record of 167 caps for Spain as they thrashed the Faroe Islands 4-0 in a Euro 2020 qualifier on Sunday night.