DANIEL KRETINSKY is in line for a £650million West Ham takeover after signing a deal for an optional buy out.
The Czech tycoon, 46, could push through a full takeover by 2023 with David Sullivan and David Gold agree to the sale.
Kretinsky is already on the board after buying a 27 per cent stake at the board, has an Olympian showjumping girlfriend and has been branded the ‘Czech Sphinx’.
Antonio Conte’s Tottenham were stunned by Mura in the Europa Conference League.
Harry Kane was on the scoresheet again, but Ryan Sessegnon saw red in the first half and Spurs lost with the final kick of the game.
West Ham won 2-0 away to Rapid Vienna and Leicester beat Legia Warsaw 3-1 at King Power Stadium as police were forced to get involved with the away fans.
There were mixed fortunes for the Old Firm clubs as Celtic crashed out of Europe with a 3-2 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen while Rangers won 2-0 at home to Sparta Prague, ensuring their path to the next round.
Meanwhile, Chelsea could be in for £84million Federico Chiesa, with the Juventus star on the Blues’ radar.
Thomas Tuchel’s side qualified for the Champions League last 16 following their win and are in the hat for the draw on December 13.
In other news, Erling Haaland could be given a new contract at Borussia Dortmund, which would double the Norwegian’s wages.
Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City and Real Madrid are all interested in signing the goalscoring machine, 21.
And Newcastle have reportedly joined the race to sign £70m Fiorentina star Dusan Vlahovic.
Get all the latest football news, updates and transfer gossip below…
FIRING BLANCS
Real Madrid fans have launched an astonishing broadside at superstar Gareth Bale and his agent.
The Madrid faithful are up in arms over comments made by his representative Jonathan Barnett.
And they reiterated a long-standing complaint that Bale appears more interested in playing for Wales than he does for the LaLiga leaders.
His case was not helped when he returned home from international duty last week with yet another injury.
A small group of fans then accosted the 32-year-old as he was leaving Real’s training ground – throwing a marker pen at his car amid cries of ‘f*** you’.
That led his agent to brand the supporters ‘disgusting’ and not worth his client’s time.
Those words have sparked fury amid the wider fanbase, with an official supporters’ group releasing a brutal statement against the pair.
In it, they claimed Barnett is a ‘fierce critic’ of the club and ignorant of its history – particularly after he locked horns with ex-boss Zinedine Zidane.
STERLING EFFORT
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is impressed with what he’s seen from Raheem Sterling recently.
Sterling’s had a tough time at the Etihad this season, but he got back on the scoresheet in City’s 2-1 win over Barcelona in the Champions League this week.
And Pep’s over the moon with the England winger’s contribution.
He said: “I am so glad for him, it helps us that’s for sure,” he said at his pre-match press conference ahead of City’s game against West Ham.
“He was decisive. He was completely decisive in what we have done in the last three years.
“This is a step to get back to his best form.”
BEN BLOW
Chelsea star Ben Chilwell will be out for at least six weeks with a partial ACL injury.
But the England left-back could miss even more action if he requires surgery next year.
Chilwell had just emerged as a key figure for Chelsea, reinventing the attacking wing-back role alongside teammate Reece James with three goals and an assist in just six league outings.
But the ex-Leicester ace’s delight turned to misery in Tuesday’s 3-0 win over Juventus.
Chilwell went down in agony clutching his knee after a collision with an opponent.
And he needed support from two medics to limp off the Stamford Bridge turf.
Chelsea were left sweating on scans amid fears Chilwell had fully ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament, ruling him out for nine months.
However, Thomas Tuchel revealed on Friday the defender is hopefully set to miss just six weeks of action.
RAINBOW PRIDE
Leicester City will be celebrating Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign at Sunday’s Premier League fixture against Watford at King Power Stadium.
The initiative – which is backed by each top-flight club – demonstrates ongoing commitment to supporting LGBTQ+ inclusion and making it clear that football is for everyone.
All Premier League fixtures between 27 November and 2 December will be dedicated to Rainbow Laces, with clubs showing support through matchday activities, with branding visible at every stadium, while rainbow-themed captain’s armbands, laces and pin badges are also available.
