Sunderland's Belgian midfielder #39 Malick Fofana (L) fights for the ball with AZ's Dutch forward #24 Ayoub Oufkir during the UEFA Europa League, 1st round day 1 football match between Sunderland and AZ Alkmaar at The Stadium of Light in Sunderland in north east England on September 16, 2026. (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP via Getty Images)