The Spanish government has pledged to stop a poll that was declared illegal by the country’s constitutional court.

Police officers are preventing people from voting, and seizing ballot papers and boxes at polling stations.

In the regional capital Barcelona, police used batons and fired rubber bullets during pro-referendum protests.

Updating the injury toll to 460, Barcelona’s Mayor Ada Colau condemned police actions against what she said was the region’s “defenceless” population.

Meanwhile, the Spanish interior ministry said 12 police officers had been hurt and three people arrested. It added that 92 polling stations had been closed.

The national police and Guardia Civil – a paramilitary force charged with police duties – were sent into Catalonia in large numbers to prevent the vote from taking place.

• Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont said: “The unjustified use of violence… by the Spanish state will not stop the will of the Catalan people”
• Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria said police had “acted with professionalism and in a proportionate way”
• Spanish Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido blamed Mr Puigdemont for what he termed the day’s senseless events
• The Guardia Civil said it was “resisting harassment and provocation” while carrying out its duties “in defence of the law”

One voter, Júlia Graell, told the BBC that “police started to kick people, young and old”, adding: “Today, I have seen the worst actions that a government can do to the people of its own country.”

In Girona, riot police smashed their way into a polling station where Mr Puigdemont was due to vote, and forcibly removed those looking to place their ballots. Mr Puigdemont was able to vote at another polling station.

The BBC’s Tom Burridge, in Barcelona, witnessed police being chased away from one polling booth after they had raided it.

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Source: BBC

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Gerrard, 34, won his first cap in a 2-0 win over Ukraine in 2000 and played for the last time at the 2014 World Cup in a 0-0 draw with Costa Rica.

“I have enjoyed every minute of representing my country. It’s a sad day for me,” the Liverpool midfielder said.

Gerrard will now assume a “high profile” ambassadorial role with the Football Association.

The England midfielder scored 21 times and represented his country at six major tournaments.

“It was a very difficult decision to make. It’s something I have been contemplating for a long time, not just since the end of the World Cup,” the Liverpool skipper said.

“I’ve had to take an awful lot of advice from people who are close to me – players that I still play with, ex-players who I played with a long time ago, managers who I played for years ago.

“It’s been a really tough decision, certainly one of the toughest since I turned professional at 18.”

Gerrard will continue his club career with Liverpool, with whom he made his debut in 1998 against Blackburn Rovers.

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Source: BBC Sport

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Six of their World Cup-winning squad played in the side which beat England 4-0 in the 2009 European Championship Under-21s final.

James Milner was the only England player from that game to play at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

The Germans beat Argentina 1-0 in Sunday’s final, while England went out of the competition in the group stages.

Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, defenders Mats Hummels, Benedikt Howedes and Jerome Boateng and midfielders Sami Khedira and Mesut Ozil started against England in the youth final.

Only the injured Khedira did not start against Argentina.

Since that final in Malmo five years ago, Ozil won La Liga with Real Madrid before making a £42.4m move to Arsenal last September.

His title-winning team-mate at Real was Khedira, who also helped the Spanish giants to the 2013-14 Champions League title.

Neuer, 28, and Boateng both play for Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, while Hummels is a two-times Bundesliga winner with Borussia Dortmund. Howedes, 26, plays for Schalke.

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BBC Sport

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The Central Americans fully warranted their win at Arena Pernambuco, which was sealed by a Bryan Ruiz header shortly before half-time.

The former Fulham striker watched his effort hit the crossbar and bounce over the line. Goal-line technology confirmed the decision.

This result proved Costa Rica’s victory over Uruguay in Fortaleza had been no fluke and they might have won more comfortably had they been awarded a penalty when Arsenal striker Joel Campbell was clearly fouled in the penalty area.

Italy were a shadow of the side that beat England comfortably in Manaus and now drop into second place in Group D, behind Costa Rica. Uruguay are third on goal difference.

The result confirmed what England had feared after Thursday’s 2-1 defeat to Uruguay in Sao Paulo and means Roy Hodgson’s side will be eliminated whatever the result against Costa Rica in Belo Horizonte on Tuesday.