In addition to this, City’s players will warm-up in rainbow t-shirts, with rainbow clappers to be left on each seat ahead of the game on Filbert Way for fans to show further support for the campaign.
PRIVATE PAGE
Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard has revealed he is trying to ‘cut as many corners’ as possible in order to swiftly implement his philosophy at the club.
One of those corners is setting up a ‘secret’ Instagram account just for Aston Villa players that allows them to watch training videos and match analysis, as well as read motivational quotes.
The page is called ‘Bodymoor1,’ according to the Telegraph, and is followed by the majority of Villa’s first team-set up.
It currently has 35 followers that include the likes of Gerrard himself and forward Ollie Watkins, and is named after Aston Villa’s training ground.
Speaking on the secret page in his pre-Crystal Palace press conference, Liverpool legend Gerrard said: “Instagram is another way, alongside your likes of the WhatsApps to put in information and reminders to players.
“We’ve come in at a time where we haven’t had the luxury of a pre-season where you have five-six weeks to build your identity and the way you want it to look.
“So we’re trying to cut as many corners as we can to get the identity and the standards across to the players that we expect as a group of staff.”
JOEY IN THE DOCK
Joey Barton is set to go on trial accused of assaulting another football manager after a heated League One game.
The Bristol Rovers manager, 39, denies attacking then-Barnsley boss Daniel Stendel back in April 2019.
Prosecutors claim Barton – who was then managing Fleetwood – hit out in the tunnel after a Barnsley win.
Stendel was left with facial injuries after the alleged bust-up.
Ex-Premier League star Barton, of Widnes in Cheshire, was said to be furious after seeing one of his players sent off in a 4-2 defeat.
A steward and a cop stopped his BMW from leaving the ground.
He was later arrested after Barnsley complained to South Yorkshire Police about the alleged incident.
A trial will begin at Sheffield Crown Court on Monday after jurors were selected today.
RED RETURN
Ex-Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum could be set to return to the Premier League just six months after signing for PSG, according to reports.
The Dutch ace has only started three Ligue 1 matches for PSG.
And according to TeamTalk, Wijnaldum could be tempted into a move back to the Prem.
His representatives have allegedly already started to search for potential suitors with Newcastle said to be interested in the ex-Kop favourite.
But the Toon may face and uphill battle as PSG are said to be reluctant to sell Wijnaldum.
‘NOT GOOD NEWS’
Jurgen Klopp has praised Manchester United’s appointment of Ralf Rangnick by hailing him as an “organised and experienced coach”.
Klopp, whose managerial style was inspired by Rangnick, insists it is “not good news” for other Premier League clubs that the German has arrived in England.
When asked about Rangnick’s arrival, he said: “Unfortunately a good coach is coming to England, to Manchester United!
“He’s a really experienced manager, built two clubs from nowhere.
“Man United will be organised on the pitch. That’s obviously not good news for other teams.”
WRECK-IT RALF
Manchester United target Ralf Rangnick is a ‘merchant’ who only cares about money according to the former Lokomotiv Moscow president.
Rangnick, 63, is set to be appointed Man Utd’s new interim manager following the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer earlier this week, according to reports.
But former Lokomotiv Moscow president Nikolai Naumov has accused Rangnick of not ‘caring about football’ and argues that he is only interested in money.
In a sensational rant to Match TV, Naumov claimed: “It’s not about Manchester. For Rangnick, this is no escape, betrayal, or disgrace. Rangnick is a merchant.
“He absolutely does not care about football, because he only does business around him.
“And the more countries, leagues and football clubs he covers, the more he will earn.
“He’s absolutely indifferent to Lokomotiv. He did not come here to raise football, but to earn money.
“Now he was offered money elsewhere, and he and his company will go to United.”
ED IN HIS HANDS
Arsenal technical director Edu has recalled the time he was sent to jail after arriving into England with a fake Portuguese passport.
The 43-year-old had agreed a deal to join the Gunners from Corinthians in the summer of 2000, but was made to wait until the following New Year before linking up.
