played down

But he played down the idea of an organised supply chain, insisting the smuggling system was more like a haphazard series of stepping stones, with each stage controlled by separate gangs.

Official Iranian sources have publicly played down the impact of the attack, saying most missiles were intercepted and those that weren't caused only limited damage to air defence systems.

She was standing in for Sir Keir Starmer, who has also played down the row while on his way to Samoa for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which King Charles will open on Friday.

But one of the defence lawyers involved in this case played down its broader impact on the small boat crisis.

There were a handful of reports of 'talks' in German media, which were played down at the time by Tuchel's representatives when BBC Sport approached them for comment.