Italy face Uruguay in Natal at the same time.

History was not on England’s side going into this contest. Italy had failed to win their second group match at any of the previous three World Cups.

One man who had been present on all three occasions was goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. Having missed Italy’s opening game against England, the Juventus captain was passed fit to play in his fourth World Cup, becoming only the fifth Italian to do so.

On his return, there were signs of rust as Costa Rica controlled much of the first half.

The Italy goalkeeper came for a corner but missed, only for Celso Borges to head just over. Buffon got down smartly to save a low shot from the excellent Christian Bolanos but the real drama was still to come.

The half burst into life shortly before the interval with two key incidents.

In the first, Arsenal striker Joel Campbell checked back onto his left foot and ran at the Italian defence with his typical vigour. His run was ended in the penalty area, as defender Giorgio Chiellini cut across the 21-year-old as he prepared to shoot.

It looked a clear penalty, but referee Enrique Osses from Chile waved played on to the disbelief of those in the Arena Pernambuco.

Costa Rica would not be denied, though.

Within a minute, they came forward again. Bolanos swung the ball wide to the left flank where Junior Diaz curled an inviting ball towards Brian Ruiz at the back post. The former Fulham forward connected with a header that first struck the crossbar and then bounced down, beyond the dive of Buffon, and over the line.

The Costa Ricans exploded with joy. It was no more than they deserved.

Italy could only get better and but any improvement was marginal. Andrea Pirlo tested Navas with a free-kick that wobbled and dipped, while Matteo Darmian thumped a rising shot that was tipped over the bar by the Costa Rica goalkeeper.

But their best chance had fallen to Mario Balotelli much earlier in the game. It went to waste.

The opportunity in question came after a majestic lofted pass by Pirlo. The former Manchester City striker controlled it but could only loft his shot wide with the goal at his mercy.

Costa Rica will now face any one of Ivory Coast, Colombia, Greece or Japan in the next round.

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Source: BBC Sport

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The 35-year-old Chelsea midfielder has 103 caps and will be deputy to skipper Steven Gerrard, ahead of Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney.

“Frank’s been the vice-captain all along in Steven’s absences, which I think has been twice,” said Hodgson. “He’s stepped up quite brilliantly.”

Lampard has captained England six times during his career.

“I’ve always thought that he was going to be a key member of this 23 because of his experience and what he brings to the team apart from pure footballing ability,” Hodgson told the Football Association website.

“He brings a lot of other things to us in terms of his leadership qualities and characteristics.”

England will play three friendlies against Peru, Ecuador and Honduras before beginning their World Cup campaign on 14 June against Italy.

Source: BBC

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The wives and girlfriends of England footballers will be banned from travelling with the team on their World Cup tour.

Roy Hodgson, the England manager, has rescinded an invitation he initially extended to players’ partners to join the squad on the official tour, which starts in the US before moving on to Brazil.

Any wives, girlfriends or families wishing to travel to warm-up games in Miami will have to make their own arrangements to attend.

The decision, intended to signal a businesslike approach to the World Cup, is a significant departure from the 2006 tournament in Germany, where wives and girlfriends – or WAGs – including Victoria Beckham, Cheryl Cole and Coleen Rooney descended on Baden Baden, where the players were staying.

Four years later, the then manager Fabio Capello locked the squad away in their South African base, with partners only allowed brief meetings.

Hodgson adopted a more relaxed approach to the WAGs, allowing them to visit their husbands and boyfriends at Euro 2012, and had invited players’ partners to travel with the team to Miami, but the FA has now rethought the offer.

Wives and girlfriends who still wish to travel to Miami independently will be warned that time with the players will be strictly limited. Similarly, while they are not banned from making the trip to Brazil, they will have to travel independently and will be given only limited access to the players.

England will give players only a day to spend with their families after a friendly against Peru at Wembley on May 30 before flying out to Miami on June 1.

The team is staying next to the South Beach neighbourhood of Miami, which is known for its nightclubs, restaurants and boutiques, for warm-up games against Ecuador on June 4 and Honduras on June 7, before their opening World Cup match on June 14.

Source: The Telegraph

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