Edu had believed the passport secured by his agent was legitimate, though he was stopped by border control after touching down in Blighty.
However, unbeknownst to Edu, his agent at the time had supplied him with a counterfeit passport in a hurried effort to get his transfer to Arsenal over the line.
He was then held by Brazilian authorities for 10 hours while the situation was being investigated which is when the tears came flooding down.
Edu explained to The Athletic: “When I got there, I realised how serious the situation was. That’s when I started to cry — ‘Man, I’m in prison’.”
CASH CRISIS
Angry Bayern Munich fans blasted club bosses over a Qatari sponsorship deal as tensions boiled over at their annual general meeting.
A group of supporters hit out over the five-year deal with Qatar Airways – worth around £16.9million a season.
They fumed over accusations of human rights abuses at the Gulf state, which hosts the World Cup next year.
The deal is due to expire in 2023 but fans have been putting pressure on current president Herbert Hainer and CEO Oliver Kahn not to renew.
And Thursday’s AGM descended into chaos amid chants for Hainer’s removal after the club blocked fans from voting on the deal.
A group of around 800 supporters shouted ‘Hainer out!’ and ‘we are the fans you don’t want’ in front of the stunned Bayern officials.
BREAKING
Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky has signed a deal to complete a full takeover of West Ham.
Kretinsky forked out £150million to buy a 27 per cent stake in the Hammers earlier this month and joined co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold on the board.
At the time it was thought there was a belief the businessman would take his time getting used to life in the Premier League before upping his interest.
But documents lodged at Companies House show a deal has already been signed by Kretinsky and Sullivan to buy a controlling stake at an already agreed rate – valuing the London club around £650m.
The ‘Put and Call’ agreement is mentioned several times in new articles of association lodged by the club’s parent company WH Holding Ltd on November 23.
It shows the terms of a takeover are already sealed, with 46-year-old Kretinsky having an unspecified time to complete the deal before it expires.
‘WELCOME ZIZOU’
The pieces appear to be falling into place in Manchester United’s pursuit of Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino.
A well-connected member of the Qatari royal family has announced Zinedine Zidane WILL take over at the Parc des Princes.
That would free up Pochettino to head to Old Trafford on a long-term appointment following the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Sheikh Khalifa Bin Hamad Al-Thani has links to the Qatari sovereign wealth fund that bankrolls PSG.
He is also reported to be the brother of the French giants’ principal owner and has previously spoken out over Kylian Mbappe’s future at the club.
And the royal figure took to Twitter to confirm ex-Real Madrid boss Zidane has accepted an offer from the Ligue 1 leaders.
He tweeted: “Things are settled. It will be announced soon. Welcome Zezo.”
HOWE DO YOU DO?
Newcastle have confirmed that Eddie Howe WILL return to the dugout for tomorrow’s clash with Arsenal.
The new Toon boss, 43, was forced to watch his first game in charge last week from his hotel room after testing positive for Covid-19.
Jason Tindall was on the touchline as Newcastle drew a thriller with Brentford 3-3 at St James’ Park.
But after returning a negative Covid-19 test this morning, Howe will be back in the technical area at the Emirates as the Magpies continue their hunt for a first win of the season.
ERL OF MANCHESTER
Ralf Ragnick’s Manchester United appointment may just give the Red Devils the edge over the rest of Europe when it comes to signing Erling Haaland.
Borussia Dortmund sensation Haaland has been linked with a host of clubs, but United will now feel confident they can win the race.
That’s because Rangnick is the man responsible for signing Haaland while he was director of football at RB Salzburg.
And his relationship with the 22-year-old could be a deciding factor in luring the striker to Old Trafford.
Spanish outlet AS are claiming Manchester United’s appointment of Rangnick is ‘decisive’ in the battle to sign Haaland.
Rangnick signed Haaland from Norwegian club Molde in 2019 for just £7million.
CRIS CROSS
A fuming Cristiano Ronaldo blasts former Juventus team-mates in extraordinary behind-the-scenes footage.
The Portuguese great lost his cool at half-time during Juve’s Champions League last-16 encounter with Porto last season.
Juventus were clear favourites to progress to the quarter-finals but found themselves 1-0 down at half-time in the second-leg.
That made it a 3-1 aggregate advantage to Porto and then-Juve striker Ronaldo wasn’t having any of it.
The new documentary ‘All or Nothing: Juventus’ captured a fascinating clash between CR7 and Juan Cuadrado at Allianz Stadium.
Ronaldo screamed: “We have to work harder. What the f***! We didn’t play at all! Nothing!”
Cuadrado then replied: “Don’t worry”
Ronaldo: “We played s***, always!”
JOSE’S JIBE
Frank Lampard has revealed Jose Mourinho’s hilarious tongue-in-cheek quip following his sacking as Chelsea manager.
Lamps, 43, was given the axe by Roman Abramovich in January with the worst points-per-game ratio of any manager in the Russian’s era.
Thomas Tuchel replaced him and won the Champions League while the former midfielder remains out of work.
And Lampard was given a morale boost by his former boss Mourinho.
The Special One knows exactly how it feels to be sacked by Chelsea – having been through it twice.
And the then-Tottenham boss joked Lampard can now class himself as a ‘real manager’.
ZAK HIM UP
Manchester United are reportedly keen on a move for Switzerland international Denis Zakaria in a bid to bolster their midfield.
The 25-year-old is out of contract at Borussia Monchengladbach at the end of the season and could be on his way to the Premier League.
But the Red Devils are set to face stiff competition when it comes to signing Zakaria.
Barcelona, Juventus and Roma are all eager to sign the midfielder, according to journalist Nicolo Schira.
Zakaria has rejected Gladbach’s offers of a new contract and seems destined to move on.
And Manchester United’s current midfield pairing of Fred and Scott McTominay have been the subject of intense criticism this campaign.
So a move for Zakaria would give incoming interim boss Ralf Rangnick another option in the middle of the park.
O’NO
Four Tottenham players should never wear a Spurs shirt again following their humiliating 2-1 defeat to NS Mura in the Europa Conference League, according to ex-player Jamie O’Hara.
O’Hara, who played 56 times for Spurs, did not hold back as he singled out Matt Doherty, Tanguy Ndombele, Dele Alli and Davinson Sanchez for their indefendible displays.
Speaking on Sky Sports, he said: “These are a Slovenian top-flight side that I would expect a National League side to give a game.
“It has been a disgrace and some of the players – and I’ll name them as well – (Matt) Doherty, (Tanguy) Ndombele, Dele Alli, Davinson Sanchez were absolutely shocking, they shouldn’t wear a Spurs shirt again some of them in my opinion.
“This is a European game you need to win and go out an impress a new manager in Antonio Conte.
“You’ve got to go out there and give everything you’ve got and put in an unbelievable performance for yourself to say ‘I want to be part of this group and part of this Conte era’ – and not one player on that pitch deserves any credit from that game.
“It was a shocking performance. These players are strolling around the park like they’re dismissing this game as if they think they’re too good to play in it.”
‘SECURITY REASONS’
BT Sport have defiantly backed Chris Sutton after he again was denied accreditation to work at Ibrox last night.
The broadcasters will instead cover both matches featuring Celtic and Rangers from a studio at an empty Parkhead.
It read: “We have a presentation team who reflect all angles and experiences in Scottish football but who were not all provided with the necessary accreditation at Ibrox today.
“We will not be forced to split a team of professionals behind and in front of screen.
“The only way to provide viewers with the continuity of coverage across tonight’s two matches featuring Celtic and Rangers was to set up a studio elsewhere.”
Currie then welcomed studio guest Stiliyan Petrov before welcoming “the elephant in the room, Chris Sutton.”
It follows Sutton being denied access to the ground alongside ex-Celtic boss Neil Lennon for ‘security reasons’ earlier in the campaign.
GOOD MORNING FOOTY FANS
Tottenham embarrassed themselves on the European stage, falling to a 2-1 defeat at Slovenian side Mura.
The European minnows netted an added-time winner to shock the Premier League giants.
Elsewhere in Europe, both West Ham and Leicester secured wins.
The Hammers will finish top of their group no matter what the result is against Dynamo Zagreb next month, and they skip the Round of 32 stage.
German football mastermind Ralf Rangnick is set to become Man Utd’s interim manager.
The 63-year-old will take over for six months whilst United look for a permanent fix, and once the right man is found, Rangnick will move up to a ‘consultancy’ role.
Nicknamed ‘The Professor’, he was one of the pioneers of Gegenpressing, a style of play where teams immediately press the opposition after losing possession of the ball.
His influence has been felt in the modern game, with many teams adopting his philosophy.
Liverpool and Juventus sent scouts to watch Olympiacos wonderkid Aguibou Camara in action against Fenerbahce.
The Greek champions beat the Turkish outfit last night at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in a crucial encounter and Camara played the full 90 minutes for Pedro Martins’ side.
According to Greek journalist and editor of Sportime Giannis Chorianopoulos, the Reds sent a representative to Athens to keep tabs on the talented attacking midfielder.
Gareth Bale’s agent Jonathan Barnett has lashed out at Real Madrid fans who abused his client last week.
Bale was leaving Real’s Valdebebas training facility on Friday when one furious supporter appeared to throw a marker pen at his car window with cries of ‘F*** you’ heard.
Barnett was furious with that incident and branded that small group of yobs as “disgusting” when he landed in Madrid.
He told El Chiringuito when asked if he considers the opinion of Real fans: “I don’t, why should I care?
“I think they’ve been disgusting to Gareth Bale.”
ROARING DRAGONS
Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey have been tipped to deliver World Cup play-off glory for Wales.
The Dragons will find out their opponents for March’s home semi-final in today’s Zurich draw.
Ex-Wales striker Earnshaw said: “Whoever we play we have to be positive in our approach because we have some very good players.
“It’s different from a normal game because you know the prize at the end of it is huge. When you go into the play-offs you have to make sure you handle everything. The pressure is big.
“It’s great we have the likes of Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey because they are two people who are great footballers but the one thing that doesn’t get highlighted is the amount of pressure and weight of the nation on their shoulders always but they deliver consistently.
“To qualify for a World Cup would be amazing and unbelievable for the whole country.”
CONTE BELIEVE IT
Angry Antonio Conte saw his Spurs flops produce the biggest Euro horror show in the club’s history and said: “I am not a magician.”
he was given a reality shock in the defeat to Mura and acknowledged there is a lot of work to do to improve the side.
After the match he said: “After three weeks I am starting to understand the situation. It is not simple.
“At this moment the level at Tottenham is not so high.
“I am happy to stay here but we have to work a lot to improve the quality of the squad. We are Tottenham but there is an important gap with the top teams but I am not scared.
“I want to reduce the time to try and win something. The situation now is starting to be very clear in my mind.
“I like to win, I play to win in every competition that we have to play. This must be the same for my players.”
Antonio Conte says the level at Tottenham isn’t so high after 2-1 defeat against NS MuraFAN TROUBLE
Ugly scenes broke out in Leicester’s Europa League game with Legia Warsaw as away fans attacked police.
The Foxes were leading the game 3-1 when the travelling supporters clashed with security and police.
Flares were set off as they attempted to storm the home stands where Leicester fans were sitting and threw objects.
3 PINTS FOR A WIN
Footie fans could be allowed to drink during games again for the first time in 36 years, writes NATASHA CLARK and NICHOLAS GUTTERIDGE.
The law banning booze in stands could be axed as part of a wide-ranging review of the sport.
Among recommendations is a test scheme for fans to be able to drink alcohol during matches at League Two and National League clubs.
Ministers have welcomed the move, part of a fan-led review headed by ex-sports minister Tracey Crouch.
She said a “small scale and limited pilot” on the sale of alcohol “in sight of the pitch” would help struggling clubs rake in extra cash.
Ms Crouch added yesterday: “This is about the financial sustainability of the lowest parts of the league — such a small change would make a huge difference.”
Research suggests an average League Two club loses around £184,000 a season by not being able to sell booze to fans watching matches.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
